[Westheim]

With the division in the bag, there were two goals for this final home week. Goal #2 was not to dawdle away homefield advantage for the CLCS (we were up five wins on the Bayhawks). Goal #1 was more important though –

Don’t get hurt.

Raccoons (92-63) vs. Titans (72-83) – September 26-29, 2044

The Raccoons had already taken the season series from the Titans, 11-3, and now just had to stay in the dry. Boston was seventh in runs scored, ninth in runs allowed, and squabbling over fourth place with the Crusaders. They were third in on-base percentage, but bottoms in batting average and home runs, and second from the bottom in stolen bases. Jamal Barrow and Danny Liceaga were on the DL.

Projected matchups:
Corey Mathers (10-11, 4.05 ERA) vs. Victor Mondragon (1-2, 4.32 ERA)
Brent Clark (11-12, 3.82 ERA) vs. Ricky Contreras (0-0, 3.55 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (9-5, 4.61 ERA) vs. Chris Turner (13-14, 3.61 ERA)
Jake Jackson (14-6, 3.60 ERA) vs. Ignacio del Rio (12-13, 3.69 ERA)

The first two starters they’d throw at us were rookies. The middle two starters were southpaws.

Game 1
BOS: LF Watt – RF Ritchey – C Whitley – 3B I. Lugo – 2B Castaneda – SS J. Rodriguez – 1B Lindstrom – CF T. Lopez – P Mondragon
POR: CF Baskins – 1B Ayala – LF Fernandez – RF Toohey – 3B Jimenez – SS Hunter – C Kilmer – 2B Gutierrez – P Mathers

Stopping the blow-ups would also be a good thing to integrate into the game plan for any given day now. The Raccoons scattered seven hits through four innings, plating two runs when Jimenez drove home Ayala in the first inning, and with Toohey’s single that cashed Derek Baskins in the third. Apart from that, lots of wasted runners. The Titans had only one hit the first time through (a Mondragon single, what else), but Mathers ran face-first into the fence in the fifth, in which all the wheels once again fell off at once. Juan Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk and advanced on Matt Lindstrom’s grounder. Tony Lopez hit a comebacker that Mathers fumbled several times for an error. Mondragon then flew to center, and Baskins flubbed the catch for another error, scoring Rodriguez. Four balls to Matt Watt filled the bags with one out. Bryce Toohey’s rush into the gap to catch a Joe Ritchey drive held the Boston #2 to a game-tying sac fly, and somehow Dan Whitley hacked out to end the miserable inning that had given the Titans two runs without the benefit of a base hit. After the Raccoons waited out two Mondragon walks in the bottom 5th, Mathers continued to be obnoxious in the sixth. Leadoff walk to Ivan Lugo, then a soft single hit by Jose Castaneda. Juan Rodriguez grounder was taken to third base for a force out, and Lindstrom grounded to short for an inning-ending double play.

Mondragon walked six Raccoons in as many innings, but held out for the no-decision. Mathers pitched seven innings of 3-hit ball, but there was a sour taste in the mouth anyway. He was hit for with Mal Phinazee, who drew a 2-out walk off Terry Garrigan, in the bottom 7th, with Hunter and Kilmer on base. The situation was unearned – Hunter had reached base on an throwing error by Oscar Aguirre at second base. At least Garrigan, a Raccoon for the briefest time a few dark years back, continued to melt, and walked Derek Baskins on four pitches with the bases loaded to give the lead back to Portland. Then Ayala grounded out. Nelson Moreno got around a Ritchey single in the eighth to keep the tiny lead together, but Josh Rella was turned over for the tying run in the ninth inning. Carlos Cortes hit a 1-out single off the bench, then scored on Lindstrom's double that beat Baskins in the gap. Danny Tirado hit Tony Hunter in the bottom 9th, but no Raccoon could be bothered for a base hit, sending the game to extra innings.

Nate Norris pitched scoreless 10th and 11th innings, while the Raccoons were retired in order in the 10th by Tirado, then faced righty Aaron Durham in the 11th. Durham had 29 walks in 38 innings, so with a bit of patience … aaand Toohey began with a groundout. The pitcher’s spot had wandered into the #5 hole earlier, so Gene Pellicano pinch-hit for Norris here. Pellicano showed no patience, either, ripping away at the second pitch he got from Durham. At least he hit it some 400 feet. It’s a walkoff! 4-3 Raccoons. Ayala 2-6, 2B; Pellicano (PH) 1-1, HR, RBI; Mathers 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K; Norris 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W (10-3);

Whatever makes these games end. The longer they are on the field, the sooner they’ll break a leg…

Game 2
BOS: LF Watt – RF Ritchey – 1B Zuazo – 2B O. Aguirre – 3B I. Lugo – C Youngquist – SS Castaneda – CF T. Lopez – P R. Contreras
POR: 2B Carreno – 3B Jimenez – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Pellicano – SS Waters – CF Anderson – C Gonzalez – P Clark

The Coons got two runs in the first, Jimenez reaching on a Joe Ritchey fumble in right, then scoring on a Maldonado triple. Toohey’s groundout brought in the second run. The second inning began with Waters reaching with a leadoff single, and he stole his 28th bag. Van Anderson hit a soft single for runners to go to the corners, and while Ruben Gonzalez grounded to short, he beat out the throw to first to break up the double play, and got the RBI as Waters dashed home, 3-0. While Clark was surely not perfect, scattering four runners on two hits and walk walks in the first three innings, the Raccoons got definitely more gifts from the opposition. Case in point, bottom 3rd, with leadoff walks to Jimenez (who advanced on a wild pitch) and Maldonado. Toohey flew out before another wild pitch advanced both runners. Pellicano then hit a single to right, bringing home Jimenez, and Waters whacked an RBI single to left, 5-0. Van Anderson was drilled, loading them up, and Ruben Gonzalez got another RBI with a deep sac fly to Ritchey. That wasn’t even the end; Clark singled home Waters with two outs and on a 1-2 pitch, which was the deserved end for Contreras. Carreno grounded out, keeping the score at 7-0 through three.

Clark meanwhile lasted six innings only, getting entangled in his usual barbed wire mesh of long counts and walks. The Titans got him for a run in the sixth, which began with a leadoff walk to Alvin Zuazo, then saw singles by Ivan Lugo on 3-2, and by Castaneda on 2-2. He also struck out three batters in the inning, which took positively forever and took him well over 100 pitches. The Raccoons tacked on, a 2-run homer by Maldo in the bottom 6th against Brian Jackson stretching the lead to 9-1. Toohey almost went back-to-back, but was caught by Watt at the fence. We also loaded the bases in the seventh, but Carreno flew out to Ritchey to strand everybody. That was the last runs on the board for the Raccoons, who got near-perfect relief from Alex Ramirez, Bob Ibold, and Steven Johnston for the last three innings to keep the Titans down. 9-1 Critters. Maldonado 2-4, BB, HR, 3B, 3 RBI; Waters 3-4, RBI; Anderson 2-3; Gonzalez 1-2, BB, 2 RBI; Clark 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, W (12-12) and 1-2, RBI;

Game 3
BOS: LF Watt – RF Ritchey – C Whitley – 1B C. Cortes – 3B I. Lugo – 2B Castaneda – SS O. Aguirre – CF T. Lopez – P C. Turner
POR: 2B Carreno – 1B Ayala – 3B Jimenez – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – CF Pellicano – C Kilmer – SS Hunter – P Wheatley

Wheats had pretty much pitched himself into the playoff bullpen in the last few weeks, and it would take a gem to get us even start talking about him being a starter for the upcoming CLCS. He retired Boston in order in the first, then got a 1-0 lead spotted on Ricky Jimenez’ homer to left. Wheats retired eight in a row, then inexplicably walked “Tuba” Turner, and Watt for good measure, too. Ritchey (.277, 21 HR, 61 RBI) struck out, somehow. He also hit a pair of singles his first two times at the plate, getting the old batting average over .300 (!), with the latter instance in the bottom 4th leading to a 2-out run after Kilmer had doubled up Pellicano initially. Hunter had reached base, Wheatley singled, and Carreno hit an RBI single to right. Wheatley however also suffered **** to the brain on that play, running to third base, where he was out by a good 20 feet to concluded the fourth inning, Portland up 2-0.

He continued with a leadoff hit-by-pitch to Castaneda’s rib cage, but the runner was caught stealing, but his no-hit bid was broken up in the sixth when Watt singled to center with one out. Then he quickly walked Ritchey and nailed Whitley to stuff the bases… Carlos Cortes rammed a bases-clearing double into the gap, so there was that, but Whatley retired another four batters after that. He should have been lifted after a walk to Watt with two outs in the seventh, but hung around to give up a homer to Ritchey, the 22nd for the hitter and the 16th for the pitcher. While the Raccoons looked like they were out of ideas, Cortes hit a homer off Alex Ramirez in the top 8th for another run. We were still down 6-2 into the bottom 9th, but forced Danny Tirado into the game with one out after Waters and Carreno reached base with one out, making this a save situation. Tirado walked Ayala, and Jimenez came to the plate as the tying run. He also grounded to second base for a force there, but the Titans could not turn two; a run scored, and Toohey, home run leader on the team, would get a chance. He grounded out on the first pitch. 6-3 Titans. Carreno 2-5, RBI; Jimenez 3-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Phinazee (PH) 1-1;

In the South the Knights were eliminated on Wednesday, while the Bayhawks led the Aces by three. They’d play four on the weekend, including a double-header to begin the set.

In the FL East the Cyclones led the Buffos by two, and the Gold Sox had the same margin over the Stars. Denver had also reached 100 wins by now.

Game 4
BOS: LF Watt – RF Ritchey – C Whitley – 1B C. Cortes – 3B I. Lugo – 2B Castaneda – SS J. Rodriguez – CF T. Lopez – P del Rio
POR: CF Baskins – 1B Ayala – 3B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – SS Waters – C Zarate – 2B Carreno – P Jackson

Both teams were on two hits and no runs in the bottom 3rd when Carreno drew a leadoff walk and stole second base, his 48th of the year. Jackson grounded out, and Derek Baskins brought in the run with a single. A groundout and a strikeout would leave Baskins on base, while the Titans began the fourth with singles from Whitley and Cortes. The latter was forced out by Lugo with a grounder, but the tying run reached third base on the play. Castaneda struck out, which offered a chance out of the inning, but Jackson wouldn’t take that route until after giving up the lead on Rodriguez’ single to right, and all hope for a decent game with a hanger and 3-run homer to Tony Lopez. Whitley then walked and Cortes banged a homer in the fifth to send Jackson to the bench to think about what he was the heck doing…

Mal Phinazee’s homer in Jackson’s spot in the bottom 5th only briefly got the Raccoons back into slam range. Zack Kelly was whacked around some more for a run in the sixth, which was an alarming degree of incompetence for a left-hander that had been sturdy as a cow from April to August. Chuck Jones and Jon Craig continued the collapse with three runs in the eighth inning. The Raccoons never hit for anything meaningful after the fifth inning. 10-2 Titans. Baskins 2-4, RBI; Phinazee (PH) 1-1, HR, RBI; Cruz (PH) 1-1;

Absolutely in playoff form, everybody!

Oh, woe is me. (grabs Honeypaws and rocks back and forth)

Home field for the CLCS was clinched with a Bayhawks loss. They were still three up on Vegas.

Raccoons (94-65) vs. Loggers (61-98) – September 30-October 2, 2044

The season series against Milwaukee was also in the bag, 11-4. Maybe don’t get swept, still, boys, yes? No? They looked tired. Oh dear. The Loggers were in the bottom three in runs scored and runs allowed, with a slightly iffy -150 run differential (Coons: +141). Turns out shedding nearly all your good position players for most of the season isn’t something a small-market team can overcome.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (15-8, 3.31 ERA) vs. Matt Peterson (8-12, 4.82 ERA)
Corey Mathers (10-11, 3.91 ERA) vs. Jordan Calderon (2-6, 4.58 ERA)
Victor Merino (2-1, 2.31 ERA) vs. Sergio Piedra (8-14, 3.47 ERA)

Looked like two more right-handers around a southpaw.

Game 1
MIL: LF Borchard – SS Davison – CF Reeves – RF Hertenstein – C Payne – 2B S. Pena – 3B T. Ruiz – 1B Cannizzard – P M. Peterson
POR: SS Waters – 1B Ayala – 3B Maldonado – LF Fernandez – RF Pellicano – CF Phinazee – C Gonzalez – 2B Gutierrez – P Okuda

The Coons scored there in a dragging first inning, in which a walk, two singles, and another walk to Manny forced in the first run. Pellicano hit a sac fly to center, Phinazee walked, and Gonzalez plated a run with a groundout before Gutierrez grounded out. Okuda had voiced his desire to pitch 200 innings in the regular season, which would require 6.2 innings, and he was sure on a good track the first time through, allowing only a walk to Daniel Hertenstein. The same guy also got the Loggers’ first hit, a 2-out single in the fourth, soon followed by another one poked by Ricky Payne. Sergio Pena was out to short, though, stranding the runners. While bidding for a shutout, Okuda also casually hit doubles his first two times at the plate, neither of which occurred with a runner on base, or anybody behind him doing anything worth writing home about.

Adam Borchard left the game with some sort of core injury suffered on his leadoff double in the sixth. T.J. Serad replaced him, and scored on Scott Davison’s single to get Milwaukee on the board, 3-1. Okuda retired the next three, though, and remained afloat. With Phinazee on third base and two outs in the bottom 6th, Okuda drew a walk from Ron Purcell. Waters struck out, though. At 199.2 innings, Okuda walked Tomas Ruiz in the seventh, but then got Tim Cannizzard to fly out to Phinazee for the second out. There were the 200…! And then he gave up an RBI triple to PH Josh Clausing, and a homer to Serad to fall 4-3 behind…

While I clamored to the baseball gods as to why, why, WHY, the measly Raccoons actually seemed to wake up from their afternoon naps. Maldo and Manny reached base with one out in the seventh against lefty Marvin Verduzco. Pellicano’s drive to right was taken by Hertenstein, though, merely moving Maldo to third base. Toohey hit for Phinazee, walked, and with the bases loaded, Carreno batted for Gonzalez… and grounded out. Two singles off Bob Ibold instead gave the Loggers a tack-on run when Chuck Jones gave up a sac fly to Jonathan Fleming in the eighth. The Raccoons sent their secret weapon – Jay de Wit batted for Gutierrez to begin the bottom 8th and homered to left, which was sure to cause a power outage and fireworks on Aruba, with the score narrowed down to 5-4 again. Nelson Moreno held the Loggers in place in the top 9th, with righty Cesar Perez out for the bottom 9th. The inning began with both Maldo and Manny sending singles through the left side on the infield, getting the tying and winning runs on base. Pellicano grounded to short, Manny being forced out. Van Anderson had ended up in the #6 hole and had a single to right, and that tied the ballgame…! Pellicano to third base, and Derek Baskins would hit for Moreno in the #7 spot… and he grounded out to first. Anderson advanced, but Pellicano had to stay put. But why worry? We still had the Aruban fireworks machine in the #8 spot! Jay de Wit, two outs, a grounder up the middle, and a walkoff single…!! 6-5 Critters. Maldonado 3-5; Fernandez 1-2, 3 BB, RBI; Anderson 1-1, RBI; de Wit (PH) 2-2, HR, 2 RBI;

And we also learned of our CLCS opponent – it would be the Bayhawks, who split their double-header with the Aces, which was enough to take the South.

Game 2
MIL: LF Fox – SS Davison – RF Hertenstein – CF Reeves – 2B S. Pena – C Payne – 1B J. Hill – 3B T. Ruiz – P J. Calderon
POR: 2B Carreno – LF Baskins – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – CF Pellicano – 3B Cruz – C Kilmer – SS Hunter – P Mathers

While the Loggers loaded the bases with three 2-out runners, a single to right, a walk, and a Maldo error being involved, the Raccoons turned the third out on Ricky Payne’s grounder, then actually scored a pair in the bottom 1st. Carreno got on, stole his 49th base, and got to the corner when Maldo singled. Toohey hit an RBI double to left for his first worthwhile hit of the week, and Pellicano added a sac fly to get up 2-0 for Mathers. The lead disappeared in the third, when Bill Reeves homered to center with Hertenstein aboard to get the Loggers even. Neither team did much in the next two innings, but Brian Fox broke the tie with a homer in the sixth inning, giving the Loggers a 3-2 lead. The Coons had only three hits at that point; Toohey whacked a double in the bottom 6th, but was stranded.

After Steven Johnston had a scoreless seventh to keep the Loggers at 3-2, the Raccoons tried again with one out in the bottom 7th. Hunter walked, and Manny singled in the pitcher’s spot. Calderon rung up Carreno, but allowed a hit to Baskins to right. The single was picked up right away by Hertenstein, though, and Tony Hunter had to hold at third base. Maldonado got the bases loaded with two down, hit a liner to right on an 0-1, and that fell into nobody’s backyard in particular…! Hunter in, Manny home, score-flipping 2-run single for Maldo! Calderon got yanked, with the lefty Verduzco taking over. He threw a wild pitch, then walked Toohey, giving Pellicano another three on, two out chance. And PELLICANO hit a liner, to center, and in for two runs…! Jose Cruz grounded out, ending the 4-spot. Those were also the final runs in the game – Moreno, Kelly, and Rella pieced it together for the Raccoons. 6-3 Raccoons. Maldonado 2-4, 2 RBI; Toohey 2-3, BB, 2 2B, RBI; Fernandez (PH) 1-1; Jimenez (PH) 1-1;

First major league win for Steven Johnston!

Game 3
MIL: LF Serad – 2B Davison – CF Reeves – RF Hertenstein – 1B Cannizzard – 3B T. Ruiz – C Bayless – SS McNelis – P Piedra
POR: 2B Carreno – 1B Ayala – LF Baskins – 3B Jimenez – RF Pellicano – SS Waters – CF Phinazee – C Gonzalez – P Merino

Davison singled, stole a base, and scored on a Hertenstein single in the first inning to give the Loggers the lead. The Coons wasted walked to Ayala and Jimenez in the bottom 1st, then saw Waters throw away a Ruiz grounder before Merino gave up a homer to Eric McNelis, of all people, to fall behind 3-0. Merino never got his crap together – he struggled the bases full in the third, but nobody scored, and in the fourth McNelis, who had hit one homer all season in scarce exposure, hit a leadoff jack of him, giving him two in the game. The Raccoons meanwhile had no hits through three, four, five innings. Waters drew a leadoff walk in the bottom 5th, but never got a steal off. Phinazee popped out, and Gonzalez hit into a double play. That was the way the offense went for Portland in the regular season finale.

Merino was yanked in the sixth after giving up another run on two singles, including one by McNelis. Preston Porter took over and exited the sixth with a grounder by Davison. Van Anderson walked in the #9 hole in the bottom 6th, but also wasn’t moved around, and slowly but surely Piedra was on no-hitter watch… The Coons struck out in order in the seventh, but ran long counts and got Piedra to 100 pitches. Manny Fernandez pinch-hit for Nate Norris in the #7 spot to begin the bottom 8th. He took a 1-1 to left, single in front of Serad, and the ghost of getting no-hit was dispelled! Piedra was lifted at once. Gonzalez popped out, while Anderson reached on an error by Davison. Carreno flew out, and Ayala walked – all against Bobby Freels. Baskins was up with three on and two outs, but flew out to Reeves in center… The Loggers would get a run off Jon Craig – unearned – in the ninth inning, not that it much mattered anymore with the game in the bin. Freels hung around for the bottom 9th, walking Jose Cruz in place of Jimenez. Pellicano popped out. Waters flew out to left. Toohey hit for the pitcher, struck out, and that was the end of the regular season. 7-0 Loggers. Fernandez (PH) 1-1;

In other news

September 27 – The second-place Stars lose another linchpin of their roster, with INF/CF Jose Rivas (.355, 0 HR, 60 RBI) out for the season with a strained triceps.
September 27 – RIC SP Omar Lara (13-13, 3.84 ERA) 3-hits the Cyclones for a shutout in a 3-0 Rebels win.
September 27 – Every Scorpions position player in the lineup reaches base safely at least twice in an 17-8 win over the Stars. The Scorpions score 10 runs in the third inning alone.
September 30 – All remaining divisions are clinched on Friday, as the Bayhawks split a double-header with the Aces to stay in front, while in the Federal League the Cyclones beat the Capitals 6-2, and the Gold Sox beat the Stars, 4-1, to each win their divisions.
October 1 – SFB 2B/SS Sergio Quiroz (.316, 16 HR, 71 RBI) whacks five hits in a 12-7 win over the Aces, including a homer and three doubles. He drives in three runs.
October 1 – Pittsburgh SS Doug Clevidence (.285, 5 HR, 60 RBI) drives in five runs from the leadoff spot in an 11-0 rush of the Blue Sox.

FL Hitter of the Month: TOP OF Dave Lee (.321, 17 HR, 62 RBI), batting .423 with 5 HR, 14 RBI
CL Hitter of the Month: IND OF Danny Rivera (.280, 24 HR, 90 RBI), hitting .315 with 6 HR, 23 RBI
FL Pitcher of the Month: WAS SP Matsuichi Yazawa (21-10, 3.20 ERA), pitching for a 5-1 record with 1.84 ERA, 30 K
CL Pitcher of the Month: SFB SP Eric Weitz (15-8, 3.66 ERA), hurling for a 5-1 mark with 2.60 ERA, 43 K
FL Rookie of the Month: SFW CF Clay Krabbe (.227, 7 HR, 40 RBI), hitting .305 with 3 HR, 15 RBI
CL Rookie of the Month: CHA OF David Vasquez (.292, 9 HR, 50 RBI), poking .322 with 3 HR, 16 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Most wins in a season since 2028!

And 2028 was not a bad old year, wasn’t it?

Now, we didn’t exactly end the regular season on a high note… (pinches Manny Fernandez in cheek for preventing getting no-hit by the Loggers). But we at least figured out that Wheatley was not gonna be a starter in the postseason (12.18 ERA in his last four starts), although not all the position player spots were set in stone yet.

The 12 pitchers and pair of catchers were set (and included Porter rather than Ramirez). For infielders, eligible were Ayala, Carreno, Jimenez, Waters, Hunter, and Cruz. For outfielders: Manny, Maldo, Baskins, Phinazee, Toohey, Pellicano, and Anderson.

Van Anderson was likely an odd man out. But who was the second position player to get dropped? Pellicano? Or maybe Cruz, who had hit nicely all year while not getting a lot of playing time, but who was mostly a pinch-hitter only with his limited defense having gotten worse by now. Pellicano was of course a sixth outfielder – although Maldonado could fill in on the infield readily.

Carreno came second in stolen bases for the year, getting beaten by a single base by Andrew Russ. Angel Montes de Oca was another bag behind. Toohey in homers and Maldo in batting each came third. San Fran’s Ramon Sifuentes collapsed this week, with the damn Elks bugger Jerry Outram sneaking into another batting title.

Fun Fact: Arturo Carreno and Tony Hunter finished the regular season a combined 6-for-73.

Yikes.