[Westheim]

Raccoons (59-33) @ Indians (36-57) – July 17-19, 2045

Last in the North, last in runs scored, and not that much better (ninth) in runs allowed – the Indians were a show that needed to pay people to see it. The only attraction in town was the base stealing, which was second in the league with 104 bags taken. Apart from that, they were a rough bunch, but also a semi-respectable 3-6 against the Raccoons in this season.

Projected matchups:
Tony Negrete (0-0) vs. Justin Johns (2-2, 2.03 ERA)
Sadaharu Okuda (9-5, 3.41 ERA) vs. Bill Drury (5-12, 3.60 ERA)
Victor Merino (4-1, 2.63 ERA) vs. Luis Anzaldo (3-1, 4.14 ERA)

We’d throw three left-handed pitchers at the Indians and we’d get nothing but right-handers in return.

Game 1
POR: LF Baskins – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – RF Fernandez – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – 2B Carreno – C Kilmer – P Negrete
IND: SS Russ – 1B Barrientos – LF D. Rivera – CF N. Galvan – RF B. Quinteros – C Julian Diaz – 3B Jon Ramos – 2B Huber – P Johns

Negrete briefly attained an infinite ERA in his season debut, giving up a first-inning jack to Andrew Russ, which at least spared us the inevitable leadoff single and two stolen bases… Negrete gave up another run in the second on a Julian Diaz single, then two clueless walks to Jon Ramos and Adam Huber, before Johns brought in the run with a grounder to first with the bases loaded. The Raccoons awoke before long, though; they had stranded three runners earlier, but began the top 3rd with singles by Baskins to right, Herrera to left, and Maldonado also found a hit in left-center – a 3-run homer to be precise. That flipped the score alright, and Maldo added more in the fourth inning with an RBI double to left, disapproving of Johns drilling Armando Herrera with two outs. Manny struck out to end the inning, but Matt Waters hit a solo blast to right to tack on a run in the fifth, extending the lead to 5-2. Not that Negrete had shaken off his early-innings wonkiness – not even close. Accordingly, Miguel Barrientos homered off him in the bottom 5th, and after a walk to the next batter Danny Rivera, Negrete conceded another run on a 2-out triple to deep center by Bill Quinteros. He walked Julian Diaz, but Jon Ramos popped out to end the inning and Negrete’s shoddy start, the Coons still up 5-4.

The Indians stranded the tying run in both of the next two innings, with the bottom 7th being especially dramatic after Zack Kelly issued a leadoff walk to Rivera. He retired the next two, but Quinteros only after Derek Baskins sprinted full gas to the leftfield line to rob him of extra bases. He repeated the feat with Jon Craig pitching and Diaz up, only then into the gap in left-center, robbing another double and stranding the runner. Nelson Moreno had a drama-free eighth, but the Raccoons were also nixed by the Indians’ pen and failed to get another insurance run entirely. Josh Rella was out in the ninth against the top of the order, but Russ singled to center, then stole second base to begin the whole shebang. He reached third on Barrientos’ grounder to second, but crucially Rella got Danny Rivera and his 15 left-handed homers to strike out. That brought up the nominally much less dangerous Nelson Galvan and his zero right-handed homers. He grounded out to short. 5-4 Raccoons. Baskins 2-4, BB; Maldonado 3-5, HR, 2B, 4 RBI;

Game 2
POR: LF Baskins – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – RF Fernandez – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – 2B Carreno – C Zarate – P Okuda
IND: SS Russ – 1B Barrientos – LF D. Rivera – CF N. Galvan – RF B. Quinteros – C Julian Diaz – 3B Jon Ramos – 2B Huber – P Drury

Rivera added a 16th left-handed homer in the bottom 1st, firing a 2-piece off Okuda, who had already walked Barrientos. The homer was the only base hit he allowed through three innings. Then the Indians killed him with six singles for three runs – one runner, Galvan, was thrown out at home plate – in the bottom of the fourth, knocking him from the game with two outs and two aboard, and the rout firmly in progress, the Raccoons getting 1-hit by Drury at this stage. Jon Craig entered instead and got a groundout from Barrientos to end the ******* inning, but then gave up a leadoff jack to Rivera in the fifth, extending the gap to half a dozen, and another run on two hits in the sixth.

It never got any better. The Raccoons only got Drury out of the game in the ninth inning after a pinch-hit single by Pat Gurney. They didn’t reach third base in the entire ******* game and ended up 3-hit by the Arrowheads. 7-0 Indians. Gurney (PH) 1-1;

By Wednesday, in a trade that made no sense initially and even less so once you marveled about it for a while, the Indians acquired SP Bill Nichol (11-7, 4.04 ERA) from the Knights. They shed two prospects for the 29-year-old (who was on a very reasonable contract through 2048), including #98 CF Chris Kirkwood.

He wasn’t up in the rubber game, though; the ball went to Ayden Cobb (7-6, 4.22 ERA) instead.

Game 3
POR: LF Baskins – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Fernandez – SS Waters – 2B Martell – C Kilmer – 3B Coen – P Merino
IND: SS Russ – 1B Barrientos – LF D. Rivera – CF N. Galvan – RF B. Quinteros – 3B Jon Ramos – C J. Rose – 2B Huber – P A. Cobb

No runs resulted from two Merino walks and a Waters error in the bottom 1st, but things didn’t necessarily become less uncomfortable afterwards, with Armando Herrera legging out a double, but also coming up limp in the third inning. Dustal replaced him, while I resorted to breathing into a paper bag in which I had hidden a bottle of Capt’n Coma. Now – the Coons took the lead in the inning when Maldo doubled home Dustal, but … anxiety! We came up 2-0 in the inning when Maldo advanced one base each on Manny’s single and Waters’ groundout before the inning fizzled out.

Merino didn’t allow an actual hit until the fourth, then both a Galvan single and a Quinteros double. Jon Ramos plated one run on a groundout, but Quinteros was stranded when Ramos and Jason Rose both went down on strikes. Cobb (…) and Russ opened the bottom 5th with singles, but Barrientos hit into a double play, and Rivera grounded out to Al Martell to strand the tying run in scoring position again. The sixth was clean, but I was longing for some insurance in the 2-1 contest. Baskins, Maldo, and Manny all crept on base against Luis Anzaldo in the seventh inning, but that only loaded them up with two outs for Waters, but the Coons’ shortstop continued to display a special knack for the bases-loaded walk, drawing another one in this situation, forcing home Baskins with the 3-1 run. Martell grounded out to Russ, stranding everybody after that.

Merino had another clean seventh before being hit for with Toohey, who walked after Ben Coen had dropped in a 1-out single against Orlando Altreche already. The old righty buckled down though and removed Baskins and Dustal to sneak out of the inning. Two left stranded, the Raccoons turned to Norris, who retired Russ on a fly to Manny, and Barrientos on strikes. Next was Chuck Jones, with thoughts of a 4-out save, given that Galvan was the only non-lefty hitter in the next four. Rivera, for a nice start, grounded out. The extent of the Coons’ offense in the ninth was Maldo walking and being caught stealing. Jones then indeed remained, walking Galvan in a full count, but Quinteros put the first pitch in play, a grounder to second that Martell and Waters spun around for a double play. Ramos struck out to end the series. 3-1 Critters. Herrera 1-2, 2B; Fernandez 2-5; Coen 2-4; Merino 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, W (5-1);

Anxiety was relieved on Friday, when after an off day spent rocking back and forth on a craps table in Vegas, Dr. Padilla notified me that Herrera needed to hit the DL with a strained oblique, but it wasn’t *that* bad and he might be able to return after the minimum 15 days.

That was good news!

Not so good news was that I lost $69,125 of Nick Valdes’ money when the fat lady with the straw hat and the thick European accent couldn’t roll a ninth ******* seven in a row, and I needed to call Steve from Accounting back home in Portland to patch things up.

Raccoons (61-34) @ Aces (46-48) – July 21-23, 2045

Fifth in the South, the Aces were 11 1/2 out and probably no longer relevant despite a +37 run differential. If they wanted a piece of the playoffs, they had to start rallying *right* *now*. I sincerely hoped they’d wait until Monday. We were up 2-1 in the season series, and they were lacking a number of position players, who were all hurt, including Tim Cannizzard, Doug Richardson, Brandon Owen, and Angel Montes de Oca.

Projected matchups:
Jason Wheatley (10-5, 2.54 ERA) vs. Josh Brown (5-8, 3.81 ERA)
Corey Mathers (10-7, 4.56 ERA) vs. Josh Henneberry (5-6, 4.92 ERA)
Tony Negrete (1-0, 7.20 ERA) vs. Steve Huffman (11-5, 3.16 ERA)

Brown was the only former Raccoon and the only lefty Aces pitcher in sight.

The Critters put Armando Herrera on the DL and helped themselves to some Van Anderson from AAA, where he was hitting .256 in limited action. 28 years old, the 2036 second-rounder was a frequent flyer for the last four seasons, getting 445 PA in Portland, hitting .239 with 5 homers. This was his first call to Coon City in ’45.

Game 1
POR: LF Baskins – SS Waters – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – RF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 2B Carreno – CF Dustal – P Wheatley
LVA: SS Quintana – 3B Landstrom – CF Kinder – RF M. Roberts – C F. Gomez – 1B Speth – LF Montana – 2B C. Jimenes – P J. Brown

CL ERA leader Jason Wheatley, a combo of letters that still made me blink, scattered three singles in the first two innings, but didn’t allow a run, stranding Felipe Gomez and Bob Montana on the corners in the bottom 2nd with a K to Carlos Jimenes and an easy grounder by Brown. The game’s first run would be the Coons’, Manny doubling home Toohey wih two outs in the fourth inning, after the Portlanders themselves had been held to one hit in three innings by Brown. Kilmer grounded out, leaving Manny in scoring position. The Aces reacted and tied the game in the same inning when Felipe Gomez hit a screamer up the rightfield line for a double, then scored on Tim Speth’s single to left. A run scored off Wheats?? What was going on??

In any case, no offense for the Critters, who remained under control by Josh Brown, despite two leadoff walks to Manny and Kilmer in the seventh inning. Now Carreno spanked into a double play and Dustal popped out, and the game remained tied. Wheatley remained tough as nails and retired the 6-7-8 in order in the bottom 7th, but that would be all for him, as his spot led off the eighth inning against the unassailable Brown. Pat Gurney batted for him and whipped a double to left. That looked good! …and then Baskins struck out and Waters and Maldonado both flew out, rendering the Raccoons stuck in the tie an Wheatley with a no-decision.

The non-scoring continued into extra-innings, and with two scoreless innings by Nelson Moreno there and similar performances by the Aces pen on the other side of the box score reached the 12th inning before the Raccoons set paw into scoring position again with a 1-out double by Carreno off righty Andy Pedraza. Dustal struck out, Van Anderson grounded out. Tim Speth hit a leadoff single off Norris in the 12th and advanced on groundouts twice, but was stranded when Bubba Shaffner flew out to Manny in right. Manny grounded out to strand Baskins and Toohey, who hit singles in the 13th, and that was the last chance pissed away by the Raccoons in this game. Norris gave up a leadoff triple to Angel Quintana in the bottom 13th, and Quintana beat the throw home on Josh Landstrom’s grounder to short to end the game in walkoff fashion. 2-1 Aces. Baskins 2-6; Toohey 3-6; Fernandez 2-5, BB, 2B, RBI; Gurney (PH) 1-1; Wheatley 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; Moreno 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Game 2
POR: LF Baskins – SS Waters – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – RF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 2B Carreno – CF Anderson – P Mathers
LVA: SS Quintana – 3B Landstrom – CF Kinder – RF M. Roberts – C F. Gomez – 1B Speth – LF Montana – 2B C. Jimenes – P Henneberry

Quintana’s throwing error on the first play of the game allowed the Raccoons to score an unearned run in the first, drive in by Maldonado, but Quintana and Landstrom drove in another dagger with two leadoff singles against Mathers, went to the corners, and the former scored on Matt Kinder’s grounder to short that the Coons turned 6-4-3. Both teams then frittered away isolated singles for several innings before Anderson opened the fifth inning with a double that stretched over Bob Montana’s glove in leftfield. He scored on Baskins’ sac fly to give Portland a new 2-1 lead. Waters then singled and stole second, but was left on by Maldonado. Toohey flew out to deep center to begin the sixth before Manny, wrestling the .300 mark all week, singled past Quintana. Henneberry walked Kilmer, then gave up a single to center to Carreno. Getting a good read, Manny scored from second base, 3-1. Anderson struck out, Mathers rolled over to short to strand another pair. Vegas promptly made up a run on Mathers in the bottom 6th, getting singles from Landstrom and Mike Roberts, with Kinder’s groundout to advance the runner and allow him to score later on in between.

Top of the seventh, top of the order, and a single, a walk, and a single – the bases were loaded for Toohey… and with nobody out. He fell to 1-2, but recovered for a fly to deep left, that was sadly not deep to left enough and caught by Montana. It was a sac fly, though, and the Coons went up 4-2. Henneberry walked Manny to restock the bags. Kilmer flew out poorly, Carreno whiffed, and another three were left on base in an abhorrence of a game.

The Aces had a counter-run *again* in the bottom 7th, with Montana getting on, stealing second, and being driven home by Carlos Jimenes. Henneberry was tasked with bunting, but struck out, and with two gone, lefty Jacob Kolbe batted for Quintana. The Coons went to Chuck Jones in a double switch, replacing Carreno with Martell. Kolbe flew out on the first pitch. The Coons then tripped Henneberry with three straight singles to begin the top 8th, loading the bases with nobody out AGAIN. Waters struck out (…!!), but Maldo coaxed a walk and drove home a run, 5-3. Toohey ripped another ball to left then. This one didn’t go out either, but at least Montana didn’t reach it and it bounced all the way into the corner for a bases-clearing double …! Toohey went on to score on a 2-out wild pitch by Jeff Turi, concluding the breakout 5-spot, and Turi conceded another run in the ninth inning on three straight singles by Martell, Baskins, and Waters. The Aces ceased resisting and did not score against Jones, Porter, and Craig. 10-3 Furballs! Baskins 4-5, RBI; Waters 2-5, BB, RBI; Maldonado 2-5, BB, 2 RBI; Toohey 1-4, 2B, 4 RBI; Fernandez 2-4, BB; Anderson 2-5, 2B; Martell 2-2;

Finally an offensive breakout!

Game 3
POR: LF Baskins – SS Waters – RF Fernandez – 1B Toohey – C Zarate – CF Dustal – 2B Martell – 3B Coen – P Negrete
LVA: SS Quintana – 3B Landstrom – CF Kinder – RF M. Roberts – C F. Gomez – 1B Speth – LF Montana – 2B C. Jimenes – P Huffman

The bases were loaded with nobody out for the Raccoons for the umpteenth time in the series in the second inning, with the 4-5-6 batters on with two walks and a single and Al Martell batting. Scoring was crucial here – two walks, two hits, and two runs had been beaten out of Negrete in the bottom 1st and he looked like he very much had more to give. He managed a sac fly while the rookie was rung up and Negrete grounded out to Jimenes. Negrete then walked two more in the bottom 2nd, but Jimenes was doubled up by Huffman, and Quintana was caught stealing by Jose Zarate to get that inning over with. He got a little less unwatchable after that, while the Raccoons couldn’t tie the game after a leadoff double for Baskins in the third, either. The fifth saw the bags full again, then with one out; Negrete had drawn a walk ahead of singles for Baskins and Waters. Manny popped out to shallow left, and Toohey grounded out.

I then left the suite to see whether I could get an Aces hat and henceforth root for a less annoying team, missing singles by Gomez and Speth to go to the corners in the bottom 6th, then Montana’s sac fly off Jon Craig, and another single by Jimenes. PH Nick Berryman grounded out to conclude the sixth, Vegas up 3-1.

The tying runs were on in Zarate and Dustal on two singles in the eighth inning, the latter off lefty Juan Vela. This was as good a spot as any to pinch-hit Maldonado for Martell, but the Aces countered with right-hander Andy Pedraza. Maldonado cracked away at the first pitch, jamming a bouncer at Jimenes for an easy 4-6-3 double play, ending that ******* dismal inning. At least they had the decency to be retired 1-2-3 in the ninth… 3-1 Aces. Baskins 2-5, 2B; Dustal 2-4;

In other news

July 17 – The Loggers trade 29-year-old rookie SP Rich Guzman (3-7, 4.74 ERA) to the Warriors for two prospects.
July 21 – The Crusaders acquire SP Jim White (7-3, 3.94 ERA) from the Pacifics, parting with two prospects. The package includes #70 SP Jerry Cruz.
July 21 – In a separate deal, the Pacifics send CL Eddie Sotelo (4-4, 4.63 ERA, 24 SV) to the Gold Sox for another pair of prospects.
July 23 – Boston CL Danny Tirado (2-4, 3.30 ERA, 18 SV) would miss the rest of the season to have bone chips extracted from his elbow.

FL Player of the Week: DAL INF/CF Jose Rivas (.393, 0 HR, 31 RBI), hitting .583 (14-24) with 1 RBI
CL Player of the Week: ATL OF Chris Walker (.263, 3 HR, 9 RBI), batting .714 (5-7) with 3 HR, 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

First of all – if anyone asks, Slappy is now… (licks over thumb and presses fake moustache firmer onto Slappy’s upper lip) … Slappy is now a 16-year-old Venezuelan prospect named Gonzalo Gonzalez, and he cost exactly $69,125 to sign as international free agent!

(Steve from Accounting winks conspiringly from the other side of the room)

Slappy, you’ll need a hair piece.

So, we stumbled over two mediocre teams again, which isn’t great, and also giving the Indians too much credit. I’m thinking of how a big deadline deal would look. It’s hard to find a real offensive upgrade for this team, and do we really need one, or would a sturdy starting pitcher really make more sense?

While we’re mulling over this, next week will be a homestand hosting the Knights and Baybirds.

Meanwhile, we concluded our July teen boy shopping spree, spending a total of $551k on four players, the majority of that money going to SP Daniel Silin, the American kid of the jungle missionaries. We did not bid on 2B Nick Fernandez.

Fun Fact: Adilmar Custdio is the only Portuguese player in ABL history.

The left-hander from Braga kind of accidentally stumbled into baseball while being an exchange student in the US in the 1990s, intending to sign up for basketball, but getting a few letters wrong. It was enough to be signed 88th overall in the 1991 draft by the Thunder, with whom we’d also get his only major league exposure as a 22-year-old in 1995. He appeared in only three games, pitching 4.2 innings for a 7.71 ERA before disappearing in the minors again. He went on to spend the rest of his career with the Thunder’s farm teams, but never returned to the music. His career highlight was a game with 17 strikeouts in single-A in 1993.