[Westheim]

The week began with Manny Fernandez being shifted to the DL with a broken thumb, which was something that would sort itself out by mid-September. Van Anderson was recalled from AAA.

Raccoons (71-46) vs. Capitals (52-65) – August 16-18, 2044

Last FL series before October (cough! cough!), hosting the Capitals for three games starting on Tuesday. Washington was in the bottom three in runs scored and allowed in their league, and even bottoms altogether in offense. They weren’t hitting, they weren’t walking, and they also weren’t pitching or defending. They were just … there. We had last played them two years ago, winning two of three then.

Projected matchups:
Jason Wheatley (7-3, 4.14 ERA) vs. Alex Flores (4-5, 3.74 ERA)
Brent Clark (7-11, 3.68 ERA) vs. Corey Booth (7-11, 5.98 ERA)
Jake Jackson (11-5, 3.62 ERA) vs. Matsuichi Yazawa (15-8, 3.42 ERA)

We would only get to see right-handers in this series.

Game 1
WAS: 2B Loyola – RF E. Avila – 1B Jam. King – SS O’Keefe – C Toki – CF Kristoff – LF Santiago – 3B Lockwood – P A. Flores
POR: 2B Waters – 1B Ayala – CF Baskins – LF Maldonado – RF Toohey – C Kilmer – SS Hunter – 3B Jimenez – P Wheatley

Jon Loyola and Eduardo Avila both hit singles through the gaps on the infield to begin the week, took up positions on the corners, and Jamie King’s 4-6-3 grounder made for two outs, but also the first run of the game. Tony Hunter’s 2-out walk, stolen base, and quick paws on Ricky Jimenez’ single would erase the deficit in the bottom 2nd, and that seemed to be all the Raccoons were destined for once again.

Wheatley struck out six through four innings; in the fifth he walked Justin Kristoff to begin the frame, which was far from great, but Kristoff was caught stealing third base after Jordan Santiago’s groundout, which oughta be helping. Nah. Joe Lockwood singled, Alex Flores singled (…), Jon Loyola singled, and it was 2-1 Caps. Avila grounded out to Hunter to end the inning, but not my dismay. Bottom 5th, Wheats clipped a single past Jamie King with one out, which may or may not be the awakening call for the team. Matt Waters legged out an infield single, if nothing else, and Flores threw a wild pitch to move the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position. The Caps then let Ayala, ahead in the count anyway, slide onto first base with a careless walk, hoping for two from Derek Baskins. Well, two they got – runs scored, that is, on a single up the middle, and right over the bag. That one flipped the score, and the inning dragged on long enough for Jeff Kilmer to strike out and strand three base runners, but no tack-on runs anymore. Well, tack-on runs would have helped – Joe Lockwood tagged Wheatley for a solo homer to left with two outs in the seventh, and that was a tied game…

With a 13th no-decision beckoning for Wheatley, the Raccoons saw Ayala strike out against lefty Jose Alaniz to begin the bottom 7th, but Baskins singled. He also stole second, and he raced around third base to score ahead of Kristoff’s throw on Maldonado’s single to center, making it a new Portland lead, 4-3. The bags filled up by means of two walks then, bringing up Tony Hunter in a fat spot he’d strike out in, and Jimenez flew out to center – AGAIN the Raccoons stranded three. Wheatley was replaced with Moreno, who struck out the 1-2 in the order to begin the eighth before Zack Kelly blew the lead again, walking King and Chris O’Keefe and giving up an RBI single to Manichiro Toki. Nate Norris had to get the final out from T.J. Lujan, and Wheatley got another no-decision after all… Still better than what Josh Rella got, which amounted to reckless abandonment by his teammates with two outs in the top 9th. Kyle Weinstein doubled on a ball in the gap on which Maldonado and Baskins scared each other off, which was not great. Loyola singled him home. PH Jose Salinas singled behind Waters, who meandered around the spot where the pop dropped eventually. Loyola scored on the play, and then Jamie King hit a 2-run homer to right. The dismally dim-witted Raccoons posted another shambolic loss. 8-4 Capitals. Waters 2-5; Baskins 3-5, 2 RBI; Jimenez 2-5, RBI;

Leave me alone, Maud! I will nail them all to tree stumps by their paws in the deep dark forest, and if it’s the last thing I’ll ******* do!

Game 2
WAS: 2B Loyola – RF E. Avila – SS O’Keefe – 1B Barrientos – LF Santiago – 3B Lockwood – CF J. Norris – C J. Salinas – P Yazawa
POR: SS Waters – 1B Ayala – CF Baskins – LF Maldonado – RF Toohey – C Zarate – 3B Cruz – 2B Carreno – P Clark

The Caps made two errors in the bottom 1st which was barely enough for the Raccoons to score a run – Ayala driving home Waters – and to leave the bases loaded when Cruz struck out. While Brent Clark struck out two per inning more or less, the rest of the team remained utterly unbelievable and steadfastly committed to a second half at no better than .500. Carreno reached base and was caught stealing. Baskins reached base, stole second, and was stranded on third when Zarate struck out. Cruz singled through the right side to open the home fourth, and then Carreno stuck a triple into the corner in leftfield, upping the lead to 2-0, but scored only through dumb luck after Clark struck out. Waters hit a bouncer back the mound that Yazawa reached for, but deflected, away to Loyola, who had no chance at Carreno at home plate, but did get Waters at first. Meanwhile Clark did indeed reach 10 K when he ended the top 5th with a K to Jeremy Norris, who had walked the first time through, the only Caps runner against Clark.

While Zarate’s 2-run homer in the bottom 5th sent Yazawa to bed, Clark struck out Jose Salinas and Loyola in a 1-2-3 sixth. Two more runs scored off Jayden Garriques in the bottom 6th, but the crowd was more interested in Clark’s exploits – but the show took a turn towards the abyss in the seventh. He walked O’Keefe with one out, threw a wild pitch, then also walked Miguel Barrientos. Santiago walked. Lockwood poked at the first pitch with the bases just having been walked full and hit a sac fly to Baskins, but suddenly Clark had lost his edge. Norris hit an RBI single to right – and that ended the no-hitter. Salinas, lefty batter, popped out, and Clark was hit for in the bottom of the inning, but got an ovation on his way to the dugout, but hung his head anyway. Carreno tripled again and Phinazee doubled him home in Clark’s spot, 8-2, but Jon Craig was roughed up for another two runs in the eighth inning. Derek Baskins countered with a leadoff jack blasted off right-hander Leif Squires in the bottom of the inning. Maldo doubled, Toohey hit another homer, and it was hard to keep counting at this rate. Zarate doubled off new pitcher Victor Flores, Carreno singled him home, Phinazee reached on an error, but Van Anderson and Tony Hunter made outs as pinch-hitters to end the Raccoons’ hitting part in this game. Preston Porter turned the Caps away in the ninth to protect a 2-slam lead. 12-4 Raccoons. Baskins 3-5, HR, RBI; Maldonado 2-5, 2B, RBI; Toohey 3-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Zarate 2-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Cruz 2-5; Carreno 4-5, 2 3B, 2 RBI; Phinazee (PH) 1-2, 2B, RBI; Clark 7.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 12 K, W (8-11) and 1-3;

Good! Now win one without me yelling first!

Game 3
WAS: LF Santiago – RF E. Avila – 1B Jam. King – SS O’Keefe – C Toki – CF Kristoff – 2B Lujan – 3B Lockwood – P Booth
POR: 2B Carreno – 1B Ayala – LF Baskins – 3B Maldonado – RF Toohey – CF Phinazee – C Zarate – SS Hunter – P Jackson

While Jackson whiffed four and allowed but a lone single through three innings, the Raccoons had a Phinazee double in the second that led nowhere, then saw Carreno reach base on balls with two outs in the bottom 3rd. He stole second, his 35th of the year, and was singled home by Ayala for a 1-0 lead. Baskins walked, Maldo hit another RBI single, and Toohey’s K ended the inning. And Jackson blew the lead right away…! One out in the fourth, Jamie King singled, O’Keefe walked, and Toki cracked an RBI single. Phinazee threw home late, the trailing runners moved up, and that allowed Kristoff to tie the game at two with a sac fly. Neat, boys. Neat.

A leadoff walk drawn by Phinazee and a Zarate double to right put two Raccoons in scoring position with nobody out in the bottom 4th. The Caps hedged their bets and walked Tony Hunter intentionally, giving us three on and nobody out, and leading me to wrestling Maud for the remote so I wouldn’t have to see them strike out three times in a row. – Let go, Maud! – No! – I’d rather see “Flowerbeds for Florence” on Channel 46!! … It was not a winnable fight for me, but at least I had underestimated the flammability of Corey Booth, who walked JACKSON with the bases loaded, pushing home Mal Phinazee with the go-ahead run, 3-2. Carreno and Ayala both clipped RBI single to knock out Booth, with order then being restored by Tony Granado, who retired the next three on pops and strikeouts.

Would they at least waggle that 5-2 lead home? Well, Jackson loaded the bases in the sixth, a hit by King, a walk by O’Keefe, and hitting Toki with an 0-2 pitch almost made me explode for good, but Kristoff hit into a run-scoring double play and Lujan popped out to Ayala before I could build up the internal pressure necessary. Only breathing in, not out, was the secret here.

Jackson lasted seven innings, Chuck Jones was steady in the eighth, and then the Raccoons tacked on two more runs against the bullpen in the bottom 8th, RBIs being contributed by Jimenez and Toohey. Nate Norris handled the Caps in the ninth. 7-3 Raccoons. Ayala 3-4, 2 RBI; Jimenez (PH) 1-1, RBI; Maldonado 2-5, RBI;

The Indians also won two of three during the week, so the distance atop the CL North remained steady at 9 1/2 games.

But the Raccoons now had to descend into the Boston den again…

Raccoons (73-47) @ Titans (58-63) – August 19-21, 2044

The Titans were out of it with their thoroughly average team that had a +12 run differential (Critters: +141), and we held a 9-2 lead in the season series, but this was Boston, and nothing good ever happened in Boston. They had a bunch of injured outfielders with Joe Ritchey, Rob Bottino, and Danny Liceaga, who had just gone down this week.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (14-5, 2.78 ERA) vs. Jamal Barrow (8-13, 3.61 ERA)
Corey Mathers (9-8, 3.81 ERA) vs. Chris Turner (10-11, 4.04 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (7-3, 4.12 ERA) vs. Ignacio del Rio (10-8, 3.82 ERA)

“Tuba” Turner would be a southpaw on Saturday – what an unfamiliar sight to see!

Game 1
POR: SS Waters – 1B Ayala – LF Maldonado – RF Toohey – CF Phinazee – C Kilmer – 3B Jimenez – 2B Carreno – P Okuda
BOS: LF Watt – RF Casaus – C Whitley – 1B C. Cortes – 3B I. Lugo – CF T. Lopez – 2B M. Avila – SS J. Rodriguez – P Barrow

Okuda – had nothing. He walked three and allowed three hits and three runs in the first two innings. The Titans were just whacking the balls, they were falling in, except when he was outside zone, which he didn’t without fooling anybody. The Raccoons also had nothing offensively in the first three innings, but got Maldonado on with an error in the fourth (…!). Phinazee doubled with one out, sending a pair into scoring position, and with two outs Ricky Jimenez found a 2-run single to left-center, getting the Raccoons to within a run. All that did was set up Okuda for more failure. Moises Avila hit a leadoff single in the bottom 4th, Juan Rodriguez doubled over Phinazee, and now they had two in scoring position with nobody out. Barrow struck out. Matt Watt grounded out to Jimenez, pinning the runners. Former Raccoons farmhand Sandy Casaus ran a full count, then popped out. Okuda was obviously trying to compensate a lack of stuff with raw guts; it wasn’t pretty, and also not successful. Ivan Lugo hit a 2-out double to left in the fifth, and Tony Lopez singled him home, 4-2. Okuda wasn’t seen after the inning.

The tying runs were on in the sixth when Maldo singled through the left side and Toohey’s shirt was tickled with a breaking pitch, and, oh, nobody out. Phinazee hit a string down the rightfield line that Casaus cut off before the corner, holding Phinazee to one run on the double rather than two, but the tying and go-ahead runs were in scoring position now, and with three chances…! Jeff Kilmer didn’t play around long, hit a clean RBI single to left, and that took Okuda off the hook. Barrow walked Jimenez to load them up with nobody out, Carreno hit a sac fly, Baskins flew out ineffectively in Okuda’s spot, but Waters found another RBI single, finally ending Barrow’s time out. Southpaw David Fox got a groundout from Ayala to end the inning.

Then the pen blew the lead in the bottom 6th. Kelly nicked Mark Vermillion, walked Watt, was yanked, and nothing got better with Nate Norris, even though Vermillion was caught stealing third base by Kilmer. Casaus walked, Dan Whitley hit a 2-out, 2-run double, and everybody was even at six. And then everybody stopped scoring and hit into more double plays instead, f.e. Waters for the Coons in the eighth when they had Jimenez and Baskins aboard and one out. Thus we arrived in extra innings, where Kilmer hit a 1-out single up the middle of Danny Tirado to get something going, maybe. Yes, he did – Ricky Jimenez remembered he was good in his first season and crashed a homer to left, giving Portland an 8-6 lead! Rella’s googly black eyes were still wet from Tuesday, but he nevertheless retired three in a row in the bottom 10th to put the game away. 8-6 Raccoons. Hunter (PH) 1-1, 2B; Maldonado 2-5; Phinazee 2-5, 2 2B, RBI; Kilmer 2-5, RBI; Jimenez 3-4, BB, HR, 4 RBI;

While we eeked out the win and took the season series on Friday, trouble was brewing on Saturday. Jason Wheatley had caught something wrong to eat and had spent all night barfing his guts out. He was in no condition to start on Sunday and we’d have to come up with something. Victor Merino was not in sync with the open spot – but Tony Negrete would be. The 22-year-old was 7-10 with a 3.67 ERA in AAA, and would be flown in for the spot start.

For the middle game it was still Mathers.

Game 2
POR: SS Waters – 1B Ayala – LF Maldonado – RF Toohey – CF Baskins – C Kilmer – 3B Jimenez – 2B Carreno – P Mathers
BOS: LF Watt – SS J. Rodriguez – C Whitley – RF C. Cortes – 2B O. Aguirre – 3B I. Lugo – 1B J. Parker – CF T. Lopez – P C. Turner

Mathers had seen … uh, “limited success” on the mound recently, but opened with two scoreless and then hit a single in the third that led to him scoring the first run of the game when Ayala and Maldo also reached, and Toohey grinded down “Tuba” Turner for the bases-loaded, 2-out walk. Derek Baskins fired a ball to center that stretched away from Tony Lopez and fell for extra bases. Ayala scored, Maldo scored, Toohey scored, a bases-clearing triple for Derek Baskins!

Kilmer’s groundout stranded Baskins, while the Titans didn’t get anything together until they hit two doubles to left with Lugo and Lopez in the bottom 5th for their first run, narrowing the score to 4-1. What followed after that was an orgy of quick outs, with next to no offense in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. Baskins hit a single. That was about it. The Raccoons had the 7-8-9 up in the ninth inning and began with two outs. At that point Mathers was allowed to hit. Jon Landrum rung him up. He then took to the mound again himself, on 97 pitches, but also on a 3-hitter. Jones and Rella were available and ready, though. Juan Rodriguez grounded out to Carreno. Dan Whitley walked. Carlos Cortes popped out on the first pitch. And Oscare Aguirre ran a full count, then grounded to Jimenez. Sure grab, steady throw, out! Complete game 3-hitter for Corey Mathers! 4-1 Raccoons! Baskins 3-4, 3B, 3 RBI; Mathers 9.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, W (10-8) and 1-4;

A fully rested pen was of course even better for what we had concocted up – Preston Porter had to bite the bullet again, vacating his roster spot for debutee Tony Negrete. Sean Sieber was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Game 3
POR: 2B Carreno – 1B Ayala – LF Baskins – RF Maldonado – C Zarate – SS Hunter – 3B Jimenez – CF Anderson – P Negrete
BOS: LF Watt – RF Casaus – C Whitley – 1B C. Cortes – 3B I. Lugo – 2B O. Aguirre – CF T. Lopez – SS J. Rodriguez – P del Rio

Negrete, 22, southpaw, and the #16 prospect in the land. You could also see that he liked to eat. He also had some unresolved control issues that would need ironing out at some point, allowing a single to Whitley in the first before walking the bases full. Aguirre popped out to strand three. He struck out Rodriguez in the second for his first career K, and for good measure added del Rio in a 1-2-3. The Raccoons had stranded three total in the first two innings, but got Carreno to third base by virtue of a leadoff single and two stolen bases – and with nobody out. Ayala had walked behind him, and Carreno went for home on Baskins fly to Casaus, who threw him out at the plate. (sigh!) Maldonado walked, but Zarate popped out, and nobody scored.

Negrete held his own, then hit his first single with two outs in the fourth, following on a Van Anderson single. Carreno walked, filling the bases, but Watt caught Ayala’s fly, and everybody was stranded again… It then also came apart for Negrete, who allowed a run on Aguirre and Rodriguez singles in the fourth, and another (unearned) run scored in the fifth thanks to a Jimenez throwing error, burying him 2-0. Tony Lopez tripled in the sixth, then scored on a sac fly by Rodriguez, 3-0. The Raccoons? Outhitting the Titans, 6-5, but that was about it for them, even with five walks issued by del Rio. Negrete was done after a leadoff walk to Watt in the bottom 7th, before Jon Craig had another meltdown, allowing three runs on three hits to put the game away. 6-0 Titans. Toohey (PH) 1-1; Anderson 2-4; Phinazee (PH) 1-1;

In other news

August 16 – SFB 1B/C Jeff Wilson (.268, 6 HR, 29 RBI) is a triple shy of the cycle in a 5-for-5 game with a single RBI as the Bayhawks rush the Warriors, 14-5.
August 19 – MIL 3B/2B Jared Paul (.278, 4 HR, 32 RBI) is out for the season and questionable for Opening Day after tearing his posterior cruciate ligament.
August 19 – CHA C/1B Chris Kokoszka (.277, 12 HR, 58 RBI) misses the cycle by the triple, going 4-for-4 with two homers and 4 RBI in a 15-4 win over the Aces.
August 19 – RIC SS/2B Lance Harrison (.246, 1 HR, 21 RBI) hits a walkoff single to end a 17-inning marathon with a 5-4 win over the Cyclones.
August 21 – Falcons SS Tony Aparicio (.252, 13 HR, 57 RBI) hits for the cycle in a 15-1 destruction of the Aces. Aparicio drives in run(s) with every one of his four hits, six in total.

FL Player of the Week: SAL CF Armando Herrera (.312, 3 HR, 41 RBI), hitting .500 (15-30) with 4 RBI
CL Player of the Week: OCT 1B Sterling Henderson (.308, 5 HR, 30 RBI), batting .357 (10-28) with 4 HR, 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Another six games ticked off, and it wasn’t *great*, but at least we didn’t stumble and gained a game on Indy again. We have Monday off, then will have the damn Elks and Condors at home. We don’t know yet when Wheats will be done with the barfing, but he should be woven back into the rotation against the Elks. Negrete will go back to AAA right away after a “serviceable” debut.

Should Jon Craig also go? He’s in a bit of a rut and can’t get anybody out right now. This week he got socked for four runs (plus an inherited run), and he has been charged with 10 runs since July 28, packing a full run onto his ERA. Sean Marucci was out for the season, but the third relief prospect (counting Porter), Bob Ibold, looked ready. After a brief injury break, he was back pitching for the Alley Cats, and he had a 4.54 ERA in 37.2 innings there, but the BABIP was rubbish. He had almost three strikeouts for each walk.

Ibold had come over from the Buffos with Gene Pellicano in the deal that sent out Tony Hunter and Wyatt Hamill in ’42. He also had been traded for Troy Greenway earlier in his prospect career, which was not major news. It seemed everybody had been traded for Troy Greenway at some point in their career…! Ibold was a 23-year-old righty, 93mph heater, strong curve. Sometimes a bit down the middle.

This year’s top pick Brett Lillis jr. has been found out to have some crunchy movables in his pitching elbow, and Dr. Padilla will sent some archaeologists in there to brush it all out. That’s his first professional season over with a … (draws in air between his teeth sharply) … 1-7 mark and 4.94 ERA in Aumsville.

Fun Fact: Four previous Falcons cycles have been counted, including two in the same season in 1999.

That was a June 3 cycle by Hubert Green, and a September 2 event delivered by Joe Morton. Hubsie Green did his deed against the Raccoons, who at that point offered but little resistance.

Green was a career Falcon that played 16 years in the major leagues. He was an All Star twice, and won the 2005 World Series with the Falcons, too. He led the league in doubles twice (1998, 2004), and his extra-base knack was pronounced enough that he was a worthwhile hitter even while poking .256 for his career. He had 74 extra-base hits in a season twice, and he overall landed 2,033 hits, including 520 doubles, 81 triples, and 156 homers. He drove in 995 runs and stole 190 bases.