May 2055
We continue with the Milwaukee series for the first 2 days of the month.
Milwaukee Eagles (10-16 5th US) vs Chicago Architects (14-12 T-3rd US)
May 1st and 2nd
Chicago’s Pier IV Grounds
So after the horror of the Hulburt injury and the opening game of the series loss to the Eagles (of all teams). We will have moves to make after this series to bring up some pitchers to help out. Right now we are sitting a game out between Duluth and Toledo and tied with Traverse City for 3rd.
Probable Starting Pitchers
Mitch Belding 1-0 3.07 vs John Moore 1-0 5.81 ERA
Billy “Dude” Hill 3-1 3.49 ERA vs Val Imbert 3-2 3.23
Game 2
Saturday May 1st 2055
A - 36,915
Milwaukee 11 Chicago 5
The bottom of the lineup leads the Eagles to victory. Eight-hole hitting Logan Herring goes 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, four runs scored, and two RBIs. Nine-hole hitting Anson Tardy goes 3-for-5 with one runs scored and two RBIs. Losing the first two games of this series is just not acceptable!!!! Milwaukee 11, Chicago 5.
LF M Graves 2-5 DB 2 RBI, SB, DH J Aranda 2-4 HR R RBI, SS W Dunse 2-5 R, 2B J Lambert 2-4 2DB 2R
CH HR - DH J Aranda (6)
Game 3
Sunday, May 1st 2055
A - 36,508
Chicago 4 Milwaukee 3 10 innings
Staring at a 500 record with a loss, the Architects needed a strong start from SP Val Imbert today, and that is what they got. Chicago’s Val Imbert (6.2 IP, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K) takes a shutout into the seventh, where he gives up home runs to Eric Molina and Neil Carter. Those home runs score three and give the Eagles a one-run lead. In the bottom of the inning, Samuel Amsden doubles and comes around to score. The game goes to extras. In the 10th, Reagan Osborn reaches base on a fielder’s choice, steals second, and scores the winning run on a Thomas Arnaud single. Chicago 4, Milwaukee 3.
RF S Amsden 2-3 2DB, R BB
CH HR - DH J Aranda (7), 1B R Osborn (7)
Summary - There is just not a lot to say after losing 2 out of 3 at home against an Eagles team that is destined for a top 4 draft pick.
Chicago Architects 15-13 @ Traverse City Bears 15-13
May 3rd through 5th
TC’s The Den (stadium)
So we head out to Traverse City where the weather and the mood in the city is often grumpy. The Bears are in the thick of things just like last year and they have two monster players on offense that run the show. RF Earle Foote who has won the last 2 US Lake Superior Player awards is a dangerous hitter. He’s led the US Division in RBI’s with 110 in 53, and 126 last year while slugging 61 home runs in those two campaigns. The other key position player is CF Cal Braud who won the US batting title with a 377 batting average last year. With these two players in the lineup, TC is capable of winning any game at any time.
The issue with TC is their pitching, being blunt it is pretty bad. While Walt Marcotte and John Nelligan are capable starters, there is no “stopper” or dominant starting pitcher that can end a losing streak. If they can solve their pitching problems, they can be considered a very serious contender to win the league. But, they need to make some moves or be patient for another season for some help from the farm.
We won the first 3 games of the season series at home. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see that our former LHRP Kade Cason is starting in the first game of this series. Cason pitched well for us last year in low leverage and long man situations, but he is not a quality starting pitcher at this level. Still the fans love him.
Probable Starting Pitchers
Chicago @ Traverse City
JJ Walker 1-1 4.70 ERA vs Kade Cason 0-3 6.10 ERA
Jose Cedeno 3-2 5.50 ERA vs Walt Bader 2-1 3.91 ERA
John Moore 1-1 6.60 vs Walt Marcotte 3-0 4.81
Game 1
Monday May 3rd, 2055
A - 33,345
Chicago 7 Traverse City 4
Chicago’s Prowler Ashley homers, extending his hit-streak to 24 games. It should be noted that yesterday Ashley pinch-hit and walked in his only at-bat. Samuel Amsden and Simone Lefevre also homer. In a losing effort, Earl Foote goes 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, and three runs scored. Chicago 7, Traverse City 4.
2B W Dunse 3-4 R RBI BB, LF J Aranda 2-5 R BB, DH C Torres 3-5 2 RBI, SS Lefevre 2-5 DB R RBI
CH HR - None
Game 2
Tuesday May 4th, 2055
A - 35,452
Chicago 8 Traverse City 7
The Tects scored five times in the first, with Thomas Arnaud hitting a three-run homer. They score twice more, and then the Bears work their way back. Traverse City scores one time in the fourth, four times in the fifth, and then Cal Braud ties things up by swatting a two-run homer in the seventh. In the ninth, José Aranda doubles, moves to third on a ground out, and scores on a sac fly. Chicago has won all 5 meetings against the Bears this year so far. Chicago 8, Traverse City 7.
LF M Graves 3-5 2R SB, RF J Ashley 4-5 R, SB, 1B R Obsorn 3-5 HR 2R 3RBI, 2B K Noseworthy 2-4 RBI
CH HR - 3B T Arnaud (7), 1B R Osborn (8)
Game 3
Wednesday May 5th, 2055
A - 28,953
Traverse City 4 Chicago 2
Oh, no. Chicago loses a second starting pitcher for the rest of the season. John Moore leaves the game in the second, holding his right arm in obvious pain. X-rays show that he has torn his rotator cuff. Recovery will take six months. Jim Ashley also goes hitless today, ending his hit streak at 25 games. And the Bears win the game. Barney Tomiak homers. Walt Marcotte (6.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 2 K) isn’t always pretty, but he wins his fourth game of the season. Traverse City 4, Chicago 2.
LF M Graves 2-5, C S White 2-4,
CH HR - none
Summary - So while Moore had struggled in his last few outings, losing another key starting pitcher has cast a serious shade of gloom around the clubhouse. We have an off-day tomorrow so it will give us time to figure out a game plan going forward. We will bring up Joe Johnson to take a turn in the rotation in the next series.
We are also going to re-sign Augusto Gonzalez who had a minor league contract with a 30 day call up worth $1.7 million. He elected free agency the morning of the Hulburt injury. Surprisingly he agreed to a straight minor league deal and we assured him he would be coming up sooner rather than later. While we had to give him a signing bonus of $110,000, this opt out cost him $1 million dollars as his salary for the year will be $507,500 league minimum. While I felt a little bad about the situation and the money, I also have an owner who is breathing down my neck.
Next up Duluth
Chicago Architects (17-14 2nd place US) @ Duluth (16-15 T-3rd US)
Friday May 7th through Sunday May 9th 2055
Duluth Sea Gulls Field
So we venture to Duluth to take on the Sea Gulls after winning 2 out of 3 in Chicago earlier this season. Duluth is led surprisingly by free agent signing Mark Laursen who sat out all of last season after becoming a free agent after 2053. Laursen is hitting 394 with 8 home runs and 23 RBI’s entering this series. Another name we tried to sign late last year but we couldn’t agree on a minor league signing bonus.
The Sea Gulls $100 million dollar man Jorge Rangel is finding the early going a bit of a difficult adjustment. On the season Rangel is hitting 228 with 3 home runs and 18 RBI’s while trying to find a defensive position. He’s played predominantly LF and 1B so far this year.
Duluth is developing several starting pitchers in their system and it looks like they are going to need them.
Probable Starting Pitchers
Chicago @ Duluth
Val Imbert 3-2 3.38 ERA vs Dave Moss 1-1 5.35 ERA
Jose Cedeno 3-2 6.05 ERA vs LHSP Tim Gross 2-2 6.03 ERA
Joe Johnson (15-5 4.19 ERA last season making season debut) vs Will McNeely 1-3 5.97 ERA
Game 1
Friday, May 7th 2055
A - 39,418
Chicago 5 Duluth 2
In the seventh, Duluth’s Mark Laursen ties the game, 2-2, with a two-run home run. The eighth begins with Hervé Smart retiring the first two Tects batters. Smart then walks the next three. A wild pitch scores the leading run. A José Aranda single scores two more. Chicago 5, Duluth 2.
DH J Aranda 2-4 DB R 2 RBI’s, 3B T Arnaud 2-4
CH HR - None
Tuesday, May 4th , 2055 - Milwaukee Eagles: SP Kent Bennett was injured while pitching. The Diagnosis: strained oblique. This is a day-to-day injury expected to last 3 weeks.
Wednesday, May 5th , 2055 - Chicago Architects: SP John Moore was injured while pitching. The Diagnosis: torn rotator cuff. He's expected to miss about 6 months.
Game 2
Saturday, May 8th 2055
A - 36,243
Chicago 6 Duluth 3
Three singles and two sac flies put Duluth ahead, 3-1. Chicago gets one back in the seventh, then scores three in the eighth. Walker Dunse doubles in the tying run, and Sean White doubles in a pair to put the Tect’s out front. Chicago 6, Duluth 3.
CH HR - C C Lee (1)
Game 3
Sunday, May 9th 2055
A - 36,835
Chicago 7 Duluth 5
The Architects sweep the Gulls. Simone Lefevre hits a three-run home run that gives Chicago a 5-0 lead. Duluth comes back. Mark Laursen hits a two-run home run, Matt Bowers hits a solo home run, and then Bowers singles in the two tying runs in the eighth. The Tects re-win the game in the ninth. John Lambert doubles in Reagan Osborn, and Thomas Arnaud singles in Chi-Yong Lee. Chicago 7, Duluth 5.
SP Joe Johnson 5IP 3H 1R 1BB 5K, LF M Graves 2-4 R 2SB, 1B R Osborn 3-5 HR 2R 2 RBI, 3B T Arnaud 2-4 RBI
CH HR - 1B R Osborn (9), SS S Lefevre (2)
Summary - That was a pleasant surprise to go to Duluth and sweep the Sea Gulls. Hopefully we can get something started here with this 5 out of 6 on the road against TC and Duluth. What a clutch performance by SP Joe Johnson, and just what we needed. If we can get the starters into the 6th, I really believe we have one of the better top 3 RP’s in the game with CL Pat Wright, SU Ken Shannon and SU Larry Stott. LHRP Jerry Powell has also been very good as the top middle RP and lefty specialist.
Thunder Bay Caribou (24-10 1st in Can) vs Chicago Architects (20-14 2nd in US)
May 10th and 11th 2055
Chicago Pier IV Grounds
Rematch of last seasons GLBL Series that Thunder Bay won in 6 games. Both teams have made it a priority to get back to the big finale again this year. Thunder Bay is $50+ million plus over budget but their owner seems to be okay with it, if it brings home another title.
This series matches the two top offenses in the GLBL as both are averaging more than 6 runs per game. The Caribou have so many offensive weapons but RF Emerson Coleman is having a great start hitting 284 with 8 home runs and 33 RBI’s. The Caribou have 7 of their 9 starters with at least 21 RBI’s. Not to be outdone much but Chicago has 6 of their starters in game 1 with at least 21 RBI’s. Can’t forget about 2B/SS John Calder or 1B Gerald Powers either, both carrying solid bats that help this club scores lots of runs.
The Caribou have a very pricey and good pitching staff, but they are very strict on how many batters their starters face. Often only allowing their starters to go through the order twice and while some question it, no one can question the results. With the bullpen the Caribou have, the strategy has worked and they are in position to do it again.
The all-time regular season series between these two clubs is all even at 70-70. Last year the Caribou won 3 out of 4 regular season games and won 4 out of 6 in the GLBL Series.
Probable Starters
Thunder Bay vs Chicago
John Cannon 0-5 4.99 ERA vs August Gonzalez (5-13 5.47 ERA last season with Detroit)
Ralph “Silencer” Baxter 3-0 2.51 ERA vs Val Imbert 3-2 3.27 ERA
Game 1
Monday, May 10th 2055
A - 35,120
Chicago 13 Thunder Bay 6
SP Augusto Gonzalez made his return to the big leagues, but it wasn’t a very good debut for Chicago. The Caribou scored three runs out of the gate, but the Tects one-up them with four first-inning runs. Reagan Osborn hits the first, and Sean White, playing against his old team for the first time, hits the other. Oh, and then White comes to the plate in the third and hits another home run. Both teams score a few more early runs, and Thunder Bay takes a 6-5 lead into the fifth. That’s where Chicago explodes for six. Kent Noseworthy homers, and Osborn triples with the bases loaded. Regan Osborn accounts for 10 total bases with 2 triples and a home run (10) Chicago 13, Thunder Bay 6.
RF J Ashley 3-5 DB 3R, SB, 1B R Osborn 3-4 2TR, HR 2R 5 RBI’s BB, C S White 3-5 2HR 3R 4RBI’s, P Bill Lutz 4IP 1H 1R 2BB 2K W (1-3)
CH HR - R. Osborn (10), C S White 2 (7), 2B K Noseworthy (6), RF J Ashley (5)
Game 2
Tuesday, May 11th 2055
A - 37,733
Thunder Bay 10 Chicago 7
Most of the scoring comes early. The Caribou scored three in the first, but the Tects score five. Sean White continues to torture his old team, singling in two of those five. The Caribou scored three more in the second and, thanks to an Emerson Coleman home run, two in the third. The Tects score two of their own in the third, but that’s all they would score. Thunder Bay 10, Chicago 7.
C S White 2-4 2R 2RBI SS W Dunse 2-4 DB 4RBI’s
CH HR - None
Summary - A big split against Thunder Bay and considering the caliber of that club, that not a horrible result. Toledo dropped a pair so we are back in a 1st place tie in the US Division with the Hamilton Mounties coming to town. If we want to get ahead of the Canadian teams for the season this is a series we want (and should win)
Hamilton has some bats and can score some runs, but their pitching has left a lot to be desired so far this season.
Hamilton (14-22 6th in Can) vs Chicago Architects (21-15 T-1st in US)
May 12th and 13th 2055
Chicago Pier IV Grounds
Chicago holds the all-time season series record 80-60, against the Mounties. The Architects will be looking to pad that lead. Last year the 2 clubs split the 4 games they played.
Hamilton did have some very good position players and one of those is 2B Li-Ping Chin who was a 1st round pick back in 2048 (2nd overall). Last season he hit 330 with 20 home runs and so far this year he’s hitting 317 with 5 home runs. Good glove too, an ideal 2B and only 28 (hmmm).
It was Hamilton’s pitching that was mediocre to say the best. We would see the ageless wonder LHSP Gabriel Rodriguez (44) in the opening game and they also have 28-year old Sean Moore who is a solid hand.
But really this is a series the way our offense is rolling that we should steamroller the Mounties.
Probable Starting Pitchers
Hamilton vs Chicago
LHSP Gabriel Rodriguez 3-4 4.99 ERA vs JJ Walker 2-1 4.66 ERA
Sean Moore 2-3 4.59 vs Jose Cedeno 3-2 5.89 ERA
Game 1
Wednesday, May 12th 2055
A - 35,707
Hamilton Mounties 6 Chicago Architects 1
Gabriel Rodríguez (6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K) needs 107 pitches to get through six innings, and he picks up career win #289. Li-Ping Chin, Howard Mathieu, and Wilson Meléndez homer. So basically we were done in by a leadoff guy who is now hitting 218 on the season……Hamilton 6, Chicago 1.
3B T Arnaud 2-3 DB R, DH C Torres 2-4 RBI
CH HR - None
Game 2
Thursday, May 13th 2055
A - 35,852
Hamilton Mounties 5 Chicago Architects 3
Hamilton’s Wilson Meléndez triples with the bases loaded. Sean Moore (6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K) evens his record at 3-3. Hamilton 5, Chicago 3.
SP J Cedeno 6IP 8H 4R 1ER 1BB 7K L (3-3), LF M Graves 2-4 HR R 2RBI, C S White 2-4 DB R
CH HR - LF M Graves (3)
Summary - If I never see Wilson Melendez again it will be too soon. We lost two straight to what was the worst team in Canada and at home. While we were 21-17 things were not going well at this point, and I was starting to look at the panic button on my desk that was flashing press here to blow things up. Maybe that's a bit of a over reaction, but it was how I was starting to feel. Can things get any worse and of course I was told by my Asst GM that “yes they can”. And where did our offense go???? We did face their two best pitchers, but coming in they were 8 games below 500 and not looking like much of a threat. With the two losses we still managed to remain in a 1st place tie with Toledo because they went 0-4 against the Canadian teams this week. I hate Canada in this league!
We score 20 in two games against Thunder Bay and can muster just 4 against a team that has struggled to win all year.
Toledo Neptunes (21-17 T-1st US) vs Chicago Architects (21-17 T-1st U)
Friday May 14th through Sunday May,16th2055
Chicago Pier IV Grounds
So when I asked if things could get worse, well we aren’t playing well and we have Toledo coming to town. And while they aren’t playing great either at the moment they have dominated us so far this season winning 5 out of 6 games. Still, it's a battle for the US Division lead and we are at home, so we should have the advantage and we need to start turning things around against Toledo now.
Probable Starting Pitchers
Toledo vs Chicago
Christopher Bouchard 2-2 4.43 ERA vs J Johnson 0-0 1.80 ERA
Warren Townsend 1-2 5.68 ERA vs Augusto Gonzalez 0-0 18.00 ERA
Walt Connel 3-1 1.66 ERA vs Val Imbert 3-3 4.50 ERA
Game 1
Friday, May 14th 2055
A - 37,576
Chicago Architects 4 Toledo Neptunes 3 10 innings
Chicago takes a 2-1 lead into the seventh, where Toledo’s Dusty Murphy hits a two-run home run. In the eighth, Chicago tied the game. Reagan Osborn singles in Simon Lefevre. The game goes to extra innings. In the 10th, John Lambert, on an 0-2 pitch, takes a big swing and sends the ball into the center-field bleachers. Lambert, who is not exactly a power hitter, is Chicago's hero for a day. We were fortunate to win this game as we only managed 4 hits. Chicago 4, Toledo 3.
SP J Johnson 5IP 3H 1R 4BB 4K ND, Lambert hits 1st home run this season
CH HR - 2B J Lambert (1)
Game 2
Saturday, May 15th 2055
A - 37,565
Toledo Neptunes 4 Chicago Architects 1
Chicago’s Augusto González (5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K) does his job. The Architects bullpen, however, does not. In the seventh, Dusty Murphy singles in a run, and Luis González hits a three-run triple. The Arch’s only managed 5 hits today with 3 coming off the bat of RF Jim Ashley. That’s a total of 9 hits in 2 games for Chicago. It appears that some teams are finding their pitching, it was just late arriving from Florida. At least SP Augusto Gonzalez hung and pitched well in this game only to see the bullpen blow up. Toledo 4, Chicago 1.
SP A Gonzalez 5.2IP 3H 0R 3BB 4K ND, RF J Ashley 3-4 DB
CH HR - None
Game 3
Sunday, May 16th 2055
A - 37,344
Chicago Architects 5 Toledo Neptunes 4
Chicago’s Thomas Arnaud ties the game, 4-4, with a solo home run. The next inning, he hits a sac fly. With the win Chicago takes over sole possession of 1st place in the US Division. P Bill Lutz picked up his 2nd win in relief and is starting to look like the starter that we have seen in the past. He may get a crack back in the rotation once again. Thank goodness for our closer Pat Wright who notched his 10th save in as many chances. Wright is sporting an ERA of 0.47 on the season. Chicago 5, Toledo 4.
Summary - So we end up going 9-6 during the first half of the month. We played 600 ball and I feel like we aren’t playing as well as that indicates. We had some very good games and then we just went silent like in the Hamilton and Milwaukee series. Our pitching is the biggest issue, but it's not just a Chicago issue. It’s league wide with offensive run scoring up 15% over last year.
RF Jim Ashley is no longer on a 100+ doubles pace as we knew that wouldn’t’ continue but he is having a fine year so far. If we can get our pitchers to step up, I really feel like this club could take off. The two starts by SP Joe Johnson is encouraging and is also making me question why I didn’t have a 15-game winner up on the big league roster to start the season.