[Westheim]

Raccoons (63-61) @ Canadiens (55-67) – August 21-23, 2057

The Elks were in last place, which wasn’t something anybody had expected when the season began after they only lost the division title by inches to the Crusaders last year. But they combined an average offense with the second-worst rotation in the sport, which had given them a -57 run differential and a 4-8 record against the Raccoons this year, although as a creature of habit I expected the very worst to happen while the boys travelled to Elk City.

Projected matchups:
Kyle Brobeck (2-6, 6.17 ERA) vs. Jeff Kozloski (5-14, 5.36 ERA)
Ramon Carreno (3-5, 5.06 ERA) vs. Bruce Mark jr. (10-9, 3.64 ERA)
Justin DeRose (1-1, 3.91 ERA) vs. Ernie Gomes (7-12, 4.41 ERA)

Only right-handed pitchers in sight for the damn Elks.

The Raccoons STILL carried nine relievers, because, well, look at what we’re rocking up with for a rotation…

Game 1
POR: 2B Labonte – SS Lavorano – LF Abercrombie – 1B Brassfield – P Brobeck – C Chavez – CF Oley – RF Royer – 3B Espinoza
VAN: CF D. Moreno – SS R. Price – RF Magnussen – C Waker – 1B Yamamoto – 2B E. Stevens – LF D. Garcia – 3B Lundberg – P Kozloski

The rookie Kozloski gave up well over 11 hits per nine innings, but usually didn’t mix in many walks, only offering 32 free passes in 142.2 innings so far, but walked FOUR Critters in the opening inning. Labonte and Abercrombie were on base when Brass hit an RBI single, and Brobeck walked to fill the bases for Chavez, who laid off a ball in the dirt in a 3-2 count to push in a run. Todd Oley forced out Chavez at second base with a grounder to Erik Stevens, plating Brass, and with two outs Steve Royer and Daniel Espinoza hit near-identical RBI singles right over the second base bag. Labonte flew out to Danny Garcia in left, except that Garcia dropped the ball for a run-scoring error, but then caught Lonzo’s liner, who had already lined out to Tyler Lundberg for the first out of the 6-run inning. Kozloski only got six outs in the game, being removed after Oley hit a leadoff single in the third inning, but that runner was stranded on base.

I also wondered whether Brobeck would feel egged on to blow the 6-0 lead as quickly as possible, but the Elks sure took their time to get a hit. Through four innings they only drew one walk, with Shuta Yamamoto (who else) hitting a leadoff single in the bottom 5th for their first foray into the H column. Stevens doubled him up with a grounder to Lonzo before Brobeck true to form filled the bags with 2-out walks, only for Damian Moreno to pop out foul to end the inning. There wasn’t another score until the top 6th when Lonzo doubled and scored on Abercrombie’s single to right. The Raccoons got two more soft hits and two more runs against – and here was where it hurt – a completely washed Jason Wheatley, who had been a free agent for half the season, and judging by the results should have remained one…… and also Federico Purificao, who replaced him, but waved the last two runs of the inning around. Sic transit gloria mundi…

Brobeck pitched into the seventh, departing with one out after walking Stevens and Garcia and getting Lundberg to pop out. Adam Harris popped out Kyle Hawkins, walked Moreno, and then rung up Rick Price as the Elks stranded a full set of runners again. Herrera put a pair on base to begin the bottom 8th, but was rescued when John Scott got Yamamoto to hit into a double play. 9-0 Raccoons. Abercrombie 3-4, BB, RBI; Brassfield 2-5, RBI; Johnson (PH) 1-1; Oley 3-5, 2 RBI; Royer 2-5, RBI;

Brobeck allowed two hits and walked six without giving up a run. Yes, technically… but … SIX walks…!!

For Wednesday we got another rookie, 31-year-old Cuban right-hander Luis Arroyo (1-0, 3.34 ERA, 1 SV), who would make his first career start after six years on the Elks’ AAA team and 23 relief appearances so far for the big club.

Game 2
POR: 2B Labonte – SS Lavorano – RF Abercrombie – 1B Brassfield – C Chavez – CF Oley – LF Johnson – 3B Espinoza – P Carreno
VAN: CF D. Moreno – SS R. Price – RF Magnussen – C Waker – 1B Yamamoto – 2B E. Stevens – LF K. Hawkins – 3B Lundberg – P Arroyo

Lonzo singled in the first, stole second, and was thrown out at the plate by Adam Magnussen on Abercrombie’s single to right, so the Critters were turned away in the first inning on Wednesday. The Elks were not, with singles by Moreno and Magnussen to score a run, to which Carreno also contributed a free base for Moreno with an errant pickoff attempt. Elijah Johnson’s first career homer erased that deficit in the top 2nd. While Carreno survived Hawkins’ leadoff double to left in the bottom of the inning by getting three pops on the infield after that, the Raccoons took the lead an inning later when Labonte got on, stole second base, and was this time driven in with a single to *left* by Abercrombie. Yes, Abs, hit it *there*!

The pair of rightfielders were involved in another out on the base paths in the fifth inning, which Moreno opened with a single for Elktown. Rick Price forced him out with a grounder to Lonzo, then tried to go first-to-third on Magnussen’s single to right. This time Abercrombie denied the Elks and threw out the runner at the desired base, and the inning ended with Tristan Waker flying out to Johnson. Magnussen then cashed a throwing error in the top 6th when Marcos Chavez hit a 1-out double and desired to advance to third base on Oley’s fly to right, which was caught – but Magnussen’s hammer throw to third base couldn’t be caught by Lundberg, and Chavez dashed home to score on the error, 3-1. The joy was short-lived, because the Elks rallied the game tied in the same frame; Yamamoto (who else) took Carreno deep to right, and a walk to Hawkins and a 2-out RBI single by the reliever Arroyo (gnashes teeth) tied the game. It was the fourth walk for Carreno, against zero strikeouts. Also the last one, because his spot led off the seventh inning. He got back into the lead when Brobeck reached on a Stevens error, advanced on Labonte’s walk and Lonzo’s groundout, and then scored on Abercrombie’s fly to Moreno in deep center. Two more singles by Brass and Chavez scored Lonzo, 5-3, and dismissed Arroyo for left-handed ex-Coon (12 years ago, but it still counts!) Tony Negrete, who faced Jake Griggs and got him to ground out on the first pitch, ending the inning.

Rick Price’s leadoff triple against Eloy Sencion helped the Elks reclaim a run in the bottom 7th, although Magnussen popped out and only Waker got him home with a grounder to Lonzo. Yamamoto grounded out against Tanizaki, and then Walters got warm and finished the game without major trouble.* 5-4 Raccoons. Abercrombie 2-4, 2 RBI; Chavez 2-4, 2B, RBI; Johnson 2-4, HR, RBI; Walters 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, SV (31)*

Game 3
POR: 2B Labonte – SS Lavorano – RF Abercrombie – 1B Brassfield – 3B Brobeck – C Chavez – LF Johnson – CF Royer – P DeRose
VAN: CF D. Moreno – SS R. Price – RF Magnussen – C Waker – 1B Yamamoto – 2B E. Stevens – LF K. Hawkins – 3B Lundberg – P Mark jr.

The Coons scored first on Thursday, as Labonte singled, stole second, and after Lonzo’s groundout moved him to third base scored on a wild pitch by Bruce Mark jr. Abercrombie then hit a ball over the wall in left to make it 2-0 right away. DeRose responded by loading the bases with Price, Magnussen, and Waker, then saw Yamamoto’s fly bobbled by Johnson for an unearned run. Stevens’ pop to short and Hawkins’ undropped fly to Johnson ended the inning and left three on base. The game was still tied in the bottom 2nd; Lundberg led off with a wallbanger double… and eventually scored on a wild pitch, and then DeRose offered walks to Moreno and Magnussen to continue an annoying trend for starting pitchers, who in this series were now on 13 walks and ONE strikeout (Brobeck in the opener). K’ing Lundberg in the bottom 3rd did little to dilute that ****** statistic.

The fourth and fifth were uneventful except for Johnson picking a Yamamoto drive off the fence to end the bottom 5th. He was less fortunate in the sixth, narrowly missing Lundberg’s drive that went over the wall for a go-ahead, 2-out homer. The Raccoons answered, however: soft single by Brobeck to begin the seventh, then an infield single by Chavez when three Elks shooed each other off trying to play that dead quail. They paid for that on Elijah Johnson’s corner-rattling, score-flipping, 2-run triple! Royer’s sac fly made it 5-3, DeRose got his first career hit with a single off reliever Jameson Monk, but was left on base, then croaked in the bottom 7th. He struck out Moreno, then walked Price and gave up a double to Magnussen. Sencion faced Waker, gave up an infield single on his only pitch, and the bases were loaded for Mike Lane to face Yamamoto. I totally expected a slam and covered my eyes with Honeypaws back home on the couch, but instead the first pitch was shoved to Brobeck for a 5-4-3 double play and the Raccoons dazzled out of the inning, and after that the damn Elks didn’t get another chance to score with stingy innings by Lane and Walters to close out the game. 5-3 Furballs! Abercrombie 2-4, HR, RBI; Brobeck 2-4; Lane 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Sweep!! Hah!!

Raccoons (66-61) vs. Aces (49-78) – August 24-26, 2057

Next last-place team: the Aces had the worst overall pitching, the second-worst offense, and a rank -161 run differential in August. We had already won the season series, 5-1, and were eyeing a 6-0 week, since the Aces were also without two of their more reliable batters in Jim White and Jose Ambriz, although Aubrey Austin (.308, 15 HR, 68 RBI) and Alex Alfaro (.263, 18 HR, 72 RBI) should not be counted out.

Projected matchups:
J.J. Sensabaugh (0-2, 6.38 ERA) vs. Kenneth Spencer (9-10, 6.33 ERA)
Craig Kniep (4-4, 5.29 ERA) vs. Ray Benner (4-13, 4.66 ERA)
Kyle Brobeck (3-6, 5.69 ERA) vs. Scott Evans (5-15, 5.46 ERA)

Spencer was the only southpaw coming up here. Speaking of southpaws… Craig Kniep was not on the roster *yet*, but it would happen after the opener. Adam Harris was likely going to be sent out.

Game 1
LVA: CF Thayer – SS Veguilla – RF Austin – 3B A. Alfaro – LF Hummel – 1B Jacinto – C M. Castillo – 2B Chairez – P K. Spencer
POR: CF Royer – SS Lavorano – 1B Brassfield – LF Abercrombie – 3B Brobeck – RF Griggs – C Zamora – 2B Bribiesca – P Sensabaugh

Hummel homered to give the Aces a 1-0 lead in the second, but Sensabaugh had sense enough to hustle on his grounder to short with Brobeck, Zamora, and Bribiesca on base in the bottom 2nd and one out. The Aces failed to turn the double play, and Brobeck scored with the tying run. Royer walked, but Lonzo whiffed, leaving three on base in the inning. The defense then tried to hold Sensabaugh together while the Raccoons eked out a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a leadoff walk to Griggs, who stole second, Zamora’s groundout, and Bribiesca’s sac fly. Royer especially did miles in the outfield to shag flies surrendered by Sensabaugh, but the 2-1 lead even survived the seventh inning, in which the rookie walked Gustavo Jacinto and Manny Castillo with one out, then got a 4-6-3 double play inning-ender from PH Tony Villarreal, batting for Andy Chairez.

Bottom 7th, Lonzo was plunked by lefty Jose Cintora and stole second base out of spite. Brass walked, and Abercrombie hit an RBI single to right. Brass went to third, drew Austin’s throw, and Abercrombie hustled into second base while the ball seemed to hang in the air forever. Brobeck then cashed a 2-run single to center, ending Cintora’s attempts to be clever. Griggs tripled off right-hander Jim Woods, and Zamora’s RBI single marked the fifth and final run of the inning. Harris fudged the bags full in the eighth while getting only two outs, but Bravo rung up Hummel when he replaced him, and the Aces didn’t score. Bravo also finished the game with a 1-2-3 ninth. 7-1 Raccoons. Royer 2-4, BB; Abercrombie 3-5, 2B, RBI; Zamora 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI; Bribiesca 2-3, RBI; Sensabaugh 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, W (1-2);

It wasn’t a worldie of a start, but it was Sensabaugh’s first career win, and while Royer especially deserved a share, it shouldn’t go unmentioned entirely.

Then, the switch, with Harris (0-0, 5.40 ERA) was headed to St. Pete, and it was the return of Craig Kniep.

Yay.

Game 2
LVA: C Mathews – SS Veguilla – RF Austin – 3B A. Alfaro – LF Hummel – 1B Jacinto – CF O. Vega – 2B Chairez – P Benner
POR: 2B Labonte – SS Lavorano – RF Abercrombie – 1B Brassfield – C Chavez – CF Oley – LF Johnson – 3B Espinoza – P Kniep

Kniep walked three in the first inning after an 0-2 leadoff single by Kyle Mathews, conceding the run on Alfaro’s sac fly, but the three walks were all stranded. Yay. Big success. The Raccoons roared into the lead in the same frame, though, despite two groundouts to begin the bottom 1st. Abercrombie singled, Brass socked a game-tying triple, and then Chavez bashed a home run to go up 3-1. The very next pitch by Benner was up and in to Todd Oley, who turned just in time to get drilled in the shoulder rather than the face, but in the next second tossed his bat, flung his helmet and raced out to rearrange Benner’s dentures. A mid-sized brawl broke out, at the end of which both Benner and Oley were tossed from the game. Royer took over centerfield, while righty Andy Younge got Vegas out of the inning, drew a walk from Kniep in the top 2nd (bites into his fist), and scored on Mathews’ single and a Miguel Veguilla sac fly.

Kniep singled home Daniel Espinoza to extend the lead to 4-2 with two outs in the fourth, but that was only after double plays had cleaned up messes behind him in both the previous two Vegas half-innings. He was an absolute mess (but had come off two decent outings in AAA). Hummel singled in the fifth, and the Coons turned ANOTHER double play behind him to get him through that inning, and then ANOTHER one in the sixth after a leadoff walk to Oscar Vega, Kniep’s sixth free pass of the ******* game. Tony Villarreal hit a 2-out single, Mathews walked (looks dead inside), and John Scott filled the bases by allowing a single to Veguilla when he finally ended the evil charade by appearing from the pen. Austin then whacked a 3-1 pitch high to left, but not very deep, and Elijah Johnson made the catch to strand three runners on base for no runs in the inning. Ricky Herrera then finally blew the ******* lead in the seventh, issuing a walk to Alfaro and a longball to Jacinto… Maud, I will need the blunderbuss. Did you hide it in the usual place?

Tanizaki held the game tied in the eighth before the Aces appeared to finally run out of pitching (although Younge had pitched into the fifth after entering in the first inning9. Bill McDermott walked Abercrombie and Brassfield with one gone in the bottom 8th, then gave up an RBI single to Chavez. Abercrombie scored quite eagerly from second base, surprising centerfielder Zach De Geest, who wasn’t even ready to throw the ball. Last-place team, huh? Royer and Johnson were axed, however, but Walters struck out three around a 1-out single by Hummel in the ninth to put the game away. 5-4 Critters. Brassfield 1-2, 2 BB, 3B, RBI; Chavez 2-4, HR, 3 RBI;

Three games’ suspension for Todd Oley. – Maud, we will complain to the league office. Benner didn’t even have to visit the dentist or the emergency room after getting punched!

Game 3
LVA: CF Thayer – SS Veguilla – RF Austin – 3B A. Alfaro – LF Hummel – 1B Jacinto – C M. Castillo – 2B Chairez – P S. Evans
POR: 2B Labonte – SS Lavorano – LF Abercrombie – 1B Brassfield – P Brobeck – C Chavez – RF Griggs – 3B Bribiesca – CF Royer

The game was scoreless until Brobeck started to stupidly walk people in the fourth inning, doling out free passes to Jacinto and Castillo before giving up an RBI single with two outs to Chairez. Not that the first three innings had been *awesome*, but at least he had allowed the defense to cover up for his shortcomings. Evans flew out to end the inning then, but the Raccoons had nothing much to show for against Evans either, except for the two double plays they hit into when they did get a runner on base after all. Brobeck failed his way into the sixth inning, where he gave up a single to Jacinto, a four-pitch walk to Castillo, and then even got Chairez popped out… and then surrendered an RBI single to Evans. He was purged, and Tanizaki retired Nick Thayer and Miguel Veguilla to get out of the inning with “only” a 2-0 deficit. And even after that only the Aces threatened. Tanizaki allowed two runners in the seventh, and Sencion allowed two runners in the eighth, none of whom scored. When the Raccoons put Bribiesca (single) and Lonzo (walk) on the corners in the bottom 8th it came as a bit of a surprise, but sure enough Abercrombie flew out to easily to Thayer and the inning ended. Bravo retired a hand of Aces in order in the ninth, while Evans was still nursing a 6-hitter (but mind all the double plays) in the bottom of the ninth inning. He oversaw Brassfield and Espinoza groundouts, then was cruelly yanked for Hyeok Kim, who struck out Chavez. 2-0 Aces. Lavorano 2-3, BB;

In other news

August 20 – The hitting streak of Blue Sox INF Nick Nye (.334, 27 HR, 87 RBI) makes it only to 21 games before being ended by an 0-for-4 day while the Buffaloes beat the Sox, 9-2.
August 22 – The Condors rout the Knights, 20-2, but nobody on the team gets more than three RBI. All position players in the lineup get at least one hit and score at least one run, however. TIJ RF/LF Micah Groom (.233, 1 HR, 12 RBI) overall perhaps does best with four hits, including a double, and two RBI.
August 23 – CHA C Luis Miranda (.248, 12 HR, 59 RBI) homers for the only run in a 1-0 win over the Thunder.
August 24 – VAN 1B Shuta Yamamoto (.240, 15 HR, 67 RBI) drives in five runs on two home runs and three walks in a 14-2 rout of the Falcons.
August 24 – Wolves OF/1B Aidan Calhoun (.260, 15 HR, 61 RBI) caps a 6-run ninth inning with walkoff grand slam for a 7-3 win against the Cyclones.
August 25 – DEN 1B Bill Joyner (.331, 20 HR, 78 RBI) is finished for this year after tearing ankle ligaments.
August 25 – LAP SP Ivan Torres (11-8, 3.91 ERA) is out for the season as well with a ruptured finger tendon in his throwing hand.
August 25 – Scoring takes ten innings to happen in Salem on Saturday, before a double by Ben Newman (.275, 4 HR, 15 RBI) and walkoff single by 44-year-old wonder Felix Marquez (.215, 6 HR, 34 RBI) walk off the Wolves for a 1-0 win.
August 26 – The Wolves bomb the Cyclones for 11 runs in the second inning for a 12-3 win.

FL Player of the Week: TOP LF/RF John Kaniewski (.328, 14 HR, 58 RBI), batting .520 (13-25) with 1 HR, 11 RBI
CL Player of the Week: VAN 1B Shuta Yamamoto (.244, 16 HR, 68 RBI), slapping .381 (8-21) with 4 HR, 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

This team! Can’t even go 6-0 against two last-place clubs! Bums!

Tougher scheduling will come, but next week the homestand continues with the Thunder and the Loggers, and that week will already bleed into September, which means our pains are soon over.

Shuta Yamamoto as a Raccoon in 2042-43: .223/.289/.349; he hit as many homers in all of 2043 (73 games after all) as he hit this week. He’s hit as many homers in all of 2043 as he’s hit against the Raccoons this year.

Todd Oley will spend his time off visiting the local boxing club so that next time he tries to crush a pitcher’s teeth through the back of his skull he’ll actually make the suspension worth it. He will be eligible again on Wednesday.

Fun Fact: This is the year that Felix Marquez has fallen off.

He hit .266/.402/.396 in 158 games for the Caps last year, but with the Wolves he’s only at .215/.365/.312; mind, that 93 OPS+ still beats half the Coons roster…

Turns out, he was best before he turned 44 years old!

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*I thought we were an inning further than we actually were. Whoopsie. German proverb of choice: He who can read has a clear advantage...