Three series in this update today, which brings us right up to the draft. There’s some DLC coming out tomorrow that I will need to immediately sink my teeth in, so don’t expect any games tomorrow. *Maybe* the draft. *Maybe*. 
The games from June 15 (draft day and our day off) are included in this update.
+++
Raccoons (33-23) @ Crusaders (23-34) – June 5-8, 2051
The Crusaders welcomed the Raccoons on my first of three monthly trips to New York, and wasn’t I thrilled about it… New York sat eighth in runs scored and ninth in runs allowed, with a -14 run differential, which, fun fact, was just marginally worse than the Raccoons, but they sat 10 1/2 games behind us. Their rotation was decent, but their bullpen was a glorified sieve, with a 4.54 ERA to the relief corps, second-worst in the Continental League. This was the second four-game set between these teams in 2051, and the first had been split right down the middle, two and two.
Projected matchups:
Juan Mercado (0-2, 3.20 ERA) vs. Edwin Sopena (4-5, 4.14 ERA)
Bubba Wolinsky (7-3, 2.99 ERA) vs. Jeff Johnson (5-6, 2.07 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (8-0, 3.32 ERA) vs. Jim White (5-6, 4.15 ERA)
Rafael de la Cruz (0-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Jeremy Baker (2-4, 3.96 ERA)
Hey, finally a left-handed pitcher against us! … but not until Thursday.
Ken Crum was not available on Monday yet, while Oscar Rivera went to the DL with a mild oblique strain, which would put him out for at least a week. The Coons brought up righty-hitting outfielder Aaron Walker, who had been claimed off waivers from the Thunder in January. He was going on 26 and had never played in the majors before. He was hitting .245 with a lonely homer in AAA.
Game 1
POR: LF Puckeridge – SS Lavorano – 1B J. Maldonado – 2B Waters – RF Glodowski – 3B Crispin – CF Suzuki – C Jimenez – P Mercado
NYC: SS O. Sanchez – 2B Russ – LF D. Rivera – 3B Gates – CF Leal – C O. Ramirez – 1B Haertling – RF Mills – P Sopena
While Pedro Leal put the Crusaders in front in the first inning with a 2-out double over the head of Suzuki, the Raccoons would answer in the second and third inning – by putting their first two runners on base and then going strikeout, strikeout, easy fly, twice. The fifth again began promising with a walk to Puckeridge and Lonzo getting brushed by a pitch, so again two on and no outs. Maldo lined out to Andrew Russ (hiss!) before the Coons’ runners, who had already been left stranded two innings prior and were understandably annoyed, stole a pair of bases and were then stranded 90 feet further ahead when Waters whiffed and Glodowski popped out to Ken Mills.
Mercado struggled with long counts and runners just the same, gave up a 2-run homer to Prince Gates in the fifth inning, and wasn’t seen after the six, then down 3-1 when Pucks finally came up with somebody on base and singled Ed Crispin home with two outs in the top 6th, but then Lonzo was retired and another inning ended prematurely. But Puckeridge came up with Suzuki and Jimenez on the corners and two outs in the eighth, and ceased his productivity with a groundout to Andrew Russ. Paul Miles allowed a run on two hits and a walk in the bottom 8th, not that it mattered. The Raccoons landed ten hits and stranded 13 runners on base in this abortion of a game… 4-1 Crusaders. Puckeridge 2-4, BB, RBI; Lavorano 2-4, 2B; Crispin 2-4; Jimenez 2-3, BB;
Game 2
POR: LF Puckeridge – SS Lavorano – 1B Crum – C Gonzalez – 3B Crispin – RF Walker – CF Suzuki – 2B Kaufman – P Wolinsky
NYC: SS O. Sanchez – 2B Russ – LF D. Rivera – 3B Gates – CF Leal – C O. Ramirez – 1B Haertling – RF Mills – P J. Johnson
The Crusaders went up 1-0 in the third on a completely infuriating sequence, as Ken Mills first drew a leadoff walk in the inning, but then Johnson popped out on a bunt. Mills then took off to steal second with Omar Sanchez batting, but Ruben Gonzalez threw the ball away, allowing Mills to third base, from where he scored on a sac fly by Russ (growl!). The Coons meanwhile did absolutely bloody ******* nothing again for five innings – one base hit in total. Aaron Walker did reach base for the first time in his major league career that began in this game, drawing a walk in the fifth, but he was doubled off by Brian Kaufman eventually. Then it was Wolinsky to open the sixth with a single to left, which didn’t lead to much jubilations with Pucks and Lonzo making outs until Ken Crum unpacked a 2-run homer to left-center that flipped the score to 2-1 Portland. So that’s what we had been missing from the lineup! Suzuki added a solo shot in the seventh, but Pedro Leal also hit one right to the fence in rightfield in the bottom of that frame; Walker, quite adept at least on the corners and serviceable in the center, got there for a catch. There was no catching the thing that Pucks bombed off Jeff Frank in the eighth inning though, flying a good 400 feet over the fence in centerfield, running the score to 4-1. Lonzo singled, stole two bases, and the bags behind him filled up with Crum, who was walked intentionally, and Gonzalez, who rolled a ball into nobody-in-particular’s back yard on the infield and reached with an infield single that way. Three aboard, one gone for Ed Crispin, and a poor fly to shallow right and Mills. That brought up the debutee Walker, although at this point we were up by three, and Matt Waters was still hitting the price of a glass of water. Frank balked in a run, but Walker struck out.
Bubba pitched well until the bottom 8th, when Ed Haertling reached on an infield single to begin proceedings and was then doubled home by Sanchez with two outs. The Coons went to Willie Cruz, who retired Russ, but then crashed and burned in the ninth inning. Danny Rivera singled, as did Gates, but Rivera was thrown out trying to reach third base. Leal walked, which still brought the tying run to the box, although a whiff by Ramirez had everybody more cheerful again. That was, until Haertling uncorked a 2-out, 2-run double to put us at 5-4, with the tying run in scoring position. The Crusaders then twitched and sent a pinch-hitter before the Coons could get Cruz and toss him into the dugout by swinging him from his own tail. With Angel Lara announced, a lefty hitter, Kevin Hitchcock remained in the pen, and the ball went to Eloy Sencion instead. He got a groundout to the right side to end the game. 5-4 Raccoons. Crum 1-2, 2 BB, HR, 2 RBI; Suzuki 2-4, HR, RBI; Wolinsky 7.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W (8-3) and 1-3;
That would look like them – lose a game in which they hit three homers…!
Game 3
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – CF Puckeridge – LF Crum – 1B Maldonado – C Gonzalez – 3B Crispin – RF Glodowski – P Wheatley
NYC: SS O. Sanchez – 2B Russ – LF D. Rivera – 3B Gates – C A. Lara – CF Leal – 1B Bent – RF Haertling – P J. White
Lonzo and Pucks kept stirring and hit singles in the top 1st, but were left on base once again, but they would procure the game’s first run in the third inning – somehow… It was actually Waters who reached base with a 1-out single, only to get forced out on a poor grounder by Lonzo. Puckeridge hit a belter though, a drive that sailed over Leal’s head and caromed off the fence for an RBI triple. Ken Crum stranded him then…
The Crusaders then exploded all over Wheatley in the bottom of the fourth. Lonzo started it all with a throwing error, swiftly followed by Lara doubling the gift runner Gates home. Leal singled, Art Bent walked, and the bags were full with nobody out. Ed Haertling would not have to be asked twice about doing damage and rammed a bases-clearing triple off the wall in left-center, narrowly missing a slam, before the inning then fizzled out on three consecutive pitches after an 0-2 ball on Jim White. He struck out, Sanchez popped out, and Russ grounded out, stranding Haertling on third base. Wheatley, truly in first half form now, was working hard for his first loss of the season, walking a pair in the fifth before conceding another run on a Bent double. He was gone after five innings, and while he had miraculously escaped his first loss of the year the week prior with a late rally, no such thing happened on this Wednesday, with the Raccoons offense refusing to get untracked, and the Crusaders adding on with a Leal homer off Lillis in the seventh. Exemplary for the Portlanders’ offensive struggles would be the eighth, which saw a 1-out double by Pucks, then a half-arsed walk to Ken Crum, and finally an inning-ending double play on Maldonado. 6-1 Crusaders. Puckeridge 3-4, 3B, 2B, RBI;
I am feeling like the pendulum is about to swing back towards reality now. The fur on my back is standing up stiffly.
Game 4
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – LF Crum – 1B J. Maldonado – C Gonzalez – RF Walker – 3B Kaufman – CF Suzuki – P de la Cruz
NYC: SS O. Sanchez – 2B Russ – LF D. Rivera – 3B Gates – C A. Lara – CF Leal – 1B D. Hernandez – RF Haertling – P J. Baker
Matt Waters ripped a jack on the first pitch of the game, after which Lonzo doubled, Crum walked, and the next three then developed a very long-winded answer to the question why they wouldn’t put any more runs across in this inning, or in this game, or this season, for that matter. The Crusaders meanwhile had a bushel of runners in the early innings against de la Cruz, who was TOTALLY the future, but maybe not beyond the fifth inning in this game. The pitch count escalated quickly, with a few walks, and the odd hit batter, but then again New York needed a 2-out single by their own hurler to get any run across at all against him, so maybe he was doing something right (and at the same time, something else very wrong…).
Top 5th in a 1-1 game, Waters drew a leadoff walk and reached third on Crum’s single. Maldo found the whole on the right for an RBI single, 2-1, Gonzalez walked, and there was the newest little Raccoon (not that he was that little at almost 26…) with the bases loaded again. Walker was so far 0-for-6 with a walk. He remained 0-for-6 with a walk, but got his maiden RBI with a fly to center on a 1-2 pitch. Leal made the catch, but Waters scored. Kaufman grounded out to end the inning. Back game de la Cruz, and then things went rather quickly. Infield single for Russ, the despicable ******* **********, a walk to Rivera, and before long a 3-run homer to right by Angel Lara that evaporated the lead, and then some.
The loss didn’t stick, although contributors to avoiding that on de la Cruz were few and far between. Aaron Walker was one with his first hit in the majors, a leadoff double to center in the eighth. Kaufman and Suzuki were both as useful as a blown tire at 75 miles an hour on the Interstate, upon which Pucks interrupted his day off to romp a game-tying triple into the rightfield corner. Waters walked, but Lonzo flew out to shallow center, and Pucks was left on third base. Hitchcock and Ponce for Portland and Melvin Lucero for New York pitched everybody into extra innings on getaway day. Suzuki and Waters hit singles in the top 10th, but the inning again ended with Lonzo flying out to somebody, in this case Art Bent in left. Eloy Sencion pitched two innings for Portland, then was hit for after Kaufman and Suzuki had wandered on base with one gone in the 12th against Jose Santamaria, which also answered the question of whether there was a player in the majors less worth the oxygen than those two. Crispin singled on a 1-2 pitch, but it was a close call with the ball dropping in front of Bent and Kaufman couldn’t go further than third base. Bases full for Waters, then, who could reach the vaunted .200 mark with another base hit here. He hit into a double play. An infield single by Russ and a walkoff triple by Rivera then sunk Brett Lillis jr. and the rest of the clown troupe in the bottom of the 12th. 5-4 Crusaders. Waters 2-5, 2 BB, HR, RBI; J. Maldonado 3-6, RBI; Suzuki 4-6, 2B; Puckeridge (PH) 1-1, 3B, RBI; Crispin (PH) 1-1; Sencion 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K;
Raccoons (34-26) vs. Pacifics (32-27) – June 9-11, 2051
With a +26 run differential the Pacifics outscored the Coons by 42, doing it with an average offense, but the second-fewest runs given up in the Federal League; that despite a rather mediocre bullpen, but the rotation was just that sturdy, second in ERA in the FL. The teams had played each other last season, with the Raccoons winning two of three games.
Projected matchups:
Victor Salcido (2-3, 4.24 ERA) vs. Ricky Garcia (5-4, 4.83 ERA)
Juan Mercado (0-3, 3.45 ERA) vs. Noel Groh (1-1, 2.43 ERA)
Bubba Wolinsky (8-3, 2.81 ERA) vs. Kevin Clendenen (6-4, 2.50 ERA)
The Pacifics had three lefty starters – but would send up only one of them, Garcia in the opener.
Game 1
LAP: Jo. Shaw – 2B S. Larsen – RF Diskin – C Monaghan – 1B Rodrigues – LF S. King – 3B Massey – SS B. Andrews – P R. Garcia
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – LF Crum – 1B J. Maldonado – CF Puckeridge – RF Glodowski – C Jimenez – 3B Sivertson – P Salcido
Waters opened with a single, reaching the .200 mark indeed, and scored on a Maldonado single to make it 1-0. 2-0 came along with hits by Glodowski and Sivertson in the bottom 2nd, and then a passed ball charged to Eric Monaghan with two outs before Waters grounded out. L.A. pulled one back on Salcido in the third inning, the Coons’ pitcher giving up a single to Brent Andrews and an RBI single to Joshua Shaw – who entered the game with a 20-game hitting streak – to narrow the score to 2-1 after he initially retired the first seven Pacifics in a row with three strikeouts. He wouldn’t get a win despite not putting another runner on base – because he only faced four more, retiring them all: Shane Larsen to end the third, and three more in the fourth inning. He didn’t return to the fifth inning after Dr. Padilla removed him when he complained of a sore hammy. The lead went bust between Waldo, Lonzo, and Maldo then right away in the fifth. Willie Maldonado walked Scott King to begin the inning, and the runner was on second with two outs and the pitcher up. Garcia grounded to short, Lonzo threw an ugly bouncer, and Jesus Maldonado couldn’t come up with it, the ball escaping for a 2-base error, and the tying run coming home to score. Shaw grounded out then.
Waldo walked two runners that Eloy Sencion stranded in the sixth, while the Coons had Glodowski get nicked and Sivertson draw a 2-out walk to pointlessly evict Sencion from the game so that Brian Kaufman could pop up right above home plate to kill the inning. The next implosion was Paul Miles, giving up three hits in the seventh inning, including two runs on Shaw’s single to center. Portland saw Waters reached base and get doubled off by Lonzo in the bottom 7th, only for Ken Crum to then get on base again with two outs – SAME as in the fifth inning…! At this point, I despaired, reached for the Capt’n Coma and closed my eyes. I didn’t miss another brown-shirted base runner… 4-2 Pacifics. Waters 2-4, BB; Crum 2-3, BB; J. Maldonado 2-4, 2B, RBI;
The good news was, Victor Salcido was not expected to miss his next start.
The bad news was, we were no-longer outpitching our pitiful offense…
Game 2
LAP: CF Jo. Shaw – SS J. Gonzalez – RF Diskin – C Monaghan – LF S. King – 2B B. Andrews – 3B Caruso – 1B Rodrigues – P Groh
POR: 2B Waters – CF Puckeridge – 1B Maldonado – LF Crum – C R. Gonzalez – 3B Crispin – RF Glodowski – SS Kaufman – P Mercado
Total bases were quickly piled up in the first inning, as Matt Waters lobbed a triple to left and Pucks answered with an RBI double to right. Well, and then Maldo lined out to T.J. Caruso, Crum popped out, and Ruben Gonzalez found Shaw’s glove in center. Glodowski hit a homer to left though in the bottom 2nd, 2-0, while Mercado scattered four hits for no runs in the first three innings. Things got trickier in the fourth, though, as Monaghan singled and King doubled to left, but then Brent Andrews soft pop to center for the second out stopped them tying runs at least temporary in their tracks. Mercado got Caruso to 0-2, then gave up a screamer to left – but Ken Crum was there, luckily, making the catch to end the inning.
Mercado wobbled on, spilling seven hits and a walk in six busy, yet scoreless innings. But some more cushion would be appreciated, and it was provided by Maldo with a solo shot in the bottom 6th, extending the lead to 3-0. Mercado added three more outs from the 8-9-1, easily giving the Raccoons the best pitching performance yet seen on the week. Glodowski then romped another solo homer off Groh, while an Andrews error put Waters on base with two outs. Waters stole second, then scored on a Pucks double into the rightfield corner for the second and final out of the inning, that one coming against righty David Pittard. The eighth went to Hitchcock, who ran four three-ball counts, walked two, but got around the runners and out of the inning, albeit using over 30 pitches when he hoped he might pitch the last two. More offense came through, though (!), with a leadoff double by Crum off Pittard in the bottom 8th, and Gonzalez singled him home. Crispin forced him out, but Glodowski hit another double to put two in scoring position. Kaufman lined out to Sal Rodrigues on first base, and with two outs Aaron Walker pinch-hit for Hitchcock in the #9 spot. He smacked Pittard’s first pitch up the leftfield line for a 2-run double! That turned out to be enough to hand the ball over to Lillis, who completed the combined 7-hit shutout…! 8-0 Raccoons. Waters 2-5, 3B; Puckeridge 2-4, 2 2B; Glodowski 3-4, 2 HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Walker (PH) 1-1, 2B, 2 RBI; Mercado 7.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W (1-3) and 1-2;
First career win for Juan Mercado!
Game 3
LAP: CF Jo. Shaw – SS J. Gonzalez – RF Diskin – C Monaghan – LF S. King – 2B B. Andrews – 3B Massey – 1B Rodrigues – P Clendenen
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – 1B Puckeridge – LF Crum – C R. Gonzalez – 3B Crispin – RF Walker – CF Suzuki – P Wolinsky
Bubba didn’t give up a run in the first two innings… somehow… despite walking three and a Waters error that loaded the bases with one out in the top 2nd. That was at least with the pitcher up next and Clendenen obliged and struck out, while Shaw then grounded out to Pucks at first, stranding everybody. Brent Andrews opened the bottom 2nd with a gruesome 2-base throwing error to put Ed Crispin on second base, and for once the Coons pounced… a bit. Suzuki doubled home Crispin, and then Bubba hit a shy single to put runners on the corners. Waters ran a full count, then chopped a bouncer right at Andrews, who blatantly missed the ball for another error, allowing Suzuki to score, 2-0. Lonzo hit into a fielder’s choice, but Pucks came through with an RBI single – and then Lonzo was thrown out trying to steal third base, ending the inning with a 3-spot.
Jorge Gonzalez launched a leadoff triple off the top of the wall in the top of the third inning, then was stranded on third base when Matt Diskin struck out and Monaghan and King BOTH popped out. The Coons tacked on however; Walker singled and stole his first career base in the bottom 4th, then scored on a Suzuki single. With two outs, Lonzo singled home Suzuki, 5-0!
And Bubba? 80 pitches in four innings in a terribly gooey start. He nailed Joshua Shaw to begin the fifth, which didn’t help, but then somehow got another six outs on 24 pitches and somehow left with six innings and only one hit (but four walks) allowed. Meanwhile, more Coons offense…! The bottom 7th began with Marc Hubbard drowning against Lonzo, who singled, Puckeridge and Crum hit RBI doubles, and Gonzalez singled again. Jason Terrell replaced Hubbard, but gave up another run on Crispin’s grounder to first, which made this the second straight game the Coons led 8-0, which was a thing nobody had seen coming two days ago. Jorge Gonzalez would help the Raccoons to one more run in the bottom 8th with another bad throwing error, and that would be that. 9-0 Furballs! Lavorano 3-5, RBI; Puckeridge 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Crum 2-5, 2B, RBI; Suzuki 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Sivertson (PH) 1-1; Wolinsky 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K, W (9-3);
This game killed Joshua Shaw’s 22-game hitting streak. He was still hitting .394 with 3 HR and 31 RBI though.
Raccoons (36-27) @ Miners (32-31) – June 12-14, 2051
To start the new week, the Raccoons got to travel to visit the Billion Dollar Miners, who had *just* ached over the .500 mark after a horrendous start to the season, especially given their spectacular offseason, in which they had blown their draft picks all the way unto the seventh round! They had now won five in a row, so we stepped in precisely at the right time, and were fourth in runs scored, but first in runs allowed in the FL. The rotation was still finding its step, but the pen was one of the best in the league. We had swept them in a three-game series last year, but I was not quite so sure we could get close to that again.
Projected matchups:
Jason Wheatley (8-1, 3.55 ERA) vs. Bobby Freels (5-3, 3.74 ERA)
Rafael de la Cruz (0-0, 4.76 ERA) vs. Jose Arias (2-2, 4.97 ERA)
Victor Salcido (2-3, 4.13 ERA) vs. Kevin Nolte (7-5, 3.91 ERA)
One more southpaw in this set, Arias on Tuesday.
Game 1
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – RF Puckeridge – LF Crum – 1B J. Maldonado – 3B Crispin – C R. Gonzalez – CF Suzuki – P Wheatley
PIT: 2B A. Vasquez – SS A. Venegas – 3B Corrales – LF E. Moreno – CF M. Cox – 1B Abecassis – RF C. Jimenez – C Whitley – P Freels
Offense was down low to begin the new week, but the Raccoons scratched out a run in the third inning when Suzuki singled, stole second base, advanced on a Wheatley groundout, and then scored on Waters’ sac fly to Eddie Moreno in left-center. The Suzuki single was one of only three hits the Coons had in the first five innings, while Wheats dished out four hits. Singles by Alex Vasquez and Anton Venegas in separate innings, and bruises to Alex Abecassis and Chris Jimenez, also in separate innings. Nobody scored, so it was 1-0 after five.
By the sixth, we were up 2-0 as Lonzo opened with a single to center, stole a base, and then came home on a Puckeridge single to left-center. Maldo also singled, but by then Ken Crum had hit into a double play, and the inning ended with Crispin grounding out. While Wheatley conceded the odd runner here and there, the Miners couldn’t score, but the Raccoons scratched out another run in the eighth; Matt Waters doubled over Matt Cox in center, Lonzo’s roller moved him to third base, and he scored on a wild pitch, 3-0. Through eight innings, Wheats faced three over the minimum and threw 96 pitches. He was still on a 2-hitter, but would face the only guys to get a hit off him in the bottom 9th. Crispin opened the top 9th with a single, but was doubled off by Ruben Gonzalez. Suzuki then homered to center for a tack-on run. Wheatley batted for himself, whiffed, then came out for the top of the order. He walked Vasquez, which got the already busy pen really going. Venegas grounded out, advancing the runner, and Victor Corrales grounded out on the very next pitch. Eddie Moreno was a righty hitter, but with a lefty in Cox behind him, so Eloy Sencion would come in if Moreno reached. But Moreno didn’t reach – Wheats rung him up! 4-0 Coons! Puckeridge 2-4, RBI; J. Maldonado 2-4; Crispin 2-4, 2B; Suzuki 2-4, HR, RBI; Wheatley 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, W (9-1);
This was Wheatley’s eighth career shutout, and 13th complete game (not counting his 2048 CLCS shutout).
It also added up to 29 scoreless innings for this hoi polloi pitching staff….!
AND we now had a POSITIVE run differential…! +3, baby!!
Game 2
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – LF Crum – 1B J. Maldonado – CF Puckeridge – 3B Sivertson – RF Walker – C Jimenez – P de la Cruz
PIT: 2B A. Vasquez – SS A. Venegas – 3B Corrales – LF E. Moreno – CF M. Cox – 1B Abecassis – RF Tomasello – C Whitley – P J. Arias
While Ken Crum’s third-inning sac fly brought in Waters, who stole third base, for a skinny 1-0 lead again, de la Cruz never quite looked comfortable out there. The Miners were on base in every inning, and sometimes were only stranded by inches, like in the same inning, when Alex Vasquez walked, stole second, advanced on a 2-out balk, and then was left on when Pucks tracked down a Corrales drive to deep center, but just barely. Bottom 4th, right away another leadoff walk to Moreno, with Alex Abecassis having a deep fly out to right for the second out, and the inning ended with a K on Tyler Tomasello. Dan Whitley opened the bottom 5th with a double, and this time the scoreless streak looked really toast. Arias advanced the tying run to third base, and Vasquez dropped a bunt on a suicide squeeze that unhorsed the rookie and the entire team – 33 scoreless innings, but no further, as Whitley scored the 2-out run, evening out the score at one.
De la Cruz continued into the sixth, where he surrendered a run on a walk to Matt Cox, an Abecassis single, and Tomasello’s groundout, and then but on PH Josh Abercrombie and Anton Venegas with a single and walk, respectively by the time there was one out in the seventh. Ponce came out for Corrales, but was faced with PH Chris Jimenez instead, but still got the strikeout. Moreno hit a scratch single, but Cox flew out to center, which still kept the score at a rally-able 2-1. Singles off Bernardino Risso and Brad Blankenship put Lonzo and Crum on the corners with nobody out in the eighth. Maldo fell 1-2 behind, but the next pitch by Blankenship brushed him in the thigh and loaded them up; it was also the last pitch Blankenship threw. Lefty Brian Jackson was next, getting Puckeridge to ground softly for a force at home plate. When Jackson left right away for a righty, Marcos Nabo, the Coons sent Suzuki to bat for Sivertson, which amounted to a sac fly to center, tying the game, but was also all the team scratched from three on and nobody out. Crispin grounded out in Walker’s spot.
The game went to extras with scoreless efforts by Ponce, Hitchcock, and Sencion, who struck out five in a row between the ninth and tenth innings, while the Coons got nixed by Sam Gibson, the former Elks closer. The game lumbered on; Crum and Maldo hit 2-out singles off Mike Mensch in the 12th, but Puckeridge struck out, and in the 13th, still against Mensch, Crispin and Jimenez got on with one out. Kaufman was the last bat left on the bench, fell to 0-2, but then shot a single up the middle. Crispin raced around to score, breaking the 2-2 tie. That was it, though, with Waters whiffing and Lonzo grounding out, which sent Willie Cruz into the breach in the bottom 13th. Two grounders and a K to Whitley ended the game. 3-2 Critters. Crum 3-5, RBI; Crispin (PH) 2-3; Jimenez 2-6; Glodowski (PH) 1-1; Kaufman (PH) 1-1, RBI; Sencion 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K; W. Maldonado 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, W (4-1);
13 innings, 12 hits, none for extra bases, but still a W. Somehow this sounded like a 2051 Coons game, yes.
Game 3
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – RF Puckeridge – LF Crum – 1B J. Maldonado – 3B Crispin – C R. Gonzalez – CF Suzuki – P Salcido
PIT: 2B A. Vasquez – SS A. Venegas – 3B Corrales – LF E. Moreno – CF M. Cox – 1B Abecassis – RF C. Jimenez – C Whitley – P Nolte
Both teams went back to Monday’s lineups, with the Miners getting a few early runs in the bottom 2nd, which Matt Cox opened with a triple to center. He scored on a sac fly, and a double by Whitley and a single by Nolte (with two outs…) brought home a second run. The Coons had Waters and Lonzo get on with one out in the third, and Cox’ error in center put both the tying runs in scoring position, too. Pucks shot a 1-1 grounder to the right side; Vasquez – a Gold Glover – knocked the ball down, but couldn’t scramble in time to have a play. Pucks was safe, as was Waters at home plate. Crum’s sac fly tied the game, but Venegas and Moreno shot homers to either side of the building in the bottom of the same inning to restore a 2-run gap.
Salcido was chewed up after five innings, throwing 101 pitches, most of them not exactly fooling the Miners. While Paul Miles did hardly better and walked the first two batters he faced in the sixth inning, but didn’t surrender a run, the Coons ran three straight singles against Nolte in the top 7th… but with two outs, and while Crum drove home Lonzo, Maldo struck out to strand the tying run at third base. The bottom 7th began with a Corrales single, Moreno homered to right, and the gates were wide open at that point. Miles got socked for another walk and two hits, plus two more runs, as the Raccoons got ready to lose this one with real vigor. Lillis allowed another run in the eighth on his own throwing error, walk, and a wild pitch. The complete package! 9-3 Miners. Lavorano 2-5; Puckeridge 2-5, RBI; Crum 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI;
In other news
June 6 – Shredded ankle ligaments put RIC 3B Josh Frazier (.249, 4 HR, 19 RBI) out of action for the rest of the year.
June 7 – NAS OF/1B Mike Pfeifer (.287, 8 HR, 33 RBI) would miss up to six weeks with a strained hamstring.
June 7 – PIT INF Victor Corrales (.281, 6 HR, 44 RBI) drives home eight runs on three hits, including a 3-run homer and a 3-run double, in a 21-3 riot of the Miners over the Cyclones, in which the Pittsburgh team scores in every inning bar the first.
June 8 – LAP OF Joshua Shaw (.397, 3 HR, 28 RBI) connects for two hits in a 3-1 win over the Gold Sox to put a 20-game hitting streak together.
June 14 – CIN INF/LF Chris Delgado (.314, 5 HR, 35 RBI) will miss time to the All Star Game with a sprained ankle.
June 14 – Wolves SP Darren McRee (4-7, 5.84 ERA) could be out for a full year with damaged elbow ligaments that need surgery.
June 15 – The Scorpions pick up OF Gustavo Pena (.330, 6 HR, 18 RBI) from the Bayhawks in a trade for corner infielder/outfielder Ricky Correa (.237, 4 HR, 15 RBI) and a prospect.
June 15 – The Warriors trade INF Jose Rivas (.271, 0 HR, 11 RBI) to the Buffaloes for two prospects.
June 15 – The Buffaloes beat the Cyclones, 4-3 in 15 innings, and the Crusaders break out late for a 14-inning, 11-7 win over the Capitals.
FL Player of the Week: DEN 2B/3B Ivan Villa (.277, 10 HR, 36 RBI), hitting .485 (16-33) with 2 HR, 6 RBI
CL Player of the Week: OCT 3B/SS/RF Ed Soberanes (.305, 12 HR, 47 RBI), batting .444 (12-27) with 2 HR, 5 RBI
Complaints and stuff
Still in first place, still with a negative run differential (-2, again)! I remain to be unable to describe what makes them win games at the end of the day.
Probably stupid luck that’s long overdue to run out?
And then the question is whether a slick trade or three could actually turn the offense into something you could show off in primetime. It’s not like we don’t have the odd spot in the lineup where improvement would be possible…
We return home to play the Titans and Elks. From the Friday after, it’s a longer road trip starting with the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
Fun Fact: The Raccoons have the third-best record in baseball.
(shrugs and smiles politely)