[Westheim]

Short, but significant update.

Raccoons (67-44) vs. Canadiens (68-42)

Campbell, Beato, Smith, and Correa. That’s the projected rotation we’re facing in this series.

Shimpei Iwamoto’s single to short right was overrun by Quintanilla in the second inning. A single became a double and the Canadiens scored two unearned runs to get ahead in game 1. Robbie Campbell was ace on the mound for the Canadiens. Through five innings, the Raccoons had two baserunners: Winston Thompson, twice. He was left on third in the bottom 4th. Quintanilla singled to lead off the sixth for the Coons, then stole second with Logan Evans at the plate, but Evans failed to bunt him to third, and struck out (Campbell’s 7th K that day). Quintanilla was left on second then. Evans signaled for the trainer to come in after retiring the first two batters in the top 7th. His back was killing him and he had to be removed from the game, and Powell entered to possibly finish it, but he was removed in the bottom 8th for a pinch hitter. Quintanilla had just tripled with two out and now Ricardo Gonzalez, the King of K’s, entered as pinch hitter for Powell because I wanted to counter the righty Campbell. Gonzalez did not strike out, but singled through to right and scored Quintanilla. Gerard Marquis came in for the ninth. Barrios walked replacing Walker, who had gone 0-3. Dadswell bunted him to second, to give Tetsu Osanai every possible chance to tie the game, at least, but he lined out, and Dawson popped out foul. 2-1 Canadiens. Four hits ain’t enough, boys.

Logan Evans has a sore back and may miss a start. Things keep rotting away. In turn, Gustavo Flores came off the DL and Odwin Garza went back to AAA.

We now had three must-win games ahead of us, while the Canadiens scratched Raimundo Beato and sent in Luis Cruz for the second game, who had an ERA over seven. The Raccoons took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, before Dawson grounded into a double play. Dadswell grounded into a triple play in the third. Brian Adams had a long laugh there, hitting a leadoff home run in the very next inning. Dawson responded with a solo jack in the bottom 4th to make it 2-1. And then there was Carlos Gonzalez on the mound. He started the game with 99 K, and got Eddy Bailey to make it 100 in the first inning. He struck out seven through four innings, and then the whole side in the fifth. A new Raccoons record in the making? He didn’t fan anybody in the sixth, though, when his chase for the milestone first appeared on the scoreboard and fans became antsy. Tetsu Osanai meanwhile hit a deep one to make it 4-1, before some more hits made it 6-1, in the bottom 6th. In the seventh, Gonzalez’ command completely went away and he walked the bases full and was removed without getting an out and two runs already in. Cunningham couldn’t get through the mess. The Canadiens tied it against him, 6-6, and still only one out. Moran hit Gabriel Torres with a pitch to bring in the go-ahead run. The Canadiens sent 14 men to the plate in the inning, scoring nine runs. Fans left the park, never to come back. 12-6 Canadiens.

Game 3. Agony over Coon City. Herrera led off with a single off Saito, stole second against the dork Dadswell, then scored on a single by Melvin Greene. They added another run in the second, while Bill Smith was perfect through 13 batters, before Mark Dawson hit an infield single – to be stranded. The Raccoons had nothing going, while Saito gave away three hits to lead off the seventh. He still went eight innings, which was not as far as Bill Smith went. He went the distance and completed a 4-hit shutout of the Raccoons. 3-0 Canadiens.

Scott Wade vs. Juan Correa sounds much like another no-contest. Wade walked Ramirez to start the game, and Ramirez instantly set out to steal. Flores threw wildly to the outfield and Ramirez went to third, then scored on a sac fly. 1 R, 0 H, 1 E on the board after the top 1st. That was the way things went. The Raccoons looked terrible against Correa. Winston Thompson had a hit in the fourth. But a single won’t make a run, usually. And Wade? He clicked off batters. Thompson made a phenomenal play on a grounder that tried to get past him into right with one out in the sixth, getting an out. That was when most realized, that the scoreboard still read 1 R, 0 H, 1 E for the Canadiens. Top 7th: Bailey grounded out. Adams popped out. Ramon Gonzalez sent a liner out to left – GREAT CATCH!! Quintanilla held on to those 0 H. Dawson singled to start the bottom 7th, but Osanai grounded into a double play. Melvin Greene then grounded to left to start the top 8th – it went through.

The agony. The agony over Coon City.

Stevens made another awesome catch in the ninth, and his and Quintanilla’s efforts looked a lot more impossible than the grounder that fit just between Dawson and Walker. Wade went the distance of nine, then was removed as he was to start the bottom 9th at the plate. Dadswell struck out in his place. Thompson singled off Marquis, just the third hit for the Raccoons on the day. Quintanilla grounded one that sent Thompson to second. Mark Dawson came up, the other heroic hitter in the lineup. He drew a full count walk of Marquis. Osanai in the box – hobbled to second. 1-0 Canadiens. Wade 9.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, L (8-4);

The foul taste of decisive defeat, glued to our gums.

Coon City, lay defeated. Lay dead.