[Westheim]

Raccoons (0-0) @ Indians (0-0) – April 1-3, 2047

Back into it! The Raccoons opened on the road and in the team that had gotten closest to them in 2046, but without being very close at the end. The Indians had taken the season series, 10-8, in 2046, with scoring against them having been something the Raccoons had found overly challenging, and while their leadoff man Andrew Russ had been a constant terror on the bases. Their overall lineup had held them back in ’46, and right now the biggest addition seemed to be #3 pick and #4 prospect Bobby Anderson at third base, who was making the jump from double-A.

Projected matchups:
Jason Wheatley (0-0) vs. Bill Drury (0-0)
Victor Merino (0-0) vs. Bill Nichol (0-0)
Jake Jackson (0-0) vs. Jason Palladino (0-0)

Only righty starters on the Indians’ Opening Day roster!

Game 1
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – 2B Waters – LF Fernandez – SS Adame – P Wheatley
IND: SS Russ – 2B Tindle – RF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – CF N. Galvan – 1B Kurtz – 3B B. Anderson – C Nunez – P Drury

Wheats drove in the Coons’ first runs in 2047, which was hopefully not a sign of things to come and pitchers having to do everything themselves; he hit a 2-run single with two outs in the second inning, getting home Tony Morales and Manny Fernandez that way. The runs were unearned thanks to Bobby Anderson’s first career error that put Manny on base; Morales had hit the team’s first base hit of the season, a single. First stolen base would be Herrera, opening the top 3rd with a single and then taking second base. Maldo also singled, as did Toohey, driving home Herrera to make it 3-0 before the inning ended with three weak outs. Wheats allowed one hit and struck out two the first time through the Indians’ order, then only rung up Drury the second time through, but was still strangulating the Indians to the tune of a 1-hitter. He struck out Bill Quinteros and Danny Rivera, the only lefty hitters on the job for Indy, in the seventh, then came to bat with Morales, Manny, and new addition Alex Adame on the bases in the eighth, and also two outs. We found him pitching too well to take out willy-nilly, and he continued to humiliate the Indians and Drury in particular with another single through the left side, driving in another two runs. Mercado flew out to center to strand a pair, but Wheats rolled with the 1-hitter into the bottom 9th until Andrew Russ, the certified pest, hit a 1-out single. Wheats struck out Joe Tindle, but his pitch count got over 100 now. He’d have to get Quinteros or get some soap and a shower – but walked him. The Raccoons went to Jake Bonnie, who laid a total egg in his Coons debut, conceding three runs on a Rivera triple (on an 0-2 pitch) and a Nelson Galvan double. Mike Lynn was called on, walked Ron Kurtz, and then somehow got Bobby Anderson, the winning run by now, to pop out to Matt Waters… 5-3 Raccoons. Wheatley 8.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, W (1-0) and 2-4, 4 RBI;

Inauspicious beginnings for our restructured bullpen…

Wheats’ 4 RBI constitute 80% of his 2046 output.

Game 2
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – 2B Waters – LF Baskins – SS Adame – P Merino
IND: SS Russ – RF A. Mendez – CF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – 2B Tindle – 1B Kurtz – 3B B. Anderson – C Nunez – P Nichol

Bobby Anderson hit a triple to left in the bottom 2nd and scored on Nick Nunez’ groundout to give the Arrowheads a 1-0 lead in the game, with Portland yet to put a paw on base. That honor would be up to Merino, who singled to center after Nichol retired eight straight, which filled me with foreboding about the playoff hitting drought having stretched all across the winter into the new season. Russ walked, stole second, and scored on Angel Mendez’ single in the bottom 3rd to extend Indy’s lead, which exploded to 6-0 in the fifth inning. Pitcher’s single, infield single, infield single, and with one run already across, a Danny Rivera 3-run homer to put the game to bed and even the series. The Raccoons couldn’t score even when Maldo and Toohey opened the seventh with singles, with three poor outs following rapidly, and Nichol’s shutout wasn’t broken up until Armando Herrera doubled home Mercado in the eighth inning. The Indians responded by creating another Josh Rella meltdown in the bottom 8th. He hit Rivera, allowed a 2-out RBI single to Anderson, then a homer to Nunez. 9-1 Indians.

Game 3
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Gonzalez – LF Baskins – SS Adame – 2B Martell – P Jackson
IND: SS Russ – 2B Tindle – RF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – CF N. Galvan – 1B Kurtz – 3B B. Anderson – C Nunez – P Palladino

The meltdowns continued in the bottom 1st, with Russ, the ******* pest reaching on an infield single against Jackson, stealing second, and somehow thus short-circuiting the Raccoons righty, who walked the bases full, then gave up a sac fly to Galvan and RBI singles to Kurtz and Anderson before getting out of the inning. Jackson never stopped pitching behind in the count, and never stopped bleeding hits and walks, including two Palladino singles in the eight base knocks and four free passes he doled out in just four abortive innings. SOMEHOW the Indians didn’t strafe him for more than those three early runs.

The Raccoons were still dry on the board when Manny Fernandez batted for Jackson with nobody out in the fifth and Adame and Martell on base in a feint threat. Manny was the tying run, but popped out foul in a full count before Mercado grounded to second for a fielder’s choice. Herrera clipped an RBI single past Anderson, 3-1, the first Raccoons position player to reach multiple RBI for the season (…), and Maldo found a spot in left-center to drop an RBI double into. Toohey completed the comeback with a 2-run double out of reach of Gold Glover Danny Rivera, a score-flipper that put the Raccoons on top, 4-3 before Ruben Gonzalez flew out. Manny remained in the game over Mercado, putting Bob Ibold in the #1 hole in the hope he'd pitch two innings, but his spot came up in the top 6th after a Baskins single, a walk drawn by Martell, and with two outs. Gurney hit for Ibold, was nicked to fill the bases, and then Herrera poked at Palladino’s 3-0 pitch and grounded out to short, giving me a mild stroke. Gurney now stayed at first, with Toohey to right, and the pitcher back in the #9 hole… An inning later, with the Coons having stranded a pair in the top 7th, and with Tindle at third base as the tying run and two outs, the pitcher moved into the #7 hole on a double switch that brought on Waters and Nelson Moreno, who got a grounder to Waters from Nelson Galvan to get out of the inning.

Top 9th, Herrera opened with a single off closer Tommy Gardner, then stole second base on a tardy Nunez. Maldo doubled home the insurance run in right-center and on a 1-2 pitch, while Toohey wasn’t pitched to with first base open. Instead, the Indians had Gardner give up a 3-run homer to Ruben Gonzalez to blow the doors off the game. Josh Rella remained a mess I the bottom 9th, putting runners on the corners, but the defense overcame him to keep the Indians from rallying, Herrera chasing own a Ron Kurtz drive to end the game. 8-3 Critters. Herrera 3-5, RBI; Maldonado 2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Toohey 2-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Adame 2-4;

Bob Ibold, the sneaky bugger, grabbed the win to get his career record to 11-2.

An off day followed while we travelled to Las Vegas.

Raccoons (2-1) @ Aces (1-2) – April 5-7, 2047

The Aces had scored only eight runs in losing their opening set to the Condors, but had also only given up 11 runs. They had a lefty-leaning lineup, unless they’d switch it up against the Raccoons’ first two offerings in the series. The Coons had dominated Vegas in ’46, winning seven of nine games.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (0-0) vs. Willie Gonzales (0-0)
Bubba Wolinsky (0-0) vs. B.J. Brantley (0-0)
Jason Wheatley (1-0, 2.08 ERA) vs. Adrien Calabresi (0-1, 6.00 ERA)

We’d also face two left-handers, but at the end of the series. Southpaw Sunday!

Game 1
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – 2B Waters – LF Fernandez – SS Adame – P Okuda
LVA: SS Montes de Oca – 2B Landstrom – C DeFrank – RF M. Roberts – 3B Luna – LF Garbutt – CF Watt – 1B Speth – P W. Gonzales

Ray DeFrank, a top 5 prospect *last* year, hit his first homer of the year, second of his career, off Okuda in the bottom 1st, sending the Raccoons into trail mode again, although we’d get the game tied up by the third inning when Adame reached base to begin the inning, was bunted to second, and scored on a Mercado single. Herrera also singled to center, putting runners on the corners for Maldonado, who had hit into a double play in the first, but now bettered himself for a sac fly to Mike Roberts, giving Portland a 2-1 lead. Toohey then wrapped one around the thin end of the leftfield foul pole for a 2-run homer, 4-1 – that also dethroned Wheats as the team’s RBI king, Toohey now sitting at five.

Okuda bunted into a double play in the fourth, then gave away a leadoff triple to Josh Landstrom in the bottom of that inning. DeFrank lined out softly to Adame for the first out, keeping the runner pinned, before Roberts flew out to right. Mercado fired home to strike down the hustling Landstrom, ending the inning with the Furballs still up 4-1. Manny tacked on a run in the sixth, doubling home Toohey with two outs, but DeFrank – also with two outs – singled home Angel Montes de Oca in the bottom of the inning, restoring the 3-run gap at 5-2. Top 7th, and also with two outs, the Raccoons loaded the bases on right-hander Pablo Paez as Maldo and Toohey singled and Morales drew a walk. Matt Waters ran a full count before laying off a wide pitch to draw the bases-loaded walk, while Manny, who was old and didn’t know how much time he had left, grounded out to first base on the first pitch by Paez, stranding three runners. At least Okuda remained solid and pitched seven *fine* innings in his first outing of the year, and Bob Ibold and Aaron Curl made no missteps in the last two innings as they collected two and four outs, respectively, from the mostly left-handed lineup. 6-2 Raccoons. Mercado 2-5, RBI; Toohey 3-4, HR, 2 RBI; Adame 2-3, BB; Okuda 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (1-0);

Game 2
POR: RF Pellicano – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Gonzalez – SS Adame – 2B Waters – LF Baskins – P Wolinsky
LVA: SS Montes de Oca – 2B Landstrom – C DeFrank – RF M. Roberts – LF Montana – 3B Luna – CF Cramer – 1B Speth – P Brantley

Brantley wasn’t known to walk many batters, but nevertheless walked Toohey and Gonzalez to begin the second inning of a scoreless game. Adame found the shortstop Montes for a fielder’s choice, but Matt Waters kept finding his stick with an RBI double to right, making the Coons 1-0 leaders in the game, and putting two in scoring position for Derek Baskins with one out. Baskins singled up the middle, as did Wolinsky (!), both getting home a run, before Gene Pellicano made his first hit of the year a 3-run homer that screamed outta leftfield with some real hurry on it – 6-0. The Coons hit three more singles to load the bases and leave them loaded, while Brantley somehow wasn’t yanked on the spot. Matt Watt would hit for him to begin the bottom 3rd, but did no harm to Wolinsky, who kept the Aces shut out on two base hits in the early innings.

Wolinsky’s counts got a little long in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Aces got nothing of value even when he walked two batters in the bottom 5th. The Raccoons enjoyed stranding runners here and there until the top 7th, when Paez was at it again and put Toohey and Adame on base with free passes before running into Matt Waters, who shot a ball down the right-center gap for a 2-run triple. Baskins scored him with a groundout, extending the lead to 9-0. Wolinsky completed seven innings with as many strikeouts before an elevated pitch count mandated removal. A Pellicano double and a Maldo triple (the only thing Pellicano needed for the cycle) put the Critters into double digits in the top 8th, and Matt Waters crashed a 2-run homer off Miguel Mauricio in the ninth. The sustained offense meant that Pellicano came back to the plate with Manny on first and one out and Mauricio still pitching. He flew out to Brent Cramer, though. Al Martell hit for Herrera and singled, and Maldo singled to right to drive in one more run before Tony Morales grounded out to end the top 9th. 13-0 Furballs! Pellicano 3-5, BB, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Herrera 2-5; Martell (PH) 1-1; Maldonado 3-6, 3B, 2 RBI; Adame 2-5; Waters 3-5, HR, 3B, 2B, 5 RBI; Wolinsky 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, W (1-0) and 1-4, RBI;

Matt Waters missed the cycle by the single even! Oh Matt, you and Pellicano couldn’t have somehow pooled together??

This was the 5,900th regular season win for the Raccoons, well pitched for by Wolinsky!

Game 3
POR: RF Pellicano – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Gonzalez – SS Adame – 2B Waters – LF Fernandez – P Wheatley
LVA: SS Montes de Oca – LF Watt – 2B Landstrom – RF Montana – 3B Luna – 1B B. Owen – CF Garbutt – C J. Jimenez – P Calabresi

In two-and-a-half eventful innings, Jason Wheatley offered two leadoff walks and nailed Juan Jimenez really good, struck out nobody, and relied on the charity of the defenders around him, before hitting an infield single in the top 3rd that saw him stand around on first base for a while as nothing interesting happened with Pellicano and Herrera batting. Landstrom singled with two outs in the bottom 3rd, the first Aces base knock, but Wheats rung up Bob Montana, his first K in the game. In the fourth, he offered his third leadoff walk of the game to Eddy Luna. That run came around to score on Cole Garbutt’s single, wiping away the 1-0 lead generated by Maldo’s solo jack in the top of the inning.

Then it rained hard enough for a 30-minute delay in the top of the fifth inning. Rain? In Vegas? (looks upwards, expecting frogs and locusts and anteaters to fall from the sky next) … in any case, Waters (brushed by pitch) and Manny (single) reached base to begin the top 5th and were bunted into scoring position by Wheats. Gene Pellicano obliged despite falling behind 0-2, and singled home the runners with a clean shot through the hole between Luna and Montes. Maldo and Toohey would hit singles with two outs, but Pellicano was thrown out at home plate by Garbutt, ending the top 5th and bringing back the foundering Wheatley. He hit Montes with his first pitch of the bottom 5th, but the runner was kind enough to get caught stealing. The 2045 Pitcher of the Year tumbled into the bottom 6th, where he was lifted after a 1-out walk to Luna. Curl would pitch him out of the inning and preserve the 3-1 lead.

Top 7th, another fat scoring chance developed: Mercado walked leading off the inning as pinch-hitter for Aaron Curl, and Herrera hit a 1-out single off Steve Huffman, who then threw a wild pitch that almost took off Maldo’s legs. Maldo hit a poor groundout on the next pitch in his grand scheme of NOT getting back at Huffman, but Bryce Toohey came to the rescue with a 2-out single into shallow right-center that brought in both runners and extended the lead to 5-1. Surprisingly, the Aces pulled the runs back off Nelson Moreno with a Jimenez homer, a Tim Speth double from the #9 hole, and then a Landstrom single off Jake Bonnie… The lefty, not having a good first week in the office, also put the tying runs on the corners in the bottom 8th before Ibold and (mostly) Pellicano came to the rescue in retiring Jimenez and stranding them. Maldonado and Baskins hit singles in the top 9th, but were stranded before the ball went to Mike Lynn for the bottom 9th. Speth grounded out to Waters, Montes whiffed, and Watt found Adame with a grounder to complete the sweep. 5-3 Raccoons. Pellicano 2-5, 2 RBI; Maldonado 3-5, HR, RBI; Toohey 2-4, 2 RBI; Baskins (PH) 1-1;

In other news

April 3 – Crisis in Denver: with a torn posterior cruciate ligament, OF Tim Turner (.444, 0 HR, 0 RBI) will miss the entire season.
April 5 – The Thunder acquire SP/MR J.J. Hendrix (0-0, 3.18 ERA) from the Rebels for OF/1B Cullen Tortora (0 AB, 0 HR, 1 RBI) and cash.
April 5 – With a partially torn labrum, 24-year-old SFW CF/LF Clay Krabbe (.333, 0 HR, 1 RBI) is expected to be out until July.
April 5 – After the Falcons took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 14th inning against Boston, the Titans rap off five straight base hits in the bottom of the inning to escape with a 4-3 walkoff win.
April 6 – PIT SP Chris Turner (1-0, 0.00 ERA) and two relievers hold the Scorpions to a 1B/3B Sebastian Copeland (.294, 0 HR, 0 RBI) single in a 1-0 squeezer.
April 7 – New York 1B/RF/LF Carlos Cortes (.478, 1 HR, 9 RBI) collects five hits in a split double-header against the Thunder, including the 2,000th of his career. The 36-year-old journeyman is in his 15th season, batting .293 with 209 homers and 1,034 RBI. In his younger years, he also stole 100 bases. He was the 2038 Player of the Year, leading the league in slugging and RBI that season. While he never won a home run title, he once led the FL in triples.

FL Player of the Week: SAL RF/LF Jose Platero (.455, 2 HR, 8 RBI)
CL Player of the Week: SFB 2B/SS Sergio Quiroz (.407, 5 HR, 7 RBI)

Complaints and stuff

That wasn’t all bad! They were still on holidays the first few days, but kicked it in gear after that. I don’t know if the Aces are as bad as they looked (24-5 in runs in that sweep), or whether we are as good as they made us look. But some know-it-all will surely soon say that they’re all a year older than last year and thus… (glares at Cristiano)

Bubba Wolinsky took the 5,900th regular season win for the franchise on Saturday, getting ample support with 13 runs but allowing zero himself. It’s the second-most runs the Raccoons have scored in a milestone; they once put up 16 to make “Tragic” Travis Garrett a winner for a day…

Here’s to hoping we’ll score 6 1/3 runs per game for the rest of the year, too!

First homestand opening on Monday, with the Condors, damn Elks, Crusaders, and Knights all taking turns to visit.

Fun Fact: Las Vegas averages a fifth of an inch of rain in a typical April.

This year’s rain fell in the fifth inning as Jason Wheatley was seriously soul-searching both his stuff and control, and still somehow escaped with a win, his 15th straight triumphant decision dating back to last year. He appears so clumsy at times, but he might just actually be that special …!