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Westheim · 12-25-2020, 05:45 PM

Raccoons (32-32) @ Blue Sox (35-28) – June 12-14, 2040

Last time the Raccoons played the Blue Sox, they lost Game 7 of the 2037 World Series to them, while the last regular season meeting had been the same year, the Critters then taking two out of three. Mixed memories, huh? Nashville had lost four in a row, but the Raccoons were crummy in general. The Sox led the Federal League in runs scored and were third in runs allowed, so you’d expect them to not lose seven in a row. But while their rotation was best in the league, their bullpen was a burning tire fire with an ERA over five. If only the Raccoons could ever get into that…

Projected matchups:
Bernie Chavez (2-6, 3.80 ERA) vs. Kevin Stice (5-2, 3.67 ERA)
Nelson Moreno (0-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Donovan Mason (1-1, 3.15 ERA)
Raffaello Sabre (5-5, 3.36 ERA) vs. Matt Hose (6-2, 3.29 ERA)

All right-handers here. Injuries had ripped into their roster, mostly the lineup, with regulars Jim “Mastodon” Allen, Justin Fowler, and Ken Gibbs all on the shelf. On the pitching side they were also without Sean Fowler, another ex-Coon in Casey Moore, and starter David Elliott. The common off day on Monday would allow them to skip the replacement Mason and bring Tim Hale (4-6, 4.24 ERA) into the set.

Game 1
POR: CF Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – RF Greenway – 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – 1B Salazar – P Chavez
NAS: 2B Encinia – SS Bouldin – LF S. Ashley – C Santa Cruz – CF Oliver – 3B Critzer – 1B Bossert – RF Graf – P Stice

After a silent first run through the lineup, the Raccoons found inroads to Kevin Stice’s cookie jar in the third inning, even if only with two outs. Maldonado through Kilmer all hit singles, bringing home the first two runs of the game before Greenway grounded out to Juan Encinia. Bernie Chavez couldn’t be trusted with the lead though; while allowing only one hit through three innings, he gave it all away in the fourth, with a single hit by Jorge Santa Cruz into shallow center, than then immediately a loud homer to right hit by Brian Oliver to tie the game at two.

When Jeff Kilmer hit a solo shot to left in the sixth inning, the Coons took a 3-2 lead. And when Bernie Chavez returned to the mound for the bottom of the sixth, he retired absolutely nobody. Encinia and Billy Bouldin hit singles. Sean Ashley tied the game with a double. Santa Cruz untied it with a homer to left, 6-3, and then Oliver hit a double to right. Jermaine Campbell replaced him, but put another three Sox on base and conceded another two runs before finally getting three outs. The bum. The Coons were even into the Sox’ pen now, with Cory Cronk (.301, 2 HR, 10 RBI) having pinch-hit for Stice, but whether that was still any use for them, down 8-3, was certainly debatable. For beginners, another run fell out of Mauricio Garavito, for whom season’s end and retirement couldn’t come soon enough, in the seventh. In the ninth then, Vincenzo Battaglia wobbled *slightly* for the Sox. Maldo singled with two outs, stole second, and was singled home by Cosmo. Juan Espudo replaced the right-hander, balked, then gave up an RBI single to Manny. Hoogey hit for Kilmer and singled. Greenway singled to right, loading the bases and bringing the tying run into the box. Espudo leaked a walk to Berto with the bases stacked, and then Tony Hunter fell to 1-2 before slapping a ball into the gap in left-center. Hooge scored! Greenway scored! Berto scored! Tied ballgame! HOLY ****!! Ex-Coon Antonio Prieto with an ERA over five replaced Espudo, facing Morales, who had opened the inning hitting for the pitcher in the #8 hole. Tony socked a homer to right. There were now crying children in the ballpark, with the Raccoons having scored eight runs, all with two outs. Finally, Oliver Anderson struck out, sending it to Rico Sanchez, who gave up a single, a walk, and somehow got a game-saving 6-4-3 double play from Brad Critzer. 11-9 Furballs!? Maldonado 2-4; Trevino 2-5, 2 RBI; Fernandez 2-5, RBI; Kilmer 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Hooge (PH) 1-1; Greenway 3-5; Morales (PH) 1-2, HR, 2 RBI;

(sits there, mid-gasp, unable to close the snout agape)

Game 2
POR: CF Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Morales – 1B Anderson – RF Greenway – 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – P Moreno
NAS: 2B Encinia – SS Bouldin – LF S. Ashley – C Santa Cruz – CF Oliver – 3B Critzer – 1B Bossert – RF Cronk – P D. Mason

Cory Cronk took Moreno deep in the third inning for the first run of the game, which filled me with considerable bitterness. While the Coons couldn’t get a hit off spot starter Mason through five, regardless of whether they asked kindly or brashly, Moreno kept being busy by almost always having somebody on base. In the fifth that was Cronk, nicked to begin the inning. He then mishandled Mason’s bunt into an extra runner, then got even more fierce and threw to third on Encinia’s comebacker. This time he got Cronk, and Mason was slapped out seconds after on a very weird double steal call. Then Billy Bouldin hit an RBI single anyway, 2-0.

Cosmo hit a double in the sixth to break up the no-hitter, but was left on base. Santa Cruz instead homered to right in the bottom of the inning, and Critzer and Chance Bossert hit singles to take up the corners against Moreno. Cronk then whacked an RBI single over Trevino, and Moreno was lifted after receiving Mason’s bunt. Ramirez got a pop from Encinia to end the inning, with the Coons down by a slam and not looking like making it up. Just like Tuesday, huh? Nah. This tiem Mason was nearly untouchable, and the Raccoons kept bleeding runs. Brent Clark was taken deep by Sean Ashley in the seventh, 5-0. A walk by Hunter, a single by Damian Salazar, and a sac fly by Maldo was all there was to a “rally” in the eighth. Cory Cronk answered with another 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning, also off Clark. 7-1 Blue Sox. Salazar 1-1;

Well, yes, Nelson, but you also could have hit two homers like Cronk, that ****head. – I know, I know. Here’s a fudge bar. Now scurry off. I have some crying to do as well.

And that was it for the series. Persistent rain nixed the Thursday game and the Raccoons instead had to travel to Indy to get whacked around some more there.

Raccoons (33-33) @ Indians (29-37) – June 15-17, 2040

Another team that had lost four in a row! The Indians were also in the bottom three in both runs scored and runs allowed, so posed a major stepping stone on the Raccoon’s quest to achieve ultimate mediocrity. The season series was tied at two.

Projected matchups:
Raffaello Sabre (5-5, 3.36 ERA) vs. Jake Jackson (7-4, 3.23 ERA)
Ryan Bedrosian (4-0, 2.24 ERA) vs. Alex Flores (2-6, 4.34 ERA)
Angelo Montano (0-2, 6.10 ERA) vs. Eric Peck (5-5, 3.87 ERA)

The return of Southpaw Sunday! The other two were right-handers, although the Indians had also not played on Thursday (scheduled like that) and could jigger things around like the Raccoons had skipped Montano in Nashville.

Game 1
POR: CF Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Morales – 1B Anderson – RF Hooge – 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – P Sabre
IND: CF Crocker – RF M. Ochoa – 3B Hutson – LF A. Torres – 1B Dodson – C E. Thompson – SS D. Serrato – 2B E. Vargas – P J. Jackson

The Raccoons broke out early, with a solo homer by Ed Hooge in the second inning, then a bit more in the third, which Hunter started off by walking and stealing second base. Sabre walked, too, and Maldonado hit an RBI double. Two poor outs later, Tony Morales rocked a fastball outta rightfield for a 3-piece and a 5-0 lead, but Indy would get a run back in the bottom 3rd. It was unearned, because with Enrique Vargas on first base, Sabre threw Jackson’s bunt away… Nick Crocker hit an RBI single, with Jackson thrown out at home plate by Hoogey. Sabre continued to have a not so good day; Dave Serrato and Vargas opened the bottom 5th with a double and an RBI single, 5-2. Jackson was hit for, but Roberto Morales struck out. Crocker grounded out, moving the runner to second base, from where Sabre scored him with not one but TWO wild pitches to make it 5-3 before Mario Ochoa flew out to Maldonado in deep center. Raffaello, that was dangerously close to Juan Diaz Territory, and you don’t want to be in Juan Diaz Territory!

You also got the impression that the batters thought that if Sabre couldn’t handle being spotted five runs against these lowly Indians, then **** that guy, because they didn’t do zilch after the third inning. They had all of two more hits through the seventh, but then Manny led off the eighth with a single to center when a tack-on run wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Right-hander Marcus Goode walked Tony Morales, but Anderson hit into a double play and Hooge struck out. Chuck Jones then did the bottom 8th in immediate relief of Sabre, facing the 1-2-3-4 batters and giving up a double to the only right-hander, Dan Hutson, but that was it in the inning. When Hunter doubled to left in the ninth against Alex Banderas, Troy Greenway batted for Jones, because we’d never learn, but was walked intentionally. Instead Maldo popped out and Cosmo whiffed. Rico Sanchez was then torn a new one in the bottom 9th: Pat Dodson singled to right, he walked Elliott Thompson, and Dave Serrato smacked an RBI double. Doom. Tied game on a grounder by Vargas, then the walkoff single to right by PH Josh Garbinski. 6-5 Indians. Maldonado 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Morales 2-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI;

(wishes to un-sign Rico Sanchez)

Game 2
POR: 1B Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Morales – CF Hooge – SS Hunter – RF Greenway – 3B Caskey – P Bedrosian
IND: CF Crocker – RF M. Ochoa – 3B Hutson – LF A. Torres – 1B Dodson – C E. Thompson – SS D. Serrato – 2B E. Vargas – P A. Flores

Just why on Earth were people continuing to walk Troy Greenway intentionally? The Indians did it again in the fourth inning, just after Tony Hunter had put the first two runs on the board with a double scoring Fernandez and Hooge, with one out in the inning. Well, yes, it brought up Jon Caskey, but they were both equally dead from the waste up …! In the event, Caskey and Bedrosian made poor outs, ending the inning, but at least the latter kept pitching finely. Through four, he allowed two hits and struck out five. Only Elliott Thompson had hit a deep fly out the first time through. Top 5th, Cosmo reached base and Manny homered, 4-0, but I had seen that before and I wasn’t gonna make any move that could be taken as excitement, because the baseball gods were obviously watching closely, especially Igor, the tiniest, meanest baseball god, with warts on his ***, that one really had it in for me and the Coons …!

Thompson hit another deep fly out in the bottom 5th, which was then followed by Bedrosian shoveling the bags full all of a sudden. Serrato walked, Flores singled (…), and Crocker walked. Ochoa grounded out to short though, ending the inning. In the sixth he was back to normal, but that wonky inning had erased the shutout potential for him, with Bedrosian at over 80 pitches through six. The Critters then loaded the bags in the seventh when the 2-3-4 batters with one out went single, single, hit in the bum. Hoogey knocked an RBI single at 0-2 up the middle, and also Flores from the game. Ayden Cobb then walked Hunter, forcing in a run. Next was Greenway, who had hit 42 homers two years earlier and now was barely hitting .142, facing a shy right-handed kid in his second major-league game. He lined out softly to Vargas and I bit forcefully into my fist. Anderson hit for Caskey, hoping for a knockout blow, but popped out, stranding three. Bedrosian then also came apart, allowing a leadoff single to Thompson, who was doubled off, then a walk to Serrato, and two singles. One run was in, but Brent Clark starved two more runners when he replaced Bedrosian in the sticky situation and got a grounder to short from Ochoa. Matt Kilgallen was now batting ninth and playing center after a double switch, and also led off the eighth inning with a jack to left off righty Luke Moses, another fresh-faced rookie. He’d walk Hunter in the ninth and allow a single to Damian Salazar, which was hard to do, before getting whacked for a 2-run double by Anderson. Kilgallen ended the inning with a lineout. Clark, Ramirez, and Garavito pieced the last two innings together without blowing an 8-run lead, so that was a relief. 9-1 Coons. Trevino 3-5; Fernandez 3-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Hunter 2-3, 2 BB, 2B, 3 RBI; Salazar (PH) 1-1; Anderson (PH) 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI; Kilgallen 1-2, HR, RBI; Bedrosian 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, W (5-0);

The Raccoons made a roster move. Hitting 0-for-3 did in Jon Caskey (.185, 1 HR, 5 RBI), who was sent to AAA. We called up (sigh) Steve Nickas, hitting .286 in limited action in AAA. Nickas was a strong defender, and would probably also hit .185 with ease.

We were exchanging a career .224 hitter for a career .214 hitter, so not really anything to write home about.

Gam 3
POR: 3B Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – SS Hunter – RF Greenway – 1B Salazar – CF Kilgallen – P Montano
IND: CF Crocker – 1B Dodson – 3B Hutson – SS D. Serrato – 2B E. Vargas – C Alfonso – RF M. Ochoa – LF A. Torres – P Peck

The rubber game was the third career start for Angelo Montano, and the first one in which he didn’t look like a complete wimp. He’d shut out the Indians through five, scattering five hits while getting some solid defense and a double play grounder from Dodson right in the first inning, but struck out three and walked nobody. Offensively, the Raccoons scored first again on a Maldonado jack to left in the third inning. Kilgallen was on base, making it 2-0, and the bases filled up after that until Greenway flew out to right to strand everybody and their mother. The 2-0 score held true through five, with the sixth inning starting with a Greenway double to left-center. The runner advanced on a wild pitch, then scored on an error by Edwin Alfonso on Salazar’s embarrassing grounder. Salazar would be bunted over by Montano, after which Maldo was walked with intent. Cosmo clipped an RBI single, 4-0, but Peck rung up Manny Fernandez to end the inning. Hutson hit a single in the sixth, but got not very far. Top 7th, Greenway hit his monthly jack to right-center, 5-0. Edwin Alfonso hit a leadoff single in the bottom 7th, but the Indians never got the runner off first base against Montano, who was on 88 pitches through seven, then gave up a leadoff double to Crocker in the eighth. Groudners, in that order, to Maldo, Hunter, and Cosmo kept the runner from scoring, getting Montano through eight on 100 pitches precisely. But we were told he had a rubber arm, so he could probably take some more abuse. He walked Vargas to begin the bottom 9th, which was not great, and another base runner would be IT. Alfonso flew out to right, easily, while Ochoa grounded up the middle. Hunter got the lead runner, but the return throw to first base was late. Alberto Torres came up with two outs, popped up on the infield, Damian Salazar took charge of the ball, caught it, and then immediately stormed for Montano for a thick rookie hug. 5-0 Furballs! Greenway 2-4, BB, HR, 2B, RBI; Salazar 2-5, 2B, RBI; Kilgallen 2-4; Montano 9.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W (1-2);

In other news

June 11 – MIL 2B Tony Lira (.189, 2 HR, 14 RBI) will miss three weeks with a bruised wrist.
June 14 – The Aces beat the Rebels, 7-5 in 16 innings, after both teams had already scored a run in the 15th inning. Richmond’s Gene Tennis (1-1, 7.20 ERA) walks in two runs in the top 16th to facilitate the Aces’ W.
June 15 – 22-year-old Gold Sox infielder Ronnie Thompson (.220, 0 HR, 12 RBI) could miss three months with a dislocated shoulder.
June 16 – A torn thumb ligament will sideline Tijuana RF/1B Willie Ojeda (.316, 4 HR, 31 RBI) for up to four weeks.
June 16 – SFB 3B/SS/RF Marshall Greer (.216, 4 HR, 27 RBI) will miss three weeks with an oblique tweak.

FL Player of the Week: DAL RF/LF Sean Calais (.345, 3 HR, 21 RBI), hitting .533 (16-30) with 1 HR, 4 RBI
CL Player of the Week: MIL SS/2B Ted Del Vecchio (.261, 9 HR, 35 RBI), batting .450 (9-20) with 7 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Do we have to mention that Angelo Montano pitched his *first* career shutout tonight? I am not sure him and Salazar have stopped hugging and screaming yet, either. Also, according to our scout man, who has a name that keeps eluding me*, that’s probably his only career shutout. Oh well, maybe the Arrowheads will come back up again this season…

One rancid pitcher that has been cycling in and out this year won’t be back in ’40, with Jose de Leon going down to radial nerve compression – same thing that axed Dominy. (looks grumpily)

The missing game in the Blue Sox series won’t have to wait long to be made up. The Raccoons will travel there again this next week. After hosting the Crusaders at home for three games, they’ll stop over in Nashville on the way to their weekend set in Atlanta. We’ll also be in Charlotte at the start of the week after that, then come home again to get another serious thrashing from the damn Elks.

On the negative side, that June 21 date was the Raccoons’ last off day before the All Star break. Unless more rainouts occur somewhere, they’ll have to play 24 straight games without a day off now.

Good times.

Fun Fact: Ryan Bedrosian finally won a game this week after four straight no-decisions!

He has a 5-0 record with a soon-to-be league-leading ERA (Kyle Dominy won’t lead the ERA table past game 82), with a ridiculous 10 no-decisions. Even more amazing is that he not only can’t win consecutive games, he can’t even win two out of three. Bedrosian’s season:

Win!!
nah
nah
Win!!
nah
nah
Win!!
nah
nah
Win!!
nah
uh-uh
still not
stop asking
Win!!

He’s tied for second in wins on the team with Sabre (excusable) and Jones (not bloody quite).

+++

By the way, this is no joke. He has such a standard Hispanic name that I keep forgetting it. (looks it up) Jorge Perez.

I tend to never forget people that have names like Merrifield Thunderbolt…

12-25-2020, 05:45 PM	#3454
Westheim Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 13,782	Raccoons (32-32) @ Blue Sox (35-28) – June 12-14, 2040 Last time the Raccoons played the Blue Sox, they lost Game 7 of the 2037 World Series to them, while the last regular season meeting had been the same year, the Critters then taking two out of three. Mixed memories, huh? Nashville had lost four in a row, but the Raccoons were crummy in general. The Sox led the Federal League in runs scored and were third in runs allowed, so you’d expect them to not lose seven in a row. But while their rotation was best in the league, their bullpen was a burning tire fire with an ERA over five. If only the Raccoons could ever get into that… Projected matchups: Bernie Chavez (2-6, 3.80 ERA) vs. Kevin Stice (5-2, 3.67 ERA) Nelson Moreno (0-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Donovan Mason (1-1, 3.15 ERA) Raffaello Sabre (5-5, 3.36 ERA) vs. Matt Hose (6-2, 3.29 ERA) All right-handers here. Injuries had ripped into their roster, mostly the lineup, with regulars Jim “Mastodon” Allen, Justin Fowler, and Ken Gibbs all on the shelf. On the pitching side they were also without Sean Fowler, another ex-Coon in Casey Moore, and starter David Elliott. The common off day on Monday would allow them to skip the replacement Mason and bring Tim Hale (4-6, 4.24 ERA) into the set. Game 1 POR: CF Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – RF Greenway – 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – 1B Salazar – P Chavez NAS: 2B Encinia – SS Bouldin – LF S. Ashley – C Santa Cruz – CF Oliver – 3B Critzer – 1B Bossert – RF Graf – P Stice After a silent first run through the lineup, the Raccoons found inroads to Kevin Stice’s cookie jar in the third inning, even if only with two outs. Maldonado through Kilmer all hit singles, bringing home the first two runs of the game before Greenway grounded out to Juan Encinia. Bernie Chavez couldn’t be trusted with the lead though; while allowing only one hit through three innings, he gave it all away in the fourth, with a single hit by Jorge Santa Cruz into shallow center, than then immediately a loud homer to right hit by Brian Oliver to tie the game at two. When Jeff Kilmer hit a solo shot to left in the sixth inning, the Coons took a 3-2 lead. And when Bernie Chavez returned to the mound for the bottom of the sixth, he retired absolutely nobody. Encinia and Billy Bouldin hit singles. Sean Ashley tied the game with a double. Santa Cruz untied it with a homer to left, 6-3, and then Oliver hit a double to right. Jermaine Campbell replaced him, but put another three Sox on base and conceded another two runs before finally getting three outs. The bum. The Coons were even into the Sox’ pen now, with Cory Cronk (.301, 2 HR, 10 RBI) having pinch-hit for Stice, but whether that was still any use for them, down 8-3, was certainly debatable. For beginners, another run fell out of Mauricio Garavito, for whom season’s end and retirement couldn’t come soon enough, in the seventh. In the ninth then, Vincenzo Battaglia wobbled slightly for the Sox. Maldo singled with two outs, stole second, and was singled home by Cosmo. Juan Espudo replaced the right-hander, balked, then gave up an RBI single to Manny. Hoogey hit for Kilmer and singled. Greenway singled to right, loading the bases and bringing the tying run into the box. Espudo leaked a walk to Berto with the bases stacked, and then Tony Hunter fell to 1-2 before slapping a ball into the gap in left-center. Hooge scored! Greenway scored! Berto scored! Tied ballgame! HOLY **!! Ex-Coon Antonio Prieto with an ERA over five replaced Espudo, facing Morales, who had opened the inning hitting for the pitcher in the #8 hole. Tony socked a homer to right. There were now crying children in the ballpark, with the Raccoons having scored eight runs, all with two outs. Finally, Oliver Anderson struck out, sending it to Rico Sanchez, who gave up a single, a walk, and somehow got a game-saving 6-4-3 double play from Brad Critzer. 11-9 Furballs!? Maldonado 2-4; Trevino 2-5, 2 RBI; Fernandez 2-5, RBI; Kilmer 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Hooge (PH) 1-1; Greenway 3-5; Morales (PH) 1-2, HR, 2 RBI; (sits there, mid-gasp, unable to close the snout agape) Game 2 POR: CF Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Morales – 1B Anderson – RF Greenway – 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – P Moreno NAS: 2B Encinia – SS Bouldin – LF S. Ashley – C Santa Cruz – CF Oliver – 3B Critzer – 1B Bossert – RF Cronk – P D. Mason Cory Cronk took Moreno deep in the third inning for the first run of the game, which filled me with considerable bitterness. While the Coons couldn’t get a hit off spot starter Mason through five, regardless of whether they asked kindly or brashly, Moreno kept being busy by almost always having somebody on base. In the fifth that was Cronk, nicked to begin the inning. He then mishandled Mason’s bunt into an extra runner, then got even more fierce and threw to third on Encinia’s comebacker. This time he got Cronk, and Mason was slapped out seconds after on a very weird double steal call. Then Billy Bouldin hit an RBI single anyway, 2-0. Cosmo hit a double in the sixth to break up the no-hitter, but was left on base. Santa Cruz instead homered to right in the bottom of the inning, and Critzer and Chance Bossert hit singles to take up the corners against Moreno. Cronk then whacked an RBI single over Trevino, and Moreno was lifted after receiving Mason’s bunt. Ramirez got a pop from Encinia to end the inning, with the Coons down by a slam and not looking like making it up. Just like Tuesday, huh? Nah. This tiem Mason was nearly untouchable, and the Raccoons kept bleeding runs. Brent Clark was taken deep by Sean Ashley in the seventh, 5-0. A walk by Hunter, a single by Damian Salazar, and a sac fly by Maldo was all there was to a “rally” in the eighth. Cory Cronk answered with another 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning, also off Clark. 7-1 Blue Sox. Salazar 1-1; Well, yes, Nelson, but you also could have hit two homers like Cronk, that head. – I know, I know. Here’s a fudge bar. Now scurry off. I have some crying to do as well. And that was it for the series. Persistent rain nixed the Thursday game and the Raccoons instead had to travel to Indy to get whacked around some more there. Raccoons (33-33) @ Indians (29-37) – June 15-17, 2040 Another team that had lost four in a row! The Indians were also in the bottom three in both runs scored and runs allowed, so posed a major stepping stone on the Raccoon’s quest to achieve ultimate mediocrity. The season series was tied at two. Projected matchups: Raffaello Sabre (5-5, 3.36 ERA) vs. Jake Jackson (7-4, 3.23 ERA) Ryan Bedrosian (4-0, 2.24 ERA) vs. Alex Flores (2-6, 4.34 ERA) Angelo Montano (0-2, 6.10 ERA) vs. Eric Peck (5-5, 3.87 ERA) The return of Southpaw Sunday! The other two were right-handers, although the Indians had also not played on Thursday (scheduled like that) and could jigger things around like the Raccoons had skipped Montano in Nashville. Game 1 POR: CF Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Morales – 1B Anderson – RF Hooge – 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – P Sabre IND: CF Crocker – RF M. Ochoa – 3B Hutson – LF A. Torres – 1B Dodson – C E. Thompson – SS D. Serrato – 2B E. Vargas – P J. Jackson The Raccoons broke out early, with a solo homer by Ed Hooge in the second inning, then a bit more in the third, which Hunter started off by walking and stealing second base. Sabre walked, too, and Maldonado hit an RBI double. Two poor outs later, Tony Morales rocked a fastball outta rightfield for a 3-piece and a 5-0 lead, but Indy would get a run back in the bottom 3rd. It was unearned, because with Enrique Vargas on first base, Sabre threw Jackson’s bunt away… Nick Crocker hit an RBI single, with Jackson thrown out at home plate by Hoogey. Sabre continued to have a not so good day; Dave Serrato and Vargas opened the bottom 5th with a double and an RBI single, 5-2. Jackson was hit for, but Roberto Morales struck out. Crocker grounded out, moving the runner to second base, from where Sabre scored him with not one but TWO wild pitches to make it 5-3 before Mario Ochoa flew out to Maldonado in deep center. Raffaello, that was dangerously close to Juan Diaz Territory, and you don’t want to be in Juan Diaz Territory! You also got the impression that the batters thought that if Sabre couldn’t handle being spotted five runs against these lowly Indians, then that guy, because they didn’t do zilch after the third inning. They had all of two more hits through the seventh, but then Manny led off the eighth with a single to center when a tack-on run wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Right-hander Marcus Goode walked Tony Morales, but Anderson hit into a double play and Hooge struck out. Chuck Jones then did the bottom 8th in immediate relief of Sabre, facing the 1-2-3-4 batters and giving up a double to the only right-hander, Dan Hutson, but that was it in the inning. When Hunter doubled to left in the ninth against Alex Banderas, Troy Greenway batted for Jones, because we’d never learn, but was walked intentionally. Instead Maldo popped out and Cosmo whiffed. Rico Sanchez was then torn a new one in the bottom 9th: Pat Dodson singled to right, he walked Elliott Thompson, and Dave Serrato smacked an RBI double. Doom. Tied game on a grounder by Vargas, then the walkoff single to right by PH Josh Garbinski. 6-5 Indians. Maldonado 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Morales 2-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI; (wishes to un-sign Rico Sanchez) Game 2 POR: 1B Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Morales – CF Hooge – SS Hunter – RF Greenway – 3B Caskey – P Bedrosian IND: CF Crocker – RF M. Ochoa – 3B Hutson – LF A. Torres – 1B Dodson – C E. Thompson – SS D. Serrato – 2B E. Vargas – P A. Flores Just why on Earth were people continuing to walk Troy Greenway intentionally? The Indians did it again in the fourth inning, just after Tony Hunter had put the first two runs on the board with a double scoring Fernandez and Hooge, with one out in the inning. Well, yes, it brought up Jon Caskey, but they were both equally dead from the waste up …! In the event, Caskey and Bedrosian made poor outs, ending the inning, but at least the latter kept pitching finely. Through four, he allowed two hits and struck out five. Only Elliott Thompson had hit a deep fly out the first time through. Top 5th, Cosmo reached base and Manny homered, 4-0, but I had seen that before and I wasn’t gonna make any move that could be taken as excitement, because the baseball gods were obviously watching closely, especially Igor, the tiniest, meanest baseball god, with warts on his , that one really had it in for me and the Coons …! Thompson hit another deep fly out in the bottom 5th, which was then followed by Bedrosian shoveling the bags full all of a sudden. Serrato walked, Flores singled (…), and Crocker walked. Ochoa grounded out to short though, ending the inning. In the sixth he was back to normal, but that wonky inning had erased the shutout potential for him, with Bedrosian at over 80 pitches through six. The Critters then loaded the bags in the seventh when the 2-3-4 batters with one out went single, single, hit in the bum. Hoogey knocked an RBI single at 0-2 up the middle, and also Flores from the game. Ayden Cobb then walked Hunter, forcing in a run. Next was Greenway, who had hit 42 homers two years earlier and now was barely hitting .142, facing a shy right-handed kid in his second major-league game. He lined out softly to Vargas and I bit forcefully into my fist. Anderson hit for Caskey, hoping for a knockout blow, but popped out, stranding three. Bedrosian then also came apart, allowing a leadoff single to Thompson, who was doubled off, then a walk to Serrato, and two singles. One run was in, but Brent Clark starved two more runners when he replaced Bedrosian in the sticky situation and got a grounder to short from Ochoa. Matt Kilgallen was now batting ninth and playing center after a double switch, and also led off the eighth inning with a jack to left off righty Luke Moses, another fresh-faced rookie. He’d walk Hunter in the ninth and allow a single to Damian Salazar, which was hard to do, before getting whacked for a 2-run double by Anderson. Kilgallen ended the inning with a lineout. Clark, Ramirez, and Garavito pieced the last two innings together without blowing an 8-run lead, so that was a relief. 9-1 Coons. Trevino 3-5; Fernandez 3-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Hunter 2-3, 2 BB, 2B, 3 RBI; Salazar (PH) 1-1; Anderson (PH) 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI; Kilgallen 1-2, HR, RBI; Bedrosian 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, W (5-0); The Raccoons made a roster move. Hitting 0-for-3 did in Jon Caskey (.185, 1 HR, 5 RBI), who was sent to AAA. We called up (sigh) Steve Nickas, hitting .286 in limited action in AAA. Nickas was a strong defender, and would probably also hit .185 with ease. We were exchanging a career .224 hitter for a career .214 hitter, so not really anything to write home about. Gam 3 POR: 3B Maldonado – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – SS Hunter – RF Greenway – 1B Salazar – CF Kilgallen – P Montano IND: CF Crocker – 1B Dodson – 3B Hutson – SS D. Serrato – 2B E. Vargas – C Alfonso – RF M. Ochoa – LF A. Torres – P Peck The rubber game was the third career start for Angelo Montano, and the first one in which he didn’t look like a complete wimp. He’d shut out the Indians through five, scattering five hits while getting some solid defense and a double play grounder from Dodson right in the first inning, but struck out three and walked nobody. Offensively, the Raccoons scored first again on a Maldonado jack to left in the third inning. Kilgallen was on base, making it 2-0, and the bases filled up after that until Greenway flew out to right to strand everybody and their mother. The 2-0 score held true through five, with the sixth inning starting with a Greenway double to left-center. The runner advanced on a wild pitch, then scored on an error by Edwin Alfonso on Salazar’s embarrassing grounder. Salazar would be bunted over by Montano, after which Maldo was walked with intent. Cosmo clipped an RBI single, 4-0, but Peck rung up Manny Fernandez to end the inning. Hutson hit a single in the sixth, but got not very far. Top 7th, Greenway hit his monthly jack to right-center, 5-0. Edwin Alfonso hit a leadoff single in the bottom 7th, but the Indians never got the runner off first base against Montano, who was on 88 pitches through seven, then gave up a leadoff double to Crocker in the eighth. Groudners, in that order, to Maldo, Hunter, and Cosmo kept the runner from scoring, getting Montano through eight on 100 pitches precisely. But we were told he had a rubber arm, so he could probably take some more abuse. He walked Vargas to begin the bottom 9th, which was not great, and another base runner would be IT. Alfonso flew out to right, easily, while Ochoa grounded up the middle. Hunter got the lead runner, but the return throw to first base was late. Alberto Torres came up with two outs, popped up on the infield, Damian Salazar took charge of the ball, caught it, and then immediately stormed for Montano for a thick rookie hug. 5-0 Furballs! Greenway 2-4, BB, HR, 2B, RBI; Salazar 2-5, 2B, RBI; Kilgallen 2-4; Montano 9.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W (1-2); In other news* June 11 – MIL 2B Tony Lira (.189, 2 HR, 14 RBI) will miss three weeks with a bruised wrist. June 14 – The Aces beat the Rebels, 7-5 in 16 innings, after both teams had already scored a run in the 15th inning. Richmond’s Gene Tennis (1-1, 7.20 ERA) walks in two runs in the top 16th to facilitate the Aces’ W. June 15 – 22-year-old Gold Sox infielder Ronnie Thompson (.220, 0 HR, 12 RBI) could miss three months with a dislocated shoulder. June 16 – A torn thumb ligament will sideline Tijuana RF/1B Willie Ojeda (.316, 4 HR, 31 RBI) for up to four weeks. June 16 – SFB 3B/SS/RF Marshall Greer (.216, 4 HR, 27 RBI) will miss three weeks with an oblique tweak. FL Player of the Week: DAL RF/LF Sean Calais (.345, 3 HR, 21 RBI), hitting .533 (16-30) with 1 HR, 4 RBI CL Player of the Week: MIL SS/2B Ted Del Vecchio (.261, 9 HR, 35 RBI), batting .450 (9-20) with 7 RBI Complaints and stuff Do we have to mention that Angelo Montano pitched his first career shutout tonight? I am not sure him and Salazar have stopped hugging and screaming yet, either. Also, according to our scout man, who has a name that keeps eluding me, that’s probably his only career shutout. Oh well, maybe the Arrowheads will come back up again this season… One rancid pitcher that has been cycling in and out this year won’t be back in ’40, with Jose de Leon going down to radial nerve compression – same thing that axed Dominy. (looks grumpily) The missing game in the Blue Sox series won’t have to wait long to be made up. The Raccoons will travel there again this next week. After hosting the Crusaders at home for three games, they’ll stop over in Nashville on the way to their weekend set in Atlanta. We’ll also be in Charlotte at the start of the week after that, then come home again to get another serious thrashing from the damn Elks. On the negative side, that June 21 date was the Raccoons’ last off day before the All Star break. Unless more rainouts occur somewhere, they’ll have to play 24 straight games without a day off now. Good times. Fun Fact:* Ryan Bedrosian finally won a game this week after four straight no-decisions! He has a 5-0 record with a soon-to-be league-leading ERA (Kyle Dominy won’t lead the ERA table past game 82), with a ridiculous 10 no-decisions. Even more amazing is that he not only can’t win consecutive games, he can’t even win two out of three. Bedrosian’s season: Win!! nah nah Win!! nah nah Win!! nah nah Win!! nah uh-uh still not stop asking Win!! He’s tied for second in wins on the team with Sabre (excusable) and Jones (not bloody quite). +++ By the way, this is no joke. He has such a standard Hispanic name that I keep forgetting it. (looks it up) Jorge Perez. I tend to never forget people that have names like Merrifield Thunderbolt… Attached Images __________________ Portland Raccoons, 92 years of excell-.... of baseball: Furballs here! 1983 * 1989 * 1991 * 1992 * 1993 * 1995 * 1996 * 2010 * 2017 * 2018 * 2019 * 2026 * 2028 * 2035 * 2037 * 2044 * 2045 * 2046 * 2047 * 2048 * 2051 * 2054 * 2055 * 2061 1 OSANAI : 2 POWELL : 7 NOMURA \| RAMOS : 8 REECE : 10 BROWN : 15 HALL : 27 FERNANDEZ : 28 CASAS : 31 CARMONA : 32 WEST : 39 TONER : 46 SAITO Resident Mets Cynic - The Mets from 1962 onwards, here.