[Westheim]

Raccoons (86-64) vs. Condors (81-67) – September 20-22, 2060

The Condors were trying to win their first division crown in *26* years, and hadn’t finished in the first division in the South in *10* years, but they were already assured at least a tie for third place at this point. They led the Knights by 3 1/2 games, but they were not exactly a juggernaut in a meek CL South, ranking seventh in runs scored and fourth in runs allowed with a +49 run differential (Coons: +39). They did not excel in any offense or pitching category except batting average, which they ranked second in as a team, but had the third-best defense. The Raccoons were up 4-2 on them this year.

Projected matchups:
Zach Stewart (11-5, 3.30 ERA) vs. Edgar Mauricio (9-10, 2.94 ERA)
Justin DeRose (10-8, 3.51 ERA) vs. Jay Everett (9-9, 5.10 ERA)
Tyler Riddle (13-7, 2.93 ERA) vs. Marco Clemente (12-10, 3.12 ERA)

These three starters were all right-handed.

Game 1
TIJ: CF Asencio – LF Alf. Mendez – SS C. Ramsey – C Samuel – 1B Sturgeon – 3B Frasher – RF Churricho – 2B Serrano – P E. Mauricio
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – LF Kozak – C Perez – CF Morris – 3B Fowler – P Stewart

Marco Asencio, Alfredo Mendez, and Casey Ramsey all flocked onto base with three singles in eight pitches to begin the game, but Nick Samuel whiffed and they were held to one run on Jason Sturgeon’s sac fly to left before Eric Frasher also flew out to left as Zach Stewart continued to look vulnerable. Querubim Churricho opened the second inning with another single, advanced on a wild pitch, stole third base, and then scored on a single hit by the opposing pitcher, at which point I was becoming mildly annoyed with Stewart. Nye’s error put Asencio on base then, Mendez hit another single, but Ramsey popped out and Samuel flew out to leave the bases loaded. Stewart didn’t get through three innings, allowing yet more hits to Sturgeon, Churricho, Serrano, and Asencio in the top 3rd before getting the hook with three more runs in and two outs. J.J. Sensabaugh then got to take out the trash again, pitching four innings and was charged with three runs; Nick Samuel hit a 2-piece in the sixth, and Sensabaugh left with two on and two outs in the seventh for Adam Harris to face Asencio, and while Harris retired the batter, he didn’t do so until after he plated Frasher with a wild pitch… The Raccoons did nothing meriting a report for eight innings against Mauricio, except maybe that triple Nick Fowler hit in the fifth that came with nobody on, two outs, and didn’t lead to a run since Sensabaugh had garbage to take out at that point. The Coons only made the board in the ninth when Lonzo led off with a single, stole second base, and scored on Nye’s double to left. Nye was then left on by Bean and Oley, pinch-hitting against Mauricio, who ended up with a complete-game 5-hitter. 8-1 Condors. Morris 2-3, 2B;

This was perhaps the last start for Zach Stewart as a Raccoon after three years of decent, but injury-riddled service. He was a free agent, had gotten on the snout twice in a row, and we weren’t really sure whether extending a new contract was the smartest move at this point…

Meanwhile, Ryan Sullivan was moved to the 60-day DL, moving the 40-man roster squeeze issue a few weeks down the road, to activate Noah Caswell from his rehab assignment to AAA. The other option would have been throwing Todd Oley on waivers. Caswell had missed three-and-a-half months with torn ankle ligaments, to the point where Ben Morris had more at-bats than him for the season.

Game 2
TIJ: 3B Frasher – CF B. Fish – SS C. Ramsey – C Waker – 1B Sturgeon – RF Alf. Mendez – LF S. Moore – 2B Serrano – P Everett
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – CF Caswell – LF Brassfield – 3B Fowler – C Maresh – P DeRose

The Raccoons drew three walks in the first inning on Tuesday, but couldn’t score, but took a lead in the third inning, which Joey Christopher led off with a double off the wall in leftfield. Lonzo’s grounder got him to third, and Joel Starr’s single to center brought him across home plate. Nye also singled, but Cas struck out. Everett then walked Brass with two outs, then Fowler with the bases loaded to make it 2-0… and then Maresh as well to force in another run! Thankfully he now came upon Justin DeRose, who was a frosty 1-for-45 for the season, with no RBIs, and with two outs. But this was baseball, and baseball was a harsh mistress and loved nobody. Everett got to 2-1 on DeRose, and then DeRose got the stick on the ball and dished it over Frasher and up the leftfield line for a 2-out, 2-run double…! Christopher would walk as well, but Lonzo then struck out to end the inning. The Raccoons would leave the bases loaded again in the fifth inning, then without scoring, while DeRose was more or less cruising, allowing only a run in the fourth inning when Sturgeon singled home Bobby Fish with two outs, but apart from that had a 3-hitter going through six innings. Sturgeon began the seventh with a pop to short, after which Alf Mendez singled. Moore grounded out, but Franklin Serrano doubled home the runner. DeRose then walked Jon Alade, then gave up another RBI single to Frasher and was yanked for LaBat, but the Condors answered with Jose Gutierrez to bat for Bobby Fish. The 35-year-old career quad-A player pumped a 3-run homer to left, Ramsey hit *another* homer right after that, and the Raccoons had successfully turned a 5-1 lead into a 7-5 deficit in the inning.

Curt Therien was then whacked around for another run in the eighth inning, which meant that when Joel Starr hit a 2-piece off Jose Lugo in the bottom 8th with Lonzo on base and one out, the Raccoons were still a run short. Caswell hit a 2-out single in the inning, but was left on first base. Righty Blake Lewis was then in for the ninth inning. Fowler grounded out, but Ben Morris hit a single in Maresh’s place. Jack Kozak batted for Ruben Mendez and ended the ballgame… by hitting into a 4-6-3 double play. 8-7 Condors. Christopher 3-3, 2 BB, 2B; Starr 2-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Caswell 2-5; Morris (PH) 1-1;

The Raccoons, who were spiritually eliminated in May, were mathematically eliminated after this particularly infuriating loss.

Game 3
TIJ: CF Asencio – LF Alf. Mendez – SS C. Ramsey – C Samuel – 3B Frasher – RF B. Fish – 1B Churricho – 2B Serrano – P M. Clemente
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – CF Caswell – LF Brassfield – C Perez – 3B Gonzales – P Riddle

Leadoff singles by Asencio and Mendez and two productive groundouts gave the Condors a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Riddle, who had a big old struggle in this game. The leadoff batter was on in five of his six innings, sometimes because he just plunked him, like Bobby Fish in the second inning, and sometimes because some dolt behind him – *cough* Joel Starr *cough* – made an error. The Condors nevertheless didn’t add on a run through five before loading the bases with singles from the 5-6-7 batters to begin the sixth inning. Serrano hit into a double play, 6-4-3, that scored the second run of the game, and Riddle struck out Clemente, who had a 5-hit shutout on 56 pitches, to end the inning. The Raccoons had erased two of their runners with double play grounders, and Clemente actually hadn’t struck out anybody, we were just being that basic again…

Bottom 6th, and the Coons loaded the bases. Clemente nicked Lonzo in the shin, which prevented him from trying to swipe one after that, but soft singles by Starr and Nye made it three on and dreadfully nobody out. Cas lobbed the first pitch he got to left, though, where it dropped for an RBI single, cutting the deficit in half. Brass lined out to Frasher, but Starr had a hunch and retreated on contact, so the Condors could not get the double play, and then Angel Perez’ single to left-center drove in two runs, although Caswell was thrown out at third base on that play. Gonzales’ groundout ended the inning, now with Portland up 3-2. Bravo got around an Alf Mendez single in the seventh to keep it like that in the seventh, then was hit for with Ben Morris to begin the home half of the inning. Morris singled, was forced out by Christopher, but Christopher stole second and then scored on Starr’s 2-out double. Nye’s grounder ended the inning, and then Ricky Herrera got flogged by left-handers. Frasher had a deep fly out to left, and then Fish singled and Churiccho homered to right to tie the score at four in the top 8th.

Ricky H. finished the inning, but didn’t blunder into a win that way, because the Coons went down in order in the bottom 8th. Matt Walters then held the game tied in the ninth inning while grumbling about the lack of save opportunities. Justin Cullum, right-hander, got the bottom 9th, which the Raccoons began with pinch-hitters Bean and Caballero and ultimately two out and nobody on base before Christopher singled. Joe-Chris stole second base again, but Lonzo grounded to Ramsey to send the game to ext- no! Ramsey threw it away! It was into the dugout, and the Raccoons won the game on the mandatory two bases to the runner…! 5-4 Critters! Starr 3-4, 2B, RBI; Caswell 2-4, RBI; Morris (PH) 1-1;

Whatever works.

Also, the first W of the year for Matt Walters, who wasn’t pitching without a lead a lot and still was over 60 innings. He had thrown over 60 innings – since converting to a closer – since 2055.

Raccoons (87-66) vs. Titans (88-64) – September 24-26, 2060

The Titans wouldn’t make it – they came in with a magic number of one compared to the Crusaders, and it wasn’t likely that the Crusaders would lose ten in a row now. They had allowed the fewest runs in the CL, but clearly lacked offense, with a league-worst .239 team batting average and sitting ninth in runs scored, yet with a +94 run differential. They had smothered the Coons for the year, 11-4. They were without three regulars in Ted Lloyd, Denny Jurado, and rookie Eddie Marcotte, who had just shredded cruciate ligaments and was questionable for next Opening Day.

Projected matchups:
Duarte Damasceno (6-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. Jayden Craddock (16-6, 3.03 ERA)
Chance Fox (13-11, 4.20 ERA) vs. Ryan Musgrave (14-11, 2.99 ERA)
Bobby Herrera (12-12, 3.47 ERA) vs. Will Glaude (5-8, 3.88 ERA)

The Titans had only right-handed starters.

Game 1
BOS: LF A. Lee – SS J. Watson – C Arviso – 1B M. Rubin – RF Y. Valdez – 3B D. Mendoza – CF Tobin – 2B W. de Leon – P Craddock
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – CF Caswell – LF Brassfield – C Perez – 3B Fowler – P Damasceno

The Raccoons had just pried Noah Caswell off the stretcher, then saw him make a headlong dive and catch on a Jonathan Watson fly to center in the first inning, wince, and shake out his arm, which got enough attention from Luis Silva and made me reach for the nearest bottle. He came out of the game and Oscar Caballero took over, and from having nobody on and two outs, the Titans then made three unearned runs out of a Jorge Arviso walk, a Lonzo error, Yoslan Valdez’ single and Diego Mendoza’s double before Mike Tobin popped out to second base…

The Coons stranded one in the first, two in the second, and … then finally got on the board. Christopher, Lonzo, and Starr began the bottom 3rd with straight singles, Starr driving home Christopher to make it 3-1. The runners did a successful double steal, but Nye’s comebacker was not quite as helpful, keeping the runners in scoring position while Craddock collected the first out. Caballero’s grounder and Brass’ single to center did plate the tying runs, however, before Perez popped out to end the inning. The Titans answered with three earned runs in the top of the fourth to knock out Damasceno, who was awful, walked Tobin, allowed a single to Willie de Leon, and then offered more walks to Andy Lee and Watson to force in the go-ahead run. Arviso lined out to Lonzo for the second out, but Rubin singled home two and that was the end for Damasceno. Adam Harris got Valdez to fly out to center to end the stupid inning. Harris and Sensabaugh both got five outs each to get to the stretch while keeping the score at 6-3. Therien had a scoreless eighth, but it was all a bit for nothing given how the Raccoons could not mount any offense even when Joel Starr hit a leadoff double in the bottom 8th. 6-3 Titans. Lavorano 2-4; Starr 2-4, 2B, RBI; Oley (PH) 1-2; Therien 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

Noah Caswell had a bruised shoulder and would be day-to-day. He was unlikely to appear again this weekend.

The Titans won the game, but nevertheless were finished for the year since the Crusaders beat the Indians to clinch the division.

Game 2
BOS: CF Torrence – SS J. Watson – 1B M. Rubin – C Arviso – 3B D. Mendoza – RF Y. Valdez – LF Ma. Gilmore – 2B W. de Leon – P Musgrave
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – LF Brassfield – CF Morris – C Perez – 3B Suriel – P Fox

Portland went up quick on Saturday, with Lonzo getting nicked and Starr singling before Trent Brassfield whacked a 3-run homer over the fence in left. Fox was perfect the first time through, whiffing a pair, but before we could get any ideas gave up a double to Watson in the fourth inning, and then quickly surrendered that run as well on Rubin and Arviso singles before regaining control and getting out of the inning while stranding the tying runs.

The Coons answered in the same inning, and it again started with Musgrave nicking a batter, in this case Brassfield. Morris then walked, and Angel Perez’ 1-out single to left-center brought around Brass to score. Two pops by the 8-9 batters stranded a pair here, too. Boston replied right away, Ethan Torrence tripling home Matt Gilmore with two outs in the fifth inning, 4-2, and Rubin hit a leadoff jack in the sixth to take another run away. Arviso and Gilmore also got on base, but were stranded on the corners when de Leon grounded out to Lonzo. Fox held it together in the seventh for three groundouts, and Ruben Mendez had a scoreless eighth. But the Raccoons could not tack on anymore, their most valiant attempt being the bottom 8th. Nick Nye hit a 1-out single, but was forced out by Brass. Right-hander Mike Bell then gave up a double to right to Morris, and Brass tried to score from first base, but was thrown out at the dish by Yoslan Valdez to end the inning and bring in Walters, bidding for #53 with no cushion. He faced three right-handed pinch-hitters, two of which – Bill Dorey and Alan Leitch – whiffed, and one – Sandy Moreno – flew out to Brass in between those. 4-3 Raccoons. Nye 2-4; Morris 2-3, BB, 2B; Fox 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (14-11);

We faced Jason Brenize (12-6, 2.71 ERA) on Sunday in the rubber game. The 24-year-old was in his third full season and still struggling with control issues, with 4.0 walks per nine innings this year, which was just too much for a right-hander.

Game 3
BOS: CF Torrence – SS J. Watson – C Arviso – RF Y. Valdez – 3B D. Mendoza – 1B Dorey – LF Tobin – 2B W. de Leon – P Brenize
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – LF Kozak – 3B Fowler – C Maresh – CF Caballero – P B. Herrera

Both pitchers gave up two hits and got out of the first inning with a double play, but the Coons still went up 1-0 because one of their hits was a home run to right-center hit by Lonzo! (grins like a kid) … but a walk to Diego Mendoza and Mike Tobin’s homer quickly flipped that score in the top 2nd … (reaches for the bottle of Capt’n Coma again)

Herrera allowed another run on a walk and a single in the third inning, and just couldn’t keep the Titans under wraps, with another runner in the fourth and two more in the fifth against him. The Raccoons were a bit silent until Fowler whacked a leadoff triple in the bottom 5th and scored on a sac fly hit by Maresh, but that only narrowed the score to 3-2. Herrera allowed another hit to Dorey and walked Tobin in the sixth, but got around against de Leon and Brenize and finished six muddy innings with “only” three runs allowed.

He was then quickly taken off the hook in the bottom 6th, which began with Joe-Chris eking out a leadoff walk in a full count. Lonzo grounded out, but Starr socked another double and that tied the ballgame. The Titans walked Nye intentionally here, then got an easy pop from Kozak, but Nick Fowler found the middle for a 2-out single to center. Starr was waved around third base and scored the go-ahead run, 4-3, and things were only getting worse for Brenize, who had gotten face music from the Raccoons more than once in his still brief career, then saw Maresh’s grounder to third base bobbled by Diego Mendoza to fill the bases. He then fell 3-1 behind Caballero, who then bashed a ball into the rightfield corner for extra-bases, and an awkward bounce away from Yoslan Valdez allowed him to not only clear the bases, but also slide safely into third base with hias 126th career triple. Bernie Ortega then grounded out against left-hander Gabe Hill, with Brenize slouching off, ostensibly defeated, although the last three runs on him were unearned. There were three innings left to pitch, but Ricky H. got four outs and Erickson collected two more without allowing a Titan on base. Tobin singled off Adam Harris to begin the ninth inning, but de Leon grounded into a double play after that. Manny Rubin struck out to end the game. 7-3 Critters! Starr 2-4, 2B, RBI; Fowler 2-4, 3B, RBI; Caballero 2-3, 3B, 3 RBI;

In other news

September 24 – The Buffaloes beat the Blue Sox, 7-3, to clinch the FL East for the second straight year.
September 24 – The Loggers beat the Canadiens, 2-1, with all the runs scoring in the 11th inning. MIL SP Julian Dunn (13-14, 4.34 ERA) goes eight innings and gives up the Canadiens’ only base hit, a single by RF/LF Chad Cardenas (.249, 12 HR, 61 RBI).
September 26 – LVA SP Steve Hunter (15-9, 3.01 ERA) has a 2-hit shutout against the Falcons, whiffing six in a 4-0 win.

FL Player of the Week: DEN RF/CF Chris Lauterbach (.280, 13 HR, 61 RBI), batting .500 (9-18) with 2 HR, 8 RBI
CL Player of the Week: NYC UT Omar Sanchez (.329, 2 HR, 59 RBI), hitting .542 (13-24) with 4 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Mixed week with soggy pitching and occasional offensive performances. We currently have the fourth-best record in the league, just behind the Titans. We can’t end up worse than the #23 pick for next year, but the best pick we could still get is #18, so we might just as well spit on it and win the last couple o’ games.

Lonzo will not win the stolen bases title, since Franks is still six bags ahead and there’s only six games left.

Matt Walters still needs one save to tie Angel Casas’ franchise record, and two to make a record of his own.

The Alley Cats beat the Buffalo Odyssey (SFW) in the first round of the AAA playoffs, and are currently 1-1 against Anaheim Nautilus (OCT) for the championship. Because of that, we will not bring up any more players to the extended roster. Our other minor league teams finished out of the money.

While two playoffs spots were taken this week, the Condors are still trying to end their drought in the South, but got 5 1/2 games ahead of the Knights, and a critical four-game set between those two teams coming up. In the FL West, everybody except the Wolves is still in theoretical contention, even the fifth-place Warriors, who will have their own four-game set with the Gold Sox starting on Monday. The Pacifics and Warriors are the teams with the “easy” games against the Wolves. There is also a makeup game scheduled for Monday after the nominal end of the regular season, where the Warriors will have to make up a game with the Capitals that could not get fit into any other hole in the schedule, setting up the possibility of a tie-breaker game on *Tuesday* and a delay to the FLCS.

The Raccoons will play the Crusaders and Loggers on the road to finish the season.

Fun Fact: The fifth straight Crusaders division title is their longest stretch in franchise history.

That might sound off given their previous periods of utter dominance followed by decades of doldrums, but even their most dominant period from 2007 through 2016, in which they won the World Series six times (2007-09 and 2013-15) had two holes poked into it. They came up two games shy of the Raccoons in 2010, and were only fourth and nine games out in 2012 when the Raccoons were Ray Gilberted out of a playoff appearance on the final weekend of the season.

Yes, that one still makes me mad.