[Westheim]

Raccoons (50-43) @ Indians (35-58) – July 18-20, 2056

Joining the Raccoons on the road on Tuesday, we had another set with the Indians up. They were in the bottom three in both runs scored and runs allowed with a rotten -116 run differential. Basically, nothing was working for them, including defense, and then add a grotesque amount of injuries. They had no fewer than eight major leaguers on the DL, including SP Enrique Ortiz and regulars Antonio Rios, Juan Llampallas, Jose Garza, and Jason Perry. The Coons were up 6-3 on them for the year.

Projected matchups:
Seisaku Taki (9-8, 3.28 ERA) vs. Tan Brink (7-9, 5.59 ERA)
Sean Sweeton (8-5, 2.64 ERA) vs. Jeremy Fetta (3-10, 4.92 ERA)
He Shui (9-6, 4.00 ERA) vs. Salvatore Calderon (3-5, 4.11 ERA)

Only righty starters on those Indians.

Game 1
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – LF Kirkwood – 1B Ramsay – 3B Venegas – RF Puckeridge – C M. Chavez – 2B A. Chavez – P Taki
IND: 2B Ewers – SS Bahena – 1B B. Quinteros – 3B D. Sandoval – RF McIntyre – CF Oldfield – C Mi. Gilmore – LF Lovins – P Brink

The Raccoons had three hits in the first three innings, one in each, and two double plays hit into by Lonzo and Venegas to make sure not to put up too much offense any time soon. Taki allowed a hit to Will McIntyre in the second, and a leadoff single to Chris Lovins in the bottom 3rd. Brink’s bunt was bungled by Taki for an error, but Kevin Ewers popped out to short, and Bernie Bahena grounded a bouncer to short. Lonzo tossed to Adriano Chavez, and Adriano Chavez was bowled over by Ewers and landed on his shoulder. He was collected by Luis Silva, and Ryan Allred took over the position. Ewers had not only broken up Chavez, but also the double play; however, Bill Quinteros grounded out to Rams in a full count to strand runners on the corners.

Lonzo doubled to begin the fourth inning, then scored on a 2-out single by Venegas to give Taki a 1-0 lead, and Lonzo had another hit his next time up, knocking a 2-out single in the sixth. He stole second, “only” his 30th base of the year, but Brink then walked the bags full behind him anyway, bringing up Venegas again. He flew a ball to right near the foul line, but couldn’t beat McIntyre, and the inning tragically ended. And Taki, after choking the Indians for five innings, allowed back-to-back doubles to Ewers and Bernie Bahena (seriously, who!?) to slip into a 1-1 tie in the bottom 6th… The Indians then took the lead in the seventh on Taki’s own throwing error, which put leadoff man Cory Oldfield on second base. Mike Gilmore’s grounder and Lovins’ sac fly moved the unearned run around to score. The silly Raccoons couldn’t even get on base in the last two innings, and thus cashed a sad-sack loss. 2-1 Indians. Lavorano 2-4, 2B; A. Chavez 1-1; Taki 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, L (9-9);

Adriano Chavez had a mild shoulder strain. He would miss a week or a bit more, probably less than two, but we didn’t feel like carrying an invalid backup infielder on the roster. He was off to the DL. It wasn’t like we were stuffed with infielder options in AAA. We ended up calling up a 27-year-old defensive artist that couldn’t hit a damn thing in 2051 sixth-rounder Tommy Hannoush.

Somebody’s gotta bat eighth?

Juan Vasquez (2-9, 5.97 ERA), another righty with “mixed” results, would get the start on Wednesday for Indy.

Game 2
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – LF Kirkwood – 1B Ramsay – 3B Venegas – RF Puckeridge – 2B Allred – C Fiore – P Sweeton
IND: 2B Ewers – SS Bahena – 1B B. Quinteros – 3B D. Sandoval – RF McIntyre – CF Oldfield – C Mi. Gilmore – LF Lovins – P J. Vasquez

The Raccoons lost the middle game in the first inning when Sweeton nailed Bahena and Dan Sandoval. Quinteros doubled in the first run, McIntyre doubled in the second run, and there were a few more singles and a few more runs and Indy went up 5-0 in no time. Bernie Bahena hit another leadoff double in the bottom 2nd, but with the bullpen going, Sweeton retired the next three batters without conceding yet another run. Additionally, Sweeton bunted into a force at third base after Allred and Fiore reached base to begin the Coons’ half of the third inning, and with two more groundouts after that we didn’t score a damn lick in the inning. Sweeton was finally kicked off the ******* mound after allowing a single to Vasquez and a homer to Ewers in the fourth inning, down 7-0.

Brobeck would get the ball for long relief after Eloy Sencion got the Coons out of the fourth inning. He would hit two singles off Vasquez, while Vasquez hit an RBI single off him in the bottom 5th. Brobeck’s two singles weren’t good for anything; one came to fill the bases behind Allred and Fiore in the seventh inning, loading the bases for Royer and Lonzo with one out. One of the muppets popped out, the other grounded out, and the Raccoons again scored zero runs. Vasquez was still pitching a shutout when he left the game for injury concerns in the eighth inning. He left with Rams and Pucks on the corners and two outs. Chris Edwards got Allred to ground out to Bahena to leave them there. Brobeck was a strike away from pitching four semi-decent (1 ER) garbage innings when he nailed Quinteros with an 0-2 pitch in the bottom 8th. A wild pitch and a 3-2 homer by Sandoval followed. The Coons scored a ******* token run in the ninth when Edwards walked Fiore, gave up a single to Solorzano, and then saw through a string of groundouts, Lonzo getting a useless RBI. 10-1 Indians. Ramsay 2-5, 2B; Puckeridge 2-3, BB; Solorzano (PH) 1-1;

(blinks silently)

Game 3
POR: 3B Venegas – SS Lavorano – LF Caballero – 1B Ramsay – RF Puckeridge – C M. Chavez – 2B Allred – CF Solorzano – P Shui
IND: 2B Ewers – SS Bahena – 1B B. Quinteros – 3B D. Sandoval – RF McIntyre – CF Oldfield – C Mi. Gilmore – LF French – P Fetta

The lineup remained cursed; Rams and Pucks began the second inning with a single and walk, respectively, but then Marcos Chavez hit into a double play, and Allred grounded out to leave the remaining runner on third base. Venegas hit a triple in the third inning, but it came with nobody on base and two outs. Lonzo’s fly to center was long, but not long enough to beat Oldfield, and another runner was stranded.

The innings breezed by; the game was scoreless through six innings, with Indy no less inept than Portland, and the Raccoons were getting SO desperate for run(s), that when Fetta offered leadoff walks to Rams and Pucks in the seventh inning, Steve Royer pinch-ran for the first-sacker. The ploy didn’t work, mainly because Chavez plunged into another double play, and Allred’s clutch had worn out in Elk City.

Shui’s 1-out single in the eighth inning knocked out Fetta, but Bill Dewan loaded the bases with two more singles hit by Venegas and Lonzo. Caballero ran a full count before hitting a fly to right-center, and now the Raccoons sent Shui from third base – he was thrown out at the plate by McIntyre, and I wondered whom I had to kiss on the butt here to get an arrow shot through my head. In one ear, out the other – I don’t care…

The Raccoons ended up swept by the Arrowheads when Shui finally stumbled and fell flat on the face in the eighth inning. The Indians churned out four singles, and Nick Fernandez’ pinch-hit, 2-out, 2-run knock put the game away. 2-0 Indians. Venegas 3-4, 3B; Ramsay 1-2, BB; Puckeridge 1-2, 2 BB; Shui 7.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, L (9-7) and 1-3;

(dead-eyed stare)

Raccoons (50-46) @ Falcons (63-33) – July 21-23, 2056

And now, a *proper* team. Charlotte ranked first in runs scored, first in runs allowed, and had a +136 run differential. They had also swept the Coons the first time around this season, and I wondered why I bothered traveling to North Carolina for the upcoming smackdown.

Projected matchups:
Craig Kniep (6-6, 3.47 ERA) vs. Art Schaeffer (15-3, 2.95 ERA)
Julian Dunn (7-3, 3.47 ERA) vs. Garrett Giustino (2-6, 4.95 ERA)
Seisaku Taki (9-9, 3.15 ERA) vs. Josh Clem (5-10, 4.69 ERA)

We’d see three right-handers, and also both of the weak spots in their rotation. But then again, we had just travelled through Ball-on-a-Stick-ville, and had scored two runs in 27 innings, so why get the old hopes up…?

Tommy Hannoush made his major league debut in the series opener.

Game 1
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – LF Kirkwood – RF Caballero – 1B Puckeridge – 3B Espinoza – C Fiore – 2B Hannoush – P Kniep
CHA: LF Kulak – C L. Miranda – RF D. Ceballos – 1B Schaack – 3B G. Vazquez – SS Woodrome – CF M. Ceballos – 2B J. Sanchez – P Schaeffer

Mario Ceballos popped out to Espinoza on a 3-1 pitch to end the bottom of the first inning after a generally inept Craig Kniep had allowed two hits, two walks, and a run to score, and had the bases all stacked around him. Kniep walked the bases full with Jordan Sanchez, William Kulak, and Luis Miranda in the bottom 2nd, then gave up a bases-clearing double to Danny Ceballos, which was about the time where a reasonable person would doff their cap and call it a ballgame.

The Coons would have one base hit through five innings, while Kniep dragged his useless bum into the fifth inning, but was axed before logging an out when Danny Ceballos and Jason Schaack went to the corners on a pair of singles. Tanizaki replaced him and somehow managed to suck even harder, throwing two wild pitches before giving up a single to Gerardo Vazquez, closing Kniep’s line at six runs in four+ innings. Top 6th, Royer and Lonzo reached base to begin the inning, but then Schaeffer struck out Kirkwood, struck out Caballero, and had Sanchez snatch Pucks’ liner to end the ******* inning. Royer and Lonzo were on base to begin the eighth inning *again*, and that time the Coons scored a token run when Royer advanced on a fly to center and scored on Caballero’s fielder’s choice to short. Pucks was robbed by Kulak dashing into the gap to snare his drive to left-center, ending the inning. 6-1 Falcons. Royer 1-2, 2 BB; Lavorano 2-4;

Pedro Rojas hit 2-for-7 in his brief time up, but was now optioned to get another pitcher on the roster. Let’s try Bravo. Maybe the ninth time is the charm.

Game 2
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – LF Kirkwood – RF Caballero – 1B Ramsay – 3B Venegas – C M. Chavez – 2B Allred – P Dunn
CHA: LF Kulak – SS Woodrome – RF D. Ceballos – 1B Schaack – 3B G. Vazquez – C L. Miranda – CF Conner – 2B J. Sanchez – P Giustino

Dunn threw 58 pitches through three innings, but the busy boy somehow managed to not allow runs despite frequent traffic on the bases in the early innings. The Raccoons however took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning – whoah! slow down! – when Caballero singled and scored from first on Ramsay’s double to right-center. Dunn ran three more long counts in the bottom 4th, which was still not as bad as giving up a leadoff double to the ******* opposing pitcher in the fifth inning. Giustino was still at second base with two outs after a K to Kulak and Ian Woodrome’s groundout to short, but then Dunn walked Danny Ceballos and gave up the lead on Jason Schaack’s single to center. Gerardo Vazquez grounded out on Dunn’s 102nd pitch of the game. It was also the last one.

Bravo got the sixth right away against the bottom half of the order. Doug Conner hit a 1-out single, but was stranded despite stealing second base. Pucks batted for Bravo after Ryan Allred hit a 2-out double in the seventh for Portland, but grounded out to short as the offensive misery continued. Before too long, it was joined by pitching misery. Lillis had pitched the bottom 7th, then added a K of Schaack to begin the bottom 8th. Mike Lane then got the ball, but walked Vazquez. And Luis Miranda, too. And then surrendered an RBI single to PH Elias Rodriguez. And Braden McCarver walked as well. And Mario Ceballos? Mario Ceballos hit a grand slam. 6-1 Falcons.

(opens mouth)

(closes mouth)

Game 3
POR: 2B Allred – SS Lavorano – LF Caballero – 1B Ramsay – RF Puckeridge – 3B Brobeck – C Fiore – CF Solorzano – P Taki
CHA: LF Kulak – SS Woodrome – RF D. Ceballos – 1B Schaack – 3B G. Vazquez – C L. Miranda – CF M. Ceballos – 2B J. Sanchez – P Clem

Sunday’s game began with a 1-0 Falcons lead as Danny Ceballos singled home Kulak in the Falcons’ 2-hit, 2-walk bottom 1st, and that Taki emerged with that little concrete damage was due to the 6-U double play that Lonzo shagged against Schaack, doubling Woodrome off second base. Clem walked three the first time through, but the Raccoons couldn’t find a ******* base hit when it mattered. They got two leadoff singles in the fourth inning from Pucks and Brobeck, but the 7-8-9 might just as well have stayed in the dugout. Pucks didn’t even make it to third base amidst two strikeouts and a ****** pop to shallow left. Lonzo hit a double to left in the fifth inning. Yes, of course he was stranded too.

Taki walked the bases full in three full counts in the bottom 5th as part of his exit strategy, including a leadoff walk to the ******* opposing pitcher. Schaack hit an RBI single for an actual 2-0 score in what felt like a 9-0 game, Vazquez whiffed, and Miranda grounded out to Brobeck at third base to end the dismal inning. Somehow Taki pitched six innings without getting outright strangled by a furious GM, then was hit for with Anton Venegas to begin the top 7th. Clem offered a walk, giving him five free passes to Taki’s six, then ran a full count to Ryan Allred before the seventh-string second-sacker streaked a stripe of a drive through the left side and into the leftfield corner for an RBI triple! I was confused for a moment when the Raccoons’ marker in the R column on the scoreboard flipped to “1”. It was Sunday. We had yet to make it skip to “2” this week. Let alone win a game. Lonzo was batting with the tying run on third base and nobody out. He struck out. Caballero grounded out in front of the plate and Allred had to hold at third base. Ramsay popped out. Allred hung his head retreating to the dugout from third base. I also retreated to the nearest concession stand with alcoholic beverages, because I knew that the damn Coons wouldn’t come back in this game anymore.

Sencion and Tanizaki put the seventh and eighth together scorelessly for the visiting team. The Falcons used three pitchers for three outs in the top 8th, then sent Coons reject Steve Watson into the ninth inning. Solorzano grounded out, but Royer pinch-hit and singled up the middle. Kirkwood pinch-hit for Allred, but struck out, and Lonzo struck out for himself. 2-1 Falcons. Royer (PH) 1-1;

In other news

July 17 – A broken ankle ends the season of DEN 1B Bill Joyner (.359, 11 HR, 48 RBI).
July 17 – The Cyclones trade SP Larry Broad (5-9, 4.67 ERA) to the Rebels for #176 prospect C Brycen Fink.
July 17 – The Canadiens beat the Loggers, 3-2, in the only game played on Monday. The only other scheduled game between the Thunder and Bayhawks is rained out.
July 18 – Aces 3B/1B/RF Alex Alfaro (.327, 18 HR, 64 RBI) pounds out four singles and a grand slam as he goes 5-for-5 in the Aces’ 10-4 win over the Falcons.
July 18 – Pacifics LF/RF/1B Salvatore Rodrigues (.329, 8 HR, 46 RBI) has suffered a concussion and could miss the rest of the season.
July 19 – SAC 2B/SS Chris Navarro (.333, 2 HR, 49 RBI) pumps a 10th-inning, walkoff grand slam to beat the Wolves, 8-4.
July 19 – A home run by CHA 2B/SS Jordan Sanchez (.271, 6 HR, 41 RBI) marks the only scoring in the Falcons’ 1-0 win over the Aces.
July 19 – Also decided by a solo home run is the Titans’ 1-0 win, on the strength of 1B/SS/OF Mario Navarro’s (.220, 2 HR, 15 RBI) longball heroics, against the Crusaders.
July 20 – The hitting streak of CIN LF/CF Juan del Toro (.364, 14 HR, 65 RBI) ends at 22 games when the Rebels hold him hitless in four at-bats. The Cyclones still win the game, 4-3.
July 20 – The Crusaders lose INF Zach Suggs (.324, 15 HR, 66 RBI) to an oblique strain. The 30-year-old right-handed batter would be out for up to a month.
July 21 – The Thunder re-acquire 1B David Worthington (.316, 3 HR, 15 RBI) from the Loggers for infielder Doug Triplett (.289, 9 HR, 28 RBI) and #188 prospect CL Juan Macias.
July 21 – In a separate deal, the Loggers trade OF Bobby Rivera (.288, 4 HR, 22 RBI) to the Buffaloes for C Jonathan Dye (.259, 1 HR, 6 RBI) and a prospect.

FL Player of the Week: CIN RF/1B/LF John MacDonnell (.340, 4 HR, 19 RBI), hitting .619 (13-21) with 1 HR, 5 RBI
CL Player of the Week: TIJ LF/RF Danny Ramirez (.247, 4 HR, 18 RBI), dishing .550 (11-20) with 3 HR, 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

I consulted the internets and apparently a fall from the 15th floor is usually fatal. The Raccoons this week had the baseball equivalent of a fall from the 15th floor. After the riotous sweep of the damn Elks in damn Elk City last weekend, we went less than winless this week. 0-6, and absolutely feckless while at it.

Five runs. Five.

The team batted .211/.289/.263 for the week. Seven double plays hit into. 48 runners were left stranded.

This can’t be saved with a few savvy trades at the deadline. This isn’t fixable.

The Raccoons spent just $22k in the July IFA period this year, those for an outfielder with ho-hum potential. We were bidding on two different starting pitchers, Dominican righties Juan Montoya and Danny Tabares, but dropped out of the former’s race at a quarter of a million bucks, and from the latter’s at a whopping $900k. While the potential was there, Tabares so far had only two really good pitches developed, and that was a lot of dosh for a middle reliever.

Next week: the Coons return home in disgrace to play the Condors and Aces…

Fun Fact: Off the top of my head, I can not remember a worse week for the Raccoons, ever.

And terrible weeks we had many.