[Westheim]

The Raccoons took for the road after that close win over Charlotte. July 31 marked not only the trade deadline, but also the Raccoons hitting the road for two weeks. And with the Knights and Pacifics on the program, this could well break up their good season. On top of that, the first three series were the latter ten games of a string of 17 consecutive game days, so Hall, Dawson, and Johnston would all get one or two days off down the road here. So, all everyday players but Tetsu Osanai. He doesn’t need rest. He’s a robot.

Raccoons (64-41) @ Knights (64-40)

With the gruesome left-handed arsenal the Knights had to offer at the plate, we were considering giving Logan Evans the start in game 3 over Wade, who would be pushed back to start the opener in Milwaukee. We’ll see.

Before game 3 came game 1 (and possibly one in between) and game 1 was Carlos Reyes’ start, and he faced the Knights’ ace Carlos Asquabal (left-hander, all left-handers…) right away. Asquabal led the Continental League with 147 K’s. The Raccoons loaded the bags in the top 2nd, but didn’t score. In the bottom 2nd, fear-inducing Michael Root took the first pitch he saw in the series into the stands in right field. Homer #31. David Vinson broke through with a 2-run homer off Asquabal in the fourth to give Reyes a lead, but it lasted only three batters in the bottom 4th, where Osanai made a great play on the right field line to retire Root and his fast grounder. The fourth inning was the end for Reyes, who left with an oblique strain. After some great relief from Matthews and Cordero, we were still tied 2-2 after seven. Hall led off with a single off Asquabal. Hit-and-run was called, as Osanai singled through on the right side. Nobody out, runners on the corners, Dawson and Quinn up, righties with muscle. Dawson flew deep to left, but Seitaro Ine caught it – Hall still tagged and scored the go-ahead run and Asquabal’s day was over. That was it for the Coons, and the Knights tied it right back. Emilio Rosa doubled off Cordero and Lagarde couldn’t hold the fort, and lost it in the ninth. Eddy Bailey drove in Juan Nunez. 4-3 Knights. Gonzalez 2-5; Hall 2-4, BB; Quinn 2-4, 2B; Matthews 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Carlos Reyes’ strain was not serious, but he may not be able to make his scheduled start in Milwaukee. We’ll have to watch that.

Kisho Saito in game 2 (which still came before game 3) got all the support he could dream of. The Raccoons battered poor old Bernard Lepore, who collected five outs, but was charged with nine runs, all earned. We reached double-digit runs in the fourth with a 2-piece by Dawson, and never looked back, riding Saito. There was one more thing going on – a cycle chase. Dawson had doubled against Lepore, then the home run, and then hit his annual triple in the fifth inning – still plenty of time to collect a single! Hall made an out to start the top 7th. Osanai, 4-4 already, hit a double over Michael Root in right, and this brought up Dawson. Ricardo Zamora pitched to him and Dawson grounded over to the left side – BETWEEN BARRIOS AND ROSA!! CYCLE COMPLETE!! Now a hunt for a 6-hitter for Osanai was on, too! The Coons got enough men up in the seventh and eighth so that Osanai could come to bat third in the top 9th. Sixto Calderón was pitching for the Knights, a right-hander. One out, Hall on first base, Osanai didn’t get anything sensible to hit – and was walked. The Raccoons won handily, 13-3, as Goodman was roughed up in the ninth. Gonzalez 2-6, 2B, RBI; Higgins 2-5, BB; Osanai 5-5, BB, 3 2B, RBI; Dawson 4-6, HR, 3B, 2B, 5 RBI, [CYCLE]; Quinn 3-6, 2B, 4 RBI; Saito 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (14-2) and 2-5;

Mark Dawson is the first Raccoon ever to hit for the cycle, and with his slow speed and very few triples was one of the most unlikely candidates for it. He has exactly 20 triples in his 13-year career.

The Knights had rested a few of their left-handers against lefty Saito. Would they do so again if we squeezed Evans in instead of Wade? Let’s DO this!

Ine and Root were again the only big lefties put up by the Knights (but Shoichi Fujino was a switch-hitter and was in regardless), but the Knights also scratched “Mauler” Correa (5-8, 5.18, old age had caught up with him) from his start and sent Calderón, who had pitched the day before and surrendered Dawson’s cycle-clinching single, in to start the rubber match. Either way, Calderón had a 1.02 ERA as a reliever going, went three innings only, but allowed no runs. Evans in turn was beyond awful and lit up. He went five innings, walked six, and allowed four runs, all in a particularly terrible first inning. The Coons could not find a way to break a bullpen running on fumes already AND pitching nine innings, and lost, 4-2. Matthews 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

Despite cycle galore, the Raccoons’ lead over Vancouver shrunk to one game, as the Canadiens swept the Thunder.

Raccoons (65-43) @ Loggers (36-71)

We had to rally in this 4-game set. The Loggers weren’t doing – anything. They ranked last in almost all important categories, a dismal assembly of patheticness.

Wade was up in the opener, and again had a bad first inning, with the Loggers taking a 1-0 lead that was tied again in the top 2nd. The Raccoons were unable to get that one hit to take a lead. Wade fell to two infield singles and a RBI groundout in the bottom 7th, before Osanai’s 2-out RBI single in the top 8th tied it again. Emilio Roman homered off Wade in the eighth – and this time there was no comeback. 3-2 Loggers. Osanai 2-4, RBI; Dawson 2-4, 2B; Martin 2-4;

Game 2 was a pretty pathetic display for the batters on both teams. Neither team had a hit through three, and the game was scoreless through six. The Loggers scored in the seventh after a double, then a balk by Jason Turner, and then a sac fly. Top 9th, Dawson doubled to keep a 12-game hitting streak alive with one out in the inning. Quinn pinch hit for Dadswell with lefty Alfonso Navarro in to close it. Quinn singled to right, but Dawson had to hold. Higgins then blooped one right into no man’s land and the game was tied. Dumont walked to load the bags, but they left them loaded. Lagarde this time forced extra innings, and the Coons took the lead in the top 10th with Osanai doubling in Hall, before they again left the bags full. That came back to hurt them, as Grant West was beaten in the bottom of the inning and the Loggers walked off on a 2-run double by Emilio Roman. 3-2 Loggers, yet again. Hall 2-3, 2 BB; Osanai 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Quinn (PH) 2-2; Turner 7.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K;

Game 3, more ineptitudes. The Raccoons left runners on third in four of the first six innings and had nothing going at all. Steven Berry dealt fire, striking out ten Loggers, but fell behind 1-0 in the fourth on two hits, and a Jesus Jimenez 2-run homer in the sixth sealed the deal already, and that was before Matthews was clubbed for three in the seventh. 6-2 Loggers. Dadswell 3-4, RBI; Dumont 3-4;

How is this happening? That team has the most horrible team in the league and they are about to sweep the Raccoons over four!? What a way to fudge up your playoff ambitions.

Game 4. Reyes was able to pitch due to the extra day given to him by Logan Evans’ dismal start. Dawson and his 13-game hitting streak rested in this game, and Johnston was benched for being horrible after starting almost all the games this season. The Raccoons were toothless against Ray Burnett, whose 5.25 ERA was about average compared to the starters they had seen this series. The Loggers took a 2-0 lead in the third. Here we go. Then the Furballs hit four singles to start the top 4th. Down 2-1, bases loaded, nobody out. Reader grounded into a double play, home and first, and that in front of the pitcher, and Reyes grounded out. The Loggers scored six against Reyes, with surprisingly high WRISP numbers. Top 7th. Walks to Gonzalez, Dumont, and Higgins. Then Dadswell struck out to end the inning. Top 9th, Hall, Osanai, Higgins loaded the bags, no outs. Down 6-1, the tying run was in the on-deck circle. They lost 6-2. Osanai 3-4, BB, 2B; Higgins 2-4, BB; Martin 2-5; Matthews 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

That was fun. That was really fun. Where can I resign my fan club membership?

The Canadiens lost three of four in New York, but that was still enough to claim a virtual tie for first (and the Canadiens had two games more to play and the better win percentage). Well done, everybody. Mama’s proud a’ you.

Raccoons (65-47) @ Indians (52-60)

Going into free fall is not nice. It hurts and stings and tears your intestines out. We were 10-2 against the Indians this year. Time for them to close up.

We had just one thing that Kisho Saito had to do for us in the opener: make the bleeding stop, make it stop, pleeease. The Indians scored four runs off Saito in the first inning. Of course. Solo homers by Dumont and Hall cut the deficit to 4-2, before Martin and PH Johnston reached with one out in the seventh. Gonzalez singled over 2B Angelo Duarte and Martin scored. Tying run at second base, Dumont came through with a 2-run triple to deepest center, but they left him there. Lagarde and Goodman were beaten for two runs in the bottom 7th, killing the 5-4 lead the Coons had justed clawed into. Shaking heads here. Johnston walked against Jim Durden to start the ninth, and went to third on Gonzalez’ single. Corners, no outs, with one run down. Vinson pinch hit, but grounded so poorly that Johnston had to hold. Hall struck out, and Osanai lined out. 6-5 Indians. Gonzalez 3-5, RBI; Dumont 2-4, HR, 3B, 3 RBI; Martin 2-3; Johnston (PH) 1-1, BB;

Mark Dawson went 0-4 ending his hitting streak. Carlos Miranda was demoted to AAA and Ben O’Morrissey recalled.

Hall sat in game 2, and the lineup was heavily shuffled with Dumont in leadoff for the day. As things used to be around here recently, they fell behind in the third, 1-0, with three singles off Scott Wade. Bases loaded, one out in the top 5th, Dawson nooked the ball into the ground right in front of home plate, and a 3-year old would have been able to complete the double play, home and first. Suddenly, there was some spark put up by the offense in the sixth. Osanai homered, his first big shot on the road trip, and Johnston hit a 2-piece to give Wade a 3-1 lead. The first two Indians reached in the seventh and Wade was removed for a left-hander with last year’s ROTY R.J. Stinton stepping in. Cordero battled him for 11 pitches, then walked him. One run scored ended on a grounder, before Cordero got out of trouble. Lagarde and West held on to it from there, closing out a 4-2 win, and breaking a 6-game losing streak that had cost the team the whole season in a rash. Dumont 2-4, BB; Osanai 3-4, BB, HR, 2B, RBI; Quinn 2-5; Martin (PH) 1-1, RBI; Wade 6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (17-4) and 1-3;

Glenn Johnston had 2-run homers in back-to-back games, and actually had the Raccoons score FIRST in the rubber game, which hadn’t happened in what felt like weeks. Matt Higgins (about whom there has not been much talk recently) hit a leadoff triple in the fifth and was not scored by anybody. Jason Turner made the final out in that inning and with less than two outs his long flyer to right would have been able to score Higgins, but at least Turner was going strong so far, pitching four perfect innings. Francisco Lopez broke up the bid with a leadoff single in the bottom 5th, but the shutout remained intact, but only that far. Two hits to start the bottom 6th eventually scored two runs for the Indians, hacking a 3-0 lead down to 3-2. Turner was knocked out with two infield singles in the seventh, leaving with runners on the corners and two out. Lefty Yoritoki Ohwada came out to pinch hit in the #9 spot, and Nate Goodman came in for the Coons. Ohwada lined into short left and the game was tied. Higgins came up with a 2-out, 2-run single in the eighth that made the difference. West collected the save. 5-3 Raccoons. Dumont 2-5; Higgins 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI; Quinn (PH) 1-1;

In other news

July 31 – MIL Scott Murphy (6-11, 4.11 ERA) 2-hits the Aces, which was just necessary to emerge victorious from the 1-0 Loggers contest.
August 2 – NAS Luis Guzman (11-8, 2.64 ERA) 1-hits the Pacifics in a 2-0 win. The no-hitter isn’t broken up until the eighth inning.
August 3 – NAS 1B Gabriel Cruz (.288, 15 HR, 69 RBI) has a phenomenal game, HITTING FOR THE CYCLE in a 9-8 win over the Miners. The 13th cycle in ABL history comes just two days after the Raccoons’ Mark Dawson hit for the cycle. It is the second time a Blue Sox player has hit for the cycle, both times against the Miners (Ryan Childress, 1977).
August 3 – TIJ SP Bob “Butcher” Haines (8-2, 2.63 ERA) will miss three weeks with forearm tendinitis.
August 4 – 22-year old SAL Jon Robinson (12-8, 2.55 ERA) tosses a 3-hitter in a 7-0 shutout over the Scorpions.
August 8 – IND INF Mitsuzuka Ohara (.302, 3 HR, 36 RBI) is out for a month with an oblique strain.
August 8 – With a bad ankle sprain, the season is basically over for SAC 2B Rodrigo Morales (.291, 9 HR, 74 RBI).
August 9 – TIJ LF/RF Thomas Martin (.292, 7 HR, 42 RBI) collects two hits as the Condors blow up the Falcons, 10-0. The 34-year old Martin thus reaches the 2,000 hits plateau, most of which he collected with the Bayhawks from 1977 to 1982. He also played for the Buffaloes in his career, in which he also collected five Gold Gloves.
August 9 – SFB C Didier Bourges (.319, 13 HR, 64 RBI) goes down with a strained groin muscle and will miss time into September.

Complaints and stuff

I was smiling when Mark Dawson hit for the cycle. Clearly a mistake that I can not make in that situation – the game saw it and brought out the punishment instantly.

Osanai kept raking hits, but no RBI’s. We have two issues on this road trip: getting on base, and clutch hitting. It’s like the Coons of old, those caught in a bear trap, unable to move back or forth. And when things go that way and you only score two or three runs, then your closer blows the one save that can save you from an embarrassing 4-game sweep at the hands of a team that’s 28.5 games outta you. You can’t even imagine how much it’s stinging – your teams are all winning championships. Now we’re tied with the Canadiens, and that can’t end well. It never has. There will be one of those 4-game sets in early September, 3 1/2 weeks from now.

The road trip is not over, but the game has worked me up good today. There may not be an update tomorrow. My poor black heart has some healing to do… (walks off for the drawer with the chocolate stash in it)