[Westheim]

Raccoons (71-64) vs. Titans (66-72) – September 5-7, 2016

The Titans were almost done with this season; though not mathematically eliminated, they sure hadn’t given an all too awesome presentation of baseball this year, despite putting up the fourth-most runs in the CL. Their pitching was horrendous, allowed the third-most runs, and doomed all their offensive prowess. Their run differential was a healthy -43. Despite all of that, they were 8-4 against the Raccoons in 2016…

Projected matchups:
Jonathan Toner (7-6, 2.76 ERA) vs. Jonathan Ryan (3-6, 5.59 ERA)
Chris Munroe (5-10, 3.50 ERA) vs. Jose Fuentes (2-7, 4.87 ERA)
Tadasu Abe (10-8, 3.44 ERA) vs. Ian Rutter (13-8, 2.91 ERA)

Between these three right-handers, the Raccoons had already given Fuentes a 3 IP, 6 ER start this season, but Ian Rutter had started three games against them and had gone 2-0, allowing five runs in 20 innings for a 2.25 ERA.

Game 1
BOS: SS M. Rivera – 2B J. Gutierrez – 1B S. Butler – C T. Robinson – RF Branch – 3B T. Thomas – CF C. Newman – LF X. Williams – P Ryan
POR: 2B Walter – 3B Nunley – SS McKnight – LF DeWeese – 1B Young – CF Duarte – RF Richards – C Baca – P Toner

In a wicked bottom of the first, Jonathan Ryan walked three batters, the first being Nunley, who scored on McKnight’s homer for a quick 2-0 lead. Then DeWeese and Young walked – both ended up being thrown out at home on singles by Duarte and Richards, respectively, and both so by Ezra Branch. We made a note: don’t run on Ezra Branch, and moved on emotionally. The Coons lengthened their score with an Alonso Baca homer in the bottom 2nd, 3-0, before they loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth inning. Richards, Baca, and Jonny Toner had singled to start the inning, bringing up the top of the order. Ryan was close to suffering complete disembowelment after two more singles by Walter and Nunley, both scoring single runs, with Nunley’s bouncer vanishing directly in Ryan’s pocket and the pitcher still wasn’t able to get any play done. With the bases still full, McKnight struck out and DeWeese hit into a double play, keeping the score at 5-0. So far the Titans had only one hit, a Jose Gutierrez single in the first inning, and had not had a base runner since the second, which contrasted somewhat sharply with Ryan’s final line, which would read 4.1 innings, 12 hits, four walks, and eight runs allowed, all earned. Alonso Baca bombed him with a 3-piece to end his day, collecting Young and Richards.

The Titans put their biggest threat yet up in the sixth inning when Xavier Williams’ liner fooled Alex Duarte in center and allowed Williams to slide into second with a leadoff double. Bunted to third, he saw Toner hit Mike Rivera with a pitch, only for Rivera – who led the CL in stolen bases and would probably win the title uncontested with Cookie Carmona done for the year – to be caught stealing second base. Gutierrez struck out, and the Titans were turned away in the inning, but it was the last time Toner made it through an inning unharmed. Tim Robinson knocked his 28th homer of the season, a solo shot, to center in the seventh, breaking up a shutout bid. It was also the first of three consecutive full counts for Toner, who seemed to be tiring, but struck out Branch and Tom Thomas anyway after the homer. He was replaced in the eighth after hitting Williams with one out, and Sugano got out of the inning, which saw Matt Pruitt pinch-hitting, but popping out against Sugano. Brandon Johnson came up with a pinch-hit, 2-out, 2-run double in the bottom 8th to run up double digits. 10-1 Critters. Walter 2-5, 2B, RBI; McKnight 2-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Johnson (PH) 1-1, 2B, 2 RBI; Richards 2-4, RBI; Baca 3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Toner 7.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, W (8-6) and 1-2, 2 BB;

Game 2
BOS: SS M. Rivera – 2B J. Gutierrez – 1B S. Butler – RF Branch – 3B T. Thomas – CF Blake – C Galan – LF C. Newman – P J. Fuentes
POR: 2B Walter – 3B Nunley – SS McKnight – LF DeWeese – 1B Young – CF Duarte – RF Richards – C Baca – P Munroe

Munroe struck out the side in the first inning, giving him 101 K in 150 innings on the season. He would whiff five the first time through, but also allowed a leadoff jack to Ezra Branch in the second inning, Branch’s 23rd bomb of the season. Branch also went on to steal his 18th base of the year two innings later after drawing the first walk off Munroe, but was left on second base. The Coons in the meantime had left runners on third base twice, Munroe striking out in the second and DeWeese popping out to Gutierrez in the third. Fuentes would have a five-hitter through five innings, having whiffed five. The Titans however got their second run in the top of the sixth when Steve Butler drew a leadoff walk, moved around on productive outs, and scored on Jonathan Blake’s single to center. The Coons had the tying runs on base in the bottom 6th, but Richards’ best guess was to ground to Butler for the second out. The runners DeWeese and Duarte moved up, but with the first base open and Baca having gone deep twice on Monday, he was not going to see actual pitches. Munroe’s spot came up, but with the situation dire and this being the sixth inning, Sandy Sambrano came out to pinch-hit … and struck out.

Fuentes was also done after six and Harry Merwin took his place in the bottom 7th. The 23-year old rookie right-hander, who had decent enough stats with a 3.88 ERA and a bit over 2 K/BB, blew the lead without logging an out, walking Shane Walter before allowing a 2-piece to Matt Nunley, who reached double-digit dingers with this equalizer. While the Coons got perfect relief from Chun, Beaver, and Thrasher to complete nine, the Titans stuck with Merwin for a while, despite him allowing McKnight to reach on a single right after the Nunley homer. McKnight took second base – with no outs – then was left there for dead. Merwin kept stirring until two outs in the bottom 9th when he allowed consecutive singles to McKnight and DeWeese, putting the winning run on second base. Right-hander Tommy Briggs replaced him to see Adam Young, who popped out to left, and we had extras. These opened with a leadoff shot by Matt Pruitt off Thrasher before Rivera tripled, so the ship was sinking fast now. The Coons would go through four relievers in the inning, with Will West walking Gutierrez, Sugano walking Butler and allowing another run on Branch’s groundout, and Chris Mathis blowing it open with a 2-run double by Tom Thomas going onto his ledger. Brett Dill ended the Raccoons in three batters in the bottom 10th. 6-2 Titans. Nunley 2-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI; McKnight 2-5; DeWeese 2-5;

Game 3
BOS: SS M. Rivera – 2B J. Gutierrez – 1B S. Butler – RF Branch – 3B T. Thomas – C Galan – CF Mata – LF X. Williams – P Rutter
POR: 2B Walter – 1B Jones – SS McKnight – LF DeWeese – 3B Nunley – RF Sambrano – CF Johnson – C McNeela – P Abe

Rivera drove in the first run of the game with his 2-out single in the top 3rd that collected Alex Mata from third base, but the Coons got the run right back in the bottom of the inning thanks to Ian Rutter giving them a free runner to start with when he drilled Tom McNeela. Moved around on Abe’s bunt and a wild pitch, McNeela scored on Howard Jones’ 2-out single to left. Then McKnight was also hit, but DeWeese whiffed, as usual. Neither team was hitting much, with both outfits combining for five hits through five innings, and the Coons even held a slight 3-2 edge. Their half of the sixth inning started with Jones reaching base on Tom Thomas’ fielding error, so maybe something could be constructed with that new undeserved runner. Rutter’s next pitch was wild, moving Jones to second. With the count to McKnight at 3-0, a lot of strange things happened. First, McKnight swung, and Jones was running on Rutter’s movement, and we hadn’t called for any of this. When McKnight grounded squarely to Rivera at short, I missed a heartbeat or two, but Rivera was confused as well and was not quick enough to nip Jones at third base. McKnight was out at first, and DeWeese came up with one out and the go-ahead run on third. Rutter had completely lost control now, and ran another 3-0 count, and DeWeese ALSO poked at 3-0! His grounder eluded Gutierrez and went into rightfield, so at least the Coons took the lead, 2-1, though I had to wonder whether everybody was playing to their own designs by now or whether management and coaching still would get a say once in a while…

The Coons didn’t score again in the inning, and Abe got back out with a 2-1 lead. He made it through seven and two thirds on 100 pitches before Rivera hit a 2-out single and Matt Pruitt batted for Gutierrez, which put three consecutive left-handers (four if you allowed Rivera to count retroactively) against Abe, and that was too much to bear. While technically knowing better, the Coons gave the ball to Ron Thrasher (Sugano being unavailable), who struck out Pruitt to dispel the most immediate danger. The Critters stranded two in the bottom 8th (just as they had done in the seventh), leaving Thrasher with no cushion against 36 left-handed homers with 136 RBI, and 42 HR, 198 RBI total with Tom Thomas behind them. Butler and Branch ended up retired on scratch plays, so called because the Coons barely got the tips of their claws onto the balls as Duarte defused a pop that threatened to drop into shallow center to start the inning, and Sambrano – now at first – just barely managed to swipe and knock down a murderous bouncer before collecting it and outracing Branch to the bag. Thomas fouled out to Sandy to end the game. 2-1 Critters. Abe 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W (11-8); Thrasher 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (18);

Raccoons (73-65) @ Canadiens (76-63) – September 9-11, 2016

The Elks were second in the North, but nine games out with a magic number of 14, so the race to the playoffs was as good as over. Their seventh-place offense hadn’t been enough to compensate their fifth-place pitching, or probably vice versa, anyway, the package wasn’t good enough. It had been good enough to beat the Raccoons, 9-6, in 2016, though. Three of the previous four series in ’16 had ended in sweeps. The Coons had endured two, a 3-game sweep in May and a 4-game sweep after the All Star game, but had swept them in four games in August. The 4-game sweeps had both taken place in Portland, so symmetry demanded that we now swept them for three.

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (13-8, 2.25 ERA) vs. Jesus Cabrera (0-2, 10.18 ERA)
Hector Santos (13-5, 2.60 ERA) vs. Samuel McMullen (18-4, 1.91 ERA)
Jonathan Toner (8-6, 2.68 ERA) vs. Rod Taylor (18-8, 2.82 ERA)

McMullen is a left-hander, of course. Also, four of the CL’s top seven pitchers by ERA were going to show their craft in this series, and this did not include Toner, who would be in sixth place if he had the required number of innings. If he’d go at least 6.2 innings on Sunday, he would qualify at least temporarily for the ERA title.

Game 1
POR: 2B Walter – 3B Nunley – SS McKnight – LF DeWeese – 1B Young – CF Sambrano – RF Richards – C Baca – P Brown
VAN: RF K. Evans – 3B Fellows – 1B Gilbert – C J. Martinez – 2B Lawrence – CF Petracek – LF Holland – SS Irvin – P Cabrera

This would probably be another one of those trying games. The Raccoons trying to figure out how to beat a beatable pitcher, and me back in Portland trying not to drink carbolic acid and walk off an open drawbridge. The Coons had two on with nobody out in the second inning after walks to Young and Sambrano, but Richards and Baca struck out in full counts, with Brownie striking out even before a full count. And I wasn’t going to blame Brownie here…

Brown had issued a walk to Mike Fellows in the first inning, but Ray ****ing Gilbert had hit into a double play, and Brown faced the minimum through four, with his turn coming up with Richards and Baca on second and first and no outs in the fourth. Bunting would probably not achieve much here, with Walter not exactly an RBI machine. He was told to swing, which was wrong as it turned out. Cabrera whiffed him, and then Walter singled, which only loaded the bases with one out for Nunley. Oh great, where’s the acid? Nunley lined out to Kurt Evans in right, but Richards made the dash for home and scored the first run of the game. McKnight flew out to deep right to strand another pair. Brown hit Jaylin Lawrence in the bottom 5th, but struck out Brian Petracek and Ross Holland to end the inning. His pitch count was getting up there quickly…

Brown reached 104 pitches in seven innings, issuing only another walk along the way. The Coons still couldn’t get a clue as to why Cabrera had been battered for 2.5-times the league average in earned runs in his five starts this season (he was coming back from injury, but had been rocked in ’15 already), and the score remained 1-0. It was the most horrendous, most horrible situation to be in. The top 8th saw three weak-ass grounders by the 3-4-5 batters against Cabrera. All were for outs.

Oberst von Lindenthal casually inquired to Brownie’s general state of consciousness as the anemic top 8th was in progress. Brown showed his teeth, indicating that biting was going to take place if anybody wanted to take the ball away from him. But… 104 pitches. With the next four, he walked the rookie Petracek. Holland bunted, but a pop by Irvin and a K to Steve Weisser on Brown’s 118th (!!) pitch ended that inning. The top 9th saw no runners against Aurelio Garcia, but Brownie had to appear on deck, hiding the game ball in his underwear to ensure nobody touched it. He was out there for the ninth inning, on 118 pitches, facing the top of the order in a 1-0 game. This was never going to work out… Pitches 119 and 120 were strikes to Kurt Evans, but then control evaded Brown and he walked him on four straight balls. Mike Fellows saw ball #5, then watched at a borderline pitch being called strike one. He gave the 1-1 a good whack up the leftfield line – foul. He gave the 1-2 as good a whack to left, but it bounced in front of Nunley, who made a bare-handed grab, zinged it to second, on to first – DOUBLE PLAY!!!!

Then the music stopped. The park fell dead silent. There was Ray Gilbert. The Coonkiller of the Year in 2011. 30 homers, 104 RBI. Right-handed batter. .977 OPS. Now, do we walk him? Brownie’s fingertips were blue already… Behind him was Jesus Martinez, batting .257 with two homers, but … but… but if the baseball gods really were going to give us this one, then we shouldn’t try to cheapen our way into it. This one had to be earned. Going the cheap route now would anger the baseball gods and Martinez would hit a walkoff homer. That’s how the game works. Oberst von Lindenthal went out there to feel Brown’s pulse, which resembled a jackhammer. As did mine as I was cowering on the couch at home in Portland, pressing my chocolate-smeared chin against my knees and rocking back and forth.

Nick Brown threw only one more pitch, his 129th of the game. Ray Gilbert didn’t get all of it, and sent a soft looper to right. Ron Richards was coming on leisurely, then saw that he had misjudged it and started to swing those paws harder and harder. He made a running catch. One instant later, Brownie was drowned in a huddle of teammates. 1-0 Brownies!!! Brown 9.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 9 K, W (14-8);

… and everybody! Three, four … OOOH HAP-PY DAAAY …! OH, HAPPY DA-A-A-AY!!

I also called Brownie in Vancouver after the game, but I don’t think he could comprehend just how happy I was. I cried way too much during the call.

Game 2
POR: RF Sambrano – SS Jones – LF Richards – 1B Young – CF Duarte – 3B Nunley – C Margolis – 2B Bergquist – P Santos
VAN: RF K. Evans – 2B Lawrence – 1B Gilbert – C Little – 3B Fellows – LF Weisser – CF Rocha – SS Tellez – P S. McMullen

Tears of joy or not – the baseball season always moved on relentlessly and presented us with a Saturday afternoon family affair less than 16 hours after the final out had been logged by Ron Richards in last night’s no-hitter.

Not quite 16 hours later Hector Santos was unable to agree on a strike zone with the home plate official, walked three in the first three innings, including the first two batters he faced, but the Elks didn’t get the hard contact that Santos sometimes allowed and didn’t score. Santos also bunted into a double play to erase Margolis’ single in the third, leaving McMullen to see the minimum through three innings. Sambrano and Jones also made outs before the Coons loaded the bases with three soft singles in the top 4th, Richards, Young, and Duarte all reaching either with soft loops or with grounders that escaped just through the creases on the infield. That brought up Nunley, who almost struck out on a borderline call before drilling a 1-2 pitch to barely-fair right that happened to wrap around the inside of the foul pole. GRAAAAAAAAAND SLAAAAAAAAAMMMM!!!

The bat wasn’t all that there was to love on Matt Nunley however. There was also his delicious fish soup he occasionally fashioned in the clubhouse kitchen on off days, and of course the glove. When Santos opened the bottom 6th with a walk to Lawrence, Nunley not only leapt and spoiled Ray ****ing Gilbert’s liner, but also caught Lawrence 45 feet off first base and roped a throw over there in time for a double play. Santos would last only 6.1 innings before his ill control fired his pitch count over 100, ending his day with Mike Fellows grounding out in a full count. The Elks had only gotten a single hit off him, however. McMullen went eight for five hits and four runs, and the Elks only started swinging in the bottom 8th. Will West allowed a 1-out single to Martinez, and Evans bombed Sugano, 4-2, before Sugano walked Lawrence. On to Mathis with the sudden death entering the box, but Gilbert grounded to no man’s land between the mound and first base and Bergquist didn’t get a throw off in time – Gilbert hurt himself hustling, though. Regardless, the Elks had the tying runs on base, yet Mathis regained control with a K against Morgan Little, then ended the inning when Fellows grounded out to Bergquist.

The top 9th saw Dustin Burke allow a single to Howard Jones, then throw a wild pitch. With first base open, Young was walked intentionally after Richards had made the first out, and the Elks sent Pedro Alvarado to end the Critters’ shenanigans. We countered with R.J. DeWeese batting for Alex Duarte, and he got his third pinch-hit of the year, and his second pinch-hit homer, banging a brutal 3-piece to right! Alvarado walked Margolis, somehow, and Jason Bergquist beat Mario Rocha in center for an RBI double, giving the Critters their second 4-spot of the day.

But despite an 8-2 lead, the Raccoons managed to give the Elks the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the 9th. One mistake was to bring in Gary Dupes, who got the first two outs on hard shots right at Howard Jones, but then imploded. The next three Elks reached base on him, and Kevin Beaver did nothing to diffuse the situation, allowing an RBI double to Lawrence and walking T.J. Hilderbrand. John Korb was the SEVENTH reliever for the Coons, but got a grounder to Jones on his second pitch to Morgan Little, ending the game. 8-4 Coons. DeWeese (PH) 1-1, HR, 3 RBI; Nunley 1-4, HR, 4 RBI; Santos 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K, W (14-5);

Yup, SEVEN relievers for eight outs. Two retired nobody (Sugano, Beaver), and only two had perfect outings (Chun right after Santos, and Korb to notch another save). Well, at least we know that Gary Dupes will not be tendered another contract this fall.

Ray Gilbert (.335, 30 HR, 104 RBI) was out for the season with a groin strain. You don’t laugh at other people’s ailments, but I have cried more over other teams’ stars getting hurt.

Game 3
POR: 2B Walter – 3B Nunley – SS McKnight – LF DeWeese – 1B Young – CF Sambrano – RF Richards – C McNeela – P Toner
VAN: LF Weisser – 2B Lawrence – C Little – RF K. Evans – CF Holland – 1B Hilderbrand – 3B Petracek – SS Irvin – P Ro. Taylor

Jonny was perfect the first time through the order, whiffing four, and also hit a single in the top 3rd that ended up involving him in Shane Walter’s double play grounder. While the Coons would have two on when McKnight walked and Young singled in the fourth, they still wouldn’t score, but the Elks got a head start to their half of the fourth when McNeela made a capital throwing error on Adam Weisser’s slow grounder that put Weisser on second base with nobody out. Although, honestly, where Weisser was didn’t matter as Lawrence banged a 2-run homer to center, and after that Jonny came apart at a rapid pace. Two of the next four reached, but instead of making it someway out of the inning against the bottom of the order he allowed an RBI double to Petracek, walked Irvin, and then allowed an RBI single to Rod Taylor. He hit Weisser to force in a run, then walked Lawrence to force in another – then was gone. Seung-mo Chun got Morgan Little to fly out to Richards to end the 6-run inning.

Needless to say, with Rod Taylor pitching, this game was over. He was maintaining a 3-hitter through six, while Chun at least got the Coons as far, but conceded a homer to Irvin in the bottom 6th to extend the score to 7-0. Taylor’s shutout bid didn’t end until the eighth. Nunley hit a 1-out double before DeWeese creamed a fastball for his 25th dinger of the season, but by then the cat was in the bag, and the bag was in the Fraser River. Taylor shrugged and retired another four Raccoons for a complete game 7-hitter. 7-2 Canadiens. Young 2-4; McNeela 2-2;

Oddly enough, five of the six runs on Toner were unearned, despite the bases being cleaned after the Lawrence homer.

The loss sealed consecutive losing seasons vs. the Elks, although this year (8-10) was not quite as bad as 2015 (5-13).

In other news

September 8 – The lead changes hand five times in the Knights’ wicked 12-11 win over the Thunder. ATL Jeffrey Walrath (.311, 8 HR, 39 RBI) homers twice and drives in five as the main contribution.
September 8 – With only five other games on the schedule, two of those end on first-pitch walkoff home runs. Indy’s SS Raul Matias (.265, 11 HR, 57 RBI) hits a bomb to beat the Crusaders, 4-3, while RIC OF/1B Jon Correa (.367, 1 HR, 8 RBI) hits a 2-piece to stave off defeat in the Rebels’ 10-inning, 5-4 victory over the Buffaloes. For Correa, 23, this is also the first career home run in the majors.
September 9 – Las Vegas’ Brian Benjamin (7-13, 3.83 ERA) and Manuel Reyes (6-4, 1.42 ERA, 33 SV) combine for a 1-hitter against the Bayhawks in a 5-2 win. The Bayhawks’ only hit is a 2-run homer by Dave Garcia (.263, 11 HR, 65 RBI) in the first inning.
September 9 – The Wolves get a single and four walks off Denver’s John Watson (5-7, 4.48 ERA, 37 SV) in the bottom of the ninth to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 walkoff.
September 10 – NAS SP Joe Medina (12-13, 4.20 ERA) 3-hits the Cyclones in a 6-0 shutout.

Complaints and stuff

Juan Berrios 1977 * Jason Turner 1989 * Manuel Movonda 1998 * Bob Joly 2000 * Jose Dominguez 2007 * Nick Brown 2016

We will arrange for an extra day off or two for Nick Brown after throwing 129 pitches on Friday. The minor league season will still be in progress when his next turn comes up on Wednesday, but John Korb might be good for another go.

But well. The open sore that Juichi Fujita left in 2010 is closed, Ray Gilbert has been banished as a foot note into *our* history books, and I think within another week or two I might regain a normal heartbeat.

Odd stat of the week: Tom McNeela had only 102 plate appearances (though some’d say that’s plenty enough…) this season, but managed to get hit by a pitch five times, ranking him second on the team behind DeWeese (13 HBP).

The Capitals were eliminated from the playoffs on Wednesday. Friday morning they had already cleaned house and canned their manager William Powers, who was in his fourth season with them, and their GM Rob Meeks, who had been doing the job over there for SIXTEEN years. Granted, the team made the playoffs just once in those sixteen years, but I know somebody with an even longer stretch with only one playoff showing.

Endlessly glad I have those photos…

I did lose a cup of coffee to getting cold in those last two innings, though…