[Westheim]

Raccoons (1-5) vs. Falcons (4-2) – April 14-16, 2042

First series at home and the Raccoons were already in disarray. Good times! The Falcons led the South after the first week of the season, but had been hitting only .217 – baseball is a funny bugger. They were eighth in runs scored and third in runs allowed. We had lost last year’s season series, 4-5.

Projected matchups:
Josh Brown (0-1, 6.00 ERA) vs. Jose de Lucio (1-0, 2.25 ERA)
Jake Jackson (0-1, 5.14 ERA) vs. Corey Booth (1-0, 3.38 ERA)
TBD vs. Oscar Flores (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

We would get all right-handers here. Nelson Moreno’s start would be on Wednesday, but he has a sore back. Thursday is off, so instead of wonky roster moves we might send Corey Mathers on short rest. Mathers threw 101 pitches on Saturday, though.

Game 1
CHA: 3B Obando – RF C. Robinson – SS Aparicio – C M. Cook – LF Esperanza – CF Case – 2B Farfan – 1B Sarro – P de Lucio
POR: 1B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – 3B Maldonado – CF Romero – RF Reyna – C Kilmer – 2B Gutierrez – P Brown

Carlos Cortes was not in the starting lineup, but entered the game in the second inning as an injury replacement for Tony Romero – Reyna shifted to center – who tweaked a leg on a leadoff double to center. Reyna’s grounder and Kilmer’s sac fly to Seth Case brought Cortes around for the game’s first run. Brown retired seven in a row before Dan Sarro singled in the third inning. He then walked the bases full with Guillermo Obando and Chris Robinson before getting Tony Aparicio to kindly ground out. Kilmer got another RBI in the bottom 4th, singling home Miguel Reyna, who had forced out Maldonado and stolen second base. When a clumsy error by Chris Robinson added Omar Gutierrez to the bases and sent both runners to scoring position, Brown came through with a zinger to right-center for a 2-run single, extending the lead to 4-0. Berto singled, Hunter walked, and Manny remained absent when it came to driving in runs, popping out in foul ground.

The Falcons remained shut out through five, before a Gutierrez error got them a start in the sixth inning. They got Aparicio and Mitch Cook into scoring position, and Ruben Esperanza doubled in both of them, cutting the Raccoons’ lead in half. I made unhappy noises and refused Maud’s “All Will Be Well” branded, honey-laced tea. Brown somehow found out of the inning despite walking Jose Farfan, stranding the tying runs on the corners when Sarro grounded out and completed seven innings of 2-run ball (one run being earned). De Lucio lasted eight, keeping the Critters to what they had, while Alex Ramirez allowed only a single to Esperanza in the eighth. The ninth saw the first appearance of the year for Wyatt Hamill, who had to travel three different countries before seeing action. He showed no rust and sat down three in a row to end the game. 4-2 Coons. Romero 1-1, 2B; Kilmer 1-2, 2 RBI; Brown 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, W (1-1) and 1-3, 2 RBI;

Dr. Padilla reported a mild hip strain for Tony Romero that might bother him all week and recommended only light duty for him.

No Raccoon did any duty on Tuesday, when ill weather precluded baseball activities, scheduling a double header for Wednesday. On the plus side, Nelson Moreno *did* report for duty on Wednesday, so we didn’t have to worry about that on top of everything else. Jackson remained in the first game of the day, and we’d spread the love around a bit on the roster.

Game 2
CHA: 2B Shay – RF C. Robinson – SS Aparicio – C Kokoszka – 3B Farfan – LF Esperanza – 1B Sarro – CF Case – P Booth
POR: 1B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – 3B Maldonado – CF Reyna – RF Cortes – C Wilson – 2B Lando – P Jackson

Berto singled, Hunter doubled, and Manny at least hit a sac fly for the first run of the game, right in the first inning. Maldonado struck out before a wild pitch advanced Hunter to third base. There was no difference from that in the end, with Reyna whacking a homer to right-center for a 3-0 lead one way or another. So while we felt good about that for a while, the Raccoons didn’t tack on, then saw Jake Jackson explode in the fourth inning. Robinson hit a homer to right, Chris Kokoszka doubled, scored on Farfan’s single, and then they kept whacking singles until they had four runs on the board and Booth made the final out. Portland got Reyna and Wilson to the corners in the bottom 4th, but then had Nick Lando ground into an inning-ending double play. It would probably only get worse the next inning; Jackson led off with a single to center and Berto and Hunter also shoveled their bums aboard to give Manny three on and nobody out. He grounded to short, but Aparicio had to come in and could only get the out at first base, so that at last evened the score at four. Maldonado hit another run-scoring groundout, and Reyna grounded out to short to keep Hunter stranded at third base in a 5-4 game.

Jackson hung around for seven innings, striking out the side in his final frame, which made the 4-run fourth all the more bitter on the tongue, and on the soul too. Brent Clark then blew the lead by hanging a baseball that was peppered out of sight by the first batter he saw in the eighth, Adam Shay, and walked Robinson, who was run for by Angelo Rios, who came around to score on a Farfan single off Josh Rella with two outs, aaand the Coons trailed again…! Down 6-5 in the bottom 9th and facing right-hander Marcus Goode, the Raccoons sent de Wit to bat for Lando to start the inning, netting a single for their troubles. Jeff Kilmer then batted for Chuck Jones in the #9 hole. He got a fat one – and he got ALL of it, ending the game with a monstrous homer to left-center! 7-6 Critters! Ramos 2-4; Wilson 2-4; de Wit (PH) 1-1; Kilmer (PH) 1-1, HR, 2 RBI;

After that mess of a game, the Raccoons retained four relievers to back up Nelson Moreno (0-0, 10.38 ERA) in the second game of the day: Hamill, Ramirez, Craig, and Kelly;

Game 3
CHA: 2B Shay – RF C. Robinson – SS Aparicio – 3B Farfan – LF Esperanza – 1B Sarro – C M. Cook – CF Case – P O. Flores
POR: CF Reyna – 3B de Wit – LF Fernandez – 1B Maldonado – 1B Maldonado – RF Cortes – C Kilmer – 2B Gutierrez – SS Nickas – P Moreno

Neither team made it past first base until the third inning, when Reyna hit a 2-out single for the Critters, and Jay de Wit cause and all-Aruba frenzy with a 2-run homer to left-center! Manny made it back-to-back with a shot to right, giving Nelson Moreno a 3-0 lead. Nels had only allowed one single and had whiffed two in the first three innings, so maybe this outing would not develop into quite the nightma- oh, **** it, Jose Farfan just hit one out.

De Wit and Manny went back-to-back again in the fifth inning, but then with singles. And with de Wit being thrown out at third base by Robinson. And with Manny stranded by Maldonado. And no runs scored. Instead, Moreno blew the lead in the sixth, conceding singles to Flores (…), who was forced out by Shay, and to Robinson. He plated one run with a wild pitch, and the other came in on Aparicio’s groundout… there was just no reasoning with this kid…

He lived through seven without earning (or deserving) a decision, with the Raccoons having Berto pinch-hit for him after Nickas’ leadoff single in the bottom 7th. Berto spanked into a 6-4-3, and that was that. Ramirez then nailed Seth Case to begin the eighth, but Obando also hit into a double play. Here were two former speed demons, who now were just old and sad. At least they were spread equally between the teams. Berto was actually fat enough to spread between both dugouts… The Coons in the bottom 8th played hit-and-run with Manny on first and Maldo batting. Maldo lined out to Farfan, who turned the 5-3 double play. Ramirez and Hamill kept the game tied to bring Kilmer back for more heroics – hopefully – leading off the bottom 9th against Bryan Carmichael in a tied game. He struck out, and Gutierrez and Nickas were no more useful than him in keeping the game from going to extras. Hamill struck out the side in the 10th before being hit for, his spot leading off the bottom of the inning. The Coons sent Romero, who walked and took it easy when Reyna singled up the middle and stopped at second base. De Wit was then used to bunt. He dropped the ball near the third base line, a pretty good one actually, and Farfan hadn’t seen it coming. He had to make a bare-handed play and zinged the ball past Sarro at first base, and Romero dashed home to end the game on the error! 4-3 Raccoons! Reyna 3-5, 2B; de Wit 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Fernandez 3-4, HR, RBI; Hamill 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, W (1-0);

WHATEVER WORKS!! (jumps around Cristiano and Maud doing an expressionist dance)

Raccoons (4-5) vs. Titans (3-6) – April 18-20, 2042

There was trouble on the horizon for Boston. Although it was early days, they were 11th in both runs scored and runs allowed, had the worst rotation, were bottoms in home runs AND stolen bases, and there were a couple other red flags, too. But then they were the team the Raccoons had their absolute worst record against all-time, so they knew a thing about us we probably didn’t know about ourselves… Last year we had dropped the season series once more, 8-10.

Projected matchups:
Corey Mathers (0-1, 4.26 ERA) vs. Philip Wise (0-1, 9.72 ERA)
Rich Willett (1-1, 1.98 ERA) vs. Mario Gonzalez (0-1, 3.65 ERA)
Josh Brown (1-1, 3.46 ERA) vs. Michael Donovan (0-0, 5.06 ERA)

Right, left, left, although they had also had yesterday off, so they could skip another righty into the series. Tony Romero was questionable to start the series, but would be available for pinch-hitting.

Game 1
BOS: 2B J. Rodriguez – 1B A. Zacarias – CF Vermillion – RF M. Avila – SS Duenez – C Kuehn – LF Hooge – 3B J. Nelson – P P. Wise
POR: 1B Ramos – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – 3B Maldonado – CF Reyna – C Kilmer – RF Cortes – 2B Gutierrez – P Mathers

Juan Rodriguez, Alex Zacarias, and Mark Vermillion all greeted Mathers with sharp base hits for a run with nobody out, but they were then also stranded on the corners when Moises Avila whiffed, Mario Duenez popped out, and Paul Kuehn flew out easily to center. The Titans wasted another three runners between the next two innings, then got home runs from Kuehn and Wise (…) to run the tally to 3-0 in the fourth inning. At that point, in hits, the tally was Boston eight, Portland zip. Tony Hunter singled to center for the first entry into Portland’s H column, a leadoff hit in the bottom 4th. He then stole second and scored on a Maldonado double, but two grounders ended the inning before an actual rally could break out.

Mathers finished an otherwise poor outing with two hitless innings to keep the score at 3-1, while Hunter was on base again to begin the bottom 6th, reaching on a 2-base throwing error by Mario Duenez. He would score on a pair of wild pitches while Manny whiffed and Maldo got drilled; the latter wild pitch also sent Maldonado into scoring position. He was still stranded when Reyna grounded out and Kilmer lined out to Duenez… and in turn a run was shaken out of Zack Kelly between two hits and a Cortes error in the top 7th.

Bottom 7th, the tying runs were on base with nobody out; Cortes singled off Chris Haskell, and Gutierrez drew a walk. De Wit was in the #9 hole after a double switch (Reyna was gone), but flew out to center. Berto flew out to right, and Hunter grounded out to second to throw the inning away. Boston scored another run on Jon Craig in the eighth. Duenez and Ed Hooge, who had so far been greated warmly by the crowd, hit singles, and Justin Nelson hit a sac fly. That deepened the hole to 5-2 and there was no real rally hope anymore… in me at least; the team drew two walks off two pitchers to begin the bottom 8th, putting Manny and Maldo on base for Tony Romero, pinch-hitting for Craig. Jerry Hodges walked Romero, too, and the bases were loaded for Kilmer, batting a scary .107. He ran a full count before whacking a Hodges pitch to left for an RBI single, 5-3. (covers his eyes with his paws) Can I look, Slappy? [Cortes hits into run-scoring double play] Okay, no. (presses paws on eyes harder) When lefty Gabe Butler replaced Hodges, Lando batted for Gutierrez, but flew out to center, stranding the tying run on third base, and the Titans then just piled another two runs on Rella in the ninth inning, which started with a Ramos error at first base and continued with four base hits until I had no more tears to cry. 7-4 Titans. Maldonado 1-2, BB, 2B, RBI;

Game 2
BOS: 2B J. Rodriguez – 1B A. Zacarias – LF W. Vega – CF Vermillion – RF M. Avila – C Kuehn – SS Duenez – 3B J. Nelson – P Donovan
POR: 3B de Wit – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – CF Maldonado – 1B Cortes – RF Reyna – C Kilmer – 2B Lando – P Willett

The lefty offered up for Saturday was Donovan rather than Gonzalez, so we’d see what would happen from there, but for now the Raccoons scored in the first inning, getting three singles from de Wit (who was forced out by Hunter), Maldonado, and Cortes (who got the RBI). Reyna walked to fill the bases, and Kilmer flew out to Willie Vega in deep left to keep them loaded… Willett retired his former team in order the first time through, while the Coons had Manny and Maldo on base again with one out in the bottom 3rd, reaching on a walk and an error, respectively. Donovan leaked another walk to Cortes, filling the sacks again for Reyna, who grounded a ball to Rodriguez – and the Titans barely failed to turn the double play, getting Cortes at second, but not Reyna at first, and Manny scored to make it 2-0. Kilmer then grounded out, getting his LOB total for the day up to five…

Vega legged out an infield single in the fourth to get *a* Titan on base, but was stranded. Donovan was the next Bostonian on base, singling in the sixth, but other than that Willett had them completely under his spell. In a perfect world, though, the Raccoons would move out of bloop-and-blast-oh-oh territory; but they took until the seventh inning to build some sort of threat again, and then with two outs, putting Hunter and Maldonado on the corners with singles off Donovan and Butler, respectively. Cortes cashed a run with a single to left on a 1-2 pitch, 3-0, and the Coons moved all-in, hitting Romero for Reyna against the lefty. He popped out, ending the inning. Romero did not go into the field – Manny moved to right, a rare sight to see, de Wit to left, and Nickas was inserted at third base. After Kuehn struck out and Duenez flew out easily to center, Justin Nelson hit a single to left in the eighth inning. Hoogey hit for the pitcher, but struck out to end the inning. Willett – on only 85 pitches – came back for the ninth inning, facing the top of the order. He led off with a full-count walk to Rodriguez, so now Wyatt Hamill, so far tossing lightly, began to throw in earnest in the pen. Alex Zacarias fell to 1-2 before hitting into a double play, 6-4-3! Vega, finally, struck out. 3-0 Furballs! Maldonado 3-4; Cortes 2-3, BB, 2 RBI; Willett 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, W (2-1) and 1-4;

Southpaw Sunday at Raccoons Ballpark – Mario Gonzalez was only saved up for the last game in the set!

Game 3
BOS: SS J. Rodriguez – 1B A. Zacarias – C Kuehn – RF M. Avila – LF J. Nelson – CF Vermillion – 2B Arnett – 3B Gil – P M. Gonzalez
POR: CF Romero – SS Hunter – LF Fernandez – 3B Maldonado – 1B Cortes – RF Reyna – C Wilson – 2B Lando – P Brown

Brown walked the bases full in the first inning, but Vermillion flew out to a fine-again Tony Romero to allow the Coons’ hurler to bail out without any actual damage accrued (never mind the exploding pitch count – the pen is rested). The second began with Manny Fernandez clonking James Arnett’s fly for an error, then a walk to Antonio Gil. Okay, maybe something was actually wrong with him? Brown claimed to be fine, got a bunt and a comebacker, then scored a run with a passed ball and walked Zacarias. Kuehn grounded out, stranding two, but Dr. Padilla and the manager were seen talking with Brown while the bottom 2nd was in progress, at least until he had to bat with Cortes (single) and Reyna (plunked) on the corners and two outs. He dropped a single between Vermillion and Rodriguez to tie the game. Romero flew out. Vermillion singled in the third, but at least Brown appeared reined in.

The game remained tied at one into the fifth inning. Kuehn hit a leadoff single to left there, but was forced out by Avila. Brown then threw not one, but two wild pitches, but struck out Nelson. At this point it was anybody’s guess what was going on with the southpaw… Vermillion grounded out to Lando, ending the inning, and Brown was not coming back for the sixth, being removed after 85 wholly tumultuous pitches.

The Raccoons patched the next three innings together with Clark, Craig, and Jones, while not getting any closer to a second run. Maybe Antonio Gil would help them out, throwing away a grounder induced by Haskell for an error in the bottom 8th, putting Cortes on second base with one out. Cortes reached third base on a wild pitch, and Reyna came through with a single up the middle to break the tie…! Wilson singled to right, and Berto batted for Lando and walked to fill the sacks. De Wit hit for Chuck Jones, grounded to first for an out, but got another run in, causing all stocks to go up at the Oranjestad exchange. Romero livened up an 0-for-4- day with a screaming double down the leftfield line, scoring two more runs, and getting another right-hander involved. Julio Vasquez made Hunter fly out, and that ended the inning. Alex Ramirez then struck out the side in the ninth to put the game away and get the team back to .500! 5-1 Raccoons. Fernandez 2-4; Reyna 3-3, RBI; Wilson 2-4;

In other news

April 14 – SFB CL Jon Salls (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 2 SV) will miss half the season with a torn triceps.
April 15 – DAL 2B/SS Hugo Acosta (.389, 0 HR, 3 RBI) has a 20-game hitting streak dating back to 2041, landing a third-inning single in a 4-3 win over Cincinnati to get there.
April 16 – NAS 3B/SS Brad Critzer (.267, 2 HR, 5 RBI) would miss three weeks with an elbow sprain suffered in an on-base collision.
April 17 – The Cyclones down the Buffaloes, 14-7, with five runs driven in on three hits by sophomore CIN OF/1B Celio Umbreiro (.273, 0 HR, 7 RBI).
April 19 – VAN LF/RF/3B/2B Justin Becker (.276, 0 HR, 0 RBI) is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
April 19 – The hitting streak of DAL 2B/SS Hugo Acosta (.426, 0 HR, 6 RBI) ends at 22 games with an 0-for-4 outing in a 1-0 loss to the Pacifics.
April 19 – NAS SP Matt Hose (2-1, 3.15 ERA) 3-hits the Rebels in a 5-0 Blue Sox victory. The 33-year-old allows four walks and whiffs six in the outing.
April 19 – DEN 2B Evan Sperling (.227, 1 HR, 5 RBI) ends a 14-inning tussle with the Scorpions with a grand slam off MR Fiorenzo DeSanctis (0-1, 5.14 ERA), giving the Gold Sox a 6-2 walkoff win.
April 20 – WAS RF/LF Eduardo “Shameless” Avila (.362, 0 HR, 8 RBI) has five hits and two RBI in a 12-1 rush of the Miners.

FL Player of the Week: WAS RF/LF Eduardo Avila (.362, 0 HR, 8 RBI), hitting .536 (15-28) with 3 RBI
CL Player of the Week: OCT C Jesus Adames (.383, 2 HR, 6 RBI), batting .500 (12-24) with 2 HR, 5 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Things look a lot less bleak after the second week. We are scoring some runs. The rotation seems mostly solid on most days. The pen had a few early wobbles, but was almost without flaw this week. We are playing VERY good defense!

So I guess the baseball gods will deal us a few crippling injuries before the month is over.

We will be at home for another week, seeing the Indians and Knights. The month will end with the first scratches on a grueling 4-city road trip, starting in Oklahoma City.

Fun Fact: Rich Willett pitched his fifth career shutout and all of them involved the Titans.

Of course he tossed the other four *for* them. All the other ones were somehow against CL South teams, and he never got closer to actual history than a 3-hitter, which he did once before against the Thunder in 2039.