Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

[Borealis]

Ferrell Freed For Fiscal Future?
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

December 24, 2022: Asheville, North Carolina - Did I say sublime in my last post? If the deal for Gunner MacGruder wasn't shocking enough, the Borealis have proportedly sent CF Matt Ferrell to West Virginia for what is believed to be a pair of draft picks - I can only confirm that this includes the Alleghanies top pick.

If, indeed, this deal goes through, Aurora has dealt the heart of their stupendous outfield defense, and ultimately have traded salary - Ferrell's for future extension flexibility.

The winner in this deal? Wilson Mercado, who will finally get a shot at a full-time roster spot.

[roncollins]

Aurora is always willing to make the moves they need to make. Gunner shifting barrels is more than interesting, and Ferrell moving away to clear space is a tough, but good call.

The big guys will always be able to re-load rather than re-tool.

[Borealis]

Champs Spring Budding With Competition
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

March 20, 2023: Grand Junction, Colorado - The Aurora Borealis have spent many a spring with the main goal simply being stay healthy and, perhaps, filling the last spot on an otherwise set roster. The 2023 version of Aurora Spring is a very different animal as, aside from health, competition is the key - the departure of 'Gypsy' John Foster (in the MacGruder deal) and Jose Rivera (let go to free agency) have played wide open half the starting infield.

Mike Britt and Nick Giles will continue to man the left-side of the infield, but no fewer than 8 men are banging heads for the first- and second-base positions, as well as the two back-up infield spots. The four losers? Well... I will say that 3 of the 8 have run out of options.

So, how is the competition shaping up as the 8-5 Borealis move into week three of spring games?

- Manny de los Santos: Manny brings experience and a limited skill set to Aurora as he arrives as the 'financial balance' piece of the Gunner deal. Aside from being strictly a second-basemen of limited skills, he also has a tendency to strike out a bit more frequently that we are used to in the Aurora line-up. Coming off a year where he hit .236, yet hit 21 HR (and with the departure of Foster - hitting .333 this spring, power is now at an even greater premium), Manny is hitting .231 so far. Santos began spring already behind the 8-ball, and has one option left, so it's almost a given he will begin the year at Thornton.
- Gabe McIntyre: Gabe got his first extended time on the Big League roster last year, getting 282 AB over 79 games, hitting .287. Gabe's plus is he plays excellent defense at first and second and is not lost out at short. So far, in 24 AB he's hitting .417 and likely will earn the starting 2B job. He lacks the power of his predecessor, but he just may end-up with a higher OBP, as McIntyre has shown a much better eye.
- Pablo Medrano: No small part of Foster's inclusion in the Gunner deal was the shear certainty on Topham's part that Pablo was ready to be the 'second basemen of the future'. We may disagree with that defensively - he pales by comparison to McIntyre, but he’s not a bad option at 1B. So far, Medrano is hitting .250, but he did hit .304 at Thornton with flashes of power. Should push come to shove, Pablo does have an option to burn.
- Teddy Loetzsch:Teddy may be the most intriguing one of the bunch. Signed as a 17-year old minor league free agent in 2017, Teddy spent his first few years bouncing back and forth between Mokule'ia and SLRC, before his breakout in 2021 that netted him an All-Star nod at A Ball, an All-Leather Award and a Rule V drafting by the Rio Grande Ocelots. After failing to catch on with RGV in Spring Training, he was returned to Aurora, where he spent most of 2022 at AA Gatineau (hitting a poor .238), but he did have an outstanding 14 game stint at Thornton where he hit .365. Teddy plays excellent defense at 2B, 3B and SS, and thus far is hitting .353. Still with options, but we may just see him make his debut in some capacity this year.
- Rod Martin: Martin was forced upon the Borealis last year due to the complexity of the Leagues eligibility rules and as a consequence got into only 37 games and hit .207 - though he'll point out he also got a ring. A solid 2B and 3B and respectable SS, his play has continued to be limited this spring, going 2-9 while it's clear he's been passed up by other members of the organization. Being out of options will make his fate in Aurora a tough decision. We may be seeing a trade.
- Jeff Parsons: Parsons' is an interesting case. A somewhat forgotten man, he was a Supplemental pick in 2016. He rocketed through the organization, but has been stuck at Thornton for 5+ years, where's he's hit well. Primarily a 3B hasn't helped, but he does dabble with the middle infield. He hit .301 last year, with 8 HR and 63 RBI in 120 starts. He has played one game for Aurora, where he was 3-5, with a pair of doubles. Playing primarily DH this spring, he's hitting .353. Aurora's needs being more a right-side of the infield issue will make it more difficult for Parsons to crack the Big League roster yet again.
- Cristobal Crespo: Crespo was a 2nd round pick in 2016 and has found himself mostly bouncing back and forth between AAA and AA, with a brief stint at Aurora in 2021 where he hit .278 in 18 AB. Primarily a defensive SS who can play a decent 2B, Crespo - like so many before him and in this group, has fallen victim of Aurora's long-tenured infield. Whether he's been passed by younger guys (Cristobal will be 28 by opening day), or truly just viewed as a AAAA player by management is to be seen. From my seat, I think he's probably #5-6 on this depth chart. Yet, Cristobal, who only has had 3 AB this spring, is 3-3...
- Juan Toro: The true enigma of the group. Toro has had a rough spring (5-21) and the uncertainty of his status may play no small part in that. Here's a guy who could be starting for a number of teams, is not totally lost on the field, and has hit pretty well when needed, with some pop. Most notably was his role in the 2021 PEC campaign where he stepped up where 'Gypsy' John had failed. A member of Will Topham's first Draft Class (2011) - other than 'Stork' Holbrook, the only remaining member of that class, Toro will be 30, and although he's not an expensive option, there definitely are younger ones. Toro's sticking around may sole have to do with what he does in the next 11 exhibition games. Toro's options are, of course, long gone.

My guess? McIntyre is clearly in. I think they'll be giving Medrano a shot. Parsons, Loetzch, and Santos all have options, so for ease, one could see them beginning at AAA, Keeping Martin and Toro at Aurora to start with, leaving Crespo the odd man out. Possibly simply a DFA case. Then again, there are 11 games left...

In the outfield, Wilson Mercado - the heir apparent to Matt Ferrell's roster spot (Ferrell is hitting .464 for West Virginia), is hitting .421 and at the moment is winning the battle with Paul Carlisle for a starting OF spot. The big concern in the outfield is CF Mike Hale, who has a herniated disc issue in his back that has him sidelined, and doesn't appear to be getting better. With River Pope the only other CF on the Major League Roster, should Hale require more time, Chandler Wright looks to be the logical replacement. Wright, an excellent defender across the board, has shown great inconsistency at the plate in the minors, but is hitting .333 this spring in 33 AB.

[Borealis]

Borealis Head East, Spring Mostly Successful
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 1, 2023: Grand Junction, Colorado - The Borealis finished the spring schedule with a 4-game win streak and a 14-10 record, good enough for second in the Desert Hills and 4th best in the SL. As the team heads up and over I-70 and onto The Front Range, the roster settles out as follows:

Catcher:
There was really no competition here, as Jesus Negrete and back-up Rusty Butler were not really threatened by minor leaguers Frank Pitts and Ron Miller - although Miller was 5-10 in his brief stint. Jesus hit an encouraging .388 with 5-2B. Butler hit only .243, but did have 2 HR and 11 RBI.
Roster:
Negrete and Butler

Infield:
The biggest questions on the roster resided on the infield, and they were compounded with Nick Giles breaking his thumb and being out for another 3-4 weeks. What was a given was that Mike Britt and Giles, when healthy, were heading east. Pablo Medrano, who was expected to break camp with the team, hit only .211 and was sent down for more seasoning - not a huge surprise, considering his available options. Also sent down, Teddy Loetzsch, whose .220 spring - and available options, sealed his ticket.

With the injury of Giles, Cristobal Crespo (.647 in 17 AB) and Jeff Parsons (.424 in 33 AB) find their way onto the squad. Incumbent Juan Toro had a poor spring, but his experience and value has him temporarily still with the team - how he performs between now and Giles return will determine his fate. Gabe McIntyre has won a spot on his own merit, hitting .412, but his lack of power may ultimately be a drawback. Lastly, the Borealis have kept Manny de los Santos on the Major - despite his available option and poor spring, in favor of letting Medrano and Loetzsch getting more playing time at AAA. The one major knock against Manny was plenty prevalent during the spring - 17 K in 45 AB. It's hard to believe Aurora will put up with that kind of performance for the length of the season.
Roster:
Britt, (Giles), McIntyre, Toro, Parsons, Crespo, de los Santos

Outfield:
River Pope, who won the 2022 SL Batting Title, picked up right where he left off with a .424 spring - including 9-2B and 12 RBI. On the flip side, Paul Carlisle hit a paltry .196. With the utterly surprising trade of Matt Ferrell during the winter meetings, CF is the domain of Mike Hale who hit a career best .283 with a PEBA record 14-3B to augment his 49 SB in 144 games. Hale missed virtually the entire spring - getting only 17 AB (hitting .294). Being the only true CF on the roster - Pope plays a good CF, though he's no Hale/Ferrell, Hale will open the season and have to do spring on the fly.

The benefactor of the Ferrell trade was Wilson Mercado. The Cuban-born outfielder - who limits Aurora's flexibility as really just being a LF, was signed in the summer of '17 as a 17-year old free agent. Aurora has had high expectations, maintaining that he was their top OF prospect. After a mixed bag performance over the past two years brief call-ups, Mercado hit .386 this spring with a .568 SLG. Mercado will be the fourth OF, and with the loss of Ferrell's flexibility, he will play LF as Pope and Hale Shift across the OF in rest-rotation.
Roster:
Pope, Hale, Carlisle and Mercado

Designated Hitter
Pedro Ferringo never was in jeopardy of losing his spot in the 'OF' as his career .326 average and .448 SLG makes him one of the more successful DH's in the SL. On days that Ferringo is out of the line-up, one would expect the back-up infielders will rotate in - presumably Toro getting the main nod.
Roster:
Ferringo

Starting Rotation:
Is there a spot on the team more etched in stone than the starting rotation? Start with Provost and MacGruder - each a 2-time Golden Arm winner, and 4 of the past 5 SL winners, add 'Tugboat' - how has he not won a Golden Arm? By finishing second to Provost last year, and 'Sawmill' and you have a rotation that should have batters quaking in the batter's box.

The 5th spot was an open competition - mostly between Arturo Jimenez and Eduardo Romano. With statistics that were very similar over the spring, 'Massacre' somehow managed to allow virtually twice the number of runs, landing him in the bullpen to start the season - a place he ended 2022 at, which he performed very well. Particularly of note, Lando Lagerveld - last years supplemental pick, made four appearances - three of which were solid - including a 3 H, 5 IP outing v. Reno. Lando will begin 2023 at AA, but it's expected he's fast-tracking - no pun intended.
Roster:
Provost, Smith, MacGruder, Francisco and Romano

Bullpen
Bryant Burris begins 2023 with 328 saves - good enough for fourth All-Time. By the end of April one would expect that he'll have passed Ben Thomas (331) and as we approach the All-Star break he should pass #2 Cary Bond at 340. Raul Pinto's PEBA record of 388 is likely safe for one more year, as Burris zero's in on 400 in 2024. Burris looked sharp in the spring with 4 saves and a 1.50 ERA.

John Gray had an excellent 2022, positing a 1.97 ERA, while picking up 6 saves, and serving as the closer at the end of the PEC (with Burris out with arm strain). With potential future closers brewing in the minors (Galloca, Martinez, and Diaz), Gray is the guy most likely on deck on the major league roster and will serve as the primary set-up guy from the right-side. Gerardo Rivera and 'Stork' Holbrook - the main left-handed options at set-up, had identical 4.85 ERAs this spring. Rivera will be slated as the 8th inning guy, based on his more consistent 2022 performance. Expect that they will be interchangeable.

Felix Pena and Jimenez (his value as a 6th starter being huge plus) were easy roster calls. The most difficult decision was the 12th spot on the rotation. Christian Murdoch made it an easier decision as he developed an elbow irritation that has landed him on the DL for at least 2 months. One could argue that Jon Dykes and 'Sleepy' Kuhn earned positions with solid spring performances, but both were DFA'd yesterday in favor of 2022 international free agent signee, Canadian Ron Latour - who had a very shaky spring - statistically, due primarily due to two of his seven starts. It's fair to say that Latour's 24 years made a big difference when looking at Kuhn and Dykes north of 30.
Roster:
Burris, Gray, Rivera, Pena, Holbrook, Jimenez, Latour

As the Borealis look at Opening Day in two days, a team that has won back-to-back titles would seem to have few questions - and yet, here we are and thanks to a pair of winter moves, with questions.

1. Will the outfield defense suffer without Ferrell - costing the pitchers more?
Ferrell was an outstanding, All-Leather quality outfielder, and his roster spot was taken by a player who may be described as 'slightly-above average'. Numerous times over the past few seasons we saw Ferrell chase down balls and bail the pitchers out. Mercado not only needs to replace that stellar D, he needs to pick up his share of Ferrell's career .298, 64 HR, 340 RBI (over 607 games). As outstanding as Aurora's pitching was last year - tops in the SL, their Defensive Efficiency was equally excellent and as anyone knows, to a large extent the two go hand-in-hand.

2. Where's the power coming from?
This has been an issue for a few years now, as this team has been more a on-base, speed and gap team. 37 HR left town with Ferrell and Foster - those will need to be replaced, minimally. Jesus Negrete hit 7 HR in his 24 games with Reno at the start of 2022, but hit only 12 with Aurora. Realistically, Aurora needs at least 22 out of their young catcher. Paul Carlisle had 17 and 18 homers the past two seasons, and the potential for an uptick is there - again, at least 22 would work. If Nick Giles could find a way to stay healthy - once the thumb heals, he's a guy who could hit 20, despite a career high of 17. Truth is, here's another spot that might just fall in the lap of Mercado, who's best season was 15 at AA in 2020. Where ever the power comes from, the Borealis will need it - they simply can't continue to expect a high OBP and lots of doubles and triples to carry the offense to a third straight title.

3. Are the Borealis deep enough to survive a season's worth of the expected injuries?
Jeff Parsons, Cristobal Crespo, Rod Martin, Teddy Loetzsch, Chandler Wright, Lawrence Justice. These are the second line of defense. None (aside from Loetzsch Rule V drafting by RGV) have drawn a hint of interest from teams and the one-time, top-10 Aurora farm system is now ranked 29th - with nary a top-100 player. For a team that in a large part is home grown, survival of any serious injury bug will have to come from this supposed weak system. As injuries are part of the game, we no doubt will find out - barring a trade, how good it really is. Of course, with a pitching staff like Aurora's, they do have a little extra wiggle room.

So there you have it. Aurora started 2022 slowly before steamrolling to the title, giving a new meaning to the importance to a good start. As we look ahead, the landscape in the Desert Hills looks mostly unchanged. Bakersfield added Arthur Collins in a hope of pumping up a disappointing 2022 offensive showing. A full season from 'Fireworks' should help out, but at nearly 37, when does Hancock begin to slow down? The addition of 'Gypsy' and Lujan (from Crystal Lake) solidify the Yuman's infield, and give them more pop. Yuma manager Alfonso Gonzales has opted for an unconventional 4-man rotation, rather than replace Gunner - which one has to figure will back-fire on them. The Codgers stood pat with a team that surprised many last year, with hopes that they'll continue to grow. Tempe has had the offense, and their pitching was surprisingly good enough last year to reach the SLCS. They, too, are drinking that Colorado River water - following in Yuma's steps with a 4-man rotation. Reno? The Zephyrs at one point looked a serious threat to win the Rodriguez Cup, but now, they look handcuffed by the Carmona contract - which has two-years and $43.2M left after 2023.

We have to think that the division's Big 3 - Aurora, Bakersfield and Yuma, will continue the norm and battle out for the title. Whether Palm Springs and Tempe's performance in 2022 was a sign of the future is to be seen, but if you ask us, as long as Aurora's offensive numbers approach last years, this is a team that should find themselves atop the division once again. We should get an idea right out of the gate as Tempe will visit The Front Range to open the season and a home-and-home early season match-up with Palm Springs - sandwiched around a Reno series is on the horizon to start the year.

[Borealis]

Patience is Spring's Virtue
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

May 1, 2023: Reno, Nevada - If the 2022 season taught us anything about the Aurora Borealis - and for that matter, baseball in general, it is this: It's a long season and patience is your best bet. Last season the Borealis wandered, meandered, and disappointed for a good half the season, then they caught fire and the rest is history.

Patience will, once more, be the key in 2023 in what is shaping up to be the most competitive SL playoff race ever.

The Borealis face off with the 8-15 Zephyrs, Eduardo Romano facing 'Mustache' Johnson, with a 14-10 mark that is good enough for second in the Desert Hills and a slim half-game Wild Card lead over the Toyama, nee Lupin, Wind Dancers, nee Cliff Hangers and Shin Seiki. 2023 has started in a peculiar manner - much like 2022: the pitching has held their end of the bargain, but the hitters seem stuck in Grand Junction.

How have the pitchers bailed the hitters out thus far? While Aurora's 95 runs are 8th best in the SL, the stingy pitching has allowed only 70 - tops in the SL. Aurora's team .245 average (9th) has been compensated by the Starters (3.00) and Relief Corp (2.11) having the second best ERAs and the 2nd best OAVG as a staff at .218.

And where would Aurora be without Manny de los Santos?

Santos, the afterthought in the Gunner MacGruder deal - thought by many to find himself spending most of the year at AAA Thornton leads the team with 11 HR - that's nearly half the teams total and 6 more than Britt and Carlisle's 5. Now, if you are doing the math at home, that means the rest of the team has hit only 3. Santos' 11 HRs are second best in the SL, while the team sits at #10 - the same spot they sit at for SLG.

For Santos, his biggest problems have been hitting for average and striking out. His HR total is already halfway to his career best 2022 total of 21 in 454 AB with Yuma last year, and, for now, he seems to have reduced the strikeouts some - down 13%, but it's a long season. Currently hitting .234, Manny was only at .207 a week ago, before a hot streak got him rising.

Still, one of our preseason concerns was where the power would come from. Foster's pop - if not average or OBP, may have been replaced, but the outfield - outside of Carlisle, looks to be swinging a limp noodle - in more ways than one. Pope, the 2022 batting champ, has one of the other three HRs and he checks in with a .222 average - though his 7-2B do lead the team. Wilson Mercado is hitting a meek .148 without a single XBH. DH Pedro Ferringo, who has found himself just ABs shy of contending for batting crowns the past two seasons, is hitting .260 - a far cry from his career .323.

Unfortunately for the Borealis, it's not just the outfield that has struggled. With Nick Giles back injury, and a couple of set-backs already, the infield has tried a myriad of bodies - all with a pretty bad run of results. Cristobal Crespo - an unlikely source of one of the 3 extra HRs, is hitting .156 as the primary answer at SS. Jeff Parsons isn't a whole lot better with a .200. Juan Toro, who began the year 0-13, is 7-15 over his last 6 games and has forced a line-up change - Gabe McIntyre heading over to short with Toro taking over at first.

And yet, Aurora is 6-6 in 1-run games. That's right, half their games thus far are of the 1-run variety - an area the 2022 Champs struggled with, despite the title. Four of those losses were the bullpen allowing runs in the 8th inning or later. For the record, 3 of the other 4 loses this year were by 2-runs, so much like last season, where the offense stunk up the joint early in the year, and the close loses piled up, if the offense can pick it up a notch, those 1- and 2-run L's will turn into W's.

To this point of the season, the pitching has been the story. Aurora has allowed 2 or fewer runs in 11 of their 24 games - games you'd expect to win, which Aurora has done with a 9-2 mark, and if you add to it the four games in which they allowed 3- runs (and a 3-1 record)- pointing out just how much the team has relied on the pitching.

Mike Provost has picked up where he left off after the Golden Arm winning 2022 season, with a 3-1 record and 1.06 ERA. He has 30 K and just 2 BB in what has become typical for Aurora's Ace. Not to be out done, 'Tugboat' is 2-0, with a 2.63, 28 K and 4 BB. The hard luck member of the group has been Gunner MacGruder. It's hard to say what folks in Yuma are thinking right now with Anastasio Lopez sporting a 1.06 ERA of his own, but the deal that brought Gunner to The Front Range was nonetheless noteworthy. Gunner has yet to win his first game with Aurora - he's 0-2, but his 3.60 ERA, though not shabby, is the highest of his career - and his 5 HRA is on pace to be his worst season total, but otherwise he's in line with the staff: 33 K and just 4 BB. Eduardo Romano has a 2.95 ERA as the 'Lost Starter' of the group.

The biggest concern at the moment is for 'Sawmill'. Francisco has struggled mightily out of the gate - allowing 15 runs on 8 HR. His last pair of starts have been an improvement, but teams are hitting .287 against him and if things shift southward, there is a former starter in the 'pen who is itching to get back into the rotation.

Arturo Jimenez has been the biggest surprise thus fair. He lost his rotation spot last summer to Romano because of his inability to throw strikes. Working as the long man in the 'pen, 'Massacre' has logged 23 innings - by far more than any reliever, with a whopping 31 K and only 7 BB. Teams are hitting just .130 and with just a single HR for a lone ER, his ERA sits at 0.39. Should he remain in the 'pen, this will change, but for now his 31 Ks are tied for 8th in the SL for all pitchers and are far and away tops for relievers.

As for the rest of the 'pen, Bryant Burris is off to a solid start - 3 saves in 4 chances and a 1.35 ERA. Gerardo Rivera has a 1.12 ERA, despite a 1.50 WHIP - thanks to 5 BB in his 8 IP. That's a course he'll need to change or that ERA will begin to balloon. John Gray - who followed up a solid rookie season with a fantastic sophomore year of 1.97, 76 K, 13 BB in 60 appearances, has struggled some: 4.32 ERA over 8 innings, with 2 HRA. K's are up, but so are BB and HRs.

So May begins with the Borealis facing Reno for four games, before returning home and the first matchup with the first-place Bears. For now, the series looks to be Francisco, Romano and Provost versus Burns, 'Fireworks' and Pak. Advantage Bakersfield. Then again, the Bears offense is, if anything, marginally better than Aurora's at this juncture. But as we look forward to the series - and the rest of the season, things are beginning to crystalize for the Borealis and where they need to move forward. The offense needs to begin clicking. The good news is, guys like Pope and Ferringo have established track records and are hitting well below their career marks. That's gotta change, right? Nick Giles return to the line-up, likely mid-June, will be a spark - particularly if he meets his potential (you never know with him).

If the offense clicks, and the arms do the job they are, then this team should cruise into October. But if not, then all bets are off. The Sovereign League is a deeper, stronger League than ever before. Simply looking at the early standings and seeing Aurora, Crystal Lake and Shin Seiki all in the Wild Card standings is proof enough. You want more? K-Zoo (12-13) is the only Great Lake team under .500. The newly christened Toyama club is going to need reckoning with - I don't think we're going to see the Evil Evas coasting to the Rising Sun title this year. And in our own division, Tempe - after a slow start, has won 4 straight, Palm Springs continues to show promise, and if Yuma rights the ship that started listing late last year, neither Aurora or the Bears will run away with the Desert Hills.

The tapestry that is the 2023 season has but one phrase on it at this point, "Patience, Grasshopper".

[Borealis]

May Tests Aurora Patience
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 2, 2023: Aurora, Colorado - If April wasn't your ideal month for the Borealis, don't throw it in the machine and wash & dry it hoping for May to be different - It looked an awful lot like April. A schizophrenic Borealis squad began the month losing 2 of 4 at Reno, only to return home at months end for another 4-game series with the Zephyrs - this time sweeping them to turn a 13-11 month into a more palatable 17-11.

The month saw the team lose 2 of 3 to Crystal Lake, Yuma and Fargo, and 3 of 4 to Duluth. Thats a 4-9 stretch, sandwiched with a series win (2 of 3) v. Palm Springs and Neo-Tokyo. On one hand that seems discouraging, on the other hand toss in a 3-game sweep of Bakersfield and, perhaps, there's hope yet.

Games of Note:
May 8, 2023: After starting the month with 2 losses at Reno, Aurora embarked on a nice recovery, winning five-in-a-row (including the Bakersfield sweep) and made it 6-in-a-row with a 3-0 shut out of the 'Gnats behind the excellent 8-inning, 5-hit performance by 'Tugboat'. Smith struck out 7 before giving way to Burris for his 6th save after a perfect 9th. Jesus Negrete and Pedro Ferringo hit back-to-back run scoring doubles in the 5th to stake 'Tugboat' to all the run support he needed in eating his 4th win (and no losses), dropping his ERA to 1.87.

May 10, 2023: May would ultimately not be a kind month for the 'Stork', and on this day - when the Borealis had a chance to take a road series from Crystal Lake, he was bad. In a back-and-forth game that saw the teams swap runs from the bottom of the first through the top of the fourth - with Aurora leading 6-5 - thanks in a large part by a pair of 2-run HRs off the bat of Jesus Negrete. Neither 'Sawmill' (5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB) nor Phil Burns (3 IP, 5 H, 6 R) were sharp - but the bullpens were sharp as Latour and Pena were perfect for Aurora. But in a month that saw Ryan Holbrook sport an 8-run ERA, the 8th inning was cruel. After a leadoff walk by John Gray, Holbrook 'gave up' a grounder to third that Britt botched, walked a batter of his own, and after looking good against PH Miguel Campoy, he served his first pitch to Henry Ellicott on a plater for a game winning grand slam. Ironically Holbrook and Ellacott were drafted back-to-back (end of round 1, first of round 2) in the 2011 draft.

May 24, 2023: Perhaps the award for craziest game of the month goes to this days matchup with Duluth. Michel Provost would start for Aurora against Ed Emery. Emery would start out shakily, starting the game with singles by Ferringo and Hale, followed by a 3-run blast by Paul Carlisle - making it 3-0 after three hitters. Emery would right his ship - giving up just 1 more hit and a pair of walks over 7 innings. Meanwhile, after a solid start, Provost gave up back-to-back homers to Flint and McGuire in the third to see the game tied at 3. The game would remain that way until the 7th, when Provost would surrender a third HR - to Rincon, giving Duluth a 4-3 lead. Burris would allow another run in the 9th, upping the Warriors lead to 5-3, but in the bottom of the inning a pinch-hit Negrete sac fly and a 2-out RBI single by Gabe McIntyre tied the game and sent it to extras. The sublime came around in the 11th when Negrete was hit by a pitch in the wrist and had to be removed from the game (and spend 6-weeks on the DL). Having started the game with Butler behind the plate, infield-utility guy Juan Toro would suit-up to catch the remainder - Which would last 4 innings. In the 14th, a two-base error put Ferringo in scoring position and after reaching 3rd on a groundout, he'd score the winning run on a de los Santos single. Of note - Holbrook pitched his best of the month (the season?) with three, near perfect innings with a walk and 4 K.

The loss of Negrete will be a toughie as for the month he was hitting .424 with 8-2B, 7 HR, 17 RBI while scoring 17 runs himself. River Pope also bounced back from a tough start to the season, hitting .434, 5-2B, 2 HR, 14 RBI and 14 runs. The team was glad to see the return of Nick Giles, whose first action of the season began with the months ending Reno series, where he was 5-12 with a HR. Mike Britt, hit .280 with 7 HR and 20 RBI to top the power charts.

The Starters were a mixed bag as they were a combined 13-8 and a 4.20 ERA. In keeping with Aurora Tradition, they were high on strikeouts (165) and walks were low (40). Despite some solid starts by 'Tugboat', Eduardo Romano was the Borealis' top starter of the month - despite a 1-2 record. His 3.28 ERA topped the rotation. Two months into the season, the performance of Gunner MacGruder has some in the Aurora brass concerned - though in reality it may simply be bad luck. His 5.71 ERA during the month is based upon a team high 22 runs - yet he's given up only 4 HR, walked only 4 for the rotations only sub-1.00 WHIP, and a rotation low .224 OAVG. Also disconcerting is Provost's work - despite his superb 40:2 K/BB ratio, his 10 HR is worrisome, after allowing only 1 in his first 5 starts - putting him on pace to shatter his personal best.

So for the first two months of the 2023 season the offense and the pitching have reached carried the team for a month - which brings June and the summer run - a place where Aurora made their hay last season. All told, the Borealis sit at 31-23, 2 games back of Bakersfield and a game-and-a-half up on Palm Springs. Within the SL, that's a half game behind SS and 2.5 behind the surprising Wind Dancers, and 5.5 behind Crystal Lake. June brings some interesting challenges - back-to-back weekend home-and-home series with Yuma and road series with Toyama and Shin Seiki. June finishes as Aurora begins a series in Illinois v. the 'Gnats.

[Borealis]

Aurora's June Tune: 'The Song Remains The Same'
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

July 1, 2023: Crystal Lake, Illinois - Michael Topham, the departed senior version, would have understood the reference. Back in the mid-70's, while in high school, Led Zeppelin released the song and film 'The Song Remains The Same'. The Junior version who now controls the purse strings of the Aurora Borealis? Not so much - though we're pretty sure that the racket swinging, guitar slinging Boy Wonder GM Junior-Junior version would get it. Of course, he's been through this album of a season before - and one need look only as far as last season's platinum-album winning season.

Sure, 2023's situation paled to the spot the team was in mid-June 2022 (sub-.500 and 8 games out) - and some would say that a team playing .560 ball on June 14, 2023 (37-29, 3.5 GB in the DH) really didn't have much to complain about. Then again, after back-to-back titles and 3-in-4-years, expectations on the Front Range are, shall we say... high?

And yet, there was concern. With Duluth and Toyama playing well and actually leading their divisions, and Bakersfield and Palm Springs - building on their 2023 improvement, challenging in the Desert Hills, Aurora had no room to feel comfortable, and thus 2023 feeling much like 2022.

For the Borealis, they entered June minus their starting catcher - Jesus Negrete breaking his wrist and missing 6 weeks offsetting a mostly healthy start to the season and the return of SS Nick Giles - whose broken thumb at the end of spring training has kept him out of the line-up until just this past week. Negrete was meeting the teams expectations at the time: .308, 8 HR, and there was no expectation that Rusty Butler was going to pick up the slack. For the month Butler would hit .213 and his back-up - Luis Villanueva, faired worse at .172 for a combined .200, no HR and just 6 RBI.

Aurora would, none the less play .600 ball for the month - a schizophrenic month again: win streaks and losing streaks. They opened the month winning 6 of 7 - including a 5-game win streak, then they lost 5 of 6 to Yuma and Toyama - a devastating streak for the standings. Bringing us to mid-June. Aurora would then sweep Yuma - at Yuma, then sweep Niihama-shi at Northern Lights, before heading to Shin Seiki and taking the opener of that series for a 7-game win streak - before losing the next two to the Evil Evas. They would return home to take 2 of 3 from K-Zoo, before ending the month in Crystal Lake and a series opening loss.

Aurora began the month 2 GB, would fall as far as 3.5 back by mid-month, only to see the strong finish bring them to a 1.5 game deficit - meaning they picked up a whole half a game in the standings. Scintillating.

The rotation, for the most part, gets a lot of credit, for getting Aurora to July in good shape. They combined for 2.87 ERA and threw 75% of the pitching staff's innings. The outlier in the group was Eduardo Romano whose 0-3 record was nearly half of the rotations losses (7) and his 4.45 ERA. To be fair, though, two of those loses were to a hot Toyama team and Shin Seiki, and the third was a tough 2-1 loss to Tempe. On the other end of the scale was 'Tugboat', who won 4 of his 5 starts with an ERA of 0.82, and an OAVG of .164 in beating Yuma twice, Tempe, K-Zoo and the Ghosts. Also worth noting was the work of Gunner MacGruder, who seems to have found his mechanics after a tough beginning on the Front Range. Gunner was 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA - splitting consecutive games with his former club, while holding the Evas to just a run over 8 innings. He also picked up a ND in a 1-0 win over Fargo.

At the plate, Paul Carlisle continued his push towards a potential Royal Raker nod with a very tidy .365 average for the month, with 3 HR and 21 RBI. Defending batting Champ, River Pope, struggled early in the season, but seems to be coming out of his funk, hitting .318 - raising his average 16 points to .294 - after sitting at .204 on May 3. Also helping out was Giles, who has returned from the DL on fire, hitting .293 for the month with 4 HR and 13 RBI. Couple that with Mike Britt's .290, 5 HR and 18 RBI, the usually out-homered Borealis didn't feel so... out-homered (only a 22-17 deficit). For Britt, that gives him 17 HR and 58 RBI - both on pace to potentially top his career bests.

Making a difference right away was rookie infielder Pablo Medrano, who was called up after the sharp decline of Manny de los Santos hit rock bottom and he was optioned out to AAA. Pablo didn't show much power, but in 13 games managed to hit .310 and drive in 7, while posting a .412 OBP (Santos was hitting .225 with a .300 OBP when he was shipped out - he had 11 HR after the first month, but none in the month and a half prior to his demotion). Aurora hopes that with Medrano's promotion - and it's expected he'll play first with Gabe McIntyre at second, that a higher average and better defense will equal a few more W's for the team.

Games of Note:
June 6, 2023: Aurora faced Fargo this evening on the Front Range as Gunner squared off with Fargo's young Bernardo Moreno - who was as advertised. Both starters would surrender only 5 hits on their watch - although Gunner would find himself pulled in the 6th with an elevated pitch count (109 over 5.2 IP). Gunner would surrender a triple in the first and he'd pitch out of a bases loaded jam in the 4th, while Moreno would only see one serious Aurora threat - a Hale single and a 2-out walk to Britt in the first. Jimenez would relieve MacGruder after a 2-out single in the 6th - and promptly load the bases, before getting out of the jam and then pitching a perfect 7th. Fargo manager Kenny Butler probably was pushing his luck with sending Moreno out in the 8th to face Pope, Ferringo, Hale (and Carlisle and Britt), and fate proved that theory right. A leadoff walk to Pope didn't bring Butler out of the dugout. A 1-out walk to Hale didn't do it either. And when SS Chad Harvey couldn't turn a double play on a slow hit ball by Carlisle, Moreno was left standing on the mound, staring at Mike Britt, who lined a 1-2 pitch for a double and a 1-0 lead for the Borealis. Bryant Burris induced three ground balls to Manny de los Santos for his 12th save.

June 16, 2023: The Borealis traveled to the Sonoran Desert to face Yuma and a pair of old teammates. 'Gypsy' John Foster, struggling to hit .220 after missing the first 5 weeks of the season, and Anastasio Lopez - who entered the game for his second consecutive start against his former team - was sporting a 7-3 record and 2.87 ERA before his previous start (a 3-0 loss to 'Tugboat' and the Borealis), were the key cogs in the MacGruder deal. Pity poor Anastasio as this rematch was complete with the 'Tugboat' on the mound, and this time he didn't really give his team a chance. Mike Britt would hit a 3-run HR in the first (#16, and RBIs #52) and after Lopez hit Pablo Medrano to lead off the 2nd, Pedro Ferringo drove a long ball for his first HR of the season and a 5-0 lead. Lopez would be gone by the 4th, and the Borealis would pile on runs in the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th innings (a Britt triple in the 5th, a Giles HR in the 7th, and a Ferringo double in the 9th amongst the big hits) for an 11-3 victory. The 'Dozer fans had a small bit of cheer as former-Auroran Rod Johnson would homer off Gerardo Rivera in the 9th.

June 28, 2023: George Crocker was donning his old green Kalamazoo jersey as Aurora entertained the Badgers on this day, and the fans on the Front Range were thoroughly entertained - and got a bonus for their hard-earned dollars. Gunner faced Charles Kennedy on this day, and both were long gone when this one was decided. In 6.1 IP, Gunner would surrender 4 runs, thanks to a 3-run shot off the bat of Freddy Strickland, while Kennedy would put his team in an early hole after a double by Ferringo, and RBI single from Carlisle and a Giles triple in the first. In the third, Mike Hale would hit a leadoff triple, and then, on a pop foul off the bat of Carlisle, he would try to score - a bad decision if not for the fact that Kennedy would drop the throw after catcher Luis Hernandez' great play to make the out - crashing into the dugout fencing, before making a perfect throw to a slow arriving Kennedy - caught off guard by Hale's decision to try and score. Aurora would take a 6-4 lead to the 9th, but Ron Latour would walk two and then feed a 2-1 pitch to Ramiro Fonseca that he'd turn into a lead-changing 3-run HR. K-Zoo closer David Lopez - having a fine season would walk Britt, and give up a single to Giles, but he'd seemingly have the save, after getting Juan Toro to hit into a DP, but Sake Ouwens would butcher a Gabe McIntyre grounder, allowing Britt to score the tying run. The Badgers would have a couple of small rallies, and both teams would load the bases in the 13th - only to come up empty, but in the 14th, with 2-out, Pope would single, Ferringo would walk and Hale would single to load the bases for Paul Carlisle who would smoke a 1-0 pitch 400 feet for a walk-off grand slam - and his 7th RBI of the game.

So Aurora heads into the heat of the summer in an interesting position. They trail the Bears by a slim 1.5 games, and they hold a 2.5 game lead over Palm Springs for the last wild card spot - 4 full games behind Wild Card leader Toyama. 'The Song Remains The Same', though, and the 2023 version has shown signs of clicking and putting on the same kind of run the 2022 squad did on the way to a second-consecutive Rodriguez Cup. July shall be a telling month. They start with two more games with the 'Gnats, followed by four with the Win-D's, then three with the Evil Evas out of the All-Star break and a month ending season with Bakersfield. Aurora has the chance to make a major charge in the SL, climbing that Stairway to Heaven, or they are in position to fall well behind, like a lead zeppelin. Get your tickets now, all you Auroran's who seem disinterested and are staying away from the ballpark - The season is about to really get started.

[Borealis]

Hot Bats, Hot Arms, Hot July, Hot Borealis
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

August 1, 2023: Aurora, Colorado - A month ago the Aurora Borealis sat on the precipice. They stared at a July that looked daunting. They looked up at the Bears. They kept an eye on the Codgers hounding their tails. Their post-season fates possibly hinging upon the improbable(?) seasons at Duluth and Toyama. But mostly they looked at July's schedule and saw those Win-D's, those Bears - as well as those Evil Evas and Evil 'Gnats, and the collective groan was audible across The Front Range - were the Borealis going to join their flailing farm system and fail to make it to the playoffs? There are fans who view the fates of a minor league system as irrelevant (we are not one of those, mind you) - as long as the Borealis are playing for yet another Rodriguez Cup, that's all that matters. But, the point is, farm system or not - that is the known; the truth; the law on The Front Range: Cup or Bust.

And so Aurora began July, just a small 'fans get over your doom and gloom' 1.5 game deficit to Bakersfield, in Crystal Lake, coming off a tough 3-2 loss that saw the 'Mayor' outdoes 'Sawmill'. Then something happened.

Aurora's bats came alive - to the tune of a team .299 for the month, averaging 5.5 R/G. The pitching, that started to coalesce in June - holding teams to a .222 average and a 2.33 ERA. Even more impressively (for Aurora, anyway), the Borealis out-homered their opponents, 24-15! The relief corp allowed a grand total of 2. The overall play of the Borealis was so hot that by the end of play on the 31st of July - and the bell ringing on the end of the trade deadline with nary a whisper of a deal, Aurora was no longer looking up at anyone - they had moved to the top of the heap. Five games better than Bakersfield in the Desert Hills and 3 games better than the Evil Evas.

And so, you may ask, how did this happen?

July 1 v. Crystal Lake: Eduardo Romano was coming off a tough June - statistically, but after giving up a leadoff HR to SS Juan Hernandez, he shackled the Sandgnats on one more hit over his 7 innings of work as he out dueled Velazquez.
July 2 @ Crystal Lake: 'Train Arollin' and 'Yogi' gave up hits and runs, but this was the Mike Britt Story: 4-5, 2 HRs (#19), and all 5 Aurora RBIs (#64), as Aurora took a road series from the 'Gnats - and taking 2 of the 3 series between the teams this year for a final tally of 5-4.

July 3-6 v. Toyama: Here's what you need to know about this series: Randy Smith: 8 IP, 0 R. Martin Francisco: 8 IP, 1 R. Eduardo Romano: 6 IP, 0 R. Gunner MacGruder: 6 IP, 2 R. The Bullpen: 8 IP, 1 R. Not that the Win-D's pitching was that poor, but when the offense nets you 4 runs, total, you are destined to lose. The big news for Aurora was the return of Jesus Negrete, his thumb healing quickly and adding a HR to the mix.

July 7-9 @ Niihama-shi: The long flight to Japan seemed to bother some ('Tugboat' only 5 IP, 9 H, 4 R; Carlisle 2-12, 1 RBI), but others seemed to cruise (Gunner 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R; Provost 7.2, 6 H, 2 R; Giles 5-11, 2-2B, 3B, 4 RBI) as Aurora swept a feisty Ghost squad and taking their July record to 8-1 as the All-Star break came about. Britt, too, struggled, but managed HR #21 and RBI #72, but the big game of the series belonged to struggling Wilson Mercado. The young, tall, lanky outfielder who made the idea of trading Matt Ferrell palatable, was 3-5 with a HR and 4 RBI in Aurora's 9-4 win in game 2 of the series.

All-Star Game: Aurora had five players travel to Genesis Park for the All-Star Game - and quite thankful that they were already in Japan. Carlisle, Britt and Pope all started for the SL, while Negrete and 'Tugboat' were substitutes. While Carlisle and Pope each had a hit, and Smith gave up a run on two hits in his one inning, the star of the game - a 12-inning affair, and the games MVP, was Mike Britt who, with plenty of grimaces from the Aurora management, played the entire game and went 4-6 and drove in a pair of runs - including a walk-off singe to win it in the 12th. The Borealis hope to see more of that exact same thing come October.

July 14 v. Shin Seiki: Speaking of the Evil Evas, the 5-man contingent of Auroran's - plus coaching staff who were managing the affair on the field, flew from the Evas home field to their own to face... the Evas! 'Sawmill' pulled a page from the past post-seasons and threw 6 very solid innings, allowing just 5 H and 1 R, striking out 5, while the 'pen shut the Evas out the rest of the way. Suitani was not so fortunate - inexplicably getting the start after starting the All-Star game 3 days earlier, and running out of gas in the 5th and surrendering 4 runs - a Jesus Negrete 2-run bomb to starting it off.
July 15 v. Shin Seiki: Romano put together another fine start in game 2: 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, with 'Black Jack' mostly matching him the entire way. Carlisle (HR) and Giles (2B) drove in runs in the second to give Aurora a 3-0 lead, only to see Takeuchi take Romano deep for a 2-run HR in the 5th. The 'pens would keep it close until the 9th when Burris would give up a 1-out double and a 2-out game tying single to Takeuchi to pick up his second blown save. Then in the 10th, Burris would surrender a 1-out walk before Hamada crushed a 2-run HR to give Shin Seiki game 2.
July 16 v. Shin Seiki: The rubber match was all about Mike Provost - literally. He cost himself a shot at a CG win - way back in the first. After allowing a solo HR to Takeuchi (again) in the first, Provosts own throwing error cost him another run in the first, staking the Evas to a 2-0 lead. But that's all the Evil Evas would muster against Provost. Meanwhile Aurora would craft a pair of single runs in the 2nd and 3rd against Mochizuki to tie the game - and this time it was the Evas turn to see their 'pen blow a win - and give it to Provost. Carlisle would single to lead off the 8th and promptly steal second. Wisely they Evas would walk Britt, but Nick Giles would follow with a game-winning, run-scoring single with Gerardo Rivera picking up the save in the 9th. The win gave Aurora a 2-1 series win at Northern Lights to match the 1-2 series loss earlier int he season at Genesis Park.

So Aurora reached mid-July with a 10-2 mark as they played 9 of the 12 games against potential playoff foes and then turned their attention to agreeing stretch of 17 straight games (to which the SS series was the starter) - the heart of which seemed to be favorable as a 11-day, 3-city, 2-country, road trip ensued - Kalamazoo, Okinawa, and Tempe.

July 17-20 @ Kalamazoo: Game 1 of the series saw a masterful 'Tugboat', whose only mistake was a solo HR - one of two hits in 7.1 IP, that came after the game had really been decided. Simon Jones gave up 6 hits in his 3.1 IP, but five were for extra bases. Hale, Carlisle and Britt each drove in two runs. MacGruder struggled in game 2 - giving up 4 runs in two innings, but Jimenez, Gray and Burris pitched 7 scoreless innings, giving the Borealis the chance to comeback and tie the game, with a Nick Giles double in the 11th driving in the decisive runs. 'Sawmill' was not his best in game 3, allowing a pair of HRs as the Badgers picked up a 5-1 win (a win that would be the only loss in this stretch of the schedule). Pedro Garza was particularly tough in the starting role for K-Zoo. Game 4 of the set was a tight duel behind a suddenly hot throwing Romano and Kazuo Ishihara. While Ishihara would throw a complete game, Romano went 8-shout out innings, allowing just 4 hits - and with Giles and Toro supplying some HR power, the Borealis headed off to Okinawa with a 3-1 series win.

July 21-23 @ Okinawa: Aurora's bats began to awaken in the Land of the Rising Sun as the team hit .338 during the three game set. Hale (9-17), Ferringo (6-12), Mercado (4-10, with 2 HR) and Medrano (5-13) were the big averages while Mike Britt hit HR #23 and RBI #81. Provost would be the victim of his own poor fielding again, in game 1, but 7 innings of 8-hit ball should be enough if not for 'Massacre' giving up a game tying HR in the 9th. The 'pens would keep it tied into the 14th, but thanks to a pass ball on strike three to Ferringo would open the door for a Britt RBI single to win the game. In contrast, game 2 had 'Tugboat' hold the Shisa to a single run, but Pena and Holbrook had other ideas - allowing 4 runs in relief in the 7th as Okinawa took a 5-4 lead. Negrete would tie the game at 5 in the 8th with an RBI single. This game would also go extras - this time it was the 11th and singles by Hale and Carlisle and a walk to Britt set up a Nick Giles Sac Fly and RBI singles by Medrano and Mercado as Aurora would win 8-5. Gunner would get plenty of support in game 3 - Ferringo and Hale would combine for 6-9 and 4 R at the top of the order. MacGruder would give up just 2 hits in 7 IP, with Gerardo Rivera giving up a pair of meaningless runs in the 9th.

July 24-27 @ Tempe: Tempe provided the biggest offensive threat of the month, knocking Aurora's team ERA up a notch or two, to the tune of 4.00 for the series. But Aurora battered the Knights pitching for nearly 9 runs a game - with no homers and only 2 RBI from Britt. Paul Carlisle made up for Britt's off series with an 8-19, 2 HR and 12 RBI. The Knights nearly stole game 1 from Burris' save column, and a 4 run rally off Ron Latour in game 3 got them within 1 in the 8th. But in the end, Aurora had just too much offense and ended the 11-game road swing with a 10-1 record.

July 28-30 v. Bakersfield: The long stretch of games to start the second half came to an end at Northern Lights versus the Bears. By this point there had been a 6 game swing in the standings - not by any poor play on their part - that's just how hot Aurora had become this month. Seon Pak was the Bear who got a first hand look at the juggernaut, getting chased in the 4th - and the 'pen fared no better. Britt would hit homer #24 and drive in run #87 as he was 3-4 on the night. Lost behind the fireworks was Gunner MacGruder: CG, 7 H, 1 R (a Cleveland HR in the 9th). A lengthy rain delay killed a buddy pitchers duel in game 2 as Maes and 'Sawmill' didn't make it past the third. The Bears put the game away in the 9th - after booth 'pens were nails, scoring 4 runs off Burris. Game 3 - the last on the month, brought the Borealis around full circle. Romano, who began the strong month, would throw 6- shut out innings, on 5 H. Aurora would do all their damage in the 6th, where a string of singes and a pair of doubles (Carlisle and Ferringo) equal 5 runs and Aurora's 22 win in 26 July games.

Pablo Medrano - the rookie second-sacker who was called up in mid-June, hit a solid .365 - he only managed 2 XBH, but he scored 10 and drove in 12. Britt hit .312 with 7 HR and a whopping 30 RBI to win the SL Batter of the Month Award. Paul Carlisle must have been a close second with a .330 average, 5-2B, 3B, 4 HR and 23 RBI.

Britt wasn't the only award winner for Aurora, as Eduardo Romano was 5-0 with a 1.11 ERA, and winning the SL Pitcher of the Month Award. 'Tugboat' was 4-0, 1.67 and Provost was also 4-0.

The Dog Days are here, as August opens the stretch drive and much like 2022, Aurora is clicking on all cylinders and back in a familiar spot - a top the standings. But August is littered with traps, as July was - most notably a Desert Hills heavy run of Palm Springs and Bakersfield. Starting tomorrow, a 6-game, home-and-home series with the Codgers opens a total of 9 match-ups with Palm Springs, and 3 more series with Bakersfield - the first two at YUM!, along with a series with Tempe and Yuma. Only a side trip to Duluth disrupts the intra-division month.

[roncollins]

July 3-6 v. Toyama: Here's what you need to know about this series: Randy Smith: 8 IP, 0 R. Martin Francisco: 8 IP, 1 R. Eduardo Romano: 6 IP, 0 R. Gunner MacGruder: 6 IP, 2 R. The Bullpen: 8 IP, 1 R. Not that the Win-D's pitching was that poor, but when the offense nets you 4 runs, total, you are destined to lose. The big news for Aurora was the return of Jesus Negrete, his thumb healing quickly and adding a HR to the mix.

We're a different team when Jose Escobido is not at the top of the lineup.

[Borealis]

Oh... Trust me... Once the playoffs start, everyone is scary... We may have dispatched Tempe fairly well last season, but we kept waiting for that offense to explode. 'Who do you want to face in the playoffs?' Nobody... Can we just move on to the trophy presentation?? There isn't one team that isn't dangerous once they make it past the regular season...

[roncollins]

True enough. Playoff math generally says a dominant team will only win the whole thing about 20% of the time. Numbers will vary to specifics, of course.

Or, as Billy Beane once said: "This <censored> doesn't work in the playoffs."

[Borealis]

Aurora Limp (Literally) to the Finish Line, Hold Top Seed
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

October 2, 2023: Aurora, Colorado - Hours after the Borealis locker room at YUM! Field had quieted - after Mike Provost's near perfect performance against the Bears clinched the top record and home field advantage in the SL playoffs - with a tip of the cap to former-Borealis Bobby Watson, who drove in Okinawa's winning run against Shin Seiki hours earlier, the line at the trainers table continued to be long.

Despite a perfectly fine 36-21 mark to finish the season, the stretch will go down as the 'Bloody Dog Days' as far as the Borealis are concerned. If we look closely, beginning in late July:

- July 26, River Pope stains a rib muscle and is shelved for 2 weeks, while Wilson Mercado pulls a hammy making an awkward throw and misses 6 weeks. Mercado had struggled mostly, but Pope had just got his average over .300 and was having a fine summer.
- August 3, 3.2 IP into his start v. Palm Springs, Gunner MacGruder was off the mound after a pitch, and is later diagnosed with a torn UCL and promptly is scheduled for Tommy John and misses the rest of 2023 and is scheduled to miss all of next season. Although Gunner hadn't been the pitcher Aurora had hoped he be in complementing Provost and 'Tugboat', he still was one of the best in the SL.
- August 8, Jesus Negrete - who had already missed 6 weeks with a broken wrist earlier in the season, collided with Leon Valentin in an attempt to break up a double play, tears a muscle in his shoulder and is out for an estimated 9 months - returning possibly in mid-May. Negerete was having a fine season, hitting the way Aurora had expected when making the deal with Reno early last season.
- August 22, Gabe McIntyre, who's progress had in part prompted the trading of 'Gypsy' John Foster, pulled an oblique trying to make an off-balanced throw in a slow roller and as a result missed about 4 weeks. He hadn't provided the offense the Borealis had hoped for, but he provided stellar defense - committing just a single error all season.
- August 25, River Pope was back for two-and-a-half weeks, before he strained a quad muscle running the bases, landing him back on the DL for another month.
- August 30, five days after losing Pope, Mike Hale tweaked an ankle hitting a base awkwardly, causing him to miss 5 weeks, making it back into the line-up for the final three games in Bakersfield.
- September 12, SP Eduardo Romano strained his forearm enough that he needed a 2 week stint on the DL, making it back for one last start (v. Bakersfield).
- September 20, lastly - and possibly most painfully, Mike Britt came out of the game with Fargo with a hip strain, and is expected to miss 5 weeks. Britt, who was enjoying a career year (he would still lead the league in RBIs, even though he missed the last 2 weeks), will be a huge loss for an offense that has very little power otherwise.

That's a significant amount of time on the DL - especially for key starters. That doesn't count minor day-to-day injuries suffered by the likes of Juan Toro, Ron Latour, Lawrence Justice and Bryant Burris. Although Pope, Hale, Mercado, McIntyre and Romano have all returned to the line-up, no need to stress the losses of Britt and Negrete being huge.

The loss of Negrete leaves Aurora with a pair of back-up quality catchers: Rusty Butler, who managed to hit just .224, and Luis Villanueva, who hit .267. Villanueva may have had the higher average (on a smaller sample size), and a slightly better defensive record, Butler was more successful throwing runners out, and the starting nod may be swayed by that fact.

No one in the organization can replace the combination of Britt's bat and glove. So Aurora has a choice: more offense or more defense. September call-up, Teddy Loetzsch hit .265 in 10 starts, but wielding a fine defensive glove, may well get the nod as Aurora may go with the superior defense behind their top-notch rotation.

With Gunner out, Romano is likely to move into the 3rd slot of the rotation. His final start was solid (6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 0 BB), leaving 'Sawmill' to fill the 4th spot. Francisco was sporadic this season, yet still finished with a satisfactory 3.81 ERA. He does have a solid post-season history - despite a 4-5 record for Aurora.

Around his pair of injuries, Pope still managed to lead the team with a .378 average over his 22 games played, while Hale checked in at .320 - most of which was prior to his injury. And speaking of the injured, Britt's .337, 13 HR, 37 RBI will certainly be missed.

Most surprising - happily so, and creating a little interest going into spring training, was the performance of OF Lawrence Justice. Called up as part of the outfield shuffling that occurred with the Pope-Hale-Mercado injuries, Justice found himself playing nearly full-time, getting in 38 games and 147 AB and hitting .313, with 12-2B and 18 RBI while playing clean defensively.

On the mound, the starters posted a tidy 2.78 ERA and .208 OAVG. Provost (2.30) and Romano (2.10) led the way. But of note was the work of the 'Stork'. Ryan Holbrook , who suffered through a hideous May, closed out the year with a 0.98 September and a 3.00 ERA for the season. Aurora will need Holbrook to look more like his old self in the post-season than his old 'post-season self' - Aurora won the 2022 title despite his 7.71 ERA in 6 appearances.

So for the third straight season since The Great Merger, the Borealis have earned a first round bye, and with the #1 seed await Toyama, Duluth or the Bears. In 2021, the bye translated into a Divisional Round, 4-1 win over the Bears on their way to the title. In 2022, the bye translated into a 4-2 win over Shin Seiki as Aurora won their third title in four seasons. Will Aurora repeat this feat for a third time, or will we see a first-time champ for the Sovereign League? Will one of the former-LRS teams break through? Great Questions, and now we begin to discover their answers!

[Borealis]

Tough Split Sends Tied Series to Duluth
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

October 12, 2023: Aurora, Colorado - The Duluth Warriors came to Northern Lights Park with a head of steam. Buoyed by a strong season performance against the Borealis and their 3-0 sweep of Toyama in the Wild Card opening round of the PEBA playoffs, Duluth looked prime for an upset - an outcome the two-time champs were not interested in having any part of.

As a crowd of 52,454 filed into the park, Aurora certainly felt rested and secure with Mike Provost taking the mound against the 'Neanderthal'. Both pitchers looked sharp in the first with quick 1-2-3 innings, but things changes in the second.

Stan Holmes would hit Provost's first pitch of the second for a single and, after a wild pitch, he would move to third on a groundout to McIntyre. Former-Borealis Miguel Galvez would battle provost from an 0-2 count to a run-scoring sac fly and a Warrior lead.

But the lead would be short lived. Carlisle would reach first as Mike Harris would drop a fly ball - earning a glare from Carson, who would be so distracted that he then walked Giles and McIntyre to load the bases with no outs. Carson would right the ship some, striking out Loetzsch in his first career post-season AB, then he would get Luis Villanueva to ground a ball to first - it looked like maybe Carson was going to minimize the damage, but in covering first, he committed his own error - dropping the ball, allowing Carlisle to score. Mike Hale, recently back from a stint on the DL, would hit a sac fly to make the score 2-1 as the game headed to the 3rd.

The game would move through the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th innings, each team having a few baserunners, but aside from Giles being thrown out advancing to third, there was very little action. Then, in the 7th, Provost uncharacteristically hit Andres Hernandez to lead the inning off. He would get ahead of Holmes 0-2, but his bid for a K caught too much of the plate and Holmes sent it soaring into the night sky for a 2-run bomb and a 3-2 Warrior lead.

Meanwhile Carson would reach the 8th and the top of the Aurora line-up. Pope would single. and after Ferringo flew out, Medranao would single as well - leaving fans grumbling for a Mike Britt who was sitting on the bench, but inactive with injury. Carlisle would drive a liner toward center, but Tomas Flores would track it down. Aurora wouldn't sniff another hit the rest of the way.

In picking up his second win of the post-season, Carson would go 8 innings, giving up 6 hits and no earned runs, with Gonzalez picking up the easy save. For Provost, the game mirrored a lot of the 2023 season - dominant: 8 IP, 4 H, 7 K, 0 BB - but the gopher ball that has haunted him this year, did so today - at a cost: a 1-0 series lead for Duluth.

Game 2 had 'Tugboat' square off with 'Rainmaker' and the game quietly moved into the 4th as each team managed a couple of hits early on. In the bottom of the 4th, Medrano would walk to lead off the inning - only to be erased on a FC by Carlisle. Nick Giles followed that with a ringing double on a 0-1 pitch to set up McIntyre with a pair of runners in scoring position. Game would pop-up, and it looked like Julian Thomas was about to get out of the jam with rookie Loetzsch at the plate. Instead, Teddy would jump on the first pitch for a 2-run single and the Borealis jumped ahead first for the second straight game.

Randy Smith was looking sharp as he carried his shut-out into the 8th - showing the form that earned him PEC MVP last year, and after Loetzsch singled again off of Thomas in front of Rusty Butler's 2-run homer (4-0), and a Ferringo double that scored Pope (after a 1-out single) - Aurora carried a 5-0 lead into the 8th.

Things in the 8th looked fine - Prat struck out to start the inning, and after a ground ball headed Pablo Medrano's way, the second out was headed to the scorebook - until he booted the ball, allowing Galvez to reach first. David Uribes lined a ball to left for a single and suddenly the Warriors were in business - and when Mike Harris launched one for a 3-run HR, the lead cut to 5-3, the small clusters of Warrior fans went crazy.

Smith would get out of the 8th, leaving the game to Bryant Burris - who would pick up his 24th career playoff save as Aurora tied the series at one game a piece.

So the series moves to Minnesota, where 'Sawmill' will take the mound for the Borealis against Paul Norris. Norris faced Aurora twice - both times going 6 innings while giving up 3 runs - on a Duluth win, the other an Aurora W. Francisco can say somewhat the same - a 6 inning, 1-run outing in a 2-1 loss to Duluth, and then of course the August 9th Perfect Game - a total of 15 innings of 1-run ball that feels pretty good for the start of the Duluth phase of the series.

[Borealis]

Sweep in Duluth Sends Aurora to SLCS
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

October 16, 2023: Duluth, Minnesota - Imagine what this team would do if they played all their games at Doyle Buhl Stadium!

Way back in May, when the Borealis were struggling to find their seasons identity, the Duluth Warriors were playing sound ball and came to The Front Range and put the league on notice by taking 3 of 4 tight ballgames from the Borealis on their home turf. Three month's later, the roles were reversed and Aurora went into Doyle Buhl and put a whopping on the Warriors to sweep a three game series.

Rinse and Repeat on that one. Aurora - after splitting the first two of their Division Series games at home (thanks to a late inning HR by Duluth), went back to Duluth's apparently cozy stadium and continued the hit parade with authority, sweeping the three game set, allowing Duluth and their fans to begin preparations for ice fishing season.

Game 3 had Martin Francisco returning to the scene of perhaps his greatest pitching moment - he had thrown a perfect game against Duluth in that earlier three game sweep, and although he was far from perfect on this night (he'd give up a hit to his fourth batter), he was good enough. Young Paul Norris for Duluth, though, can not say the same.

Paul Carlisle got things started with a towering 2-run HR with 2-out in the first - allowing 'Sawmill' to begin the game at ease and with a lead. He would allow three singles in the fourth to see his lead cut in half. Pope, Ferringo, and Medrano would all single in the 6th (aided by an error by Flores, who over ran Pope's single) and with Carlisle's sac flay, the lead was back to 4-1.

Miguel Galvez, the former-Aurora, has been a royal pain thus far, and on this day, that would continue as he blasted the first pitch he saw in the 6th for a mammoth, 3-run HR and suddenly 'Sawmill' found himself even with the Warriors.

But that would be the extent of Duluth's damage as 'Sawmill' would right his ship and finish 8 strong innings with 9 K and a walk. Aurora would quickly get the lead back in the 7th with McIntyre, Loetzsch and Ferringo singling around a HBP and another sac fly for a pair. Aurora would tack on 5 in the 9th with three singles and a pair of doubles (Hale and Carlisle). The final, 11-4, would foreshadow the rest of the series.

Game 4 saw Eduardo Romano take on Julian Thomas, who was pitching on 3 days rest - always a tricky proposition. If you knew ahead that Romano would go 8 and 'Rainmaker' would only pitch 4, you'd figure things looked good for Aurora - and you'd think correctly.

Romano would give up 8 hits on this day - and three were in the first inning, all singles, leading to a 1-0 lead for Duluth. That lead lasted barely 10 minutes as McIntyre would single in the second, Loetzsch would double him home and Butler would single Teddy home - Bingo, 2-1 Aurora.

The warriors would set some small fires, but nothing a caught stealing or a double play couldn't snuff out. Meanwhile Aurora played little ball in the 5th where 5 singles a walk and a HBP tallied 5 runs, a 7-1 score and 7-1 lead. For good measure, Aurora added four more in the 8th with Medrano and Giles doubling around a walk and a pair of single, to finish the day's scoring at 12-1.

Game 5 looked grim from the start for Duluth - despite beating Mike Provost in Game 1, yet there the Warriors were, taking advantage of a Nick Giles error in the first to score a run, then getting a second run on a 5th inning HR by Galvez - his third of the post-season, to take a 2-0 lead into the 6th.

Up the the 6th inning Ed Emery had scattered 4 hits, and even after Nick Giles help redeem himself with a solo HR in the 6th, Emery still maintained a 2-1 lead. He started the 7th off by striking out Loetzsch and Butler, but then, all of a sudden, someone opened the dam - rather Flint Butler had a brain cramp. Hale singled, followed by a deep drive to right by Pope that Butler let kick off his glove for an error. Emery would walk Ferringo to load the bases and suddenly, after a powerful start to the 7th, he was gone and staring a loss in the face. Medrano would greet Nevarez by singling home two. Carlisle would clear the bases with a triple and Giles would chase Nevarez with his second HR of the game. Anatomy of a 6-run inning. Hale would double home Loetzsch in the 8th to make the score 8-2 and make the two runs Duluth would score in the 8th off Holbrook feel pretty meaningless in an 8-4 Borealis win - a win that clinched a spot in the Sovereign League Championship Series.

For Aurora, the offense was powered by the top of the order as Pope (8-19) and Ferringo (9-22) did the bulk of the damage with a combined 12 runs (8 by Pope) and 8 RBI - accounting for over half of Aurora's 38 runs scored. Giles would have 2-2B, a 3B and 2 HR, driving in 6 and scoring 5. But perhaps the most intriguing member of the offense was rookie Teddy Loetzsch. Hanging out at his apartment in Thornton after the AAA season ended, then suddenly getting called up in the heat of the pennant race as Mike Britt goes down to injury. With all of 10 major league games under his belt, he's declared the starter at third for the Duluth series and goes 7-20, with a pair of doubles and 3 RBI.

And so the Borealis wait to see who they will face for the right to play for the Rodriguez Cup. For 8 innings today it looked like it would be Shin Seiki - until a 2-out, 2-run double by Juan Hernandez gave the 'Gnats a 3-2 win and send the series back to Japan. After the Evil Evas won the first three games of the series - two of them in 12-innings, making it look like a possible sweep, the 'Gnats have come back and made a series of it. Game 6 will feature 'Yogi' v. the 'Onion' - who gave up 7 H and 5 R in 3.2 IP in Game 2. 'Yogi' deserved better in Game 2 - his own error likely cost him the game, as it led to 2 unearned runs.

Aurora has great interest in the outcome of Game 6 - more than just 'is it Shin Seiki or Crystal Lake?' - I doubt they care as either team will be a challenge. With today's off day, should this (or the Kentucky-Rio Grande series) go 7 games, that's at least 4 more days of rest for the starters - meaning Provost could go in game 1, but more importantly, Mike Britt is expected to be ready in another 6 days and could possibly be ready for the middle games of the SLCS - and possibly beyond.

[Borealis]

Burris Blows Save, Leads Borealis into Hole
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

October 25, 2023: Crystal Lake, Illinois - He was drafted in 2009 as the 15th overall pick by Aurora and, during his career he's amassed 364 saves - just 24 shy of the PEBA record of 388 by Raul Pinto. He has another 25 postseason saves. And yet, Aurora fans will tell you he can be the most frustrating closer of all time. His 56 career blown saves may not have, in the end, been wholly costly, but his one BS this postseason may be the kiss of death for Aurora.

Leaving Mike Provost wondering what a guy has to do.

The Sovereign League Alliance Tournament opened at Northern Lights Park with Provost facing off with The 'Mayor' - about as great a pitching matchup one could ask for. Provost, who took a hard luck loss in his first playoff start v. Duluth - despite giving up only 4 hits in 8 IP, would be even tougher in this matchup as he would take a no-hitter into the 7th.

The 'Mayor', whose fine performance in Game 5 v. Shin Seiki staved off elimination and set the table for the fabled Sandgnat comeback, would be equally tough in this one as only a mistake to unfamiliar rookie Teddy Loetzsch led to an RBI double that would last through to the 9th inning.

But Provost would be pulled with 2-outs in the 8th after a walk - John Gray closing the inning easily, and then Burris would enter in the 9th with the chance to save a 1-0 win for Provost. But instantly Burris got in trouble as Liam Meyer would single and Juan Hernandez would bunt the tying run into scoring position. Jarrod Ricks - the former-Dozer, would battle Burris - fouling off three pitches before grounding one through the infield - scoring Meyer, with Ricks advancing to second on the throw home. With the powerful Wilson Munoz up, an intentional walk was ordered. But that would be for naught - and costly, as Miguel Campoy would double off Burris, driving home two - and getting thrown out at third to end the inning - but the damage of a 3-run inning had been done.

Crystal Lake's closer, The 'Doberman' - Ramon Contreras, would enter the game and with the top of the Aurora lineup due up, he retired Pope, Ferringo and Medrano in order to earn the save and the huge road win for the 'Gnats.

Suddenly Aurora faced a must win home game, and would do so with a pitcher synonymous with Big Game pitching - 'Tugboat', Randy Smith. 'Tugboat' may have lasted only 6 innings in this start, but like Provost, he was dominant - allowing only 2 hits and a run (on a pair of singles sandwiched around an infield out).

The 'lesser known' of Crystal Lake's starting four, Dave Jones, took the mound and he would not be as fortunate as Provost, Smith and Corona. He had some struggles during the second inning - throwing 28 pitches, but managed to get to the fourth unscathed. But then, with 2-out, Nick Giles hit an 0-2 pitch for a double and Gabe McIntyre drove him in for the games first run. that was followed in the 5th by a 2-out single by Ferringo, who would steal second and score on a Medrano single, which was, in turn, followed by a Paul Carlisle 2-run blast that gave the Borealis a 4-0 lead.

Smith would give up that single run in the sixth, but Felix Pena would pitch a perfect 7th and 8th, and after a lead-off walk in the 9th by Burris, he'd induce a game ending DP from the same guy who beat him the day before - Campoy. Aurora would earn the split and head to Game 3, on the road, tied at 1.

Game 3 would pit Romano - moved up into the 3rd spot, after his success against the 'Gnats this year, against 'Yogi', and though neither pitcher was necessarily sharp, Crystal Lake's defense was certainly cleaner. Game 3 saw the return of Mike Britt to the lineup, and as baseball fate would have it - miss significant time and the ball will find you. Juan Hernandez hit the games first pitch to Britt, whose low throw to first got away from Medrano for an error. 4 pitches later Jarrod Ricks had doubled home Hernandez and the 'Gnats were up 2-0. Wilson Munoz singled Ricks to 3rd. Hamada hit a comebacker, that Romano froze Ricks with and got the force on Munoz at second for the first out. Campy would strike out and it looked like Romano was about to get out of this jam with just a run scored, but Yamamoto would single home Ricks, and Klein would follow with his own RBI single and the 'Gnats had a 3-0 lead.

Things would only get worse for Romano as Hernandez would lead off the second with a HR, and in the third he'd walk Klein in front of Jeff Wolfe's HR - as the Sandgnat's started to flex their well known power, and jumping on the Aurora starter for a 6-0 lead. Romano's night was over as his line of 3 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HRA will not go down as one of his finest moments. It left him after the game mumbling to those who would listen that next time - that would be a presumptive Game 7, would be different.

Meanwhile, there was still ample time for Aurora to get back into this one.

The Borealis would claw their way slowly, with a 2-out double by Pope in the 5th and a RBI single by Ferringo netting the Borealis a run, and then a leadoff double by Britt in the 6th, with a 2-out single by Toro - he came in for Gabe McIntyre who earlier took a vicious pitch off the cheek, giving Aurora a smidgen of hope at 6-2.

The 'Gnats got one back as Carlisle butchered a ball for an error - Aurora's third on the night, making it 7-2 as the game would head to the 9th. In the 9th, Aurora would rally. Toro would leadoff with a single and score on a 1-out triple by Hale, who would quickly score on Pope's single. That cut the 'Gnats lead to 7-4 and bring Contreras in, who threw three pitches and got the speedy Ferringo to hit into a game-ending double play.

With the win in their first home game of the series, the 'Gnats took a 2-1 series lead and one has to think the Borealis have a bit of their backs against a wall. With Alfredo Velazquez going in Game 4 for the 'Gnats, they look tough. For Aurora, it'll be 'Sawmill', who has been a little up and down, but mostly up in the second half of the season, and has pitched shakily in the past two postseasons - though when he was needed most, he got the job done.

Aurora needs their longtime Ace... Now...