[Westheim]

Raccoons (36-32) vs. Indians (29-39) – June 17-19, 2013

The measly Indians had so far held the Raccoons at .500 for the season (3-3), although they really weren’t scoring runs at all (4.0 R/G, 11th). They did try to balance things with their pitching, but the rotation was mediocre at best, and the pen was not any better, even running a worse ERA than the rotation. Good defense helped them to only concede the sixth-most runs in the league, somehow.

Projected matchups:
Colin Baldwin (4-4, 4.33 ERA) vs. Scott Spears (2-4, 5.48 ERA)
Jack Berry (6-4, 4.61 ERA) vs. Aaron Walsh (5-6, 4.58 ERA)
Rich Hood (4-3, 4.06 ERA) vs. Tom Weise (3-8, 3.01 ERA)

Weise might make a run for unluckiest pitcher in the league. We face three right-handers, with the Indians’ pair of southpaws having pitched on Saturday and Sunday.

Game 1
IND: CF J. Wilson – LF Kui – 2B Kym – RF J. Ortíz – C Padilla – 3B Mathews – SS R. Miller – 1B J. Mendoza – P Spears
POR: CF Carmona – SS Palmer – C D. Alexander – RF Bednarski – LF J. Alexander – 1B Quebell – 3B Rodgers – 2B Bergquist – P Baldwin

Scott Spears’ meltdown from the 2012 pennant race continued into the 2013 season, now with the Indians (his compensation pick transformed into newly-signed outfielder Andy Bareford, whom I can’t get excited for at all), and the Raccoons chipped five hits off him to begin their offensive efforts, and six in the first inning, good enough for four runs with Michael Palmer getting thrown out going first-to-third in between. Spotted a 4-run lead, Baldwin immediately set out to sabotage it, with generous help from Jason Bergquist, whose fielding error put Dave Padilla on first to start the second inning. Baldwin would walk two, including the pitcher, while allowing an RBI single to Jose Mendoza, but John Wilson’s fly to center was caught by Carmona to end the inning with three runners stranded. While hitting continued for the Raccoons in the following innings, scoring very didn’t, thanks to double plays hit into by D-Alex and Quebell (…!), and in the bottom 5th it was Ken Rodgers, who had plated two with a double in the opening frame, to roll out gently to Ryan Miller with the bases loaded.

Top 6th, Baldwin managed to walk the bases full before being excused from further proceedings. Sugano came in with one out and a run already in, walked Mendoza, struck out PH Clint Phillip, then uncorked a game-tying wild pitch, sharply followed by a gapper in left center to John Wilson that put the Indians ahead 6-4 on the strength of four hits. When the Coons’ Dylan Alexander drew a leadoff walk off Wade Davis in the bottom 7th, Bednarski promptly hit into a double play. Vega walked two in return in the top 8th, but Bednarski gobbled up enough drives to deep right to keep the Indians from extending their undeserved lead. Ken Rodgers’ homer in the bottom 8th pulled the Coons back to within a run, and Helio Maggessi faced the top of the order in the ninth. One of two blown saves for Maggessi this year had been against Portland, and he was in trouble in a hurry, with a hard single to right for Carmona and a soft single through Joey Mathews for Palmer. The bases were loaded after Bednarski singled to right (following a K for D-Alex). J-Alex had been removed in a double switch to remove the luckless Vega earlier, and now it was Craig Bowen and his glorious .182 average to pinch-hit. And suddenly Maggessi couldn’t find the plate – Bowen walked on four pitches to tie the game, and Quebell hit a ball into the gap to walk off the Critters, also in a 3-ball count. 7-6 Coons! Carmona 4-5; Palmer 3-5; Bednarski 4-5, 2B; Bowen (PH) 0-0, BB, RBI; Rodgers 2-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Gibson 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, W (3-1);

The Raccoons out-hit the Indians 17-5 in this affair, but issued nine walks, while drawing only three.

A nasty oh-fer with an error sent Bergquist packing to AAA before Yoshi Nomura was going to come back. Sandy Sambrano was anointed second base starter for the moment after being shoved around everywhere in the last few weeks, while Jason Seeley, batting .248/.366/.448 in AAA, would get a few looks the next two weeks. He’s already 26, it’s probably not worth it, but then again this team is a nice playground for experiments. (Matt Pruitt strolls past) Hey, Matt! (puts a plastic cup with a foaming green liquid on the table) Would you please drink this for me?

Game 2
IND: CF J. Wilson – LF Kui – 2B Kym – RF J. Ortíz – C Padilla – 1B J. Mendoza – 3B Mathews – SS R. Miller – P Walsh
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Sambrano – LF J. Alexander – RF Bednarski – 1B Quebell – SS Palmer – 3B Rodgers – C Bowen – P Berry

John Wilson and Ming Kui opened the game with singles, with Jack Berry throwing right down the middle. Jong-beom Kym hit a grounder to Sambrano for an out at second base, scoring the first run, before Juan Ortíz crushed an estimated four-hundred-seventy-footer. Mendoza doubled, but was left on, yet, not bad for a team that didn’t know how to score a lick. John Alexander hit a 2-piece in the bottom of the inning to keep things close enough (and became the first Coon into double digits), and Bowen and Bednarski also hit deep drives in the early innings (that were caught), but none of this changed the fact that Berry was plain bad and sucked real hard. He was knocked out with two outs in the fourth inning after walking Dave Padilla to force home a run, 6-2 Indians at that point. Thrasher came in, went 3-1 on Mendoza, then surrendered a 2-run single, walked Mathews, and only got out of the hole when Miller popped out to Palmer on a 3-2 pitch. When the Coons had the bases loaded with nobody out in the bottom of the inning, dumb-lucky Walsh held them to a Bowen sac fly, and two lineouts by Pruitt and Carmona. The Coons also couldn’t even find long relief, with Juan Gallegos nursing a long string of full or almost full counts before departing having faced eight batters, retiring half of them. Constantino took over based loaded and one out in the sixth, struck out Miller, then had a run score on Quebell’s error, putting the Indians 9-3 ahead. Constantino would put the leadoff men on with singles in the seventh and eighth, but somehow the Indians failed to draw umpteen walks again and didn’t pile on. Much the contrary, they gave the Raccoons a fair chance by sending broken Cal Holbrook to pitch, but he allowed only a single run (that was however aided by a wild pitch). Tim Crouch allowed a 2-run shot to Dylan Alexander in the bottom 9th, but it was by far not enough. 9-6 Indians. J. Alexander 2-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Bednarski 2-4, 2 2B; D. Alexander (PH) 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; Quebell 2-4, BB; Rodgers 1-2, 2 BB; Constantino 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Game 3
IND: CF J. Wilson – SS R. Miller – 2B Kym – RF J. Ortíz – 3B Mathews – LF J. Gonzalez – C Parks – 1B J. Mendoza – P Weise
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Sambrano – RF J. Alexander – C D. Alexander – 1B Quebell – SS Palmer – LF Pruitt – 3B Canning – P Hood

The Indians had the bases loaded three batters into the rubber game, with John Wilson singling in an 0-2 count, Miller drawing a walk off Rich “Bad Neighbor” Hood, and then a hard single by Jong-beom Kym. Ortíz brought in the first run with a groundout before Joey Mathews rolled out to third, where Canning managed to hold the runners and got the out at first. Okay, almost outta it. And then Hood walked Jose Gonzalez, walked Jalen Parks for a run, walked Jose Mendoza for a run, and conceded a 2-run single to the pitcher Tom Weise. 5-0.

The Raccoons didn’t get a runner until the third (Canning walked only to get forced by a ****ty bunt by some forsaken pitcher), and no hit until the fourth, but then had the Alexanders on the corners with one out. Quebell grounded sharply to Jong-beom Kym, whose throw went past Miller and not only cost the double play but ultimately three unearned runs, one scoring on the bad throw, and two more on Pruitt’s 2-out double. The game would then briefly be in rain delay in the fifth inning as the baseball gods failed to cope with the misery and wept at the sight of what these two miserable teams did to the beautiful game of baseball. Hood went five without any more cockuppery, but Mendoza homered off Sergio Vega in the sixth to put the Indians 6-3 ahead. However, a single by John and a walk by Dylan Alexander brought up the tying run against Weise with nobody out in the bottom 6th, even though it was only Quebell. He flew out to left, but Palmer reached with a single, loading them up. Pruitt’s sac fly was not infinitely helpful, 6-4. Canning’s infield single reloaded the sacks, with Bednarski hitting for Vega and popping out to short to end the frame.

As was to be expected, the Raccoons’ pen continued its series-long explosion. Gallegos came into the seventh, and immediately was in trouble again. Pruitt threw out Ryan Miller at home plate, though, leaving Kym at second with two outs – until Gallegos threw eight straight balls to Ortíz and Mathews, then conceded a bases-clearing double to Phillip. What did the Coons respond with? Well, with one run already driven in by D-Alex and runners on the corners, Quebell hit into an inning-ending double play in the bottom 7th, but the humiliation was not completed until after Juan Ortíz hit a 2-run homer off Josh Gibson in the ninth. 11-5 Indians. J. Alexander 2-3, 2 BB, 2B; D. Alexander 2-4, BB, RBI;

With this, the Raccoons dropped to a negative run differential (-3), after being sliced for 26 runs by a team that would score 12 on average in a 3-set.

Raccoons (37-34) @ Aces (30-43) – June 21-23, 2013

The Aces were last in the CL South, but that was not a reason not to clobber the Coons, neither was their bottom three offense, or their league-worst pitching. Where there’s a Coon, there’s a blowout in progress. The Aces are already 2-1 against us this season.

Projected matchups:
Bill Conway (2-4, 3.51 ERA) vs. William Hinkley (6-7, 4.85 ERA)
Hector Santos (2-5, 4.01 ERA) vs. Jaquan Wagoner (5-3, 4.12 ERA)
Colin Baldwin (4-4, 4.50 ERA) vs. Juan Valdevez (6-4, 3.33 ERA)

Three more righties, but all their starters are righties. They have a number of position players on the DL, including Tom Dahlke and Howard Jones, forcing them to play shoddy replacements up the middle.

Tom Constantino came down with the flu on the off day and is DTD for the opener and will not be used unless everybody’s arms have fallen off, and in the 18th inning.

Game 1
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Sambrano – LF J. Alexander – C D. Alexander – RF Bednarski – 1B Quebell – 3B Rodgers – SS Whitehouse – P Conway
LVA: 3B R. Avila – LF Zackery – CF Kelsey – C Durango – RF Richards – 1B McDermott – SS Burke – 2B F. Soto – P Hinkley

Bottom 1st, Ricky Avila singled on the first pitch and John Kelsey cracked a bomb to make it 2-0 Aces, and it was really the same ****ty movie every day. Except for Thursday. Thursday had been an off day, and a nice day. The usual misery included a Quebell double play, this time in the fourth, and with the Coons down 3-0. D-Alex also did the trick in the sixth when he batted as the tying run with one out. At least Conway went seven in pretty dismal fashion with the Aces not making much good contact with lots of pops and at one point four consecutive casual grounders to Sandy at second. Hinkley maintained his shutout through eight and was allowed to start the ninth inning, but after D-Alex’ leadoff double the Aces quickly made a move and brought in Zack Entwistle, whom the Raccoons had loved to get last winter, but now were glad that they didn’t have to worry about that 7.36 ERA. The Aces continued to maintain the notion that Entwistle was a closer – eight losses be damned! – and what shall we say … he was good enough for the Coons. 3-0 Aces. Carmona 2-4; D. Alexander 2-4; Palmer (PH) 1-1;

Game 2
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Sambrano – LF J. Alexander – RF Bednarski – 1B Quebell – 3B Rodgers – SS Palmer – C Bowen – P Santos
LVA: 3B R. Avila – LF Zackery – CF Kelsey – C Durango – RF Richards – 1B McDermott – SS Burke – 2B F. Soto – P Wagoner

Again the Raccoons were set back right in the first inning with Ricky Avila opening with a single, stealing second, and coming home on Eduardo Durango’s double. While Sambrano would tie the score in the third with an RBI triple, the Raccoons’ double play magic continued unabated. Palmer hit into deuces his first two times up, and Bednarski killed the sixth inning with another double play, but when the Aces had Rusty Zackery reach with a single and John Kelsey walking behind him, they got the runners in scoring position with Durango’s groundout to first and got them home with Ron Richards’ 2-out, 2-run double that made it 3-1 for the home team after six. Top 8th, tying runs reached with nobody out on Pat Whitehouse’s single off Law Rockburn and Carmona’s single off Mike Daniels. Next pitcher, Anthony Bryant facing Sandy Sambrano, grounder to short – another double play. John Alexander singled home Whitehouse, but what in hell??? Entwistle retired the Coons 1-2-3 in the ninth. 3-2 Aces. Sambrano 2-4, 3B, RBI; J. Alexander 2-4, RBI; Whitehouse 1-1;

Ricardo Carmona was injured on a half slide / half tumble on a defensive play in the eighth inning. Not all of his limbs have been found yet and Ivan the Druid is in stasis after some ritual involving red-glowing censers, and can’t be communicated with through means of the corporeal world.

Another loss, and the Raccoons drop the season series to Las Vegas for the first time since 2008. They would also drop to .500 even before facing actually good teams.

Game 3
POR: 2B Sambrano – 3B Rodgers – LF J. Alexander – C D. Alexander – RF Bednarski – 1B Quebell – SS Palmer – CF Seeley – P Baldwin
LVA: SS R. Avila – 1B McDermott – LF Zackery – C Durango – 2B Burke – CF Kelsey – RF Woods – 3B W. White – P Valdevez

The double play parade got started early, as Sambrano singled to open the game but was swept up in John Alexander’s grounder to second base, and the daily first inning deficit was also something you could rely on as Baldwin coughed up a run in the opening frame’s bottom half. Baldwin continued the mockery with a 2-out walk to Valdevez in the bottom 2nd, then walked Ricky Avila to load the bases before Sean McDermott grounded out to Sandy. While the Coons had one hit in the first five innings, the Aces had seven, but again failed to convert and led only 2-0.

But isn’t it great when you can count on the opposing team to defeat itself? Baldwin issued a leadoff walk to Kelsey in the bottom 6th, then ANOTHER 2-out walk to Valdevez before balking the runners into scoring position, from where he conceded them on Ricky Avila’s bloop double to center on which Jason Seeley looked really bad. Avila scored on McDermott’s single, chasing Baldwin, and the Aces were up 5-0.

Top 7th, the Raccoons got their second hit of the day on Ken Rodgers’ leadoff single to left, a sorry pop that fell in when Zackery and Avila closed in on it from different directions and both shied back at the last moment. D-Alex singled before Bednarski hit a meaningless 3-piece since they - … oh wait, Quebell went back-to-back, his sixth homer, and it’s a 5-4 game. The pen wobbled in the bottom 7th, but didn’t fall (for once), while the Coons got a leadoff double from Walt Canning in the top 8th. Canning moved up to third on Sambrano’s groundout, and then was left there when Rodgers and J-Alex struck out against a tiring Valdevez. The Aces also stranded a runner on third that was Thrasher’s responsibility in the bottom of the inning before Law Rockburn was sent out to close the game. D-Alex rolled out to Brent Burke, but Bednarski and Quebell hit singles to their respective pull side, yet Palmer struck out. Pruitt hit for Vega, jabbed a 1-2 pitch into play and up the middle, but Burke made the play. 5-4 Aces. Bednarski 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Quebell 2-4, HR, RBI; Canning 1-1, 2B;

In other news

June 17 – It takes 11 innings for a single run to score in the Crusaders’ and Loggers’ series opener. Jesus Flores doubles home Aaron Case to make New York 1-0 winners.
June 18 – A tear is discovered in SFW C Jose Paraz’ (.300, 3 HR, 30 RBI) hip flexor and he will have to sit out for at least a month.
June 19 – Big deal in the Continental League, as the Crusaders snatch star SP Jaylen “Midnight” Martin (3-8, 3.51 ERA) from the Condors, which costs them four prospects, including #38 SP Luis Flores.
June 19 – The Loggers scoop up #69 prospect SP Brian Cope in a trade with the Rebels, also netting OF Victor Enriquez (.231, 4 HR, 24 RBI) while sending OF Philip Locke, who spent the entire year in AAA, to Richmond.
June 20 – CHA SP Brian Patrick (5-5, 4.04 ERA) left his post-no-hitter start against the Bayhawks after only eight pitches and has been diagnosed with a torn elbow ligament. He’s done for the season and maybe the start of 2014, too.
June 20 – Despite only six games on the day, two affairs go 14+ innings, as the Knights beat the Condors 6-3 in 14, while the Indians drop a make-up game to the Stars, 7-6 in 15. The latter game saw both teams score in the 12th.
June 22 – IND 2B Jong-beom Kym (.256, 9 HR, 33 RBI) has torn a hamstring and will have to sit out until August.
June 22 – NAS 3B/1B Antonio Esquivel (.325, 11 HR, 54 RBI) will miss six weeks with a broken hand.

Complaints and stuff

“Midnight” … (sheds a tear) … next he’ll get a $30M contract and the Raccoons will bury another dream. It’s okay. They’re used to it.

We have arrived at the pre-All Star Game stretch without an off day. From here it’s 14 more games until the break. Even with an off day and meager competition, the Raccoons managed to lose five straight and plummeted nine spots in the power rankings, from 9th to 18th. I didn’t know that there were worse tendencies than a double-minus for the rankings, but apparently there is, as BNN gave them a skull flanked by two bombs.

This was the week of some culling in the minor leagues. A number of formerly prominent picks were dumped, as 2009 fourth-rounder SP Mark Grimes (moved to the pen long ago), 2010 sixth-rounder LF/2B Matt Saunders, 2011 seventh-rounder C Josh Marrone, plus a few from the last rounds of previous years, and a handful of international signings by Whitebread.

Also released this week: 30-year old Santiago Trevino, who had lingered in Ham Lake since last summer. He batted .234 with 5 HR and 74 RBI in 800 major league AB’s from ’06 through ’11 with the Coons. The culling is not 100% complete yet, as we still have 91 active players between the three minor league teams.