[Westheim]

Dear people of Furville. It’s been 95°F for the last couple of days, and my brain doesn’t work anymore. Anything that doesn’t make sense in this week’s update is perhaps down to that.

I’m also a bit dizzy. I should perhaps lie down now. (falls face first into his food bowl)

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Raccoons (16-16) vs. Capitals (15-17) – May 9-11, 2062

The Capitals had the most runs allowed in the league, giving up just shy of six runs a game, but not to worry for them, because here came the Raccoons. On offense, they were average, and were wobbling around with a -46 run differential. Last time these teams met was in 2060, when the Caps won two of three games.

Nick Robinson (3-3, 3.69 ERA) vs. A.C. Stebbins (0-1, 9.26 ERA)
Chance Fox (2-1, 3.86 ERA) vs. Jon Reyes (1-4, 4.40 ERA)
Angel Alba (0-5, 5.06 ERA) vs. Adam Lunn (2-5, 6.28 ERA)

Stebbins would open the series from the left side after a common day off on Monday. The remaining Caps starters were right-handers.

The Raccoons optioned Forbes Tomlin (.296, 1 HR, 13 RBI) and Felix Ayala (.222, 0 HR, 1 RBI) to the Alley Cats and brought up Nick Nye from his rehab assignment and Malik Crumble for the first time after being signed this offseason and waived and designated for assignment on Opening Day.

Game 1
WAS: 2B W. Acosta – 3B A. Flores – 1B F. Martinez – LF T. Duncan – C Burkart – RF D. Flores – CF Konecny – SS Leitch – P Stebbins
POR: 2B Nye – SS Lavorano – C Perez – RF Brassfield – 1B Starr – 3B N. Fox – CF Mata – LF Crumble – P Robinson

Willie Acosta opened the week with a homer to left before Angelo Flores drew a walk and Felix Martinez reached on an error by Nick Fox, but Robinson then actually settled in and retired three straight on two pops and a fly to center. The Raccoons flipped the score in the same inning. Nick Nye returned with a leadoff single, scored on Angel Perez’ 1-out double, and Starr singled to left to get Perez around for a 2-1 lead. Carlos Mata’s leadoff double in the bottom 2nd didn’t lead anywhere, but Lonzo, Perez, and Brass all put their fuzzy bums on base to begin the bottom 3rd for three on and nobody out. Joel Starr’s sac fly to center was as good as it got. Fox made a poor out, Mata walked in a full count, and Crumble crumbled for a 4-3 groundout.

Robinson then also crumbled. With two in scoring position and two outs in the fourth inning, he gave up a single to center to Stebbins that scored both Bruce Burkart and David Flores and tied the game at three. A back complaint would remove Robinson from the game in the fifth inning and DeRose took over in long relief, then oversaw a 4-run rally in the bottom 5th with a Perez single, a Brass RBI triple to take the lead, an intentional walk to Starr, and then a 3-run homer to right for Carlos Mata! 7-3! …and with that, both starters were out of the game. Nick Nye then added a home run to left in the bottom 6th to add a run, but don’t you worry, Justin DeRose was hard at work to fritter it all away again. He walked a pair in Tony Rodriquez and Angelo Flores, then gave up an RBI single to Felix Martinez, 8-4. Tim Duncan whiffed before the runners advanced on a wild pitch, but they were stranded in scoring position when Nye made a bare-pawed play on a slow Burkart grounder to second, getting out of the inning. DeRose would toss a total of three innings for the win, even when Ryan Sullivan tried just as hard to trash the game in the ninth inning, putting Joo-Chan Lee and Willie Acosta on base to start the frame with a 4-run lead before getting yelled at from the dugout and finally getting three outs. 8-4 Raccoons. Nye 2-5, HR, RBI; Perez 3-4, 2B, RBI; Starr 1-2, BB, 2 RBI; Mata 2-3, BB, HR, 2B, 3 RBI;

Robinson might miss a start, or he might not. It was wait-and-see how things would go by Sunday.

Game 2
WAS: 2B W. Acosta – 3B A. Flores – 1B F. Martinez – LF T. Duncan – C Burkart – RF D. Flores – CF Konecny – SS Sherrick – P Jon Reyes
POR: CF Morris – SS Lavorano – LF Brassfield – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – RF Christopher – C Perez – 3B N. Fox – P C. Fox

After Tuesday’s offensive feast, Wednesday brought a pitchers’ duel with no scoring in the first six innings, even though the Capitals reached scoring position four times against Chance Fox, and just couldn’t push anybody across. The Raccoons were less lucky, with Lonzo hitting into a double play and Nye being caught stealing at different times. Both teams actually had four base hits through six innings. The scoreless tie was irretrievably broken by Joo-chan Lee with a leadoff jack to left-center in the seventh inning. Fox got out of the inning, and to anybody’s surprise was taken off the hook in the bottom 7th with three singles slapped by Starr, Nye, and Perez, the latter getting the tying run across with two outs. Nick Fox popped out to third base to end the inning, though. Chance Fox in turn came back for the top 8th and got rid of the switch-hitting Acosta, but then was lifted for a no-decision as we brought in Murdock. Angelo Flores singled to left-center against the right-hander, but Martinez hit into a double play to end the inning. Jim White and Ben Morris hit singles for the Coons in the bottom 8th, but it was poor outs and an inning-ending double play from Brassfield, and no runs for the Raccoons.

The ninth first saw Middleton stalk around a Lonzo error in the top half before Troy Ratliff retired Starr before Nye and Perez scratched out singles, and Fox drew a walk to fill them up. Right-hander Brian Goldsmith came in with three on, two outs, and Carlos Mata pinch-hitting… and grounding out to Acosta to send the game to overtime. Justin Rocco got around a single in the tenth inning, while Goldsmith returned for another go at the Coons, issued a leadoff walk to Ben Morris, and then saw him steal second base on his first pitch to Lonzo, who then rolled a dying wheezer on the infield that there was no play to have on for the Caps. Lonzo had an infield single, with Morris’ winning run to third base. Brass ended the game with a hard liner into right-center for a walkoff single. 2-1 Blighters. Morris 2-4, BB; Nye 3-4; Perez 2-3, BB, RBI; White (PH) 1-1; C. Fox 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K;

At this point we were 18-16, two games over .500 … and still in last place, virtually tied with the Loggers, but a worse winning percentage.

Game 3
WAS: LF Rodriquez – 2B W. Acosta – CF Epperson – 3B A. Flores – RF D. Flores – SS Sherrick – 1B Konecny – C Burkart – P Lunn
POR: CF Morris – SS Lavorano – LF Brassfield – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – RF Christopher – C Arellano – 3B N. Fox – P Alba

Honeypaws, Slappy, and old me were very looking forward to Angel Alba finally getting his ERA a bit closer to his 3.98 FIP on Thursday, and, hey, one can dream, right? Maybe get a win even! Morris’ leadoff double in the bottom 1st was a good start, and Lonzo hit another soft single to put runners on the corners. Brass forced out Lonzo with a comebacker, but after that spiffy play Lunn instead balked in the game’s first run, but then stranded Brass on second base. The Coons went back to runners on first and third and nobody out in the bottom 3rd, with a Morris single following a double to left by Alba, who had three scoreless on the board. Morris was caught stealing and both Lonzo and Brass popped out on the infield to give me nasty flashbacks to two weeks ago.

The other way ‘round Lunn got two out in the fourth before allowing Joe-Chris and Arellano on base and then giving up a wallbanger RBI double to .135 hitter Nick Fox. Alba batted for the second time in two innings then, and for the second time in two innings got a knock, shoving a 2-run single through the left side to run the score to 4-0!

The Caps got on base with two hits to begin the fifth inning. David Flores singled to left, Jamie Sherrick doubled to center, and a run scored on ex-Coon Kelly Konecny’s sac fly to Brassfield, 4-1. At least we kept Sherrick on base. The contact off Alba got louder in these innings. The Caps hit three rockets in the sixth, but all three were somehow caught, and Angelo Flores got on base in the seventh. Alba got David Flores and Sherrick out, but then was lifted after 105 pitches. Konecny popped out against Adam Harris to complete the inning. Sullivan was next and got two outs before we went to Rocco, shooting for a 4-out save, beginning with Tony Rodriquez flying out to right. Acosta grounded out to begin the ninth, but Gunner Epperson and Angelo Flores both singled to center against Rocco in the ninth. Alba’s first W of the year was in danger now, but David Flores hit a grounder to short next up. Lonzo, to Jon Bean at second, and then to first to complete the sweep…! 4-1 Coons. Morris 3-4, 2B; Arellano 2-4; Alba 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, W (1-5) and 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI;

Raccoons (19-16) vs. Canadiens (19-14) – May 12-14, 2062

The damn Elks had swept the Raccoons in the first meeting between these teams which was a perfectly good damper on that 9-4 start we had enjoyed. Since then they had rallied to second place in the division and were ranked eighth in runs scored and fifth in runs allowed, with a narrow +3 run differential.

Projected matchups:
Tyler Riddle (3-2, 1.59 ERA) vs. Rafael Mendoza (1-5, 3.48 ERA)
Bobby Herrera (4-1, 2.47 ERA) vs. Carlos Torres (2-1, 5.51 ERA)
Nick Robinson (3-3, 3.89 ERA) vs. Ken Nielsen (4-3, 3.27 ERA)

Only right-handers coming at us here. The only notable DL absence for the Elks was Steven Spalding, the infielder.

Game 1
VAN: 2B A. Castillo – CF Valencia – 1B J. Campos – RF C. Cardenas – 3B Whittington – SS C. Sullivan – C Orphanos – LF D. Garcia – P R. Mendoza
POR: CF Morris – SS Lavorano – LF Brassfield – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – RF Christopher – C Perez – 3B N. Fox – P Riddle

Raccoons pitchers kept whacking the baseball – Tyler Riddle hit an RBI single to drive in Nick Fox with nobody out in the third inning, which made up for the shoddy start to the game he had showed, walking three Elks inside the first two innings, but not allowing a run so far. Mendoza did not allow further advance in the inning, but landed awkwardly on the final pitch of the inning to Brassfield, and left the game with a bum ankle. The Elks took him off the hook right away in the fourth; Thomas Whittington hit a leadoff double to left, gained a base on a passed ball charged to Angel Perez, and then scored easily on Chris Sullivan’s sac fly to left-center.

Starr’s double in the bottom 4th came with one out and led nowhere when Nye and Christopher passed through the batter’s box, and Riddle was taken deep by Whittington to give the damn Elks a 2-1 lead in the sixth, the final inning for Riddle, who then left with an elevated pitch count of 98 tosses. I was getting grumbly on the couch because going down 0-4 to the damn Elks was not what I had on my wishlist for this bloody season. Brass hit a single in the bottom 6th, but was left on second base. In the seventh, Joe-Chris drove a leadoff double into the right-center gap, so there was the tying run in scoring position *again*. Perez grounded out to second, advancing the runner, and Nick Fox singled to center, and that got Christopher home to tie the game at two. Jim White, relegated to the bench with the return of Nick Nye, pinch-hit for Middleton in this spot and hit another gap double in left-center. Fox dashed around to score, and the Coons were up 3-2! That was it, though, with a walk to Morris, and then poor outs in the air from Lonzo and Brass…

Top 8th, Murdock got one out before putting Chad Cardenas on base, after which Ricky Herrera came in for the left-handed bats. Both Whittington and Chris Sullivan hit flies to deep left, yet both of those ended up with Brassfield to end the inning. Ricky H. was still on the hill in the ninth after an abortive bottom 8th against Ben Akman, and with Rocco unavailable. There was no trust in Ryan Sullivan and DeRose, and apart from that there was only Harris left. Ricky it is! Mike Orphanos went out to Nick Fox, and Chris Richardson struck out. Alex Maldonado pinch-hit in the pitcher’s spot, went down on strikes, and the winning streak continued! 3-2 Critters. N. Fox 2-3, 3B, RBI; White (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI; R. Herrera 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, SV (1);

With no day off for the rest of the homestand, 6-game winning streak or not, we needed to dish out off days. Nye, Fox, and Christopher all had the day off on Saturday. Lonzo was marked up for Sunday.

Game 2
VAN: 2B A. Castillo – CF D. Garcia – 1B J. Campos – RF D. Moreno – C A. Maldonado – 3B C. Sullivan – LF Valencia – SS Graves – P C. Torres
POR: CF Morris – SS Lavorano – RF Brassfield – 1B Starr – 2B White – LF Mata – C Perez – 3B Bean – P B. Herrera

Bobby Herrera gave up a leadoff double to Alex Castillo in the first, but stranded the runner with a couple of strikeouts. Danny Garcia’s leadoff double in the fourth however did not end so well. Jose Campos whiffed, but Damian Moreno drew a walk, and singles by Maldonado and Sullivan each drove in a run, the first two markers on the board, with only two hits on the Coons’ side of the box score so far. Bobby Herrera finished the inning with another two strikeouts. Campos struck out once more to begin the sixth, which was the last out for Tipsy Bobby. Moreno singled. Maldonado doubled. Sullivan singled. Rafael Valencia doubled. Kenny Graves doubled. Carlos ******* Torres doubled. That was five runs on the board, and a call to the pen. Middleton came in, walked the bags full, and then a run scored on an error by Bean. Out with Middleton, in with Adam Harris, and out to right with a grand slam by Damian Moreno.

(opens bottle of bleach)

Ten straight Elks had reached, ten runs had gone on the board (nine earned). The game was in the bin, down 12-0, and DeRose was tossed in for the last three innings, but before that Joel Starr hit a rather meaningless 3-run homer to right off Carlos Torres in the bottom 6th after Torres had drilled Malik Crumble and walked Brassfield. That inning ended with White, but Mata, Perez, and Bean singled the bags full in the bottom 7th. We were not baited though, and didn’t bat for DeRose. He struck out, and Malik crumbled into a rather impressive 4-5 lineout double play, with an assist from Mata, who went for home without ******* looking. DeRose allowed another run before the game was over. 13-3 Canadiens.

Always great when the least incompetent part of the roster is the long relief….

Game 3
VAN: 2B A. Castillo – CF Valencia – 1B J. Campos – RF C. Cardenas – SS C. Sullivan – C Orphanos – 3B Graves – LF D. Garcia – P Nielsen
POR: CF Morris – SS White – LF Brassfield – 1B Starr – 2B Nye – RF Christopher – C Arellano – 3B N. Fox – P Robinson

Robinson threw in some painkillers and four extra donuts with sprinkles on Sunday morning and claimed the bad back good to go. Orphanos singled in the second, but was left out there, and then Starr got on base to begin the bottom 2nd with another single and jogged home when Nye socked a homer over the fence in leftfield. Christopher got on and was caught stealing, and Nick Fox hit a double off the wall in the same inning, but was left on when Robinson’s fly to left was easy pickings for Danny Garcia. Bottom 3rd, and the bags were loaded with White getting nicked, Brass singling, and Starr working a walk on five pitches, all after an initial K to Morris. Nielsen plated a run with a wild pitch, and Nye drove in the rest with a 2-run single to left-center, 5-0!

From there, things started to come apart a little, and perhaps including Robinson’s back. Cardenas and Sullivan reached base with two outs in the fourth and both scored on an Orphanos double to center, and Garcia and Valencia also ended up on the corners in the fifth inning, but there Campos took an all-or-nothing swing at 2-2 attempting to tie the game and struck out. The tying run was in the box with two outs in the sixth *again*, then after Robinson had fumbled a comebacker from Graves that should have been the final out. Coulda woulda shoulda, but at least Morris rushed down Garcia’s drive to center to end the inning, still up 5-2.

That was the final inning for Robinson, who was hit for with Mata for no great result in the bottom 6th. Ricky H. struck out the side in the seventh, the same inning Nick Nye tripled in Brassfield for a 2-out run against Carson Miller. That put Nye a double short of the cycle, but he would be hard pressed to get another at-bat with only four outs left unless the bullpen could light some fireworks from here. – You are right, Slappy, I should not encourage them.

Christopher whiffed and that ended the bottom 7th. Ryan Sullivan had two strikeouts and a grounder in the eighth, and finally got that soggy ERA of his into single digits, whee! Lonzo pinch-hit, walked (!), and stole his 10th base of the year in the home eighth, after not getting a good jump all week. With the 4-run lead, the ball went to Harris in the ninth. He walked Orphanos before ringing up the left-handed batters Graves and Garcia. Richardson, however, also a lefty swinger, singled to right, and put runners on the corners. The Coons really didn’t want to involve another reliever here and had a bit of a mound conference before Harris would face the right-handed Castillo – and he struck him out…! 6-2 Raccoons. Brassfield 2-3, BB; Nye 4-4, HR, 3B, 5 RBI; N. Fox 2-4, 2B; Robinson 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, W (4-3);

In other news

May 10 – The Rebels beat the Bayhawks, 6-4 in 14 innings. San Francisco makes four errors in the game, somehow none of them leading to an unearned run.
May 11 – Dallas SP Ian Peters (5-2, 2.34 ERA) throws a 3-hit shutout in a 3-0 win against the Falcons.
May 12 – With a torn labrum, Pacifics OF/3B/SS Steven Heiden (.214, 1 HR, 5 RBI) will miss the rest of the season.

FL Player of the Week: SFW INF William McColgin (.289, 4 HR, 19 RBI), hitting .520 (13-25) with 3 HR, 8 RBI
CL Player of the Week: MIL 3B/2B Ralph Lange (.351, 6 HR, 21 RBI), bashing .529 (9-17) with 3 HR, 6 RBI

Complaints and stuff

I don’t care about a 5-1 week. Losing by ten to the damn Elks in that “1” invalidates all the other results, and we’re still only half a game outta last place!

We’re also only two games outta first place, which is kinda wicked for mid-May.

Nick Fowler started a rehab assignment on Sunday, so soon we’ll have the crew back together.

The Titans and Knights are still coming in on this homestand.

Fun Fact: There are more winning teams in the CL North than in all other divisions combined.

(does a double take)

(counts on all four paws)

Maybe I should lay off the bleach-soaked donuts, because I think I’m seeing things.