Los Angeles Kings (42-29, .583, t-1st NL West) @ Orlando City (33-39, .466, 5th NL East)
So, we were somewhere above the Deep South, almost done with the long slog from San Diego to Orlando. Just a half-hour or so west of our destination. We had the whole crew aboard - the inaugural road trip for my new organization. I’m holding court like Captain Picard, ready to take on the league, and telling my charges to amp the photon torpedoes up to 11. Suddenly, something almost hit my head. It came from business class, where we keep the players, and, judging by the ruckus in the back had missed its intended target. It seems that Brisky and Dick McTaggart got into an argument over a not-so-friendly game of spades and Michael Allen Brisk (we use their full names when they make us angry) decided he could win said argument by throwing a mini bottle of Jägermeister at McT’s head. Look, I figured this would happen eventually - life without Otto would be tough - I just didn’t think it would happen so soon. Fortunately, Megan is adept at smoothing over egos and putting things back together again - so, for now, we are no worse for wear.
As luck would have it, our first real post-Otto test would come against a poor club - Orlando has an offense as sluggish as a teenager with mono that they pair with a staff that has, at times, been one of the best in Baseball. Now, thanks to Otto’s bum shoulder, this series may turn out to be a pitcher’s duel - our offense is built around him, and on his rare off days it has been less than stellar, so putting it up against Orlando’s staff for four games gives me pause. My guess: We get a split. We win a couple of 1-run games and they do the same. My fear: we get blown out, our team frays at its edges, and Megan, Zahur, and I are forced to break up a full-on donnybrook on our flight back home.
Baseball is all joy juice and band-aids, am I right?
Side note: our attempts to contact Ms. Foggy Finkelstein in Tokyo have been unsuccessful so far. So, for now, she is continuing to investigate what went wrong with Otto’s workout regimen this season and working to find me a scapegoat. Now that he’s hurt, I’d like her to move on to more pertinent matters. When I finally get a hold of her, I have a new case for her to get started on: How dangerous is this Tupperware empire I find myself involved with and do I have to claim any income it generates on my taxes?
72 of 162: Newton Weiser (9-5, 3.33) @ Mike Clendenin (5-5, 3.84)
Loss, 9-8. While not quite a pitcher’s duel, we did get a 1-run game in the first of our four - losing in spectacular fashion on a walk-off home run courtesy of 3-time Gold Glove-winning, RF Scott Hall. Ethan filled Otto’s shoes in CF admirably and drove in four runs, OH HONG brought two across, and we stole three bags as a unit. Just couldn’t muster the extra finesse required to get this one done.
Elsewhere: 1B Pablo Madera, of the Carolina Panthers, went 4 for 4 with 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, 2 runs, and a walk in a 6-2 win over the Vancouver Giants. Madera, who won the AL Boyce Rigg award in 2077, is currently batting .330 with 15 HRs and 60 RBIs… The Minnesota North Stars put an end to LF Palmer Parker’s (PHI) 27-game hitting streak… P-Squared is hitting a career-best .347 with 6 HRs and 31 RBIs so far in 2078. He’ll be a free agent in 2079.
73 of 162: Aiden Jensen (6-5, 3.97) @ Radoslav Borovsky (2-11, 7.79)
Win, 7-6. Aiden gave up only 3 runs over 7 innings of work and Barbaccia gave up another 3 in the bottom of the 9th but still found a way to walk away with the save… Rajkumar hit a GRAND SLAM, we got an RBI each from OH HONG, Zody, and McTaggart, and stole 2 bags (both belonged to McTaggart). So far, as expected – we’re 1-1 in 1-run games…
Elsewhere: Rad Taylor, of your
CITY OF COMPTON RAIDERS, gave our IL club a complete game, 5-hit, shutout tonight against the Austin Grackles – and earned a 1-0 win in the process. C Sueki Kojima, back in Compton since Dom’s return to the big club, drove in our only run on a double in the 5th inning…
74 of 162: Michael Brisk (5-4, 4.23) @ Mirko Samsonenko (2-2, 8.48)
Loss, 5-3. Brisky was more accurate with that miniature bottle of Jägermeister than he was with the pill today – 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, and 6 K’s were charged to his account in this one – Ethan went 1 for 4 with 2 K’s, OH HONG went 0 for 4 with 2 K’s, and Dontrell Gay went 0 for 4 with 2 K’s… that’s not how you get these things done. Rajkumar did field a pretty sweet OF Assist though – he caught C Yu-Jie trying to stretch an Ethan Cope single to 3rd and got caught with his hand in the honey pot.
Elsewhere: Megan’s boyfriend, RF Kirk Johnson, of your
CITY OF COMPTON RAIDERS, went 3 for 4, made it all the way to second-base once, hit a homer, and registered an RBI and a run… he’s living his best life right now, I’d say… Palmer Parker (PHI) got his groove back a little bit and exacted a small measure of revenge against the Minnesota North Stars in a 3 for 4 performance where he added a two-bagger, a dinger, 2 ribbies, 3 runs, and a free pass. Oh, and Philly won the tilt by a score of 7-3.
75 of 162: Paul Yeager (8-4, 4.12) @ Cliff Slavinski (5-4, 2.51)
Win, 4-1. Yeager gave us 6-innings, 9 K’s and didn’t allow a single runner to plate, Joshua Moeller earned a 2-inning hold, and Barbaccia, looking like a closer again, secured his 24th save of the season. 12th homer on the year for Ethan, Dontrell and McTaggart both drove one in, and Rajkumar plated twice for us in the win… we also committed three fielding flubs and still managed to get the win – Yeager, Goodwin, and Gay were the culprits and will not be allowed on the plane ride home.
Elsewhere: 1B Pablo Madera (CAR) was at it again in another 4 for 4 day with a
GRAND SLAM (5 total RBIs) and 2 runs in Carolina’s 8-5 win over the visiting Vancouver Giants – he also took player of the week honors in the American League, obviously… Former King, Tony Voorhis (
who we are missing right about now), went 3 for 4 with a two-bagger, 2 dingers, 5 riblets, and 2 runs in his Brooklyn clubs 7-1 victory over the San Francisco Seals – your boy is hitting .313 with 10 jacks and 57 RBIs so far in 2078… and also took home the Player of the Week award in the National League this week, obviously… After our split against Orlando City we’ve fallen back to 2nd place in the NL West – we are now an entire game off of Phoenix’s pace – the Suns swept Pittsburgh over the weekend and will arrive in Orlando as we are leaving to do battle against a City club that we’ve softened up for them.
We'll enjoy a day off before welcoming Brooklyn to LA for a 4-game set that will kick off with a rare double-header...