[Westheim]

Raccoons (24-18) @ Bayhawks (29-16) – May 24-26, 2044

The Baybirds held the best record in baseball as the Raccoons came in to start a 3-game set on Tuesday. They did it on pitching, conceding the second-fewest runs in the CL, while the offense was only average, seventh amongst CL teams. San Francisco had a +27 run differential, while the Raccoons, despite being only half as far away from .500 by winning percentage, had a +38 run differential. We were also tied for first in runs scored, with a crisp 200 markers on the board, which didn’t really sound like a Raccoons team, but until I could find my actual players, I’d hang with the team that could actually score (from time to time). We would put a 9-year winning streak against the Bayhakws on the line, having taken the season series that often in a row. It was a 5-4 mark last season.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (5-3, 2.30 ERA) vs. Rafael Pedraza (6-2, 2.60 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (3-1, 4.58 ERA) vs. Mike Mihalik (7-1, 3.28 ERA)
Corey Mathers (5-2, 3.32 ERA) vs. Garrett Sutherland (3-2, 2.39 ERA)

These would all be right-handed. Their only southpaw starter was Noe Candeloro (4-4, 3.05 ERA), whom they could skip into the series by employing the common off day on Monday.

Neither of these teams had a player on the DL at this point. Additional notes? Sal Ayala began the week with a 13-game hitting streak.

Game 1
POR: SS Waters – 1B Ayala – CF Maldonado – LF Fernandez – RF Toohey – C Kilmer – 2B Carreno – 3B Jimenez – P Okuda
SFB: SS J. Gonzalez – 2B K. Saito – RF Platero – 3B Sifuentes – LF S. Martin – 1B J. Wilson – C J. Hill – CF M. Castillo – P Pedraza

The Baybirds stuffed the lineup with every right-handed bat able to stand on two legs, which worked out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning for them, all runs accounted for on Kenichi Saito’s home run to left in the bottom 3rd. Pedraza had singled and Jorge Gonzalez had walked to provide scoring material on the bases. The Raccoons had a Carreno single and a Jimenez double play at this point, but saw Sal Ayala reaching on a throwing error by Gonzalez and Maldonado eeking out a walk put two on base for the Raccoons in the fourth, which Manny Fernandez was kind enough to cash in with a 3-piece to right-center, his fifth of the year, good enough for the team lead. The bases would even fill up after that with a Toohey single and walks offered to Carreno and Jimenez, but Okuda was up with two outs and rolled out to third base, then immediately fell behind again in the bottom 4th, allowing a run on ex-Coon Jeff Wilson’s single up the middle and Mel Castillo’s triple into the corner in right. Pedraza popped out to strand Castillo.

Bryce Toohey struck for a Raccoons lead, 5-4, in the fifth inning, singing a double into the corner in left. That brought in Ayala (double) and Maldonado (nicked), all with two outs. This didn’t turn into a W for Okuda, who surrendered the lead at once on doubles by Saito to center and Ramon Sifuentes with two outs and to left, then walked Scott Martin on his way to the showers. Nelson Moreno entered with Jonathan Dustal in a double switch that exited Toohey, too, and got Wilson to pop out on the first pitch to end the inning. All even through five, five and five.

Pedraza was still hanging on though, even when he gave up a leadoff double to Carreno in the sixth. Dustal cracked an RBI single in the #9 hole, giving Portland the 6-5 lead. Pedraza conceded a single to right to Waters, Dustal went for third base, Jose Platero threw the ball away, and Dustal was waved around to score. That was the end for Pedraza, down 7-5, replaced with right-hander Kevin Nolte. He walked Ayala, but Maldonado found a double play to end the inning. That lead, too, was not meant to last – Nate Norris imploded in the seventh, giving up leadoff extra-base hits to both Jorge Gonzalez (double) and PH Enrique Trevino (triple), who I thought I had seen somewhere before. Sifuentes singled in the tying run eventually. All even through seven, seven and seven.

Norris and Ramirez conspired to load the bases in the bottom 8th, but PH Bobby Hennessy hit into a double play to kill the effort. Maldonado, Fernandez, and Baskins went down in order in the ninth inning before the Raccoons had to resort to a left-hander against the still-all-righty lineup. Zack Kelly got Platero out, then gave up a walkoff homer to Sifuentes. 8-7 Bayhawks. Toohey 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Carreno 2-3, BB, 2B; Dustal 1-1, BB, RBI;

Game 2
POR: 2B Carreno – 1B Ayala – CF Maldonado – LF Fernandez – RF Toohey – C Zarate – 3B Jimenez – SS Gutierrez – P Wheatley
SFB: SS J. Gonzalez – 1B K. Saito – 2B Quiroz – 3B Sifuentes – RF Platero – CF C. Caldwell – LF M. Castillo – C J. Wilson – P Mihalik

The Raccoons drew blanks against Mihalik for two innings before he walked the bags full with Jimenez, Gutierrez, and Ayala in the third inning. That meant we still didn’t have a base hit, but Maldo was kind enough to take care of that, hitting a ball off the base of the wall in rightfield for a 2-run double, the first markers on the board and the first base hit in the game. Manny popped out to strand two more in a full count. Wheats retired eight in a row until – of all people – the former dastardly Elks pitcher Mihalik reached base. In Wheats’ defense – it was on a Gutierrez error. He got Gonzalez out to get through the inning. While the Raccoons appeared to intend to live off Maldo’s double alone, Wheats put two men on in the bottom 5th, walking Corey Caldwell while Wilson reached on *another* Omar Gutierrez error. Mihalik struck out to end the fifth.

The no-hitter fell apart in the bottom 6th then, with Saito and Quiroz hitting soft liners that both fell behind reaching infielders, putting the tying runs on the corners with one down. This was a spot where the delicate flower Wheatley needed careful handling, so the pitching coach went out to do some threatening that there would be no ice cream if he blew that ******* lead. Wheats teared up at once, then gave up consecutive doubles to Sifuentes and Platero, threw a wild pitch, and left the game behind 3-2. Chuck Jones cleaned up behind him, but the Raccoons still couldn’t get another ******* base hit until the eighth inning, when Omar Gutierrez hit a leadoff single to left-center, having some making-up to do after two errors. Jose Cruz, inserted in a double switch, drew a walk to move the tying run into scoring position. Gutierrez was forced out on Carreno’s bouncer to Sifuentes, but Sal Ayala lobbed a 1-2 pitch to left, near the line, for a single. Cruz was sent around and scored to tie the game, taking Wheats off a most-undeserved hook, but that was also all the Critters got, with Maldo and Manny making meager outs to strand a pair. The Bayhawks answered as usual with a pile of extra-base hits off Jon Craig in the eighth, getting two runs across on a Sifuentes triple and Platero’s sac fly.

Top 9th, right-hander Andy Hyden with a 1.21 ERA put the tying runs aboard right away. He walked Toohey, then allowed a single to PH Matt Waters. Derek Baskins pinch-hit for the pitcher. He singled to center, loading the bases with no outs. Ugh. Defeat, snatched from the jaws of … defeat! Sending Kilmer for Gutierrez sounded like a defensible move, except Gutierrez was a lefty hitter, and so stayed in. He also struck out. The curse of three on, no outs then fulfilled itself with Jose Cruz’ double play grounder, 6-4-3, to end the damn game. 5-3 Bayhawks. Waters (PH) 1-1; Baskins (PH) 1-1;

(glances at the Bay, which looked just perfect to accept an agonized GM to drown himself)

Game 3
POR: 2B Carreno – SS Waters – CF Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Kilmer – LF Baskins – 3B Jimenez – RF Dustal – P Mathers
SFB: SS J. Gonzalez – LF S. Martin – 2B Quiroz – 3B Sifuentes – CF C. Caldwell – 1B K. Saito – RF M. Castillo – C J. Wilson – P Candeloro

Waters tripled in the first inning and the Raccoons didn’t score, so that was a great start to Thursday. Another arm body was put on third base with one out in the top 2nd, when Baskins singled to right and Jimenez doubled to left. Dustal struck out – but that was after a wild pitch had already scored Derek Baskins for the game’s first run. Mathers then chipped a 2-out RBI single for a 2-0 lead, followed by a Carreno single to left, and another hit to left by Matt Waters – a 3-run homer!

After that 5-run outburst there would be no excuses for Mathers, who had piled up three base runners in the first inning, but Gonzalez had been caught stealing and Sifuentes had chucked one into a double play to keep San Fran off the board. Bryce Toohey added to the lead before Mathers could blow up, hitting a leadoff jack off Candeloro in the top 3rd, 6-0. Sifuentes hit a homer the next time around, also a solo job, but that was everything of actual substance Mathers gave up through five innings. Quiroz and Sifuentes reached to begin the sixth though, Mathers’ counts were mighty long at this point, and he reached 100 pitches by the time Saito hit a sac fly, 6-2. Castillo went down on strikes, stranding a runner on third base, and that was Mathers’ day; five strikeouts, four walks and various misfortunes.

Ramirez nicked Bobby Hennessey in the bottom 7th. Gonzalez grounded into a force, then was caught stealing by Kilmer. More trouble developed in the eighth; Scott Martin reached against Ramirez, Quiroz hit a single off Zack Kelly, and with two outs and those two clowns in scoring position, the Raccoons divined to go to Josh Rella, who was kinda bored in the pen and was building disturbing figures out of baseballs and ice cream sticks. For a start, he got a grounder from Saito to end the bottom 8th, keeping the Baybirds four runs distant. Rella had come in by the double switch, Manny Fernandez’ mid-slump day off ending when he got put in the #9 hole. He hit a triple in the ninth inning against righty Jose Colon, which did not lead to a run, as there was nobody on base, and nobody to score him. Oh well. At least Rella retired the Baybirds in order in the bottom 9th, staving off the threat of a sweep. 6-2 Coons. Waters 3-3, BB, HR, 3B, 3 RBI; Baskins 2-3, BB; Fernandez 1-1, 3B; Rella 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (10);

Still in first place – but the Titans were only half a game behind on Thursday night.

Raccoons (25-20) vs. Aces (26-21) – May 27-29, 2044

After a crappy showing against the Baybirds, here was a CL South team that had swept the Critters in the first meeting of the year. They had the highest batting average in the CL, but had no power and sat only fifth in runs scored. They had the best defense and a tight bullpen, but their starters were sixth by ERA. They were fifth in runs allowed.

Projected matchups:
Brent Clark (1-6, 5.83 ERA) vs. Josh Henneberry (4-3, 3.88 ERA)
Jake Jackson (3-2, 3.44 ERA) vs. Oscar Valdes (4-6, 3.26 ERA)
Sadaharu Okuda (5-3, 2.88 ERA) vs. Josh Brown (5-3, 4.20 ERA)

That looked like a Southpaw Sunday with former Raccoon Josh Brown up against Okuda. The Aces had put two pitchers on the DL for the remainder of the year; Raymond Pearce (3-2, 3.73 ERA) being out with a torn rotator cuff, and ex-Coon Jake White, employed in relief for a 1.69 ERA, suffering from a stretched elbow ligament.

Game 1
LVA: 2B B. Owen – SS Montes de Oca – CF Kinder – 3B D. Richardson – RF Gurney – LF Beaudoin – 1B J. Byrd – C Lunde – P Henneberry
POR: SS Waters – 1B Ayala – CF Maldonado – LF Fernandez – RF Toohey – C Kilmer – 3B Cruz – 2B Gutierrez – P Clark

Clark fell behind right away with hits by Brandon Owen and Matt Kinder in the first inning amounting to an Aces run. Ayala, who had not played on Thursday, extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a first-inning single, but nothing came of that for Portland. – Maud, my whole paw is only fours and sevens and threes! How are we supposed to beat the Aces??

Maldonado singled in the tying run, scoring Clark with two outs in the bottom 3rd. Clark was already over 50 pitches at that point, engaging in a multitude of long counts with two walks and four homers in three innings, but he also drew a walk himself from Henneberry, as did Ayala. Manny flew out to left to end the inning. The fourth brought a little May shower and accompanying rain delay, then a Toohey single, walk to Kilmer, and two fielder’s choices at second base to somehow shake Toohey around the bases to score the go-ahead run, 2-1. Hits remained hard to come by for Portland, but they put two more on in the bottom 5th, Henneberry issuing a leadoff walk to Waters, while Maldonado reached when his blooper clanked off Pat Gurney’s glove in right. Runners on second and first, Gurney contained Manny’s liner, a much more difficult play, and Toohey struck out.

Clark kept himself together through six, never allowing a base hit after the first pair of singles that cost him a run, and was probably done with his spot drawing up in the bottom 6th, that began with Kilmer and Cruz taking up the corners to begin the frame. Gutierrez grounded to Owen, who flubbed the ball once, twice, fifteen times, barfing away a perfect double play grounder for an error and a run scoring on top of that. Derek Baskins had been ready to hit for Clark, but was called back. Clark bunted instead, with one extra run already on the board, but Waters whiffed and Ayala walked, none of which got another run across. Neither did Maldonado, who also struck out, stranding three in a 3-1 game.

Clark got Gurney – the only batter facing him left-handed – on a grounder to begin the seventh, then left for Nate Norris, who completed a 1-2-3 inning, and also got John Lunde to begin the eighth, all on strikeouts. Chuck Jones then whiffed Mike Roberts and Brandon Owen to make it five in a row. Rella though was less lucky, offering a leadoff walk to Angel Montes de Oca in the ninth. Kinder and Richardson went down, but Pat Gurney hit an RBI single to keep the Aces alive and put himself on base as the tying run. That was as close as they got, though – PH Tim Speth struck out. 3-2 Critters. Baskins (PH) 1-1; Clark 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (2-6);

The Titans lost to the Falcons, giving the Raccoons a little bit of breathing space, now up by a game and a half.

Now we just had to keep winning!

But first, a scheduling change, with 28-year-old right-handed rookie swingman Jayden Woods (1-0, 4.22 ERA) inserted for the Saturday game, which could interfere with Southpaw Sunday, so I did not necessarily approve.

Game 2
LVA: 2B B. Owen – SS Montes de Oca – CF Kinder – RF Gurney – 3B D. Richardson – C Prow – 1B Speth – LF Beaudoin – P J. Woods
POR: LF Baskins – 1B Ayala – 3B Maldonado – CF Fernandez – RF Toohey – C Kilmer – SS Waters – 2B Carreno – P Jackson

After a fine outing by Clark, Jackson did the sucky, imploding bit after that. He nicked Gurney, walked Richardson and Kevin Prow in the second, with nobody out, and gave up two runs while the defense scrambled on balls they actually could work with, with a Speth single to right, and a run-scoring groundout by Justin Beaudoin. Woods grounded out poorly, holding Prow at third base, and so did Manny snatching Owen’s liner to left. Jackson issued a leadoff walk to Montes in the third, but somehow got around that, while Ayala doubled home Carreno in the bottom 3rd to both extend his hitting streak to 17 games and get *something* into the H column. – Maud, I feel queasy. Get the oven cleaner. – Because Capt’n Coma alone doesn’t make the Critters watchable…

The Aces, who had also only one hit through three, then saw Manny reach on a leadoff double in the bottom 4th that Beaudoin played into as much by meandering aimlessly in left. Toohey singled, putting the tying run on third base. Kilmer got to a 3-1 count, but feared the three on, no outs curse, and instead poked into a double play. Well, that at least ******* scored Fernandez and we were even again… Jackson then walked two more in the fifth, getting yanked with Montes and Matt Kinder aboard and two outs. Zack Kelly entered in a double switch that exited Waters, with Jimenez in and Maldo shifting to short. Gurney grounded out, keeping the game tied, at least until Baskins and Ayala hit 2-out doubles up either line in the bottom 5th to take a 3-2 lead. Maldonado lined out hard to Beaudoin.

But the game refused to fall to the Coons. The Aces got singles by Montes and Kinder off Ramirez in the seventh, and another one, of the infield variety, by Gurney off Chuck Jones. Nelson Moreno was next, with three on and one out. Richardson grounded slowly to short, Maldonado made a bad throw to first, and Ayala barely kept it in front of him, keeping the damage to one run rather than two. Tied game. Prow struck out, while Speth mashed a 2-out ball to deep center – but Manny caught up with it, stranding three in a 3-3 game.

In a game tight enough for me almost squeeze Honeypaws into my chest, Moreno got through the eighth unharmed, while Miguel Mauricio, righty with an elevated ERA, gave Maldo a welt with one out in the bottom 8th. Manny came through with the free runner on first, dishing a liner up the rightfield line for an RBI double…! Coons in the lead! – Now, the #5 hole by now housed the pitcher rather than Toohey after two double switches. Jose Cruz hit for Moreno and walked, and Kilmer grounded into a double play… That left no cushion, and there was also no Josh Rella in the ninth, who had thrown well over 30 pitches combined the last two days. The Raccoons went to Jon Craig instead – with Norris being the only other option even left in the pen. Kinder flew out to Dustal in right. Gurney grounded out to first. Richardson flew to center – but Manny remained on his post and made the catch. 4-3 Critters. Ayala 2-3, BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Fernandez 2-4, 2 2B, RBI; Moreno 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, W (2-1);

We had six hits, five of them doubles. Toohey had the only single.

Game 3
LVA: 2B B. Owen – SS Montes de Oca – CF Kinder – 3B D. Richardson – LF Beaudoin – 1B J. Byrd – RF M. Roberts – C Lunde – P O. Valdes
POR: CF Baskins – 1B Ayala – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – SS Waters – 3B Jimenez – 2B Carreno – P Okuda

Come on, boys, we can go for the countersweep! …but they’d have to win it from behind, with Mike Roberts doubling home Justin Beaudoin in the second inning for the first run of the Sunday game in which the Raccoons’ hurler was the only southpaw in sight. Ayala reached 18 games in a row with a base hit in the bottom 3rd, singling with Baskins aboard and two outs, Baskins moving first to second on the sharp single to left. Toohey flew out to left, stranding everybody, while the Aces kept battering Okuda, who gave up a homer to Beaudoin to begin the fourth, 2-0, then three more hits that conceded another run to Roberts, Lunde, and Owen. The next ****** spot arrived in the bottom 4th, when the Raccoons filled the bases with their 6-7-8 batters and two outs, only to arrive at Okuda. The bullpen was already stretched, and despite Maldonado itching to hit from the bench, Okuda was sent in there. He barely coaxed a bases-loaded walk in a full count to get the Critters on the board, then saw Baskins mash in two with a liner to right to tie the game – and he also managed to get himself thrown out trying to reach third base in a flush of enthusiasm. That ended the inning, but at least we were even.

Okuda grinded his way into the sixth with the tie before the annoying Aces loaded the bases with three 2-out singles by Owen, Montes, and Kinder – all of them soft, and the last one dying halfway between home plate and Jimenez. Nate Norris replaced him after 12 hits surrendered and got a grounder to Waters to strand everybody, then loaded the bases himself in the seventh. Chuck Jones came on against PH Pat Gurney in the #9 hole, but gave up a sac fly to score Brian Fox from third base. Owen grounded out, stranding two, but we were now of course behind, 4-3.

Derek Baskins took care of that with a homer off Matt Fogel in the bottom of the inning, re-knotting the score at four. Ayala grounded out, Toohey singled up the middle. Manny was up with two outs and Toohey went on contact, but oh, what contact it was! High! Deep!! GONE!! Go-ahead homer by Manny Fernandez!! At this stage, the Raccoons had a 6-4 lead despite being out-hit 13-8, which sort of explained why I had been fearing of having to throw up for three hours. Ramirez retired three in a row in the eighth, getting the Coons closer to that desired countersweep. Waters’ leadoff single to left off Mike Nett and subsequent stolen base might also potentially help. Jimenez walked, and Carreno hit a screamer, high to deep right-center, where it caromed off the wall for a 2-run triple! That upped the score to 8-4, but Dustal popped out when he pinch-hit for Ramirez. Baskins hit a sac fly to right, 9-4. Maldonado hit for Toohey and singled off new pitcher Josh Winther. The right-hander then got bombed by Toohey for a 2-piece as the game spiraled into a rout for Portland. Two outs, Manny singled, and Zarate walked for Kilmer as the Critters batted through the order. The 5-run inning ended with Waters’ grounder to second. Zack Kelly put the game away in the ninth. 11-4 Furballs! Baskins 2-3, BB, HR, 4 RBI; Maldonado (PH) 1-1; Toohey 3-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Fernandez 3-5, HR, 2 RBI;

Chuck Jones snatched the win and you could be of divided opinion whether he deserved it.

In other news

May 26 – PIT 1B Danny Santillano (.379, 5 HR, 21 RBI) isn’t letting up in old age – the 38-year-old lands two hits in a 9-5 win over the Wolves, stretching a hitting streak to 20 games.
May 27 – Another 20-game hitting streak is now owned by IND 3B Dan Hutson (.315, 8 HR, 23 RBI), landing one hit in a 4-2 defeat to the Knights.
May 28 – Condors OF/1B Marty Reidinger (.243, 4 HR, 21 RBI) hits for the cycle in a 14-8 shootout over the Canadiens. Reidinger collects one hit of every kind in five attempts, and drives in two runs. This is the eighth cycle for the Condors, with Alvin Zuazo (2038) having had the most recent one. This cycle also comes on the first anniversary of a cycle hit by WAS Kenny Elder. Nobody had hit a cycle against the Canadiens in over 30 years (ATL Gil Rockwell, 2013).
May 28 – RIC SP Omar Lara (4-4, 3.62 ERA) 2-hits the Wolves in a 6-0 shutout.
May 28 – Both hitting streaks of 20+ games end; PIT 1B Danny Santillano (.368, 5 HR, 21 RBI) is held dry by the Gold Sox in a 4-3 Miners loss, finishing on 21 games, while the Indians lose 3-2 to the Knights behind a hitless showing by 3B Dan Hutson (.313, 8 HR, 23 RBI), killing his streak on 20 games.
May 28 – SAC OF/1B Rikuto Ito (.299, 6 HR, 23 RBI) has four hits and five RBI in a 19-6 slamming of the Capitals.
May 29 – CIN SP Willie Gallardo (5-3, 2.93 ERA) pitches a 4-hit shutout against the Warriors, while the Cyclones run away with the game, 10-0. Gallardo had already 5-hit the Scorpions in a shutout on Tuesday.

FL Player of the Week: CIN SP Willie Gallardo (5-3, 2.93 ERA), 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 11 K
CL Player of the Week: SFB 3B/1B Ramon Sifuentes (.357, 8 HR, 28 RBI), hitting .636 (14-22) with 4 HR, 9 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Man, do I get the kicks out of guys that tear down the Raccoons and then get Player of the Week for it. Sifuentes landed seven hits each against the Coons and Loggers, but got six RBI against us.

On the brink of demotion – either to the pen or the Alley Cats, no fixed plan had been in place – Brent Clark delivered two wins with two runs on 11.2 innings, which rain interfering with him, too. Maybe he’s turned the corner – and I sure hope so.

First in runs scored with May almost over (and with 4.88 runs per game), which still doesn’t sound like a Raccoons thing. We are also having the problem of neither Waters nor Carreno getting it together. Derek Baskins led off the last two days, but that of course means that you have to make room in the outfield, and putting Maldonado at short takes a bit of defense away on the infield.

Baskins also isn’t the ideal leadoff hitter, but Waters has one of the worst OBP on the team, barely scraping above .300 (Manny actually has the worst, wickedly). Carreno’s no better. Cruz has a .429 in reduced time, while Ayala, he of the 18-game hitting streak, is reaching base at a .452 rate. Cristiano is begging me to put him in the #1 hole, but I hate listening to Cristiano and his colorful charts just as much as I hate putting a slow runner in the leadoff spot. – Come on, Cristiano, we’re first in runs scored even WITH Waters hitting leadoff! How bad can it be!? – (is shown a chart) – *So* bad? – (groans and falls onto brown couch with a bottle of booze)

Only three Raccoons teams have ever been this productive with the sticks, scoring 4.9 runs (rounded up) or more. All of them came in the 1989-1996 dynasty. The 1989 and 1992 teams both scored 789 runs, or 4.87 per game. The 1996 teams that won 108 games – the only Coons team to ever win 100+ – is far ahead of even that, with 840 runs scored, 5.19 per game.

Those were not speedy teams – none of them stole more than 62 bases, and this year’s team already has 42. They were power teams, hitting 109 (1992), 134 (1996), and 153 home runs (1989). The 153 homer mark is still a franchise record.

Quo vadis? From here we’ll host the Falcons, then travel to Milwaukee and Boston. That latter series will be especially interesting, given that nothing good ever happens to this team in Boston. Same as San Fran.

Fun Fact: On Wednesday, every CL game went to extra innings – except the Raccoons’ in San Francisco.

We lost in due time when Jon Craig came apart again, while every other team filed for overtime pay. The next-quickest winners were the Indians (4-3 against the Falcons) and Aces (same score against Loggers), taking 10 innings. The Condors beat the Crusaders, 5-4, in 12 innings. The other two games went 13 innings. The Thunder walked off against the damn Elks, 5-4, and the Knights did the same against the Titans, 6-5.

The latter walkoff kept the Raccoons in first place when we were half a game ahead.

The overtime marathon on Wednesday followed two extra-inning games on Tuesday (Crusaders winning in 11, and the damn Elks in 13)