[Westheim]

Raccoons (57-54) @ Canadiens (63-49) – August 5-7, 2041

The Raccoons were three 4-game splits into their season series with the despicable Elks, but that stuff was over now – only 3-game sets left, so now we’d play them until someone cried. Baseball is for winners anyway. Baseball is not for teams that split every 4-game set. Baseball is not for the Raccoons.

The damn Elks ranked first in the league in runs scored (and batting average, and homers, and …) and third in runs allowed, with a +108 run differential. In case you weren’t sure, the Raccoons were still solidly under being even even in run distribution, coming in with a -49 run differential.

Projected matchups:
Bernie Chavez (7-8, 4.01 ERA) vs. Matt Sealock (12-5, 2.98 ERA)
Terry Garrigan (1-1, 6.59 ERA) vs. Eric Weitz (10-8, 4.20 ERA)
Josh Brown (10-5, 3.84 ERA) vs. David Arias (7-5, 3.72 ERA)

Three right-handers coming up here. And while Johnny Lopez was now on the DL for Elk City, they had both of Jerry Outram and Dan Schneller more or less healthy for the first time in a good while… and yet none of them was in the lineup on Monday. In Schneller’s case the reason was still being tangled up on a rehab assignment.

Game 1
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Morales – 1B Goetz – 2B Trevino – RF Balaski – P Chavez
VAN: SS Obando – C Clemente – RF J. Becker – 1B DeVita – LF Jorgensen – 2B M. Roberts – CF Peralta – 3B R. Ashley – P Sealock

Singles by Cosmo, Balaski, and Berto amounted to the game’s first run in the third inning, but Hunter struck out and Fernandez flew out to Steve Jorgensen to keep it at that lone run. Art Goetz’ fumbling Ray Ashley’s grounder and a Guillermo Obando single got the damn Elks to the corners in the bottom of the inning, but Bernie got a 6-4-3 grounder from Timóteo Clemente to get out of the inning unharmed. Portland added a run in the fourth on another triplet of singles, this time by Maldo, who was forced out by Goetz, Cosmo, and Balaski.

Bernie looked *fine* through five innings, scattering three hits, but getting only two strikeouts while also walking nobody, and he had yet to send the outfielders racing towards the fences at breakneck speed. But the bottom 6th began with Obando singling to right, stealing second, and reaching third on a Clemente single, putting the damn Elks on the corners with the tying runs and nobody out. Justin Becker singled through the hole on the left side to cut the lead in half, and Marc DeVita’s grounder to short for a fielder’s choice moved Clemente to third base. …and then Jorgensen stabbed a ball to Cosmo for a 4-6-3 double play, keeping the Raccoons afloat, just barely. The damn Elks were on the corners again in the seventh, though, with Antonio Peralta walking and PH Matt Dear hitting a single. With Roy Pincus pinch-hitting, the Raccoons brought a new right-hander. Lindstrom nailed Pincus to load the bags, then struck out Obando before with two outs, Clemente drilled a long ball to left. Long, longer – caught by Manny Fernandez at the top of the ******* fence!! I almost fell off my couch at home in relief. But, boys, how about an insurance run, or two, or six??

Nah. Jordan Calderon retired them in order in the top 8th, while Becker opened the bottom of the inning with a single off Lindstrom. He advanced twice on grounders before the Raccoons sent Brent Clark after the .122 lefty Matt Roberts, getting an easy first-pitch grounder to Cosmo. Top 9th: Morales grounded out against Calderon, who then got to see a few righty pinch-hitters to see how he’d like them apples. He walked Rikuto Ito, then allowed a single to Cosmo before Kilmer batted for Balaski. Kilmer ran the count full before hitting a looper up the leftfield line that dropped mere inches from the chalk, but clearly fair, and became an RBI double! Jake Trawick was intentionally walked when he hit for Clark, loading the bags for Berto, who whipped a single up the middle, 4-1. The inning ended with a Hunter sac fly and Manny whiffing against new pitcher Michael Donovan. Tim Zimmerman then ended the game without major fuss – a 2-out single by Victor Vazquez being all the damn Elks amounted to – in the bottom of the ninth. 5-1 Raccoons. Ramos 2-5, 2 RBI; Trevino 3-4; Balaski 2-3, RBI; Kilmer (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI; Chavez 6.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (8-8);

Jerry Outram never got into the game, which could have taken a very different course if they had gotten a 3-run homer from him at one of many, many, maaany junctions where they were parked up on the corners and then choked.

Game 2
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Morales – 2B Trevino – 1B Reyna – RF Balaski – P Garrigan
VAN: SS Obando – C Clemente – CF Outram – 1B DeVita – LF Jorgensen – 2B M. Roberts – RF V. Vazquez – 3B Meehan – P Weitz

The Coons hoped for basic decency in Garrigan’s spot start, but he already expended almost 30 pitches in the opening inning, in which the Canadiens never reached third base. Instead, Portland took a lead in the top 2nd, which began with Maldonado plunked. Cosmo walked, Reyna skipped an RBI single, and so did Balaski. Garrigan grounded to Roberts, who misfiled the ball for a run-scoring error. Berto popped out to Jorgensen, but Tony Hunter shoved a ball up the middle for an RBI single with two outs, 4-0. Manny singled to load the bases, but Maldonado popped out to strand a full set. The damn Elks then right away hit two singles off Garrigan in the bottom 2nd, but Jamie Meehan – a veteran AAA player last seen in the majors with the ’36 Loggers! – hit into a double play and Weitz struck out in a full count, the fifth full count Garrigan ran on the damn Elks in the game…

It was all too obvious that this could not go well. In the third inning, the damn Elks shattered the Raccoons’ lead, scoring four runs on four spicily laced hits, starting with a Guillermo Obando triple. Two singles, a DeVita double and advance on a throw to home plate, and Jorgensen’s sac fly later, we were all even at four. The Elks added a run when Outram (there he was…!) singled home Obando in the fourth inning, then another one when Matt Roberts hit a single and Garrigan walked the next four batters in the bottom of the fifth – that included a bases-loaded walk to Eric Weitz, which was also the end for Garrigan. Jon Craig, the other pointless deadline acquisition, came in and at least kept the game close with a K to Obando and a fly to right from Clemente, stranding the bases loaded in a 6-4 game.

The only problem for the Critters was that they had no base hits off Weitz ever after rushing him for four in the second inning. They didn’t reach scoring position again until – briefly – in the eighth inning when Manny Fernandez socked a homer to right, a solo shot of course. That narrowed the game to 6-5, with Tim Zimmerman retiring the 1-2-3 in order in the bottom 8th to allow for a comeback against Josh Boles, ex-Coon. Cosmo opened with a single, then was forced out by Reyna right away. Art Goetz hit for Zimmerman in the #8 spot, but flew out easily to Outram. Ito whiffed to end the game. 6-5 Canadiens. Fernandez 3-4, HR, RBI;

Well, Honeypaws, we saw that coming, didn’t we? (nods along with Honeypaws)

Game 3
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Kilmer – 2B Trevino – 1B Goetz – RF Ito – P Brown
VAN: SS Obando – 3B R. Ashley – CF Outram – RF J. Becker – LF Jorgensen – 1B DeVita – C Dear – 2B M. Roberts – P D. Arias

Brown bled three hits and a run in the first, Ray Ashley singling home Obando after a leadoff double. He was also the first Brownshirt to reach base, which made me sigh and accept defeat. Obando scored again in the bottom 3rd on a single, stolen base, throwing error by Kilmer, and then Outram’s 2-out single. I resigned myself to fate and sunk deeper into the cushions with Honeypaws tightly clenched to my chest.

Technically, this was too soon, though. Come the fourth, Art Goetz rammed a ball into the gap with two outs and scored Kilmer and Cosmo to tie the game at two. The Coons even took a 3-2 lead in the fifth, an inning in which they stole three bases and still somehow only scored one run. Berto reached base initially, but was forced out by Tony Hunter, who stole second and scored on a Manny Fernandez single. Maldo reached base, both pulled off a double steal, but Kilmer fanned and Cosmo floated a pop behind Ray Ashley that ended the inning. Then the .133 batter Roberts whacked a leadoff double up the rightfield line and was brought around to score to tie the game in the bottom of the inning… This led to Brent Clark being brought in when the Raccoons held a 4-3 lead on an Ito homer in the sixth, and Brown shuffled the bases full with two outs and the left-handed scrap hitter approaching again. This time he chased Ito into the gap – but the ball was caught and the damn Elks were denied for the time being. It was hard to watch though, and I covered my eyes with Honeypaws at times.

Manny added length with a solo homer to right in the seventh that knocked out Arias in a 5-3 game. That lead was expertly blown by David Lindstrom in the bottom 7th, allowing singles to Clemente and Obando, a booming game-tying double to Outram, and then another RBI single to Jorgensen. The eighth was uneventful, meaning another chance to do nothing against Josh Boles in the ninth inning of a 6-5 game. Trawick led off as pinch-hitter, the only right-hander we could find. He grounded out. Berto flew out to left. Hunter popped out. 6-5 Canadiens. Ramos 2-5; Fernandez 2-5, HR, 2 RBI;

Thanks for bringing me the phone, Honeypaws. I need to … (dials) … Yes, hello? Dr. Zwiebelkopf? – Did you see the Raccoons game? I need an emergency session!

Raccoons (58-56) @ Wolves (65-49) – August 9-11, 2041

We’d complete our Pacific Northwest tour with a 3-game set in Salem, where I rejoined the team on Friday after Dr. Zwiebelkopf talked me off the ledge on Thursday. The Wolves were chasing the reborn Scorpions in the FL West, and entered the weekend 3 1/2 games out. They were second in runs scored, but third from the bottom in runs allowed in the Federal League, which sounded nothing like the Wolves. But their vaunted pitching had fallen apart over the last 12 months, and now their rotation was mostly Ryan Bedrosian (13-7, 2.84 ERA) and hopes for better days. We had last played them in ’39, losing two of three.

Projected matchups:
Nelson Moreno (8-8, 4.87 ERA) vs. Miguel Montoya (2-0, 4.74 ERA)
Drew Johnson (6-9, 3.92 ERA) vs. John Gano (7-8, 4.71 ERA)
Bernie Chavez (8-8, 3.90 ERA) vs. Kyle Dominy (10-9, 4.85 ERA)

All right-handers here. The Wolves also had a flurry of injuries not limited to pitchers (Joe Hicks, Joe Dishon, Jon Pereira…), but also infielders Bob Mancini and Sergio Barcia. Jose Castro, standout defensive shortstop, was not on the DL, but still dealt with a bum shoulder.

Game 1
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Kilmer – 2B Trevino – 1B Goetz – RF Balaski – P Moreno
SAL: RF Kristoff – CF A. Herrera – LF J. Rivera – C Kuhlmann – 1B B. Jenkins – 2B A. Castillo – 3B Bunyon – SS Camden – P M. Montoya

The spot starter Montoya scattered runners everywhere, but the Raccoons initially only scored on a solo homer by Art Goetz, not hitting in the clutch in the slightest. Moreno was well behind after four innings, having surrendered the tying run on Brad Jenkins’ leadoff double and two productive outs in the second inning, then two more runs on just getting waffled around in the fourth inning, where Alex Castillo and Donovan Bunyon, replacement infielders, both knocked 2-out RBI hits. Moreno then erred on base himself with a leadoff single in the fifth inning. Berto and Manny joined him there, bringing up Maldonado with three aboard and one gone. After a grounder to short it was none aboard and three gone, 6-4-3. Instead, the Wolves added two runs with three straight 2-out hits off hopeless Nelson Moreno in the bottom 5th. Jose Rivera singled, Morgan Kuhlmann doubled, and Bill Jenkins scored the both of them with a single to right.

The Coons looked beaten, trailing 5-1 through six with Moreno long sent to the showers. Miguel Reyna pinch-hit for Brent Clark in the #9 hole to open the seventh inning and drew a walk from Montoya. Berto singled, sending him to third base. Hunter singled, scoring Reyna. The tying run was thus at the plate with nobody out, but Manny grounded out (advancing the runners) and Maldo was brushed by a pitch to load the bases for Kilmer, who turned three on and one gone into … yes, 4-6-3.

Because failing twice was not enough, the Raccoons opened the eighth with singles by Cosmo and Goetz off Russell Maratta. Bill Balaski drove a ball *all the way* to the fence… where it was caught by Rai Higashi. Reyna hit a sac fly, but Berto popped out to Alex Castillo. Tony Hunter would draw a leadoff walk in the ninth… and also never left first base. 5-3 Wolves. Fernandez 2-5; Trevino 2-4; Goetz 2-4, HR, RBI;

Game 2
POR: SS Hunter – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Morales – 1B Goetz – RF Balaski – 3B Trawick – P Johnson
SAL: RF Kristoff – CF A. Herrera – C Kuhlmann – 1B B. Jenkins – 2B A. Castillo – LF Higashi – 3B Camden – SS J. Castro – P Gano

The Wolves built a 4-0 lead in four innings by hitting a few singles alright, but mostly waited for the Raccoons to pull a stupid move. The Raccoons did so three times, collecting that many errors on terrible throws to some base or other. One was on Johnson, two on Morales, not that there was much of a point in absolving one over the other. The Coons had only two hits through five innings, effortlessly rolling over for their fourth loss in a row. When the Raccoons did score a run in the seventh inning, it was a wild pitch by Gano that brought Manny Fernandez – leadoff double! – across from third base with two outs and two strikes on Art Goetz (who obviously struck out). Justin Kristoff countered with a homer thumped off Johnson to begin the bottom of the inning, restoring a 4-run gap, and screaming extra-base hits by Kuhlmann and Jenkins added another run before Lindstrom replaced Johnson and surrendered the seventh run on Castillo whacking a double. The Coons got another run in the eighth, Trawick coming across on not one, but TWO wild pitches by Gano. TWO ******* WILD PITCHES!! That was all the Critters amounted to on Saturday, when they also first dropped out of the division race by double digits. 7-2 Wolves. Trawick 1-2, BB;

Not saying that we still had a chance here. Just saying it’s double digits now.

Game 3
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – 1B Maldonado – C Morales – 2B Trevino – RF Ito – CF Reyna – P Chavez
SAL: RF Kristoff – CF A. Herrera – LF J. Rivera – C Kuhlmann – 1B B. Jenkins – 2B A. Castillo – 3B Bunyon – SS J. Castro – P Bedrosian

As a reward for losing four in a row while being entirely harmless, the Raccoons got to face Wolves ace Ryan Bedrosian on Sunday. Bernie meanwhile walked Jenkins before giving up a homer to Castillo in the bottom 2nd, which seamlessly got the Raccoons into the trailing role again. He walked two more – Bunyon and Castro – before giving up a sac fly to Justin Kristoff in the fifth inning. The Raccoons meanwhile… did absolutely nothing. Bedrosian allowed one single (to Hunter) and two walks (Berto, Ito), and apart from that was just clicking off batters. Hunter hit another single in the sixth, with two outs, and was stranded by Fernandez grounding out to second base. The bottom of the inning saw a leadoff single by Rivera, and Bernie walked the bases full. Castillo hit into a 3-6-1 double play that scored Rivera to make it 4-0, and Bernie was shanked after walking Bunyon, his SIXTH walk in the game against one strikeout. Alex Ramirez struck out Castro to at least get out of the ******* inning. None of this made the miserable Raccoons hit any better. They had no runners in the seventh, and they had no runners in the eighth. They got the top of the order up for the ninth inning, facing Bedrosian on 99 pitches. Berto grounded out to second. Hunter flew out to center. And Manny went out on strikes. 4-0 Wolves. Hunter 2-4;

In other news

August 5 – OCT INF Al Martell (.238, 6 HR, 29 RBI) drives in five runs on three hits and two walks while the Thunder soak the Condors, 14-4.
August 6 – Pacifics 1B/OF Brandon Murphy (.269, 1 HR, 5 RBI) hits for the cycle in a 12-6 win over the Scorpions. Murphy, 28, drives in two runs in his 4-for-5 performance that includes his second career home run in just under 300 career at-bats. He is the fourth Pacific ever to hit for the cycle and the first since Mark Thompson in 2020.
August 6 – WAS SP Jerry Banda (10-8, 3.43 ERA) is likely out for the season with a torn meniscus.
August 7 – Dallas infielder Jose Rivas (.343, 1 HR, 44 RBI) slaps five singles for four runs batted in as the Stars batter the Gold Sox, 16-4.
August 8 – PIT CF/LF Kevin Burch (.291, 8 HR, 57 RBI) should miss a month with a sprained ankle.
August 10 – Boston left-hander Jesus Rodarte (5-10, 4.67 ERA, 7 SV) was going to miss a full year with a torn rotator cuff.

FL Player of the Week: SAC LF/SS Jesus Banuelas (.320, 3 HR, 46 RBI), hitting .516 (16-31) with 8 RBI
CL Player of the Week: SFB OF Mike Hall (.312, 2 HR, 53 RBI), batting .469 (15-32) with 5 RBI

Complaints and stuff

I’m not saying that you should be hung from the highest tree for refusing to pick up arms for your colors, but goddamnit, where was the offense on the weekend??? Dismal rabble, refusing to fight!

That was of course after the pitching had gone missing in Elk City. Bernie did fine on Monday. By Sunday, Bernie was a walk machine.

Obviously, there’s nothing but a 45-game string to play out here. We will just briefly stop over in Portland next week, hosting the Rebs for the final interleague meeting of the year (sour look) before going back out east for series in Milwaukee and Boston.

Art Goetz has the best OPS on staff (minus Brent Clark, tee-hee), but last year we thought Bill Balaski might be that random hit that we rarely ever seem to get, and now this year he’s perfectly replacement level. And that’s the people the Raccoons are giving 300+ at-bats to again…

Fun Fact: Ryan Bedrosian pitched only his second career shutout on Sunday.

Of course against the Raccoons. Don’t they all? His other came with San Fran last summer, mere minutes after being traded out of Portland for the Waters/Wheatley combo that has yet to tear out any trees in the minors.