[Westheim]

Raccoons (44-37) @ Crusaders (42-38) – July 6-9, 2071

The Raccoons so far were up 2-1 in the season series against the Crusaders, but things were much a-crumbling around the brown-hatted team now. New York had the second-fewest runs scored, but also allowed the fewest runs in the CL, so the Raccoons were as dead as disco. Both teams had four players on the DL, with New York mainly missing outfielder Willie Ospina and pitcher Dennis Marck.

Projected matchups:
Tony Gaytan (4-7, 3.48 ERA) vs. Paul Egley (6-6, 2.34 ERA)
Gabriel Rios (3-8, 4.52 ERA) vs. Danny Ortiz (6-1, 2.94 ERA)
Harrison Hunt (1-2, 5.28 ERA) vs. Russell Anderson (5-4, 3.01 ERA)
Jimmy Wharton (9-3, 2.97 ERA) vs. Nate Freeman (3-6, 4.17 ERA)

Anderson was the only one of the New York starters to throw left-handed, and they had no left-hander in the pen… not that it was gonna hurt them much against the Coons, who struggled to put up a left-handed batter besides the backstop.

Or Jamie Colter, batting fifth by now for some stupid reason. There was probably another off day coming for most regulars this week, and it wasn’t gonna be the Anderson start.

Game 1
POR: LF Humphries – 2B Yocum – 1B Olivares – CF T. Wharton – RF Colter – 3B Hernandez – C Rivas – SS McFarland – P Gaytan
NYC: RF Ledesma – SS Joe King – CF Griffin – 2B McNulty – 3B Reber – 1B R. Ortiz – LF Merrill – C T. Medina – P Egley

The week began with two singles, a walk to Olivares, and the bases loaded with nobody out. Tyler Wharton immediately pounced and hit into a 6-4-3 double play. Colter’s RBI single made it 2-0, and Hernandez grounded out. Wharton hit an RBI double to drive in Yocum his next time up, then re-establishing a 2-run lead after Gaytan had been taken deep for a solo job by Chris McNulty in the bottom 2nd. Olivares had also extended that inning with an error, so Gaytan’s pitch count went up early with this and some long counts. He allowed only three hits through five innings, though, so at least he was keeping the Crusaders reasonably short.

Olivares opened the sixth with a single. Wharton flew out, Colter walked, and Olivares rushed home from second base on Hernandez’ single to left. Jonathan Merrill threw home, but late, and the Coons’ trailing runners reached scoring position for it. Gabe Rivas’ fat single up the middle scored both of them, and Tony Griffin hurt himself on his own late throw to the plate, and was replaced with Chris Duhon. McFarland knocked out Egley with a triple to right, then scored after Gaytan popped out when Humph singled to left against right-hander Matt Topp. Topp walked the bags full, but then got Wharton to fly out to center and end a 5-run inning, Portland now up 8-1. Gaytan celebrated by giving up a 2-run homer to McNulty in the bottom 6th… and then gave up another run on two hits in the seventh, getting the Crusaders back within slam range. The Coons pulled that one back on singles by Guerrero, batting for Gaytan, and Yocum in the eighth. Brad Fails had a clean inning in the eighth, but McMahan gave up a run by walking not one, but two batters to begin the bottom 9th before finally getting the door shut. 9-5 Raccoons. Humphries 3-4, RBI; Yocum 3-4, BB, RBI; Guerrero (PH) 1-1;

Boston lost to Indy on Monday, so the Critters jumped back into first place, but this was surely gonna be temporary.

Olivares and Yocum then got Tuesday off. After two days on the bench, Wout Sleutjes would make his ABL debut as a starter at second base.

Game 2
POR: LF Humphries – RF Colter – 3B Hernandez – CF T. Wharton – C Rivas – SS McFarland – 1B Woodley – 2B Sleutjes – P Rios
NYC: CF Lacatelli – SS Joe King – LF Griffin – 1B R. Ortiz – RF Ledesma – 2B McNulty – 3B Reber – C Marty – P D. Ortiz

The Crusaders carted up an all-right-handed lineup against Rios, who immediately crashed and burned, issuing two walks and two hits in the first inning, including a 2-run double to Robert Ortiz. Ryan Marty’s leadoff double and an RBI single by Miguel Lacatelli tacked on a run in the second, and in the end, rain finished off Rios before the Crusaders could, bringing on a delay of over an hour after four innings, in which Rios had already thrown 66 pitches. He departed a 3-1 game, the Raccoons having scored on a solo homer by Tyler Wharton in the fourth inning. Sleutjes had also chipped his first career single by that point.

Rismiller pitched a scoreless fifth before the Coons came up against Nick Ellis in the sixth – Danny Ortiz also having been washed away – and loaded the bases with straight singles chipped by the 1-2-3 hitters and nobody out. Wharton doubled home the tying runs … before the Coons choked again, Rivas popped out, and McFarland and Woodley both fanned, leaving a pair in scoring position. Rismiller pitched a second inning before being hit for with Yocum, who flew out easily after Sleutjes had led off with another single. Humphries based a drive to deep left that went just over the fence, gave the Critters a 5-3 lead, and also marked the first Coons batter to get beyond ten homers for the season in their 83rd game.

Tony Griffin hit a sac fly in the bottom 6th, 5-4, after Dan Graham walked Josh Roza and allowed a single to Lacatelli. Holzmeister replaced the southpaw and struck out Robert Ortiz, ending the inning, then got three straight outs in the eighth. The Coons did nothing offensively in the last couple of innings, then gave the ball to Pedro Valentin, who IMMEDIATELY blew the game by giving up a pinch-hit homer to the leadoff man Bryan Johnston. Roza singled again, stole not one but TWO bases, and then scored on Joe King’s single through the right side. 6-5 Crusaders. Humphries 3-4, HR, 2 RBI; T. Wharton 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Sleutjes 2-4; Rismiller 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Useless.

Game 3
POR: LF Humphries – 2B Yocum – 1B Olivares – CF T. Wharton – 3B Hernandez – C Brown – RF Hamel – SS McFarland – P Hunt
NYC: CF Lacatelli – 3B Reber – LF Griffin – 1B R. Ortiz – RF Ledesma – 2B McNulty – SS Roza – C Marty – P R. Anderson

Yocum singled, stole second, and came home on a 2-out infield single by Wharton for a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning. A similar recipe brought another run in the second inning as Jack Hamel singled, stole second, and then scored on groundouts by the 8-9 batters. On the hill, Hunt had a lot more issues, being constantly behind in the count and had to rely on the defense very heavily. Anderson however walked the 2-3 batters to begin the third inning, and then gave up a solid RBI double to left off Wharton’s stick that showed signs of blossoming after half a season of pretty much nothing. And then of course the Coons left runners on second and third as Hernandez lined out to Ortiz, and Brown and Hamel had pathetic groundouts.

Bottom 3rd, and the Crusaders got leadoff singles from Lacatelli and Reber, but also lost Lacatelli to injury and had to replace him with Joe King. Anderson walked Ortiz after Griffin lined out to Olivares, and Raul Ledesma’s grounder was only good for one out as the pinch-runner King scored, 3-1. Roza flew out to right to leave runners on the corners.

Top 6th, still 3-1, and the Coons were still lusting to strand more runners. Hernandez and Brown opened with singles, Hamel forced out Brown, and then McFarland legged out his infield roller, but not without Hernandez getting chased back to third base by Anderson, who was then lifted for Ellis. At least Hunt, batting for himself, produced another RBI groundout, going up 4-1. Humph lined out to Reber to strand another pair. Hunt then issued leadoff walks to Ortiz and Ledesma in the bottom 6th, worked his way out allowing “only” one run, but was then sent to the showers after six innings of FIVE walks and NO strikeouts.

Ellis walked Yocum and Olivares singled, putting runners on the corners with nobody out in the seventh inning. Wharton didn’t get a run home by grounding out to Reber, but Olivares moved to second, and then Jordan Hernandez lined a single to right-center, driving in two to get to 6-2. He was then caught stealing. The bases were then loaded in the eighth as McFarland doubled, Woodley singled, and Humph drew a walk, all with one out against Fernando Chacon. Yocum then smashed into a double play…….

Borderline foolishness then continued with Vinny Morales being sent into a 4-run game, but he had a 1-2-3 eighth, and then the Coons stacked four more runs on top as the Crusaders’ pen fell apart for good in the ninth. Hamel (bases-loaded walk), McFarland (RBI single), and Humph (2-run single) cashed in the runs before Morales, who struck out in the inning, was sent back out. He gave up a single to Ryan Marty, but apart from that slammed the door. 10-2 Critters. Olivares 2-4, BB; T. Wharton 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Hernandez 2-3, BB, 2 RBI; McFarland 3-5, 2B, RBI; Woodley (PH) 1-1; Morales 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K;

Humph and Big Wharton got the finale off.

Game 4
POR: 2B Yocum – LF Colter – 3B Hernandez – 1B Olivares – C Brown – RF Hamel – SS McFarland – CF Guerrero – P J. Wharton
NYC: 3B Reber – SS Joe King – LF Griffin – 1B R. Ortiz – RF Ledesma – 2B McNulty – CF Houser – C Marty – P N. Freeman

After the third game had dragged on and on, the series finale breezed through four innings until Raul Ledesma’s homer in the bottom 4th gave New York a 1-0 lead. The Coons then got Hamel and Guerrero singles in the fifth, but Yocum struck out to leave the pair in scoring position, which was definitely what this ******* team did best. No, Jimmy Wharton had to tie the game himself, singling home McFarland from second base after two outs had been made in the seventh inning. Yocum’s bloop single and a walk to Colter loaded the bases, but Hernandez popped out to King, and then inning ended rather deflatingly again.

McNulty’s leadoff single in the bottom 7th was followed by outs being made by Blake Houser and Ryan Marty, and then Freeman returned the favor to Wharton and hit a 2-out RBI single to grab the lead back. Kyle Reber homered, 4-1, and the Coons were pretty much beaten now. We only got Sam Brown on base on an error in the eighth inning and left him at first. Humph batted for Guerrero to begin the ninth, but struck out against Christopher Tinari, who was replacing Freeman after eight strong innings. Sleutjes drew a walk in the pitcher’s spot, and Tinari hit Yocum, and suddenly the tying run was at the plate. Tyler Wharton pinch-hit and singled to center, loading the bases, and Hernandez singled up the middle to move everybody on for 90 feet, 4-2. And then Olivares smashed into a double play. 4-2 Crusaders. T. Wharton (PH) 1-1; Hamel 2-4;

The Titans, who had matched our result for the last two days, retook first place by splitting their own series against Indy, but finishing with a W.

Raccoons (46-39) @ Indians (43-44) – July 10-12, 2071

Once again the Coons were drowning against the Indians, 2-7 so far in 2071. Indy ranked tenth in runs scored and third in runs allowed, with a +5 run differential. They had the best rotation, which was probably our main issue. Their list of injuries was long, however and included Jorge Flores, Tim Tennant, Justin Esch, Alex Gomez, Matt Rogers, and Fernando Valadez.

Projected matchups:
Nick Walla (6-6, 2.68 ERA) vs. Miguel Lopez (5-4, 4.45 ERA)
Tony Gaytan (5-7, 3.59 ERA) vs. Victor Perez (9-6, 2.24 ERA)
Gabriel Rios (3-8, 4.61 ERA) vs. Pablo Apodaca (7-9, 3.84 ERA)

Southpaw Sunday!

Jordan Hernandez meanwhile got a day off on Friday.

Game 1
POR: LF Humphries – 2B Yocum – 1B Olivares – CF T. Wharton – C Brown – RF Hamel – 3B Colter – 2B Sleutjes – P Walla
IND: 1B Schimke – 3B M. Martin – CF Hilario – RF T. Torres – LF W. Griffith – 2B Richmond – SS Masterson – C Mrazek – P Mi. Lopez

The pitching remained a problem for Walla, who couldn’t get a strikeout the first time through the order, but smacked a leadoff double to right-center to begin the third inning in a scoreless game. Humph and Yocum singles brought him around to score the first run, and Lopez then plunked Olivares to fill them up with nobody out. Wharton added an RBI single to center, Brown hit a sac fly, 3-0, and then Hamel and Colter made outs to leave a pair on base.

Walla had to pitch around a Colter error in the third inning, and then walked Torres to begin the fourth. The floodgates soon opened as he just couldn’t ******* get anybody out. Wade Griffith grounded out to second, but Walter Richmond and Scott Masterson hit singles to get Griffith home, Ray Mrazek hit a sac fly to left, and then he breathtakingly lost Lopez to a 2-out walk. Ryan Schimke’s infield single in a full count loaded the bases for Matt Martin, the LAST guy we wanted up with the bags full in this lineup. He ran another full count, then grounded out to Yocum. Walla’s pitch count was at 75 after this ********, and the lead down to 3-2. He would be gone after just five innings, allowing a double to Torres in the bottom 5th, but somehow not the tying run to score.

Dan Graham’s scoreless inning was followed by Yocum getting on base and stealing second in the top 7th. Olivares barreled a 2-run homer to left-center to create some breathing room, 5-2, and knocked out Lopez in one go. Holzmeister then got around a walk to Jose Hilario in the seventh, and the Coons faced lefty Felix Morales to start the next inning. Hamel and Colter went to the corners with leadoff singles, but Sleutjes whiffed and Hernandez grounded to short for a 6-4-3 double play… And true to form, the Raccoons then blew the lead altogether in the same inning, as Rismiller allowed three singles and a run, and Valentin gave up the game-tying double to Hilario as soon as he materialized form the pen. Torres struck out to end the bottom 8th, as if that was still gonna be of use to ******* anybody.

The Coons loaded the bases with ease in the top 9th against Ryan Croft, who nicked Olivares in between conceding 1-out singles to Yocum and Wharton, but Sam Brown’s sharp grounder to second was fired home by Richmond to kill YOCUM at the plate…….. It was simply impossible what this ******* team was doing with the bases loaded! Jack Hamel then DID come through somehow for a 2-out, 2-run single over Masterson’s glove, which confused me greatly. Colter flew out to Torres, and Valentin failed to blow another lead before three outs were made… 7-5 Coons. Humphries 2-5, 2B; Yocum 3-5, RBI; Olivares 2-3, HR, 2 RBI; T. Wharton 2-5, RBI; Hamel 2-5, 2 RBI; Colter 2-5;

Game 2
POR: LF Humphries – 2B Yocum – 1B Olivares – CF T. Wharton – 3B Hernandez – C Rivas – RF Hamel – SS McFarland – P Gaytan
IND: 1B Schimke – 3B M. Martin – CF Hilario – RF T. Torres – LF W. Griffith – 2B Richmond – SS Masterson – C Mrazek – P V. Perez

Portland took a very quick 1-0 lead as Humph doubled and scored on a Yocum single, but Yocum was then left on base. Ryan Schimke answered with a leadoff double in the bottom 1st, but Gaytan would give up not only that run, but FOUR on a pair of 2-run homers mashed by Tony Torres and Walter Richmond, all with two outs…

The funny part about it was that Perez would be the first starting pitcher to be yanked, despite still leading in the fifth inning. He gave up a solo homer – and first career bomb – to Jack Hamel in the fourth inning, 4-2, then put Yocum on base in the fifth with one out. Yocum stole second and scored on Olivares’ single, and that was the end for Perez, still up 4-3. Rodolfo Zea allowed an infield single to Wharton, Hernandez flew out, and Rivas drew a walk to fill the bases for, well, Hamel. He bounced out to Masterson…

Gaytan finished five innings, but gave up another homer to Hilario and departed in a 5-3 hole. The Coons clawed one back in the sixth, which McFarland opened with a double to right. Woodley an Humphries got him home with productive outs, but the rally fizzled out after that, now 5-4 behind. Olivares, Rivas, and Hamel loaded the bases in the seventh, but were all stranded on McFarland’s groundout to third base.

We longed for length from Vinny Morales at this point, and he got around a Hilario single in the bottom 7th, after entering the game in a double switch with Colter, who then led off the eighth with a single to center. Humph doubled to left, and there were once more runners in scoring position with nobody out, now against ex-Coon Josh “C” Carrington. Before the Raccoons could choke, Walt Richmond did, getting a grounder from Yocum and firing it away quite badly for a 2-base error that flipped the score…!! Olivares hit a deep fly out to right, and Wharton was walked intentionally. Hernandez popped out and Rivas grounded out to kill the inning without piling on… After Morales pitched another inning, the Coons then batted for him for no gains in the ninth and sent Valentin into the bottom of the final inning. Schimke hit an infield single, Martin hit a proper single, and the tying and winning runs were on the ******* bases. (buries face in paws). Hilario grounded to Yocum, but the Raccoons only got an out at second base from that play. Torres tried to end the game with a knock, but ended up whiffing for the second out. The game ended with Griffith, grounding to short, and McFarland handled the ball well and threw to first easily and in time. 6-5 Critters. Humphries 2-5, 2 2B, RBI; Olivares 2-5, RBI; Hamel 2-4, HR, RBI; McFarland 2-4; Colter 1-2; Morales 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W (4-1);

The Titans were rained out against the damn Elks on this day, temporarily giving the Raccoons a lead of a full game.

Game 3
POR: LF Humphries – 2B Yocum – 1B Olivares – CF T. Wharton – 3B Hernandez – C Rivas – RF Hamel – SS McFarland – P Rios
IND: 1B Schimke – C A. Morris – CF Hilario – LF W. Griffith – RF T. Torres – 3B M. Martin – 2B Richmond – SS Masterson – P Apodaca

For novelty, the Raccoons turned a TRIPLE PLAY in the first inning after Rios fooled Schimke on base with a full-count walk and Andy Morris singled. Hilario cleaned up the plate really good with a sharp 5-4-3 three-for-one! That aside the Coons had nothing going for them early on, getting just one hit on a Hamel single the first time through, and Rios still managed to mess up in the third inning when he gave up a leadoff single to Masterson and then threw away Apodaca’s bunt for two bases. The Indians got an unearned run home in the inning on a Morris single, but Schimke made a poor out in the air, and Hilario smashed into a double play with runners on the corners. When an error by Richmond put Olivares on base in the fourth inning, it was Wharton to find the double play to erase the runner again. Masterson and Schimke put singles together for another (earned) run in the fifth inning, but the Coons were down 2-0 through six and looked a bit dead.

Olivares and Wharton hit soft singles to begin the seventh to suddenly put the tying runs on base, and casually tripling the team’s hits output on the day. When a wild pitch advanced the runners, the sneaky southpaw Apodaca just threw another one in the dirt to walk Hernandez and trap the Coons, three on and nobody out. We tried to get cute and sent Guerrero to bat for Rivas, but he hit into a (run-scoring) double play anyway, and Hamel fanned…….

Rios held up for seven and Rismiller pitched a scoreless inning after that, presenting Croft with a 1-run save and the 2-3-4 batters in the ninth inning. Yocum grounded to short, but Schimke dropped Masterson’s throw for an error. Olivares flew out, Wharton hit into a fielder’s choice, and the game was running away from the Coons. Hernandez singled, but there was no hitting for Brown in the #6 hole, who was our last catcher, but weak against the left-handed Croft. He grounded out. 2-1 Indians. Hernandez 1-2, 2 BB; Rios 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, L (3-9);

In other news

July 6 – Sacramento and Denver take a scoreless game to extras, but the Scorpions then soon win the game, 1-0 in ten innings.
July 7 – The Buffaloes would be missing outfielder Jose Banuelos (.321, 10 HR, 39 RBI) for the rest of the month, as the 25-year-old had suffered a sprained wrist.
July 8 – TIJ SP Bryan Farris (2-8, 4.66 ERA) puts a shutout together, 3-hitting the last-place Thunder for a 6-0 win.
July 8 – Boston 1B Hector Moreno (.299, 15 HR, 41 RBI) hits a ninth-inning home run to beat the Indians, 1-0.
July 9 – Thunder SP Chris Monahan (3-5, 5.40 ERA) returns the favor to the Condors in style, firing a no-hitter to beat them 2-0. The right-hander strikes out eight batters and walks and plunks one each.
July 9 – LVA 3B/2B/RF Matt Rodewald (.251, 4 HR, 38 RBI) has three hits, including a grand slam, and drives in five runs total, but ends up on the short end of a 13-12 ruckus game won by the Bayhawks.
July 9 – The Titans acquire OF Jake Evans (.230, 1 HR, 20 RBI) from the Stars for a prospect.
July 9 – L.A. picks up OF Matt DeForge (.318, 3 HR, 24 RBI) from the Wolves for a prospect.
July 10 – Los Angeles also acquires MR Shamar King (2-3, 3.42 ERA, 2 SV) from the Canadiens for two prospects, including #112 SS/3B/RF Ramon Herrera.
July 11 – MIL SP Kevin Bennett (9-4, 4.60 ERA) 1-hits the Crusaders and strikes out nine batters for a 5-0 shutout. The only New York hit is a single by LF/RF/1B Bryan Johnston (.217, 2 HR, 12 RBI).
July 11 – The Condors acquire outfielder Eddie Campos (.222, 1 HR, 7 RBI) from Vancouver for MR Harry Facteau (5-1, 4.54 ERA, 1 SV) and a prospect: #48 C Marty Weaver.
July 11 – The Gold Sox beat the Wolves, 5-4 in 14 innings.

Player of the Week (FL): NAS RF Austin Gordon (.318, 14 HR, 44 RBI), smashing .500 (14-28) with 4 HR, 7 RBI
Player of the Week (CL): ATL 1B Kris DiPrimio (.316, 7 HR, 55 RBI), hitting .519 (14-27) with 1 HR, 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

The Raccoons had a pair of All Stars, none of whom had a winning record, as Nick Walla got the nod for being 6-6 with a 2.72 ERA, and Alejandro Olivares was challenging in the batting title race for some reason. This was Nick Walla’s *and* Alejandro Olivares’ FIRST All Star Game, somehow.

Also odd: the Raccoons sent out identical lineups against a right-hander and a left-hander in the final games before the All Star break. We have *that* many options left.

Nick Luebbert started a rehab assignment in AAA on the weekend and should be back after the break, because we need more .220 hitters.

The Titans split their Sunday double header, meaning the Raccoons ended up on top by half a game at the All Star Game, but by no means or meaning looked like the real deal. And it wasn’t like we had found $3M to make acquisitions at the deadline. We had prospects to offer for sure, but we’d need a Katz-like impact player on a manageable salary.

Three days off, then a 4-game set at home against the Crusaders. Right after that will come a road trip to Elk and Oklahoma Cities.

Fun Fact: The Coons have only one 3-game winning streak in the last seven weeks.

Counting from the end of a 7-game rush that stretched into the seventh week (the last week of May), so it’s 47 days to be precise. Hard to maintain momentum this way (and the baseball gods know we haven’t). Since May 27, the Raccoons are 19-24.

And somehow first.