[Westheim]

Tony Hunter rejoined from the DL to begin the week, leading to us sending Steve Nickas, the .135 wonder, back to AAA with the greatest regrets.

Raccoons (47-45) @ Titans (40-51) – July 16-18, 2041

With six losses in a row the Titans were on the way down, but here were the Raccoons to lift them back up. Travels to Boston were usually fruitless for the Critters, and the Titans once more were up in the season series, 6-3. They were however in the bottom three in both runs scored and runs allowed in the Continental League.

Projected matchups:
Corey Mathers (0-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. Rich Willett (7-3, 2.57 ERA)
Josh Brown (8-3, 3.57 ERA) vs. Philip Wise (6-8, 5.40 ERA)
Nelson Moreno (6-8, 5.10 ERA) vs. Mario Gonzalez (8-7, 4.50 ERA)

We spotted a rare southpaw at the tail end of the series. The Titans also had a full set of outfielders on the DL, including Mark Vermillion (shoulder), Willie Vega (knee), Jimmy Wallace (ankle), and Moises Avila (abdominal strain). Only the latter might come off the DL while the series was in progress.

Game 1
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Morales – RF Ito – 2B Trevino – 1B Levis – P Mathers
BOS: CF Liceaga – 1B A. Zacarias – RF Kolbe – 2B M. Hurtado – SS Gil – C Guadalupe – 3B Nieblas – LF Celaya – P Willett

Before there were any runs, there was a 40-minute rain delay in the third inning that was certainly going to help the rookie not getting his intestines pulled out of his stuffed raccoon tummy and wrapped around his neck for suffocating purposes… The Raccoons had two hits the first time through, and Rich Willett faced the minimum; Morales wrapped up Maldonado in a double play, and Cosmo was caught stealing to negate a pair of leadoff singles. Mathers did not allow the first time through. Only Jacob Kolbe opened the hitting for Boston in the fourth inning. Mario Hurtado walked, but Antonio Gil hit into a double play to keep the game scoreless.

But at least Mathers was a fast learner, quickly realizing that this team was not going to score for him and that it was all on him alone to get something done, like when Rikuto Ito hit a triple to center in the fifth inning with one out. Cosmo struck out in a truly clutch performance, and Doug Levis was intentionally walked to bring up the pitcher. Mathers clipped a single past Gil to break the ice and give himself a 1-0 lead. Then Berto grounded out casually. All for naught, though – Rich Willett returned the favor in the bottom of the same inning, singling in Orlando Nieblas with two outs to tie the game. Mathers then leaked another single to Danny Liceaga, and Berto fumbled Alex Zacarias’ grounder to fill the bags for Kolbe, who smacked in two runs with a sharp single to left-center. Only Hurtado was retired, with Mathers now 3-1 behind, only one of the runs being earned. The latter number didn’t change in the sixth inning, but the Titans still went to 5-1. This time Tony Hunter committed a gross throwing error while Mathers gave up an RBI double to Nieblas and another 2-out RBI single to Willett, which stopped being funny at about this stage. Cosmo opened the seventh with a single, and Levis followed up with a double play grounder, which was apparently his favorite party trick. The Raccoons would not get another runner past first base in the game. Jeff Kilmer hit a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning against Gilberto Castillo, but it didn’t spark anything that could have been called a rally without being disingenuous. 5-1 Titans. Fernandez 2-4; Maldonado 2-4; Trevino 2-4; Kilmer (PH) 1-1;

Boston, huh?

Game 2
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Morales – 2B Trevino – RF Balaski – 1B Reyna – P Brown
BOS: CF Liceaga – 1B A. Zacarias – RF Kolbe – 2B M. Hurtado – C Guadalupe – SS Gil – LF Joseph – 3B Nieblas – P P. Wise

While Brown faced the minimum the first time through, walking Zacarias in the first before getting a double play out of Kolbe, the Raccoons coolly stranded five runners in the first three innings combined, getting in one run in the second inning when their 6-7-8 batters all singled. That was to begin the frame though, and after Brown bunted the runners into scoring position, Berto popped out and Hunter rolled out to strand the poor souls of Balaski and Reyna there. Nobody reached in the fourth for either team before the fifth began with singles by Berto and Tony Hunter. Manny popped out, but Maldonado filled the bases, reaching on a pair of errors. First Mario Guadalupe dropped a foul pop of his, then Gil threw his grounder to short away. Tony Morales got in a run on a 1-2 chomper that went slowly past Wise and had Hurtado hustle in, where he had no play as everybody advanced 90 feet. Cosmo added a run with a sac fly, while Balaski hit an RBI single to left to get the tally to 4-0 before Reyna struck out to strand another pair.

Then an hourlong rain delay ruined Brown’s mojo when he was still on a no-hitter. He got through five innings unharmed, but was clearly off by the sixth and lifted after a pair of singles with only one out. He threw only 69 pitches in the effort. Chuck Jones came through and got out of the inning without conceding a run. The Titans pen conceded two in the seventh, Maldonado opening with a hit and stealing second base, his eighth bag on the year and the second in this game. Cosmo and Reyna then landed RBI hits to get the score up to 6-0. Boston got one run off Travis Sims in the bottom 7th, which was well under expectations. Lindstrom and Hamill would deliver the last six outs without imploding. 6-1 Coons. Maldonado 2-5; Trevino 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Balaski 2-5, RBI; Reyna 2-4, 2 RBI; Brown 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, W (9-3);

…and now we’d give a tender rubber game to Nelson Moreno, who had been all on the wrong side of the falling piano for the last few weeks.

Game 3
POR: SS Hunter – CF Maldonado – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – RF Ito – 3B Trevino – 1B Levis – 2B Lando – P Moreno
BOS: CF Liceaga – 1B A. Zacarias – RF Kolbe – 2B M. Hurtado – SS Gil – C Guadalupe – 3B Nieblas – LF Rodela – P M. Gonzalez

…and it didn’t get any better, did it? Liceaga drew a leadoff walk and then Zacarias and Kolbe whipped singled. Liceaga circled around, but was thrown out at the plate by Maldonado. A grounder and a fly to left ended the inning, but the smell of another battered Raccoons sophomore hurler was in the air. Nevertheless, the Raccoons scored first when Nick Lando hit a leadoff double to right-center to begin the third inning and came around on two productive outs by Moreno and Hunter. Then Moreno got waffled for four singles and two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Through five innings and a light drizzle for the third day in a row in this soulless place, Nelson Moreno allowed eight hits and two walks, striking out absolutely nobody. Somehow the Titans didn’t score again even when they had the leadoff batter on in the fourth and fifth innings. The Critters tied the game behind him in the sixth. Maldo and Manny were on base before Kilmer axed another Titans outfielder when Alejandro Rodela went into a wild tumble catching his liner and had to be stretchered off and replaced by Lorenzo Celaya. Ito then came through with a game-tying RBI single to right, but Cosmo flew out to center to end the inning. Moreno lasted two more loud outs before Travis Zitzner – of all people – knocked him out with a pinch-hit 2-out single. Brent Clark then nailed Liceaga, but Zacarias grounded out to keep the game locked through six.

Brent Clark pitched the seventh, too, and hit a single at the bat in between, but it wasn’t like that would start a rally, was it? The Coons didn’t get any runners in the eighth or ninth, while Alex Ramirez and Chuck Jones held Boston close and sent the game to extra innings. Miguel Reyna, who had replaced Levis in a double switch and was batting ninth, and Hunter reached base in the 10th, but Maldonado flew out to left and Fernandez popped out to let it be. Jones held up in the bottom of the inning, allowing Jeff Kilmer to uncork a leadoff triple on a 1-2 pitch off Jesus Rodarte in the 11th inning. But now, boys! But now…! No. Ito lined out, and Cosmo and Berto both grounded out so poorly to keep a dejected Kilmer stranded at third base. Instead, bedeviled Tim Zimmerman walked the Titans off in the bottom of the inning – in the truest sense of the word. He walked Nieblas. He walked Celaya. He nailed Ernesto Huichapa. And he walked Liceaga. No outs were harmed in the making of that inning, only my feelings. 3-2 Titans. Kilmer 2-5, 3B; Reyna 1-1;

This ******* **** *** team.

Raccoons (48-47) @ Knights (48-48) – July 19-21, 2041

Sixth in runs scored and seventh in runs allowed, the Knights were crummy, but at least their run differential (-17) still beat the Critters’ (-48). Ah, the joy of fake teams. Atlanta led the season series, 2-1.

Projected matchups:
Drew Johnson (5-8, 3.38 ERA) vs. Bill Nichol (4-5, 4.28 ERA)
Bernie Chavez (6-8, 4.08 ERA) vs. Kurt Olson (3-6, 5.65 ERA)
Corey Mathers (0-1, 2.77 ERA) vs. Brad Santry (6-6, 2.70 ERA)

All right-handers coming up here.

Game 1
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Morales – 2B Trevino – RF Balaski – 1B Levis – P Johnson
ATL: CF N. Velez – 1B J. King – SS Crim – LF Inoa – C Horner – 2B Matos – RF Ledford – 3B B. Cruz – P Nichol

The Raccoons had Berto, Manny, and Maldo on in the first inning, but got only one run on Tony Morales’ groundout, while Drew Johnson shook himself up for two, throwing not one but TWO wild pitches to score Jamie King and Joe Crim, both of whom had hit singles off him. After that he mostly subsisted on good defense and a helping of luck, like in the fourth inning when a budding Knights jam hit a screeching halt as soon as Adam Horner lined into a double play, 3-unassisted. Meanwhile the Raccoons remained glued to their one run … and also one hit … from the first inning, all the way through six.

It was still 2-1 when Tony Morales opened the seventh with a double off the wall in rightfield. Cosmo singled, setting up runners on the corners, but I was done proclaiming “but now, boys!” – they always found a way to cram the cork back into the bottle, didn’t they? At least they tied the game, for a starter, with Bill Balaski beating Brad Ledford, former Raccoon, in rightfield for an RBI double. Levis added a run with a single up the middle. Johnson whiffed, but Berto made it 4-2 with a single to left before the inning ended with Hunter’s fly to center and Manny’s grounder to short. Johnson then responded by walking Horner to begin the bottom 7th. That inning ended with a liner by Ledford to Levis – AGAIN: 3-unassisted! Johnson logged only one more out before reaching 95 pitches and a chunk of lefty hitters. Wyatt Hamill was lightly used in recent weeks and thus was assigned the 5-out save. He allowed a single in the eighth, then another single in the ninth when Joe Crim landed a hit in left. PH Zachary Krumholz hit into a double play, and the Coons got the W nailed down with a K to Horner. 4-2 Raccoons. Morales 2-4, 2B, RBI; Johnson 7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W (6-8);

Game 2
POR: 3B Ramos – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – RF Balaski – 2B Trevino – 1B Levis – CF Reyna – P Chavez
ATL: CF N. Velez – 1B J. King – SS Crim – LF Inoa – C Horner – 2B Matos – RF Hester – 3B B. Cruz – P Olson

Bernie Chavez scored the first run of the game when Adam Horner fired a ball over Joe Crim, trying to nip Tony Hunter as he stole second base in the third inning. Bernie had opened the inning with a double to left. Berto singled, but was forced out by Hunter, who took his 23rd bag and helped that runner home at the same time, but was then left on third base. Then Bernie gave the Knights the lead in a span of just four batters. Jamie King homered off him in the fourth inning, which was just nature doing as nature does. Jamie King was able to take anybody deep. Then a soft single by Crim, a clueless walk to Luis Inoa, and then another goofball that Horner bombed for three runs…

Now, Portland re-tied that game at four in the following half-inning, but it took two Knights errors to get them that far. Hunter hit a 1-out single, was forced out by Manny, who went to third on Kilmer’s 2-out single to right. Billy Hester threw the ball away, allowing Manny to score and Kilmer to second base. Balaski then walked and Cosmo singled, with Kilmer scoring on the latter play, 4-3. Levis then rolled a ball in front of home plate that Horner threw away catastrophically, getting Balaski across to tie the score at four before the inning ended with an intentional walk and Bernie rolling over and out. The Coons then took the lead in the sixth … on a passed ball. Berto and Hunter set up camp on the corners with nobody out, and Horner had a ball elude him. If the Raccoons had had anything to them, they would have scored Hunter too, but they only loaded the bases with two outs and then had Doug Levis … strike out. The lead also didn’t last because a) Bernie put on another two batters in the bottom of the sixth, and b) Brent Clark was a terrible choice for coming in with two guys already on base. He walked PH Jose Garcia, then gave up the game-tying single to Nelson Velez. Somehow Jamie King didn’t hit a slam to center, but flew out to Reyna.

Portland took a new lead in the seventh; Maldonado had entered with Clark in a double switch, taking over for Levis at first base. He hit a double his first time up, then came around when Berto singled, 6-5. Rich Ray hit Hunter, and Manny singled to stuff the bags for Kilmer, who whiffed, and Balaski, who grounded out. (slams fist on bar counter, flustering several other patrons) Then Clark remained a nuisance to the tune of loading the bases in the bottom 7th, including two walks to lefty hitters. It was so bad that when Brad Ledford pinch-hit with three on and two outs, the Coons went to a right-hander to face him – Lindstrom – just to confuse the evil currents of the universe. A K and three stranded Knights seemed to prove us right. Then the Coons stranded Cosmo at third base in the top 8th and Lindstrom got waffled for a 2-out RBI double, tying the game off Joe Crim’s bat. At least Crim crumpled his foot sliding into second base and was replaced with Krumholz.

The Raccoons took ANOTHER lead in the ninth inning while I was hissing at former dismal Critters closer Rico Sanchez, sporting an ERA in the sixes. Jeff Kilmer got him in the sevens with a 2-out, 2-run jack to left, plating Hunter. The Knights’ response in the bottom 9th was to have Horner almost hit a homer to left, being caught on the track by Manny Fernandez, and then Jesus Matos *actually* hit a homer to left, cutting the gap to one run before Wyatt Hamill reconsidered his actions and got the final two outs in due order… 8-7 Coons. Ramos 3-6, RBI; Hunter 3-4, BB, 2B; Kilmer 2-6, HR, 2 RBI; Trevino 2-3, BB, RBI; Maldonado 1-2, 2B;

If you’re wondering, Adam Horner is a *decent* defensive catcher. He won a Gold Glove in the minors. But he gets to play because he can hit for an .800 OPS. He just had a “did I really walk around town with my zip fly open all day?” game.

Game 3
POR: SS Hunter – CF Maldonado – LF Fernandez – C Morales – 1B Levis – RF Ito – 3B Trawick – 2B Lando – P Mathers
ATL: CF N. Velez – 1B J. King – LF Inoa – 2B Matos – C Horner – RF Hester – 3B Zeltser – SS B. Cruz – P Santry

Portland scored before making an out as Hunter doubled to left and Maldo singled him in by going to right. Manny walked, but Morales flew out to center and Doug Levis did his special move and grounded into a 6-4-3. The rest of the team then stopped giving a lick, too, while Mathers, the rookie, was up against an almost entirely left-handed lineup – and didn’t allow a hit for his first 11 outs. Jesus Matos hit a single with two outs in the fourth, but Horner then popped out and the game score remained 1-0. In the fifth Mathers walked Bob Cruz and allowed a single to Santry, the opposing pitcher, all with two outs, but Nelson Velez flew out to Maldonado.

Unfortunately, Mathers was all on his own. The Raccoons didn’t reach scoring position again until Rikuto Ito doubled in the seventh, and was left on third base. He same inning, Mathers’ bid went bust when Hester and Bob Zeltser, another ex-Coon, reached base with a single and a double, respectively, and one out. Bob Cruz’ groundout tied the game, and when Andy Montes pinch-hit in the #9 spot, Chuck Jones replaced Mathers and struck out the hitter, sparing Mathers the loss. The Knights had a hit each off Jones and Ramirez in the eighth, but didn’t score, and instead Morales hit a leadoff single off Rico Sanchez in the ninth. Miguel Reyna ran for him and reached second base on a Levis single that didn’t leave the infield. Balaski batted for Ito and popped out, and Trawick grounded to Zeltser for a force on Reyna, but the other two runners survived. Next up was, with two gone, Nick Lando’s spot. Cosmo grabbed a stick, then shot a 2-0 pitch into the gap. Hester missed it, Velez didn’t reach it until the edge of the warning track, and two runs scored on the double! Kilmer singled for Ramirez, but Cosmo stopped at third, then was left there on Hunter’s groundout. Hamill had been used for eight outs in two days and the Raccoons sent Zimmerman instead against the bottom of the order. Hester and Zeltser both grounded out to Levis, and Cruz was rung up to complete the sweep. 3-1 Coons! Hunter 2-5, 2 2B; Trevino (PH) 1-1, 2B, 2 RBI; Kilmer (PH) 1-1; Mathers 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K;

In other news

July 16 – The Condors ship INF Chris Strohm (.276, 3 HR, 41 RBI) and a prospect to the Capitals for the services of SP Josh Long (7-6, 3.99 ERA).
July 16 – The Gold Sox grab an 11-6 comeback win over the Scorpions, plating ten runs in an endless eighth inning to pull off the feat. DEN OF Nelson Mercado (.266, 4 HR, 30 RBI) leads the charge with three hits and four RBI.
July 16 – A pinch-hit single by LVA INF Jason Bensinger (.286, 4 HR, 24 RBI) plates Nate Rossi (.237, 10 HR, 25 RBI) as the only run of, and ends the, Aces’ 11-inning, 1-0 win over the Thunder.
July 17 – New York SP Jeff Johnson (10-9, 3.41 ERA) 3-hits the Indians in a 5-0 shutout, whiffing ten batters.
July 18 – The Wolves lose their closer Miguel Salazar (2-1, 2.48 ERA, 24 SV) to a torn UCL that will keep him out for a full year.
July 18 – Salem also acquires INF Sergio Barcia (.291, 9 HR, 51 RBI) from the Bayhawks for four prospects and minor leaguers.

July 19 – CIN 1B Danny Santillano (.325, 13 HR, 56 RBI) goes yard off SAL MR Chris Tompkins (2-0, 2.57 ERA, 2 SV) in a 3-for-5 effort as the Cyclones beat the Wolves, 9-8. It is his 400th career home run. The 16-year player (in his first year outside the Miners organization) is a 6-time Player of the Year and first-ballot Hall of Famer with four home run titles, six batting titles, and acareer .331/.420/.535 slash line. He has driven in 1,512 runs in his career.
July 19 – San Francisco’s Mike Hall (.299, 2 HR, 39 RBI) has one hit in an 8-4 win over the Titans to extend his hitting streak to 20 games.
July 19 – As the Capitals beat the Gold Sox, 2-1, WAS SP Shaun Wardwell (7-5, 3.28 ERA) and four relievers deliver a combined 1-hitter. DEN SS Ryan Cox (.284, 2 HR, 12 RBI) offers a single for the only Denver hit.
July 19 – SAC LF/RF Mike Preble (.301, 12 HR, 61 RBI) goes yard for the only run in a 1-0 win over the Buffos.
July 20 – OCT SP Aaron Bryant (8-6, 4.48 ERA) 3-hits the Indians. Oklahoma wins 7-0 while Bryant strikes out eight in the game.
July 20 – The Titans deal right-hander Gilberto Castillo (2-4, 3.38 ERA, 14 SV) to the Falcons. The 39-year-old reliever yields four prospects.

FL Player of the Week: SFB/SAL INF Sergio Barcia (.294, 10 HR, 50 RBI), batting .524 (11-21) with 1 HR, 10 RBI while changing leagues
CL Player of the Week: ATL 2B Jesus Matos (.286, 7 HR, 38 RBI), hitting .409 (9-22) with 2 HR, 7 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Ah, a treacherous sweep on the weekend against the Knights, to make us think we got business in the division race. The Raccoons remain only 4 1/2 games out, and keep having too many holes to really attempt stuffing them.

Mathers has been a pleasant surprise so far and will continue to be so until he won’t be one no longer. That’s some baseball wisdom for you kids out there.

Then there’s the international teen boy bidding war going on for that Aussie pitcher. His name is Anthony Spooner and he’s a 16-year-old righty. He throws 91 right now with a strong mix of a cutter, curve, and slider, plus a complementary changeup. Scouts are raving about him. Heck, I rave about him. The price – without tax – reached almost $1M this week. With tax we’re actually up to $1.4M. That’s some coin for a 16-year-old kid with no track record that frankly looks like a stoner.

He also has a loose tongue, but since he’s from Australia we can never really understand what he says, so it’s fine, I guess.

Fun Fact: Only four ABL players have hit more home runs than Danny Santillano.

That would be Ron Alston (475), Raúl Vazquez (416), Gil Rockwell (412), and Dan Morris (408). They are all in the Hall of Fame, and none played during Santillano’s career. Rockwell was the closest, retiring in ’22, four years before Santillano’s debut.

The top 10 in the career leaderboard are completed by disgusting skunk weasel Shane Sanks (379), Martin Ortíz (377), Mike Rucker (376), Will Bailey (375), and Stanley Murphy (371). At least some of these, I swear, hit half their homers against the Critters…

The career top 10 hit a total of 112 homers for the Raccoons, split between Ron Alston (71), Stanley Murphy (22), and Gil Rockwell (19).