[Westheim]

Raccoons (46-45) vs. Titans (48-46)

We are a shocking 1-8 against the Titans this season, the reasons for which elude me completely. They were 3rd in runs scored and 8th in runs allowed so far (opposite to the Coons 9th/2nd respectively). It was not even bad luck, only two games had been lost by single runs. But surely this would come around soon, right?

Boston stormed right out of the gate with a 2-run home run by Isto Grönholm off Carlos Gonzalez. Here we go. But Gonzalez settled in after the early blow, the Coons crawled back in as a whole, tying it in the bottom 1st and when Tetsu Osanai homered to center in the fifth, they led 5-2. Two insurance runs added in the eighth proved absolutely necessary, since Moran and West each surrendered a homer in the top 9th and the Coons only barely tumbled over the finish line for a 7-5 win. Thompson 2-5; Osanai 3-5, HR, 4 RBI; Dadswell (PH) 1-1, RBI;

In game 2 it was Hjalmar Flygt to 2-bomb Kisho Saito in the first and the Titans added another run for good measure. Titans starter Eric McCullough left early, but that didn’t help the Raccoons a bit. They left the bases loaded twice, with different catchers making the final outs, and left two on in the ninth, when Steve Walker grounded out. 4-0 Titans. Thompson 2-5; Dawson 2-4; this gave Kisho Saito his 10th loss of the season despite a 2.99 ERA;

Armando Sanchez bobbled and dropped the very first ball into play in the rubber game for a Flygt triple (what really should have been an error) to keep hopes low from the start. Vicente Ruíz managed to get two outs, keeping Flygt where he was, but then the annoying pest named Isto Grönholm singled just past Steve Walker to get the run in. Top 5th: Flygt (another pest) walked to lead off the inning and things began to look bleak again in a 2-2 tie. Daniel Hall then turned a double play on a flyer to shallow left with Flygt running – Hall caught it and nailed Flygt at first. Hall then went on to drive in the go-ahead run in the bottom 5th, but Ruíz surrendered the second of two home runs to Zahid Mashwanis in the top 6th to get behind. In the bottom 6th, Castillo (PH for Ruíz), Thompson, and Walker had three straight singles with one out to load the bags and we go to the radio broadcast with R.A. Koontz:

The 2-2 pitch – misses, and the count is full to Osanai. Castillo is on third, Thompson on second, Walker on first, all good runners, and a full count to Tetsu Osanai with one out.

3-2 pitch to Osanai. BELTED!! Mashwanis runs after it, but he’s NEVER GONNA GET THAT ONE, OUT AND AWAY!!! Tetsu Osanai … puts the Coons atop!!

That was the end of scoring already in the game, although both teams put a few in scoring position in the late innings. Raccoons prevailed, 7-4, to finally take a series from the Titans this season (and also pass them for third place). Thompson 2-4, 2B, RBI; Walker 2-4; Osanai 3-4, BB, HR, 4 RBI; Hall 2-5, 2B, RBI; Dadswell 3-4, 2 2B; Castillo (PH) 1-2;

Isto Grönholm ran a hitting streak to 20 games by punishing Raccoons pitching in this series. The same day, Jorge Padilla’s streak ended.

Raccoons (48-46) vs. Falcons (52-42)

Carried by a stud rotation and some big guns like Gilberto Dougan, Irwin Webster, and Teo Colón, the Falcons were a tough team to beat. The Coons had failed to do so so far this season, being swept in the only encounter with the Charlotte team.

The first thing coming at us was Juan Correa, the “Mauler”, who was only 8-7 on the season, but with a stellar 2.26 ERA, a slice below Logan Evans’ 2.31. The anticipated pitchers’ duel never came to be, as both were socked for three runs early. The Coons led 4-3 in the bottom 5th, when Hall had a 1-out double. Dadswell struck out, but Cam Green singled through the defenders on the left side to score Hall from second. Armando Sanchez came up and homered to right, 7-3. Then, Evans put the first two on in the sixth. Cunningham came in, but Gary Helton’s grounder was not picked up by Steve Walker, he dropped it, and both runners scored. It was only Walker’s second error in almost 300 chances this season, but it was certainly a critical one. But the Coons then in turned gained from a defensive indifference by the Falcons in the bottom 6th, when Osanai lobbed a ball close to the left field line, with neither defender there going after it hard enough, scoring Winston Thompson from second. There was still nobody out, and although Dawson grounded into a double play, the Coons scored two more in the inning, 10-5. They eventually added another run to win 11-5 on 20 hits, something entirely new for this team (I may have been in the wrong ballpark after all) with all positional starters getting at least two hits in! Thompson 3-6, RBI; Walker 4-5, BB; Osanai 2-6, RBI; Dawson 2-5, RBI; Hall 2-3, BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Dadswell 2-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Green 3-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Sanchez 2-5, HR, 3 RBI; Moran 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K, SV (3);

This had the Coons put up double-digit runs twice within a week (after the 10-2 in Vancouver six days ago), a feat not achieved since April 28-29 with 16 against Milwaukee followed by 11 against Vancouver the next day. In fact they only had six games with 10 or more runs for the entire season.

Christopher Powell was not up to the challenges of the Falcons lineup and was abused for five runs in 5.1 innings. An error by Osanai made the sixth a bigger implosion than it would have had to be. The Raccoons trailed 6-2 after that malaise, with the majority of our players not able to read into Billy Robinson’s pitches at all. They were 2-hit so far, with both H’s by Walker, and both for extra bases and producing their lone two runs. If one performance should be mentioned positively, it was David Jones’, who pitched 2+ clean innings against a heavily right-handed dominated lineup. The 6-2 loss stood until the end. Walker 2-4, 3B, 2B, RBI; Jones 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

The rubber game saw a disgusting first two innings from Carlos Gonzalez, who donated the Falcons a quick 3-0 lead. Cam Green homered in the third, 3-1. Walker and Osanai hit back-to-back doubles in the fourth, 3-2. Dawson, Hall, and Dadswell were unable to score Osanai with no outs. Gonzalez was pinch hit for in the fifth, to no effect, and Moran served up a 2-piece in the sixth, before nailing pitcher Julio Rodriguez with two down. Rodriguez took it personally and charged the mound, sparking a brawl. Both pitchers were ejected. Things only became worse from there, and the Raccoons were beaten 7-2, held to six hits. Green 2-4, HR, RBI;

Carlos Moran was suspended for eight games after the brawl. Yeah, great.

The Raccoons made roster moves: MR Justin Neubauer (5.40 ERA), OF Ralph Crosby (.143 AVG) and INF Orlando Lantán (.160 AVG) were all demoted to AAA, and we called up MR Gilberto Soto (who was not effective in AAA, but I needed someone to eat innings with Moran suspended), OF Kelly Weber, and INF Carlos Miranda.

Miranda was the only new player among them. He had been a supplemental round pick, 25th overall, in the 1982 draft. He was now 23, a versatile defender, who played all four infield positions well, and with a .286 average in 227 AB in AAA (he missed a few weeks with injuries), but his BB/K ratio was unfriendly even in AAA. And unfriendly was a friendly way to express it.

Raccoons (49-48) vs. Bayhawks (40-60)

Cameron Green helped the Bayhawks to go ahead with two unearned runs in the fourth inning, ruining the solid start by Saito. The offense responded by drawing four walks in the bottom 4th to also score four runs (Green didn’t do anything). Saito then jerked in the sixth, putting three on with nobody out. Wally Gaston came in, but surrendered a home run to Yong-chan Chong. It was already the death knell to the Coons. They lost 7-5, with the bases loaded in the ninth and a K to Winston Thompson. Dadswell 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Miranda (PH) 1-1; Reed (PH) 1-1;

The Coons wasted tons of hits in the middle game. The lone run came from a solo home run by Armando Sanchez, otherwise they let countless chances get away. The 1-0 lead got away from Vicente Ruíz in the sixth, and the game remained tied at 1-1 into the ninth. Grant West pitched the ninth, then the tenth. Daniel Hall got on with one out in the bottom 10th and a hit-and-run with Dadswell at the plate put runners on the corners, but Dadswell was picked off at first for the second out before we could even decide on a strategy with Cameron Green as pinch hitter at the plate. Coons fans looked in disbelief – an impression only slowly turning into joy when Green dipped a 1-2 pitch into right center between two defenders, scoring Hall from third. 2-1 Coons. Thompson 3-5; Hall 2-5; Green (PH) 1-1, RBI; Ruíz 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K and 2-3; West 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, W (1-0);

Some early trouble for Logan Evans was equaled by Mark Dawson with a 1st inning 2-shot. Lucero homered for a Raccoons lead, which got away from Evans in the fifth after two leadoff walks. Steve Walker’s RBI double made it 4-3 in the bottom 5th. Evans actually managed to pitch a clean inning to leave in line for the W. Top 7th: Didier Bourges’ grounder to third was thrown away by Green. Cunningham had to tear out arms and legs to get through that inning. When Green singled to lead off the bottom 7th, he was removed by pinch runner Miranda, who was the only Coon to score before they left three on. The ace end of the pen held down the Bayhawks well in the last innings and the Coons won 6-3 to take the series. Walker 4-5, 2B, RBI; Dawson 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Reed 2-4;

Raccoons (51-49) vs. Aces (39-63)

The series opened with Chris Powell facing 16-game loser Antonio Lopez. You bet the Coons didn’t know how to hit him. The bottom of the sixth presented the first serious chance to score for either team. Dawson led off with a single and then RF Tom Simmons misplayed a flyball by Osanai, which fell in for a double. Two in scoring position and nobody out. Daniel Hall at least managed a sac fly for a run, something Green didn’t. Reed doubled in Osanai and Lucero was intentionally walked, bringing up Powell. In a vain attempt to generate offense, he was removed for Armando Sanchez, who grounded out. David Jones put the first two runners on in the seventh and Cunningham couldn’t get through them, INSTANTLY blowing Powell’s lead. Adding three runs in the bottom 7th, the pen again choked in the eighth with one run charged to Cunningham. Jason White saved the game with the backend used or tired. 6-3 Raccoons. Dawson 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Osanai 4-4, 2B, RBI; Castillo (PH) 1-1; Powell 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

****ty offense AND relief pitching again rob Powell of the few wins he actually deserves!! (foames)

Game 2 was the horror. Carlos Gonzalez held a 2-0 lead into the seventh and put three on with no one out. The Aces scored seven runs in the inning, four off Jason White with a grand slam by Chris Lynch. Raccoons lost shamefully, 8-3.

Scream. Scream. SCREAM.

The screams didn’t become any less in the last game of the series against this last place team. That fact alone should have been enough to know that the Raccoons would drop it. Kisho Saito pitched a complete game losing effort, 3-2, surrendering single runs three times with six clean innings around that. The Raccoons’ offense was non-existent with only five hits. Sanchez 2-3;

In other news

July 18 – Salem’s Jorge Padilla has his hitting streak come to an end at 23 games after being held away in four AB’s against the Gold Sox. The Wolves still win, 5-4.
July 19 – Isto Grönholm’s blossoming hitting streak is trampled down by the Condors, who hold the Titans first baseman at 0-4 and kill his streak at 20 games.
July 22 – Warriors slugger Ronaldo Cabrera (.303, 11 HR, 67 RBI) will miss at least a month with a sore shoulder.
July 24 – Reliever Sixto Pacheco (2.36 ERA in 44 games) is sent to Washington by the Condors, who in turn acquire pitching prospect Santiago Perez.
July 28 – In a move hardly understandable for anybody outside their management, the Gold Sox send valuable slugger Francisco Lopez (.332, 15 HR, 79 RBI) to Sacramento for corner infielder Shiro Sasaki (.264, 5 HR, 41 RBI).

Complaints and stuff

Where to start complaining? They can’t get anything done. That’s the one basic complaint.