[Westheim]

Because I’m a total dork, I managed to mess up my rotation and didn’t go back to the top to start the back half of the season. I checked a million things – but my starting pitcher.

Dork. No wonder your team always comes in last.

Dork.

Back to something sensible:

Trade

The day the series in Indy started, the Raccoons made a move to shore up their bullpen. AAA LF/RF Gustavo Quintanilla was sent to New York for MR Antonio Cordero, a 29-year old left-hander.

Quintanilla, a career .222 hitter, has been superseded on the outfield depth chart by about anybody. The Raccoons pen needs another left-hander, and Burnett won’t be available until after a 30-day rehab assignment that hasn’t even started yet. Cordero will be a free agent after the season. The Argentine Cordero was originally signed by the Knights in 1977. Most of his major league experience came with the Loggers. Overall he is appeared in 324 major league games, has seven saves and a 3.38 ERA.

Raccoons (53-36) @ Indians (42-47)

Steven Berry was struggling, unable to remove batters in 2-strike counts in the opener of this 4-game set. The Indians scored two in the first inning, and Jesse Carver switched into cruise control on the mound. The Raccoons were completely unable to hit him. In fact, Carver was perfect until a walk to Sam Dadswell in the sixth. Dadswell was promptly removed on a lineout to second by Justin Reader. Glenn Johnston was the one to break up the no-hitter, in the seventh. Now things went downhill for Carver. Hall singled with one out, and Dawson sent a soaring double down the left foul line to tie the game. Dumont singled, and Dawson then scored on a wild pitch. What a downfall. Not that the Raccoons were to bemoan it much. Goodman, Lagarde, and West held on to that tiny lead, while each allowing exactly one baserunner. The Raccoons won 3-2, but had only four hits, all in the top 7th.

Game 2. Carlos Reyes was crowded by the Indians and surrendered two runs early on, but the Indians left them on in scores. The Raccoons – again unable to mount much offense. They had two on in the fourth, but made poor outs to leave them on, and two on in the sixth with nobody out, but Hall struck out and the Indians made great plays to limit the damage to one run. Reyes allowed nine hits in six innings and trailed 2-1. Top 8th. Johnston singled, Higgins walked, Hall reached on an error. Nobody out. They barely managed to tie the game on a fielder’s choice by Quinn. The game went into overtime, where it was Quinn again to bring a run in, this time with a 2-out infield single. The Indians got off to a good start in the bottom 10th when Francisco Lopez singled just past Justin Reader. West put another runner on before hacking them down with two K’s and another grounder to Reader, who this time made the play. 3-2 Raccoons again. Logan Evans got another win in relief. Johnston 2-5; Quinn 1-5, 2 RBI; Vinson 2-5, 2 2B; Reader 2-4;

Some scratch-and-claw wins here. Thankfully, Raccoons are good at scratching and clawing. The offense has died down considerably since June, which means that Grant West can actually collect some saves now. The whole month of June he only got 5 SV. And a W.

Tetsu Osanai brought his club early in the third game, hitting his 18th homer of the year in the top 1st for two runs, and the Coons led 3-0 after two. The Raccoons took care to hold the lead at three runs here, while Kisho Saito pitched eight innings of 2-run ball. Higgins tripled in Johnston in the ninth to make it 6-2, eliminating the option to use Grant West three days in a row. Instead, Antonio Cordero made his Raccoons debut. Him and Matthews completed the ninth without damage. 6-2 Raccoons. Higgins 2-5, 3B, RBI; Osanai 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Reader 2-4, 2B; Saito 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W (11-2) and 1-1, RBI;

Antonio Gonzalez was ready to come off the DL, but was assigned to AAA for a short rehab assignment to get warm.

Game 4 was Wade’s and we had been waiting some time already for win #16. Osanai took care of a first-inning lead again with a 2-out RBI single. Quinn flew to the right foul line, but RF Raúl Vazquez caught the ball just above the grass, before tumbling over and making violent contact with the ground. He had to leave the game. Bottom 4th, up 2-0, one out, successive errors by Hall and Dawson put two on. Vinson allowed a ball to pass to create the perfect nightmare. 3B Jorge Gonzalez blooped one into short center to score an unearned run before Wade regained control. Hall made a sprawling catch in the sixth to rob Francisco Lopez of a potential extra base hit. There was some more scatch-and-claw going on here. Gonzalez and Alex White led off the bottom 7th with hits and both were scored to down Wade. 3-2 Indians. Higgins 2-5, RBI;

That fourth inning is a perfect instance for this being a program programmed to make people miserable. That’s it’s only intent. Wade has now lost his last three games after going 15/16 with a no-decision to start the season. Way to go.

Raccoons (56-37) @ Crusaders (44-49)

We had to make up some ground against the Crusaders, who had taken six of nine from us, and where hovering reasonably close, still, to .500 for the first time since 1986, when they finished 81-81, their only non-losing season in the last nine years. For a big market team, that’s a lot of losing. Ask the Titans, who have *never* been better than 81-81 (1977).

The Coons scored two in the top 1st of the opener, despite Dawson trying to ground into an inning-ending double play, but 3B Douglas Donaldson, recently acquired from Atlanta, bobbled the grounder. Dadswell filled in for Dawson nicely. Meanwhile, Jason Turner was pitching a gem, sitting down the Crusaders in order for the first five innings, before falling to a walk to Steve Gravitt in the sixth. Ben Browning led off the seventh with a lobber into short left that Daniel Hall JUST was able to catch, but Raúl Castillo broke up the no-hitter the same inning. Gustavo Quintanilla appeared as a pinch hitter to start the ninth, with Turner still in and up 2-0 since the first. Pedro Villa hit a 1-out single in the bottom 9th to turn the 1-hitter into a slightly less sour 2-hitter, but Turner held on for the shutout. 2-0 Raccoons, as New York’s Gary Nixon also went the distance, allowing six hits. Higgins 2-4, 2B; Turner 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W (8-3);

This was the second career shutout for Jason Turner, and counting a 1-hitter in AAA in April, his third shutout of the year.

In fact, Jason Turner has pitched a no-hitter before, last May in AAA! The game never notified me in any way. (rage flickering in the eyes)

Game 2 saw Carlos Guillén pitching for New York, who of course had in fact no-hit the Raccoons four years ago. He was 6-6 with a 3.70 ERA this year. Glenn Johnston’s first inning single broke up the no-hitter early this time, and Bobby Quinn’s 3-run homer in the same inning gave the Coons and Steven Berry an early lead. RF Edward Snyder hit a solo home run in the fourth, and things went to hell in the fifth, when Berry threw away a bunt by Guillén to put two in scoring position with nobody down. Pedro Villa’s infield hit added to the calamity and the Crusaders took a 4-3 lead in the inning. Quinn left five on after his 3-run homer in two appearances, each time making the final out. His 1-out double in the eighth went to waste for the Raccoons’ inability to get another hit, even with three pinch hitters used. Berry and the Furballs lost, 4-3, but Berry had brought it on himself. Osanai 2-3, BB; Quinn 2-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI;

Gustavo Quintanilla heretically threw out Daniel Hall at the plate to end the top 1st in the rubber game. How dare he!? For the second game in a row, all effort went to hell with a 2-base throwing error on the opposing pitcher’s bunt, this time in the third, scoring the first run of the game for the Crusaders. Osanai was the offender (can’t call him defender, really). The Furballs tied it in the fourth, but left scores on from there, while Carlos Reyes pitched quite the gem for us, holding the Crusaders to three hits through seven innings. Finally, Mark Dawson broke through with a home run in the eighth (a sign of a beginning hot streak after batting close to zero for two weeks). The Raccoons had Martin on with nobody out, but he was caught stealing by weak-armed Stan Potvin, who was 3-3 in the series. The Coons had two in scoring position with one down in the eighth and Reyes was removed for Quinn, but they walked him intentionally, and collected the final two outs without the Raccoons scoring any. Osanai homered in the ninth, but West didn’t need the extra run in a perfect bottom 9th. 3-1 Coons. Osanai 3-5, HR, RBI; Dawson 3-4, BB, HR, RBI; Dadswell 2-5, RBI; Reyes 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (9-3);

Raccoons (58-38) @ Bayhawks (50-46)

California baseball seemed much re-animated this season, with the Bayhawks over .500, the Pacifics fighting the Wolves in a desperately bad FL West, and the Scorpions … well, staying above .350 was a success after last year.

The Bayhawks had swept our first series this year, and now we were playing on their Starturf. Their team was well-rounded, but the rotation needed some work to get to the playoffs, ranking 7th in the CL.

Daniel Hall peppered a really big home run in the top 1st of the opener to give Kisho Saito a 1-0 lead. Saito had to battle extremely hard to keep the lead alive, with the Bayhawks leaving runners in scoring position in the second, some single runners after that, and again on the corners in the sixth. Still 1-0. The Bayhawks had a runner on second in the bottom 7th, and Diego Rodriguez went far into right field, and Dumont just was able to catch up and catch it to end the inning. Saito was up to lead off the top 8th, but was dialed in enough to bat for himself, and the Coons didn’t score in the inning, but Saito turned in a perfect eighth before coming out. Like the day before in New York, Osanai homered (#20) in the ninth, and West was perfect. 2-0 Raccoons. Saito 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K, W (12-2);

Always tell yourself with Saito, that the mantra is to preserve him. He was gassed in late September last year, and it is not unlikely for the Raccoons to play October baseball (they ARE in first place), and you have to accommodate for him to pitch another 30 innings there.

Scott Wade was up for the middle game. After going 15/16 he’s lost his last three. Unfortunately, the offense was not clicking. Osanai struck out in the third with two in scoring position to end the inning. Wade was up himself in the fourth with first and second and two out. He doubled into center to get something on the board. Hall then was kind enough to hit a 2-run homer in the fifth, his 13th of the year, and tying for most by him in a season all the way back to 1985! Of course, he hit 29 dingers in ’84. The Bayhawks were puzzled for a long time by Wade, but took it to him in the bottom 7th. A run scored with two down, and then Kai Edwards, who had only entered as injury replacement for CF Dave Burton, hit an RBI triple to put the tying run 90 feet away from home. Jackie Lagarde came in and retired Roberto Rodriguez just in time to preserve the 3-2 lead. Unfortunately, West was not available for the ninth with a 3-2 lead. The first batter up was a right-hander, 1B Mark Williams, so we went with a right-hander, and picked Matthews. He got Williams, but then allowed two singles. Juan Martinez came in to face Diego Rodriguez. He flew out. Kai Edwards now. Hit moderately high into short center, Johnston coming in – CAUGHT IT!! 3-2 Raccoons! Higgins 3-5; Hall 1-4, HR, 2 RBI; Dadswell 2-4; Wade 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (16-3); Lagarde 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K;

By the way, the W record for the Coons? 19, by Logan Evans, in 1985. With 16, Evans already is t-5th all time for the Coons.

The final game on the road trip would not be so low-scoring, as the Coons put up four runs in the first, including a solo shot by Higgins and a 2-out, 2-run double by Reader. The Bayhawks also loaded the bags in the bottom 1st, but Mike Powys popped out to short to end the inning. Jason Turner needed every run of that 4-0 lead. The Bayhawks cut it in half in the third, and had runners on the corners in the fifth with one out. César Cruz sent a vicious racer in the general direction of Matt Higgins, who managed to pull out a double play. It was still Turner’s last inning with an elevated pitch count due to some bad control. The bullpen struggled in the seventh, and between Matthews, Cordero, and Martinez, one run scored. A 2-out, 2-run homer by Sam Dadswell in the eighth brought some much needed breathing room, but Logan Evans surrendered one of those runs right away, and Daniel Hall was thrown out at home in the ninth for the second time in four days. Lagarde closed the game successfully, with a big play by Tetsu Osanai to help him on a fast grounder bound to Tripleland with one out and a runner on first. 6-4 Raccoons! Higgins 2-5, HR, RBI; Hall 4-5, 2 2B; Osanai 3-5, 2B, RBI; Dadswell 2-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Dawson (PH) 1-1;

In other news

July 13 – The Knights and Crusaders swap infielders. Douglas Donaldson (.242, 7 HR, 33 RBI) goes over to New York, and Juan Nunez (.254, 10 HR, 38 RBI) goes to Atlanta.
July 13 – The Capitals’ playoff ambitions are hurt as INF/RF Yoshihito Ito (.312, 4 HR, 48 RBI) will miss over a month with shoulder inflammation.
July 13 – DEN Pedro Gonzales (11-3, 3.56 ERA) 3-hits the Wolves in a 5-0 shutout.
July 16 – IND RF Raúl Vazquez (.253, 10 HR, 42 RBI) goes down to an oblique strain and will miss three weeks. Like his namesake and teammate Robert Vazquez, he was hurt in a game against the Furballs.
July 21 – Las Vegas newspapers report that LVA SP Miguel Sanchez (10-8, 3.30 ERA) will retire at season’s end. Sanchez, 38, has 146 career wins and one ring with the 1981 Indians.
July 21 – The Wolves add depth to their staff with the acquisition of SP Anibal Guerra (2-6, 4.73 ERA), with prospect Zach Belgrove sent to the Loggers.
July 22 – Fearsome slugger RIC OF Manuel Doval (.354, 19 HR, 78 RBI) sprained his knee and will miss about three weeks.

Complaints and stuff

Ex-Coon Yong-chan Chong was also traded, on July 15. He spent most of the last two seasons (so: most since being let go by us) with the Anaheim AAA affiliate of the Thunder. He’s now with the Rebels.

We will have an off day now, and added Antonio Gonzalez back to the roster after a week in AAA to rehab, where he batted .393. O’Morrissey will be sent down. He needs more AB’s.

The sweep over the Bayhawks was not only important for the standings, but also for statistical purposes. Overall, the Raccoons went to 973-1,070 and thus to back within of 100 games below .500, a mark they plunged below in September of 1979 (that 107 losses year…).

Next: homestand against Condors, Falcons. That will be followed by a 2-week road trip to Atlanta, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles. Brrr.