[Westheim]

Raccoons (81-75) @ Loggers (90-65) – September 23-25, 2041

All that was left for the hairy buggers this year was to spoil the party for the Loggers, who were two games up on the Crusaders with seven to play for both of them – not that we had done much spoiling to them in recent years, or this year (5-10 as of Monday morning). Both contenders would play the Titans; the Crusaders for four, the Loggers for three – and then the Loggers had a makeup game scheduled for *Monday* after the nominal end of the regular season. Milwaukee was fourth in runs scored, third in runs allowed, and second in homers and bullpen ERA. Their rotation was eighth in ERA.

Projected matchups:
Nelson Moreno (12-11, 4.71 ERA) vs. Adam Giovenco (10-5, 4.17 ERA)
Drew Johnson (6-15, 4.18 ERA) vs. Sergio Piedra (15-6, 3.04 ERA)
Bernie Chavez (11-11, 3.69 ERA) vs. Ron Purcell (4-3, 3.06 ERA)

Only right-handers expected here.

Game 1
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Morales – RF Balaski – 2B Trevino – 1B Goetz – P Moreno
MIL: RF Cannizzard – SS Del Vecchio – 1B Brayboy – 3B Paul – C F. Gomez – LF J. Nelson – CF Prestwood – 2B V. Acosta – P Giovenco

Manny Fernandez tried to get the spoiling started with a solo jack in the first inning, but there was some comfort in knowing that Nelson Moreno could get rid of any lead quickly – nothing quite like a reliable pitcher! Aaron Brayboy took him deep to right in the bottom 1st. Thanks to a Cosmo throwing error that had put Tim Cannizzard on base, that made it 2-1 Loggers already. The Logger reached 100 RBI on that shot. Tony Hunter would tie the score with a single in the third inning, scoring Art Goetz to get even, but the Raccoons then left both Hunter in scoring position as well as runners (Morales, Trevino) on the corners when Art Goetz flew out easily to right in the bottom 4th.

Bring back Manny, then – Fernandez hit another solo home run in the sixth inning, giving Portland a 3-2 lead. Moreno didn’t bobble that one immediately, but visibly came apart in the seventh inning. He hit Justin Nelson, walked Tyler Prestwood, and then was lifted for Chuck Jones with two outs against PH Joseph Ronan in the #9 hole. Jones entered mid-snack and had some fruitcake stuck on his snout that bothered him. He wiped at it, then absentmindedly licked his paw with one cleat on the rubber and was called out for a balk, advancing the runners into scoring position. At least he then got Ronan to pop out… Jones turned out less fortunate (or skilled?) in the eighth inning, serving up a game-tying homer to Brayboy, the annoying little brat. Tim Zimmerman finished the inning, then, after Cosmo had reached base and had managed to be caught stealing in the top of the ninth, gave up a leadoff double to Felipe Gomez in the bottom of the ninth. Hunter made a slick play on Nelson, Daniel Hertenstein grounded out softly, and Nick Duncan lifted the Loggers anyway with a clean single to center, securing the walkoff. 4-3 Loggers. Fernandez 2-3, BB, 2 HR, 2 RBI; Balaski 2-4; Goetz 2-3, BB; Moreno 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K;

The Crusaders beat the Titans, 5-4, leaving the gap between the top two at two games.

Game 2
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – 1B Maldonado – C Morales – RF Ito – 2B Trevino – CF Anderson – P Johnson
MIL: RF Cannizzard – SS Del Vecchio – 1B Brayboy – 3B Paul – LF Duncan – CF Hertenstein – C Sicco – 2B V. Acosta – P Piedra

While the Loggers hit some wild screamers off Drew Johnson in the early going and got doubles from Daniel Hertenstein, who was singled in by Valentino Sicco in the bottom 2nd, and Duncan – to score Jared Paul with two outs in the third – the Raccoons didn’t get a base hit until the fourth inning; that was an RBI single for Tony Morales, though, plating Berto from second base after Piedra had walked both him and Manny Fernandez. Ito also walked, loading the bags for Cosmo Trevino, who hit a wall tickler to left for a score-flipping 2-run double. Van Anderson was walked with intent and Johnson grounded out as the Raccoons batted through the order, but also stranded a full set.

Johnson hung on to the 3-2 lead, mainly thanks to some sharp defense behind him. The Loggers tickled ihm for a total of seven hits in six innings, and many more that looked like real trouble off the bat. Instead, the Raccoons loaded them up in the seventh inning against Piedra and then Cesar Perez, putting Cosmo, Anderson (singles), and Hunter (2-out walk) on base before Manny flicked a single to right to add a run to the tally. Maldonado added two with a single in right-center. Morales walked to reload the bases, but Ito left them loaded, flying out to left. The Loggers scratched out a run against Pointless Deadline Acquisition #2 in the bottom 7th, but Portland clawed it back in the eighth. Van Anderson doubled to left, Miguel Reyna singled to right to score him, 7-3. Berto and Hunter made the last two outs after that. Brent Clark and Juan Zabala did the remaining pitching to get the game in the books. 7-3 Raccoons. Maldonado 2-5, 2 RBI; Trevino 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Anderson 2-3, BB, 2B;

The only relief for the Loggers was the Crusaders’ 5-4 loss to the Titans, still keeping the gap at two games. With New York stripped of half their lineup now because of injuries (Briones, Alba, Besaw, Adame all on the DL) it was hard to see them getting any momentum built up again.

Game 3
POR: SS Hunter – 2B Trevino – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – C Kilmer – RF Reyna – 1B Goetz – 3B de Wit – P B. Chavez
MIL: RF Cannizzard – SS Del Vecchio – 1B Brayboy – 3B Paul – LF Duncan – C F. Gomez – CF Borchard – 2B V. Acosta – P Purcell

Tony Hunter singled, stole second, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a groundout to put the Loggers in a first-inning hole. Thankfully – for them – we had brought Bernie Chavez, whose last outing as a Critter saw the unfathomable Ted Del ******* reach on de Wit error – Aruba called three days’ national mourning immediately – a Brayboy single, a run-scoring groundout for Paul, and finally a mammoth shot to right by Nick Duncan, putting Milwaukee in the lead, 3-1. While those runs were all unearned, Bernie Chavez’ last Coons start still ended in shambles. A 5-run meltdown in the fourth inning would make sure of that. Paul and Duncan hit singles, Gomez raked a 3-run homer to left, and a walk to Adam Borchard, Cannizzard’s 2-out RBI single… and that was it. The Coons went to the pen, with the last run conceded on ******* Del Vecchio’s double off Regrettable Deadline Acquisition #2.

Down 8-1, the Raccoons did little to redeem themselves until the seventh inning, when a throwing error by Victor Acosta opened the door for a pair of unearned runs drive in by Hunter and Cosmo. While Jake White pitched two innings of garbage time relief, the Raccoons made up another run in the eighth inning. Nick Lando walked, stole a base, and came around on de Wit’s sac fly. That was all the rally they had in them, though – the ninth only saw Maldonado draw a walk against Brian Freels, but being ignored after that. 8-4 Loggers. Hunter 2-5, RBI; Fernandez 2-3, 2 BB; Ito (PH) 1-2; Lancaster 1-1; White 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

The gap out front remained the same – the Crusaders beat the Titans 5-3 on Wednesday.

But the Loggers didn’t play on Thursday (same as the Critters, who were bumbling down to Indiana). The Crusaders did – and lost to the Titans, 3-2. Boston had only two hits, but somehow that was enough to widen the Loggers’ berth to 2 1/2 games.

Raccoons (82-77) @ Indians (65-94) – September 27-29, 2041

Bottoms in runs scored, and third from the bottom in runs allowed – let’s just say both teams were glad the season was over. Let’s not hurt ourselves here, guys. The Coons were up 12-3 in the season series.

Projected matchups:
Josh Brown (14-6, 3.76 ERA) vs. Luke Moses (7-9, 4.23 ERA)
Corey Mathers (2-4, 2.68 ERA) vs. Ayden Cobb (7-11, 3.53 ERA)
Nelson Moreno (12-11, 4.59 ERA) vs. Manuel Herrera (9-14, 5.36 ERA)

…and we’d finish the year without seeing another left-hander!

Game 1
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – CF Maldonado – C Morales – LF Reyna – 2B Trevino – 1B Goetz – RF Balaski – P Brown
IND: SS Russ – 3B Hutson – C Mordino – RF Sanderfer – 1B Dodson – 2B E. Vargas – LF D. Gonzales – CF D. Rivera – P Moses

Neither team scored a run the first time through, but Luke Moses walked three Critters (he entered with 109 BB for the season), then added Berto to the list to begin the third inning. Hunter hit a double, and after Maldonado grounded out poorly, Morales hit a sac fly for the first run of the game. The lead wasn’t added to, nor would it last, with David Gonzales whacking a leadoff double in the fifth and scoring on two productive outs, the RBI going on Moses’ ledger. In between, Cosmo had stumbled and fallen on defense (it happens from time to time with old men, I hear) and had to be replaced by Lando, who then hit the second of two leadoff singles off Moses in the sixth inning, sending Miguel Reyna to third base, from where Goetz got him home with a sac fly, 2-1. Lando stole second, but was left on base.

Moses was done in the seventh after walking Berto and Hunter to begin the inning, giving him seven free passes (one intentional) on the day, and 116 for the year, fitting of a regular on a last-place team. By the way, the Raccoons didn’t score from two on, no outs, which was very much fitting of a fourth-place team…… The Indians countered with two singles off Brown in the bottom 7th, but also left their runners aboard, despite having the tying run on third base with out. Jeff Diaz popped out foul, and Dave Serrato grounded out to short.

Top 8th, runners on the corners, no outs. Lando walked and reached third base on Goetz’ single. Balaski whacked an RBI double, while Van Anderson hit for Brown and added a sac fly. Berto then singled home Balaski as the Indians churned through their pen, to no avail, as the Coons went up 5-1. In the ninth it was Reyna and Lando to park on base with nobody out before Goetz and Balaski both slapped RBI singles to center. Berto also hit an RBI single – after Manny Fernandez had rolled into a double play hitting for Zabala. Travis Sims then almost, but not bloody quite managed to blow a 7-run lead in the bottom 9th, putting three Arrowheads on base while they also struck out three times. 8-1 Raccoons. Ramos 2-4, 2 BB, 2 RBI; Hunter 3-4, BB, 2B; Lando 2-2, BB; Goetz 2-4, 2 RBI; Balaski 2-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Brown 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W (15-6);

The race kept going – the Loggers lost to the Titans, 6-1, while New York eked out a 3-1 win over the damn Elks, narrowing the gap to 1 1/2 games with 2 1/2 to play, while just in the last few days they had also shed pitcher Chris Inderrieden and replacement shortstop Tom Austin to injuries…

At this point, only the FL East was decided, and the FL West was still a 3-way race.

Game 2
POR: 3B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 1B Reyna – CF Anderson – RF Balaski – 2B Lando – P Mathers
IND: CF Crocker – RF M. Ochoa – 3B Hutson – LF D. Rivera – 1B Dodson – 2B Sanderfer – C Mordino – SS E. Vargas – P Cobb

Saturday brought the weirdest “pitching duel”, where both pitchers walked everybody’s legs off, but nobody could find a damn base hit in their bat racks. Mathers walked three in five innings and allowed one hit for no runs. The Coons had four walks and two hits, and also no runs. That changed only when Berto and Hunter reached base to begin the sixth inning. Two long fly ball outs by Manny and Kilmer brought Ramos around for the game’s first run on the board. Nick Crocker hit a leadoff single in the bottom 6th, but despite stealing his 28th bag of the year was left on second by his team as it limped to the season’s crudely drawn finish line. Mathers lasted seven innings on the 2-hitter, then was hit for to generate offense in the eighth – but not a lot happened on that front. Hunter was caught stealing to end the top 8th, while the bottom 8th was handled well enough by Zimmerman and Kelly. Fernando Nora retired the Coons 1-2-3 in the ninth, which brought Wyatt Hamill into a game again this year. Jeff Diaz singled, David Gonzales doubled, and the tying and winning runs were in scoring position with one out. In a full count, Pat Dodson looked at strike three. Then Dave Serrato, hitting all of .188, pinch-hit for Nora, hit a terrible roller to the left side. Jake Trawick – defensive replacement of the day – hustled in, flung bare-handed to first base – out! 1-0 Blighters. Ramos 0-1, 3 BB; Kilmer 0-2, BB, RBI; Mathers 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K, W (3-4);

The Loggers came apart in Boston (tell me about it) for the second day in a row, getting wet to the tune of an 8-2 loss. New York squeezed through the damn Elks once more, 3-2, to stay alive and well for Sunday, with that makeup game on Monday looming ever larger.

The Coons decided to no longer give a crap and filled the lineup with every sucker they had on the roster on Sunday. The only exception was Manny, who had a whack at 20 homers (being one short). Nels wasn’t happy when he saw the lineup, but I recommended that he could always toss a shutout and hit a homer himself.

Game 3
POR: 3B de Wit – C Lancaster – LF Fernandez – 1B Goetz – RF Ito – CF Anderson – 2B Lando – SS Nickas – P Moreno
IND: CF Crocker – RF M. Ochoa – LF D. Rivera – 1B Dodson – 2B Sanderfer – C Mordino – 3B Munoz – SS Russ – P M. Herrera

Homering did occur, but it was Jay de Wit to open the game. The isle of Aruba rose six feet out of the ocean when all Arubans jumped in the air simultaneously at the occurrence. Then Manny took Herrera deep as well, attaining #20 just like that. Now it was on Nels, who walked Crocker to start the Indians’ time at the dish, conceded the run on a Danny Rivera single, and also fumbled a ball for an error. Good, solid start. Future All Star. Andrew Russ’ double and an RBI single by the opposing pitcher then tied the game in the bottom 2nd.

While Moreno continued to be a mess and his pitch count shout up like a rocket, at least the defense started to help out and kept the game tied through four. In the fifth, Nickas hit a leadoff double (!), de Wit walked, and Manny dropped a 2-out RBI single to take the lead again. A walk to Goetz filled the bases, but Ito poked at the 3-1 and popped out to strand all of them.

97 pitches in five innings we deemed enough for Moreno, which somehow was enough to stay in position for the W as long as the pen wouldn’t collapse. Superfluous Deadline Acquisition #2 handed in a clean sixth to keep the 3-2 lead going, before Goetz and Ito reached base against Joe Robinson to begin the seventh. Van Anderson cracked an RBI double in the gap, and Nick Lando was walked INTENTIONALLY to get to Steve Nickas, and I couldn’t figure out which of these had to feel the weirdest at that stage. Nickas didn’t care, shot a 2-run double up the rightfield line, 6-2, while Lando got home on a pinch-hit sac fly by Berto, who was politely applauded by the home crowd of five people in section 26. Chuck Jones gave us one out, then the ball went to Rella, who got four before Jeff Diaz hit a 2-out single in the ninth. Why not bring a new reliever here, just to annoy people? Zack Kelly walked Crocker, but then got Mario Ochoa to ground out to complete the season. 7-2 Coons. De Wit 2-4, BB, HR, RBI; Fernandez 3-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Ito 2-4; Nickas 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI;

The Crusaders got an RBI triple from Ramon Sifuentes in the first inning, then rode that lonely run to conclusion of their final game of the year. The Loggers beat the Titans, 7-1, which meant that they would win the division with a win over the Thunder on Monday, else would get another chance against New York on Tuesday.

In other news

September 24 – In the middle of four playoff races, the 3000th career hit of CIN 1B Danny Santillano (.339, 23 HR, 93 RBI) goes almost unnoticed. Santillano, 35 years old, lands three hits in an 11-6 win over the Buffaloes, the first of them – a double – being the milestone hit off TOP SP Ricardo Ordas (11-10, 3.74 ERA). The 6-time Player of the Year Santillano is a career .332/.420/.537 hitter with 410 homers and 1,549 RBI.
September 25 – Rookie CIN 1B/3B Sebastian Copeland (.251, 4 HR, 32 RBI) punches the Cyclones’ playoff ticket with a walkoff single to beat the Buffaloes, 4-3.
September 25 – The Aces land SP Leonhart Becker (11-15, 3.91 ERA) from the Gold Sox in a waiver deal, parting with a non-prospect.
September 25 – A solo homer by DEN INF Ryan Johnston (.235, 3 HR, 14 RBI) is all the offense in their 1-0 win over the Pacifics.
September 28 – CHA CL Ray Andrews (10-5, 3.36 ERA, 38 SV) gets his 300th career save, shutting the door on the Thunder in a 2-1 Falcons win that simultaneously nails the CL South shut for Charlotte.
September 29 – Salem’s Armando Herrera (.327, 1 HR, 50 RBI) hits a sac fly in the 11th inning to beat the Scorpions, 5-4, and secure the FL West for the Wolves rather than having to go to a tie-breaker game against Dallas on Monday.
September 29 – The Falcons drop their regular season finale, 3-2 to the Thunder in 16 innings. The decision is brought about with an RBI double by OCT 2B Kevin Archinal (5-for-10, 0 HR, 1 RBI) off Charlotte’s Adam Messer (1-2, 4.08 ERA, 2 SV).
September 29 – LVA 3B/2B Doug Richardson (.241, 16 HR, 72 RBI) has five hits in the Aces’ 5-4 win over the Knights, four of them for extra bases with a triple and three doubles. He drives in one run.
September 30 – The Loggers score four runs in the sixth inning, then manage to weather the storm for a 4-3 win that clinches them the CL North on the after-Closing Day make-up day with the Thunder. MIL C Felipe Gomez (.279, 17 HR, 66 RBI) is 3-for-4 with 2 RBI as the Loggers’ standout in the division decider.

Complaints and stuff

(whiskers twitch angrily) … I smell Sauerkraut in the Continental League again…!!

Also, Dr. Padilla … we have to talk about this … what did you say? Cosmo broke his HIP!? – We’re talking about the guy with the ******* $3.8M player option for next year, right? – So is he going to be ready for Opening Day? – What do you mean, you are waiting for expert opinions on the matter?? What do we have YOU for??

Alright, alright – you are not an expert on old people injuries…

Tony Hunter won the stolen base title in the Continental League. Alex Adame had the nose ahead initially, but went down hurt in September, and Hunter *just* snuck past him in this final week. No other Critter won anything worth remembering.

Our strong September netted us nothing tangible and the #16 pick next season.

Fun Fact: With this sweep, we finished 15-3 over the Indians this year.

That is the best performance against a CL North opponent in 27 years, when we dominated the Loggers to the tune of 16-2.

Must have been about the rookie season of Berto and Cosmo…