The Raccoons lost an outfielder on Sunday night after their return from Elk City when Prospero Tenazes tweaked his knee while horsing around with his young nephews. He’d be out for the entire week. While he wasn’t exactly a pillar for the offense, I was still having Cristiano nosing into whether his sister’s family had even entered the country legally, and if possible give a tip to the authorities where to arrest them and deport them from…
Raccoons (84-51) vs. Titans (58-78) – September 6-9, 2055
Actual gameplay began this week with a 4-game set against the Titans, whom we had so far whooped 9-2 on the year. They ranked second from the bottom in runs scored – by now even behind the Raccoons! – and eighth in runs allowed with a -60 run differential.
Projected matchups:
Cameron Argenziano (5-1, 2.59 ERA) vs. Ryan Musgrave (0-4, 4.19 ERA)
Craig Kniep (0-0) vs. Mario de Anda (7-10, 4.45 ERA)
Kennedy Adkins (15-5, 1.68 ERA) vs. Jamie Guidry (7-17, 4.52 ERA)
He Shui (18-5, 2.83 ERA) vs. Chad Shultz (12-12, 4.48 ERA)
Craig Kniep was promoted from AAA for a cup of coffee with the intent of judging whether he could be in the rotation to begin next season. He’d probably get four starts, one a week, from here on out, cannibalizing some of those assigned to Argenziano and Brobeck otherwise. Brobeck would be available out of the pen for the first games in the series. The middle two games put us up against left-handers, and I had my eye on Wednesday for one of those “you gotta be kidding me”, 2-1 losses.
Despite two outfielders lingering uselessly on the roster now (Danny Munn would probably also miss the entire week still), the Coons did not go back to the well that was AAA non-hitting, and instead would shift Venegas to leftfield a bit more should our hearts desire so.
Also, with the weekend set being the final games against the Indians for the year, we would sprinkle in off days for all regulars in this series, then have everybody available for the weekend. Minus the walking wounded, of course.
Game 1
BOS: SS M. Navarro – 3B J. Nieto – RF Whitlow – 1B L. Rodriguez – CF Weir – LF Hunt – C Burkart – 2B Tamargo – P Musgrave
POR: LF Brassfield – SS Lavorano – RF Puckeridge – 1B Ramsay – C Gowin – 2B Waters – 3B Crispin – CF Solorzano – P Argenziano
A Mario Navarro single and Jose Nieto’s double scored a Boston run before Argenziano logged an out, but the 3-4-5 were sat down in order without conceding the second run. Solorzano would double home Ed Crispin with two outs in the bottom 2nd to make up the early deficit, and the 1-1 score stayed true for a while longer, despite Argenziano being frequently erratic and pitching in quite a few 3-ball counts, not that the Titans knew what to make of that. The whole time, it drizzled on and off, because the grim fall had arrived in Oregon already.
The tie was only broken in the fifth inning when Ed Crispin hit a leadoff single and was on second base after Solorzano popped out and Argenziano’s bunt. Those names were too long, by the way, they needed something more snappy – like Bobo and Hooch or something, Slappy, won’t you think of some nicknames for them? … Anyway, Brassfield hit a first-pitch floater to shallow right that Eric Whitlow lunged for when he should have played it on the bounce. He missed the ball with his glove, but the ball didn’t miss his nose, then gigglingly made for the rightfield corner. Brassfield legged out an RBI triple, but was stranded on Lonzo’s grounder to short, and the Titans turned the game around immediately in the sixth inning with straight hits from their 3-4-5 batters that had earlier stranded Nieto on second base with nobody out. Whitlow singled, Larry Rodriguez doubled, and Hector Weir plated both of them with a single to right-center, flipping the score to 3-2 Boston.
At this point, the rain became rather intense and the game went to a delay in the bottom 6th with Pucks batting leadoff. The game did not resume on the day as the rain only got worse, but the umpires would not call it, but instead, considering the playoff implications, suspended resumption of the game to Tuesday.
Game 1 (resumed)
BOS: SS M. Navarro – 3B J. Nieto – RF Whitlow – 1B L. Rodriguez – CF Weir – LF Hunt – C Burkart – 2B Tamargo – P Musgrave
POR: LF Brassfield – SS Lavorano – RF Puckeridge – 1B Ramsay – C Gowin – 2B Waters – 3B Crispin – CF Solorzano – P Argenziano
Upon resumption in a stiff breeze on Tuesday afternoon, the personnel in each lineup was nominally still the same, although both pitchers were swiftly replaced. The Coons’ Chris Gowin would bang a home run to left to tie the game in the sixth, and in the eighth inning Pucks reached base with a walk drawn off Jim Peterson, and the left-hander gave away the go-ahead run on Matt Waters’ 2-out RBI single to center. Reynaldo Bravo, Matt Walters, and Kevin Hitchcock each pitched an inning of near-spotless relief to put the game away. 4-3 Raccoons. Puckeridge 1-2, 2 BB; Waters 2-4, RBI; Solorzano 2-3, 2 2B, RBI;
Game 2
BOS: 3B Torrence – LF M. Gilmore – RF Whitlow – 1B L. Rodriguez – C R. Gonzalez – CF Weir – SS M. Navarro – 2B Tamargo – P de Anda
POR: RF Brassfield – SS Lavorano – LF Venegas – 1B Puckeridge – 3B Brobeck – 2B Waters – CF Monson – C Philipps – P Kniep
Kniep got a few in the snout in the first inning; after striking out his first ABL batter, Ethan Torrence, he surrendered a single to Matt Gilmore and a wild pitch. Two more hits by Larry Rodriguez and ex-Coon Ruben Gonzalez followed, along with two runs. Whitlow with a single and Rodriguez with a double would add a third run in the third inning. The counts were generally long, which could be described either to a lack of ripeness or jitters. He hit a single in the bottom 2nd with Waters already on base and two outs. Brassfield reached on an error, but Lonzo grounded out to Oscar Tamargo with the bases loaded to strand a full complement of runners.
Whitlow walked and would be scored AGAIN in the fifth inning by another Rodriguez double, now over the head of a meandering Monson, who had DEFENSE ascribed as his only asset in his scouting report, which I was entirely ready to hit into shreds over Eric Hartwig’s head by now. Rodriguez advanced on Ruben Gonzalez’ groundout, then scored on a passed ball charged to Philipps, the dolt. The Coons had yet to score; Crispin batted for Kniep to begin the bottom 5th and singled to right, and the bases would fill up gradually with a Lonzo double and Pucks getting nicked by de Anda. Brobeck batted with the bags full and singled through the left side to send home two runs and shorten the gap to 5-2, and Waters added another single to left to score Pucks, 5-3, but Brobeck was struck down in a rundown and the inning ended. Brobeck then dragged his confused bum to the mound, Crispin taking over at third base, while Brobeck would be assigned a couple of innings of garbage relief.
The Coons had the bags full for the third time in the 5-3 game in the seventh inning when singles by Venegas and Pucks knocked out de Anda, and Jim Peterson walked Brobeck to fill the bases with one down. Matt Waters ran a full count, then laid off the garbage and pushed home a run with a walk drawn. Chris Gowin batted for the useless Monson, but struck out, and ironically it was Tyler Philipps to draw a 2-out walk to tie the game and secure his food ration for another week. Ed Crispin struck with a single up the middle that scored two runs before Mario Navarro retired Brassfield after a sprawling grab. Brobeck continued to pitch with a 7-5 lead, which was a mistake, and after hits by Hector Weir and Oscar Tamargo, Brett Lillis jr. inherited a 7-6 lead with the tying run on first, but retired Dave Gonzalez and Bruce Burkart orderly to get out of the eighth. The ninth would go to Eloy Sencion, despite right-handers beginning the inning. He struck out Will McIntyre, but Whitlow doubled to left. PH Israel Santiago grounded out, moving the tying run to third base. When Norizuki entered in place of Sencion, the Titans batted left-handed Antonio Cruz for Ruben Gonzalez. The rookie popped out on the first pitch, however. 7-6 Raccoons. Venegas 2-4, BB; Waters 2-3, BB, RBI; Crispin (PH) 2-3, 2 RBI;
First career save for Tokizuki Takiwaki. Brobeck got the W, which got him even at 7-7.
Kniep struck out four, walked five, sprinkled six hits, and gave up five runs (four earned). We’d seen better debuts, and worse, too.
By the Raccoons winning two of a game and a half on Saturday, they eliminated both the Titans and Loggers from mathematical playoff contention and put the Indians nine games away already.
Rams had been rested as left-handed regular on Tuesday, and Pucks’ turn came on Wednesday, along with Matt Waters. Brassfield and Lonzo were both going to sit down on Thursday.
Game 3
BOS: 3B Torrence – LF M. Gilmore – RF Whitlow – 1B L. Rodriguez – C R. Gonzalez – CF Weir – SS M. Navarro – 2B Tamargo – P Guidry
POR: RF Brassfield – SS Lavorano – LF Venegas – 1B Ramsay – C Gowin – 2B Knight – CF Monson – 3B Espinoza – P Adkins
Adkins faced the minimum in three innings, but this included a walk to Larry Rodriguez and a double play grounder from our former bumbling backstop. He struck out nobody in those three frames, while the Raccoons, as usual, wouldn’t dare angering a 17-game loser and stayed out of scoring position at all costs, scattering three singles mostly for comedic effect. The Titans had another base runner in the fourth inning when Adkins nicked Whitlow with an 0-2 pitch, but Whitlow was then caught stealing, and the Titans continued to cart up the minimum.
The Coons finally scratched out a run in the fourth inning, getting back-to-back doubles from Gowin and Knight up opposite foul lines, one to left, then one to right. Adkins got two more outs, then winced and was tended to by Luis Silva, while I was having a mid-sized seizure. Hyun-soo Bak would take over pitching duties and finished the inning, while the Raccoons pooled three singles and a double-play grounder from Ramsay for two runs in the bottom 5th, one on Venegas’ single and one on the double play. Harry Ramsay would later crunch a solo home run in the bottom 7th, extending the lead to 4-0.
That was with the Titans still striving for a base hit. After Adkins’ demise following 4.2 innings of no-hit ball, Bak gave the Coons four outs, after which Sencion retired the lefty Torrence and Gilmore to begin the seventh, and then Whitlow popped out against Ryan Harmer. And this was perhaps not in the spirit of a threatening no-hitter, but the Coons stuck with Harmer to begin the eighth inning against Rodriguez and Gonzalez. He struck out both of them … and the Lillis allowed a single to left on a 1-2 pitch to Hector Weir. Navarro popped out to end the inning. The ninth saw the 4-0 lead go to Colby Bowen, who walked the leadoff man Tamargo, but then struck out Yoslan Valdez, Ethan Torrence, and Matt Gilmore in order to put the game away. 4-0 Coons. Lavorano 3-4; Ramsay 2-4, HR, RBI; Espinoza 1-2, BB; Puckeridge (PH) 1-1; Adkins 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K; Bak 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, W (5-2);
(breathes into paper bag)
Thursday began with Maud having baked muffins, Slappy presented me with a fine bottle of Pegleg Pete’s Country Moonshine, and Cristiano offered to give me a massage.
Something was off.
Then Luis Silva snuck into the room. Then I knew.
Kennedy Adkins, the likely CL Pitcher of the Year, had elbow ligament damage, required surgery, and would be out for a year.
This was a pain no muffin nor moonshine could sooth.
Game 4
BOS: 3B Torrence – SS M. Navarro – RF Whitlow – 1B L. Rodriguez – CF Weir – C R. Gonzalez – LF Y. Valdez – 2B Tamargo – P Shultz
POR: CF Solorzano – LF Venegas – RF Puckeridge – 1B Ramsay – 2B Waters – 3B Crispin – SS Knight – C Raczka – P Shui
There was little offense in the early inning of the series finale, scoring consisting of an exchange of homers between Ruben Gonzalez and, uh, He Shui? It was only his eighth hit of the season and his first career home run, and it tied the game at 1-1. Boston grabbed the lead back in the fourth with straight 2-out singles from their 4-5-6 batters, before the 22-year-old rookie Valdez grounded out to strand a pair. The Raccoons also got singles from their 4-5-6 batters in the fourth inning, but that was with Ramsay in front, and he couldn’t score on Crispin’s single to left. Shultz’ wild pitch bounced far away from Gonzalez, though, and would do to get the Raccoons even again, 2-2. Matt Knight hit a go-ahead sac fly to left before Raczka was walked with intent and Shui was the third out of the inning.
That score was still true in the sixth, with Shui not giving up a hit since the triple-clipper in the fourth inning. Waters and Knight went to the corners against Shultz in the bottom 6th, and with one out. Jeff Raczka was batting 1-for-9 so far, but livened up his usual September callup with an RBI single to right, extending the lead to 4-2. Shui was rung up, but Solorzano snuck an RBI single to center for a 5-2 lead before the inning ended with Venegas.
Pucks, Rams, and Waters the loaded the bases with nobody out to begin the bottom 7th. Crispin popped out, and Knight hit into a double play to score absolutely nobody, which was the first time all game long that I actually sighed, or breathed at all. The bags were full *again* to begin the bottom 8th. Raczka doubled, Lonzo walked in Shui’s spot, and Solorzano hit an infield single. Brassfield batted for a hitless Venegas and struck out against lefty Jim Peterson, but Pucks singled home a pair before Ramsay hit into the inevitable double play. That lead wasn’t nearly big enough for a full inning of Ryan Harmer in the ninth inning; the Titans found two singles, then a huge 3-piece by Hector Weir, and the Raccoons went and found Matt Walters, who struck out Ruben Gonzalez, but gave up a single to Valdez. Burkart popped out to finally end the game. 7-5 Raccoons. Solorzano 3-5, RBI; Puckeridge 2-5, 2 RBI; Ramsay 3-5, 2B; Waters 3-4, 2B; Raczka 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI; Shui 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, W (19-5) and 1-3, HR, RBI;
Sweep.
Maud, I need more tissues. I have yet more tears to cry.
Raccoons (88-51) vs. Indians (77-61) – September 10-12, 2055
This series began with the Indians 10 1/2 games behind and with a magic number of 14. The question was whether they could even rally out of that hole – they were no Crusaders after all. The Coons had clinched the season series at 10-5. The Indians were only sixth in runs scored and third in runs allowed with a +27 run differential (Raccoons: +169). Most importantly and (for them) depressingly, though: the Raccoons were 28-9 since the start of August, and the Indians were persistently plunging, 14-22 since August 1.
Projected matchups:
Seisaku Taki (9-7, 3.29 ERA) vs. Bill McDermott (8-11, 3.56 ERA)
Cameron Argenziano (5-1, 2.75 ERA) vs. Juan Vasquez (3-2, 3.55 ERA)
Kyle Brobeck (7-7, 4.51 ERA) vs. Enrique Ortiz (15-6, 2.93 ERA)
Only righty opposition here. Still no Tenazes and Munn for the Raccoons, and the latter was not expected back by Sunday either.
Game 1
IND: LF Kokel – RF J. Garza – 3B B. Anderson – 1B B. Quinteros – CF M. Ceballos – C Poindexter – SS Ed. Ortiz – 2B Ewers – P McDermott
POR: RF Brassfield – SS Lavorano – CF Puckeridge – 1B Ramsay – 3B Brobeck – 2B Waters – C Gowin – LF Venegas – P Taki
We hadn’t seen a patented ****** first inning from Taki in quite a while, but boy, did we see one on Friday. Jose Garza singled, as did Bill Quinteros. In between, Bobby Anderson walked. After it all, Mario Ceballos cranked a grand slam to left. 4-0. Welcome to Portland. Taki didn’t make it out of the second inning at all, giving up another three runs on four more hits – all with two outs. Colby Bowen replaced him, walked Mario Ceballos, got taken DEEP by Manny Poindexter, and now it was a 10-0 game.
While I locked myself in a closet to whimper, Bowen got stuffed with more and more runs. He pitched two more innings, got whacked for a run in the third and two more in the fourth inning, and the Coons rally at this point consisted mostly of a Lonzo double, a groundout, and a run-scoring passed ball. Top 5th, Garza doubled and scored on Anderson’s single to add a run against Hyun-soo Bak, and the scoring parade continued against Geoff Sather in the sixth inning. With one run already home in the inning and the bases loaded, Garza strung a bases-clearing double into the leftfield corner.
Waters and Pucks each drove in a meaningless run in the pointless innings that followed, while the Raccoons’ bamboozled pitching staff actually managed to put up two zeroes in the seventh and eighth innings, courtesy of Geoff Sather’s second and Reynaldo Bravo’s first inning. Bravo was less lucky in the ninth, giving up a 2-run homer to Quinteros after nailing a 5-for-5 Jose Garza to begin the inning. The Indians were no amused; Juan Llampallas hit a pinch-hit double, then stole third base … in a 20-3 game. The next batter, Edwin Ortiz, got beaned. Total coincidence, I swear. Nick Fernandez added a run with a sac fly. Solorzano walked, Lonzo hit an RBI double in the bottom 9th, and then Lonzo stole third base himself against Orlando Altreche and Manny Poindexter. Some members on both teams began to chirp, but nobody had much desire to get into a fight with one out to go in a 17-run game. Crispin popped out to end the inning. 21-4 Indians. Brassfield 2-4; Lavorano 3-5, 2 2B, RBI; Ramsay 2-3, BB; Monson (PH) 1-2;
Arf.
Well. Boys. Flush that. The good news is, tomorrow’s game starts at zilch-zilch again…
Game 2
IND: SS Llampallas – 2B Ewers – RF B. Quinteros – 3B B. Anderson – CF M. Ceballos – 1B D. Sandoval – C Werman – LF Kokel – P J. Vasquez
POR: RF Brassfield – SS Lavorano – CF Puckeridge – 1B Ramsay – C Gowin – 2B Waters – 3B Crispin – LF Venegas – P Argenziano
Quinteros, Lonzo, and Gowin all hit doubles the first time through the order, but only the Arrowhead found somebody to score him when he got singled home by Bobby Anderson with two outs in the first inning. Lonzo and Gowin were both stranded on third base before the Raccoons loaded the bases with Brass, Lonzo, and Pucks in the bottom 3rd. Ramsay was up with one out, which cried out “double play”, but he actually hit a sac fly to deep center to tie the game. Gowin slapped an RBI single through the left side for a 2-1 lead, but Waters whiffed to strand two more runners.
That 2-1 score stayed true through five innings, with Argenziano having a grip now on the lineup against for the Big B’s in the 3-4 spots. Only one of the pair reached in either the fourth or sixth innings, though, and that runner was then stranded at second base. Vasquez was erratic in the middle innings and piled up walks. He offered leadoff walks to Waters and Crispin in the bottom 6th, which gave him five free passes issued on the day. After he balked the runners into scoring position, he was then told to give away another walk to Venegas to fill the bases with nobody out and the pitcher up. Argenziano wasn’t going to be a free out – he hit a single through the right side to extend the lead to 3-1! Brassfield hit a roller for an out at home plate, but then Vasquez brushed Lonzo and walked Pucks to force home runs, then was yanked. Southpaw Tyler Weems got a double play grounder from Ramsay to end the inning; the inning after, however, singles by Gowin and Venegas would piece another run together, and Brassfield drew a leadoff walk and was singled home by Ramsay with two outs against ex-Coon Corey Mathers in the eighth inning. Mathers proceeded to get taken deep by Chris Gowin, and the Raccoons answered a 17-run shelling by getting at least almost half of that back on Saturday. 9-1 Critters. Lavorano 2-4, 2B, RBI; Gowin 4-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Venegas 2-3, BB, RBI; Argenziano 8.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W (6-1) and 1-4, RBI;
This win eliminated the damn Elks mathematically.
Game 3
IND: SS Llampallas – RF J. Garza – 3B B. Anderson – 1B B. Quinteros – CF M. Ceballos – C Poindexter – LF Kokel – 2B Ewers – P En. Ortiz
POR: LF Brassfield – SS Lavorano – RF Puckeridge – 1B Ramsay – C Gowin – P Brobeck – 3B Venegas – CF Solorzano – 2B Knight
Juan Llampallas, the ******* ****, started the game with an infield single, stole two bases, and was almost stranded on third base anyway until the Coons couldn’t make a pick on Quinteros’ 2-out grounder and the infield single allowed the runner to score. Brobeck then walked Ceballos, then gave up three straight ******* depressing 2-out RBI singles in a row before getting a K off the pitcher. Llampallas would draw a leadoff walk in the second inning off an awful Brobeck, then continued to dance off first base, begging to take a few punches in the kisser. He stole another base – giving him four on the season, all in this series – while getting stranded, and then popped out with a pair on base to end the third inning.
Brobeck, who was generally awful and was approaching 100 pitches in the fifth inning, aimed for Llampallas’ ugly face with Kevin Ewers on second base and two outs in the top 5th, but only hit him in the shoulder, which was indeed regrettable. Brobeck walked Garza, then was yanked. Bak got a fly to left from Anderson, ending the inning, and keeping it a 4-0 game. Quinteros hit a jack off Bak to start the next inning, though, and they put a walk and two more hits together for one more run off him.
Since the Raccoons didn’t hit a lick off Enrique Ortiz, we surrendered the game then. Sather was in for the seventh and again could not retire ******* anybody. Anderson walked. Quinteros singled. Ceballos singled. One out, Poindexter grounded to Venegas, who threw a skipper under Ramsay’s glove for two bases and as many runs. Bravo entered and surrendered another run on a sac fly hit by Chaz Kokel.
The damn Critters didn’t get on the board until the bottom 8th. Brassfield and Lonzo hit singles, swiped a pair of bags, and Pucks’ RBI groundout ended Ortiz’ day. Tyler Philipps found an RBI single, and the Indians found two more runs to match that output against Lillis and Lintilanki in the ninth inning… 11-2 Indians. Knight 2-4;
In other news
September 7 – With a broken bone in his elbow, CHA OF Tim Burkhart (.217, 3 HR, 26 RBI) is lost until next season.
September 9 – Pittsburgh INF Alex Vasquez (.249, 3 HR, 33 RBI) would be out for the year with a hip strain.
September 10 – Perfect game! NAS SP Marcus Wilkins (8-10, 3.59 ERA) goes 27 up, 27 down against the Buffaloes for a 3-0 game of a lifetime! Eight outs are notched by strikeout for the first perfect game in the ABL in eight years.
September 10 – SAC OF Adam Bumpus (.348, 9 HR, 62 RBI) has put together a 20-game hitting streak with a first-inning single in a 6-5 loss to the Wolves.
September 11 – Vegas 1B/RF/LF Aubrey Austin (.314, 14 HR, 64 RBI) is dealt a pinched nerve and could miss the rest of the season.
September 11 – One day after the perfecto, the Blue Sox amount to a single by C Jorge Ortiz (.213, 4 HR, 18 RBI) and nothing else against the Buffos’ Marcos Rivera (3-7, 3.66 ERA) and Roberto Ramirez (7-7, 3.07 ERA, 33 SV). The Buffaloes squeeze out a 1-0 win. The only run is unearned.
September 12 – Knights SP Jeremy Baker (11-9, 3.83 ERA) was out until Opening Day with a broken elbow.
September 12 – The Wolves end the hitting streak of SAC OF Adam Bumpus (.346, 9 HR, 62 RBI) at 20 games while suffocating the Scorpions in an 11-0 game.
FL Player of the Week: PIT OF Josh Abercrombie (.347, 8 HR, 68 RBI), hitting .417 (10-24) with 2 HR, 8 RBI
CL Player of the Week: IND 1B/RF/LF Bill Quinteros (.295, 22 HR, 91 RBI), batting .640 (16-25) with 4 HR, 7 RBI
Complaints and stuff
Hey, Ma, we went 5-2 this week and scored 37 runs! – Really, my boy? How many runs did you give up? – Uh, 47.
Heritage Lake, Indiana. That’s the zip code of the first five innings on Friday, 46121. Or, if you want to go for the bigger number, heck, take 61214 for the second through sixth innings and travel to… Bad Nauheim, Hesse? Cristiano? Is that the closest one?
Ah, ****, maybe Hitch can show you around there…
The weekend performance and the general crater landscape left by the Adkins injury make me surrender all hopes for the playoffs, even when it looks like we should make it there.
BNN doesn’t consider this much of a race:
POR (89-53) – NYC (4), VAN (4), BOS (3), CHA (3), MIL (3), TIJ (3) – .466 – 99.9% (+0.6%)
IND (79-62) – BOS (4), OCT (4), VAN (4), ATL (3), MIL (3), NYC (3) – .488 – 0.1% (-0.6%)
Damn Elks, Falcons next week. Starters are a bit up in the air, but Craig Kniep might now make more than just four starts in his September call-up… Heck, at the rate the starters get blown up, we might need more circus relievers from AAA. At least Danny Munn should be back in the lineup on Monday.
Fun Fact: The last time a perfect game was thrown, a Buffalo was doing it.
That would have been Jose Arias on April 30, 2047 against the Rebels. Now, the Buffos were on the receiving end by Marcus Wilkins, the 35-year-old veteran.
On the receiving end *again* one should say. Of the five perfect games in ABL history, three were against the Rebels and two against the Buffaloes.
+++
Unless I wake up at 4AM tomorrow, no update tomorrow. It’s the time of the year where American Truck Simulator releases a new DLC, and I need to haunt the roads of Oklahoma all evening long tomorrow. 