[Westheim]

Raccoons (20-24) @ Condors (20-23) – May 22-24, 2056

The Raccoons’ reward for sweeping the Baybirds was a trip to Mexico for three days, where the Condors ranked fourth in the South, fifth in runs scored, and tenth in runs allowed. They had the second-worst rotation and a -22 run differential (Critters: -2). Tijuana had won four straight games, having swept the Loggers on the weekend. The Raccoons had won the series between these two teams last year, 7-2, after a 9-0 wipeout in 2054.

Projected matchups:
He Shui (3-3, 5.11 ERA) vs. Jay Everett (0-2, 9.87 ERA)
Seisaku Taki (3-6, 4.72 ERA) vs. Dave Washington (3-4, 6.13 ERA)
Sean Sweeton (3-2, 2.90 ERA) vs. Bill Quinn (3-5, 5.36 ERA)

The Condors had lost Juan Juarez and Tyrese Shields to injury out of their five starters to begin the season and so far weren’t coping very well, although both were expected back within the week. Washington was the only left-hander we expected in this set.

The Coons shed Raffy onto the DL on Monday and didn’t expect him back before the All Star Game with the elbow complaint (yet again). We brought up Geoff Sather for an extra left-hander in the pen for this series specifically, since the Condors had a heavily lefty-leaning lineup. Sather had appeared in 27 games across the last two seasons with a 6.30 ERA. He was on a 3.18 ERA in AAA this year.

Game 1
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – 1B Ramsay – 2B Waters – LF Kirkwood – RF Puckeridge – C Fiore – 3B Venegas – P Shui
TIJ: 1B Rosenstiel – 2B Chapa – LF T. Duncan – RF J. Harmon – C Poindexter – CF Hildebrand – SS V. Velez – 3B Crispin – P Everett

Jamie Harmon’s sac fly following singles by Luis Chapa and Tim Duncan gave the Condors an early first-inning lead, but Manny Poindexter then popped out to third base. Danny Hildebrand’s leadoff wallbanger double in right in the bottom 2nd did not lead to a run though. Ed Crispin (waves hi to his ex-player, who can’t even see him up in the suite) drew a 1-out walk, Everett got a bunt down to move both runners into scoring position, but Kirkwood grabbed John Rosenstiel’s drive to left to end the inning. But Tim Duncan’s bloop single, Harmon’s loud double, and another hit for Poindexter added two runs to the Condors’ lead, and at this point you had to ask yourself when the Raccoons were going to show up, and whether He Shui had been switched for his twin, She Hui, who was less evil, but more inept.

Before any offense showed up, though, Geoff Sather did. Shui gave up a leadoff single to Everett in the bottom 4th, then walked Rosenstiel on four pitches. A couple outs later, a run was home, Luis Chapa was in scoring position, and the Coons went to the replacement lefty in a game that had the vultures circling overhead. Sather got Harmon out to end the inning, but surrendered a run in the fifth, which was unearned though, since Steve Royer saw fit to add an error to the two singles given up by Sather. The southpaw nevertheless gave up an earned run in the sixth; leadoff single to center from Rosenstiel, who was forced out by Luis Chapa, and then Julian Dunn came in and served up a double to Duncan. Harmon got another RBI with a groundout before Poindexter struck out to end the inning. Dunn and Sencion would each get another three outs to get the game over with… 6-0 Condors.

We had three hits, and no paw on third base, ever. It was so ***** a game that I refuse to even mention the guys with the measly singles. Dunce caps for everybody!!

No southpaw Washington on Tuesday – the Condors moved Bill Quinn ahead.

Game 2
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – 1B Ramsay – 2B Waters – LF Caballero – 3B Brobeck – RF Puckeridge – C Fiore – P Taki
TIJ: 1B Rosenstiel – 2B Chapa – LF T. Duncan – RF J. Harmon – C Poindexter – CF Hildebrand – SS V. Velez – 3B Crispin – P Quinn

The Raccoons had Lonzo on base with a single, and then in scoring position after he swiped his 18th bag of the year in the first inning, but ultimately left him there; however, the top 2nd saw Pucks zing a triple with two outs, and then be driven home by Matt Fiore’s soft single for a 1-0 lead. Taki struggled with the six lefty sticks in the lineup, but was held together by the defense in the first few innings, then got a bigger lead in the third inning as Royer reached base on a walk, and then Lonzo got a hanging breaking ball and chucked it over to a fan ten rows up in the leftfield stands, 3-0. That wasn’t even all in the inning; Waters singled, and with two gone, Brobeck stuffed an RBI double into the rightfield corner. Pucks drew a 2-out walk, but Fiore was retired when Chapa intercepted his bouncer and lobbed it to Rosenstiel just in time to end the inning.

No score in the middle innings, as the Raccoons maintained their 4-0 lead, which also meant that Taki finally found a groove. He was nursing a 3-hitter through six innings on 79 pitches, but with a few long counts early and also some nice defensive plays. Lonzo smacked another long drive in the seventh inning, but that was caught at the fence by Harmon. Hildebrand hit a leadoff single in the bottom 7th, but Victor Velez grounded out, Crispin flew out to Pucks, and PH Nick Fowler whiffed to complete the inning. Taki got one more out from Rosenstiel to begin the eighth, but then gave up a walk to Chapa and a single to Duncan and was lifted with the all-lefty 4-5-6 part of the lineup coming up. Lillis needed two pitches to get a 4-6-3 groundball double play from Jamie Harmon to defuse the inning. Brobeck moved to the hill in the bottom 9th then, but gave up a single to Poindexter and then Velez’ grounder to short was bobbled by Lonzo for an error. The Coons went to Matt Walters, who struck out Crispin, but then gave up not one, but two RBI singles to Jerry Morales and Danny Ramirez before finally ringing up Chapa. 4-2 Raccoons. Lavorano 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Waters 2-4; Taki 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K, W (4-6);

The runs were unearned on Brobeck because of the Lonzo error, but the whole inning made me grumble anyway after we finally got a nice start from Taki.

Game 3
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – 2B Waters – LF Kirkwood – RF Caballero – 1B Ramsay – 3B Venegas – C Stanton – P Sweeton
TIJ: 1B Rosenstiel – 2B Chapa – LF T. Duncan – RF J. Harmon – C Poindexter – CF Hildebrand – SS V. Velez – 3B Crispin – P Washington

The Critters jumped out to a 4-0 lead without making an out as Royer hit a scratch single, Lonzo reached on an error, and Matt Waters jumped a ball some 420 feet for his fifth blast of the season, and then Chris Kirkwood made it back-to-back with a homer to left. The Condors answered with a Duncan single and a Harmon homer in the bottom 1st, so half the lead was immediately given back by Sweeton. He didn’t have the best of days, not getting a K until the fourth inning, and generally giving up a few more loud fly balls, but those were caught. Lonzo’s loud fly in the third was not caught, but fell for a double, but when he went from third base on Kirkwood’s fly out to Hildebrand, he was thrown out at the plate for an inning-ending double play. Ultimately neither team managed to scratch another run together all the way into the seventh inning, when Hildebrand banged a leadoff double and scored on productive outs by Velez and Ed Crispin, narrowing the score to 4-3.

That was it for Sweeton; the Coons had Royer on base to begin the eighth, but Lonzo found the opposing shortstop for a double play grounder. Sencion then began the bottom 8th by retiring Rosenstiel and Chapa. Mike Lane came on for Duncan, who singled anyway. Sather then was brought in for the lefties, but Jerry Morales pinch-hit for Harmon… but also popped out to Venegas in foul ground to end the inning.

Washington was still going in the ninth inning, but gave up singles to Caballero and Ramsay. Chavez batted for Venegas, but popped out for the second out. Daniel Espinoza batted for Stanton and flipped a single behind Chapa for an insurance run, and knocked out the starter. Pucks hit for Sather against another lefty, Matt Otte, but we were out of righty sticks. Pucks hit a soft single, loading the bases, but Royer grounded out to leave three aboard. Walters was back, fourth game in five days, but struck out the first two Condors and got Velez to pop out to Waters on the first pitch in the bottom 9th. 5-3 Coons. Kirkwood 3-4, HR, RBI; Espinoza (PH) 1-1; Puckeridge (PH) 1-1; Sweeton 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, W (4-2);

Raccoons (22-25) @ Thunder (25-23) – May 26-28, 2056

After an off day spent travelling by bus to San Diego because the Mexican air traffic controllers decided to go on strike for the tenth time that year, the Raccoons arrived in Oklahoma City eventually. The Thunder had the sixth-most runs scored in the league, and were tied for fourth-fewest runs allowed with a +22 run differential. OKC was up 2-1 in the season series, but they were down a starter in David Barel and a pair of outfielders / first basemen in Mike Allegood and Pat Stipp.

Projected matchups:
Craig Kniep (1-2, 3.81 ERA) vs. Mike Zeigler (1-4, 4.65 ERA)
Julian Dunn (3-1, 3.40 ERA) vs. Alfredo Llamas (4-3, 4.04 ERA)
He Shui (3-4, 5.43 ERA) vs. Bubba Wolinsky (4-1, 3.25 ERA)

You want lefties? You get lefties. One to start the series, and then a meeting with Bubba on Southpaw Sunday. Bubba, who won two rings at the back end of the Critters’ trio of championships in the 2040s, was in his third season (including a partial season in ’54) in Oklahoma. Stamina was becoming an issue for him, and he was in a contract year while being due to turning 34 in August.

The Raccoons returned Geoff Sather (0-0, 4.50 ERA) to AAA and … well, it’s Ryan Harmer again…

Game 1
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – 2B Waters – LF Kirkwood – 3B Brobeck – RF Caballero – 1B Ramsay – C Fiore – P Kniep
OCT: RF D. Guzman – C Korfhage – 3B Soberanes – 1B de la Roca – LF Weant – CF Buras – 2B Hester – SS Almadanim – P Zeigler

For the second game in a row, the Raccoons grabbed a first-inning lead with a 3-0 smash, this one by Kirkwood to rightfield after Lonzo got hit and Waters got *a* hit ahead of him. The Thunder at least got three runners on base, as Kniep gave up a single to Danny Guzman, walked Eddie de la Roca, and then saw Tim Weant reach when Brobeck bobbled what would have been the grounder for the third out, but at least Will Buras found a more sure-pawed Lonzo for the third out with another grounder. Also three on, with nobody out, in the top 2nd: the Coons. Fiore doubled, Kniep singled, and Royer walked to set everybody up for disappointment. Lonzo lined out to Weant in shallow left, but Waters’ groundout got a run home (yay…!). After that, Kirkwood flew out to Will Bura-aaah, he dropped it. Two runs scored, and Kirkwood hustled into second base after almost turning right to the dugout halfway up the first base line. Brobeck, who had singled in the first, ended this inning with a groundout to third base.

The good news was that Zeigler was out before batting once, the bad news was that Harley Thomas ripped an RBI triple in his spot to get the Thunder on the board, plating Hélder Almadanim, who had just knocked a single off Kniep, who had yet to fool anybody. Guzman lined out, Korfhage grounded out, at least keeping Thomas stranded at third base in a 6-1 game. Kniep didn’t get a K until de la Roca whiffed in the bottom 3rd, but he also put Ed Soberanes and Tim Weant on the corners with one out, giving up singles. Weant was caught stealing, Buras struck out, and somehow Kniep weasled out of the inning. At least he also struck out Billy Hester and Almadanim in the fourth in an attempt to find a groove. The score remained at 6-1 into the sixth, when Kniep hit his second single of the game, but was stranded by Royer and Lonzo, while then offering a walk to Weant, who was caught mid-theft by Fiore for the second time in the game. Buras struck out again to end the inning. Hester singled off Kniep to begin the seventh, but was forced out by Almadanim, who finally got a base stolen against Fiore, but was also stranded on base with a K to Danny Guzman, the seventh for Kniep after not getting anybody to whiff the first time through.

It was also his last in the game, because the 2-3-4 batters were all righties, and he was on 98 pitches now, and his spot was up at the dish in the top 8th. Ramsay opened the inning with a jack off Ryan Moore, 7-1, and the first score since the second inning. Fiore singled, Solorzano popped out, and Pucks batted for Royer and walloped another jack for the Coons’ third 3-spot of the game. Moore was relieved of pitching duties in favor of Amando Estevens then. He got rid of the middle infielders, and Harmer and Sencion got rid of the Thunder for the last six outs. 9-1 Raccoons. Puckeridge (PH) 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; Kirkwood 2-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Fiore 2-4, 2B; Kniep 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W (2-2) and 2-3;

With this mild rout, we were still two games under .500, but now a +4 in the old runs differential. Still bottoms in OBP, though.

Game 2
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – 1B Ramsay – LF Kirkwood – RF Puckeridge – C Fiore – CF Solorzano – 3B Espinoza – P Dunn
OCT: SS Almadanim – 3B Soberanes – LF D. Guzman – CF M. Harmon – 2B Ban – C Korfhage – 1B de la Roca – RF Buras – P Llamas

Early Coons attempts at scoring fell to pieces by double plays hit into by Lonzo in the first and then Fiore in the second, while the Thunder got a single from Eddie de la Roca, a double from Will Buras, all with one out in the bottom 2nd, and then plated the runs on Llamas’ groundout and when Almadanim’s 2-out fly was dropped for an error by Kirkwood. Dunn walked Soberanes before Danny Guzman grounded out to end the miserable inning. The Coons had Solorzano and Espinoza on base in the third inning, but then Dunn struck out failing to bunt and Waters and Lonzo did hardly any better and stranded the runners.

The Raccoons then stalled entirely for a while, whereas Jonathan Ban, who along with Mike Harmon had sat on Friday against the lefty Kniep, doubled home Soberanes with a 2-out double in the bottom 5th, 3-0. Top 6th, Waters reached on an error and Lonzo on an infield single with one out, which was one way to bring the tying run to the plate. Groundouts by Rams and Kirkwood made the entire exercise moot. The Thunder instead smacked two more runs over Dunn’s head in the bottom 6th, but it was a team effort. De la Roca opened the inning with a first-pitch single, advanced on a passed ball, then a wild pitch, and scored on Buras’ single. Soberanes drove home Buras with a 2-out single, then stole second base unopposed as the middle infielders couldn’t make their mind up. (blows!)

Better yet, Solorzano, Espinoza, and Royer would load the bases with two outs in the seventh inning, and then Waters grounded out to Ban, stranding everybody and keeping the Coons shut out. Ban and de la Roca then smacked more singles to get a run off Tanizaki in the seventh. Llamas hit a single off Lillis in the bottom 8th, but was eventually doubled off, yet then went back out bidding for shutout, entering the ninth inning on a 5-hitter. A walk to Pucks ended the effort rather quickly, as lefty Juan Valencia took over. He got three outs from Venegas, Solorzano, and Espinoza to complete the shutout. 6-0 Thunder. Espinoza 2-4;

Just erase what I said earlier about the positive run differential.

Nothing here’s positive.

Game 3
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – 2B Waters – LF Kirkwood – RF Caballero – 3B Venegas – 1B Puckeridge – C Stanton – P Shui
OCT: SS Almadanim – 3B Soberanes – LF D. Guzman – CF M. Harmon – 2B Ban – C Korfhage – 1B de la Roca – RF Buras – P Wolinsky

Bubba was perfect the first time through and struck out four – too bad that he was on the wrong team. Shui meanwhile gave up only a single to Ban the first time through the lineup, and a 2-out single to Almadanim in the third inning, but at least didn’t look half as bad as in the last few weeks.

The Raccoons didn’t reach base until Kirkwood socked a leadoff double in the fifth inning. Caballero’s grounder moved him to third, and Venegas’ single to center got him in to score, 1-0. Pucks’ grounder moved up Venegas, but opened the door for an intentional walk to Matt Stanton and then an easy third out from Shui. Five scoreless innings from Shui meanwhile got his ERA back under five, which was a nice start. Top 7th, Kirkwood singled his way on base, but was forced out on Caballero’s grounder. Caballero stole second base, but then scored easily on a jog when Anton Venegas smashed his first homer of the year to left-center. Mitch Korfhage hit a double in the bottom 7th, the first extra-base knock off Shui, but it came with two down and was followed by a K to de la Roca. Shui offered a 1-out walk to pinch-hitter Tim Weant in the bottom 8th, but worked his way out of there himself before bumping against 100 pitches. Eight shutout innings – nicely done indeed! Venegas and Solorzano reached base in the ninth, but were left on when the Raccoons didn’t bat for Stanton with two outs and Stanton went down in flames. Matt Walters made the Thunder go away in 1-2-3 style in the bottom of the ninth. 3-0 Furballs. Kirkwood 2-4, 2B; Venegas 3-4, HR, 3 RBI; Solorzano (PH) 1-1; Shui 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W (4-4);

In other news

May 22 – MIL 3B Jesus Burgos (.206, 0 HR, 3 RBI) reaches 2,500 career hits with two singles in a 12-inning, 5-4 loss to the Falcons. The milestone is an RBI single in the second inning off CHA SP Noah Hollis (3-2, 3.55 ERA). Burgos is in his 17th season, more than half the time having been spent with the Cyclones in two different stints. He had two Platinum Sticks, three All Star nominations, and was a career .300 hitter with 99 HR and 997 RBI, so there was more to celebrate soon for him.
May 22 – PIT SP Jeff Crowley (4-5, 4.09 ERA) is one out shy of a nine-inning no-hitter, albeit in the top 9th of a scoreless game, before getting taken deep by LAP LF/RF/1B Salvatore Rodrigues (.294, 3 HR, 17 RBI) and being handed a soggy 1-0 loss instead of a potential entry into the record books.
May 24 – The Falcons beat the Loggers, 7-6 in 14 innings, with a walkoff single for rookie C Braden McCarver (.405, 1 HR, 9 RBI).
May 24 – Sacramento beats Cincy, 7-4 in 15 innings. The tie is broken in the top 15th with a 3-piece smashed by SAC RF/LF Danny Munn (.163, 4 HR, 17 RBI).
May 25 – The Bayhawks acquire 1B Gustavo Jacinto (.292, 3 HR, 10 RBI) from the Stars in exchange for two prospects.
May 25 – The second homer of the game for CIN C Tim Lehman (.297, 3 HR, 17 RBI) gives the Cyclones a 12th-inning, 11-10 walkoff win against the Scorpions.

FL Player of the Week: CIN LF/CF Juan del Toro (.337, 6 HR, 28 RBI), bating .533 (16-30) with 2 HR, 10 RBI
CL Player of the Week: TIJ LF Tim Duncan (.297, 13 HR, 44 RBI), hitting .480 (12-25) with 1 HR, 4 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Decent week. I know, if you go 4-2 every week you make the playoffs, but the hole is quite deep already, and the damn Elks are 10 games ahead just behind the first quarterpost…

What is needed to make the team win more consistently? Well, if Shui and Taki could stop messing up, that would be great, and then we’re still a competent starter short. The pen might hold its own even though one spot is a bit of a revolving door thing right now.

We have no production from the catcher position, and despite a menagerie of third basemen on the roster, we also get next to nothing from them. Also, Pucks, maybe stop slumping, pleeease?

The Raccoons return home now for six games against the Aces and Crusaders. After that, a rather erratic travel schedule with two single-series trips to the East Coast for consecutive midweek series, but we’re at home on the weekends. Whee.

Fun Fact: Matt Walters is erasing batters at a 15.6 K/9 rate.

That is not anything a long-time closer for the Raccoons has ever done. The best bids in the category come from Angel Casas and Josh Boles with a few seasons each in the 13s, and that’s that. Whether Walters can sustain that tempo will have to be seen, but for now he’s great fun.

7.5 K/BB, so far no homers allowed, a 0.46 ERA, and a 905 ERA+ … I kinda like those numbers…!