[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 19-21 (t-3rd, 8 GB)

Schedule
5-12: Win at Foresters (5-1)
5-13: Loss at Foresters (2-5)
5-14: Loss at Foresters (2-3)
5-15: Loss at Foresters (4-5)
5-16: Loss at Saints (4-5)
5-17: Loss at Saints (1-7)
5-18: Win at Saints (7-6): 11 innings

Recap
Anything and everything sucked this week, as while we were away from home we just could not get anything going. The pen was back to blowing games and the offense we enjoyed was not to be found. We couldn't take advantage of two bad teams, basically the opposite of clutch until an extra inning win avoided a sweep. Three one run losses is quite frustrating, as I jinxed Tom Andress. He blew a game in both of his outings, one in Cleveland (IP, H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) and one in Montreal (1.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB). I won't dwell on too much else of what happened, because the big news was the official draft pool release. OSA thinks our first rounder Tom Brewer is the second best player available, and Harry Carr has him as the new 1.1. I'll get to all ten of our previously drafted guys at some point, likely over the weekend, as there is plenty of time before the draft itself. I still think this is a really deep draft class, and I'm really excited to see how my guys are looking five months after the draft.

I do have to shout out Charlie Sanders, who was one of the few Cougars to do something with the bat. Despite being in tougher stadiums to do it, he hit two homers, both in our thrilling 7-6 extra inning win, 7-for-23 with a double, 3 walks, 3 runs, and 6 RBIs. A consistently good hitter early on, he's hitting .328/.374/.459 (127 OPS+), and Pug has moved him to the five spot in the lineup. Tom Halliday has been moved out, with the 1 through 5 now Morrison, Babb, Babel, Lorang, Sanders. It didn't work this week, but it will be something to watch in our return to Cougars Park.

There's also the matter of Charlie Lawson's retirement, which makes me wish I DFA'd him instead of Don Griffin. He tried to blow a save shortly after, allowing 3 hits, including a homer, in 2 innings pitched. Thankfully it was a solo shot, and the rest were stranded with help from 3 strikeouts, but the veteran might not make it through the end of the year. Part of me would feel bad cutting him, but we can't keep a guy who keeps giving up runs. In 12.2 innings he's allowed 12 hits, 10 runs, and 5 walks. Early on the strikeouts helped his FIP, as he has 10 strikeouts, but he's now with a third homer it's below average just like his ERA. No longer high leverage, it was necessity that brought him in, and if there are better external options they will be pursued.

Oh and Andy Babel did double (and later scored) in Cleveland. But it was as a pinch hitter. He started the other three games, 3-for-14 with two runs scored. Not the return he wanted, but I have no doubt he'll quickly return to the guy he's been all season long.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, we'll return home to lick our wounds, as the week really couldn't have gone much worse. With only five games, we can't lose more then we did this week, and we'll get a chance for revenge against the Foresters. Just two games, I expect Juan Solorzano (4-2, 2.42, 26) and Manuel Andreu (2-4, 5.48, 28), decent pitchers but not ones who are going to change the game. Both did beat us, with Solorzano in particular doing very well (7.1 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 6 K), but not many pitchers leave Cougars Park unscathed. They couldn't score much on us in Cleveland, so all we really need to do is get some runs on the board. Schneider's replacement George Smith (.147, 1, 1) did not do well in his first week as a starter, and Reggie Anderson (.328, 2, 16) remains the only legitimate threat. We need both these wins, as with another off day following we may really fall behind without them.

It gets harder on the weekend, as we'll welcome the East leading Arrows for our first series against them. 23-11, they have a huge 6 game lead, with no other division rival over .500. Equipped with the best staff in the association, ace Joe Wright (5-2, 3.88, 34) is the only starter with an ERA above 3, and his 102 ERA+ is still above average. He was also below 3 in each of the last two seasons, 2.56 (148 ERA+) in 235,2 innings two years ago and 2,96 (123 ERA+) in a career high 264.1 last year. Without a weak spot in the rotation, the only thing to do is keep them off the board. The worst part is they're still scoring with a more toned down version of Harry Edwards (.269, 5, 26) and not the Whitney version winner. On top of that, Rich Moyer (.402, 3, 10, 2) hit the IL with a sprained ankle last week, and he was looking to be the Arrow Whitney winner this year. Ironically, replacement Dennis Miller (.458, 1, 6) is hitting just as well, but I do think our lineup is deeper, and we actually have scored 7 more runs then them. It won't be easy, but we caught them at the right time, and could do some damage on our home turf.

Minor League Report
RHP Walt Wilson (AAA Omaha Plainsmen): Everyone's focus was on Jack Kotarski of the Copperhead's no-hitter, but Walt Wilson had one of his own in the minors. His fifth start of the season, he walked 3 and struck out 9, improving to a perfect 4-0 on the season. He took missing out on the big league roster well, and with our pen struggling, he could be an option for high leverage innings. Don't get me wrong, his future is as a starter, but we are getting to the point where we just need arms. Along with the record, he's got a picturesque 1.93 ERA (236 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, and even the 3.19 FIP (69 FIP-) is outstanding. He's got great stuff too, striking out 30 in 37.1 innings, and his mix of command and groundball tendencies have led to just a single allowed homer. In the spring, Pug liked him in the 8th, and I'm thinking more and more that he was on to something. I think it's still too early, and there's hope for someone to appear on waivers, but if we fall too far out it's not worth impacting his development with an unfamiliar role.

SS Carl Carroll (A Yakima Rams): Perhaps it was in response to dropping outside the top-25, but Carl Carroll's bat really caught fire. Taking home Player of the Week, the 18-year-old went 12-for-25 with 8 runs, 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, 3 RBIs, 6 walks, and 3 steals. Now the 31st rated prospect, he's hitting an excellent .330/.440/.440 (142 OPS+) on the season, worth 1.5 WAR in just 24 games. He hasn't drove in many runs, just 7 in 111 PAs, but he's got 19 runs, 17 walks, 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, and 4 steals. An almost ideal prospect, he's got flashy tools and excels in the leadoff spot, and off the field he's got the perfect skillset to succeed. Always looking to improve, he's a menace on the bases and an artist in the field, and aside from power the bat is everything you look for. It could be average, still solid for a shortstop, but never a part of his game that we will rely on. The other things he brings the table more then makes up for it, and if all goes right he's going to be our shortstop for a very long time.