This past week, I played our commissioner for the Illowa League August series. Let’s just say it didn’t go as planned.
Going into the series, I realized that the Twin City Thunderchickens weren’t playing up to their potential. After their decent 15-15 season weekend opener, we have been slipping. But looking at the standings, we still had hope, right?
IAL standings as of last month:
A good 6-3 series win and we’re back in it, right?
Reality sets in
Mike and I played our nine game series over Skype over three days. I’ll give it to you straight. In the parlance of our league group text, this is how it went for me: ‘LLLLLLLLL’.
That’s right. We lost all nine games. Game 1 we were shutout 1-0 only managing two hits. We did score six in Game 2 but Mike’s Bombers scored double digits.
Game 3 seemed to be headed down the same path as we were down 14-1 in the 7th inning. Then the Thunderchickens’ offense broke out and crossed the plate eleven times. Unfortunately, that was not enough as we lost 14-12.
Games 4 through 9 were kind of blur. In those six games, we scored 12 runs. I got so frustrated that for the last game, I benched seven of my starters. Players like Miguel Vargas, Esteury Ruiz and Rougned Odor started. Funny thing is, we came close. We got our first lead since game 3.
Ahead 2-0 in the top of the ninth, Bomber Bobby Witt clobbered a two-run homer to tie it against Graham Ashcraft who had been lights out till then.
Then, neither one of us could score. It wasn’t till the top of 15th when Paul Goldschmidt reached on an two-out error by third baseman Odor and scored on a double by Mike Moustakas that the tie was broken and game eventually was over.
I know what you’re thinking. ‘Hey Tom, if Machado was playing third, that error would have been an out with two outs and the inning would have been over, right?
I know, I know.
Did ANYONE hit well this series?
Surprisingly, Julio Rodriguez managed clock in with decent stats for this series.
J-rod went 11 for 34 with three home runs. He drove in six runs and scored seven. He was only player who really had a remotely decent series.
Nail in the coffin
During the series, Mike said, “I don’t think I have been this lucky before”. This comes from a manager who during our pre-DH era would complain that his pitchers weren’t hitting enough.
I hate to say it before the All-Star break, but the chances of any playoff chances have gone down the tubes for the Chickens. Losing nine hurts.
It looks like we’re looking at next year once again
