[Westheim]

Raccoons (80-70) vs. Knights (79-69) – September 23-25, 2064

One more homestand over nine games and it started with the Knights, who demanded justice after the Raccoons lied low against the Thunder on the prior weekend and allowed Oklahoma to move out by five and a half games on Atlanta. The Coons themselves were 4 1/2 games back of the Titans after Boston won their Monday opener on the off day for these two teams here. The Knights brought their #3 offense and #7 pitching, and a +53 run differential. The season series was even at three.

Projected matchups:
Chance Fox (12-9, 4.52 ERA) vs. Danny Ortiz (12-5, 2.62 ERA)
Angel Alba (13-11, 4.19 ERA) vs. Kodai Koga (13-15, 3.67 ERA)
Jarod Morris (8-7, 3.81 ERA) vs. Brian Fuqua (13-8, 3.72 ERA)

We saw only right-handers coming up in this series. The Knights arrived on *two* off days after a rainout with the Crusaders on Sunday…

…and then had a third off day when the Tuesday opener was also rained out. Double-header on Wednesday, and at least the Titans were shut out by the Condors to restore the 4-game gap.

The Coons turned Fox and Alba around on Wednesday, not that I was trusting either one with starting a game with the season on the line, or a box of donuts, right now.

Game 1
ATL: 2B Kilday – C McLaren – RF J. Evans – 1B J. Campos – 3B Ovalle – SS Labonte – CF Andon – P D. Ortiz – LF B. Snyder
POR: RF Corral – 3B V. Morales – CF Kozak – 2B Monck – 1B Starr – C Arellano – LF Spicer – SS Aoki – P Alba

The weather forecast was dim all the way through Election Day, so it was not advised to fall behind in the latter half of the game. The Coons took the early lead in the opener on Wednesday with a Starr double and Spicer RBI single in the bottom 2nd, then tacked on a run with a Jose Corral homer an inning later. While Alba was allowing just one hit in the early going, the Coons got Starr on base again with a leadoff walk in the fourth inning. Arellano popped out and Spicer forced him out with a grounder to short, but then rushed to third base on an Aoki single and scored when Alba dunked a blooper behind Matt Kilday with two outs. Corral’s grounder to Kilday ended the inning, Portland up 3-0. Alba continued to go like clockwork, through drizzles and dry spells; outside of Jose Campos’ single from the second inning, the Knights got no base hits before the stretch, and after the stretch the Raccoons tacked on with doubles from Morales and Monck, and an Arellano RBI single for two more runs, although Alba then also stuttered in the eighth and allowed a run on hits by Sal Andon and Tristan Waker. Mike Hall would get the game across the finish line in the ninth inning. 5-1 Coons. Starr 1-2, 2 BB, 2B; Arellano 2-4, RBI; Spicer 2-4, RBI; Alba 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, W (14-11) and 1-3, RBI;

The Titans won their finale against the Condors, 4-2 in the meantime.

Game 2
ATL: CF Fumero – RF J. Evans – 1B J. Campos – 3B Lange – LF K. Fisher – 2B Kilday – SS Andon – P Koga – C McLaren
POR: RF Corral – LF Kozak – 1B Starr – 2B Monck – CF Maldonado – SS Aoki – 3B Novelo – C Guinea – P Fox

Fox struck out five of the first eight batters he faced before putting Matt McLaren on base with a 2-out walk in the third inning. Carlos Fumero grounded out to keep the catcher stranded. The Coons did not get a hit inside the first three innings either in the late game. The first hit for either team was a 1-out single by Aoki in the bottom 5th, and he never got to move off first base after that. In turn, McLaren socked a 1-out double for the Knights in the next half-inning and scored on a 2-out single by Jake Evans to give them the lead. (looks upwards into the nightly clouds) Ho-hum.

Fox would go eight innings, unfortunately not without allowing another run in the final frame on a Campos double that scored Fumero from first base and doubled the gap the Raccoons had to make up. However, the home 6-7-8 went down without a squeak in the bottom 8th, while the Knights put John Baxley and Waker on the corner with a 2-out singles against Cruzado. McDaniel appeared and struck out McLaren to get out of the inning. The Coons got Corral on base with a 1-out single against Erik Swain in the bottom 9th, but Kozak then right away rumbled into a double play before an actual threat could materialize. 2-0 Knights. Starr 1-2, BB; Fox 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, L (12-10);

Four-and-a-half again with ten games to play…

Game 3
ATL: 2B Kilday – C McLaren – RF J. Evans – 3B Ovalle – CF Fumero – 1B Waker – SS Baxley – P Fuqua – LF B. Snyder
POR: RF Corral – 3B V. Morales – LF Kozak – 2B Monck – 1B Starr – CF Maldonado – C Arellano – SS Aoki – P Morris

The weather was less gloomy on Thursday, but our situation in the standings was, especially when the Knights went up 1-0 in the top of the first with singles to center by Matt Kilday and Pedro Ovalle. The Coons answered with Corral and Morales reaching base in the bottom 1st, then a nothing flyout from Kozak, and Monck rolling into his third double play of the series. Single, walk, double play it was then in the bottom 2nd from Starr, Maldonado, and Arellano, after which Fuqua was made to walk Aoki intentionally, then walked Morris much less intentionally, and then also lost Corral to ball four in a full count, which forced in the tying run, but Vic Morales then flew out to center. Monck then tripled to right in the third inning, but had no friends and was left stranded by Starr and Maldonado…

Fuqua departed in the fifth inning after issuing his seventh walk, a 2-out free pass to Joel Starr with Vic Morales on third base after a leadoff double. Right-hander Luis Morales replaced him, but offered little relief once he gave up a 2-run double into the leftfield corner to Elmer Maldonado, which gave the Coons a hard-won 3-1 lead. Arellano singled home Maldonado, Aoki also singled, but Morris grounded out to short, ending the 3-spot inning. He then walked McLaren and drilled Ovalle in the top 6th before Fumero and Waker popped out to Monck in order to fail the Knights out of the inning.

Bottom 6th, Luis Morales filled the bases with Corral (who was forced out by the other Morales), Kozak, and Monck, then brought up Starr with one out. He singled sharply up the middle, narrowly past the glove of a diving Baxley, and the Coons scored a pair on the play, 6-1. Maldonado walked, Morales departed, and David Concha gave up a 2-run double to Arellano. Valencia batted for Aoki, was intentionally walked, and Morris hit into a double play to end the inning.

Morris failed bravely forward until he put two runners on base in the seventh and gave up a 2-out bomb to McLaren, which brought the Knights back into slam range. Ben Lussier walked three Coons in the bottom 7th without giving up a run, which was always splendid, while the eighth was largely uneventful. Victor Herrera got his filthy paws on a 4-run lead in the ninth inning for a couple of batters, but once Brendan Snyder and McLaren were on base, the ball went to McGinley with two outs to collect, which he got in one swoop with Jake Evans’ 6-4-3 grounder to Joe Gardner. 8-4 Furballs! Corral 2-3, 3 BB, RBI; Morales 2-6, 2B; Starr 2-3, 2 BB, 2 RBI; Arellano 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Aoki 1-2, BB;

13 hits, 13 walks, and 15 left on base. What a bunch.

Raccoons (82-71) vs. Loggers (77-75) – September 26-28, 2064

In years past, you would have said silly things like, oh, the Loggers, free wins! But while the Raccoons were up 9-6 in the season series, it was a really hard-fought 9-6 and I wasn’t convinced at all that we weren’t gonna lay another clutch of eggs. The Loggers had the #2 offense next to the second-worst pitching in the league. At least they knew where to patch their roster going forwards!

Projected matchups:
Tyler Riddle (14-10, 3.09 ERA) vs. Oliver Graham (9-12, 4.58 ERA)
TBD vs. Girolamo Pizzichini (6-8, 4.75 ERA)
TBD vs. Larry Wilson (9-8, 4.19 ERA)

Keen observers will have noted that Josh Elling did not appear in that list of matchups; he would have started the opener on his turn, but he went through a whole hog with side dishes after the W on Thursday and spent all of Friday barfing. Pitching was out of the question for *at least* the opener. Of course, no other starters of recent memory would be available on regular rest on the weekend, so it was probably gonna be Cruzado (5-2, 3.69 ERA) on Saturday and then praying for Elling’s recovery on Sunday.

Sadly no meeting with Bobby Herrera (13-15, 3.26 ERA), who had pitched on Wednesday, like every Critter that could be of value right now. The three up there were also all right-handed.

Game 1
MIL: RF D. Wright – LF C. Ramirez – 1B D. Robles – 2B F. Carrera – CF Merrill – 3B D. Miller – C Jack – SS Reber – P O. Graham
POR: RF Corral – 3B Morales – CF Kozak – 2B Monck – 1B Starr – C Arellano – LF Spicer – SS Novelo – P Riddle

Riddle didn’t put many paws wrong in the early innings, but J.P. Jack doubled in the second inning and scored on a balk, which kinda blew. The Coons had nothing in the first two frames, but then Spicer led off the third with a single, stole second, and was brought in to score on two groundouts by Novelo and Riddle, getting the score even at one again. Riddle scattered five hits in five innings, while the Raccoons began the bottom 5th with Arellano and Spicer singles. Novelo’s groundout advanced them, but Riddle grounded out to first and Corral flew out to center to keep them stranded.

Fidel Carrera’s solo homer in the sixth sucked on many levels. It buried Monck in the home run race for the time being (Carrera had 29 now to Monck’s 28, same as Eddie Marcotte), and it also put the Loggers up again, 2-1. Monck reached base in the same inning, but only on an error, and then was left on first base. Riddle got to the stretch without any more blunders, then was taken off the hook when Novelo socked a homer to tie the game. Marco Campos then batted for Riddle, scratched out a single against Graham, stole his tenth base of the year, and then Corral got home the go-ahead run from second base. Hall got the ball in the eighth, retiring the 2-3-4 batters in order… although Carrera sent a ball to the warning track where it was caught by Corral. McGinley’s ninth was quick and painless; groundouts by Vic Velez and Danny Miller, and then a K on J.P. Jack to put the game away. 3-2 Coons! Spicer 2-3; Campos (PH) 1-1; Riddle 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (15-10);

The Titans also eked out a 3-2 win, in 11 innings, against the Crusaders, so the gap remained at four with just twice as many to play.

But three against those Titans!

Yes, Maud, I will cling to that harder than to Honeypaws in a 10-run blowout, until I no longer can! But can you please bake some muffins with the 50/50 sprinkles on top? – Yes, 50% actual sprinkles and 50% painkillers. – Thanks, Maud!

Elling looked like a corpse on Saturday and was not available to pitch. The Coons had to give the ball to Cruzado.

Game 2
MIL: LF Franks – 1B C. Ramirez – C Guitreau – 2B F. Carrera – 3B D. Miller – RF D. Wright – CF Merrill – SS Reber – P Pizzichini
POR: RF Corral – 3B Morales – LF Kozak – 2B Monck – 1B Starr – C Arellano – SS Novelo – CF Tallent – P Cruzado

The Coons pulled off a rare feat on Saturday in the second inning, hitting three consecutive homers with their 1-2-3 batters. Corral mashed his 16th, Morales his 8th, and Kozak his 23rd of the season, and it gave us a 5-0 lead; Cruzado had already singled home Arellano and his leadoff double for the game’s first run before the 1-2-3 leathered “Pizza” for four more. Monck then hit a single, but Starr popped out.

Cruzado nailed both Jonathan Merrill and Scott Franks in the third inning, but the Loggers couldn’t buy a hit and didn’t score, nor did they get a run in the fourth, which had a throwing error by Morales, a wild pitch, and a clueless 2-out walk to Dave Wright before Merrill grounded out to leave runners on the corners. Cruzado next walked a pair in the fifth, but still wasn’t scored upon, and in fact the Loggers were still hitless, even though Cruzado’s pitch count was skyrocketing. Joel Starr bashed a homer in the fifth to finally knock out Pizzichini, 6-0, but Cruzado was held to six innings of 1-hit ball, giving up a single to Wright, but still no run, in the sixth inning. Spicer singled in his spot in the bottom 6th and scored on Morales’ 2-out double into the gap, then replaced Kozak in leftfield for the remainder of the game after Kozak ended the inning with a groundout.

Monck became the last of the top five bats to sock a homer in this game, and the only one to take somebody other than Pizzichini deep, blasting one off Jesus Hinojosa in the seventh. Starr and Novelo flocked on base and were tripled home by Maldonado, batting for Tallent, to get the team into double digits. Spicer added an RBI single, and Corral nearly hit another homer off righty Tim Newton, but had the ball taken off the top of the fence by Merrill. At the end of that inning, the remaining four top five batters were all subbed out with plenty of warm bodies on the bench. Read, Harmer, and Sensabaugh pitched scoreless relief against a beaten Loggers team in the late innings. 11-1 Furballs! Morales 2-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Monck 2-4, HR, RBI; Novelo 2-4; Maldonado (PH) 1-1, 3B, 2 RBI; Spicer (PH) 2-2, RBI;

However, there were no bonus wins for winning by ten, and the Titans stayed four ahead with a 5-2 win against the Crusaders.

Elling then claimed to be good to go on Sunday. So we sent him out there – after helping him pick the last bits of barf out of his fur.

Game 3
MIL: LF Franks – 1B C. Ramirez – C Guitreau – 2B F. Carrera – 3B D. Miller – RF D. Wright – CF Merrill – SS Reber – P L. Wilson
POR: RF Corral – 3B Morales – LF Kozak – 2B Monck – 1B Starr – SS Aoki – C Lawson – C Campos – P Elling

Tommy Guitreau hit his 27th homer of the year off Elling in the first, putting the Loggers 1-0 ahead again, although the unearned run they got in the second inning was way stinkier as Wright reached on an Aoki error, and then Wilson singled him home with two outs… Elling was no bueno, kept leaking runners, was bashed around for two doubles and a run, then a walk in the third, but after the Coons went in order from 1-through-6, the bottom 3rd began with Lawson and Campos singles – as unlikely as that sounded – and after Elling bunted them into scoring position, Jose Corral chuckled and showed him what he considered scoring position with his third huge homer of the week, tying the game at three as the fans in the upper reaches of the rightfield stands scurried for that ball.

Kozak hit a double with two outs, but was stranded by a fading Monck, however, the Raccoons took the lead in the fourth in even unlikelier fashion as Starr got on base before third-string catcher Scott Lawson chucked a ball over the leftfield wall for a 5-3 lead!

The Coons eventually got six innings out of Elling, the second set of three being much calmer and controlled compared to the first set of three. Portland added another run in the bottom 6th when Campos singled home Starr, although the inning had actually started with a Monck single, but he had been caught stealing. So the Critters left some on the table there, but McDaniel struck out the side in the seventh before three singles off Hinojosa by Corral, Morales, and Starr tacked on another run in the seventh, 7-3. Aoki walked to fill the bases and Lawson shoved one up the middle for a 2-out, 2-run single. Spicer added a pinch-hit single to load them up, but Joe Gardner flew out to Scott Franks to leave the bases full – but then Juan Carrillo absolutely *had* to be taken deep by Fidel Carrera in the eighth inning. It was only one run on the scoreboard, but #30 broke the tie with Monck for the CL home run belt. Monck got another shot in the bottom 8th, but faced a fresh pitcher in Ignazio Flores after Kozak had just disposed of the last hurler, Larry Colwell, with a 3-run homer. 12-4 Furballs!! Corral 3-5, HR, 3 RBI; Morales 2-; Kozak 2-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Starr 3-4, RBI; Lawson 3-4, HR, 4 RBI; Campos 2-3, RBI; Spicer (PH) 1-1;

In other news

September 23 – NAS SP Tomas Restrepo (9-4, 3.34 ERA) 2-hits the Gold Sox in a 13-0 shutout slash rout.
September 23 – The Cyclones beat the Wolves, 4-0 in ten innings, after neither team could get a run across in regulation.
September 24 – While the hitting streak of Dallas’ Xavier Reyes (.331, 5 HR, 66 RBI) dies at 23 games in a 13-6 loss to the Capitals in which he goes 0-for-5…
September 24 – …a new 20-game hitting streak is born in the Blue Sox’ 12-4 win against the Gold Sox, as NAS C David Johnson (.318, 28 HR, 94 RBI) reaches the mark with a 3-run homer in the fourth inning and adds an RBI single later. The win also clinches the FL East for the Blue Sox.
September 28 – An 0-for-6 day ends the 22-game hitting streak of Blue Sox backstop David Johnson (.319, 29 HR, 95 RBI). The Blue Sox win anyway, 4-3 against the Cyclones.

FL Player of the Week: RIC SS Jason Turner (.249, 13 HR, 85 RBI), batting .448 (13-29) with 2 HR, 7 RBI
CL Player of the Week: NYC C Marco Nieto (.281, 2 HR, 66 RBI), hitting .542 (13-24) with 1 RBI

Complaints and stuff

While the Coons destroyed the Loggers in a sweep on the weekend, the Titans finally missed a step on Sunday and lost in 12 innings to the Crusaders. This was a crucial loss for them, because that put their lead to end the week at three games, and they had to play just as many against the Critters starting on Monday. The Raccoons thus controlled their own destiny again: six or seven wins (including a tie-breaker) would give them the division and the playoff ticket.

BOS (88-68) – POR (3), VAN (3) – .508 – 95.6% (-0.9%)
POR (85-71) – BOS (3), NYC (3) – .526 – 4.4% (+0.9%)

All of this was surely a delight to the Raccoons-scarred Thunder when it came to the CLCS, which they were just by a magic number of two away from.

But we had to stop ******* up!

The triple crown for Monck was off the table after this lackluster week, and he was merely tied with Casey Ramsey with 109 RBI, while Fidel Carrera had the sole lead with 30 homers against Monck’s 29. Eddie Marcotte was still at 28, having gone a bit silent recently. That was treacherous…

Fun Fact: The Raccoons’ longest playoff drought is 13 years, from 1997 to 2009 inclusive.

This of course encompasses the entirety of the Decade of Darkness from ’97 to 2006, when we didn’t get as much as 80 wins in any season, and then three strong 90+ wins showings at the end where the Crusaders just proved too much.

By comparison, our last playoff appearance was in 2060, although I admit it felt longer than just three dry seasons.

I talk like we’ve already swept the Titans, huh?

+++

Side note that the Raccoons might go on a brief hiatus over the weekend. I have bought the Founders Edition for the upcoming Civ 7 and that will release into early access on Thursday. I fully expect to sink into it for 20+ hours on the weekend, if it actually technically works – wouldn’t be the first “shill over extra bills to play X games early” that doesn’t actually function then. Then again, we will hit the offseason by Friday at the latest, so it would take just sitting down for an hour with a coffee to get a small update done.