[Westheim]

Raccoons (75-61) @ Titans (75-62) – September 4-6, 2068

The Raccoons were off on a 3-city, 10-game road trip that would make or break a season, beginning in Boston. The Titans were third in runs scored and fourth in runs allowed, and had a +82 run differential. These were the two teams with the best rotations in the league, although Titans starter Mike Bell had since been ruled out for the season and they somehow had only one starter with a winning record left (Ricardo Montoya). The Raccoons were behind in the season series (5-7), as they were against any North team not named Indians or Crusaders.

Projected matchups:
Vinny Morales (7-4, 3.22 ERA) vs. Tyler Riddle (9-10, 3.57 ERA)
Tony Gaytan (7-9, 4.36 ERA) vs. Bryce Wallace (8-12, 3.68 ERA)
Nick Walla (12-10, 2.53 ERA) vs. Ricardo Montoya (10-7, 3.28 ERA)

The series opened with a left-hander and former Raccoon, followed by two right-handers. George van Otterdijk, who had only warmed the bench for the first few days of his September call-up, would make his ABL debut against Riddle.

Game 1
POR: SS Duhe – CF Ramirez – 1B Starr – LF Early – 3B Mendoza – RF van Otterdijk – 2B Archuleta – C D’Alessandro – P Morales
BOS: LF S. Humphries – C Arviso – CF Marcotte – RF M. Garcia – 2B Jer. White – 3B D. Miller – SS Robichaud – 1B Joe Washington – P Riddle

Van Otterdijk was initiated well by his teammates, hitting a single to left in his first at-bat and then being doubled off right away by Archuleta, but he also got his first outfield assist in the same second inning when Jeremy White was on first base and tagged up to advance on a deep fly out by Danny Miller, but as thrown out by van Otterdijk at second base. The Titans continued to make outs on the base paths in the third inning, which Jared Robichaud opened with a single and was caught stealing. Joe Washington then singled and did steal second, but was thrown out at the plate when he tried to score on a Riddle single to center, the assist going to Jaden Wilson. Archuleta was caught stealing in the fourth inning, and Mendoza hit into another double play in the sixth inning, and neither team got a run across through six despite nine total hits between the two teams due to excessive waste of the base runners.

Archuleta was on base again in the seventh inning and this time did steal second base, but was still only at second base with two outs in the scoreless ballgame. Gary Gates batted for Morales and walked, and Duhe also drew a walk that loaded the bases and ended Riddle’s involvement in the game. Left-hander Joe Cash threw a wild pitch to plate Archuleta before striking out Ramirez to end the inning. Dover then pitched in the bottom 7th, walking the leadoff man Eddie Marcotte, but then got a double play grounder from Manuel Garcia to Duhe and struck out White. The Coons then used FOUR relievers in the bottom 8th, always a good sign. Dover got the first out without issue, and McMahan got the last out from Jorge Arviso, but in between Rios and Josh C ****** up the tying run by allowing two hits and a walk to the Titans, with PH Sergio Leon dropping an RBI single behind Diego Mendoza to tie the game.

Cody Kleidon and Jason Holzmeister exchanged 1-2-3 innings to send the game to extras, where Duhe and Ramirez got on base in the tenth inning, but Starr and Early then struck out against the Boston closer and the runners were stranded. The Coons got two innings from Kehoe, but still couldn’t score against the Titans, and the 1-1 tie went to Matt Schmieder for the bottom 12th. He walked the leadoff man Garcia, but White hit into a double play to clean up again. Bryon Duncan grounded to short, but Duhe threw the ball away for a 2-base error, and then a single by Robichaud ended the game……. 2-1 Titans. Ramirez 2-6; Archuleta 2-5; Morales 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K; Kehoe 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K;

And just like that we gave first place back again…

Game 2
POR: SS Duhe – CF Wilson – 1B Starr – RF Corral – LF Otal – 2B Archuleta – C Flowe – 3B Mendoza – P Gaytan
BOS: LF S. Humphries – C Arviso – CF Marcotte – RF M. Garcia – 2B Jer. White – 3B D. Miller – SS Robichaud – 1B Brassfield – P B. Wallace

The Raccoons scored in the first inning on Wednesday, getting a Duhe double and an RBI single from Joel Starr, who drove in his 98th run of the year, but that wasn’t gonna be enough with the way Tony Gaytan was pitching. While he faced the minimum the first time through (yay!) he did so allowing a single to Steve Humphries, who was erased on Arviso’s double play grounder, and then gave up no fewer than three fly balls to the warning track on his way through the order, all of which were caught.

The fifth inning was tense, for a lack of a better word. The Raccoons got Flowe and Mendoza on base with one out before Gaytan bunted too hard and got Flowe forced out at third base on a nifty play by Miller. Duhe then struck out, before Gaytan allowed a leadoff double to Manuel Garcia. Miller walked with one out, and Robichaud hit a single to load the bases before Trent Brassfield, batting .225 with five homers attempting to keep his career going, hit into a bad out in shallow right, Corral catching the ball on the run to shoo all the runners back to their bases. Gaytan then ran a full count with two outs on Wallace before getting him to strike out…

Wilson singled and stole second to begin the sixth, after which Starr was walked intentionally and then Corral hit into his second double play of the game. Otal wasn’t any help either, and then Gaytan finally let one fly after nicking Arviso in the bottom 6th, when Manuel Garcia took him well deep to right to flip the score to 2-1 Boston. The Raccoons then threatened in the eighth with Starr and Corral drawing walks off Tyler Gleason to create pressure. This was with two outs, and Marquise Early batted for Benito Otal, to which the Titans answered by sending in righty Victor Ramirez. Early grounded out meekly. Nava and Rios held the Titans close in the seventh and eighth, and then Kleidon was in for the ninth for Boston after pitching two innings the day before. Archuleta, Flowe, and Mendoza were axed without much fanfare as the Raccoons sank deeper into the pack. 2-1 Titans. Starr 1-2, 2 BB, RBI;

…

Game 3
POR: SS Duhe – CF Wilson – 1B Starr – RF Corral – LF Otal – 3B Gates – C Flowe – 2B Novelo – P Walla
BOS: LF S. Humphries – C Arviso – CF Marcotte – RF M. Garcia – 2B Jer. White – SS Robichaud – 3B C. Pena – 1B I. Berrios – P R. Montoya

It also appeared like Nick Walla was no longer any bueno, giving up a 3-run homer (two earned) to Garcia in the first inning. He had walked Humphries to begin his day, and Gary Gates had chipped in an error on Marcotte’s grounder. He was far from sharp after that, either, although he singled in the third inning, after which Duhe drew a 1-out walk, and then Wilson hit into a double play, because that was once again all the team could do. The Raccoons then did get a run in the fourth on 1-out extra base knocks by Corral (a double) and Otal (a triple!), but Gates and Flowe then sucked the air out of a wannabe-rally with really poor outs and left Otal on third base.

Top 5th, and Novelo rolled a dying wheezer near the third base line for an infield single. Walla then struggled to bunt, failing his way to 2-2 before we called a hit-and-run. Novelo ran, and Walla hit – a double to right! Novelo scored, and the tying run was in scoring position with nobody out, somehow! Duhe walked and was forced out on another Wilson grounder to short, moving Walla to third base. Starr then crashed into a 3-6-1 double play. For ***** sake!!!

Walla was sent packing after six, like every Coons starter in this series, and on a 4-2 hook after giving up another run on Garcia and Robichaud doubles in the bottom 6th. The Titans scratched out another run against Cameron Bridges in the eighth inning, while the Coons did absolutely nothing until Corral led off the ninth with a single against lefty Travis Davis. Early batted for Otal, but popped out. Gates drew a walk, bringing the tying run to the plate, with Eddy Ramirez batting for Flowe. He grounded out to first, and Novelo grounded out to third. 5-2 Titans. Corral 2-4, 2B;

Suddenly the Titans were up by two and a half games in the division, since the Elks had split a four-game series with the the Loggers and were now tied with the Raccoons for second place.

Raccoons (75-64) @ Crusaders (74-67) – September 7-9, 2068

The Coons got broomed all the way to New York by the Titans, where the Crusaders were 4 1/2 games behind in the North and still had expectations, even though the Raccoons had already taken the season series from them, 10-5. Their offense put them seventh, with the #8 pitching, and a -20 run differential, but hey-ho, free wins had just arrived in town. They had Jarod Nesbit, Jose Ambriz, Jeff Maudlin, Alex Rodriguez, and a couple of fringe guys on the DL, but the Raccoons had stopped scoring altogether, so one, two runs was all that was needed now…

Projected matchups:
Girolamo Pizzichini (6-8, 3.61 ERA) vs. A.C. Stebbins (8-9, 4.82 ERA)
Alex Dominguez (16-5, 3.12 ERA) vs. Erik Lee (11-14, 4.85 ERA)
Vinny Morales (7-4, 3.08 ERA) vs. Nick Waldron (11-11, 4.16 ERA)

Left-right-right, because that had worked so well for us in Boston…

Game 1
POR: SS Duhe – CF Ramirez – 1B Starr – LF Early – RF van Otterdijk – 3B Gates – 2B Archuleta – C D’Alessandro – P Pizzichini
NYC: CF Box – RF Nakamura – 1B Starwalt – C D. Johnson – 3B Frasher – SS Masterson – LF Takeuchi – 2B Philpot – P Stebbins

Van Otterdijk hit into his first double play on Friday, doing so in the perfect spot, with Duhe, Ramirez, and Early all over the bases and one out to ensure the Coons would not score in the top of the first. Archuleta singled and was stranded in the second inning, and the Raccoons then frittered away a few walks the second time through the order. Pizza held the Crusaders hitless until Danny Starwalt got a single into leftfield in the bottom 4th, but he was also stranded in the fourth low-scoring game of the week. Pizza then led off the fifth with a single to left, Duhe walked, and Ramirez’ fly to deep left was caught by Kazuhide Takeuchi. But there was no catching Joel Starr’s double into the right-center gap, and that scored two runs, gave Portland a 2-0 upside, and put Starr on 100 RBI for the season! …and then he was of course stranded when Early flew out to right and van Otterdijk lined out to short. Takeuchi then took Pizza deep to center in the bottom 5th to cut the lead in half.

The Raccoons then got a leadoff single from Gates in the sixth, but he couldn’t get a steal attempt off, then was doubled up on Archuleta’s 5-4-3 for another ******* two-for-one. With two outs then, the battery got on base with a D’Alessandro single and Pizza getting nicked by reliever Dave Hyman. Duhe hit an RBI single to center, but Ramirez grounded out to end the inning and left two on base. The 3-1 lead then went to **** pretty quickly in the bottom 6th, with a leadoff walk to Omar Vera and a Bryant Box single that put runners on the corners. Box stole second, Natsu Nakamura got a run home with a groundout, and then Starwalt walked. That was the end for Pizza, who was replaced with Kehoe, who ran two full counts. David Johnson lined out to Duhe, but he walked Eric Frasher with two outs. Johnny Parker then pinch-hit for Hyman in the #6 spot, and the Coons went to McMahan, who got a K to wiggle out of the jam with a bruised 3-2 lead.

The seventh was uneventful, while Gates singled in the eighth inning, but three consecutive pinch-hitters failed to advance him an inch, let alone 270 feet. Dover then killed off the 1-2-3 batters in the bottom 8th to keep the lead in one piece, but Valentin then blew it in the bottom of the ninth with leadoff singles for Johnson and Frasher. Terry Cummings’ groundout and Takeuchi’s sac fly tied the game, but Alex Silverio flew out to Wilson in center to send the game to extras. Early led off the tenth with a single, but then was also left on base to die, while the Raccoons sent Gabriel Rios against the left-handed batters in the 9-1-2 spots, but he was first hit with righty pinch-hitters, and then his own stupidity as he walked leadoff man Chris Duhon, balked him to second base, and then lost the game on a Nakamura sac fly. 4-3 Crusaders. Early 2-4; Gates 2-4, BB;

The Titans won again.

The Titans were now up 3 1/2 games.

Game 2
POR: SS Duhe – CF Wilson – 1B Starr – RF Corral – LF Otal – 3B Gates – C Flowe – 2B Novelo – P A. Dominguez
NYC: CF Box – SS Masterson – 1B Starwalt – C D. Johnson – LF J. Parker – RF Takeuchi – 3B J. Hernandez – 2B Philpot – P E. Lee

Corral doubled home Wilson for a 1-0 start in the first again, but my hopes were flat by now, and so was Dominguez, allowing back-to-back homers to Scott Masterson (inside-the-park) and Danny Starwalt (outside-the-park) in the bottom 1st to immediately fall behind. Top 2nd, straight singles from the 6-7-8 batters and a tied ballgame, but the remaining runners … remained on base after Dominguez’ bunt as both Duhe and Wilson made ****** outs on pops. The Coons had a pair in scoring position and one out *again* in the third inning after a soft single by Starr and an Otal double. This time, Gary Gates came through with a screaming 2-run double into the leftfield corner, 4-2, but was also left on base as Flowe grounded out, Novelo wasn’t extended business to by the Crusaders, and Dominguez grounded out.

Bottom 4th, and Johnny Parker singled to left right away. Takeuchi singled to center, Wilson overran the ball, and the Crusaders had the tying runs in scoring position. They had no trouble scoring them on Jordan Hernandez’ single and Ryan Philpot’s double, and then Chris Duhon hit another pinch-hit, 2-run single. Dominguez was kicked down the tunnel to the clubhouse without logging an out in the inning, and ended up charged with seven runs when Holzmeister allowed an RBI triple to Box, whom the Crusaders then left at third base, as if anybody gave a **** anymore.

Carrington allowed a run in the seventh, while the Raccoons put on a fake threat in the eighth with Gates and Novelo getting on base with one out after several innings of complete absence. Early pinch-hit in the pitcher’s spot and popped out, but Duhe hit a 2-out RBI single, 8-5. Van Otterdijk batted for Wilson when the Crusaders sent in a left-hander, Russell Anderson, but grounded out, and that was that inning. Right-hander Jon Dominguez got the ninth and a walk to Starr and a Corral single put runners on the corners right away. Otal was the tying run, brought in Starr with a groundout, but that didn’t constitute a real gain. Gates and Flowe both fanned to end the game. 8-6 Crusaders. Starr 2-4, BB; Corral 3-5, 2B, RBI; Gates 2-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Novelo 2-3, BB, RBI;

(stares blankly)

Game 3
POR: SS Duhe – CF Wilson – 1B Starr – RF Corral – LF Early – C Flowe – 2B Archuleta – 3B Arredondo – P Morales
NYC: CF Box – RF Nakamura – 1B Starwalt – C D. Johnson – 3B Frasher – LF J. Parker – SS J. Hernandez – 2B Philpot – P Waldron

The Coons went up *2-0* in the top of the first on Sunday, getting knocks from Duhe and Wilson, while Starr popped out. Corral’s groundout and Early’s sac fly both got in a run in the inning. Things then immediately hit the fan with a Nakamura single, an Archuleta error, a walk to Johnson, and an RBI single by Eric Frasher, 2-1, before Johnny Parker flew into a 7-2 double play with Early throwing out Starwalt at the plate to end the inning. Jordan Hernandez hit a leadoff single in the second and advanced on two outs before Box grounded out to Archuleta… except that Morales dropped his feed to first base, and the tying run scored on that error.

Leadoff runners Duhe and Wilson were derailed by Starr hitting into a double play and Corral whiffing in the third inning, but at least the Crusaders also wasted a leadoff double by Starwalt. The fourth then began with Early grounding out before Flowe singled. Waldron walked Archuleta on straight balls before giving up a ball in the left-center gap to Manny Arredondo. Flowe scored from second, but Archuleta was thrown out trying. Arredondo made third base on the play at home, then scored on our own Vinny Morales’ single to center, 4-2. Duhe then flew out easily for the third out.

Bottom 4th, and Morales issued straight balls to the leadoff man Hernandez. Philpot’s fly to left was dropped by Early for the third ******* error in the game. Morales then struck out PH Alex Silverio, Hernandez was caught stealing third base, and Box grounded out meekly on a 3-1 pitch. Maybe, just maybe, NEITHER of these two teams, each covered in their own snot, should make the playoffs……

Joel Starr hit his 30th homer, a solo job off southpaw Ed Nadeau, in the fifth inning, extending the score to 5-2. Vinny Morales then retired the Crusaders in order in the fifth and sixth, before Starr came back around with Duhe on base and facing another southpaw, Andres Lopez, in the seventh – and he hit another homer! This put the lead at 7-2, and the next two batters drew walks off righty Christopher Tinari, but were left on base. Philpot hit a leadoff single to center in the bottom 7th, and scored on a stolen base, wild pitch, and Takeuchi’s groundout. Morales was yanked, with Sean Thomas getting outs from Box and Nakamura to finish the bottom 7th. Schmieder got the ball in the eighth and walked Starwalt, but Johnson hit into a double play and Frasher whiffed. Tinari was still around in the ninth and faced Starr, issuing a leadoff walk to him. Early doubled in Starr with a 1-out double, and that was the last run of the game. Kehoe would get the last three outs for Portland. 8-3 Coons. Duhe 1-2, 3 BB; Wilson 2-5, 2B; Starr 2-4, BB, 2 HR, 3 RBI; Arredondo 2-4, 2B, RBI;

In other news

September 4 – The Thunder take a nasty hit when 1B Ian Stone (.308, 20 HR, 72 RBI) tears his ACL and will miss the rest of this and the start of next season.
September 4 – A home run by RIC OF Juan Licona (.307, 4 HR, 26 RBI) wins the Rebels a 1-0 game against the Capitals.
September 5 – SFW UT Devon Franks (.237, 1 HR, 14 RBI) hits a pinch-hit grand slam in a 14-0 rout of the Pacifics. It’s the 24-year-old’s second career home run.
September 8 – Eight runs are scored in regulation and another eight in extra innings as the Aces beat the Condors in Tijuana, 8-6 in 11 innings.
September 9 – SAL SP Guido Branco (14-8, 3.19 ERA) throws a 3-hit shutout to beat the Stars, 4-0.

FL Player of the Week: NAS OF/1B Tony Roman (.282, 18 HR, 69 RBI), hitting .615 (8-13) with 2 HR, 3 RBI
CL Player of the Week: SFB 3B Joel Chavez (.295, 1 HR, 21 RBI), hitting .429 (12-28) with 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

(opens snout)

(closes snout)

(buries face in paws)

Playoff picture in the North (with strength of schedule and the know-it-all chance to win the division):
BOS (80-63) – POR (6), VAN (4), IND (3), MIL (3), NYC (3), OCT (3), TIJ (3) – .520 – 84.0% (+50.8%)
POR (76-66) – BOS (6), IND (4), VAN (4), ATL (3), MIL (3), NYC (3), SFB (3) – .507 – 7.2% (-35.8%)
VAN (75-67) – MIL (7), BOS (4), POR (4), CHA (3), IND (3), LVA (3), NYC (3) – .504 – 5.1% (-14.7%)
NYC (76-68) – IND (6), ATL (3), BOS (3), MIL (3), POR (3), SFB (3), VAN (3) – .508 – 3.5% (+1.1%)
MIL (73-70) – VAN (7), IND (4), BOS (3), CHA (3), LVA (3), NYC (3), POR (3) – .486 – 0.2% (-1.5%)

Fun Fact: Last year’s #5 pick Jack Hamel batted .320 across 28 games in AAA before ending his season with an intercostal strain.

What’s fun about that, I hear you ask, but what was fun about LITERALLY ANYTHING THIS WEEK???