[Westheim]

Raccoons (16-21) @ Loggers (23-12) – May 15-18, 2023

For multiple reasons this could be an all-kinds-of-trying 4-game set with the Loggers, who were as amazing with their pitching as the Raccoons’ offense was moribund. The Raccoons scored a league-worst 3.1 runs per game, while Milwaukee conceded a league-best 3.1 runs per game, so it was entirely likely that we would never score again, ever. Their offense was middling, ranking eighth in runs scored, but with a good batting average. They were quite lacking in both power and speed, however. This was the first meeting between these two teams in 2023. The Coons had not lost a season series to the Loggers since ’13 (7-11), and had beaten them 10-8 in ’22, but I had a hunch that that streak was going to end quite soon.

Projected matchups:
Jesus Chavez (3-2, 3.48 ERA) vs. Alex Hichez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Ryan Nielson (1-4, 4.87 ERA) vs. Morgan Shepherd (3-2, 2.31 ERA)
Matt Huf (0-5, 4.82 ERA) vs. Michael Foreman (6-0, 1.60 ERA)
Jonathan Toner (3-3, 3.21 ERA) vs. Mike Dempsey (3-2, 4.09 ERA)

There was some replacement personnel in the Loggers rotation right now, including Hichez. The 27-year-old from Dalhart, TX would make his first major league career start after 31 relief appearances, including ten this year. The Loggers had two established starters on the DL in Ian Prevost and John Key, and we’d also miss Chris Sinkhorn (2-3, 3.14 ERA), the dangerous southpaw, leaving us to face four right-handed pitchers in this series.

Game 1
POR: LF Carmona – 2B Spencer – 1B Walter – 3B Nunley – CF Stevenson – SS Stalker – RF Alfaro – C Tovias – P Chavez
MIL: SS Tadlock – LF Berntson – CF Coleman – RF Gore – C Wool – 3B A. Velez – 2B March – 1B A. Esquivel – P Hichez

Rain was in the forecast as well as in my heart. While the Coons made three quick groundouts in the first inning, the Loggers started like a freight train with a Ron Tadlock single, Jon Berntson’s double to right, which already drove in a run on Chavez, then a walk drawn by Ian Coleman and following Brad Gore’s foul pop finally a 3-run homer by Josh Wool to rightfield, giving them a near-instant 4-0 lead. To everybody’s amazement though, Hichez allowed singles to the first *five* Raccoons to step to the plate in the second inning, and twice scored a run with a wild pitch. The Coons took a 5-4 lead on Cookie’s sac fly to center, Spencer hit a 2-out single, but was caught stealing by Wool. After a third inning in which both third basemen made an inconsequential error, Cookie would hold the Coons’ tender lead together in the bottom 4th, snaring a drive to left by 42-year-old Antonio Esquivel, who was batting .308 with three homers coming in and in no way looked like 42 years old. The snare ended the inning, and the Coons remained up 5-4, which held true through the fifth despite PH Terry Harris’ leadoff single, and a pair of 2-out walks issued to Coleman and Gore. Wool scorched a liner to rightfield with the bases loaded, but Alfaro threw himself in the way to end that inning.

After bludgeoning Hichez for six hits in the second inning, the Raccoons managed to go the next four frames without a base knock, a string that only ended against the second reliever of the day from the Loggers, Ivan Morales, with Elias Tovias’ leadoff single in the seventh inning, a soft line to shallow right. Chavez was retained to bunt, Morales misfielded that bunt, and both runners were safe on the error, after which Esquivel would show his age in the field, taking an eternity to field a Carmona grounder behind first base. Cookie was no youngster anymore, either, but he legged out the grounder for an infield single to fill the bags with nobody out. Unfortunately, the Raccoons would not get the big hit they could have used in this situation. Shane Walter’s sac fly to Coleman was the only run-scoring event in the inning, with Spencer and Nunley both striking out. Tadlock hit a leadoff single off Chavez in the bottom 7th. Berntson flew out to Stevenson, after which Bocanegra replaced Chavez to face the multitude of left-handed bats to come. Coleman grounded out, while Gore flew out to center on a 3-0 pitch. The sucker Bocanegra would succeed in doling out walks the following inning, losing both Wool and Velez on balls to begin the bottom 8th. Those were the tying runs, and Kevin Surginer replaced him to turn the tide, hopefully – and the rule 5 pick came through, with PH Dave Padilla grounding out, Esquivel flying out to Alfaro in shallow right, allowing Wool no advance from third base, and Stevenson caught Myles Beckwith’s fly to center. Top 9th, Tovias started with a groundout, but Bullock doubled to right in Surginer’s spot. Cookie was walked intentionally, after which the runners swiped a pair of bases the very moment Mike Kress entered the game in relief of Luis Calderon. Alas, Spencer grounded out pathetically, now pinning the Coons in scoring position right there. With two outs, Kress nicked Walter, loading them up for Matt Nunley, who saw four balls to push in another run. Stevenson flew out to center, leaving Lillis with a 3-run lead that saw serious challenge after 1-out singles by Berntson and Coleman in the bottom 9th, but strong defensive plays by Stevenson and Cookie on the following fly balls by Gore and Wool ended the game before a ninth-inning heartbreak could occur. 7-4 Critters! Tovias 2-3, BB; Bullock (PH) 1-1, 2B;

We were around the middle of a 16-game string with no off days, so we’d sprinkle in some more rest days. Nunley had already had a day off on the weekend amongst the regulars, but Spencer, Stalker, Walter, and Cookie still had to get a day of rest at some point or other. The first and last in the list would sit down on Tuesday.

Game 2
POR: CF Stevenson – 2B Stalker – 1B Walter – 3B Nunley – C Delgado – LF Graves – RF Alfaro – SS Bullock – P Nielson
MIL: SS Tadlock – 2B Stewart – CF Coleman – RF Gore – C Wool – LF Berntson – 3B A. Velez – 1B A. Esquivel – P Shepherd

In game #39, the Raccoons finally got one of their players to 20 RBI, which is a sign of a team that had its issues at the plate. Shane Walter hit an RBI double to plate Tim Stalker for a first-inning lead, but Nielson loaded the bases right in the bottom of the first on two hits and a clumsy 2-out walk to Wool. Jon Berntson struck out, but I had a hunch that Nielson’s time in the rotation was running out. Who was going to get culled in favor of Travis Garrett? Him or Huf? This series might decide that!

Doubles by Velez and Esquivel to start the bottom 2nd tied the game, and the Loggers might have taken a lead there if Morgan Shepherd’s bunt hadn’t been terrible and had gotten Esquivel tagged out at third base. Berntson doubled in Brad Gore in the bottom 3rd to set the Loggers 2-1 ahead, and Shepherd hit a leadoff single in the bottom 4th. Coleman walked with two outs, but Gore was called out on a dubious 1-2 strike to strand a pair in the inning. The Raccoons had been silent for a few innings until Zach Graves hit a leadoff single to center in the fifth, making him the tying run aboard. Omar Alfaro promptly grounded to short, but legged out Tyler Stewart’s return throw to deny the Loggers a two-for-one, then swiped second base, his first sack taken in ’23. Bullock worked Shepherd for a walk, and Nielson bunted. Alberto Velez hustled in and unleashed a throw wildly past the ancient and largely immobile Esquivel at first base. The 2-base throwing error scored the tying run, and presented a pair in scoring position to Stevenson with one out, with Stalker appearing with the bases loaded after four errant pitches by Shepherd. Stalker grounded to Velez, whose only choice was to go to first base, conceding the go-ahead run on the play. With two down, Walter rushed a bouncer through the still immobile Esquivel for a 2-run single, running the score to 5-2 before Nunley bounced out to Velez. The Critters also failed to score Tony Delgado after his leadoff triple in the sixth inning, with crucially the Loggers electing to walk the .203 threat Alfaro intentionally here.

Esquivel hit a leadoff single past Walter for some mild revenge in the bottom 6th, but Shepherd was removed for a pinch-hitter we still knew all too well, Tim Prince. The no-good infielder smoked a grounder to Bullock for a no-doubt double play, but the Loggers still managed to load up Nielson’s line with a Ron Tadlock single and then Tyler Stewart homering to left center with two outs, cutting the gap to 5-4. The Coons staved off two walks issued by Nielson and Moore in the bottom 7th, and Billy Brotman managed to strand Tadlock in scoring position in the eighth after entering for Moore in a double switch that saw Cookie enter the #9 hole and leftfield – he would lead off the ninth inning, and he also took Ian Coleman’s scorched drive to left to end the inning for Brotman. Cookie hit a leadoff single to right in the ninth and would end up scoring on Walter’s 2-out single, giving the Critters an insurance run; Billy Brotman in turn remained in the game for the bottom 9th, with two left-handed bats coming up first in Gore and Wool. One grounded out, one struck out, but then Berntson singled to center. That brought up the switch-hitter Velez, who against Brotman would have to bat from his weaker side, so we did not make a pitching change. Brotman held on for his first major league save, getting a pop to Walter to end the game. 6-4 Raccoons! Walter 3-5, 2B, 4 RBI; Carmona (PH) 1-1; Brotman 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (1);

Jarod Spencer did not appear in this game, leaving only Walter, Nunley, and Alfaro to appear in all 39 games.

Speaking of Spencer, him, Greg Borg, and Evan Carrell came over for 6-0 Michael Foreman in a 2021 deadline deal that also sent Ismael Pastor to the Loggers. I still don’t know how to grade that trade… Foreman at least has two more career home runs than Spencer in the latter’s 869 at-bats…

Game 3
POR: LF Carmona – 2B Spencer – 1B Walter – 3B Nunley – CF Stevenson – RF Alfaro – SS Bullock – C Tovias – P Huf
MIL: SS Tadlock – 2B March – CF Coleman – RF Gore – C Wool – 3B A. Velez – LF Beckwith – 1B A. Esquivel – P Foreman

Huf continued to be a right mess, issuing three walks in the first two innings, a single, and a balk. Two walks fell out of him to begin the second inning, with Wool and Velez reaching base, before Beckwith reached on an infield single. Three on, no outs, after which the Loggers stopped hitting and were held to one run on Esquivel’s sac fly. On the other hand, Huf was the first Coon to reach base in the game, singling to right with two outs in the top 3rd. Foreman then walked the bases full against Cookie and Spencer, but Shane Walter struck out. Walter made an error in the bottom of the inning that didn’t quite get Huf derailed for good, and the Raccoons would actually tie the score in the fourth in unlikely ways, with Alfaro drawing a walk, then scoring on Daniel Bullock’s triple into the right-center gap. Tovias got four wide ones after that, with Huf easily retired to strand the go-ahead run.

The Loggers beleaguered Huf consistently and landed a walk and two hits in the bottom 4th. They didn’t score thanks to Myles Beckwith’s double play grounder in between that removed Velez’ leadoff walk. The Coons would also strand runners on the corners in the top 5th, which Cookie opened with a single. Two groundouts hampered Portland. Nunley reached base on Dan March’s error, but that didn’t get the go-ahead run across, with Stevenson striking out to end the inning. When Huf issued another leadoff walk in the bottom 5th, that one to March, the pitching coach stomped out to the mound and gave him a good yelling. Nothing helped with that kid, though. Coleman hit an RBI double on a 3-2 pitch, and Huf then walked Gore, which gave him six walks on the day, which the Raccoons would swiftly declare well enough and yanked him after four-plus. Bocanegra replaced him, walked the bases full after Wool flew out with a free pass to Velez, then walked Beckwith as well with the bases loaded, pushing in the Loggers’ third run. Surginer replaced the useless southpaw and struck out both Esquivel and PH Tyler Stewart to end the miserable inning.

While the Coons stranded another pair on the corners in the sixth when Cookie flew out easily to right, the Loggers got one run off Juan Barzaga in the extra long man’s two innings. The Loggers were not quite in the dry, though. The Raccoons found a double through Omar Alfaro in the eighth, and with left-hander Jody Loughran replacing the right-hander Calderon against Tovias, the Coons switched catchers. Delgado rapped an RBI single to right, closing the score to 4-2, after which Graves batted for Barzaga and doubled. That put the tying runs in scoring position with one out for Cookie, who was going to face right-hander Jerry Counts, who had twice as many walks as he had strikeouts, something that reminded me of the sucker Bocanegra. Cookie’s fly to left center was spoiled by Berntson, but allowed Delgado to tag and score, and Spencer’s 2-out single put them on the corners for Walter, who grounded to the mound, but Counts overran the roller and the Coons scored the tying run on the generously called infield single! Matt Nunley came up, encased in a block of ice after a vicious 3-for-29 spill at the plate, but laced a double to left that scored both runners and gave the Raccoons their third 4+ runs inning in as many games, and also a 6-4 lead! Another reliever appeared, Justin Guerin, and allowed a 2-out RBI single to Stevenson, 7-4, after which Alfaro grounded out to end the 6-run eighth. Devereaux and Lillis would hold the Loggers away for the last two innings to seal the Coons’ third consecutive win over the until Sunday untouchable Loggers. 7-4 Furballs! Spencer 2-4, BB; Alfaro 2-4, BB, 2B; Delgado (PH) 1-1, RBI; Stalker (PH) 1-1; Graves (PH) 1-1, 2B;

The Coons waived and DFA’ed Francisquo Bocanegra (12 BB in 14.1 IP) after this game. David Kipple (0.76 ERA in AAA) replaced him on the roster. Kipple had been a late-season call-up for the 2022 Coons, pitching to a 9.00 ERA in eight innings across 14 games.

Game 4
POR: LF Carmona – 2B Spencer – CF Stevenson – 3B Nunley – 1B Delgado – RF Alfaro – SS Stalker – C Tovias – P Toner
MIL: SS Tadlock – LF Berntson – CF Coleman – RF Gore – C Wool – 3B A. Velez – 2B March – 1B A. Esquivel – P Dempsey

Jonny Toner was more or less dead from the waist up (which was opposite to Cristiano Carmona’s condition) as became quickly apparent in the Thursday game. The Loggers didn’t wait around to dismantle the former star, despite Tadlock and Berntson making outs to begin their turn at bat. Coleman drew a walk in a full count, and Gore singled. Josh Wool used another 3-2 count to hit a 2-run double past Alfaro, and then Toner lost Velez to another walk. March ripped an RBI single to right before Esquivel struck out by accident entirely, leaving the Loggers 3-0 ahead. The top 2nd saw one Coons catcher (Tovias) score the other (Delgado) with a 2-out single. Delgado had hit a 1-out double, and Toner walked after the Tovias single to load the bases for Cookie, who fouled out.

Toner’s pitching never became less erratic in the game as he continued to drink away his Hall of Fame plaque. Tadlock walked in the second, but the Loggers twice hit into a double play on their second run through their lineup, hampering them until Tadlock came up again and hit an RBI double in the fourth, plating Dan March and running the score to 4-1. When Toner didn’t walk batters, he allowed blazing line drives. Ian Coleman hit a leadoff double in the bottom 5th and surely scored on a Velez groundout, with Wool walking in between. Back-to-back jacks by Delgado and Alfaro in the sixth inning only cut the gap in half to 5-3, and Jonny wouldn’t make it through the bottom 6th. Nunley almost lost his pants and was charged an error when a crazy-fast Tadlock bouncer struck him in the cup with two down in the inning, and Toner allowed a single to Berntson, after which Brotman came in to end his misery – except that Brotman allowed the remaining runners to score on a pair of 2-out RBI singles by Coleman and Gore before Wool flew out to center. The Loggers added a run in the seventh, unearned as well, on Adam Cowen thanks to another Nunley error following Stewart’s pinch-hit infield single, and finally another Tadlock base hit right where it hurt, sending Milwaukee up 8-3. The Raccoons weren’t going to scramble their way out of this top-to-bottom mess, going down silently in the last few innings. 8-3 Loggers. Delgado 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI; Alfaro 2-4, HR, RBI; Stalker 2-4; Tovias 2-3, BB, RBI;

With this sad series ending, the Raccoons demoted Juan Barzaga to place Will Newman on the roster again. That also made Devin Mansfield (.118) more than redundant, and he was also returned to AAA, with Sam Armetta returning to the Coons – a move that was very much conceding defeat, since Armetta had batted merely .130, but there were just no deserving prospects anywhere near the major league roster.

Raccoons (19-22) vs. Thunder (26-15) – May 19-21, 2023

While the Loggers had been the best-pitching team before they had encountered the Coons, this division leader was the best-hitting team in terms of batting average, and ranked second in runs scored. Their pitching was ridiculous, though, with the worst rotation by ERA and a mediocre pen conspiring to allow the second-most runs in the Continental League. This was the first meeting between the teams in 2023, with the 2022 season series having been claimed by Oklahoma City, five games to four.

Projected matchups:
Rico Gutierrez (3-4, 4.53 ERA) vs. Alex Vallejo (1-4, 3.62 ERA)
Jesus Chavez (4-2, 3.75 ERA) vs. Max Nelson (6-2, 3.65 ERA)
Ryan Nielson (2-4, 4.98 ERA) vs. Jose Menendez (4-3, 6.66 ERA)

That’s three more right-handed pitchers, with their only left-handed starter, Bryan Hanson, still recuperating from having bone spurs removed from his elbow in January. Besides Menendez, there is one more 6+ ERA goodie in that rotation, former garbage can dweller Dave Dyer.

Game 1
OCT: SS L. Rivera – 3B B. Marshall – RF Branch – C A. Baker – 1B W. Madrid – LF B. Roberts – 2B Pelles – CF Bareford – P Vallejo
POR: LF Carmona – 2B Spencer – 1B Walter – 3B Nunley – CF Stevenson – RF Alfaro – SS Stalker – C Tovias – P Gutierrez

The first hits for either team were had by two centerfielders that had been traded for another three winters ago, Stevenson for the Coons in the bottom 2nd and Andy Bareford for the Thunder in the top of the third, which was cutting short the main purpose of that deal, to get rid of R.J. DeWeese in the first place. Both hit singles, neither scored, nor did Elias Tovias after his leadoff double in the bottom 3rd. Oh well, Elias, you will to do better to get your team anywhere. His next time up, with two outs in the bottom 5th, Tovias crashed his first major league home run, a solo job in a game entirely lacking offense. Brian Roberts had singled in the top 5th, but had been washed up in another ex-Coon’s double play, Ruben Pelles grounding hard to Nunley for two. It was already the seventh inning when Ezra Branch extended a 10-game hitting streak with a single to right, but neither Adam Baker nor Willie Madrid managed to get him around to score. Roberts worked a leadoff walk in the eighth inning, the first free pass issued by Gutierrez. Oh well, how bad could it get? Pelles grounded into a fielder’s choice, and PH Brett Dobbs grounded out to Nunley. Ironically, the Thunder did not bat for their starter with two outs, and fittingly Alex Vallejo turned a 3-2 pitch into a liner into the gap in left center, chasing home Pelles with the tying run. Gutierrez was yanked instantly, Devereaux ending the inning with a strikeout to pinch-hitter Mike Pizzo in the #1 spot. Tovias’ leadoff single in the bottom 8th amounted to nothing, but at least Vince D kept the Thunder at bay, and Vallejo was still going in the bottom 9th, facing the 2-3-4 batters after expending only 84 pitches so far. He needed only four pitches to click off Spencer, Walter, and Nunley in quick succession, sending the game into overtime, where Kevin Surginer was overturned for a run on three singles in the top of the tenth. Tony Delgado’s pinch-hit homer off Manny Gomez spared the Raccoons immediate defeat and extended the game. Will Newman, who had been in the #9 hole for a while, hit a leadoff double in the bottom 11th. The Thunder would issue two intentional walks here, one to Cookie, who was in a death spiral that had brought him to a .252 clip by now, and after Spencer’s groundout another one to Walter, bringing up Nunley with the bags full and one out. He ended the game with a fly to center. Roberts had the ball – but couldn’t get Newman at home, ever. 3-2 Coons. Delgado (PH) 1-1, HR, RBI; Tovias 3-4, HR, 2B, RBI; Gutierrez 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K;

Game 2
OCT: SS L. Rivera – LF W. Madrid – C Pizzo – RF Branch – 2B Becker – 3B B. Marshall – 1B McIntyre – CF Bareford – P Nelson
POR: LF Carmona – 2B Spencer – 1B Walter – 3B Nunley – CF Stevenson – RF Alfaro – SS Stalker – C Tovias – P Chavez

Chavez left the game with shoulder woes after only four outs, tumbling the Raccoons straight into a bullpen game after playing extra innings the night before and with their long man having pitched the last two days – oh, the delight! Kevin Surginer got stuck with three runs in the third inning on Bareford’s leadoff double, an RBI single by Lorenzo Rivera, and finally a no-doubter for two by Mike Pizzo, his seventh of the season. Kipple was next in line to get burned in the fourth inning. He conceded a leadoff single to Jeff Becker, after which Tim Stalker grossly threw away a double play grounder by Bobby Marshall. Despite that, Kipple got the next two guys out before facing the pitcher Nelson with runners in scoring position. Nelson of course singled to left. Becker scored, Marshall was thrown out by Cookie to end the inning, 4-0 after four.

Cookie came to bat in the bottom 5th, two outs and runners on the corners after a bloop single by Tovias and then an actual ****ing line drive single to left center by Kipple. Cookie was now at .250 and consistently getting worse. He flew out to Bareford without much fuss, and the Thunder punished the insubordinate relief pitcher with an earned run in the sixth. Branch hit a leadoff double and things transpired from there. A collapsing bullpen saw Joe Moore put two men on base in the seventh inning, who were in scoring position with two outs and the left-handed part of the lineup starting with Pizzo approaching. Brett Lillis got into a seventh inning to the greatest displeasure of the home crowd, who began to heckle their own misfit team. Lillis fittingly surrendered a 2-run single to Pizzo, running the tally to 7-0. The Raccoons would score a token run late on a Walter double, but by then most of the crowd was on the way home. 7-1 Thunder. Nunley 1-2, BB, 2B; Tovias 2-3, 2B;

The Druid claims that Jesus Chavez will not miss his next start. I wonder whether anything matters.

Game 3
OCT: SS L. Rivera – 1B McIntyre – RF Branch – LF Dobbs – C A. Baker – 2B Ts’ai – 3B B. Marshall – CF Bareford – P Menendez
POR: LF Carmona – 2B Spencer – 1B Walter – 3B Nunley – RF Newman – CF Alfaro – C Tovias – SS Bullock – P Nielson

The miserable Raccoons managed to maneuver a Thunder to third base exclusively with errors, and right at the start of the rubber game. Lorenzo Rivera reached when Will Newman dropped his fly to right, then stole second and advanced on Tovias’ throwing error. Will McIntyre scored him with a sac fly. McIntyre made an error himself in the bottom 1st, but the Raccoons would never dare to exploit a thing like that, and then had another moment in the third inning, plating Jose Menendez, who had hit a leadoff single (…) with a double to left, running the score to 2-0. Menendez actually hit ANOTHER leadoff single in the fifth inning, this one of the infield variety. Bullock knocked the ball down before it could get into leftfield, but couldn’t play it for an out… McIntyre was on duty again, hitting another RBI double, 3-0, then scored on Branch’s RBI triple to right center. Brett Dobbs’ homer was his first of the season, a real 410-foot moonshot to left center, and it also knocked Nielson from a 6-0 game.

That left a bullpen that was already bled thin to collect 14 outs, somehow, with Adam Cowen making the start. He bunted with Alfaro (getting nailed) and Bullock (walk) on base in the bottom 5th, moving them into scoring position for Cookie, who flew out gingerly to Dobbs on the first pitch by Menendez, extending his string of futility to 0-for-14 in the short run, and 6-for-38 in the slightly longer run. The Raccoons remained stuck on two hits, matching their error total, while Cowen pitched nobly and valiantly in a hopeless cause, surrendering a home run to Zhang-ze Ts’ai in the eighth inning when exhaustion clearly was setting in for him. There was hope to scratch off the ninth inning with Billy Brotman, who threw five pitches before reporting a bum shoulder. Brett Lillis found himself in the second consecutive rout. The Thunder put two on before Adam Baker hit into an inning-ending double play, thank goodness. The Raccoons would end up finding a third base hit stuck somewhere in their bum fur in the ninth inning, Shane Walter singling to right off right-hander Adam Howell, who went on to walk Nunley before Newman pegged a 3-2 pitch into a game-ending double play. Thank goodness. 7-0 Thunder. Walter 2-4; Cowen 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K;

In other news

May 15 – Indians and Titans play scoreless ball for 12 innings before the Indians load the bases on R.J. Lloyd (0-1, 5.28 ERA, 1 SV) with nobody out in the top of the 13th, scoring two runs eventually. The Titans would not recover and drop a 13-inning, 2-0 game to Indy.
May 17 – Charlotte’s SP Brian Benjamin (1-7, 6.24 ERA) no-hits the Aces through seven innings before falling to a double by C Casimiro Schoeppen (.211, 0 HR, 8 RBI) and INF Nick Thornley’s (.300, 0 HR, 3 RBI) RBI single in quick succession with five outs to go. The Falcons never score, falling to the Aces, 1-0.
May 17 – LAP C Matt Dehne (.225, 3 HR, 18 RBI) will miss time until the All Star Game with a posterior cruciate ligament strain.
May 18 – TOP SP Jose Lerma (6-3, 2.19 ERA) trumps the Buffaloes in a 2-hit, 2-0 shutout.
May 18 – The Gold Sox’ LF/RF Mario Rocha (.264, 5 HR, 28 RBI) ends Denver’s game against the Pacifics with a 10th-inning walkoff grand slam against LAP CL Logan Sloan (0-4, 8.15 ERA, 11 SV). Rocha drives in five runs in total in the 8-4 Gold Sox win.
May 18 – Pacifics sophomore INF/LF John Hansen (.354, 1 HR, 17 RBI) has strung a 20-game hitting streak together with a 3-hit outing in an 8-4 defeat at the hands of the Gold Sox.
May 19 – WAS RF/LF Jason Stone (.230, 9 HR, 29 RBI) and WAS INF/LF/RF Dave Menth (.239, 6 HR, 17 RBI) both drive in four runs in the Capitals’ 13-1 rout of the Warriors. Stone has three hits with two home runs, Menth has two hits, including one long ball.
May 20 – A hamsting strain puts TOP 2B Marco Hernandes (.265, 0 HR, 2 RBI) on the DL again.
May 20 – The Blue Sox pick up SP Shane Baker (1-4, 3.55 ERA) from the Indians, sending 2B/1B Rich Mendez (.284, 1 HR, 22 RBI) and a prospect to Indianapolis.
May 21 – It takes 17 innings for any run to be scored in the Pacifics’ and Buffaloes’ Sunday tilt. TOP 3B/SS Stephen Williams (.259, 4 HR, 19 RBI) walks off his team eventually with a 2-out single off L.A.’s Mike Stank (0-3, 6.27 ERA).

Complaints and stuff

Hah, the Loggers! Never not miserable! I should trade Toner to them, it would be a match made in hell. You know what? Have them take Cookie, too!

We should consider an image change. How about renaming the team? I am thinking about the Portland Rollovers or something like that. That even keeps the R at the start of the nickname. Other R’s that would fit? Rancids. Revelation. Rheumatics. The possibilities are endless.

Just a few select stats that show how overwhelmed the team currently is. Both hitters and pitchers rank in the bottom three in the CL in terms of walks. We are issuing almost twice as many as we manage to draw. The same is true for home runs; bottom three from either side, twice as many given up as hit ourselves. The team is being hideously outplayed from top to bottom, and all of this is happening with a bit of good luck on the Critters’ pitching side still, since the decent defense is holding opposing lineups to a .284 BABIP. Well, at the end of the day, our own BABIP is only .289 as well, so there’s that.

You know who else got to 6-0 this week and is a former Raccoon? Tadasu Abe, who shut out the Buffaloes on four hits on Monday to get to 6-0 with a 2.48 ERA. I never do anything right!

Fun Fact: On May 18, 2004, exactly 19 years ago from Toner’s dismantlement on Thursday, Nick Brown pitched eight innings of 4-hit, 1-run ball in a 4-1 win over the 30-8 Titans, doubling in a run himself.

The 2004 Raccoons were actually ten games over .500 after that May 18 win, but would go 53-69 the rest of the way to their eighth consecutive losing record. But I would give a whole damn lot to see pitching performances like that again …!

Or Nick Brown in general…

Odd note about me being a fail in general: the Thunder’s Jose Menendez keeps tripping me up again and again and again. About ten years ago my main time sink was racing NASCAR Racing 3, which then was already nine years old and painting up the cars for my own fictional series. There were race reports for that, but they vanished off the internet years ago when the board that hosted that tiny ancient-racing-game community went under. There was a driver in my series named Joe Menendez, without the S – and I keep having flashbacks whenever that guy pitches against the Coons, and I never know what to call him. I can see Joe Menendez’ hideously green #77 7Up Dodge in front of my eyes, still.

Yeah, oh, well, just a random side note.

I miss that game, badly.

I am sad.