[Westheim]

13 games left in the season. Can the Coons win two?

Raccoons (80-69) vs. Falcons (77-72)

Daniel Hall had a day off for the season opener. Logan Evans was on the mound, but his control was off once again. He walked four in five innings with the game tied, 1-1, after the top 5th, and Evans already past 100 pitches. Bentley pitched two scoreless innings. Wally Gaston’s leadoff walk to Irwin Webster in the top 8th proved to be problematic – Webster came around to score. But Mark Dawson was on a hot streak with his big lumber. He homered with two out in the bottom 8th to tie the game again. Carlos Moran pitched a wobbly but scoreless ninth, putting the Raccoons in a position to walk off. Kelly Weber led off the bottom of the inning with a single to right – and Jose Rivera misplayed the ball, giving Weber an extra base. Thompson couldn’t advance him and Sanchez walked, bringing up Moran in the #2 spot. Hall came out to pinch hit against Raffaele Antuofermo. But he struck out and Dadswell grounded out. Runner on second with nobody out – no score. GODDAMNIT!!! Pedro Vazquez came on for the 10th, but put the first two batters on. The agony. Grant West was broken out and managed to get through the inning without damage, but a Teo Colón RBI double in the 11th won the game for the Falcons. The Raccoons did nothing once Weber reached second in the ninth. 3-2 Falcons. Osanai 2-5; Weber 3-5, 2B, RBI;

Middle game. Down 2-1 in the bottom 3rd, Christopher Powell did something he had never done before. He hit a home run. This one tied the game, but tied games tended to be lost games for the Raccoons this time of the year. Powell was not good on the mound, but great grabs by Sanchez kept the fourth and fifth innings scoreless. Daniel Hall then came up with a big 2-run double with two down in the bottom 5th for a 4-2 lead. The Coons loaded the bases in the inning after that, but Flores struck out to waste it. The bullpen had a few issues, but held the Falcons at bay. West struck out the side in the ninth. 5-2 Raccoons. Hall 4-4, 3 2B, 3 RBI; Dawson 2-4, RBI; Perez 2-4;

We faced Manuel Movonda in game 3. He could have been ours, had I made the trade for Ruíz four months ago. Antonio Esquivel hit a home run off Kisho Saito in the first inning. Saito’s control was bad, but he only surrendered one more hit through seven innings. The Raccoons? Zeroed out by Movonda. He struck out nine over eight innings. Moran and Shaw made a mockery of the ninth before Wally Gaston made an end to the horror. The Raccoons still trailed 1-0 into the bottom 9th, and faced Antuofermo again. Hall flew deep to center, but Jonah Frank caught the flyer, which could have been a double. Osanai then went to right, where it dropped in and bounced away from Gilbert Dougan’s chest. The tying run went to second base, but was killed off at third, when Barrios flew out to Frank to end the game. 1-0 Falcons. Osanai 3-4; Dawson 2-4, 2B;

Raccoons (81-71) vs. Indians (64-88)

The Furballs loaded the bags in the first and scored three runs before Scott Wade left the bases loaded. Wade no-hit the Indians for three innings, and while the Indians scored a run in the fifth, it was unearned due to an error by Flores. Daniel Hall crushed a home run in the bottom 5th to restore a 3-run lead. RF Raul Vazquez responded with a homer for the Indians in the sixth. Wade pitched seven innings and was removed with a 4-2 lead, one out, and the bags full in the bottom 7th. Steve Walker pinch hit into a double play. The 4-2 stood through eight. West had had two rough long outings recently and we brought in Cunningham in the ninth. He struck out two and ended the game quickly. 4-2 Raccoons. Sanchez 2-4; Hall 2-5, HR, RBI; Flores 1-2, 2 BB, 2B, RBI; Campbell 2-4; Stevens 2-4, RBI; Wade 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, W (13-7);

This gives us a winning record for back-to-back seasons, and for the third time overall (1983, 1985, 1986).

Vicente Ruíz struck out seven in a short outing in game 2. He also surrendered two homers, and five runs in just 4.2 innings. The Raccoons looked exceptionally bad again, this time against Alex Miranda. Miranda went the distance, scattering eight hits. Robert Vazquez went 3-4, lacking only the single for the cycle. The Raccoons were soundly defeated, 9-2. Osanai 2-4, 2B; Weber 3-4, HR, 2 RBI;

Rubber game. Daniel Hall hit a 2-out triple in the bottom 1st, bringing Osanai to the plate. The big guy thanked him by breaking his Raccoons home run record with a huge blast to dead center. It was his 30th homer of the season. Dani Perez went deep in the second inning for his first major league home run. Perez came up again in the bottom 3rd with one on and two out – another home run!! Dadswell went deep right after him, making it four homers in three innings for a 6-0 lead. That amount of offense was enough to carry the team with a solid Logan Evans on the mound. His control was still not there, but he kept the damage to one run in the fifth inning. The Raccoons won 7-1. Hall 2-3, 3B; Osanai 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Perez 3-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI; Dadswell 4-4, RBI; Stevens (PH) 1-1, RBI; Evans 7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, W (13-11);

Raccoons (83-72) @ Crusaders (77-78)

The two teams entered the series six games apart with seven to play, so one win would earn the Raccoons an untied second place at season’s end. Of course we want more than just one win against the Crusaders, although since July we’ve lived in You-Will-Take-What-You-Get-Or-You-Won’t-Get-Nothing-At-All Land.

The 4-game set started with Christopher Powell making his second-to-last start for the Raccoons. Nothing about this game made it worth being commemorated past the night it actually took place, at least from a Raccoons point of view. Powell went six innings, surrendered four runs, including a homer, while the offense did zero. Mark Dawson hit a home run in the fifth inning, and that was 50% of the hits they had while Powell was in the game. The Raccoons put three on in the top 9th – then fizzled out and didn’t score. 5-1 Crusaders, while the Raccoons were 5-hit by Francisco Vidrio.

Game 2 had Kisho Saito, who was 0-8 over his last 11 starts, and like everybody just wanted the season over. He faced Hisanobu Higuchi in an all-Japanese shootout. This time, the Raccoons shot first, and scored two on Higuchi in the second inning, and another one in the fourth. Saito drove in a run in each inning and struck out six in his first four innings, leading 3-0. Daniel Hall hit an infield single to start the top 5th and scored on a double by Osanai, and Osanai was also scored eventually on a grounder by Steve Walker. With a 5-0 lead in the seventh, Saito found it necessary to allow Dave Polk to unleash a monstrous 2-run home run. Wally Gaston held the Crusaders at bay in the eighth, before the offense crunched through the New York bullpen in the ninth, scoring five more runs for a 10-2 win. Sanchez 2-6, 3 RBI; Hall 2-4; Osanai 3-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Miranda (PH) 1-1; Flores (PH) 1-1, RBI; Stevens 2-4, BB, RBI;

This assured us to have second place in sole possession at the end of the season. Next up was Scott Wade, who had something to celebrate even before the game, since he pitched his (projected) final start of the season as the newly-designated Pitcher of the Month for the CL.

Wade faced Carlos Guillen (13-12, 3.09 ERA), who had already lost twice to the Coons this year, but had always given them a hard time. Wade pitched a good game, but was a little wild, wearing out early. Tom Draper hit a 2-run double off him in the bottom 6th to get the first runs in in the game. The Raccoons were entirely puzzled so far, only leaving Kelly Weber on third in the top 3rd, and then the bags loaded in the sixth after a few scratch hits. Wade went seven innings, but the Raccoons could not get the bats up against Guillen, and not much more against the pen. Cunningham gave up a homer to Pedro Villa in the eighth and the Coons lost 3-0. Osanai 2-4; those two hits were 50% of our offense…

The final game of the series saw Tetsu Osanai do something for his triple crown ambitions early on with a 2-run home run, collecting Hall, in the top 1st. This gave him 118 RBI’s, breaking Mark Dawson’s Raccoons record for single-season RBI’s. Vicente Ruíz was halfway decent on the mound, surrendering one run in six innings, but scattered eight hits and the Crusaders left runners on third a few times. Kelly Weber singled in a run in the top 7th to make it 3-1. The Raccoons added three more in the eighth for a comfy 6-1 lead, which was also the final score to split the series. West made an appearance in the ninth, surrendering the Crusaders 1-2-3, but so had Pedro Vazquez in the eighth (which was kinda new for the kid). Sanchez 2-3, 2 BB, 2B; Walker (PH) 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI; Perez (PH) 1-1; Dadswell (PH) 2-3;

This win will make the 1986 season our second-best one, record-wise, topping the 84-78 from last season. The 95-67 mark from 1983 is of course not reachable anymore.

How does Osanai’s triple crown campaign fare? At .343, 31 HR, 118 RBI he leads Mark Allen by 14 points and five dingers, and Tom McDonald by seven driven in. With three to play, he certainly looks good.

Raccoons (85-74) vs. Titans (73-86)

The Titans quickly put three on Logan Evans in the opener. The Raccoons had scores of baserunners, but left most of them on, scoring single runs in the second, third, and fifth innings to tie the game again. They could have done much more damage, one of the runs was unearned even. Then, the Titans came back in the sixth with another run against Evans, who didn’t look very good in his final appearance of the season. Flores, Thompson, and Weber started with three straight singles in the bottom 6th, putting Evans up next, but he was removed for Bill Stevens, who struck out. Armando Sanchez grounded to short for what seemed like the final note in the opera, but Bob Goyer (who was not a natural born shortstop) made a bad throw and everybody was safe and the game tied. Without that error, they wouldn’t have scored, and they didn’t score more. Walker struck out and Hall flew into the gap, but into an out. A Kelly Weber error put Isto Grönholm on in the top 8th, who advanced to third on a wild pitch by Wally Gaston, who then recovered to strike out Zahid Mashwanis to end the inning. Cunningham had to bail out Bentley in the ninth to keep the game tied, and had it over to the Power Division against Juan Miranda in the bottom 9th. The Power Division looked awful against Miranda, who pitched two dominating innings as the game went into overtime. Bottom 12th, Osanai led off against Ben Edmonds. First pitch, a slap, and the ball flew deep to center, but missed the wall. Still, a double and nobody out. Mark Dawson was walked intentionally, bringing up Flores, who was 4-5 on the day. Streak’s gotta run out, right? Nope, he singled over 2B Esteban Rodriguez, but Osanai had to hold at third. Next was Thompson, 3-4 so far. He singled through to the right, and the Raccoons FINALLY walked off, 5-4. It took them 23 baserunners to get those five runs. Flores 5-6; Thompson 4-5, BB, RBI; Weber 2-4, BB, RBI; Gaston 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K; Jones 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, W (6-4);

This was only the sixth time a Raccoon hit safely five or more times in a game. Matt Workman (twice), Winston Thompson, Daniel Hall, and Freddy Lopez (6 hits) are the other Coons. Only Lopez and Workman (both times) pulled off the feat in regulation.

Tetsu Osanai lost a point in AVG on Allen and maintained pace in the other categories in regard to Allen and McDonald.

Last chance for Chris Powell to post a winning record. He would have to overcome Kinji Kan for this, a 15-game winner with the Titans. He certainly tried hard, knocking in the go-ahead run with two down in the bottom 2nd. It was a fragile 1-0 lead, but Powell managed to hold the Titans off the board for the time being. In the bottom 5th, Weber and Hall got on with one out. Osanai grounded to the mound, but Kan misplayed it and didn’t get Hall at second. Weber scored on the error. Powell kept motoring, now with a 2-0 lead. After a tight sixth with close plays, he got three flyers in the seventh, of which only one to left was mildly scary – Hall got that one. Some insurance runs would have been nice, and Osanai doubled in Sanchez in the seventh, 3-0. Top 8th: Barry Miller flew out to center, Bob Arnold was K’ed by Powell, and Manny Mora flew out to left center. The Coons put Thompson on with two out in the bottom 8th, which brought up Powell. We want to see that SHO. He struck out. Now to R.A. Koontz.

First up will be Ryan Dickerson, who has caused the most trouble for Christopher Powell today. Dickerson two for three today, which is half the hits Powell has allowed so far. And he’s already down oh and one. Dickerson looks at strike two! […]

The fans on their feet, and once more chanting for Christopher Powell, who’s been the face of the rotation for almost a decade here in Portland. Full count to Ryan Dickerson.

Roller up to Winston Thompson, he has it, and Dickerson is out by a mile. One down in the top of the ninth.

Hjalmar Flygt steps in. Christopher Powell has appeared in three-hundred-forty-five games for the Raccoons, three-hundred-and-three starts. He’s working quickly here. Two and one to Flygt, the leftfielder. Another ball.

Powell has tossed nine shutouts in his career, none since nineteen-eighty-four. Flygt fouls off that pitch. Full count now.

And the sixth pitch is wide, Flygt is aboard. And now, Isto Grönholm will step in, feared home run slugger, and one for three today.

First pitch is a ball. Powell struggling with control now in the ninth. Raccoons lead three to zip.

Grönholm fouls off the second pitch.

Christopher Powell may not be back with the team next year. He has another year on his contract, but it is a very expensive team option, which most likely will not be taken up by the Raccoons, as we have heard in the last weeks.

Grönholm fouls that one off as well. One and two to Isto Grönholm. He is five for twenty-one against Powell lifetime, with one home run.

This could be Christopher Powell’s last batter in his long Raccoons career. If Grönholm gets on, we will look at Mashwanis, and Grant West, who’s warming up, will enter the game, presumably.

Grönholm is ready to face Powell. From the stretch to Grönholm, contact – a grounder up the left foul line, right to Mark Dawson. To Thompson – OUT! To Osanai – OUT AT FIRST!! The game is over, Christopher Powell has tossed a shutout in his final start for the Raccoons!! Everybody’s racing out to hug him!

Sanchez 2-4; Garza 2-4; Powell 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, W (5-4);

Gustavo Flores hit a 2-run single in the first inning to give Kisho Saito a lead in the season finale. Saito had his stuff ready, but also struggled with control, which came to cost him in the fourth, where the Titans tied the game. The Raccoons bounced back and scored two in the bottom 4th to make it 4-2. Rain chased the starters in the sixth inning, but Saito was still in line for the win, as Hall drove in another run in the bottom 6th. Jones, Gaston, and Cunningham combined for two innings, bringing in Grant West in the ninth for another save opportunity. He was chopped to pieces by the Titans, first a 2-run home run by Carlos Gonsales, and then they kept on hitting, with John Fleury driving in two more. Scott Wade came in to collect the final out in the blowup. Fans were shell shocked. Miranda surrendered the Raccoons, including Osanai and Dawson, in order in the bottom 9th. 6-5 Titans. Weber 3-4;

The blowup put a considerable amount of grief on the after-game celebrations for Tetsu Osanai’s triple crown.

In other news

September 22 – The Stars take a 7-3 win behind pitcher Jake Wallace over the Capitals, clinching the FL West. It will be their second playoff appearance after winning the title three years ago.
September 23 – Denver’s Wilson Martinez (17-7, 2.71 ERA) is out for the rest of the season with a dead arm. He is 28.
September 24 – The Stars beat the Capitals, 4-1, for their 100th win of the season. With 10 games to play, the Stars have a sound chance at putting up a new record for wins by a team in a season. The record stands at 106 wins, logged by the Cincinnati Cyclones in 1979.
September 30 – Dallas infielder Andres Serna breaks the single-season record for stolen bases, pilfering his 53rd bag of the season. Tony Barr had once stolen 52 for Nashville.
October 1 – Denver’s OF Yoshinobu Ishizaki (.302, 6 HR, 61 RBI) will be in pain for some time with a strained rib cage muscle. The Gold Sox list him as DTD.
October 1 – The Stars take 14 innings to out-last the Pacifics, 9-8, putting them at 105-53, one win away from the all-time record for wins, and with four more to play.
October 2 – Shock for the Titans: Jose Garza, 26, 14-9 with a 3.80 ERA this season, will miss all of next season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
October 2 – The Stars trounce the Pacifics, 9-0, to tie the Cyclones’ 106 wins from 1979. They will play the Gold Sox at home to end the season. In the FL East only the Blue Sox and the Buffaloes remain, with Nashville up by one. The Blue Sox will be in Washington to end the season, the Buffaloes welcome the Rebels. In the CL South, the Knights are one win away from the postseason. They will travel to the last team to be in a position to beat them, the Falcons, who now need to win four against the Knights to make the playoffs.
October 2 – The Wolves beat the Warriors, 5-0, while Carlos Reyes tosses a 3-hitter. Reyes had a rough season, going 13-20 with a 3.82 ERA.
October 2 – DEN Randy Zimmerman (13-11, 3.41 ERA) also tosses a 3-hitter as the Gold Sox chop up the Scorpions, 11-0.
October 3 – Both the Buffaloes (3-2 to Richmond) and Blue Sox (11-1 in Washington) take losses to keep the FL East open. The Knights survive a late surge by the Falcons, win 4-3, and take the CL South. However, Jeremiah Carrell (.297, 0 HR, 29 RBI) will miss the postseason with a separated shoulder. It will be the Knights’ second playoff appearance after 1979.
October 4 – The Blue Sox beat the Capitals 7-5 after rallying big in a 5-run eighth inning. With the Buffaloes losing 7-2 to the Rebels, the Blue Sox have clinched the FL East one day early. It is their third playoff appearance.

Complaints and stuff

After struggling a boat load in August, Scott Wade has become dialed in in the month of September – enough to be named Continental League Pitcher of the Month! In five starts, he went 5-0 with a stunning 0.98 ERA!

Christopher Powell’s last-start shutout was oh so sweet, I almost shed a tear. No, it won’t make me keep him.

Tetsu Osanai has won the triple crown, besting a few Raccoons records along the way. He also started all games at first base, making it four straight seasons that the Raccoons have used only one first baseman as starter (if you accept that the two guys we did use in that stretch were traded for each other mid-season last year).

Steve Walker was a little passed off down the stretch, wanting to go back to the starting lineup. Well, Steve, I love you almost unconditionally, but, honey, you gotta hit some balls. Nevertheless, he wants to be traded.

Next: playoffs, and then we will have a truck load of work ahead of us to get this roster straightened out.