[Westheim]

Raccoons (78-51) @ Knights (71-58) – August 29-31, 2044

Recently fallen out of first place, the Knights had to turn their stuff around. They had posted a 13-14 July, followed by a 10-16 August, which was actually their third losing month of the year. They sat eighth in runs scored, with the second-worst batting average, but were allowing the second-fewest runs on the strength of those four All Star starting pitchers. Offensively, they were tops in home runs and bottoms in stolen bases. We were down 4-2 in the season series.

Projected matchups:
Jason Wheatley (7-3, 3.99 ERA) vs. Jerry Banda (12-11, 3.54 ERA)
Jake Jackson (12-5, 3.47 ERA) vs. Bill Nichol (2-5, 4.05 ERA)
Sadaharu Okuda (14-6, 3.09 ERA) vs. Brian Buttress (12-9, 2.78 ERA)

Right, right, left to end the month of August.

Game 1
POR: SS Waters – 1B Ayala – LF Maldonado – RF Toohey – CF Phinazee – C Zarate – 3B Jimenez – 2B Carreno – P Wheatley
ATL: C Horner – RF Hester – 1B Levis – CF Oliver – LF C. Walker – 3B Melendez – 2B McKoy – SS Laughren – P J. Banda

Chris Walker’s bases-loaded walk gave the Knights a 1-0 lead in the bottom 1st, but at least Bill Melendez hit a bouncer to Jimenez for a 5-4-3 double play. Wheatley had put Adam Horner and Doug Levis on base, while Brian Oliver had reached on an Ayala error. The Knights also loaded the bases in the bottom 2nd, this time with the aid of a Waters error, bumbling Banda’s grounder, but didn’t score that time, although they exploded Wheats’ pitch count rather nicely. But Wheats also got a single in the top 3rd. Maldonado walked with two outs, and Bryce Toohey hit a 3-run screamer to left, giving the Raccoons a 3-1 lead, and extra-base liners by Mal Phinazee and Jose Zarate added another run in the same inning.

Wheatley put more runners on base, but Walker was caught stealing in the third, the Critters turned another double play in the fourth, and then there was a chance to tack on in the fifth when Ayala opened with a leadoff walk, Maldo singled, and Toohey walked on a borderline 3-2 pitch that the Knights bitterly disputed. Banda would walk Phinazee, also in a full count, to force home a run, and while Zarate hit into a 6-4-3, that still got Maldo home from third base to extend the lead to 6-1. Wheats pitched one batter into the seventh, but gave up a leadoff single to PH Chris Levy. Kelly inherited the ball against the left-handed top of the order, and got out of the inning without conceding a run. Levy was the Knights’ last base runner, with Craig and Porter adding scoreless frames towards the end. 6-1 Raccoons. Toohey 2-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Zarate 2-4, 2B, RBI;

Game 2
POR: 1B Ayala – 3B Cruz – LF Maldonado – RF Toohey – CF Phinazee – C Kilmer – SS Hunter – 2B Carreno – P Jackson
ATL: C Horner – RF Hester – 1B Levis – CF Oliver – 2B Sanderfer – LF C. Walker – 3B Melendez – SS Laughren – P Nichol

Another game, another Toohey homer for the first Raccoons runs on the board, this time a 2-piece in the first inning that brought home Jose Cruz. Unfortunately things went pear-shaped after that, with Adam Horner reaching right away against Horner, and Billy Hester took Jackson deep to tie the game to begin the bottom 1st. The Knights whacked three more hits and got a walk off Jackson in a bloody 5-run first, two runs driven in by Chris Walker and one more by Paul Laughren. Another 2-run homer by Doug Levis extended the score to 7-2 in the second inning and sent Jackson to the dark corner to think about what he just had done. Jon Craig replaced him, allowed one more run in five outs logged, not that it mattered much at this point. After that came Zack Kelly, who had a day from hell, of which he got to enjoy a whole lot. It was only the fourth inning, and the well of relievers was not endless, so we expected Kelly to pitch at least the full inning. He didn’t – he gave up eight hits. And eight runs, including three homers, including Levis and Oliver to end his rotten day. He had 14 earned runs allowed this year prior to this outing. Now he had 22.

And the Knights had 16 on the board. By the fifth inning, the Raccoons were using CHUCK JONES in long relief. He pitched two scoreless before hitting a single with Carreno aboard in the seventh inning, sending him to third base. Sal Ayala hit a sac fly to center, which narrowed the chasm to a mere 13 runs. That run would fall out of Josh Rella’s bum in a 3-walk eighth inning, but at least he collected three outs before allowing a year’s worth of runs to be beaten out of him. Getting the game over with was good enough at this point. Ricky Jimenez hit a homer with Van Anderson on base in the ninth. STOP WASTING TIME!! … 17-5 Knights. Jimenez (PH) 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; Maldonado 2-5; Toohey 2-5, HR, 2 RBI; Kilmer 2-4; Carreno 2-4; Jones 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K and 1-1;

That was … rough.

Game 3
POR: SS Waters – 1B Ayala – LF Maldonado – RF Toohey – C Zarate – 3B Jimenez – 2B Carreno – CF Pellicano – P Okuda
ATL: C Horner – RF Hester – 1B Levis – 3B Melendez – 2B Sanderfer – LF C. Walker – CF Oliver – SS McKoy – P Buttress

It was a game of bad news. First, the Raccoons put nobody on base the first time through, but Okuda walked a pair and allowed a 2-run double to Brian Oliver in the bottom 2nd. Second, the Raccoons still put nobody on base the second time through, but Chris Walker hit a solo homer in the fourth. Down 3-0, Okuda had to get some length for the Raccoons, but got exploded in the sixth inning … *after* getting two outs. Alex Sanderfer singled. Chris Walker doubled him home. Brian Oliver doubled HIM home. And then Tyler McKoy hit a no-doubter, a 2-piece to right. That made it 7-0 Knights.

The Raccoons went down 1-2-3 in the seventh inning, making it 21 up and just as many down, while Okuda hung around until Billy Hester hit a double off him with one out in the bottom 7th. Norris got the ball, but conceded the run on a Melendez single. Top 8th, Toohey popped out. Zarate grounded out. Jimenez grounded to left – and through. The Knights’ fans were in utter disbelief given how hopeless the Raccoons had looked against the dominant Buttress. But gone was the perfect game, gone was the no-hitter! Also, Carreno flew out to Levy in right, ending the inning, and a rally wasn’t on the table anyway. Gene Pellicano opened the ninth with a single. Tony Hunter hit into a double play. Waters flew out. 8-0 Knights.

We might win the rancid division, but if we face the Knights in the CLCS, I see nothing but blackness and tears coming for us…

For the time being, the Raccoons were off on Thursday, which was the day rosters expanded. We only called up the reinforcements for Friday, though:

First, we brought up Victor Merino, who would get regular starts in September. The 23-year-old was 10-14 with a 4.03 ERA in AAA, but I didn’t trust the flimsy defense down there. He also had pitched on Wednesday and wasn’t available for a start on the weekend. The pen was extended with Bob Ibold, Alex Ramirez, and lefty Steven Johnston, who had been up last September, too. Omar Gutierrez and Jay de Wit were added in terms of bats. No outfielder was brought up – there was no outfielder left on the 40-man that wasn’t already here. Manny Fernandez was however just days away from returning, so there was a speedy heal in progress. Nor did we add a catcher – Sean Sieber had been removed from the 40-man, and I didn’t want to waste service time on Ruben Gonzalez to have him sit around, at least not as long as the AAA season was still going on.

Raccoons (79-53) @ Crusaders (60-73) – September 2-4, 2044

The season series stood 7-4 in the Raccoons’ favor. The Crusaders had been swept during the week and ranked ninth in runs scored and eighth in runs allowed. They had shed some pitching with Aaron Hickey and Paul Paris, but it wasn’t like they had been at the top of the pack in pitching before losing a few starters.

Projected matchups:
Corey Mathers (10-9, 3.77 ERA) vs. Jeff Johnson (9-11, 3.78 ERA)
Brent Clark (9-11, 3.55 ERA) vs. Tony Galligher (3-7, 3.25 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (8-3, 3.89 ERA) vs. Matthew Owen (1-0, 0.75 ERA)

Right, left, right… maybe; they had added a number of pitchers, too, including Owen.

Game 1
POR: 1B Ayala – C Zarate – LF Maldonado – RF Toohey – CF Phinazee – 2B Waters – SS Hunter – 3B Jimenez – P Mathers
NYC: SS Adame – 1B D. Riley – RF Marz – C Alba – 2B Nash – LF Rudd – CF Graf – P J. Johnson – 3B Riario

The Raccoons continued to hit nothing at all, not getting a base hit until the fourth inning after getting most of the way to being perfectoed on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mathers was merely mediocre. He retired New York in order in the first, but allowed singles to Fernando Alba and Randolph Nash in the second, both being then doubled home by Tom Rudd. Extra bases remained the order of the day for the Crusaders, who got a leadoff triple from Alex Adame that led to a run on the third, and an RBI triple from Vittorio Riario in the fourth for another one. That buried the Raccoons four deep already, with no prospect of getting out of the hole. Hunter and Jimenez reached base to begin the fifth, Mathers bunted them into scoring position, and then Ayala struck out and Zarate popped out…

The bottom 5th began with a John Marz double to center, then right away an Alba homer. Mathers was yanked, the third starter in a row that got absolutely ravaged. Mal Phinazee hit a homer to right in the sixth inning that appeared to be absolutely meaningless, as solo as it was, narrowing the gap hardly at all to 6-1. Carreno hit a single from the #9 hole in the seventh, stole second, and Ayala popped out. Zarate reached on a Nash error, and Maldonado barely hit a shy single through the right side to score Carreno, 6-2. Toohey struck out. Phinazee grounded out. ******* hopeless. Ayala drew a leadoff walk in the ninth, then was doubled up by Zarate. Maldonado was nicked and doubled home by Toohey. And Jose Cruz flew out to center. 6-3 Crusaders. Jimenez 2-4; Carreno (PH) 1-1;

For a surprise – besides the 3-game losing streak – the Raccoons would get to see former Critter Rich Willett (11-10, 3.70 ERA) on Saturday. It’s not like there’s a pitcher out there we seem to be able to beat, so what’s the matter…

Game 2
POR: 1B Ayala – 3B Jimenez – LF Maldonado – RF Toohey – C Kilmer – SS Hunter – CF Anderson – 2B Gutierrez – P Clark
NYC: SS Adame – RF Marz – 1B Briones – CF Rico – 2B Nash – 3B Riario – LF D. Martinez – C Alba – P Willett

The Coons took the lead on something Toohey did for the third time this week, this time a run-scoring groundout plating Jimenez (single) in the first inning. Maldo had doubled in between those two. The lead disappeared immediately on another triple hit by Mario Briones this time, and Danny Rico’s single up the middle. Rico reached third on a stolen base and Kilmer’s throwing error, but was stranded when Nash struck out. Clark held out in the second, then hit a dying yammerer in the third inning for a leadoff single; the ball stretched past Alex Adame’s glove by mere inches. Ayala grounded out to advance him, while Jimenez hit a drive to deep center. Rico couldn’t catch up with it, and Jimenez landed a go-ahead, RBI double, 2-1 Raccoons. And then Maldo and Toohey made pathetic outs to leave another guy in scoring position… That one went away instantly as well. John Marz hit a single in the bottom 3rd, was forced out by Briones, but with two outs Nash stuck the ball into the letfield corner for an RBI triple. Riario singled him home, and the Crusaders took a 3-2 lead. Raccoons. Can’t hit, can’t pitch, can’t field, can’t smell nice.

Marz was ejected in the fourth for arguing balls and strikes, replaced by John Davis, which was a defensive downgrade that soon came into play. Gutierrez was hit by Willett with an 0-2 pitch in the fifth to put the tying run on base with nobody out. Clark failed to bunt before swinging away, hitting a ball in the right-center gap. Davis didn’t get near it, and the Raccoons got a double out of their pitcher, putting the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Ayala popped out to third. Jimenez popped out to Dave Martinez in shallow left. Oh for crying out loud! Maldonado fell to 1-2 before slapping a ball up the middle; Adame missed it, and the Raccoons barely scratched out a 3-3 tie before Toohey grounded out. The Crusaders still reclaimed the lead in the sixth with a solo homer by Martinez…

Clark was hit for in the seventh inning, which got the Raccoons ******** nowhere, while Porter appeared for the bottom 7th, but allowed three singles to load the bases and then was yanked. Zack Kelly walked in a run against Tom Rudd before striking out Martinez and Elliott Thompson. Ex-Coon Dave Myers pinch-hit in the pitcher’s spot, drawing attention from Nelson Moreno, who got him to fly out to Van Anderson. The Raccoons were now down by two, which narrowed to one in the top 8th when Maldonado singled, advanced on a grounder, and was singled home by Jeff Kilmer with one out. Hunter and Zarate were good for nothing, though. Moreno instead walked Adame to begin the bottom 8th. The runner was on third base with two outs and Dan Riley up, which prompted a move to left-hander Steven Johnston. The useless piece of ******** **** threw four pitches, which was enough for two RBI doubles and an RBI single to fire the game into the bin with great vigor, then was yanked and kicked down the stairs to the clubhouse. Jon Craig would strike out Martinez to end the ****** up inning. The miserable Blighters still got the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth when Carreno and Ayala reached. And then Jimenez hit into a double play. 8-4 Crusaders. Maldonado 3-4, 2B, RBI; Carreno (PH) 1-1;

Four in a row. All hopeless.

Everything is hopeless.

Manny Fernandez came off the DL on Sunday. I hugged him tight and kissed him on the snout, and he looked bewildered. “Manny!”, I begged him while shaking him. “You must save this team!”

Even if it’s against a left-hander on Southpaw Sunday.

Game 3
POR: SS Waters – C Zarate – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – 3B Jimenez – 2B Carreno – CF Pellicano – P Wheatley
NYC: SS Adame – 1B D. Riley – RF Marz – C Alba – 2B Nash – CF Rico – LF Villareal – P Galligher – 3B Riario

Marz walked with two outs and scored on singles by Alba and Nash, and the Raccoons trailed again after just one inning. Rico popped out, taking care of the remaining runners, while the Raccoons had another slow start and no hits until Pellicano dropped in a single to begin the third inning. He was bunted to second, then reached third on Waters’ infield single. Zarate grounded to the left side, I shrieked, but Adame and Riario couldn’t reach the ball, which rolled through between them for an RBI single, tying the game. Maldonado flew out to right on 0-2, bringing up Toohey with two outs. Bryce Magic worked again – he mashed a 3-run homer to left, and Wheats had a 4-1 lead. Manny going back-to-back outta rightfield upped the score to 5-1.

The cursed Crusaders pulled a run back in the bottom 3rd, getting Adame on with a single. He stole third base and scored on a groundout eventually, and hits by Riario and Riley gave the Crusaders another run as Wheatley brittled away for a 5-3 score after five innings.

But he retired the New Yorkers in order in the sixth, and for now we were willing to stick to him. Playing it purple pooper by purple pooper, Wheatley retired Angel Villareal, Andy Montes, and Riario in order in the seventh, too, at which point the Raccoons introduced our archnemesis in the eighth inning – SAUERKRAUT!! The left-hander carried a 5.50 ERA for mostly negligible services, walked Toohey to lead off the inning, and gave up a 1-out single to Jimenez. But Carreno flew out to left and Pellicano grounded out to second, and nobody scored. Wheatley then nailed Adame, the little pest, to begin the bottom 8th, which was… not ideal. The Raccoons went to Chuck Jones, who popped out the left-handed Riley, and then had to get around Marz to also get the left-handed Alba out. The left-handers were hitting around .300, Marz .259, all had double digit power as the tying runs. Marz flew out to Toohey on the first pitch, but Alba grinded out a walk. Mario Briones pinch-hit for Nash, bringing on Moreno. They battled to 2-2 before Briones hit a ball up the middle. Waters warped there, picked, and tapped the base ahead of Alba to end the inning. The Raccoons then stranded Waters in scoring position in the ninth against Sauerkraut, but not for a lack of trying. John Marz picked a Maldonado drive with two outs off the top of the ******* fence. Josh Rella would get involved then, for the first time since the 17-run blowout on Tuesday. Danny Rico singled to right. Rella threw a wild pitch, then walked John Davis in a full count. Oh why. Dave Myers pinch-hit for the pitcher, and sent a fly to deep center. Pellicano got there, made the catch, and Rico jogged to third, but Davis held at first base. Riario lined out to Waters. That left the revolting Adame. He spanked the first pitch to left, but Waters found a way there, too – zing to first, bang-bang play, and what was the ump gonna do? He punched him out! 5-3 Critters. Zarate 2-4, BB, RBI;

In other news

August 29 – LVA OF Justin Beaudoin (.224, 3 HR, 16 RBI) is done for the season after breaking his kneecap.
August 30 – The Aces’ LF/RF Brian Fox (.271, 5 HR, 22 RBI) knocks out five hits, including two doubles, and drives in two as the Aces rout the Canadiens, 13-0.
August 31 – SFB 2B Enrique Trevino (.274, 1 HR, 10 RBI) hits a walkoff single for the only run in the Bayhawks’ 10-inning, 1-0 win over the Crusaders.
September 3 – RIC OF Alex Marquez (.312, 13 HR, 54 RBI) will miss most of September with a hip strain.
September 4 – Nashville SP Tim Steinbach (13-10, 3.65 ERA) 3-hits the Rebels in a 2-0 shutout.
September 4 – Titans and Canadiens play 26 innings in a double-header, with 13 innings in each game. For their efforts, the teams get a split, a 4-2 win for Boston and a 3-2 win for Vancouver.

FL Player of the Week: SFW RF Matt Diskin (.305, 13 HR, 82 RBI), hitting .464 (13-28) with 2 HR, 7 RBI
CL Player of the Week: ATL OF Brian Oliver (.270, 6 HR, 50 RBI), slashing .500 (15-30) with 2 HR, 7 RBI

FL Hitter of the Month: SAC 1B/LF/RF Eddie Moreno (.314, 34 HR, 106 RBI), mashing .374 with 12 HR, 32 RBI
CL Hitter of the Month: CHA LF/CF Joe Besaw (.288, 8 HR, 58 RBI), hitting .368 with 5 HR, 21 RBI
FL Pitcher of the Month: LAP SP Roberto Pruneda (13-9, 3.31 ERA), pitching for a 5-0 record, 1.29 ERA, 32 K
CL Pitcher of the Month: IND CL Tommy Gardner (5-7, 4.35 ERA, 30 SV), nailing it down for a 1-0 record, 1.26 ERA, 10 SV, 16 K
FL Rookie of the Month: CIN INF/LF Chris Delgado (.318, 14 HR, 67 RBI), hitting .302 with 3 HR, 16 RBI
CL Rookie of the Month: OCT 1B Sterling Henderson (.317, 7 HR, 36 RBI), batting .342 with 7 HR, 29 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Wheats won two games and held crap together really nicely this week.

I really don’t want to talk about ANY OTHER PITCHER. Except Chuck Jones. Oh, Chuck Jones is a national treasure. Even when used in garbage relief in a 14-run blowout in Atlanta in the middle of the week…

We will host the Loggers starting on Monday, which is at least a season series that has worked out for us in the past (8-3). And while the Arrowheads – who we will host on the weekend for the final set between those two teams – were just as bad this week and thus didn’t gain ground, I have no confidence for any CLCS matchup right now.

Thankfully there’s four weeks left to make everything hum again. Right, boys?

Right?

Boys??

Fun Fact: Since June 16, Chuck Jones has given up runs in a single appearance and has an 0.77 ERA.

That was two runs in a 5-2 loss to the Indians on August 11. Apart from that, he’s been unscathed. Heck, he’s only been ticked for more than one base hit in two innings since then, including the August 11 outing.

Maybe he should take a few starts…