Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

[Borealis]

Provost, Britt Keep Aurora Alive v. 'Gnats
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

October 26, 2023: Crystal Lake, Illinois - After the embarrassing beat down that Eduardo Romano took yesterday in Game 3, Aurora turned to long-time, former-Ace, playoff tested Martin Francisco to right the ship and prevent them from falling into a disastrous 3-1 hole. If it weren't for early odds-on favorite for MVP Jeff Wolfe, he may have just done the job.

The tough Alfredo Velazquez faced 'Sawmill' in Game 4, and both started out tough, only a walk by each soiling the early inning records. Then in the third, Aurora thought they had something cooking when Mike Hale hit a 1-out double, but Velazquez would bear down, striking out Pop before Ferringo hit a comeback to end the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Jeffery Wolfe greeted 'Sawmill' with the same enthusiasm he did Romano the day before - with a homer that spotted the 'Gnats to an early lead. Francisco would settle down and finish the inning calmly, but in the fourth, a pair of 1-out singles by Hamada and Campoy, and another, 2-out single by Jim Klien made the score 2-0, when up came Wolfe again, and he launched a 2-2 pitch for a 3-run shot - his second of the game, and a 5-0 lead for the 'Gnats.

Meanwhile, Velazquez would cruise along into the 6th, where a walk and a HBP would create a rally - and when Pablo Medrano singled with 2-out, it looked like Aurora was on the board - but for a perfect throw from, you guessed it, Wolfe in CF nailed Carlisle at the plate, to end the inning. Wolfe would complete his day by scoring Crystal Lake's 6th run after reaching on a FC in the 7th - pinning 'Sawmill' with 6 runs in 6.2 IP. Edgar Merriam would relieve Velazquez in the 8th, and after he got the first two batters, Carlisle would single in front of a Mike Britt, 2-run shot that got the Borealis on the board and gave them a smidgen of hope for the next game. Gustavo Mercado would close out the 9th, giving Crystal lake a 3-1 series lead and a chance to win it all at home - and not have to travel back to The Front Range.

For the 'Gnats to do that, they were going to need to do what they did in Game 1 - have some solid luck against Mike Provost.

Not on this day.

Provost would prove to be just - if not more, unhittable as he would carry a 2-hit, 8 K performance into the 9th - with the two hits coming on the Sandgnats first two ABs of the game! Needless to say, Provost was the Ace he is, and the stopper they needed. The 'Mayor', on the other hand, was not the man Crystal Lake had hoped for in this series clinching game. Carlisle jumped on a 2-2 pitch in the first for a solo HR that gave Aurora a lead for only the third time - three times that should have been three Aurora wins, were it not for Bryant Burris' blown save in Game 1.

Surprise starter Juan Toro would hit his own solo HR in the second, then after a Mike Hale leadoff triple in the third and a Ferringo RBI double, Mike Britt would hit a 3-run HR to make it 5-0 and basically end the 'Mayor's night. David Lopez would come on in the 4th, and after a Toro double and Hale single - giving Aurora a 6-0 lead, he would settle down and shut the Borealis down the rest of the way - but the damage had been done, and after Game 1's disappointing finish, Provost was going to make sure this lead was safe.

So now the series heads back to Northern Lights Park, where Game 2 winner, Randy Smith, takes the mound in an attempt to force a Game 7. Over the previous two post-seasons, no pitcher has been more dominant than 'Tugboat', and Aurora needs that more than ever at this moment (though some would certainly argue over his PEC performances). Should a Game 7 happen - much to the joy of the home fans, Eduardo Romano will be the man of the hour.

[Borealis]

'Tugboat' Plus 'Big O' Equals Heartbreak (Again) For 'Gnats
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

October 29, 2023: Aurora, Colorado - The fans filed into Northern Lights Park with nervous anticipation. Game 6 saw the Borealis with their backs against the wall, but a quiet confidence filled the clubhouse and bleachers alike as Randy Smith took the mound in what may have been the last game of the 2023 season for Aurora. 'Tugboat's postseason record with the Borealis has been superlative and Aurora needed a 'Stopper Supreme' on this cold (34 degree) night.

While 'Tugboat' breezed through the first on 7 pitches, Dave Jones worked hard to survive a pair of singles by Ferringo and Carlisle and a 2-out Giles liner that looked like an RBI single all the way - save a leaping snag by 2B Jim Klein. Klein would lead off the third with a single, but by now 'Tugboat' was in a groove. Jones worked through singles by Hale and Ferringo in the bottom half of the inning, but he, too, managed to keep the game scoreless.

Crystal Lake looked to have a shot at getting on the board first, as Jarrod Ricks would start the 4th with a double and move to third on a groundout to second. Hamada strode to the plate - 37 HR and a 100+ RBI to his resume, looking to get Crystal Lake on the board - but Smith would bear down, striking out the 'Gnats most dangerous hitter, then Miguel Campoy - holder of a couple of big hits already this series, hit a lazy fly to Carlisle in right field, ending the threat.

Jones would put the Borealis 1-2-3 in the 4th, 5th and 6th (thanks to a DP in the 6th) - matching 'Tugboat' pitch for pitch, giving his teammates a chance to grab the lead - and grab it they did in the 7th. After Max Lee grounded out to start the inning, Yamamoto and Klein touched Smith for a pair of singles. The 'Gnats, surprisingly went to Brandon Johnson to pinch hit for Jeff Wolfe - a thorn in the Aurora side all series - and 'Tugboat' made them pay, striking Johnson out. That brought to the plate Henry Ellacot. Smith's 2-2 pitch got too much of the plate and Ellacot lined a double, plating a pair, and putting the Borealis just 9-outs from elimination.

That would be 'Tugboat's last batter, as he finished with 6.2 IP, 2 R on 6 H, 4 K and a walk. 'Massacre' came in and closed the inning out. But as we've seen often these past few years - this Aurora club has the ability to bounce back.

And bounce back quickly they did.

The twinkling of 'Take Me Out To The Ball Game' had barely quieted when Britt singled, followed by a Nick Giles single. Pablo Medrano would battle jones, fouling off a few pitches before he hit a long fly ball over the outfields head for a 2-run double, tying the game and sending Jones to the showers. Curt Roberts came on to pitch for the Sandgnats and he got rookie Teddy Loetzsch to groundout, but he made a mistake to light-hitting Rusty Butler, who made Roberts pay - driving it over the fence for a 2-run homer and suddenly the Borealis were up, 4-2.

Jimenez would be perfect in the 8th, setting the game - and maybe the season, on the shoulders of Closer Bryant Burris. Aurora's All-Time Save leader would have been pitching for a win, had he not blown the save in Game 1. Instead, he was pitching for tomorrow. He'd get Yamamoto for the first out, but then trouble struck - Klein and Meyer would hit back-to-back doubles, making the score 4-3 and sending the fan base for their nearest defibrillator.

But on this day, Burris would get the job done - Ellacot would fly out and Hernandez ground out - as fans cheered Britt's throw across the diamond for the last out, sending the season into at least one more day.

And that day didn't seem like it would be a happy one. As giddy as fans may have been about 'Tugboat' in Game 6, they were equally apprehensive about Eduardo Romano in Game 7 - after his poor outing in Game 4. After Hernandez opened with a double and Ricks followed with a homer, there were hints of smiles of relief in the Crystal Lake dugout. After Wilson Munoz homered in the third - a 3-run shot to make it 5-0, a smattering of boos reached down on the field as the entire 'Gnats bench greeted Munoz at the top of the dugout steps. With a green in their eyes, the 'Gnats looked headed to the PEC.

Francisco Robles looked solid during his first two innings - following up his solid outing in Game 3. He'd walk Hale to leadoff the third - only to be erased on a FC by Pope. Ferrying lined the first pitch he saw for a single and Carlisle likewise lined a single to get Aurora on the board, bringing up Britt with 2-on and 1-out.

Britt was in the midst of a career year when a late season hip injury shelved him for the first round of the playoffs - a .302 hitter with 37 HR and a league leading 125 RBI sitting on the bench. But today, Britt was in the lineup to see 'Yogi' groove a 2-0 pitch - and 'Yogi' was there to watch it sail 452 feet and the lead shrink to 5-4. Giles would follow Britt with a single and after moving to single on an infield out, Teddy Loetzsch would single him home and tie the game.

Aurora fans were losing their minds. Crystal Lake manager Enrique Rivera was seen place kicking a bucket of sunflower seeds. More importantly, 6 innings remained in one teams season and a place in the PEC and a chance to bring home the Rodriguez Cup - against the Florida F-heads, who knocked off Kentucky yesterday, 4-2.

Aurora looked to have had a chance to take the lead in the 4th, as a pair of doubles by Hale and Ferringo netted nothing as Hale was thrown out trying to steal third. But Aurora wouldn't have to wait long, as in the 5th, Britt and Giles leadoff with singles and after Medrano bunted them over, Loetzsch - the rookie playing like anything but a rookie, would single them both home and Aurora had a 7-5 lead.

Meanwhile, Ryan Holbrook, the 'Stork' had relieved Romano and quieted the Sandgnat bats - allowing but one single and a walk over his three innings. That was long enough for Aurora to seal the deal. In the 6th, 4 singles and a Giles double would plate four runs - the last driven in, again, by Loetzsch. Teddy would finish the night 5-4 with 4 RBI.

Gerardo Rivera would take over in the 7th and he'd be equally effective on this night - and after Pope and Ferringo hit back-to-back homers in the 7th, the crowd cheered louder and louder with each out Rivera recorded. And when series nemesis Jeff Wolfe hit a slow roller to Loetzsch for the last out, the Borealis ran onto the field, winners of their third straight Sovereign League title - and fourth in five years, and, more importantly, a chance to do something no team in the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance has ever done - a Three-Peat.

[Borealis]

Borealis v. F-heads 3.0 Begins With Split
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

November 2, 2023: Aurora, Colorado - It's the Rubber Match of the Ages, so to speak, as Aurora and Florida square off in the PEC for the second time in three years - and third time since Golden Entertainment and the Topham family took over from the Rodriguez clan. With the 2011 v1.0 going 7 games and the 2021 v2.0 hosting a myriad of close, tight ball games, the expectation is that v3.0 will be nothing but the same.

Aurora entered the series off a stirring come-from-behind win over Crystal Lake to reach their third straight PEC (and fourth in five years), while Florida put off a similar comeback attempt by Kentucky to reach their third PEC in four years - trying to become the second team in PEBA history to win three Rodriguez Cups.

Martin Francisco took the mound for Aurora in Game 1, a calculated risk by rookie manager Octavio Rios, who was looking to allow 'Tugboat' to pitch on normal rest, thus setting the table for a potential Game 6/7 of Provost and Smith. Detractors pooh-poohed the decision of not starting Provost in Game 1 as 'don't count your chickens...', but as long as this series returns to The Front Range, Rios' move may looks like a wise one.

Then again, perhaps the detractor were right...

'Sawmill' and Valentim Ornelas - a 2022 internacional free-agent signee for Florida with an 18-5 record and 3.30 ERA. 'Sawmill' was 12-8 on the year, with a respectable 3.81 ERA that he parred down over the course of the season. Francisco was a better home pitcher than on the road - and his two previous playoff starts - both on the road, were not uber pretty: 14.2 IP, 10 runs. Rios was hopeful a home start would be helpful. and after the first, things, indeed, looked hopeful.

But in the second, after striking out Kimball to start the inning, Dave Crocker grounded a ball right down the first base line that somehow eluded a diving Medrano and into RF for a double. 'Sawmill' was clearly perturbed that Medrano failed to get the ball and as a result, perhaps, his next pitch to Lorenzo Amador caught way too much of the plate and was deposited deep into left-center field for a 2-run HR and the F-heads had the lead.

Things would settle down for the longtime Auroran star, and he would match Ornelas pitch-for-pitch. The Aurora offense had difficulties getting to the Florida lefty - though Pope and Ferringo led the 4th off with singles, but Mike Britt hit into a double play to end the threat. Then in the 6th, Florida would double their lead.

Once again Medrano played a part as he somehow got handcuffed by Britt's throw after fielding a Millard Anderson ground ball, allowing Florida's lead off batter to reach. After Andy Sharp bunted him to second, Danny Burton would single him home and Kimball would double Burton home and suddenly Florida's lead was 4-0. Aurora would get one back, as Mike Hale would triple with one out in the bottom of the 6th, and he'd score on a groundout by Pope. Florida's lead was cut to 4-1.

Florida got the run right back in the 7th as this time an error by Britt, after a nice play he couldn't hold the ball for the throw, allowing Amador to reach base. Pablo Rodriguez would double and Sharp single - scoring Amador, and the deficit was back to 4, at 5-1. Britt would make amends, as after Carlisle led the bottom of the 7th off with a single, Britt hit a towering HR to cut the lead to 5-3 and give the crowd something to cheer.

'Sawmill' stayed in the game - for reasons unknown with a rested 'pen, and after getting the first two batters - Kimball hit a ball that looked like it was well out, only to have the wind knock it down, he then gave up three straight singles and only a great throw to the plate by Pope to get Crocker and end the inning kept the deficit at two.

But that would be the final score as Ornelas would pitch a perfect 8th and 'Javelin' a perfect 9th for his 4th postseason save. For Valentim, he ups his postseason record to 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA.

Mike Provost was the man of the hour in Game 2, as it was his turn to play stopper and send the series to Florida tied. In a 'PEBA Classic' match-up, Chris 'Moon Dog' York was on the mound for the F-heads on a cold night with the threat of rain being 'eminent' according to the forecasters.

Both would make it through the first pair of innings unscathed, but in the bottom of the third, Aurora would break through - thanks to the mist that had taken hold of the night. Loetzsch would walk to lead off the innings and after getting Butler and Hale, Pope hit a dribbler in front of the plate and when York gathered the ball - surely damp, his throw was well over first base - Pope safe at second and Loetzsch moving to third. Pedro Ferringo made 'Moon Dog' pay, as he lined the first pitch he saw for a 2-run single and Aurora had the early lead, 2-0.

As the game moved forward - and the weather slowly deteriorated, Provost and York took command - until Provost lost control of a pitch to Medina in the 5th that ended up in the bleachers for a solo HR. As the game moved onto the 6th, the rain got heavier and the umpires called for the tarp as the teams headed for their respective clubhouses and waited out what would become a 69 minute delay.

Provost would come out to start the 6th (York, did not), and he threw one pitch after warming up, to Andy Sharp, then he signaled the bench that he just wasn't loose - and in came Arturo Jimenez to take over the game. 'Massacre' would pitch a scoreless 6th and 7th, and Gray and Holbrook would take care of the 8th - while the Florida 'pen did likewise for the F-heads, setting the stage for Bryant Burris to close it out and tie the series.

And as Aurora fans know, that's never easy.

Quickly Burris found himself in trouble - Kimball singled on a 1-0 pitch and Crocker worked the count to 2-2 before he singled - with Kimball, the tying run, racing around to third. The remaining fans who braved the rain groaned, booed, but Burris, who's been through plenty, righted himself in a moment where Florida needed a ball to the outfield and Burris needed a strikeout. He caught Amador looking for strike three. Rodriguez swung through a fastball for strike three. Then Medina on a gutsy splitter in the dirt for strike three and the Houdini act was complete - and Aurora picked up the tight, cold, wet, 2-1 win, evening the series as it headed off to Jacksonville with 'Tugboat' slated for the Game 3 start.

[Borealis]

Marathon, Redemption Put Aurora on Edge of Three-Peat
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

November 5, 2023: Jacksonville, Florida - Balmy Jacksonville - if you call 61 degrees balmy, greeted the Borealis for Game 3, a key matchup for both teams. Key for Aurora with the uncertainty of Romano and Francisco in Games 4 & 5 - a win assuring they may return to Aurora, worst case scenario. Key for Florida as they attempt to maintain the home field advantage - with hopes of closing out the Borealis before returning to the frigid Front Range.

'Tugboat', last years PEC MVP, was saddled with the job of giving Aurora a series lead, and right out of the gate his teammates stacked him to a lead. River Pope and Paul Carlisle would double in the top of the first, and Giles added a 2-out single to hand 'Tugboat' a 2-0 lead before Florida swung a bat. Then in the third, it was Ferringo and Britt's turn, as Britt's 2-out double plated Ferringo with Aurora's 3rd run.

Florida inched back in the bottom of the third with their own 2-out extra-base hit - Andy Sharp tripling in Jorge Martinez to cut the lead to 3-1. Aurora grabbed that run right back in the 5th as Hale would double, steal third and score on a Pope sac fly. But in the bottom of the fifth things began to shift. A combination of a more patient F-heads team and inconsistent control saw Smith throw 34 pitches and allow singles to Martinez and Sharp, hitting Crocker to load the bases with 2-outs and a 2-run single by Amador that would cut the lead to 4-3 and leave 'Tugboat' at 80 pitches.

Aurora would muster a single in the 6th and 7th, as Florida in the 6th. When Jorge Martinez led off the 7th with a double on a 3-2 pitch - 'Tugboat's 93, Randy Smith's night was done. Felix Pena came on in relief and despite walking two to load the bases, he left them full as the game moved into the 8th. Giles would hit a 1-out double, but the rally would fizzle.

In the bottom of the 8th Octavio Rios played the 'percentage game' - and lost. John Gray came in to start the inning and struck out Raul Medina, only to have 'Stork' come on to face the left-handed Danny Burton. Holbrook would throw a pretty good 1-1 pitch, but Burton crushed it and 'Tugboat's win was now a no decision - and when Wickersham followed Burton with a single and Amderson hit a 2-out double - dropping a short ball into center and simply outracing Mike Hale - a mean feat, turning a single into a double and moving Wickersham to third - Florida fans went into delirium with the belief their team was about to take the lead - and win. Holbrook ended any thoughts of that by striking out Holmes to end the inning - but the damage was done and we headed to the ninth tied at 4.

Adrian Peterson and Bryant Burris came on for their respective teams in the 9th, and both were perfect and so into the 10th the game went. Mike Britt had a 1-out double off 'Javelin', but otherwise both teams closers got the game to the 11th painlessly. Shawn Marshall and Gerardo Rivera cruised through a pair of innings and into the 13th, where both would surrender runs. Park and Crocker would open the inning with errors, followed by a Mike Hale single to give Aurora a (short-lived) lead. Rivera would walk Burton, who would move around to third on a pair of groundouts, and score on an Anderson single on an 0-2 pitch - and thus off to the 14th.

Giles would double with 2-outs, only to be stranded, and Mike Hale would single - again with 2-out, only to be thrown out trying to steal second and end that potential threat. Ron Latour would relieve Rivera and keep the game tied as it headed into the 16th - where the Borealis would break through once more. River Pope would greet Jose Elizarraraz' first pitch by hitting a hard ground ball up the middle. Elizarraraz would cross Amador up, and the resulting wild pitch would let Pope move to second, moving to third on Ferrigno's ground out. Paul Carlisle went up swinging and grounded the first pitch he saw up the middle, scoring Pope and breaking the tie. Latour would finish the game, retiring the F-heads in order, earning the win and giving the Borealis a 2-1 lead in the series.

The game that nearly went 5 hours saw Ferringo, Carlisle and Giles set the PEC record for having 8 AB in a game. Pope and Giles had 4 hits, while poor Teddy Loetzsch went 0-7 - ouch!

So the win sends us to Game 4 and takes a little pressure off of Romano and 'Sawmill' as worst case scenario we will have a Game 6 with Provost on the mound. Romano was trashed by the Sandgnats and certainly will be looking for redemption.

Florida would counter with Game 1 starter Valentim Ornelas, on short rest - a calculated move to have their best arm pitch in three of the seven games. This would be Ornelas' first start on abbreviated rest, and though both starters had question marks over their heads, on this day they both would shine. Complicating matters, yesterday's marathon 16-inning affair had left both 'pens a little tattered - though Florida was carrying extra arms, so a solid day by both starters were the team's needs.

Ordeals clearly needed extra time to lose up as Aurora jumped on him early. Pope worked a full count before lacing a pitch for a double and Ferringo jumped on the first pitch he saw for an RBI single - taking second on the throw home. Britt followed that with a 1-out single and Aurora had the early 2-0 lead. Aurora would see Toro - in for an ineffective Loetzsch, double in the second and Britt double in the third, but both would be left out at second.

Meanwhile, Romano would plow through the first 7 batters he'd face before Medina would foul of five pitches in a long battle before hitting his own double. Andy Sharp, with two outs would triple to cut Aurora's lead to 2-1 - with the hot Jorge Martinez at the plate, but his grounder towards second was gobbled up by Toro, ending the threat and preserving the 2-1 lead.

Romano would steady himself and retire the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings, while Ornelas would nearly match him - save a Toro single in the fourth. In the sixth, Ornelas would quickly dispatch Britt and Carlisle, but Medrano grounded a ball through the hole, sending Valentim to the showers. Matt Benham was greeted with some bad luck as Andy Sharp would botch a Toro grounder to third for an error - then he compounded things by wild pitching the runners over into scoring position before striking out Butler on aa 3-2 pitch.

Romano sailed through the sixth - his last inning of the day as Felix Pena would come into the game in the 7th. Romano certainly redeemed himself after his poor showing in the SL Championships, going the 6 innings with only the two hits in the third sullying his record, that included 5 K. For the record Ornelas was mostly a match. Despite 7 H, he managed to hold Aurora to just the pair of runs in the first.

And so, as the game moved to the late innings, it was down to the fatigued bullpens - not that you'd guess they were fatigued by their performance. Bentham and Elizarraraz would get Florida through the 7th perfectly, as Pena did for the Borealis. Shawn Marshall came on or Florida in the 8th, and save a 2-out single to Carlisle in the 8th, he, too, was perfect. John Gray opened the 8th for Aurora striking out Amador, then 'Massacre' came on and he'd strike out Rodriguez and Medina. Sending the game to the 9th and as the Florida crowd saw Burris come into the game, they actually began to get loud, sensing they had a chance against Aurora's somewhat inconsistent closer.

But Burris would not be inconsistent on this day - not as all as he induced three straight ground balls to Nick Giles to earn the save and, with a 3-1 series lead, send the Borealis to the brink of PEBA history.

And that chance will begin with 'Sawmill' taking the mound against an arm Aurora had long coveted - back to the days of the 2011 draft, 'Moon Dog' York. 'Sawmill', whose days have been numbered in Aurora for a couple of seasons - and yet kept rising, who signed a new 1-year deal towards seasons end in response to the loss of Gunner MacGruder for all of next season, will get the ultimate chance to show his worth and value to the team he has pitched for since 2015.

[Borealis]

Borealis Waste No Time Beginning Roster ReShape
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

November 6, 2023: Aurora, Colorado - The Three-Time defending Champs wasted no time at all preparing for the 2024 season - ticker tape still being shredded and all, when GM Will Topham announced that the team has cut ties with 2B Manny de los Santos.

de los Santos had just finished his 6th professional season - the first 5 with the Yuma Bulldozers, whom traded Manny to Aurora as part of the MacGruder-Foster-Lopez deal at last winter's meetings. He opened the season as the starting 2B while Nick Giles recovered from a spring training injury and promptly hit 11 HR in the month of April. But as the HR swing dried up, and the K's began to mount - always his Achilles Heel, de los Santos was demoted to AAA in favor of PEC Game 7 hero Pablo Medrano.

Manny would hit .256 at AAA Thornton, and was 3-10 with 1 HR in limited time after a September call-up, but the bottom line for Manny was his salary. The writing was on the wall all season that this would be his lone one on The Front Range as his estimated $7.5M arbitration number for 2024 far exceeded his value to the team - especially now that the center piece of that trade (MacGruder) will be siphoning off $16.5M for rehabbing in 2024 and probably $17M in 2025 is he picks up his player option.

So Topham has cut Manny loose, so he gets a jump start on free agency and Aurora gets an extra $7.5M in contract bargaining room - room one can expect to be spent on what one perceives to be their biggest in-house targets: Mike Provost and Paul Carlisle.

Aurora also announced, not surprisingly, that they have also released outfielder Arthur McKenzie. McKenzie signed a minor league deal on August 30 - at a time when the outfield depth of the Borealis was sorely tested and the Borealis believed that a poor hitting-stellar fielding outfielder - in center field, was their best option on the free agent front. The 32-year old McKenzie got into 5 games for Aurora and was 4-10 with a pair of RBIs.

[Borealis]

Expected Moves Keep Provost, Romano in Fold
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

November 7, 2023: Aurora, Colorado - No rest for the weary as Aurora's work on the 2024 roster continued - not that these were Earth shattering, unexpected moves that would cause one to be weary. Before a crowd of near 1,000,000 people and ticker-tape, at the end of the Borealis Victory Parade, GM Will Topham announced the expected: the Borealis have picked up team options on the contracts of Michael Provost and Eduardo Romano for the 2024 season.

Provost, odds on favorite to win his third Golden Arm award, will make $18M in what will be the fourth year of a $71M deal he signed in the January of 2020 - after winning his first Golden Arm award, the result of his break-out season and Aurora's first PEC title of this five-year, four-title run. Provost set a career best 21 wins in 2023, with a 2.62 ERA - a mark identical to that he set in 2022, along with 20 wins as he won his second Golden Arm award. He has a long way to go to match Markus Hancock's 7 awards.

Provost has a career 102-44 record and a 2.84 ERA. He's 9-5 with a 2.19 in 19 career postseason starts, though he's been 3-0, 1.50 and 3-1, 1.27 over the past two seasons.

It is expected that Provost will seek possibly the largest contract in PEBA history as he approaches free agency. It's known the two sides have had discussions about an extension throughout the course of the season - and it's expected to continue throughout the 2024 season, should nothing be reached during the offseason. Word is they've been able to agree about the financial part of the deal, but they disagree completely on the length of a deal - Provost is reportedly seeking a 6-year deal that includes a player option; something Aurora has never granted. (They do have one such clause on the roster - that inherited in the Gunner MacGruder contract for 2025)

As much as it's clear Aurora would like to hold onto their Ace, it's equally clear he feels he's deserving of far more than what they recently signed Randy Smith for - a potential 7-years, $171M, with $115.5M guaranteed over 5-years. Any possible impasse during the offseason would lead to the inevitable question: Would Aurora trade Provost?

That's a question we should hope we needn't ask. Though I suspect...

Romano was signed as an International Free Agent, in May of 2022, to a 2-year, $21.75M contract, with a pair of team options worth $13M and $14M, respectively. Romano had a shaky 2023 postseason - though he redeemed himself with a stellar Game 4 performance that put the Borealis on the brink of their title, but his regular season numbers were outstanding: 11-7, 2.62 ERA in 30 starts - after an excellent 'rookie' campaign in 2022 in which he was 10-3, with a 2.70 ERA in a mix of starting and relief work. The Dominican right-hander will continue to hold a spot in the rotation, and is expected to be the #3 guy behind Provost and Smith.

Barring any unforeseen occurrences, we should see him complete the contract, with the team possibly looking to extend in the coming offseason. Romano is said to be "muy feliz con la aurora boreal".

Lastly, it was announced later - in a memo for Aurora HQ, that the team has parted ways with MR 'Sleepy' Kuhn. Kuhn, who was arbitration eligible and purportedly seeking a $1.4M deal - not a grand sum, but enough for a team that had lost confidence in his ability to throw strikes - even though he posted a 2.20 ERA for the club in 16 appearances in 2022. He spent the entirety of 2023 at AAA. The team has declined to offer 'Sleepy' arbitration and thus he becomes a free agent.

[Borealis]

Christmas Present For Aurora Amidst PEBA Uncertainty
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

December 25, 2023: Asheville, North Carolina - The Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance closed shop on their annual Winter Meetings and for the first time, something very odd occurred: not a single trade was consummated. Instead the league focused on the more serious aspects of the Business of Baseball as the PEBA spiraled into it's second serious business crisis - the 2020 LRS-Mr. Slimeball scandal that led to the absorption of the League of the Rising Sun and the closing shop on a few of the long-standing members of Japan's league, being the first.

Fiscal solvency was the question of the day as a group of six teams - led by the Desert Hill's own Tempe Knights and one-time Imperial League stalwarts New Jersey, Manchester and Charleston, and supported by the ownership groups in Marseille (formerly Gloucester) and Niihama-shi - walked out on the meetings, disgusted over the new TV deal and changes to the leagues financial plan. Instead, they have vowed to start their own international endeavor - word has it a merger with the upstart, new version, of the LRS is in the works.

And more changes are to come, no doubt, as Toyama GM Ron Collin also walked out of the meeting as a simple show of solidarity over what some have described as 'just another deal that helps the Shin Seiki's and Aurora's of the world'. The result leaves a league with 26 teams and Commissioner Nigel Laverick and The Board struggling for answers.

The departure from the fold of the six clubs created a sticking point, contractually, as many player contracts describe them as employees of the league AND their respective clubs - creating a debate over where, exactly, they would play in 2024. After internal debates, it was decided that 52 of those players contracted to the rogue clubs would remain in the PEBA and a quasi-contraction draft was held to distribute players - two to each of the remaining clubs.

Not surprisingly, Charleston 3B Christian Webb was selected first by the Reno Zephyrs, who add a Mike Britt-type player to their fold. Tempe was hit early and often as 4 of the first 7 selections came from that club and after Aurora - drafting last, selected SP Edgardo 'Terror' Diaz with the 26th selection, 8 players had been taken from a Knights squad that was just a year off from their surprising SL Championship appearance. The draft, conducted in a serpentine fashion, had Aurora also selecting 27th and chasing a young catcher from Niihama-shi (who lost the fewest players), Domingo Gutierrez, who played at A ball in 2023.

Noticeably remaining with their club were perennial hit-machines Tony Figueroa and Javier Padilla of Tempe whose mega-money, mega-long contracts were more that any club was willing to digest.

When the draft was quickly announced, it was assumed that the Borealis would look for young prospects, but instead they went for the youngest, cheapest starting pitcher available to fill a prominent need. They have only two healthy starters under contract for next season - Gunner MacGruder has a player option, but will miss all of 2024, while Provost has a year remaining on his deal - an extension, we are told, is in the 'works', and 'Sawmill' recently signed a 1-year extension - what is likely his last with Aurora.

'Terror' was the 5th overall selection in the 2020 draft (that saw Aurora chose Pablo Medrano at 25th) after a successful career at the University of Cincinnati, where he was 24-11 with a 2.92 ERA, striking out 284, walking 59. Diaz quickly ascended the ranks in Tempe's organization in 2021. After a 2.37 ERA in 10 games at AA Quebec City and 2.67 after 18 at AAA Chandler, he was called up and made four starts for the Knights - struggling to a 7.36 ERA and an 0-4 record. He spent part of 2022 on the DL with shoulder stiffness, and when he returned he made 18 starts, posting a 5.67 ERA. In 2023, Diaz pitched exclusively out of the bullpen and was a nifty 6-2, 2.47 ERA, striking out 109 in 124 innings.

The soon-to-be 25-year old, 6' 2", 220 lbs Arizonan is a bullish pitcher with great stamina, who pounds the strike zone with a good fastball that reaches 98 MPH and a forkball members of the Borealis have described as 'pretty nasty at times'. Diaz' coaches in Tempe are quoted as saying that he's 'a hard worker and an absolute natural leader'. It's expected that Diaz will get a long look during spring training as a starting pitcher - competing, for now, with Eric Perkins and 'Massacre' for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Gutierrez was the 47th overall selection (second round) by Niihama-shi in the 2022 draft (that saw C Manny Castro and SP Lando Lagerveld go to Aurora in the opening round). He was the third catcher drafted behind Castro and Moe Merkel of Crystal Lake. In three seasons at Indiana, Domingo started 122 games and hit .277 with 16 HR and 75 RBI. He spent the remainder of 2022 at Shirone of the Surf and Sand League where he hit .260. This year, at Gakidou of the NAFTA, he hit .318 with 8 HR and 40 RBI in 403 AB. More impressive was his .411 OBP - which reflects what scouts praise him for - an excellent eye and great patience at the plate.

It's unclear what the Ghost's plans were for the soon-to-be 23-year old Domingo in the coming season, but Aurora Head Scout Joe Horn believes that he is 'really on par with Castro as far as his development, and slightly ahead defensively'. Either way, Aurora has a pair of catchers who are pleased with solid work ethics, brains and are considered solid leaders. Castro is expected to challenge for a spot on the 25-man roster - which if Horn is correct, means so is Gutierrez.

Will we possibly see both men open the season with the Borealis? Does this spell the end of the line for Rusty Butler? What of Jesus Negrete, who will not likely return until near June? Lest we forget, there's Luis Villanueva, Rod Miller and the other Negrete - Fernando, as well, giving Aurora a plethora of young catching options. It's probable that wherever Castro ends up, Domingo will be at the level below.

And fans, don't forget - Bob Keller and Scott Vinson existed together for years as Aurora's C-DH duo - could we see them returning to that in the not too distant future? I bet Pedro Ferringo would have something to say about that...

Meanwhile, on a related note, Aurora announced that it will be sending Manny Castro to winter ball to work on his catching mechanics. Horn says that they already 'love his arm and he's a fine catcher and all - it's just fine-tuning his footwork so he can take greater advantage of that arm'.

[roncollins]

Train Arolling, Tugboat, and now Terror ... Talk about your Killer T's.

[Borealis]

Aurora Adds a 'Javelin' to it's Quiver
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

December 26, 2023: Aurora, Colorado - The Summer Olympic Games in Paris may be a mere 8 months away, but the fans of the Borealis will be watching a 'Javelin' throw much earlier than that as the team announced today that it has reached terms with Adrian Peterson, the one-time Bulldozer and past closer of the Florida Featherheads.

Fans were ecstatic as word reached the streets that Aurora would be bringing in a quality player and a quality person to add to their bullpen - a 'pen that at times felt shaky and in need of direction.

Will Topham, Aurora's GM, announced the terms as follows: three-years guaranteed with $12M salaries for 2024-25 and a $13.5M salary for 2026. 2027 vests at 60 IP, also at $13.5M, with 2028 vesting at $14M. The big free-agent deal - an unusual move for Aurora, is a costly one beyond the pocketbook as they will lose their first-round draft choice to Florida as compensation for the signing.

Peterson was the first player selected in the 2015 draft, by Yuma, and after blitzing through SA, A and AAA, he found himself making 8 appearances with the 'Dozers by that fall. After posting a 10-9 record for Henderson (AAA) with a a 2.96 ERA, he finished the 2016 with Yuma and never looked back. After three full seasons as a starter - 35-20, 2.22 ERA, Yuma turned him loose in the bullpen, where he posted an even more impressive 1.87 ERA over a season-and-a-half. Needing offensive help, Yuma traded him to Florida for Javier Cruz and Arthur McKenzie. He made three starts for the F-heads before tearing a tendon in his elbow. He came back in 2022 and in two seasons he's been dynamite - including a 2.37 ERA and 36 saves last season - striking out 104 while walking just 11. Teams hit just .194 against him in 2023. With Yuma and Florida he's accumulated 92 saves, while blowing just 7.

The move seems perplexing on the surface as they have Bryant Burris the active career save leader (364) who sits only 24 saves behind Raul Pinto's record of 388. Then again, Burris - for as good as he's been the past two seasons, has had a habit of getting in trouble and blowing saves at inopportune times. His 5 blown saves each of the past two seasons may be the lowest number in this 5-year run of success for Aurora, but his most recent one - the Game 1 meltdown against Crystal Lake - a mess-up that nearly cost Aurora a shot at the Rodriguez Cup (thank you 'Yogi' Robles) had Topham clearly fed up with his closer's inconsistencies.

Whether or not we see 'Javelin' close immediately, or not - and whether or not Burris gets the record, will no doubt depend on how the spring goes, but Aurora does have some concerns surrounding their rotation and perhaps making a great 'pen (ranked third in the SL in 2023) even better may be one mechanism behind alleviating those concerns. 'Sawmill' is getting older and his effectiveness is a question mark, and the 5th spot is up for grabs with Gunner out for the season; who knows, we may see 'Massacre' return to the rotation, necessitating another bullpen arm.

A number of players were at the press conference - in town for Alex Poirier's 15th Annual Art for Autism event, and one could see Mike Provost and Randy Smith smiling in a corner, heads shaking in approval. Mike 'Big Whiskey' Britt was openly frank, saying 'We have total faith in Bryant - as a team, but if you get a chance to add a quality arm to your squad? You do it." Even Poirier, who finished his career in Yuma and was a teammate of Peterson's was impressed, "Plus, he does some great Latin American styled stuff - being from southern California, eh, that he's already told me he's going to get some of his work here for the show. He's here one day, and he's already contributing to the community - that's the type of quality guy they've brought in."

To make room on the 40-man roster for Peterson, the Borealis have DFA'd C Frank Pitts, who has bounced around Aurora's minor leagues since being a third round draft choice in 2018. The good defensive, weak hitting catcher was deemed dispensable after the acquisition of Domingo Gutierrez in the Contraction Draft.

In a related move, swing-man Hector Santos, who was a 2016 minor league free agent signee, was also DFA'd to make room for SP Edgardo 'Terror' Diaz, who also was a Contraction Draft pick-up. Diaz is also expected to compete for the 5th rotation spot.

[Sandgnats]

Yogi's meltdown is legendary in Crystal Lake (for all the wrong reasons). We'll see if he makes the rotation after Spring Training. If he can make it out of the parking lot this year...

[Borealis]

Borealis Shift Minor Coaching, Drop Bustamante
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

March 1, 2024: Grand Junction, Colorado - As the Aurora Borealis convene in Grand Junction for the start of their run for a fourth straight title as Spring Training begins, the organization has made a move within their minor league system's coaching, as they released Gatineau's Pitching Coach Raul Bustamante, promoted Hideo Yamamoto from San Luis Rio Colorado and signed Motoyuki Ichikawa to a 4-year contract and assigned to the Pitching Coach position at SLRC.

Ichikawa last coached for San Juan College in 2021, where the 32-17 Oceans posted a team 3.22 ERA. Moto is viewed as more of a low-key guy, compared to the combustible Bustamante, who seems to have lost many of Aurora's young pitchers - and fellow coaches, with his abrasive manner. Aurora also like the philosophical shift that comes with the change, as Ichikawa is know for stressing to his charges that keeping the ball down and pitching for a groundball is the way to go - whereas Bustamante preached blowing the ball past a hitter, regardless of where it was in the strike zone. The 45-year old Ichikawa also will add youth to an aging coaching staff as he replaces the 62-year old Bustamante, which will no doubt help Aurora's young arms relate better.

While the promotion of Yamamoto - no spring chicken himself, to Gatineau doesn't change the philosophical style of what's being taught north of the border, he is viewed as a coach who gets along with the young arms under his watch. Despite SLRC finishing 21 GB in their division, the Rapids Blancos' as a team had a 3.37 ERA and allowed just 475 runs - the lowest total of his 5-year tenure at SLRC. This will be his second stint in Quebec as he coached at Gatineau during the 2016-18 seasons.

[Borealis]

Spring Starts With Winter Changes and it's Questions
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

March 4, 2024: Grand Junction, Colorado - The Aurora Borealis begin the long road in defense of their Rodriguez Cup Title win over Florida today with a home game v. Palm Springs at their 'Back Range' spring home, and the club, like so often has few questions when it comes to the line-up and pitching staff.

But this spring, questions still abound.

Question #1: Where will this rotation go? Randy Smith is signed to a 5-year guaranteed contract worth $114M over those 5-years, with a pair of vesting options to follow. Eduardo Romano has a team option for next year. After that, there are plenty of question marks. Mike Provost is in the last year of his contract and has recently stated he's not interested in discussing a deal during the season and is willing to test the market. Martin Francisco is on a 1-year extension - more as insurance, and is - has to be, clearly in his final season with the Borealis. Eric Perkins' long minor league career finally brought him to Aurora with some hints of promise, but at 29 (by mid-season) he is not a viable long-term solution.

Step in Edgardo Diaz. 'Terror', arriving via the Contraction Draft from Tempe, is a 25-year old righty who is strong, with a heavy fastball. Diaz pitched exclusively in relief last season, but Aurora fully expects 'Terror' to compete for a starting role. Also expected to get a long look - as Aurora has fears that 'Sawmill' may have a limited number of effective starts left in him, is Arturo Jimenez. 'Massacre' has pitched very well out of the 'pen, but all the positives that had Aurora drooling over his potential as a starter still exist - and many in the organization believe that his role needs to be as a starter.

Question #2: What's happening behind the plate? Jesus Negrete is scheduled to hit his minor league rehab near the end of April, with the possibility of returning to the line-up by mid-May. Meanwhile Rusty Butler is the incumbent starter - by seniority, with Luis Villanueva - who hit better down the stretch drive in 2023, at .267, looking like the back-up - for now. But Aurora has an abundance of catching options and it's possible that the Borealis could have 6 catchers on the opening Spring Training roster. Aside from Butler and Villanueva, Ron Miller and Fernando Negrete from the 40-man roster will be joined by two young catchers who may actually get a lions share of the playing time.

Manny Castro, Aurora's top selection in 2022 and Domingo Gutierrez, NIihama-shi's second round selection from the same draft (and acquired in the Contraction Draft), have vaulted to the top of Aurora's depth chart and if not in 2024, are expected to be serious contenders for the starting job in 2025. Both are excellent defensive catchers with high contact ability with modest power - not unlike Butler who, with a .224 career average, has never met his draft day expectations. Both have received invites to spring training and are expected to get the bulk of the early starts, and if they play well...

No matter how you chop it up, Aurora has an overabundance of young catchers and something is going to have to give. We may likely see a trade by Opening Day, and the big question will be: Will Jesus Negrete be the name etched in the trade ledger or not.

Question #3: Of bullpen arms and Closers. Raul Pinto finished his career with 388 saves. Bryant Burris has 364. You can do the math. So can Adrian Peterson, whose 3-year, $37.5M guaranteed deal (with a pair of options), was signed with the intent to be the closer. Survey the Aurora coaching staff - up and down the system and many of them will tell you that John Gray should get the chance to close the deal. The 'losers' there will no doubt battle with the 'Stork' for the two set-up roles. Aurora, no doubt, would like to give Burris a chance at reaching Pinto's mark - and a 36-save season - certainly a reasonable total, would hit 400 for his career, but the signing of 'Javelin' signals the teams fatigue at watching Burris walk the self-created tightrope one too many times.

With the five starters and the 3-headed closer, four pitcher spots are left on the roster - three with Holbrook, and Felix Pena has been solid with his vicious cutter and owns a spot. The duo of 'Massacre' and 'Sawmill' own a third spot, leaving one spot for Gerardo Rivera, Manuel Galloca and Ron Latour and there the questions begin. Rivera was inconsistent in 2023 - as was Latour, giving Galloca a shot, who pitched reasonably well in his 8 appearances in 2023. How that works out is TBD. Galloca is out of options. Latour has options available. Rivera has enough seniority to refuse a demotion . He has a $7.4M salary for 2024 that Aurora may have to consider eating. He is signed through 2026, but his 2025 contract is dependent on his making 70 appearances in 2023 - something he hasn't done in his time with Aurora.

Spring always brings baseball surprises, and between the Contraction Draft and the large influx of money via the new Media deal, there's been a tremendous amount of movement this offseason. Who will be the surprise team of the season? We suspect Okinawa will challenge the Evil Evas. Who may disappoint? Bakersfield has lost a lot of talent to free agency, and done very little to replace it - presumably showing great faith in their deep farm system. But that's the beauty of baseball - Hope Spring Eternal, but the Dog Days Bite. It's a long season and todays questions become tomorrows stars. It's time to 'Play Ball'.

[Borealis]

Pitching, Pope Lead Way to Strong Start
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 8, 2024: Tokyo, Japan - The Aurora Borealis have won an average of 104 games each of the past three seasons on way to their unprecedented three-straight championships. If the start of the 2024 season is any indicator, the Borealis are up to their old tricks yet again.

After trimming the spring roster - notably Wilson Mercado, Manny Castro, Domingo Gutierrez and Eric Perkins shipping off to AAA and Manny Galloca, Gerardo Rivera, Jeff Parsons, and Rod Martin shipping onto DFA, Aurora began 2024 with mostly the same roster that they began - and ended, 2023 with. On the pitching from, Contraction Draftee Edgardo Diaz and free agent signee Adrian Peterson join the fold, while Luis Villanueva (in place of the still injured, but soon to be rehabbing Jesus Negrete) and late season/post season additions Teddy Loetzsch and Lawrence Justice make their first Opening Day Roster's.

Aurora's Opening Series assignment found them in the Desert portion of the Desert-Hills, specifically the Sonoran Desert as they faced the Bulldozers at John Deere Stadium. The Yumans had a disappointing 2023 campaign and the 'Dozers made no significant moves during the offseason - short of the addition of Bartolo Esquivel, from Tempe, in the Contraction Draft.

Aurora would dominate the series, taking the Opener, 3-0 behind Mike Provost (6.1 IP, 7 H, 5 K, 0 R), River Pope (2-4, 2 R, 2B) and Mike Britt (2-4, 2 RBI). Pope would lead the season off with that double, Ferringo would single with the pair driven home by Britt and Giles. The former-Yuman #1 pick, and former-F-head, Adrian Peterson would close the game out for his first save as a Borealis - marking the first time in five full seasons that Bryant Burris didn't begin the season as the closer.

Pope (7-15) and Britt (4-10) would do a yeoman's share of the damage against Yuma - Pope scoring four runs and Britt driving in 4. Luis Villanueva, playing in his first opening series of his young career, added a 2-4, with a pair of runs scored and an RBI in his lone start.

Aurora would shut the 'Dozers out in game 4 of the series - also a 3-0 win behind Eduardo Romano. 'Javelin' would save 3 games in the series - all three of Aurora's wins, leaving the one area of concern being Martin Francisco.

'Sawmill' would last 4 innings and surrender 5 runs in Aurora's 6-5, 12-inning loss. The 'pen would do their part, holding the Bulldozers scoreless into the 12th, where a Gabe McIntyre error led to an unearned run and a loss charged to Burris, who gave up just 2 H in 3.1 IP.

Aurora headed to the Land of the Rising Sun and Tokyo to face the Akira in the second series of the season, and the bats and pitching continued to shine - holding Neo-Tokyo to just 3 runs. 'Terror' Diaz was sharp in his debut with Aurora, throwing 6.1 innings with 5 H and only a solo HR marring his efforts. Provost would add another 6.1 IP, 3 H, shut out innings in his start.

The only worrisome part of the pitching portion of the NT series was the removal of 'Tugboat' 2.1 innings into his start with what was called 'back soreness'. Both Smith and trainers waved it off on a long flight and an 'uncomfortably small Japanese bed' at the hotel. With the oddities of this years 'Post-Contraction' schedule - four consecutive off-days up next for Aurora, the team believes fully that 'Tugboat' will show no repercussions in his next start v. Crystal Lake.

Offensively, Aurora pounded the Akira's pitching. Pope was 6-12 with 5 R, Giles 5-10 with 3 RBI, Ferringo 6-14 with 3-2B and 4 RBI and Britt 4-13 with 3 R, 2 HR and 6 RBI. With that kind of production from the top of the order, Aurora can expect to win more often than not.

On the downside, Gabe McIntyre posted a weak 4-25, the worst week of all the starters. Not far behind was Rusty Butler, whose 4-19 matched Paul Carlisle's - though Carlisle's 5 R, 2B, HR and 4 BB (and thus .400 OBP) outshines Butler. Mike Hale (5-23) and Pablo Medrano (5-22) rounded out the bottom of the barrel.

As Aurora prepares to take a way to early in the year 4-day break, the one position spot of concern heading into the season - and 1-week into it, is catcher. Jesus Negrete has another expected week of rehab for the torn labrum from last August 8th, and that will be followed by at least 2 weeks of minor league rehab play at Thornton. Negrete was having an outstanding season - the type of season the Borealis had hoped for when they traded for him. With Rusty Butler coming off another 'Comme ci, Comme ça' season, his days with the Borealis may be numbered - especially with the play of Villanueva down the stretch last year and his one solid start (3-8 in two starts).

After those days off, Aurora gears up for their home opener against what should be an improved Reno club, with Francisco, Romano and Diaz expected to face Allen Guthrie, the former-Mauler, Michael Ladner, the former-Auroran, and 'Mustache' Johnson.

[Borealis]

Carlisle, Hale Lead Way Over Zephyrs
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 15, 2024: Aurora, Colorado - The Aurora Borealis opened the home portion of the 2024 season with the pomp and circumstance one would expect of a three-time champ: fancy uni's to signify the event, ring ceremony, fly overs and bunting, bunting, and more bunting than you could imagine. Then they took the field against the Reno Zephyrs with their long-time stalwart pitcher making his last (in all likelihood) opening day start for the Borealis.

And poor Martin Francisco, the Zephyrs greeted hi rudely.

A 1-out single by rookie Roy Meeks and a double by former-Statesman Christian Webb and another BJ Gassaway and a triple by Hirohisa Inoue spotted Reno a 3-0 lead in the first and after a bases loaded walk to Webb in the second and a sac fly it was 5-0 while the fans were still filing in from their first tastes of 'Big Whiskey's' Tennessee BBQ.

One thing I think we've learned thus far in this very early season is that the Borealis will score runs - maybe not a State secret, but a Hale triple and a follow-up wild pitch got three back and a 5th inning solo HR by Carlisle closed the gap to 5-4, before Aurora exploded after the 7th inning stretch with a 6-run inning - highlighted by RBI doubles from Hale, Britt and McIntyre.

Carlisle would close the scoring with a solo HR in the 8th and Aurora would head home with an Opening Day 12-5 victory. 'Massacre' would earn the victory with 3.2 innings of 2-hit ball, with John Gray bringing the final 1.2 innings with perfect work.

Reno wouldn't really get any closer all weekend as in game 2 Carlisle and Hale would combine for a 4-7, 3 R, 4 RBI - 3 of which came on another homer by Carlisle - his 4th of the year and 10th RBIs. Eduardo Romano would allow a run, and Felix Pena a pair, but John Gray would earn his 4th hold and 'Javelin' his 4th save as they combined for a perfect final three frames in Aurora's 6-3 win.

Edgardo Diaz would work the series finale and pitch with some tough luck. Roy Meeks would single in the first, steal second and third and score on a sac fly as his speed allowed Reno to manufacture a run. Then a leadoff walk - on a pitch both Diaz and Butler wanted for strike three, in the second would become a run on an RBI double by Richard Reynolds, giving Reno an early lead.

Medrano, McIntyre, and Butler would all single to load the bases in the second, Medrano scoring on a fielders choice and McIntyre scoring on a Pope single to tie the game in the bottom half of the second. 'Terror' would surrender just a single over the next three innings, then Aurora would throw three singles on the board in the 5th, with two more suns scoring to make it 4-2.

Diaz would give up a 2-out solo HR to Inoue in the 6th - and final inning for Aurora's new young arm. This time it was 'Massacre' and 'Javelin' teaming up for a scoreless final three frames as Aurora one last time cobbled together the singles brigade in the 8th for one last run, courtesy of Mike Hale. Diaz earned the win, his second in two Auroran starts.

Aurora continues their opening homestead with the Sandgnats (8-6, 2nd in the Great Lakes) coming to town and, as usual, pitching may rule the day. Mike Provost will face-off with 'Nitro' MacCowan, the 'Gnats young fireballing rookie who has allowed just 2-runs in each of his first to starts. The time for facing the 'Gnats may be right as they've struggled some to get any real offense together - 10th in AVE and runs scored, despite flexing their muscles for a league third best in homers. Game two will have 'Tugboat' and the 'Mayor' squaring off in an 'instant classic' and announced after age three, Arturo Jimenez will start game 3 with the Sandgnats going with Alfredo Velazquez. For Jimenez, he'll be subbing in for 'Sawmill', whose early struggles have earned him a trip straight to the bullpen. It's not expect that 'Massacre' will pitch many innings in this one, so it's expected the bullpen will get a workout before an off day.

It should be noted that Corona and Velazquez have been struggling - a combined 1-3 with an ERA over 4.00. After thursday's off day, Duluth (7-7, 3rd in the Great Lakes) comes to town after a long flight from Okinawa. For their efforts thus far, Aurora sits at 9-1 with a 4 game lead over Bakersfield (5-5).

[Borealis]

Jump Start Followed by Slump
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 28, 2024: Palm Springs, California - Such the fickle game, Baseball is.

Aurora began the 2024 campaign with a 9-1 mark following their 3-game sweep of the Zephyrs, then before you know it they've dropped 8 of their next 12 leading into today's series finale at the Codgers. A difficult to swallow 3-game sweep at the hands of the 'Gnats and then losing the next two to Duluth - before Mike Provost's 1-hit performance to end the slide, then losing 2 of 3 to K-Zoo - and all this at home.

Statistically it's been an odd stretch for the Borealis. The team hit a cool - and sometimes cool is cool, .256 while the pitchers allowed an equally cool .251. Aurora scored 53 runs while allowing 56 - certainly nothing that shouts 'getting your clocked cleaned' - especially when 7 of the 12 were decided by 3-runs or less. Maybe the fact that Aurora pitchers uncharacteristically walked twice as many as the Borealis batters coaxed out of opponent. Maybe. Then again, the 106 Ks the pitching staff registered, compared to the 60 the team had should be a great equalizer. Right?

So let's look at the anatomy of this streak of poor play meets bad luck.

Start with Mike Provost, who was saddled with a pair of the 8 losses. He began the stretch facing Crystal Lake - who unbeknownst to us at the time, were about to sweep Aurora. The 'Gnats countered with 'Nitro' MacCowan who was certainly pitching to the high expectations he's garnered early in his career. A lead0ff triple by Jerry Long, scoring on a grounder to first, in the first and a leadoff Longoria double in the second, scoring on a sac fly was all the 'Gnats would manage on a day both teams would get six hits. Provost only lasted into the 6th as he had one of his worst days with his control - walking 4. Aurora got nothing off the 'Gnats young Ace, but did manage a run in the 9th on a sac fly, to at least make the score 2-1.

Provost did carry a no-no into the 8th in his next start v. Duluth, before giving up the Warriors lone hit, pinning 'Rainmaker' with his second loss. The Codgers were in town for Provost's third start of the stretch and again, the first inning bug-a-boo's hit him as a 2-out single and double would plate 2-runs. Palm Springs would get but one more hit in Provost's 6.1 innings, but the 2-run lead would be plenty as Aurora themselves only managed 4-hits (Teddy Loetzsch's 2-out RBI single scoring Ferringo) in a 2-1 Codger win.

And when Aurora scored runs, the pitching wasn't quite fine - take Arturo Jimenez, for example. Aurora scored 15-runs in 'Massacre's two starts in place of 'Sawmill' - and he would allow 13-runs all on his own in 5 IP v. Crystal Lake (1.2) and Kalamazoo (3.1). In both of those games, Francisco would come in and add his own gasoline to the fires with 6-runs allowed - 3 in each game, over 3 IP. Disastrous.

In the 8 losses, Aurora was shut out once, held to 1-run three times and score 2 in another. That's 5-runs in 5-games and in three of those the pitchers gave up just 2. So clearly it's the hitters causing the problems.

Then again, they scored 6-runs in two other losses and 9 in another, and they scored 9 in two other games that they won. So it's the pitching's fault?

Some would just simply call it baseball...

On the downside of the hitting ledger were Luis Villanueva whose 2-15 is likely going to get him walking papers back to a Thornton team that will find it difficult to get him ABs, and Lawrence Justice whose 7-39 has already got him packing his bags for AAA (as announced after todays game), with Wilson Mercado getting the call-up. Also struggling, but not going anywhere - at the moment, was Gabe McIntyre, with a 5-34.

On the upside, Pedro Ferringo was the hot hand - 17-45, 5-2B, 3B and a rare HR. Teddy Loetzsch continues to shine in Nick Giles absence, at 14-40, 2-2B, 3B and a HR. Like Ferringo, Teddy had 8 RBI. Pablo Medrano seems to be waking up, with an 11-35 with a HR.

Pitching-wise, we may have called out a couple of worst offenders, but to look on the plus side, 'Tugboat' was 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA over 17.1 IP - the loss a rough 2-0 defeat at the hands of 'The Mayor'. Bryant Burris continues to pitch like the addition of Adrian Peterson has lit a fire under his butt, as he allowed 1-run in 4.2 IP (in 5 appearances), with 2 saves, while 'Javelin' continues to be very impressive, with 7.1 IP and only 3 hits (over 5 appearances as well). He earned a save as well.

With the Borealis in the midst of a 27-game stretch with no days off, they face the prospects of The Evil Evas and Toyama coming to the Front Range at what appears as a bad time. Although the Evas have been playing a bit sporadically, they are still a loaded team at the top of their division and though the former-Lupin's may be struggling early in 2024, they are still a squad that was a playoff team in 2023.

There may be some hope coming in the near future, as Jesus Negrete has begun his rehab work at AA Gatineau and after 6-games v. Brampton and Lodoss, in which he was 3-23, with a homer, he's on route to Thornton and expected to play in tonights game v. Provo.

Negrete's addition will hopefully offset the week's big blow, losing Mike Hale for at least 4-5 weeks with a sprained thumb. Hale was hitting .300, but had yet to show much of the gap power and speed that has been the hallmark of his game - just a double, triple and no stolen bases - having been caught on all three attempts he's had. The Borealis as a whole seem to have been running less, which is odd seeing that the stolen base has nicely offset the lack of home run power the team shows. Chandler Wright has been brought up to fill Aurora's need for a CF in Hale's absence.