Raccoons (87-68) vs. Canadiens (76-79) – September 28-October 1, 2048
Final week, final chance to stumble over the damn Elks. They were still scoring well, fourth in the CL anyway, but couldn’t keep the opposing teams off the board, giving up the second-most runs in the CL. Their -75 run differential had proved detrimental to any ambitions they might have had, but the Raccoons still had to try and not get swept… We were up 9-5 in the season series.
Projected matchups:
Victor Salcido (1-2, 4.70 ERA) vs. Ayden Cobb (4-13, 3.97 ERA)
Victor Merino (14-9, 3.57 ERA) vs. David Farris (8-14, 4.90 ERA)
Jake Jackson (8-14, 4.19 ERA) vs. Mario Godinez (9-13, 4.79 ERA)
Jeremy Baker (10-7, 3.72 ERA) vs. Bill McMichael (15-10, 3.93 ERA)
Three right-handers, one left-hander right at the end, although there was potential for a jumble with Hisami Furuya (3-11, 4.49 ERA) close to returning from the DL. They also had both of their established catchers, Julio Diaz and Tim Phillips, on the DL, while the Coons’ Alex Adame was not on the DL, but also not likely to get back into the action in this series yet. But he was totally gonna be playoff ready. Totally!
Game 1
VAN: LF F. Rojas – CF I. Jaramillo – RF Outram – SS R. Price – 2B DeMarco – C Graham – 3B A. Soto – 1B Scannell – P Cobb
POR: CF Watt – SS Martell – 2B Waters – LF Preble – RF Robinson – 1B Gurney – C Wilson – 3B Coen – P Salcido
Rick Price singled home Ismael Jaramillo in the first inning, but the Raccoons answered with two, Pat Gurney doubling home Martell and Waters, while Chris Robinson was thrown out at the plate when he tried to make it three runs in one scoop, ending the inning. The lead didn’t last, nor get tacked onto; the Coons stranded two in the second, and Waters got on and stole second base with nobody out in the third, but was also left on second base. I was not confident, and when Salcido walked Price to begin the fourth inning, the writing was on the wall. Nick DeMarco also walked, but Andy Graham hit into a double play; yet a single by Alex Soto to center tied the game at two. Steve Scannell singled, too, but at least Cobb made the final out. After the Coons left Ben Coen on second base in the fourth as well, and went down 1-2-3 in the fifth, I sighed audibly, getting a pat on the head by Maud, and a muffin she had baked for my sorrows.
Chris Robinson’s leadoff jack in the bottom 6th brightened the day a bit, giving the Coons a 3-2 lead. Gurney and Wilson made outs, but when Ben Coen hit a 2-out single, Derek Baskins batted for Salcido after six decent innings, and also singled. Watt lashed a single to center that allowed Coen to score. Martell grounded out, stranding two and sending a potential clincher to the bullpen (depending on the Indians’ result, however). Kuo had a clean seventh, but put Felix Rojas on base with a leadoff single to center in the eighth. Porter struck out PH Angel Escobido before Bonnie entered. He popped out a so-far-harmless Jerry Outram, but walked Rick Price. Pinch-hitter Bob Mancini went down on strikes, however, ending the inning. The Coons tacked on a run in the bottom 8th with 2-out hits off Tim Abraham by Toohey, Watt, and Martell, before Matt Waters popped out to short. That gave the ball and a now 3-run lead to Nelson Moreno. Graham grounded out to Waters. Soto flew out to Robinson. And Scannell filed another groundout to Waters. 5-2 Raccoons! Martell 2-5, RBI; Waters 2-5; Robinson 2-3, BB, HR, 2B, RBI; Coen 2-4; Baskins (PH) 1-1; Toohey (PH) 1-1; Salcido 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, W (2-2);
After the end of the game, the Raccoons team remained on the field – the Indians game in Boston had started three hours later there, and thus actually at the same time as the Raccoons’ contest. They took a bit longer, but eventually David Barel completed a complete-game 6-hitter for a 7-2 Titans win and put the Raccoons into the playoffs for the fifth straight year! An on-field celebration with a couple of thousand fans that had hung around to watch the final inning in Boston on the Videocube ™ ensued.
Coooooooooooooons!!!!
Also, Salcido – hardly dry behind the fuzzy ears and already pitched a division clincher! Future star!
Game 2
VAN: 2B DeMarco – LF F. Rojas – RF Outram – 1B Mancini – CF Escobido – SS Mullen – 3B Higareda – C K. Morris – P Farris
POR: SS Martell – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 2B Waters – RF Robinson – 1B Gurney – C Gonzalez – LF Baskins – P Merino
Celebrations ceased in the first inning on Tuesday, which Chris Robinson left with a knee sprain that might yet jeopardize his CLCS participation. Matt Glodowski replaced him, then stepped into the box in the bottom 1st with a 3-0 lead on the board after Matt Waters had emptied his 31st homer of the year into the rightfield stands. Nothing came of Glodowski’s time at-bat, but he soon got to watch a Nick DeMarco moonshot that shortened the score to 3-1 in the top 3rd, but then Glodowski doubled with two outs in the bottom 3rd and was singled home by Gurney, 4-1.
But the Elks countered with their own 2-out run through hits by Dan Mullen and Adrian Higareda in the fourth, then had Escobido double home Mancini in the sixth to get yet closer, 4-3. The Elks got the tying runs aboard in the seventh against Adam Bates, who had Lynn clean up behind him, and again in the eighth against Lynn, when Jerry Outram legged out an infield single, which was a whole new experience for everybody involved. Alex Soto pinch-ran for him, but got wrapped up in Mancini’s double play grounder to Maldonado all the same. Maldo got an early chance to kick up the legs with a cold one as reward, getting subbed out in a double switch for Ibold and Coen, the former getting a good start for a 4-out save when he popped out Escobido to Waters to end the inning.
We then loaded the sacks against a parade of Elks relievers; Waters walked and stole second. Gurney walked with one out. The hit-and-run was on with Coen, because this was the time of the year to have some fun, and in their faces, too. Coen hacked and missed, but Kevin Morris also never got a throw off and Waters and Gurney had a double steal, but were also pinned in position when Coen eventually hit a sorry 0-2 roller that died halfway up the third base line, but also legged it out for an infield single. Bases loaded for Baskins then, who whiffed against Tim Abraham. Jeff Wilson popped out to strand the full set. Ibold then got an out to begin the ninth, but also stretched awkwardly afterwards and was collected by Dr. Padilla. I groaned and opened another bottle of Capt’n Coma. Nelson Moreno got the last two outs, as if that would help any now… 4-3 Raccoons. Gurney 2-3, BB, RBI; Coen 1-1;
So, here’s the damage report. Chris Robinson was now out with a knee sprain, and Bob Ibold had a tweaked quad. Both were out for the rest of the week, and both were also highly questionable for the CLCS, and probably a “no”.
The Raccoons went for a free refill and called up Oscar Alcala, the only AAA pitcher that was on the 40-man roster at a time where the 40-man roster was full. Alcala was a lefty; he had made a few shoddy appearances last season for a 6.97 ERA.
Game 3
VAN: C Graham – CF I. Jaramillo – RF Outram – 3B Burgos – SS R. Price – 2B DeMarco – LF Escobido – 1B Scannell – P Godinez
POR: LF Watt – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – 2B Waters – C Gonzalez – RF Toohey – 3B Martell – SS Floyd – P Jackson
Everybody knew that this was Jake Jackson’s final regular season start for the Raccoons, even his mom Janet, so people came out in droves for the Wednesday game, showing appreciation for the only starter that had hung around from the mediocre times of the start of the decade through three rings and until now.
Maldo ended a seemingly endless homer drought with a 2-run shot to left in the first inning, giving the Coons a 2-0 lead. It was 3-0 by the end of the inning when Waters walked, moved up on a wild pitch, and was singled home by Bryce Toohey. Those were the only early runs in the game, especially with Jackson suddenly starting to pitch a no-hitter, shedding two walks, but no knocks through five innings. He walked Jaramillo in the sixth, with the centerfielder stealing his 36th bag of the year, then scoring on a Jerry Outram single. Outram, for once again taking all the fun out of baseball, was then rigorously booed for the rest of the game whenever he got near the ball. As he should be!
Jackson pitched seven totally fine innings, then was pinch-hit for with Martell and Floyd on the corners and nobody out in the bottom 7th. Mike Preble slapped an RBI single to center in his place, then was forced out by Watt; Herrera brought in another run with a groundout, though. The Elks got a run back in the eighth with a Brandon Eaton double and Andy Graham single off Steve Richardson, with Hitchcock digging him out of the inning. The Coons got Baskins and Martell on in the bottom 8th, but they were stranded when Josh Floyd whiffed. Thus it was three runs in the ninth, and with Moreno out for two days straight, Preston Porter got the ball this time. Jesus Burgos, Rick Price, and Bob Mancini went down in order, ending the game. 5-2 Coons! Baskins (PH) 1-1; Martell 3-4; Preble (PH) 1-1, RBI; Jackson 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W (9-14);
As the record indicates, Jackson’s seventh and final Raccoons season was nothing to make much of a highlights tape of – but this was a goodie.
Game 4
VAN: SS I. Jaramillo – LF F. Rojas – 3B Burgos – RF Outram – 1B Mancini – CF Escobido – 2B R. Price – C K. Morris – P McMichael
POR: LF Watt – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 2B Waters – 1B Toohey – C Gonzalez – RF Glodowski – SS Floyd – P Baker
There was no early offense on Thursday, and if a team threatened, it was the pink one, but Outram hit into a double play to kill runners-on-the-corners in the top 1st, and Kevin Morris was thrown out at the plate by Watt in the fourth, trying to go home from second on a Jaramillo single. Morris *did* eventually break the ice, but then with a 2-run homer to right in the fifth inning, driving home Rick Price, too. Somehow, this woke up the Critters. Toohey and Gonzalez tied the game with back-to-back bombs to begin the bottom 5th, and Glodowski and Floyd both singled. Baker bunted into a force at third base and Watt struck out, but Herrera singled home Floyd to give the home team a 3-2 lead. McMichael ended up walking Maldo, but the inning ended with three aboard when Jaramillo made a nifty play on a Waters grounder.
Rain moved in and quickly intensified. Looking skywards, the Raccoons decided to hit for Baker, who had some juice left, when his spot came up with the 6-7-8 batters all on base and one out in the bottom 6th, taking him out before the weather could. Preble batted for him and brought in a run with a groundout, and then the tarp came on already. A 45-minute rain delay later, Watt singled home a pair with two outs as Jordan Calderon oversaw the Elks’ tumble into a 4-game sweep… although then Adam Bates got a few in the kisser, allowing a walk and two doubles for two runs in the top 7th, narrowing the score to 6-4 before being bailed out by Bonnie. Maldo’s leadoff double in the bottom 7th eventually led to him scoring on Gonzalez’ sac fly, all against righty Sam Heisler. Cancel and Moreno would also pitch in the completion of the game, the former getting a chance for a wicked 4-out save after ending the eighth and a Preble homer in the bottom 8th that ran the score to 8-4. But Cancel put on a pair in the ninth, then had to yield to Moreno, who got his third save in the series as he completed the sweep. 8-4 Furballs. Gonzalez 2-3, HR, 2 RBI; Floyd 2-4; Preble (PH) 1-2, HR, 2 RBI; Baker 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, W (11-7);
Raccoons (91-68) vs. Indians (83-75) – October 2-4, 2048
Third in runs scored, sixth in runs allowed, and also beaten to the playoffs again by the Critters. But we’re friends, right, Arrowheads? We’re friends. No need to get hurt here. Right? We led the season series 10-5, anyway.
Projected matchups:
Jason Wheatley (13-6, 3.26 ERA) vs. Bill Nichol (13-12, 3.91 ERA)
Bubba Wolinsky (7-2, 3.27 ERA) vs. Enrique Ortiz (9-12, 3.97 ERA)
Victor Salcido (2-2, 4.22 ERA) vs. Brian Jackson (11-15, 4.33 ERA)
Two right-handers, then a final Southpaw Sunday to the season! The regular season at least.
Game 1
IND: CF A. Mendez – SS Russ – RF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – 2B H. Acosta – 3B B. Anderson – 1B de Castro – C Nunez – P Nichol
POR: SS Adame – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – RF Preble – C Gonzalez – 2B Martell – 1B Toohey – LF Baskins – P Wheatley
Jason Wheatley’s season had begun with a waffling by the Indians, and also ended with one. Angel Mendez opened with a single and stole second. Andrew Russ, the pest, reached on a Toohey error and stole second. Bill Quinteros walked, and Danny Rivera emptied the bases with a double into the leftfield corner, then also came around to score for an early 4-0 deficit. The Coons began with an Adame triple in the bottom 1st. Herrera grounded out poorly, but Maldo hit a sac fly to right. Then the bases filled up with the 4-5-6 hitters, only for Toohey to ground out to short to waste it all. Baskins doubled and Wheats singled to begin the bottom 2nd, with Adame’s sac fly narrowing the score to 4-2, but Wheats was stranded. From all the stranding, he then had enough sand between his gears to get yanked in the top 3rd, giving up four straight singles for two runs. All the Indians’ hits were on the soft side, but it still made for a ghastly line – six runs, five earned, in 2.1 innings. Hitchcock got a double play grounder from Alex de Castro to end the inning.
The Coons crept back to 6-4 in the fourth with a Baskins single, then back-to-back 2-out RBI doubles crashed by Adame and Herrera. Maldo lined out to the pitcher to end the inning. The Raccoons sought length from Oscar Alcala, and got only a longer score on the board; in two innings, Alcala was romped for four runs, the first two coming on a Bobby Anderson homer in the fifth and the other two in a quagmire inning in the sixth. Further garbage relief by Cancel and Richardson was more efficient, allowing no further runs to the Indians, and no Raccoons rally ever materialized anyway… 10-4 Indians. Adame 3-4, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI; Preble 3-4; Baskins 2-4, 2B;
Ack.
Game 2
IND: CF A. Mendez – SS Russ – RF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – 2B H. Acosta – 3B B. Anderson – 1B de Castro – C Nunez – P E. Ortiz
POR: CF Watt – SS Adame – 3B Maldonado – RF Preble – 1B Gurney – 2B Martell – C Wilson – LF Baskins – P Wolinsky
Mendez and Russ did to Wolinsky what they did to Wheatley, opening the game with hits, stealing a bag, and scoring in the first, although the inning fizzled out quicker behind them. Maldo came close to a game-tying homer with Adame on first in the bottom 1st, but was caught on the warning track by Danny Rivera. Adame and Maldo then followed Watt on base in the bottom 3rd, bringing up Preble with a full selection of runners and one gone. Preble hit the first pitch into a double play. Wilson hit into another double play the inning after, but the Coons actually did manage to tie the game by the fifth, after some gritty pitching by Bubba kept them in the game. Baskins doubled, Watt doubled, and Maldo singled to produce the two runs needed, and for what? For the top 6th. Infield single by Mendez, infield single by Russ, nobody out. Oh for ****’* sake…!! Quinteros popped out. Rivera whiffed. Hugo Acosta popped out. Nobody scored…! (jumps up and pokes fists into the air)
But… top 7th. Leadoff walk to Bobby Anderson, and the Wilson threw away de Castro’s grounder for a 2-base error. Two were on again, and now in scoring position, with nobody out. And Bubba? BUBBA STRUCK OUT THE ******* SIDE!! And yet, all he got was a no-decision… Waters hit for him in the bottom 7th, but to no avail, as the Critters went down 1-2-3.
Bottom 8th, Adame singled, Maldo was nicked, and they pulled off a double steal, all with nobody out. The Indians walked Preble intentionally to sabotage the effort, but didn’t remove Ortiz, who went on to drill Gurney with the very next pitch, pushing the go-ahead run across. Martell added a sac fly, ending Ortiz’ season and bringing in Sang-hoon Kim. Toohey batted for Wilson and walked the bags full again, but Baskins popped out. (groans!) Glodowski batted for Kuo, in line for the W now, and walked, but not until after Kim had already brought in a run with a wild pitch. Watt flew out to center to end the inning, and the 3-run lead went to Nelson Moreno, who walked Nick Nunez with two outs, but then struck out Aaron Brayboy, which was as good an end to a game as any. 5-2 Raccoons. Watt 1-2, 3 BB, 2B, RBI; Adame 2-4; Maldonado 2-3, RBI; Wolinsky 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K;
Game 3
IND: CF A. Mendez – SS Russ – RF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – 2B H. Acosta – 3B B. Anderson – 1B Quintana – C Whitley – P B. Jackson
POR: SS Adame – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – 2B Waters – LF Toohey – RF Glodowski – 3B Coen – C Prow – P Salcido
To close out the regular season, both teams littered runners left and right in the first five innings, putting six on apiece, and scoring not a soul. The Indians got three hits and three walks off Salcido, but hit into a double play and were caught stealing once, stranding the other four. The Coons had five hits and a walk and stranded absolutely ******* everybody.
Salcido got the first two outs in the sixth from Quinteros and Rivera, who you’d assume were the tough outs for a right-hander with little experience, but then gave up three singles to load the bases, which ended his cup of coffee. Preston Porter struck out Dan Whitley to keep the runners from scoring, then saw PH Ron Kurtz and Russ reach on singles in the seventh. Jake Bonnie came in, got romped for two hits, a walk, and three runs by the middle of the order, and as things were going, this was gonna be the ballgame.
Bates, Hitchcock, and Alcala pitched to the end of regulation, with the Raccoons not even getting another base hit until Waters legged out an infield single to begin the bottom 9th of a 3-0 game against Tommy Gardner. Gurney hit for Toohey, then reached on an Anderson error. Glodowski whacked a double over Philip Locke in center, driving home a run and putting the tying runs into scoring position with nobody out. Martell hit for Coen, but popped out. Gonzalez hit for Prow, singled to right, tied the game, and chased Gardner, too. Mike Lechowicz then sent the game to extras by retiring Watt and Adame. Good, more chances to get hurt! (reaches for the Capt’n Coma)
Lynn retired the Arrowheads in order in the top 10th, with Lechowicz continuing against the 2-3-4 hitters afterwards, and also got them in order. Lynn had another flawless inning in the 11th, while the Indians sent right-hander Bill Quinn. Martell singled with two outs, but that was it. Quinteros singled off Richardson in the top 12th, but was then wrapped up with Danny Rivera – those two had 51 homers and 226 RBI, with 35 stolen bases between them – in a strike-em-out-throw-em-out to end the inning. A leadoff triple into the rightfield corner off Quinn by Matt Watt in the bottom 12th should put the thing to rest, shouldn’t it? Baskins batted for Richardson in the #1 slot, but grounded out poorly and Watt had to hold. Herrera was walked intentionally, and Maldo was drilled unintentionally. Waters next – how about ending the year with a slam? Nope – double play grounder. The band played on, and we were about to run out of pitchers. Nelson Moreno was at it for the 13th. Angel Quintana was nicked and Dan Whitley singled, but the Indians didn’t break through. Glodowski’s 1-out double off Tan Brink put the winning run in scoring position once more, but Martell and Gonzalez both struck out. Kuo turned in the 14th, and by then Jake Jackson was warming in the bullpen for *one more* outing. Watt walked and Wilson singled to begin the bottom 14th, taking up space on the corners, but we had seen that before… This was the final time though, the game ending on a sac fly to center by Armando Herrera. 4-3 Critters. Wilson (PH) 1-1; Waters 3-6; Glodowski 3-6, 3 2B, RBI; Watt (PH) 1-2, BB; Salcido 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K; Lynn 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K;
In other news
September 30 – MIL SP John Morrill (6-21, 4.92 ERA) ends his rotten season with a 2-hit shutout of the Crusaders, striking out four in a 1-0 win, all the offense being supplied with a homer by 1B Kyle Edsell (.235, 1 HR, 3 RBI).
October 2 – The Stars seal their division with a 4-0 win over the Scorpions.
October 2 – Thunder and Bayhawks both blow ninth-inning leads, then go to extras tied at four. The Thunder put up four more runs in the top 10th, only to get outdone for five by the Bayhawks. SFB SS/2B Todd Dau (.244, 5 HR, 32 RBI) doubles home the winning run for a 9-8 walkoff.
October 2 – SAL INF Randolph Nash (.264, 8 HR, 50 RBI) drives in five runs from the #8 spot in a 15-2 rout of the Warriors.
October 3 – The Miners take the FL East with a game to spare by beating the Capitals, 7-3.
October 3 – Dallas outfielder Juan del Toro (.368, 26 HR, 103 RBI) has a 20-game hitting streak after a double in a 4-2 loss to the Scorpions.
FL Hitter of the Month: DAL LF/CF Juan del Toro (.368, 25 HR, 102 RBI), killing it with a .443 average, 5 HR, 29 RBI
CL Hitter of the Month: TIJ SS Tony Aparicio (.352, 12 HR, 58 RBI), killing it just as good with a .440 bat, 5 HR, 25 RBI
FL Pitcher of the Month: NAS SP Marcus Wilkins (8-10, 5.05 ERA), spinning a 4-0 record with 2.25 ERA, 27 K
CL Pitcher of the Month: BOS SP David Barel (15-10, 2.93 ERA), hurling for a 4-2 record with 2.25 ERA, 36 K
FL Rookie of the Month: LAP LF/RF/1B Justin Bradley (.279, 14 HR, 58 RBI), batting .390 with 5 HR, 21 RBI
CL Rookie of the Month: TIJ 2B/SS Chris Navarro (.303, 0 HR, 64 RBI), poking .330 with 12 RBI
Complaints and stuff
45 players were used in the Sunday game, but at least no one died. Matt Waters won the home run title in the CL with 31 (but Larry Rodriguez hit 34 for L.A.), but Mike Preble came second in OPS and Nelson Moreno second in saves, narrowly missing league-highs, in Moreno’s case to one of the horde of former Raccoons that were now closers somewhere else – Antonio Prieto!
I hoped Wheats would sneak a Pitcher of the Month award, but the committee didn’t buy into his pathetic two wins, the 1.80 ERA and 30 K be damned.
Kevin Nolte, who was run over by one bus after another just a few years ago, missed a triple crown by all of seven strikeouts compared to Milwaukee’s Ruben Guzman. – Yes, Slappy; the Loggers…!
(looks back and forth between Pat Degenhardt and the scouting report he just filed) Man, those graphs on Jesus Maldonado are rough. (tugs reports into a drawer in the desk) We will go into these after the playoffs…
Speaking of the playoffs, how’s it looking for Chris Robinson (knee) and Bob Ibold (quad) for the CLCS? Not all that rosy, to be honest. We might have to leave both of them off the roster, since they will miss *at least* the first two games at the Bay, and might not even be ready for when the series will come to Portland, and what’s the point then? Both would be available for the World Series, but the Baybirds won 112 and I am already protecting my head with two paws from the incoming drubbing. Remember we lost the season series, 6-3 by games, 44-31 by runs. BUT … six of the games were decided by one run, so there’s that.
Fun Fact: For the first time in 38 years, the Raccoons have won 13 games from the damn Elks in a season.
(grins stupidly)
+++
Service announcement: Tomorrow could be busy for me, and I hate to cram in a playoff series… but Thursday is a federal holiday over here, so **** it and let’s just say that the CLCS will come to you on Thursday!