[Westheim]

The Raccoons made a roster move to begin the week. With a day off on Thursday, we’d not need a fifth starter again until August 1, and thus dispatched Tony Negrete (1-1, 6.10 ERA) back to St. Pete after two wonky to woeful starts. We called up right-hander Sean Marucci, who had pitched in 20 games for the Critters in ’43 before missing his chance last year due to injury. He had a 2.16 ERA in 30 relief appearances with the Alley Cats.

Raccoons (62-36) vs. Knights (52-46) – July 24-26, 2045

The Knights had won three in a row and had won all three of their games against Portland this season. They were sixth in runs scored, eighth in runs allowed, and had a +5 run differential (Critters: +107). Their pitching was probably not as bad as their league-worst defense made them look…

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (9-6, 3.65 ERA) vs. David Farris (8-6, 2.91 ERA)
Victor Merino (5-1, 2.49 ERA) vs. Kurt Olson (2-3, 6.48 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (10-5, 2.47 ERA) vs. Brad Santry (7-8, 3.21 ERA)

All right-handers here, it seemed like.

Game 1
ATL: 3B Venegas – RF Marz – 1B Delagrange – LF Hester – SS J. Gonzalez – CF C. Walker – 2B Sprague – C Krumholz – P Farris
POR: LF Baskins – SS Waters – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – RF Fernandez – 2B Carreno – C Kilmer – CF Dustal – P Okuda

Okuda filled the bases by hitting John Marz, walking Chris Delagrange, and allowing a single to Jorge Gonzalez in the first inning, but also rung up a pair to dig out of a mess of his own making. The Raccoons scored instead; Waters walked, reached third on Maldo’s single, and scored on a pretty, pretty deep fly by Toohey that was nevertheless snagged by Chris Walker and the Raccoons had to settle for a sac fly in the first. The lead disappeared again right away when Anton Venegas singled home Zachary Krumholz in the top 2nd, but since Krumholz had reached on a Waters error, the run was unearned on Okuda. By the third, the Knights were up 3-1. Delagrange walked again, Billy Hester smacked a double to right, and they scored on a wild pitch and a sac fly to center as Okuda’s light dimmed considerably. He did get the lead back, however, when Farris had a 2-out stroke in the bottom of the same inning. The Coons’ 3-4-5 all singled in order, making up one run, Carreno walked, and Kilmer buried a ball in the left-center gap for a bases-emptying double and a 5-3 lead before the Knights eloped with an intentional free pass to Jonathan Dustal and a groundout by Okuda.

Neither pitcher gained much material for his arbitration video material; Okuda reached the fifth, then drowned. He faced four batters, giving up a cycle’s worth of hits to them. Delagrange tripled to right, Hester tied the game with a homer, and then Gonzalez and Walker got the double and single, respectively, reaching the corners, and with nobody out. Norris scrambled out of the inning, giving up a go-ahead sac fly along the way. Manny tripled with one out in the bottom 5th, but Carreno whiffed and Kilmer grounded out to piss away the chance. Sean Marucci made his season debut in the sixth, and didn’t give up any runs, but gave up Manny’s body on a lunging grab and tumble in deep right, snagging a Marz drive and retiring from the game with some sort of discomfort. Van Anderson replaced him in the #5 hole. The pen then slowly came apart some more; Marucci gave up a run in the seventh, Moreno allowed a leadoff double to Marz and was charged that run when it was conceded by Kelly in the eighth. The Coons never scored again and lost a bitter one. 8-5 Knights. Maldonado 2-5; Fernandez 2-3, 3B, RBI; Carreno 0-1, 2 BB; Gurney (PH) 1-1, 2B; Dustal 2-3, BB;

Manny Fernandez hit the DL with an oblique strain, but like Herrera he might come back quickly after the 15 days were up.

Which was cold comfort with a team continuing to step on their own tails…

Next roster move: anybody remember Aruba’s Finest, Jay de Wit? He was batting .276 with 6 homers in AAA.

Game 2
ATL: 3B Venegas – RF Marz – 1B Delagrange – LF Hester – SS J. Gonzalez – CF C. Walker – 2B Sprague – C Krumholz – P Santry
POR: LF Baskins – SS Waters – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – C Zarate – 2B Carreno – CF Anderson – 3B de Wit – P Merino

Santry moved up a day, opening the gate for southpaw Brian Buttress to pitch on Wednesday, but for now the Raccoons had to try and not lose this one. That was easier said than done, with the offense getting four hits and plating none of the runners in the first three innings, while Merino allowed no hits in the early frames, but threatened to walk everything with legs. When the Knights did get to him in the fourth, they did so on their first two hits of the game, a Delagrange single and a Gonzalez RBI triple, with Chris Walker making it 2-0 with a well-placed grounder. Those were Atlanta’s only hits through six innings, but Merino also issued five walks and would not go any further.

The Coons were still being shut out at this point, but Maldonado tackled Santry with a leadoff jack in the bottom 6th and maybe the spell was now broken? Toohey singled, Zarate singled, Carreno singled – three on! …and nobody out yet. Curses. Nope, Van Anderson rolled a ball through the right side for a game-tying RBI single! …and then de Wit found a 3-6-3 double play. (gnaws on corner of the table) … with two outs, Gurney batted for Merino, bounced to third, Venegas – threw the ball away! Carreno in to score, Anderson in to score, the Coons were gift-wrapped and posted the 4-2 lead…! Gurney reached second base, but Baskins put a stomper into the ground in front of home plate. Krumholz to fir- HE THROWS IT AWAY, TOO!! Another 2-base throwing error, scoring another run…!! I guess, that was the league-worst defense we were advertised.

Up 5-2, three of the runs unearned, the Coons sent Preston Porter into the seventh, which began with a double by ex-Elk Glenn Sprague. Porter would somehow tip-toe around the runner, stranding Sprague at third base. All seemed well with Porter retiring two more batters in the eighth, until Chuck Jones had a live-on-TV meltdown and walked Hester, Gonzalez, and Walker in order to fill the bases. Josh Rella was readied up for a 4-out save with the tying runs aboard, and rung up Sprague to banish the most immediate danger. Hits by Martell and Baskins scratched out a tack-on run in the bottom 8th, but Rella wouldn’t let anybody on base in the ninth inning, anyway. 6-2 Coons. Baskins 2-5, RBI; Maldonado 2-4, HR, RBI; Toohey 2-4; Anderson 2-4, RBI; Martell 1-1, 2B; Porter 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K; Rella 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (25);

The Knights made a minor deal before the rubber game, trading away MR Sam Heisler (0-1, 7.29 ERA), who had not appeared in the series, for a so-so pitching prospect.

No southpaw on Wednesday, either, with Kurt Olson taking the start he was supposed to take on Tuesday.

Game 3
ATL: 3B Venegas – RF Marz – LF Hester – 1B Delagrange – C Horner – SS J. Gonzalez – CF C. Walker – 2B Sprague – P K. Olson
POR: LF Baskins – SS Waters – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – C Kilmer – 2B Carreno – CF Dustal – 3B Coen – P Wheatley

The CL ERA leader (blinks confusedly) got taken well, well deep to right by John Marz in the first inning, but Maldonado offered a counter-argument, a 2-run homer plating Waters in the bottom 1st to actually take a 2-1 lead. Ben Coen added a run with his first major league RBI, singling home Carreno in the second inning, but Wheatley’s aceness ran out with big noises in the third inning and he got whacked around for three runs. Venegas doubled, Hester walked, and Delagrange rammed a ball off the fence for a game-tying double. Wheats looked helpless on the mound, and Jorge Gonzalez confirmed the notion with a sharp 2-out RBI single that gave Atlanta the lead back.

Wheatley didn’t make it out of the fifth, walking Hester, getting tripled upon by Adam Horner, allowing that run to score on a sac fly, and then giving up a single to Walker. 4.2 innings, six runs, all well earned and deserved. And despite being down 6-3, the Raccoons might yet accidentally take him off the hook, loading the bases (albeit with nobody out) in the bottom 6th against Olson. Problem was, those were the 5-6-7 batters, and next was Coen, who popped out when shown faith in him. I had great urge to make another roster move. But first this L had to be completed. Gurney plated a run with a fielder’s choice, and Baskins hit an RBI single, but Waters grounded out to short to keep the team from tying the game, now down 6-5. Jorge Gonzalez doubled home Delagrange off Chuck Jones in the seventh, and next the Coons shed Norris, who logged one out in the eighth before waving for Dr. Padilla’s attention. The Raccoons, with a ravaged pen, had to give up the game. Marucci was plunked in, wished all due good luck, but he wouldn’t be picked up again before getting the last five outs. The Coons put the tying runs on in Zarate and Baskins in the bottom 8th, but Waters grounded out to strand them, while Marucci completed regulation as told. The Raccoons got a leadoff walk from Maldonado against Josh Livingston in the ninth, and literally nothing else. 7-5 Knights. Baskins 4-5, RBI; Carreno 2-4;

We have already lost the season series after this rotten display. How rotten? Baskins had four hits in this game and never scored. That rotten.

By the weekend: more rot. Dr. Padilla informed us that Nate Norris had bone chips in his elbow and was done for this season – he needed cutting open and scraping gunk from that old joint. ANOTHER ONE TO THE DL.

The Raccoons called up Bob Ibold from AAA again.

Raccoons (63-38) vs. Bayhawks (53-47) – July 28-30, 2045

With the Critters in a state of mediocrity and brittleness, the Bayhawks paid the final regular season visit of the year. We led the season set 4-2, but I had faith in a hostile sweep here. San Fran sat seventh in runs scored, fourth in runs allowed. They had a few pitching injuries, notably Rafael Pedraza and Noe Candeloro. We had lots of injuries and no clutch to speak of right now.

Projected matchups:
Corey Mathers (11-7, 4.53 ERA) vs. Paul Medvec (6-7, 3.52 ERA)
Sadaharu Okuda (9-7, 3.87 ERA) vs. Jesse Bulas (6-3, 3.59 ERA)
Victor Merino (6-1, 2.53 ERA) vs. Eric Weitz (6-2, 3.75 ERA)

Looked like three more righties.

Game 1
SFB: 3B R. Sifuentes – 1B D. Riley – RF C. Cortes – C Suggs – SS Quiroz – CF McGuigan – LF Beard – 2B M. Gibson – P Medvec
POR: LF Baskins – SS Waters – 3B Maldonado – RF Toohey – 1B Gurney – C Kilmer – 2B Carreno – CF Dustal – P Mathers

I shrieked and hid in the cupboard when Dr. Padilla walked into Maud’s office half an hour before game time, thinking Mathers’ paw had fallen off or some other horrendous development had occurred. I needn’t have worried – Mathers was fine… at least until the Bayhawks took the buzzsaw to him, Ramon Sifuentes opening the game with a 1-2 single, then scoring on a Sean Suggs double. They’d slap six hits and draw two walks in five innings, but the defense did its royal best (and without straining any more muscle groups my own body surely didn’t even have!) and held the damage to that first-inning run, while the Raccoons did … precious little. Baskins and Toohey had leadoff singles in the first two frames, respectively, but were either doubled up or ignored. Maldo hit a double in the fourth that went just as far. We didn’t get on base again until Dustal dropped a 2-out single in the bottom 5th. To anybody’s surprise, Mathers, batting well under .100, then strung a double up the leftfield line to put the tying run on third base for Baskins, who cracked a ball through the right side on the infield, plating both runners and flipping the score with a single…!

Joy was forbidden around here, though, so Mathers folded instantly after receiving the lead. Jamie McGuigan opened the sixth with a ****** bloop single behind Waters, and Mike Gibson doubled him home. More infurating I found Medvec’s go-ahead RBI single, taking revenge for the double in the previous half-inning.

Craig and Kelly offered scoreless relief in the seventh and eighth after that, but the Raccoons only put somebody on base again with Baskins’ 1-out single off Medvec in the bottom 8th. Waters ripped a 1-1 pitch to deep right, but it missed the fence, and favorably bounced to Cortes (who had played in this park for a living for a while), causing Baskins to throw the anchor at third base on Waters’ double. Those were the tying and go-ahead runs, and we had Maldo and Toohey coming up. Could be worse! Maldonado was nailed with the first pitch to load the bases, which didn’t qualify as either better or worse yet. When Toohey fell to 1-2 I began to squeal, although Maud quickly handed me my Honeypaws for comfort. The trick worked – Toohey belted the very next pitch to left; high! Deep! Gone! GRAAAAAAAAAND SLAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!!!!!

The rest of the game was Rella doing his thing. Cortes hit a 2-out single in the ninth, but Suggs grounded out to Waters to end the game. 6-3 Raccoons. Baskins 3-4, 2 RBI; Toohey 2-4, HR, 4 RBI;

Tooheyyyy!

Maud, he needs a bobblehead! – He’s getting a bobblehead already? – When? – Tomorrow? – How convenient!

Game 2
SFB: SS Quiroz – 3B R. Sifuentes – LF Platero – RF C. Cortes – C J. Hill – CF McGuigan – 2B Harroun – 1B D. Riley – P Weitz
POR: LF Baskins – SS Waters – 3B Maldonado – RF Toohey – 1B Gurney – C Zarate – 2B Martell – CF Dustal – P Okuda

Bryce Toohey Bobblehead Day began with a 2-run first for San Francisco, as they whacked Okuda around without hesitation. Jose Platero, Carlos Cortes, and John Hill all hit screamers in the inning. It kind of continued like that for a while, just with less luck for the Bayhawks, hitting balls right at the defenders, and as a consequence, without more runs for them. The Raccoons? Entirely absent. They had two hits in the first five innings, two long drives for outs from Toohey, then found two more hits in the sixth with Baskins and Maldo singles, only for Toohey to clip it into a double play to end the inning. The seventh was no help either, and in the eighth Baskins hit a 1-out single of Weitz to put the tying run into the box. When Waters walked in a full count, that tying run reached first base. Maldonado popped out, Toohey struck out, and the tying run reached the dugout that way… The Baybirds were kept short by the Raccoons’ relief corps of Jones, Marucci, and Moreno, but that didn’t help the offense much, who was still down by two in the ninth inning, facing Jeremy Mayhall. Gurney, Zarate, Martell – groundout, strikeout, flyout. 2-0 Bayhawks. Baskins 2-4; Zarate 2-4, 2B;

I am, Maud, I am. I am bobbling it good. (bobbles his Toohey bobblehead) – But like the real thing, it’s not hitting anything. – (bobbles harder yet, causing the head to come off and hit him in the eye) – I’ll take that back.

Change of plan for Sunday – the Bayhawks made it a Southpaw Sunday by inserting Chris “Tuba” Turner (5-7, 4.77 ERA).

…and then the baseball gods had another change of plan and sent persistent rain that wiped out the game entirely.

In other news

July 24 – A broken hand will rule out LAP INF Brian Bowman (.296, 3 HR, 26 RBI) for the rest of the season.
July 24 – The Titans acquire LF/RF Dan Meyer (.286, 5 HR, 11 RBI) from the Cyclones for left-hander Chris Lulay (1-2, 4.04 ERA, 1 SV) and a second-rate prospect.
July 25 – The Scorpions get INF Kenny Leon (.242, 3 HR, 36 RBI) from the Pacifics for CL Antonio Prieto (1-4, 3.75 ERA, 21 SV) and a prospect.
July 26 – Cincy 3B Jesus Burgos (.354, 8 HR, 57 RBI) would miss three weeks with knee tendinitis.
July 29 – DEN OF Tim Turner (.339, 7 HR, 67 RBI) has four hits and as many RBI in a 16-13 shootout win over the Blue Sox.
July 30 – SFB SP Noe Candeloro (1-5, 3.94 ERA) was out for the season with a broken elbow.
July 30 – The Pacifics pick up Sacramento’s 2B Gerardo Galaz (.292, 5 HR, 22 RBI) and a prospect for SP Al Scott (6-9, 4.79 ERA), who joins the Scorpions.
July 30 – INF Doug Clevidence (.304, 8 HR, 53 RBI) is traded from the Miners to the Rebels for SP Ryan Person (9-6, 4.13 ERA). It’s the fourth team of Clevidence’s career, all in the FL East.

FL Player of the Week: SAC LF/RF/1B Nate Culp (.264, 10 HR, 42 RBI), hitting .435 (10-23) with 4 HR, 9 RBI
CL Player of the Week: TIJ OF/1B Marty Reidinger (.256, 8 HR, 40 RBI), swatting .417 (10-24) with 4 HR, 10 RBI

Complaints and stuff

The good news is that the Crusaders are just about as bad…

The rainout on Sunday was for the last game of the season between us and the Baybirds, so only inconvenient options for a makeup date are available. The game will be made up on August 21, a Monday, breaking up a two-week road trip beginning the weekend prior in Elk City. Oh well, at least we didn’t have two cross-country flights added…

It’s perhaps even more inconvenient for them, because they were supposed to go out East after a homestand ending on the Sunday prior, but now had to go north to Portland first.

Closer to the here and now: the trade deadline, although I’d be lying if I promised great things being in the making. Also, a short road trip to Tijuana before we’d return home to play the Crusaders and Loggers in a pair of 4-game sets. There was also a series in Salem after that, then a return home for the Blue Sox. With the added caveat of the make-up game, our next three road trips were thus technically single-city trips and we’d never leave this side of the mountains.

The Norris injury sucks, but I’ve been harking about that young relief pitching we had no room or time for for a good while now, and now was their chance to shine. The rainout also added another off day, meaning we’d still not need a fifth starter in Tijuana, and keep carrying all of Porter, Ibold, and Marucci (and we could yet add Brad Barnes f.e.). Against the Crusaders, Adam Capone might make his major league debut. A former #13 pick with a history of being overlooked and neglected, he’s already 26 years old and nothing too fancy, but neither was Negrete in his quick visit.

Fun Fact: Adam Capone went straight to Ham Lake after being drafted in 2040.

…and has yet to progress past St. Pete, although his time might really be here now. He has made 150 starts as a professional, posting a 53-61 record with 3.81 ER and 4.1 walks and 5.7 strikeouts per nine innings.