[Westheim]

Raccoons (70-47) vs. Blue Sox (60-58) – August 14-16, 2045

In the final regular-season FL series, the Raccoons would be opposing the Blue Sox, who were probably out of the running at 13 1/2 out in the FL East. They were sixth in runs scored, but ninth in runs allowed yet with a +7 run differential. Their rotation was rather weak, despite the second-highest rated defense in the FL. They also had a number of injuries, including regulars Mike Harmon and Alejandro Ramos. The Raccoons had last played them in 2040, winning two of three back then.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (9-9, 4.16 ERA) vs. Kevin Stice (11-7, 5.15 ERA)
Victor Merino (7-3, 2.66 ERA) vs. Jerry Ray (3-4, 6.30 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (11-7, 2.73 ERA) vs. Bill Herrmann (10-7, 3.61 ERA)

Herrmann was their only southpaw.

Game 1
NAS: SS F. Marquez – C Santa Cruz – 1B Maruyama – 3B Critzer – RF Calais – CF Hampton – 2B Bouldin – P Stice – LF Cothern
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 3B Coen – 2B Carreno – P Okuda

The floggings of Sadaharu Oh-Oh-kuda continued, as the Blue Sox opened the week with singles by Felix Marquez and Jorge Santa Cruz, then added doubles by ex-Coon Chiyosaku Maruyama (that one stung…) and Brad Critzer for a total of three runs before Okuda got as much as one out. The next three Sox went down in order, stranding Critzer in the process, but – my! – what a way to start the week… The Coons had nobody on in the first, but Toohey and Manny opened the bottom 2nd with singles. Kilmer’s fly to center was caught by Jeremy Hampton, while Ben Coen flew deep to left. Quite deep in fact, and outta here – first career homer for Ben Coen, tying the game!

The next three innings were largely uneventful, neither offensive lineup doing something of lasting value to the wobbling opposing pitcher. Hampton broke through in the sixth then with a triple into the rightfield corner, scoring on a groundout by Billy Bouldin to give Nashville a new lead. The Raccoons responded by doing nothing in the sixth, nothing in the seventh, and while I was getting restless, nothing in the eighth, while strong relief from Bob Ibold and Nelson Moreno following on Okuda’s six meh innings at least kept the tap to a single measly run. Ricardo Ordas would pitch the ninth for the Sox. The right-hander fell 2-0 behind Maldonado before his third pitch was *mauled* and blasted over the wall in centerfield to tie the game! Ordas retired the next three in a row, sending the game to extras, where the bottom of the order with Coen, Carreno, and Anderson fared little better in the 10th. Jon Craig had pitched the 10th, while Kelly did away with the 6-7-8 in the 11th, but the Raccoons’ 1-2-3 was just as bad against lefty Chris Watson. The tie was broken by Felix Marquez then, taking Kelly deep to left in the top of the 12th. (sigh!) Watson, who walked as many as he whiffed, remained in the game for the bottom 12th. Toohey struck out. Manny grounded out. Kilmer flew out. 5-4 Blue Sox. Fernandez 2-5; Ibold 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K;

Game 2
NAS: SS F. Marquez – 2B Bouldin – 1B Maruyama – 3B Critzer – RF Calais – CF D. Paredes – C O. Ramirez – P Ray – LF Cothern
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 3B Coen – 2B Martell – P Merino

Ray lasted two batters before leaving the game because of injury. Him and long man Jason Tant retired the Coons in order the first time through, while Merino yielded only two singles to them, and no runs, but then walked Maruyama (…) and Critzer to begin the fourth inning. The Sox moved Maruyama around to score on two groundouts, taking a 1-0 lead. Herrera singled for Portland the same inning, but was doubled up by Maldonado, and Merino came apart entirely the inning after that, allowing hits to Travis Cothern, Bouldin, and Maruyama, a walk to Critzer, and another single to Sean Calais. The former Titan at the end of the line drove in two runs after Bouldin had already plated Cothern, for a total score of 4-0. The inning ended with a Danny Paredes groundout. There was not much of a response to it from the home team. Manny Fernandez hit a solo homer in the bottom 5th, which briefly got me to put down the bottle, but Preston Porter was taken deep for a pair by Calais in the seventh to move the game out of reach. Maldonado hit a homer in the bottom 7th – but that was also a solo shot, and the Coons were getting out-hit 12-4 by the Blue Sox. We ended up having to send Chuck Jones against righty hitters in the ninth inning, with Calais also taking him deep to left. The Raccoons went own quietly in the ninth against Juan Zaragoza, who pitched a 3-inning save. 7-2 Blue Sox. Fernandez 2-3, HR, RBI;

Game 3
NAS: SS F. Marquez – C Santa Cruz – RF Ju. Brito – 3B Critzer – 1B Maruyama – LF Calais – 2B D. Paredes – P Herrmann – CF Cothern
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – C Zarate – 3B Coen – LF Dustal – 2B Carreno – P Wheatley

Wheats to stop the bleeds? I’d be fine with that. He put up a zero in the first before Maldonado, playing like his tail was on fire, hit a 2-run homer to chase home Waters, who singled and stole second, for a quick 2-0 lead, the Coons’ first in the series. It also tied Maldo with Toohey in both homers (20) and RBI (80). Wheatley retired eight in a row before Cothern, who was hitting .233 when the series began but was really hitting better than your household pitcher, tripled to center, beating the serial Gold Glover the Raccoons had brought in for lots of dosh. Then Wheatley got the jitters, walking the bases full, and I closed my eyes, knowing how this would continue. Juan Brito singled home a pair, tying the game, and I wailed for mercy, upon which Wheatley finally got his **** together and rung up Critzer to end the ******* inning.

The Coons had to wait for two innings and two zeroes from Wheatley to take back the lead – it took Maldonado hitting a 2-out single through the left side to chase home Waters in the bottom 5th, 3-2. Maldo would then fake trying to steal, coaxing a wild pitch from Herrmann, who ended up walking Toohey. Zarate flew out deep to left to Calais to let the chance slip away, which was the more unfortunate when Ben Coen opened the bottom 6th with a homer, 4-2. Wheats pitched into the seventh, but put Marquez and Santa Cruz on the corners with two outs. Chuck Jones replaced him against Brito, who hit a ball A TON, but too high and not long enough, and Herrera waited long enough to fetch another round of hot dogs in deep center before making the catch to end the inning.

Righty Francisco Pena, a Critters irregular in the late 2030s, pitched in the bottom 7th, walking Herrera and Maldo with two outs before giving up a sharp RBI single to left to Bryce Toohey. Zarate drew another walk to load the bases, but Coen hacked out and Dustal flew out to Calais. Nelson Moreno had a wonky eighth, but didn’t allow a run, and Travis Cothern hit a single through Carreno’s legs – hometown scoring, huh? – to get a 1-out runner on base against Rella in the ninth. And then Marquez hit a double play grounder to Waters to do away with him and the game. 5-2 Raccoons! Maldonado 2-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Toohey 2-2, 2 BB, RBI;

Upstate, the Wolves were eliminated from mathematical playoff contention on the same day, August *16*.

Raccoons (71-49) @ Canadiens (60-60) – August 18-20, 2045

The Coons had Thursday off, then went to Elk City without me – I’d have to wait out their return (for the brief makeup duel with the Baybirds on Monday) in Portland. We were up 9-2 in the season series, but all remaining games were in the frozen wastes of the Arctic. The Elks hardly had playoff chances, 11 games out and in third place in the North, but they were always good for spoiling the Critters. They also continued to post the most runs and concede the most runs as well, with a +11 run differential and an 11th-ranked rotation and bullpen. Their defense was similarly bad. They led the CL in homers with 118, but were almost bottoms in stolen bases. With starters Matt Sealock and Mario Godinez, plus infielder Kenichi Saito, they had some key injuries.

Projected matchups:
Corey Mathers (14-7, 4.14 ERA) vs. Raul Velasquez (6-1, 2.50 ERA)
Adam Capone (1-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. Omar Uribe (6-6, 4.23 ERA)
Sadaharu Okuda (9-9, 4.23 ERA) vs. Michael Donovan (5-5, 4.68 ERA)

We’d see only one of their three southpaw starters, but that was Donovan on Southpaw Sunday!

Game 1
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 3B Coen – 2B Martell – P Mathers
VAN: LF van der Zanden – 2B O. Aguirre – CF Outram – C Julio Diaz – 3B Hutson – RF C. Robinson – 1B Zuazo – SS Price – P R. Velasquez

Armando Herrera’s homer put the Coons on top in the first, 1-0, but the damn Elks flipped the score in the second when Mathers started the inning with hitting Julio Diaz, then allowed a single to Dan Hutson and an RBI double to Chris Robinson. Alvin Zuazo walked, and Rick Price gave them the lead with a double play grounder. Mathers himself then scored the tying run in the third inning, hitting a leadoff double and advancing on a grounder before Velasquez waved him across with a wild pitch. Not to worry about the damn Elks, though: Mathers allowed two singles to begin the bottom 3rd to Arnout van der Zanden and Oscar Aguirre, walked Jerry Outram, and fell behind again on Diaz’ sac fly. They then zoomed away on Robinson’s 3-run homer, causing me at home to orderly put Honeypaws to the side, lift the hindpaws on the couch, turn onto my furry tummy, and bury my face in the pillows.

The Raccoons never rallied, not even close. Mathers had another run beaten out of him in the fourth on the way out, and Jon Craig allowed a run in the eighth of a lost game. In between Maldonado once singled home Van Anderson. Yay. How great. I barely looked up from the wet pillows in the last three innings. 8-3 Canadiens. Maldonado 3-4, 2B, RBI;

By now, the Crusaders were back within a pawful and my unease was growing exponentially…

Game 2
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – 1B Gurney – 2B Martell – C Zarate – P Capone
VAN: LF van der Zanden – 2B O. Aguirre – CF Outram – C Julio Diaz – 3B Hutson – RF C. Robinson – 1B Zuazo – SS Price – P O. Uribe

Capone had a solid first five innings, allowing only two hits to the damn Elks, one of which was unfortunately a Zuazo homer in the third inning. That was enough to lead the Coons, who had three hits, two walks, a Price error, always seemed to have a guy on base, and had zero runs through five innings despite that. The sixth was another inning like that, with Toohey drawing the leadoff walk before being stranded on a groundout, a flyout, and a pop on the infield. Capone (!) hit a 1-out double to left in the seventh, putting his own furry tush into scoring position as the tying run, but Waters struck out. Herrera walked on four pitches, but Maldonado hit a comebacker to the mound – but Uribe threw it in the dirt and Zuazo could barely contain it, all paws being safe on the play…! Three on, two outs for Toohey, I was pressing Honeypaws into my chest back home on the couch while refusing to blink. He struck out.

I was still gasping for air when Aguirre threw away Pat Gurney’s grounder for a free runner on second base with one out in the eighth. Carreno batted for Martell against the lefty Alex Lewis, but popped out uselessly, and Zarate grounded out to short. In turn, Chuck Jones surrendered a bloop double to Victor Vazquez, then a 2-out RBI single to Aguirre in the eighth inning, doubling the proven-insurmountable 1-0 deficit. Van Anderson grounded out to against Sebastien Parham to begin the ninth, before Waters doubled to center. Aguirre dropped Herrera’s bouncer for an error, the FOURTH ******* ERROR on the ******* Canadiens in the game…! But the tying runs were on again, so I expected nothing but failure anymore. In fact, the game ended on one more pitch. Maldonado to short, to second, to first. 2-0 Canadiens. Capone 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, L (1-2) and 1-3, 2B;

Game 3
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 3B Coen – 2B Carreno – P Okuda
VAN: LF Escobido – SS O. Aguirre – CF Outram – C Julio Diaz – 3B Hutson – 1B Zuazo – RF van der Zanden – 2B Malkus – P Donovan

Maldo reconnected with his power surge, hitting his 21st bomb to left in the first, plating Waters along with him for a 2-0 edge for Okuda, who had gone from 5-0 to 9-9 this year and got plunked for four hits, three to start the inning, in the bottom 1st to piss the lead away again. Julio Diaz plated a run with a double play grounder, and Dan Hutson singled to tie the game. Okuda remained completely hopeless after that, too, allowing a leadoff single to van der Zanden in the second, who was doubled up, then walked Jerry Outram in the third before giving up a 2-out RBI double to Diaz to fall 3-2 behind.

The score remained 3-2 through six innings, with nine hits whacked off Okuda, and the Raccoons habitually clueless into the seventh inning. Kilmer there hit a 1-out double past van der Zanden, which was so great – more pointless hope for the poor old GM, who was dissolved in tears and boozed to the gills back at home. Coen singled to right, putting runners on the corners. Donovan walked Carreno on four pitches to load the bags. Pat Gurney batted for Okuda – there was no *great* right-handed option on the bench – and hit the first pitch for a blooper to left. Angel Escobido didn’t get to it, and Gurney tied the game. Waters hit a liner to the rightfield line, and then one also fell in. Two runs scored while van der Zanden contained the ball at the sidewall. When Gurney got a bad read, he almost caused Waters to get tagged out, making it halfway to second base before realizing Gurney had slammed the brakes and that he had to retreat himself. He made, but the inning fizzled out anyway, with the Coons now up 5-3. Nelson Moreno put the tying runs in scoring position with a walk to Chris Robinson and an Escobido double in the bottom 7th, but Outram struck out against Kelly to end the inning and strand the tying runs, which was so out of character.

The tying runs were on AGAIN in the eighth, then provided by Hutson and Zuazo, both singling off Bob Ibold. Chuck Jones saw van der Zanden only, got a grounder, but the defense couldn’t turn two on it, extending the inning with runners on first and third and two outs, with Travis Malkus up. Portland went to Rella for a 4-out save, entering in a double switch that replaced Manny with Dustal. Rella nerve-wreckingly walked Malkus before getting a fly to Herrera from Tim Phillips, stranding a full set in the process. Not that the ninth got any better. Escobido opened with a single, and Rella leaked a walk in a full count to Outram, pulling up all 106 RBI of Julio Diaz as the winning run. Diaz sure gave it a hack! – but he also popped out to Waters on the 1-1 for the second out. Rick Price, lefty, batted in the #5 hole … but the Coons were out of southpaws anyway. Rella struck him out. 5-3 Raccoons. Coen 1-2, BB; Gurney (PH) 1-1, RBI;

In other news

August 15 – SAC OF Phil Rogers (.234, 8 HR, 49 RBI) has four hits and four RBI in a 14-5 bashing of the Condors.
August 18 – CIN 3B Jesus Burgos (.351, 8 HR, 57 RBI) has a 20-game hitting streak after singling in the eighth of a 3-2 win over the Miners (in 10 innings). Remarkably, his hitting streak was interrupted by a 3-week trip to the DL, when the streak was at 16 games.
August 18 – BOS SP Lachlan Clarke (10-10, 3.83 ERA) is headed for Tommy John surgery with a torn UCL and will miss a full year.
August 20 – Pittsburgh 2B Dan Schneller (.302, 12 HR, 75 RBI) joins the elite level with his 300th career home run in a 5-4 loss to the Cyclones. The milestone comes in the second inning against CIN SP Melvin Lucero (10-10, 3.81 ERA).

FL Player of the Week: RIC OF/SS Alvin Aguilera (.263, 13 HR, 54 RBI), hitting .391 (9-23) with 2 HR, 10 RBI
CL Player of the Week: CHA 1B/LF/RF Ed Haertling (.264, 11 HR, 58 RBI), poking .579 (11-19) with 2 HR, 5 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Maldonado swatted four homers and two doubles this week, driving in eight runs while hitting .360 (9-25) and adding 25 points to his OPS in August – apparently not enough to beat out Haertling’s singles-poking.

Okuda hadn’t won a game since before the All Star Game. His last seven he had gone 0-4 with an ERA of 8.15 …! Not that Sunday was *great* … but at least it salvaged a game in ******* Elk City. Next, winning back-to-back?

Would be nice for Okuda. Would also be nice for the team. The Crusaders won every game this week and are within breathing distance again...

Next week, single game against the Bayhawks at home to make up a rainout from last month, and then what was a 2-week road trip starting in Elk City kicks back off with a trip east to Indy and Charlotte. We’ll hit Vegas on the way back to end the month.

Fun Fact: Corey Mathers is one off the CL lead in wins while dragging around a 4.46 ERA.

That puts him 59th of the 85 qualifying pitchers in the ABL.

Oh well, let’s just relish in Wheats still begin the CL ERA leader instead, and second overall in the league behind Denver’s Gary Perrone. With Charlotte’s Adam Messer having been beaten up on the weekend, Wheats is now .29 runs ahead in the CL and the only qualifier with a sub-3 ERA.