[Westheim]

Raccoons (13-11) @ Titans (16-8) – April 30-May 2, 2063

The Titans had grabbed the lead in the division on the weekend and were trying to get away with the most runs scored in the CL, although their pitching was only average so far. They led the league in OBP and home runs, but creaky defense kept the games entertaining. Closer Jason Posey was also on the DL until June.

Projected matchups:
Tyler Riddle (2-0, 3.19 ERA) vs. Mike Bell (1-0, 3.56 ERA)
Angel Alba (3-1, 1.27 ERA) vs. Jayden Craddock (2-1, 3.63 ERA)
Chance Fox (1-1, 3.97 ERA) vs. Will Glaude (2-1, 4.88 ERA)

Only right-handers lined up in that Boston rotation. No “Triple Crown” Brenize (4-0, 1.56 ERA), who had pitched on Sunday.

Chance Fox came off the DL and replaced Freddy Castillo (1-1, 7.36 ERA) on the roster.

Game 1
POR: RF Corral – CF Gonzalez – 1B Starr – 2B White – SS Monck – 3B Morales – LF Campos – C Arellano – P Riddle
BOS: LF S. Humphries – 3B B. Anderson – 1B M. Rubin – 2B D. Mendoza – RF Lloyd – CF A. Lee – C S. Moreno – SS Abecassis – P M. Bell

The Coons left pairs on in the first and second innings, although Jose Corral at least drove in a pair after the 6-7-8 batters had loaded the sacks against Bell to begin the top 2nd. A leadoff double by Diego Mendoza and a Monck error put Titans on the corners to begin the bottom 2nd, though, and a sac fly by Andy Lee scored a run before Sandy Moreno hit into a double play, 4-6-3. Jim White started that double play, then also started the third with a single, but was stranded on base despite a leadoff single. The Raccoons would scatter seven hits in four innings for only the two runs driven in by Corral, while the Titans’ second hit was a Manny Rubin homer that tied the game in the bottom 4th… White hit another single the next time up, a leadoff hit in the fifth that also led absolutely nowhere, and then hit another single in the at-bat after *that*, and that finally had an effect, plating Joel Starr from second base after Starr had just doubled home Corral to break the 2-2 tie. White reached second base on Andy Lee’s throw to the plate, which was late, then scored once Rich Monck turned an 0-2 pitch by Tony Castellanos into a single to right-center, 5-2.

The problem with Riddle in the meantime was no grasp of the strike zone and long fourth and fifth innings even when the Titans didn’t amount to an actual on-base threat after the Rubin home run. Riddle then made a mess with walks to Rubin and Ted Lloyd in the bottom 6th, then ran a full count to Lee before giving up a double to center. Rubin scored, but Tony Gonzalez fired in a rocket that saw Lloyd struck down at the plate. Riddle was yoinked after 93 mostly messy pitches and replaced with Carrillo, who got a grounder from Moreno on the only pitch he threw, ending the inning. Lloyd got his revenge his next time up, though, facing James Murdock with Rubin on the bases in the bottom 8th and socking a game-tying homer to left, levelling the score at five.

The Coons stranded a pair in the ninth, after which Matt Walters pitched in the bottom 9th for a familiar sight, even though it was only to keep the game tied and send it to extras, which he did without allowing a runner. The first two innings of overtime were largely uneventful with Nick Leigh doing a second inning of work in the tenth, followed by Luis Lerma for Boston, while Pohlmann pitched the 10th and 11th for Portland, then bunted after Arellano dropped a leadoff single into left against Lerma in the 12th, which moved the go-ahead run to second base. However, Corral grounded out and Gonzalez popped out, and the runner was stranded at third base… Pohlmann retired the 2-3-4 in the Titans’ lineup in order in the bottom 12th, but he wouldn’t have much more. Lerma was also sent out for a third inning of work, walking Starr to begin the 13th inning. Starr was in motion with White batting and shoving another single into leftfield, reaching third base with nobody out and Monck batting. Monck ran a 3-1 count, poked, I squealed, but Monck’s ball hobbled through between Alex Abecassis and Bobby Anderson into left for an RBI single. Morales flew out to right, while Jon Bean batted for Campos, lobbing a ball over a reaching Diego Mendoza and in front of a rushing Ted Lloyd for a single; Lloyd overran the ball for an error, and that allowed White to score, with the other runners getting into scoring position. Arellano’s RBI single to right on the next pitch evicted Lerma from the game for former Raccoons pain-to-watch Ryan Harmer. He gave up a sac fly to Malik Crumble batting for Pohlmann, a Corral single, but then got out of the inning against Gonzalez. Carlisle got the ball against his old team despite the 4-spot, since the only other option left in the pen was Mike Dean. He faced three batters to end the game. 9-5 Raccoons. Corral 4-8, 2B, 2 RBI; White 5-7, RBI; Morales 3-7; Bean (PH) 1-1, RBI; Arellano 4-7, RBI; Pohlmann 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W (3-1);

We out-hit the Titans, 21-7…! Should it REALLY have taken this long??

Victor Morales had his first career hit. And his second. And his third.

Game 2
POR: RF Corral – CF Gonzalez – 1B Starr – 2B White – SS Monck – 3B Morales – LF Campos – C Lawson – P Alba
BOS: LF S. Humphries – 3B B. Anderson – CF Marcotte – C Arviso – 1B M. Rubin – RF A. Lee – 2B D. Mendoza – SS Lloyd – P Craddock

Straight singles by the 2-3-4 batters gave the Titans an early run in the Tuesday game, while the Raccoons, when putting together three singles with Alba, Corral, and Starr in the third inning saw the bases left full by Jim White grounding out, White having used up his weekly allotment of hits on Monday. Rich Monck pumped a leadoff jack to right to tie the game in the fourth, though, and the Coons took a lead when Marco Campos got on, stole second, and then was driven in with another 2-out single by Angel Alba himself, who was not batting .538 on the season. The lead, however, was short-lived, as Manny Rubin raked another homer to tie the score in the same inning.

Gonzalez and White went to the corners with one out in the fifth inning, bringing back Monck, who hit another long fly, but this one wasn’t long enough and caught by Eddie Marcotte – still good for a go-ahead sac fly, though. Jim White was caught stealing to end the inning. Meanwhile, the Titans made every hit matter again. They had nothing in the fifth against Alba, then put Bobby Anderson on with a leadoff single in the sixth before Arviso showed Alba around the concourse with a 430-footer. Six hits, four runs, and a new lead for Boston. Alba soldiered on, getting knocked out with a 2-out, 2-run triple by Marcotte in the seventh. Mike Dean was the only rested reliever, walked Arviso, gave up another run when Rubin singled, and then had to thank Corral for tracking down a Lee drive to finally end the ******* inning. The Coons just wanted the game to be over with and left Dean in for the eighth inning. The Titans broke out for a 5-spot, four earned with a Morales error. 12-3 Titans. Monck 2-3, HR, 2 RBI; Campos 2-4;

Mike “Fly By Night” Dean (0-1, 6.28 ERA) was fired before he could undress in the clubhouse. So that’s why the Cyclones were so eager to get him included in the Monck deal… Formally he ended up on waivers, but with the understanding that we would not even try to assign him to AAA. John Nesbitt was brought back from AAA.

Game 3
POR: RF Corral – CF Gonzalez – 1B Starr – 2B White – SS Monck – 3B Morales – LF Crumble – C Arellano – P Fox
BOS: LF S. Humphries – 3B B. Anderson – 1B M. Rubin – C Arviso – 2B D. Mendoza – RF Lloyd – CF A. Lee – SS Abecassis – P Glaude

Jose Corral showed off a new trick, lashing a home run to lead off the rubber game, and after Gonzalez got on, Jim White socked another one off Glaude for a brisk 3-0 Raccoons lead on Wednesday. That was it for the Coons offense, which left the bases loaded in the third inning, and otherwise didn’t do a lot for the remainder of Glaude’s tenure on the hill, while Chance Fox came back straight off the DL with no rehab assignment, and it showed. He issued a walk in each of the first four innings in this game, and the Titans had a hit in the third and fourth inning to go along with it, but somehow didn’t get a run across despite Fox’ lack of stuff with only one strikeout through five innings for the southpaw, who spent 68 pitches on five innings and with preparations underway during the top 6th to have him removed quickly in the bottom 6th if trouble should arise. So of course the Titans cranked up the pain as high as they could without scoring, getting two scratch and bloop hits off Fox in the bottom 6th before bringing the left-handed Lee and Abecassis to the plate with one out. Fox got Lee on a pop, then struck out Abecassis, because going lefty-for-lefty was not the Raccoons way of playing baseball, for better or worse!!

That was all for Fox, and with the pen it got first better, then worse. Murdock and McDaniel put two more scoreless innings together before the ball went to Carlisle in the bottom 9th with the score still at 3-0, all the way since the first inning. Carlisle walked the first man, Alex Abecassis, then also the second guy, Craig Sayre. Humphries bashed an RBI double, and with nobody out the tying runs were in scoring position. Bobby Anderson drew another walk, filling them up for Homer Rubin (.267, 6 HR, 18 RBI). The Coons yanked Carlisle, then brought Juan Carrillo, who got a pop to shallow center for no advance from Rubin, then a pop to Monck from Arviso. Diego Mendoza was up with two outs, fell to 1-2, and then was *drilled* by Carrillo, forcing in Sayre and moving the tying run to third base. Yoslan Valdez batted for the pitcher in the #6 spot, and the Raccoons’ bullpen door flung open once more, and there was Matt Walters to face the left-handed batter. He fell to 3-1, I howled, and then Valdez poked and grounded out to White. 3-2 Blighters. Kozak (PH) 1-1; White 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Morales 2-4;

Raccoons (15-12) @ Pacifics (14-13) – May 4-6, 2063

This was another series with off days on either side and the Raccoons would use any excuse to skip Bollinger again and send the ball right back to Josh Elling in the Friday opener. The Raccoons had taken two of three from the Pacifics in a meeting last year, with the Pacifics currently even on runs and sixth in both runs scored and runs allowed, and three games behind in the FL West.

Projected matchups:
Josh Elling (3-3, 3.82 ERA) vs. Alfonso Calderon (1-0, 3.13 ERA)
Tyler Riddle (2-0, 3.19 ERA) vs. Joel Luera (3-2, 2.02 ERA)
Angel Alba (3-2, 2.57 ERA) vs. Milt Cantrell (1-2, 6.52 ERA)

Another set of right-handers awaiting the poking Critters.

Game 1
POR: RF Corral – CF Kozak – 1B Starr – 2B Monck – 3B Morales – SS Fowler – LF Crumble – C Arellano – P Elling
LAP: 2B R. Cabrera – C Kelbaugh – 1B A. Olivares – 3B Dilly – LF McInnis – RF J. Martinez – CF J. Espinoza – SS Heiden – P A. Calderon

Two walks to Kozak and Starr and a soft Monck single loaded the bases in the first inning for Morales, who had yet to find a big league RBI, and didn’t get one here either by striking out. Nick Fowler, giving Jim White an extra day of rest, came through, however, and singled in two with a ball into center before Crumble continued to fester on the roster with another groundout.

Soon enough the score was upended by the Pacifics, who got a single from their pitcher before Elling walked Rich Cabrera on four pitches, then was taken well deep to right by Pete Kelbaugh to flip the score in the bottom 3rd, 3-2 L.A…. Hits by Jesus Martinez and Steven Heiden would tack on a run the inning after as Elling was very hittable for a $35M toy.

Joel Starr went yard for the first time in May and all year to shorten the score to 4-3 in the sixth before Monck hit another one to tie the score and knock out Calderon in the same go, and almost in the same spot, just two rows deeper than Starr…! Elling dragged his very hittable tush through six innings for a no-decision once Corral hit into a double play to erase Arellano’s leadoff single in the seventh inning. By contrast, the Coons’ pen exploded in the bottom 7th. After Murdock and Walters loaded the bases, Pohlmann came in with two outs, allowed three straight singles to Jesuses Martinez and Espinoza and to Heiden, and the Pacifics plated four runs for it before Jesse Sweeney struck out. 8-4 Pacifics. Starr 2-3, BB, HR, RBI; Monck 2-4, HR, RBI; Campos (PH) 1-1; Gonzalez (PH) 1-1;

Not sure that entire pen is gonna arrive back in Portland without one or two getting strangled under the Hollywood sign…

Game 2
POR: RF Corral – 3B Morales – 1B Starr – SS Monck – 2B White – LF Kozak – CF Gonzalez – C Arellano – P Riddle
LAP: CF T. Garcia – LF J. Espinoza – 1B A. Olivares – RF J. Martinez – 3B Dilly – 2B R. Cabrera – SS Sweeney – C Kelbaugh – P Luera

Riddle didn’t face a left-handed batter for the entirety of the Saturday game, relying on soft contact rather than strikeouts to get anywhere. The Pacifics took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a 1-out double by Kelbaugh and Tony Garcia’s 2-out RBI singles, although the Raccoons used their first two base hits against Luera to flip the score around as Monck singled and Jack Kozak clonked a homer to right-center. They had only one more hit ahead of the stretch, a Kozak single his next time up, while Riddle squeaked through seven innings on 95 pitches. Corral singled off Roberto Ramirez in the eighth inning, but was doubled up as Morales ended the inning with a 6-4-3 grounder. Murdock saw off the 1-2-3 batters for no gains by L.A. in the eighth inning before the Raccoons, reluctant to waste any hits in their bats with another game to play on the road trip when they already had the lead, handed a skinny 2-1 lead to Carlisle, who had tried his very best to blow the finale in Boston three days earlier. Jesus Martinez led off with a single against him, but then was doubled up on Steve Dilly’s bouncer to Monck. Cabrera popped out to Tony Gonzalez to end the game. 2-1 Blighters. Kozak 2-3, HR, 2 RBI; Riddle 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (3-0);

Game 3
POR: RF Corral – 3B Morales – 1B Starr – SS Monck – LF Kozak – CF Campos – C Arellano – 2B Bean – P Alba
LAP: CF T. Garcia – C Kelbaugh – 1B A. Olivares – 3B S. Dilly – LF McInnis – RF J. Martinez – 2B R. Cabrera – SS Sweeney – P Cantrell

The Coons took a 1-0 lead in the first with a Morales double and Monck’s 2-out RBI single. Kozak also reached base, but Campos whiffed to end the inning. L.A. also got hits from their #2 and #4 hitters in the first, but Kelbaugh and Dilly settled for a pair of singles and getting stranded by Matt McInnis’ grounder to Starr. The Coons tacked on a run in the second with an infield single by Jon Bean, who was bunted to second by Alba, and Corral’s RBI single. Morales hit another single before Starr had another 2-LOB strikeout.

After a few calm innings, with only McInnis reaching with a fourth-inning single, the Pacifics had a scoring opportunity in the fifth once Alba issued a 1-out walk to Sweeney. Cantrell bunted the runner to second with as many outs, and Tony Garcia ticked a 3-1 pitch to center for a single. Sweeney was sent, but thrown out at the plate by Campos to end the fifth inning right then and there. The Coons then had the bases loaded in the sixth on mostly Campos’ 1-out single and stolen base. Arellano was walked with intent for some reason, and when Cantrell threw a wild pitch Jon Bean was intentionally walked as well, bringing up the .467 menace Alba with three on and one out. He rumbled into a double play and nobody scored…

Instead, Alba brittled again with two outs in the bottom 6th, allowing a Dilly single, a walk to McInnis, and then gave up a run on Martinez’ double. Rich Cabrera ran a full count before shooting a bouncer at Monck, who managed to spear the missile and get the third out with it, now in a 2-1 game. Alba ventured on into the eighth before getting irretrievably stuck after a Kelbaugh double and a 1-out walk to Dilly. McDaniel came on to face McInnis, but the Pacifics pinch-hit with the right-handed Espinoza, who hit a soft single to load the bases. Pohlmann replaced him, saw the game tied on Martinez’ sac fly, walked Cabrera to refill the bases, and then got PH Tyler Watson to ground out to Bean to leave the bases teeming with Pacifics…

After an abortive top 9th, John Nesbitt walked leadoff man Steven Heiden on four pitches in the bottom 9th. Garcia’s grounder moved the winning run to second base before Nesbitt also walked Kelbaugh on four pitches, then fell 2-0 behind Alejandro Olivares. The first baseman shoved a double play grounder to Monck, though, and the game went to extra innings. When Jack Kozak raked a homer to right off Roberto Ramirez in the tenth, the ball went back to Carlisle against the 4-5-P batters. Dilly slapped a single on the first pitch, advanced on a grounder by Espinoza, but had to hold at second on a first-pitch pop from PH Jay Evans to Bean. Rich Cabrera’s grounder to Monck ended the game. 3-2 Critters. Morales 2-5, 2B; Kozak 2-3, 2 BB, HR, RBI; Alba 7.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K;

In other news

April 30 – SFB OF/1B Jonathan Echols (.256, 2 HR, 5 RBI) hits for the cycle in a 16-13 free-for-all the Bayhawks drop to the Knights. Echols drives in two runs, getting one hit of every sort, while teammate 2B/LF Armando Montoya (.281, 6 HR, 27 RBI) goes 4-for-6 with a homer, a double and five RBI.
May 2 – SFB SP Mike Chartrand (3-3, 2.72 ERA) throws a 3-hit shutout for a 4-0 win against Atlanta, striking out eight Knights.
May 3 – DAL SP Ray Walker (4-2, 2.58 ERA) puts up a 2-hit shutout to beat the Warriors, 4-0.
May 3 – Rebels LF/RF Nick Vaughn (.327, 7 HR, 24 RBI) would miss a month with an oblique strain.
May 3 – Hit in the knee with a pitch, NAS OF/1B Tony Roman (.240, 2 HR, 6 RBI) would be out for two weeks with a nasty contusion.
May 4 – The Bayhawks score ten runs in the fifth inning in the middle of a 19-5 smackdown of the Warriors. SFB 2B/LF Armando Montoya (.292, 6 HR, 31 RBI) goes out for five singles and three RBI in the game.
May 6 – Cyclones INF Jorge Munoz (.150, 0 HR, 8 RBI) would have to sit out the rest of the month with a case of shoulder inflammation.

FL Player of the Week: NAS RF Austin Gordon (.365, 5 HR, 20 RBI), hitting .458 (11-24) with 2 HR, 8 RBI
CL Player of the Week: SFB LF Grant Anker (.303, 5 HR, 19 RBI), whacking .522 (12-23) with 3 HR, 8 RBI

FL Hitter of the Month: TOP 1B Mario Delgadillo (.347, 11 HR, 23 RBI)
CL Hitter of the Month: NYC RF/LF Sean Zeiher (.293, 5 HR, 27 RBI)
FL Pitcher of the Month: SAC SP Danny Ortiz (4-2, 1.79 ERA)
CL Pitcher of the Month: BOS SP Jason Brenize (4-0, 1.56 ERA)
FL Rookie of the Month: SAL LF/CF Paul Adams (.244, 2 HR, 3 RBI)
CL Rookie of the Month: ATL UT Carlos Fumero (.367, 0 HR, 7 RBI)

Complaints and stuff

The Raccoons are four games over .500 and ten runs *under* .500, sitting fourth in runs allowed, but tenth in runs scored. This is despite a good batting average, and at least average rankings in power and speed. The pitching is annoying as heck, and I don’t know how, but somehow the DEFENSE seems to hold the team together.

None of this makes any sense, but we’re all along for the ride, I guess.

Monday will be off, and then there’s a 2-week homestand coming up against the Caps, damn Elks, Indians, and Thunder, with 13 games total.

Fun Fact: The Crusaders bring up the red lantern in the North with a +24 run differential.

Is this still real life or did somebody tinker with the dice?