Dog Days, Long Stretch, Bite Hard
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
August 31, 2035: Palm Springs, California – It had the look of trouble. A month with only a single day off - and early in the month as well, as August presented the Borealis with 25-straight games - that will ride into 9-more consecutive into September, ending with series with Toyama and Kalamazoo. It looked somewhat safe on paper: Okinawa, Reno, Yuma, Tempe - teams a pennant contender should beat - needs to beat, but in a season that has provided wackiness, on paper is something that is easily trashed and recycled.
Instead, the Borealis struggled. They frustrated. And yet, they began August tied with Bakersfield atop the Desert Hills, and they ended August in the exact same position - tied, with 9-crucial games down the final three weeks of the season - including the final three at Northern Lights.
Four times in August Aurora was shut out - to Tempe (Lance Harris), Palm Springs (Darren Jackson), Yuma (Young-pil Pin) and Duluth (Bob Hodge). The loss to the Codgers saw Henry Cluett pitch a complete game 4-hitter. Four of the losses Aurora scored just a run - meaning half the losses Aurora took in a 14-16 August were shut-outs or 1-run games. And yet, Aurora won 5-games by shut-out and and six allowing just a run - wasn't Schizophrenia a theme of an earlier blog?
Six of Aurora's wins were with just 1- or 2-runs - adding up to 14-games in which Aurora scored 2-or fewer runs. That's how you go 14-16 in a month that demanded better play.
And that's just the beginning of the frustration. Over the month, Borealis pitchers held their opponents to a .200 average and struck out 227-hitters - 1 in every 5, with an ERA of 2.47. Yet the Borealis managed 2.8 runs per game while hitting a paltry .246 - and that's where the shear lack of power comes to play. Aurora had 11. In 30-games Aurora hit 11 HR - their lowest monthly total - and per game average (.36) - frustrating after they had hit 26 in April and gave promise to (finally) improved HR numbers. Meanwhile Aurora allowed 28 homers - three of which won games in extra-innings and another 5 were game winners late in games, or in the case of Henry Cluett, the only runs in 1-0 and 2-0 losses.
And then there was the case of Brian Clark, who alone allowed an unlikely 6 HR on 6 GS, 17 R n 29.1 IP and a 4.91 ERA.
One positive was Aurora's decision to go with a 6-man staff, and insert Clotilde Casco as a starter. He made four starts and was 1-2 with a 2.42 ERA over 26 IP. Cluett was outstanding, posting a 1.64 ERA in 38.1 IP that covered 5 GS - though he allowed 5 of the HR, contributing to his 2-3 record. Miguel Vega - the old free agent who was signed as back-up, made four appearances, picked up the loss in two extra-inning games and with a 6.75 ERA and a wildly tense dugout with his arrival - would quickly find himself released to the scrap heap.
But the pitching, obviously, wasn't all bad. Armando Batista was 4-1 with a 2.10 ERA to earn pitcher of the month honors for the club - allowing just a single homer, and Richard Neely has a 2.18 ERA isn 5 GS. 'Machete' earned 10 saves as he didn't allow a run in 16.1 IP, striking out 24 and walking just 2.
Offensively, Raul Munoz managed to lead the way with a .327 average, and Wynn Berry and Ed Madore hit .294 and .287, but the three combined for 11-2B, and just Munoz' triple and 2 HR. Dean Walden (.258) led the team with 14 RBI, but he had nearly as many K (21) as hits (25). 'Matchbox' managed 7-2B, a 3B and 3 HR - but hit only .233 - at a time when Aurora really needs his offensive punch.
Rookie Jose Aleman - clutch all season, nose-dived, hitting .202. There was some promise as another rookie - Angel Silva, made his major league debut and hit .244 over 90 AB, with 5-2B, a 3B and a HR. But if anything sums it up for Aurora, it was a shear lack of timing, as the club never seemed to get the big hit when it was needed.
What's on Tap
Hopefully a better month.
Aurora will finish off a series in Palm Springs before entertaining Toyama and Kalamazoo to end their 34-game stretch. Then it's three series with the Bears, separated by series at Tempe, at Madison and at Yuma. Aurora has recalled Lewis Uige to help with bullpen depth and they have called up their top pick in the 2029 draft - 3B David Simmons, in hope of getting some more offensive punch. Simmons hit .283 with 24 HR and 79 RBI for the Sun Dogs, in a year when offenses saw an uptick in performance in 2035. Simmons will get thrown into the fire with starts against the Win-D's and Badgers.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Pennant Race Arrives - Agonizingly
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
September 17, 2035: Madison, Wisconsin – The 34-game stretch of games is over. Aurora had an off day - and will have two more over the final 14-days and 12-games that are left in the season. Somewhat weary after the stretch that saw the Borealis go 17-17 - and move from a brief moment in 2nd place, a game back, to a 2.5 game lead - which has upped itself to 3.5 thanks to Aurora's holding home field advantage with a 2-1 series win against the Bears this past week, with 6-games left with their bitter Californian rivals. Aurora sits with an 86-64 record - they will have to sweep their final games to match the 98-win seasons of the past two years and it's worth noting that they have never finished first with less than 96-wins - oddly the other three times they finished with 90+ wins, they finished no better than 3rd.
At least we know that is not happening. But can they hold off the Bears and win the division? Can they hold off Kalamazoo, who are two games behind Aurora for the home field in the Divisional Round of the playoffs? Will the loser of the Desert Hills even make the playoffs - much less have the home field in the Wild Card - once a given, but with the resurgent Evil Evas having climbed within a half game of the wild card lead and a suddenly surging Duluth squad that is just 3.5 games back (and a miracle dreaming 5.5 back in the Great Lakes), nothing is assured for the Borealis and Bears. It's best win the division, or else, pray.
Aurora had finished their long stretch of games by splitting a tight series with Toyama at Northern Lights, winning a pair of 1-run games, while losing a 1-run and 2-run set of games. The most harrowing was game four of the series, in which Aurora had built a 3-0 lead behind Brian Clark, who left the game an out into the 6th inning, having allowed just 1 hit while striking out 4. His strained left shoulder had him missing a weeks worth of time and would mess up Aurora's finely crafted efforts to poise the rotation for the final weeks of the season. Paul de Kook, like many in Aurora's 'pen has struggled the second half of the year, surrendered that 3-0 lead - allowing 4-runs on a pair of walks and a pair of hits - including Kevin Newton's 17th homer with 2 on and 2 out in the 7th. Aurora would miraculously come back in the bottom of the inning as 'Litterbug' and Madore singled with 2-outs and rookie Tony Munoz doubling on a liner to right-center - with Madore just beating the throw from Ryosei Saito with the go-ahead and winning run.
Aurora followed up the encouraging series with Toyama with more hopefulness against Kalamazoo to end the 34-game streak. Henry Cluett would team up with 'Hyena' and 'Machete' for a 1-0 win in games 1, while the Badgers would comeback from a 2-1 deficit to tie game 2, and win it in 14-innings, forcing the rubber match - a significant game in the race for the 2-seed. John Ross wasn't a mystery on this day as Aurora would strike for 9-hits and 6-runs - including recent call-up David Simmons' 2nd career homer, for a 6-2 win. Man Sim - battling Richard Neely for a possible playoff rotation spot, allowed 9-hits over 7 IP, but just a pair of runs for the win.
Which brings us to the first of three series with Bakersfield to end the season. Speaking of Neely, he was on the mound for Aurora in game 1 - thanks to the injury to Clark, and Neely was no match for Jeff Mendoza on this day. Mendoza would get 2-outs into the 8th before being removed - having allowed just 4-hits and a run - while Neely didn't get past the 5th, giving up 5 off 9-hits. Henry Cluett was on the mound in game 2, and though he was not super effective - he allowed 11-hits and 4-runs, he managed just enough and his teammates hit just enough to force the game to extras - in no small part to David Simmons hitting a pair of homers in this game - his solo homer in the 8th off Alec Jordan tying the game. It would be Simmons who would score the winning run in the 12th, drawing a 2-out walk, followed by a single by Walden and a walk-off single from Pedro de la Cruz for a 5-4 win, setting up yet another rubber match crucial to the standings.
Game 3 was all Aurora as they pounded Adam Pemberton and Teika Kamikawa for 5-runs each as Aurora uncharacteristically hit four homers - G-Rod, 'Matchbox' and rookies Angel 'Otter' Silva (his second) and David Simmons, again, his 5th! Armando Batista would strike out 6 over 6-innings, and allow 2-runs on 3-hits to earn his 14th win and put Aurora up 3.5 in the standings.
And now, the agonizing part - which really has been the tale of the 2035 season. Three straight important, taut, series that saw Aurora up their lead from just a game to 3.5 games, with 4th place Tempe (66-80) coming to town. Whom Aurora was 10-5 against, but this just isn't going to be an easy finish. After taking a lead in the 6th of game 1 on homers by Hernandez and... Simmons, Morales would give it right back and Fujji would surrender a walk-off homer by Andrew Brooks as Aurora lost game 1. It was a near carbon copy in game 2, as after Aurora had come back it would be Paul de Kook this time, with a run allowed in the 8th for a 3-2 Tempe win. Aurora would get the hitting and pitching in game 3 to salvage the series behind Richard Neely - including rookie David Simmons 7th homer since his September 3 call-up, as well as hitting .400.
To the chagrin of the Bakersfield Bears, and delight of the Borealis, Bakersfield flew to Niihama to face the improving Ghosts, who mauled the Bears in the first two games before Bakersfield salvaged their series - just like Aurora, keeping the two teams separated by the 3.5 games - despite each having a chance against a squad they should beat.
What's on Tap
For both the Borealis and Bears, a trap lies before them. This weekend the two teams will face off, but before, the Borealis head to Madison before going to the former-YUM! park, while the Bears host Fargo. Aurora is 4-4 against Madison - sweeping a series in May and losing 2 of 3 in July - both on the Front Range, but Madison has been a difficult road for Aurora over the past couple of seasons - and looking past the Malts this time could be lethal. Bakersfield is 3-3 with Fargo - all at Jurassic Park, and the offensively dangerous Dinosaurs sit at 72-77 on the season and they no doubt would love to finish at .500 - a place they haven't been since the 2025 season.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
When it Matters, Aurora Finds Wins
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
October 1, 2035: Aurora, Colorado – The last two weeks of the season had pitfalls. Between the six remaining games with Bakersfield - including the final three at Northern Lights, they had road series at Madison and Yuma - chances for the team to overlook their lesser opponents in anticipation of their two series with Bakersfield. Over the past month Aurora had lost series to Tempe (twice), Palm Springs (twice), Duluth (3 of 4, all 1-run losses to the smoking hot Warriors), a series loss and split with Reno - and if you drifted back into July, Aurora lost a series at home against the Malts, so to say that the series at Madison and at Yuma were traps would not be classified as hyperbole.
Aurora would take care of business this time around, taking 2 of 3 against Madison - a 1-0 win in the opener - a 9th inning sac fly from David Simmons backing up the excellent work from Cluett; a 3-1 win in game 2, behind the excellent work of Armando Batista - who would end up the SL Pitcher of the Month. Aurora would come back in game 3 to send the game into extras, but Javier Aguilar would dash their hopes of a sweep in the 11th with an RBI double. Aurora would sweep Yuma in the penultimate series - Batista was fantastic in game 1, backed by 3-hits by Simmons and a suddenly warming (finally) Dean Walden; Aurora would comeback from a 3-0 deficit late in game 2 - 'Matchbox with a 2-run homer in the 9th to tie it and a 2-run single from 'Litterbug' in the 10th to supply the winning runs. Man Sim, along with Morales and 'Chattahoochee' shut the Yumans out in game three, with rookies David Simmons and Tony Munoz homering for Aurora's 3-runs.
Meanwhile Bakersfield continued to find it difficult to gain ground. While Aurora was taking 2 of 3 from Madison, Bakersfield took 2 of 3 from Fargo - a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Dinos in game 3 as the Bears were 2-hit. That gave Aurora a 3.5 lead heading into the 2nd of three series the teams had down the stretch - the first won by Aurora, 2-1, and this time it was the Bears who won. Man Sim would 3-hit the Bears in game 1 as Aurora won 3-1, but Mendoza and Willis would shut the Borealis down - shutting out the Borealis over a desperate weekend at the former-YUM! for the Bears, taking them into their penultimate series - this a 4-game series with Reno - and the Bears could not afford a loss, considering their 2.5 game deficit.
While Aurora had an off day on Monday, the Bakersfield bats took an off-day as Reno's Toby Ayers held the Bears to four-hits in a Zephyrs 3-0 win that dropped the Bears back to 3 GB. Bakersfield kept pace with the Arroyo-beating Borealis over the next two nights with a pair of 1-run wins, keeping the Bears 3 GB as Aurora finished off the Yumans - putting the pressure on Bakersfield to win their fourth game with Reno - setting up the need for a sweep of the Borealis to force a playoff.
Bakersfield would get their playoff - just not what they hoped for.
The Bears pay Pat Willis $26M to be the stopper. To win the big games. On this day his line read: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R and 3 HR. The result was an 8-4 beat down, that coupled with Aurora's 3-0 win at Yuma, clinched the Desert Hills for the Borealis for the third straight year.
The division clinched, there were still two races to be had: Aurora and Kalamazoo were tied with 92-67 record - Aurora needing to match the Badgers last three results - a tie giving Aurora the 2nd seed, and the wild card - which the Bears still managed a 3-game lead over The Evil Evas (needing just a win over Aurora to hold), who played Neo-Tokyo, and 2-games over the Duluth Warriors, who had managed to move into the 2nd wild card position.
Brian Clark and the 'pen out pitched Jeff Mendoza in game 1, 3-2, as Aurora came back from a 2-0 deficit for the win in 10-innings - Walden, Raul Munoz and 'Matchbox' all singling in the 10th - Munoz and Hernandez with 2-out, for the winning run. Duluth won, Shin Seiki won, and Bakersfield was feeling the heat. Aurora would take the early lead in game 2 - only for the Bears to take the lead with a 3-run 8th, but David Simmons would hit his second homer of the game to lead off the 9th and tie the game - the second 2-homer game v. Bakersfield, and after an Armando Garcia error allowed Walden to reach, Tony Munoz hit a 2-out double to win it in a walk-off. Duluth won - to tie Bakersfield for the WC lead. The Evil Evas won, moving within a game, with one game remaining.
Armando Batista solidified his finest season - 17 wins, a 2.39 ERA and a career high 151 K in a career high 214 IP, as he closed out the 2035 season with a complete game, 3-hitter as Aurora put up 5-runs on Adam Pemberton for a 6-1 win - and placing Bakersfield into a play-in game for a wild card spot - just which? Duluth would see their season end on a downer - an 11-6 setback to Crystal Lake - who hit 5 homers in the game, and Evas won 4-2 over the Akira - forcing a three way tie for the wild card spots!!
Bakersfield did manage to recover, beating the Evas 4-2 behind Antoni Sandoval's 3-hitter - though Chris Puddifoot made it a scary 9th, loading the bases for Luis Cruz, who had already homered in the game. In the second tie-breaker, Juan Velaasquez would homer off 'Entop' to give Duluth an early lead - but Yi would allow the Warriors just one other hit. Cooper Harris would pitch well for Duluth, but allow a 3-run homer to rookie Tokimune Sakei - his first after his September call-up, giving The Evil Evas the win and the second wild card and a match-up with Bakersfield.
As for the Borealis, David Simmons' 2-run homer off John Ross on Sunday the 9th was the winning run in Aurora's 6-2 win over Kalamazoo - and gave Aurora a 5-4 season series win - and as such, when the Divisional Series begins, it will be the Badgers heading to The Front Range to begin the series. Toyama - who have won their second consecutive Rising Sun division title, will await the winner of the Bears and Evas.
What's on Tap
Something different for this feature: Aurora's Short A club, Mokule'ia, are in the Hawaiian League playoffs after sneaking ahead of Ewa Beach (FLA) for the division crown. They are facing the Osakasayama Swamp Dragons (TOY) in the Divisional round and the Oceanic have a 2-1 series lead after dropping the opener.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Borealis Seek to Flip De Ja Vu, Host Badgers
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
October 7, 2035: Aurora, Colorado – They met last year in the divisional round - the third straight year Aurora has faced a Great Lakes foe, and it didn't go well for the Borealis. Two years ago they were pounded by the Dinosaurs, 4-1, on their way to the PEC, and last year, after holding a 2-1 lead, and then fighting 15-innings to win game 6, it would be the Badgers who walked away with the win - at Northern Lights, advancing the the Sovereign League Championship series - losing to Toyama in 7.
This year both teams finished the 2035 campaign with 95-67 records - Aurora taking the Desert Hills by technically 7 games over Bakersfield, as did the Badgers in the Great Lakes, over the fast charging Duluth Warriors, who finished September 20-7 and forcing a three-way tie for the wild card, before losing to The Evil Evas 4-1, dashing the Duluth hopes. To their credit, Kalamazoo was 18-9, while Aurora was 17-10 down the September stretch drive - the one game difference earning Kzoo with tie with Aurora, but Aurora earning the home field nod with their 2-1 series win on The Front Range back on 9/7-9. Henry Cluett pitched a 1-0 shut-out in the series opener, and after losing game 2 in 14-innings, Man Sim would step to the mound and scatter 9-hits, over 7 IP, while John Ross struggled in his 4.2 IP - his 9 HA leading to 6 R, earning Aurora the edge.
Aurora would win another series in late June, this time at Portage Park, 2-1, Man Sim and 'Slug' holding the normally powerful Badgers to just a run each, While in mid-June the Badgers would win their own 2-1 series at home, Clymo and Ono taking advantage of their offense thrashing Aurora's pitching. Make no mistake about it - pitching will determine this series. If Aurora's starters hold down the Badgers and go deep, the Borealis will have a shot, but if the Badger bats get rolling, Aurora has not had the offensive consistency this year to suggest they will be able to keep up in a slugfest.
Man Sim was one of those arms that was pounded in the first series with Kalamazoo - surrendering 7 R in 2 IP, but he has since been stellar - allowing 1-run or fewer in 11 of his final 17 GS - including two against Kzoo. He struck out 13 in 12.1 IP over the last two starts, walked none. He did allow 4 HR in the one dud start - which accounted for 6 of the 7 runs Kalamazoo scored. His five starts in September included the win against Kzoo, 7 shut out innings against Bakersfield and allowing just a run to Toyama over 6 IP.
Struggling against the Badgers was Richard Neely, who allowed 8 H, 5 R and 3 HR in 3.2 IP of his lone start - thus 7 of the 12 HR Kalamazoo hit were in just 2 of the 9 games - the other 3 were surrendered by de Kook and Casco, each who allowed 3 R in their lone appearances, fooling no one.
The rest of the Aurora 'pen, who will be appearing in the series, was stellar. Over 23.1 IP, 'Machete', 'Hyena', 'Chattahoochee', Powers and Morales allowed just an earned run (Fujii, who allowed 2 runs in 7.2 IP over 4 appearances) - and walked none, suggesting if Aurora can take a lead into the 7th, they might be in good shape.
Offensively, Aurora had been out-hit by the Badgers - .255 to .240, and not surprisingly out homered (12-6). The biggest obstacle was Cheong-sang Yun, who struck out 23 hitters in his two starts, allowing just a run on 4 hits in each - yet earning a split, as he was on the wrong end of Cluett's masterpiece. While Dean Walden (4-30) and Claudio Hernandez (6-34) were the major drags on the offense, Raul Munoz hit .344, G-Rod .306, with a pair of homers, and Pedro de la Cruz was 6-20. Wunderkind candidate Jose Aleman was 11-39 - though with 10 K.
The wild card will be David Simmons, who appeared in two games and was 3-5 with a homer. After a summer in which Aurora was 42-39, the young 3B added some punch to the lineup that they were in desperate need. His small sample was primarily built off of John Ross, whom he was 3-4 against in Aurora's 6-2, season series clinching win.
And that will really be the tale of this series - will Aurora be able to punch out enough hits - perhaps get some power from those they really need to perform - Claudio Hernandez, are you listening? If both teams pitching steps to the forefront, that's what it will boil down to. Kalamazoo will hit some long balls - it's hard to imagine they won't, but Aurora's arms need to minimize that and the offense will need to match it in some small way.
Like the season series - and last year, we have learned these are a pair of evenly matched teams - too even, in fact, to make a prediction possible. What we will predict is this - if Aleman doesn't set the table and Raul Munoz disappears, Aurora won't win, regardless of how good the pitching may be.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Badgers Bash Borealis, Aurora Sent Packing
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
October 17, 2035: Kalamazoo, Michigan – The Fates were not kind to Aurora. A late season thunderstorm grounded all flights out of Kalamazoo late last night, forcing the Borealis to spend yet another night in what was a chamber of horrors. A metaphorical chamber, perhaps, but when one is outscored 17-2 over four games, metaphors must step aside and let reality sink in: as we saw pretty much all season, this Borealis club - for all it's talent, is not very good, and if they don't all hit at once, their shocking lack of power will be their down fall.
So let us call it as we see it: a chamber of horrors. Kalamazoo out-hit the Borealis and they out-pitched the Borealis. Statistically they out-fielded Aurora as well. Kzoo had 38-hits and 8 HR; Aurora had 17-hits and one lone double in their extra-base hit columns. Aurora, the usually dependable, put the ball in play club, struck out 27 times - more than the Badgers - who struck out 371 times more on the season. Gabe Rodriguez was the lone Borealis Bat over .300 (.308) and rookie 3B David Simmons the only other one over .200 (.214). Aurora's starters allowed 6 of the 8 HR - Man Sim dishing out 3 of them, while Armando Batista was the only starter to shine, with 8 IP, 4 H and a solo HR - yet 'Machete' would ruin his day, allowing a walk-off sac fly that gave the Badgers an insurmountable 3-0 series lead.
The tone of the series was set in Game 1 at Northern Lights, with Yun allowing just a hit in 6.2 IP, striking out 10, while 'Slug' felt like he had nothing as he allowed 4 R over 5.2 IP - and Pedro Morales' uncomfortable season continued with another pair allowed. It was on this day that Aurora's 'pen gave up it's only homers on the day as Morales and Richard Neely each surrendered a homer (Roman a 2-run shot off Morales and Ibarra a solo homer off Neely). Yun pitched a no-hitter in this game up to his last batter - G-Rod with 2-outs in the 7th. Aurora had one lone chance to score, back in the third when Tony Munoz walked and stole second with two-outs, but Jose Aleman would strike out after two fouled off pitches with a full count.
Game 2 saw Aurora actually take a lead - they would lead twice all series, here it was Dean Walden with a lead-off single in the bottom of the third, stealing second and taking third on a throwing error, and scoring on a groundout to second. That was it. That was the extent of Aurora's offense on the day. Brendan Clymo would allow just that lone hit into the 6th, where Pedro de la Cruz and Jose Aleman would single around a walk to Tony Munoz to load the bases with no outs - a brilliant chance to build on their score - but Ed Madore couldn't get a fly ball deep enough to score the plodding de la Cruz, and then Raul Munoz - the SL's leading hitter, founded into a double play. By that point Aurora was down 3-1, thanks to homers by Sam Olsen in the 5th and Gustavo Lopez - a 2-run shot, in the 6th, so it was especially peculiar that in the 7th, with 1-out, David Simmons would be stealing - and caught, with a 2-run deficit. More disturbing was it was just in front of G-Rod's double that surely would have scored the slow of foot rookie. Instead, Aurora got nothing but a demoralizing 3-1 loss. Henry Cluett would take the loss, allowing 3-runs on 8-hits over 6.1 IP - Powers (.2) and Casco (2 IP, 3 H, 4 K) finish up, while Clymo went 7.2-innings allowing just 5-hits and the lone unearned run, with 7 K.
John Ross matched the aforementioned efforts of Armando Batista - allowing just a run on 5-hits. David Simmons RBI single driving home Ed Madore, who had singled and stole second, but Rodriguez couldn't find the 2-out hit needed to drive home 'Matchbox' (who had walked) and put a crooked number on the board in the 6th. Claudio Perez, though, had no difficulties with the 2-out hit - a solo homer in the bottom of the 6th that tied the game, setting it up for 'Machete' to pick up the loss - a lead-off double from Pedro Flores, a wild pitch and a sac fly.
Game 4 was over quickly. Ogai Ono would throw a complete game shut-out, and Marcos Roman with a pair of 2-run homers and Flores with a solo shot was all the scoring in this one - 3 in the 2nd and 2 in the 4th - all off Man Sim. Ono allowed 4-hits, struck out 4, and the Badgers are off to Japan to face Toyama, who also swept their Divisional series against The Evil Evas.
It was over in a blink of an eye.
Aurora is left with many questions - beginning with where to get some power. Rookie David Simmons flashed potential in his brief time, during his September call-up, but can he do more? Will catcher Pedro de la Cruz - who is a defensive liability, show improved offense - much like his minor league numbers, offsetting his liabilities? Will rookie outfielders Tony Munoz and Angel Silva (who has shown pop in the minors) - both who will get more ABs next season, play to their minor league numbers? Just for starters.
There was some positives. Jose Aleman was outstanding and should win the Wunderkind award - for his offensive and defensive numbers where terrific. Despite the showing against the Badgers, Aurora's starting pitching was tremendous - finishing with an SL-best 2.73 ERA, with the staff allowing the fewest runs, 2nd most K's, 2nd fewest walks, and, again, despite the showing in the playoffs, the third fewest homers.
But it is the power that is killing this club - 10th in XBH and dead last in homers - not even breaking 100, leading to a 7th best SLG. When you are tops in average and hits, yet 6th in runs, and sporting the fewest K's, there is something wrong. Being dead last in walks, too, doesn't help - which just goes to show how much of an advantage Aurora's to average is - last in walks, but 2nd in OBP.
The Alliance Tournament and the PEC are right on the horizon, but for the Borealis, it's time to forge ahead with the offseason and begin the journey to Spring Training and Opening Day - and hopefully building a team that will be improved and take advantage of all the base runners they generate.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Hardware Dulls Pain - Somewhat
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
November 17, 2035: Aurora, Colorado – A brutal finish to any season can leave a bad taste in one’s mouth – and scoring just 2-runs, total, in their 4-game sweep at the hands of the Kalamazoo Badgers, nothing might define Bad Taste better than that humiliating dismissal from the 2035 playoffs. While the Badgers went on to take Florida to the final at-bat of the season before succumbing to the team formerly-lovingly referred to as the F-heads, the Borealis were left cleaning out lockers, making tee times and, in some cases, pondering their futures.
Yesterday did bring some good news to The Front Range as the PEBA Awards were announced and three members of the Borealis were honored for their efforts during the 2035 season.
First of all was rookie shortstop Jose Aleman who was named the SL Wunderkind, receiving 75% of the vote. The 24-year old, who was acquired from San Antonio in a 2032 trade (for Juan Alfaro) had an outstanding freshman campaign. Aleman hit .280 with 37-2B, 5-3B, a surprising 12 HR and 48 RBI – primarily out of the leadoff spot. The speedy Jose stole 60 bases (out of 74 attempts), finishing with a 6.1 WAR – 4th best in the SL, ahead of teammate and SL Batting Champ Raul Munoz (his second in three seasons) and more notably Juan Carlos Ornelza of Kalamazoo, who was second in HRs with 36.
Aleman’s stat line dominated the rookie boards. His .280 led all rookies, as his .308 OBP. Finishing 2nd in SLG (.440 to Jin-Song Zambrano, Niihama’s rookie SS’s .461) Aleman has the 2nd best OPS. The Borealis shortstop led in doubles, runs, stolen bases and his WAR was tops among rookies. Defensively, Jose committed just 7 errors in 558 Total Chances that spanned the 125 games played.
Winning the Shutdown Reliever Award – with 100% of the first place votes was Hector ‘Machete’ Gutierrez, Aurora’s soon-to-be 25-year old closer who began the year as the 8th-inning set-up man, but as then-closer Yellel ‘Hyena’ Twia struggled early and then found himself on the DL, Gutierrez took over and never relinquished the job. Hector was a 1st round selection – 22nd overall, by the Borealis, after an impressive career at the University of Tokyo. Throwing equally devastating cutters and change-ups – topping out at 100 mph, ‘Machete’ struck out 120 batters in just 88.1 IP – posting a 0.61 ERA while earning an SL leading 49 saves. He walked just 11. Gutierrez’ WAR of 5.9 illustrates how dominant he was during the season – he finished 4th on a leaderboard dominated by starters such as strikeout king Cheong-Sang Yun (KAL) and stars Jorge Castillo (SS), Sa-Yoor Ch’oe (TOY), Owen Barse (FAR) and Alfredo Gonzales (TOY).
Hector in just his second big league season improved upon every stat – more IP, fewer hits, runs, homers (just 2), and walks. His WHIP, also an SL best, was just 0.66. Perhaps most importantly – despite the way the playoffs ended, ‘Machete’ had just one blown save (compared to 4 last season).
Bringing home an All-Leather Award was Aurora outfielder Dean Walden, who won the award for LF, where he played 114 games out of the 142 he played. It is the second All-Leather Award that Walden has won, winning the 2028 award for CF while playing for San Juan. Walden’s impressive defensive year saw him commit just 3 errors over 229 chances in LF (he had none in CF) and he had 7 assists. Finishing his third season with the Borealis, it was a down year for the 34-year old, whose contract is expiring, but it was a huge plus for the pitching-centric club where runs are a premium. Walden’s future is subject to a future story.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Borealis Say Goodbye, as Roster Sculpting Begins
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
November 30, 2035: Aurora, Colorado – Players come and go on major league rosters across the PEBA landscape – it’s an offseason ritual that’s as old as time, and the Aurora Borealis are no different as they bid farewell to a cluster of players whose contributions were no earth shattering, yet no less important.
First off, Aurora said good bye to infielder Randy Love and outfielder Dean Walden. Love’s contract for 2036 was a mutual option – Love opted in, Aurora opted out, and for the cost of $1M, Randy Love was cast aside to free agency. Two-weeks ago he had been waived and DFA’d - the team needing the roster space to promote C Lan-quing Qing to the 40-man roster, and this morning he was released with his DFA time up and free agency on the horizon. Walden’s contract was due to expire, and despite a successful stay in Aurora, he was itchy for a new home – and told management as much. He followed Love along the same DFA-to-release path as the team made room for P ‘Lanza’ Guerra.
Walden had been acquired in a 2033 season opening trade with Niihama-shi after his ignominious departure from Kalamazoo via Shin Seiki, that saw him pass from one Rising Sun club to the other for just a buck, and to Aurora for a 4th round pick – one of the better spent 4th round picks in Aurora history. In need for a CF, Walden hit .288 for Aurora and supplied them with surprising power, hitting 30-2B and 15 HR – and then following that up with a .293 average in 2035, with 20 HR – being a major player in Aurora winning the Desert Hills in both those seasons. This past year, as both club and player knew it would be his last on The Front Range, his average dipped to .251, and his power did as well, hitting just 12 HR – though he did win the All-Leather award for LF, his primary position as Aurora turned to the youthful Tony Munoz and Angel Silva for their CF needs.
Randy Love was a trade deadline deal with the London Underground in 2033, as the teams also exchanged 4th round picks and Aurora sent their 3rd round pick as well. Love, a long-coveted player for the Borealis, hit .256 in his 54 games that season, and lacking improved infield options, he was offered a 4-year, $40M deal – split with the options into two parts – which he accepted. He would see a decline in 2034, hitting .243 in 144 games, and in this past season he saw his playing time cut into with the arrival of rookie shortstop, Jose Aleman. When fellow rookie David Simmons arrived in September – and performed so well, Love’s days were clearly numbered.
Also joining Walden and Love on the journey to free agency is infielder Wynn Berry and reliever Clothilde Casco. Wynn joined the Borealis as a free agent prior to the 2034 season with a 2-year, $4.4M deal as primarily a 2B, who spent a fair amount of time at 3B. He put together a pair of near identical seasons, hitting .234 with 33-2B, 7-3B and stealing 36 bases in 43 attempts. Casco came in a June trade from Hartford for a 3rd and 7th round pick. He had been nails for Hartford, but instantly was in trouble for Aurora, giving up 7 R in his first 6 IP. As Aurora faced a daunting schedule of consecutive games through August and into September, Clothilde found himself as a 6th starter, getting five starts – three of which were quality starts. Despite the poor start with the Borealis, and a mixed bag of results, he did finish with a 3.39 ERA over 19 games.
Also having contract options that were accepted was SP Richard Neely and C Dan Collins. Neely, who after an 11-11 season and a 3.26 ERA in 30 GS – his first +3.00 ERA in four seasons, exercised his $15M option for 2036. Aurora has team options on the remaining two seasons on the contract – both for $17M. It’s reasonable to expect this contract will not make it to the end. Collins, who was picked up on waivers from San Juan in mid-August, opted to stay in Aurora for the $15.5M that remained on his contract. Aurora claimed Collins on a whim and a prayer – hoping they’d get more offense then they were getting from Yasuoka Matsumoto (who retired after hitting .170 in 55 games) – and perhaps better defense. Collins hit .194 in 20 games (10 GS), with just a couple of doubles. He did throw out 4 of 8 base stealers and committed no errors or passed balls in 108 innings. Collins’ fate will be determined during spring training – barring an unlikely trade. Aurora took the gamble, being comfortable with the salary spent for budget purposes, but it is Qing they expected to be the 2036 back-up – and potentially being the starter should Pedro de la Cruz move to DH once ‘Matchbox’ departs.
Aurora would avoid arbitration on a number of players, signing many to extensions: Armando Batista signing a 1-year deal for $1.1M; Brian Clark a 2-year deal for $12.25M and $15M; Henry Cluett 1-year for $6.4M; Paul de Kook 1-year for $975K; Orinosuke ‘Chattahoochee’ Fuji 1-year, $1.1M; Mark Powers 1-year, $9.5M; Man Sim had an option on his deal that was guaranteed with a $16M deal for 2037; ‘Hyena’ Twia signed a 2-year extension for $5M; Aurora had signed Raul Munoz to a 2-year, $12M deal for the next two seasons – avoiding a pair of hefty arbitration awards; ‘Litterbug’ Arundale signed a 3-year deal for $2.8M a year, that has a pair of team options; and lastly, word is that the club and Hector ‘Machete’ Gutierrez have agreed on a contract – though no details have been released.
As you can see, Aurora was busy avoiding the mystery of arbitration for many this year, and some for next.
Arbitration hearings did happen this afternoon, and thanks to those contract extensions signed, Aurora had just two players – reliever Pedro Morales and infielder Juan Rodriguez – both who received $900K pay days. Both had reportedly asked for $1.4M. Morales, part of Aurora’s youthful bullpen, had a rougher season compared to the past two – allowing 6 HR in 51 IP – he allowed just two in each of the previous seasons. Rodriguez came to Aurora in a trade with Neo-Tokyo in June of 2034 (for Roy Duke and a 5th round pick). He would hit .227 in 18 games for Aurora, as he split time with Thornton, where he spent all of 2035, hitting .260 while stealing 41 bases. Juan plays around the diamond extremely well – the only problem being an arm that isn’t a cannon – yet still strong. Aurora expects him to be with the club in 2036 and getting ample playing time as he backs up at 1B, short and 3B, while also getting plenty of starts at 2B – Ed Madore not withstanding.
Free agency begins soon, and how Aurora gets involved will be a big question. They have money and they have needs – but the Class of ’35-’36 is not the deepest, nor strongest, so Aurora faces the choice of sitting it out and moving forward with the team they have, or risk overpaying lesser talent – perhaps for the sake of getting involved. With the Winter Meetings also on the horizon, perhaps they have better options searching in that direction.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
New Year Brings New Arm
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
January 19, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – The offseason had been quiet. Shifting throughout the system, some coaching movement within the organization, few bones thrown out there on free agents - only to see their attempts to repatriate reliever Kelsey Buck with the team that drafted him fail as he signed with Kalamazoo for less money - word is he really wanted control over the last of a three-year contract, and the Borealis insisted on that control.
Aurora also made a bold move as they traded their first round pick to Yuma, along with former-first round pick, 2B David Hoffman, C Dan Collins and $15M to cover Collins salary (a man who was recently released by the Arroyos) in exchange for 2nd round picks for Yuma, Tempe, Niihama and Yuma's 3rd round pick. The move smelled of a similar deal last season when the Borealis came knocking on Yuma's door prior to the signing of SS Francisco Montoya.
Sure enough, in a 'de ja vu all over again' manner, the big news of the new year - as far as Aurora is concerned, the Borealis announced this afternoon the signing of SP Ramon Gonzales, formerly of the Florida Farstriders, and before that, the Kentucky Thoroughbreds.
Ramon Gonzales entered the PEBA as an International Free Agent out of Nicaragua, signing a 6-year, $108M deal with Kentucky. He spent all of three starts at Jefferson County (AAA) before making his major league debut. During his time with Kentucky he suffered a rash of back injuries (mostly spasms) - none that lasted more than a week, and only once was he out for more than a couple of weeks. But only once during his season-and-change with Florida did he have a problem - perhaps reflective of the superior training staff in Florida - and that perhaps a good sign for the Borealis and their high-quality training regiment. After all, his 188 IP last year was his career high.
Ramon's deal is not cheap - worth a total of $85.9M over four seasons, if Gonzales choses to opt-in to year 4. The de-esculating deal that see's Gonzales paid $22.6M in 2036, $22.4 in 2037 and $21.5M in 2038 are all guaranteed - a risk for a pitcher who will be 35 in mid-May, but the bigger risk is the $19.4 player option in year 4, when he will be 38-years old. Last year he was 17-5 for the champion F-heads, with a 2.34 ERA, making 31 starts with 188 IP - comparable with what Aurora got out of Neely, Man Sim and Brian Clark, and with K/BB numbers and WAR very similar to that of 'Slug' and Man Sim, just averaging one more walk per game. Looking back on his time with Kentucky, he posted a career 57-49 record and a 3.57 ERA.
Gonzales will slot into the rotation - likely in the 4th spot behind Clark, Cluett and Batista, leaving Neely and Man Sim to fight it out in Spring Training for the 5th spot - Man Sim the early odds on favorite for the spot. That leaves Ryan Tate to fall back into the bullpen, where he's been successful for the Borealis.
The move is a gamble for the Borealis, but it's a predictable one for a club that has chosen to fight the powerful line-ups in the Sovereign League with outstanding pitching - a plan that has continued to be successful for them - recent playoff failures not withstanding. They've been consistent, Aurora has, with their pitching-first plan as they await a mechanism that get's them their own power-laden offense - one that doesn't continually see them tops in average but down the line in runs and last in homers. One hopes that Gonzales gives Aurora three seasons of his career averages - that should do it - and then maybe he'll feel like that $19M is not enough coin for a 38-year old.
One can only hope.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Rugged Spring Provides Some Gems
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
April 6, 2036: Grand Junction, Colorado – Spring typically provides one of two emotional states. On one side, there is the Great Spring, giving one high hopes, or there is the Sucky Spring, where one tells themselves that spring records do not matter. Spring 2036 leaves the Aurora Borealis and their fans in the latter of the two - finishing 8-16, and only the painful 3-21 Tempe Knights carting a worse record.
What may alleviate some of the pain for the Borealis is the knowledge that 5 of those 16-losses were by a run and another 5-were by 2-runs - so games were played fairly closely. Two of those 2-run losses were blown saves by once reliable reliever Mark Powers who allowed 3-runs and 4-runs in games v. Reno and Fargo. Rookie Tony Alvarado, making his first spring PEBA appearances had a blown save in a loss to Yuma, though had had a second one that Aurora overcame v. Okinawa. Kipchoge Olushegun also had a pair of blown saves, and Kenko Hirose had one as well. That was six games Aurora had in control that became losses.
As a matter of fact, much of Aurora's pitching proved to struggle this spring - 'Slug' posted a 6.61 ERA, and the newly acquired Ramon Gonzales wasn't much better with a 6.39 ERA - disturbingly Clark struck out just 7 and walked 6, with Gonzales slightly better with 12 and 7. 'Professor Plum'. Man Sim and Richard Neely checked in around 4.20, with only Armando Batista pitching well enough to be called good - 3.44 ERA, 15 K and 4 BB over his 18 IP. As one might expect, a poor spring wasn't going to upset the apple cart that is Aurora's starting rotation, but there still has to be some concern - especially with the money Aurora forked out for Gonzales. The starting rotation will open with Clark, Cluett, Batista, Gonzales and Neely, with Man Sim resuming his swing-man role that he has pitched so well in.
Despite the blown saves, the bullpen looked better. 'Chattahoochee' Fujii threw a clean spring, Paul de Kook - looking to bounce back from a shaky 2035, allowed a pair of runs in 10-innings of work, 'Haggis' Uige posted a 1.86 ERA over 9.2 IP and Ryan Tate - who missed virtually all of last year, looked close to the tough AB pitcher he was prior to his injury. 'Hyena' and 'Machete' allowed some runs, but still flashed their dominant style that looks to keep Aurora's games shorter - from that perspective. The one surprise was the efforts of rookie reliever Abay Icharia, acquired by trade last offseason from Arlington. He split time at AA and AAA, and oddly, he performed much better at AAA as he would earn a total of 27 saves in 54 appearances at both levels. Abay was invited to spring training with the hope he would push the envelope - and he did. The 21-year old South African had 9-appearances and allowed 3 ER over 7.2 IP. A small sample, yes, but perhaps enough for him to earn a roster spot - in no small part for the effort of Mark Powers and Pedro Morales. Powers allowed 10 R in 7.2 IP, and that looks like it will earned him time at AAA, a trade, or his release - hard to say. Morales, who had proven himself as a solid dependable member of the 'pen, allowed 7 R in his 8 IP.
You can expect Gutierrez to open as closer - after his unanimous Shutdown Reliever Award winning season, with Twia getting the ball in the 8th, or as a secondary closer. Fujii, Tate, and Morales will no doubt take the bulk of the set-up innings, with Man Sim and de Kook assured middle relief roles - and just a spot open for Uige, Icharia or Powers. Bet on 'Haggis', Abay to AAA and Powers someplace other than Aurora.
Aurora opened camp with their catching situation set: Pedro de la Cruz was the starter and Lan-quing Qing the back-up. And they played that way. A year under his belt, de la Cruz hit .294 for the spring with a .529 SLG - something the club was hoping he'd improve upon, while Qing struggled to hit .138. Qing will be the back-up - barring Aurora finding a better option, with the hope that some regular playing time will help him improve.
One the infield we saw Raul Munoz struggle, while Jose Aleman not only hit .360 - he spent the spring working out at 2B and playing it nearly flawlessly - showing Aurora they have some more options on the infield. David Simmons came to camp with the 3B job his, and perhaps not needing to prove himself after last September's outstanding play, David checked in at .243 with just a homer and double to his record. The really interesting work was out at 2B where incumbent Ed Madore (.425), Juan Rodriguez (.312) and rookie Manuel Pagan (.368) all played well! Pagan was never going to make the leap from Short A, but his showing this spring may entice the Borealis to start his year at AA Gatineau. Madore's play continued to impress the club and ensure's he's likely the go to man at 2B every night. Rodriguez, acquired from Neo-Tokyo two years ago, was expected to make the club this year and fill the roster void left with the departures of Barry and Love.Last years free agent signing (flop?), Francisco Montoya has struggled - hitting .163, but his $11.5M contract will keep him with the club - but make no mistake - with the chances he gets, he needs to deliver as the Borealis hold an option on each of the next two years of his contract. Rookie Jason Rice - not a youngster, but still looking for some java, did hit .275 to give the club some faith should it come to the need.
Yong-jun Kang was another youngster who impressed, as the Short A playing outfielder hit .354 with 6-2B, and though he never was viewed as a contender for an outfield spot with Aurora, like Pagan, he'll probably begin 2036 at AA. The main guys in the outfield, though, mostly looked ok. Tony Munoz, who finished at .224 was the lone exception. 'Matchbox' - the club's default DH, hit .429 with 4 HR - something Aurora hopes he can hit more of in what is also a contract year for him (a pair of team options on the table). 'Litterbug' hit .381 with 5-2B, a triple and a team leading 12 RBI, while 2-year player Angel Silva hit .333 with 4-2B. G-Rod, slowed a bit lately with an abdominal strain, did finish with 5-2B, 2-3B and a .256 average.
The team on the field will look as follows:
Catchers - Pedro de la Cruz and Lan-quing Qing
Infield: Raul Munoz, Ed Madore, Juan Rodriguez, Jose ALeman, Francisco Montoya and David Simmons
Outfield: Stewart Arundale, Angel Silva, Tony Munoz, Gabe Rodriguez
DH: Claudio Hernandez
After a bit of a hiatus, Aurora has comeback to win the past three Desert Hills titles, winning 98, 98 and 95 games. The general competitiveness of the Sovereign League suggests they will be hard-pressed to win more than those totals, but they should still manage to take on the division crown. For Aurora, it's got to be more than just that - three straight departures from the Division round - including last years embarrassing fold to the hands of Kalamazoo, have left an extremely bitter taste in their mouths. The most glaring problem continues to be their biggest weakness - a lack of power - and there is nothing on this roster that looks to change that dynamic. So once more, the Borealis will rely on timely hitting and strong pitching. Will this be the year those two mesh, or will it be the year they fail to connect at all - giving Bakersfield the in to the division crown?
One thing we do know is: It's Opening Day and all is square!
Play Ball!!
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Aurora Opens Season Opposite of Spring
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
April 14, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – For 13-innings the start of the 2036 season felt a lot like spring training. Failed opportunities galore against the Yuma Arroyos - 0-9 with runners in scoring position while Young-pal Pin frustrated the Borealis over his 6.2 IP. Meanwhile, Brian Clark - who had a dismal spring, looked sharp as he allowed 2-hits and struck out 8 over his 5 IP. And yet, the Opener would end in 13-innings of disappointment as 'Hyena' allowed an RBI double to Onjii Kichikawa - with the Yuman's taking the Opener 2-1.
After the dismal start, Aurora's offense began to click. While Henry Cluett struggled in his 2036 debut - 5-hits, 5-runs (though only 2-earned) in 3.2 IP, the Borealis pounded out 13-hits against David Tucker and Co. for what would be a 6-5 come from behind win. The teams traded runs in the first, and after Aurora took a 2-1 lead in the second, Yuma would tie it in the 3rd and after Tony Munoz dropped a lazy fly ball (the third out in the inning, scoring a run) Erwin Abbott hit a 2-run homer to make it a 5-2 Yuma lead. 'Matchbox' would inch Aurora closer with a 2-out RBI double in the 5th (scoring 'Otter') - but it would stay 5-3 into the 9th when Josh Cheney came on for the Yumans. Stewart Arundale - picking up where his spring left off, singled to open the inning, and after Montoya struck out, Silva would double 'Litterbug' to third. Jose Aleman would watch a pair of strikes before he would drive both home with an RBI single - tying the game, and Raul Munoz doubling home Aleman for the walk-off win! The bullpen efforts of Tate, Sim and Morales held Yuma to just 2-hits and struck out 5 over 5.1 IP, with Morales picking up the win.
Aurora would have the rare experience of two off days after the abbreviated series with the Arroyos, and then welcomed the Bears to Northern Lights in an early season test between the two teams expected to once again battle for the Desert Hills crown. Bakersfield, meanwhile, had a pair of 2-game series - taking two 10-inning wins from Tempe - before losing a pair to Reno up in the high Nevada desert. Batista and Mendoza were tough over the first 4-innings - Mendoza facing the minimum, while Bakersfield netting just hit and two walks off Batista. The scoreless duel would end in the 5th as Allen Davis lead off the inning with a solo homer - which looked huge with Mendoza dealing, but in the bottom of the 5th, it fell apart for the Bear's Ace. A singled and errors and a HBP loaded the bases for Aurora with no outs. Angel Silva's grounder to short with the infield in cut down Hernandez at the plate, but was followed by run scoring singles from Juan Rodriguez, Stewart Arundale (after fouling off 5-strike 3 pitches) and Jose Aleman, making it 3-1, with Ed Madore ending the scoring with a sac fly. Ryan Tate came on for his third appearance in three games - and for the third time, he was left to pitch multiple innings - this time allowing three singles and a run before Paul de Kook came in - and quickly surrendered a 3-run homer - giving the Bears a 5-4 lead.
The Bears would somehow leave Mendoza in the game, and in the bottom of the 8th he gave up a leadoff double to Madore and single to Munoz - giving way to Zack Newman. Newman promptly hit Hernandez to load the bases, walk G-Rod to tie the game - before Qing's sac fly and Silva's infield out plated another pair. The Borealis taking a 7-5 lead. 'Machete' came on in the 9th, allowed a hit, but would earn his first save of the year - and Aurora's second win.
Aurora's big free agent signee, Ramon Gonzales was on the mound for Aurora and his season's ERA stayed zero for all of an inning - as a walk and three singles to start the second had Aurora behind early. Gonzales would settle and give his teammates a chance - and in the 3rd Aurora nearly hit for the cycle - 'Litterbug' singled, Tony Munoz doubled, Silva tripled - and with Raul Munoz' sac fly, Aurora took a 3-2 lead. The game would continue to see-saw back and forth. Bakersfield would manufacture a run in the 4th to tie it and Aurora came right back with a pair in the 6th - doubles by Hernandez and Pedro de la Cruz chasing Pat Willis. Suzuki left Lewis Uige in way too long in the 8th - a rested Fujii warming up in the 'pen - allowing three singles and a pair of horrid pitches - one ruled a wild pitch, the other a passed ball - both allowing a run to score and Bakersfield tying the game. Fujii would come in and close the door on the 8th - and 9th, where Aurora manufactured their own run - and win, as a single (Arundale), a bunt (t. Munoz), passed ball and sac fly (Silva) giving Aurora - and Fujii the win - the second in a row over the Bears.
With the series won, Aurora went into the finale with Richard Neely on the mound, and despite allowing 5-hits and a pair of walks over 4.2 IP, he still managed to leave the game with a 1-0 lead. Ryan Tate came on in relief - looking like he still has some work to do to find his previous form, allowed a tying run in the 6th as Alfonso Reyna, with 2-outs, singled home Jorge Aguilar, who had doubled. Aurora came right back against nemesis Roberto Cisneros, with their own 2-out rally - Aleman doubled, Munoz singled him home, and Claudio Hernandez and David Simmons singling Munoz around to score - and Aurora retook the lead, 3-1. Man Sim came on and was near perfect, and Gutierrez would pitch the 9th - a HBP his lone blemish, as Aurora would beat the Bears, 4-1, sweep the early season, and start the year 4-1.
The 4-1 start to the year has the Borealis tied with Reno atop the division - with surprising Madison and Niihama-shi with quick starts in the Great Lakes and Sing Sun. Angel Silva is off to a solid start to the year, with a 9-23, 3-2B, a triple, 6 RBI and 5 R. Pedro de la Cruz and Claudio Hernandez are both 6-17, with 5-2B between them. Off to a slow start are Jose Aleman (4-23) and Ed Madore (3-16). Not surprising, the club still awaits it's first homer. Batista, Clark and Neely all had scoreless starts on the week, with Sim, Morales, Fujii and Gutierrez all scoreless in the 'pen.Ryan Tate saw plenty of action on the week - 7 IP, 9 H, 5 R - but no walks and 6 K, so there's some encouragement there.
What's on Tap
After a third off day in a week, Aurora will entertain the Codgers for three before heading to the former-YUM! for another early weekend series with Bakersfield. Aurora will see former-teammate Clotilde Casco in the opener with Palm Springs, and it's scheduled to be Willis, Cisneros and Carter for Bakersfield, with Gonzales, Neely and Clark for Aurora over the weekend.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Tight Games, Homer Differential Equal Early Concern
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
April 21, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – We are two weeks into the PEBA season and there is already signs of concern. The 0-3 in extra-innings? Yeah. 3-3 in 1-run games? Perhaps. Aurora having hit 1 HR while the pitching has surrendered 14? Yup. You may argue this is just the same old trend - and to an extent you'd be correct. But Claudio Hernandez, the teams lone, sure fire power bat? Nada. David Simmons who was outstanding with the long ball during his September call-up last year? Nothing. The team's lone homer is off the bat of Angel Silva - who promises to have some power, though his early season .367 is closer to what the club expects.
And that same ol - same ol needing 3-hits to match the opponents 1-swing of the bat has sure taken a toll on the club thus far.
The week, after a third off day in 8-days, began with the Borealis facing the Codgers at Northern Lights and Clotilde Casco was on the mound for Palm Springs. Casco, who came to Aurora in a trade last summer was a mediocre arm despite his strong work for Hartford during the first half of 2035. Signed by Palm Springs for a cheap $3.5M, he's been thrust into the rotation down in the Desert Portion of the division and after two starts, has been tough. He would allow Aurora just 5 H as he nearly went the distance - 8.2 IP, with 7 K and 2 BB. His lone run allowed was in the 6th, Raul Munoz with an RBI double. Brian Clark was nearly as good for Aurora - as he went 7 IP and allowed just a run on 3-hits, but it would be 'Machete' who would blow the day for Aurora - a 10th inning homer to Antonio Garcia - giving the Codgers a 2-1, 10-inning win.
Henry Cluett would bounce back from his previous start - where he allowed 5 R and 2 HR in 3.2 IP against Yuma, to hold Palm Springs scoreless over 6 IP, on just 3 H. Hung Bao, another free agent signing by the Codgers, would allow 8 H over 7 IP - including that lone Aurora homer - that culminated at 3-run 4th during Aurora's 5-0 win. Paul de Kook would throw three perfect innings in relief for the save, and Stewart Arundale was 3-4 on the day.
Armando Batista had trouble in the rubber match - allowing 10-hits and 4-runs - all scored with 2-outs in the inning, including a 4th inning homer off former Auroran Randy Love - yet another of Palm Springs free agents. Cesar Gonzalez held Aurora to 5-hits over 8 IP and just a pair of 1st inning runs - Aurora led the game off with three singles and a walk - but David Simmons ground into a double play - plating the second run, but killing a potential rally - on a day where Aurora managed just two more hits - on in the 6th and the other in the 8th. The loss not only gave the Codgers the series win, but dropped Aurora's record to 5-3 as they headed to Bakersfield.
Ramon Gonzales had his second start in Aurora Blue as he faced Pat Willis - and no game might illustrate Aurora's woes more than this one. Willis scattered 7-hits over his 6.2 IP and allowed just a pair of runs - single runs scored on outs recorded. Gonzales, on the other hand, wowed 5-runs on 8-hits over 4.1 IP, that included a 3-run homer and a solo homer - both off the bat of Julio Jaramillo. Bakersfield carried that 5-2 lead to the 9th when Chris Puddifoot come on to close the game - and instead walked into a hornets nest. Arundale singled, de la Cruz doubled and G-Rod walked to load the bases - and Tony Munoz cleared them all with a double to tie the game! Madore would reach on an errors, and Silva would single and Aleman single to make it a 5-run rally - and a 7-5 lead that 'Machete' would hold onto this time. It took Aurora 5-hits a walk and an error to plate 5.
Game two was the polar opposite of game 1, as the Bears would come back and win their first against Aurora. It was Neely and Cisneros in this one, and Neely would leave with a 5-3 lead - though it was 5-1 at one point. Aurora showed the importance of multiple hit innings as three singles and two doubles (Simmons and Arundale) equated to four runs. That would be erased by the Bears power as in the 8th Jaramillo would hit another 2-run shot and Yuji Kichida followed with a solo homer to tie the game at 6. Holding the tie fell on Hector Gutierrez in the 10th, and for the second time this week he would allow a 10th inning homer, coughing up another extra-inning loss.
Game three of the series followed the same script - one team jumping to a lead (Bakersfield - a 3-run lead) and the other coming back for the win (Aurora, 4-3). 'Slug' and Carter were facing off in this one, and it was yet two more homers for Bakersfield - Ramirez in the 2nd and Romano in the 6th, that spoiled an otherwise solid performance by Clark. Carter has scattered 6-hits as he entered the 7th, where with 2-out Tony Munoz doubled. Carter was pulled in favor of Antonio Sandoval, who would make it four straight doubles - Silva, Aleman and Raul Munoz all doubling and tying the game at three (Claudio Hernandez striking out looking with the chance to take the lead). Aurora would take the lead in the 8th, after Simmons and de la Cruz singled, Madore bunted them over. 'Litterbug' was walked to load the bases, only to see Tony Munoz hit a comebacker - the Bears getting the force at the plate. Angel Silva - the hot bat this early season, would come up with the clutch single to plate the winning run. Fujii and... Gutierrez would close the door on the game - giving Aurora the series (splitting the week) and an early 5-1 lead over Bakersfield in the season series.
It must be noted as Aurora sits at 7-4, 3-games behind the scorching Zephyrs (10-1), that for Gutierrez, the Shutdown Reliever of 2035, that despite 4 saves, he has lost two Gomes on 10th inning homers - and he allowed 2 HR all of last season. For the week Aurora hit .272 as a team, while the pitchers did a surprising job of limiting damage, allowing a .225 - but the 10 HRA on the week - 2 each by Clark, Gonzales and Fujii, will be a problem worth following. Stewart Arundale (.368), Jose Aleman (.348) and Angel Silva (.346) were the big productive bats with 6-2B, a triple and homer and 12 RBI amongst them. Not very helpful at this early point of the season is G-Rod, who was 1-8 and Tony Munoz, who was 4-19. The start of Ramon Gonzales is a little distressing - even though it's early. Aurora has paid a lot of salary for the 7.71 ERA over just 9 IP.
What's on Tap
A challenging full week of games with Fargo in town for three, followed by The Evil Evas for four. The always tough on Aurora Dinos are 5-8 on the early season - in 4th place, 5 GB of Duluth (who will follow the Evas). Fargo comes off a week in which they were swept by Crystal Lake and then took 2 of 3 against Madison. Sang-ton Kun, Jesus Guerrero and Owen Barse are scheduled to go for Fargo against Cluett, Batista and Gonzales. Shin Seiki finds themselves 6-6 and in 3rd behind the surprising Shisa and Ghosts. Last week, after losing 2 of 3 tho Neo-Tokyo, The Evil Evas swept the 'Gnats in convincing fashion. Rivera, Castillo, Flores and 'Entrop' will be on the mound for Shin Seiki.
This really becomes a key stretch for Aurora and they have their entire month on The Front Range - save the past three with Bakersfield, and the schedule won't really start to even out until late-July and into August.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Bats Sizzle to Offensive Success
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
April 28, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – We are used to seeing these kinds of games go the other way. Fargo's relentless pressure - front the first pitch, and Shin Seiki's powerful display that bludgeons the soul.
This week, the script flipped - at least this one time, as Aurora Fargoed the Dinos and Shin Seikied The Evil Evas.
Or so it felt as Aurora swung the bats to the tune of .324 as a team, while holding the - dare we say, last place Dinosaurs and Evil Evas to just .233 - and even out-homered those two 8 to 5 - for a club that had but one homer run over the first two weeks. Juan Rodriguez was 9-19 and David Simons was 6-15 - was was Stewart Arundale, with Simmons striking his first two homers of the year. Claudio Hernandez had three homers - including a 2-homer game, and a team-leading 11 RBI.
The opener of the series with Fargo had Henry Cluett on the mound and he would leave in the 5th, down 5-4, but this day Aurora gave a hint of what was to come. After opening with a pair of runs in the first (Aleman's triple a big hit) and third (four straight single), the Borealis had their starter's back and put another pair on the board in the 6th. Three singles, a HBP and a walk would do the trick. Angel Silva would homer to open the 7th to make it a 2-run game. Ryan Tate continues to come in and get multiple innings - and eventually give up a run (or more) - and he did again in the 8th - but G-Rod and Silva doubled in a 2-run bottom of the inning for a 9-6 win, 'Hyena' getting his first save.
Armando Batista took the mound in game 2 and surrendering a solo homer to Mike Rose in the first, he would shut the door the rest of the way, throwing 6.1 IP and allowing just 3 more hits while striking out 8. 'Haggis' would finish the day allowing a pair of hits, but Aurora put this one away in the first, answering Rose's homer with a 6-run opening frame. Silva, Aleman and Raul Munoz lace consecutive singles ahead of 'Matchbox's first homer - a there-run shot, making it 4-1, then Simmons singled, Madore walked and Gabe Rodriguez doubled both of them home for the 6th run of the inning. Four walks, a single and a wild pitch would add three in the 6th. Batista would even his early season record at 1-1 as Aurora won 10-1.
Looking for a sweep, game 3 was a tight one with Ramon Gonzales and Owen Barse trading scoreless innings as the game entered the 8th a 1-1 tie - David Castro with a 5th inning homer for Fargo and David Simmons a solo shot in the 7th. Man Sim came on in the 8th and Fargo liked what they saw. Doubles by Castaneda and Mireles, sandwiched a pair of singles - and a double play, or the inning for Fargo may have been more than just two-runs. The bottom of the 8th saw Aurora match Fargo - and then they kept on scoring. Montoya and Aleman hit doubles around singles by Tony Munoz and 'Otter', with Pedro de la Cruz putting the cap on the inning with a 3-run homer - a 7-run frame that sealed the deal. Man Sim allowed a homer to Antonio Santos in the 9th, but it was nowhere near enough in Aurora's 8-4 win. A sweep of the Dinos a rare feat as over the past 8-years it's seemed that Fargo has had Aurora's number.
The Evil Evas followed Fargo into town, and things risked getting ugly early. Richard Neely, known for getting off to a slow start, was down 4-0 in a blink of an eye - Raul Ortega doubled and a pair of walks proceeded Scotty Weeks grand slam. That quieted the crowd at Northern Lights right away - but one can only hope that Richard Neely stayed on script - bad start, stronger finish.
And, he would.
Nelly would allow just one more hit in his 6.1 IP, and Ryan Tate allowed just a hit in his 1.2 IP - keeping the Evas scoreless over 7-innings and giving the Borealis bats a chance. Aleman would triple to start the bottom of the first and score on a grounder. 4-1. Back-up catcher Lan-quing Qing singled, moved to third on an Arundale double and scored on a grounder in the 2nd. 4-2. Aleman led off the 3rd with a single, Raul Munoz singled, and with 'Matchbox' up, Evas starter Angel Valdez balked - putting Aleman at 3rd - to score on a grounder. 4-3. Aurora would then tie it 4-4 in the 4th as Arundale, Juan Rodriguez and Tony Munoz singled in succession, and when Ed Madore tripled to open the 5th - scoring on a Raul Munoz sac fly - Aurora had taken the lead! 'Machete' would throw a perfect 9th for his 5th save - and Aurora's 5th win in a row.
Game 2 was all Brian Clark. For 7-innings he shut the Evas down on 2-hits, and it wasn't until 2-out in the 8th that Shin Seiki pushed a run across the board - Chris Krebs with the 2-out RBI double. Aurora had their own 2-out rally - this one in the first that staked 'Slug' to the lead he'd never surrender. Claudio Hernandez would double home Raul Munoz (who walked), and Angel Silva doubled Hernandez home for the 2-0 lead. Ed Madore turned a 4th inning error by rookie SS Antonio Gutierrez by singling home 'Litterbug', and Jose Aleman made it 4-0 with a triple, plating Juan Rodriguez who had been HBP. 'Machete' came on for the second straight game to earn his 6th save.
Henry Cluett was on the mound in game three with Aurora bing in a position of having minimally split a four-game series with Shin Seiki - and looking at a shot of a rare 4-game sweep. Cluett didn't get out of the 6th, but he left with a 4-2 lead - thanks to three unearned runs off a Noah Hill error. 'Chattahoochee' Fujii and Pedro Morales did their part to get the game to the 9th, but on this day Yellel Twia was trashed. 'Hyena' would allow a triple and three singles to tie the game, but with 2-outs - and 2-strikes, Julio Velasquez hit a grand slam - giving The Evil Evas the 8-4 win, and at least avoid the indignity of a sweep.
Batista was back on the mound and for the second straight start, his teammates made his life easier - starting with a 7-run fourth off Shin Seiki starter Dong-hak Yi. Raul Munoz singled in front of a Claudio Hernandez homer to start it out and giving Aurora a 3-0 lead. David Simmons followed with a double and after an Arundale single, he scored on a grounder that was the second out of the inning. Juan Rodriguez singled, and after Silva walked, Jose Aleman hit his first homer of the year - a 3-run shot, making it an 8-0 lead. Aurora scored 3 more in the 5th - Hernandez with another homer, and singles by Simmons, de la Cruz, Munoz and Rodriguez - and a bases loaded walk to Aleman, making it 11-0. The Evas would get a pair off Batista in the 7th, but Uige closed the door and gave Aurora the win - and a 3-1 series win. In picking up his 2nd win, Armando allowed 5 H and 2 R in his 6.1 IP - striking out 7.
The tidy, powerful 6-1 week leap frogged the Borealis over the Zephyrs, back into 1st - albeit by a half game, as Aurora has won 8 of their last 10 games.
What's on Tap
Aurora will get a good test as they go from playing teams at the bottom of their divisions (yes, the series loss as The Evel Evas in last in the Rising Sun) to teams at the top - or near top. Duluth - who picked up where their torrid September left off, and Toyama will head to Northern Lights to end April and open May - and ending a stretch of 24 of 27 games at home. The Warriors are 14-5, a game ahead of Aurora for the top spot in the SL. Toyama had a rough start, but have won 9 of their last 10 and trail the early season surprise - Okinawa, by a game and a half. Gonzales, Neely and Clark will face off with Duluth while Cluett, Batista and Gonzales will face the Win-D's.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Borealis End April Strongly, May Continues Solid Play
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
May 5, 2036: Palm Springs, California – In the books, the last of April and the start of May will show Aurora with a 3-3 week against Duluth and Toyama - taking 2 of 3 from the Warriors and losing 2 of 3 to the Win-D's. What further digesting of the week will show is that the three losses were by 1 or 2 runs, while only the win against Toyama was close (an 11-inning affair). It was another week where the Borealis outhit their opponents in a somewhat significant manner (.298 to .258) and matched the in the homer category (two apiece - 'Matchbox' and G-Rod). What may go down as the most disturbing piece of news on the week is that the $22M arm, Ramon Gonzales left both of his starts this week with injury - soreness in his abdomen in the first, and perhaps more concerning , a sore wrist in the second. Getting the message loud and clear, Ramon has been placed on the DL and depending on how his replacement fares, he may have a start or two at AAA with limited pitch counts.
Gonzales' replacement? After some debate surrounding Man Sim returning to the rotation and Aurora bringing up a reliever, the club has instead decided to give 'Lanza' - Victorio Guerra, a shot at a rotation spot. That puts the young phenom in a position to make his debut this week in the home opener against Tempe, and then a series closing start at Duluth. Guerra finished the 2035 season with 6-starts at Thornton (2-1, 4.74 ERA), but this year he's already 4-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 6 GS, with 38 K in 40 IP. In those 6-starts, he's dealt two shut-outs and had two where he allowed just a run. His worst start was against Nampa (KAL), where he allowed 4 R in 7.1 IP. He had one spring start, allowing 6 R to Niihama-shi over 3.1 IP.
The Duluth series - pitting the leaders of the Great Lakes and Desert Hills, had the aforementioned Ramon Gonzales and Sang-hyuk Pak facing off. Both pitchers were effective early, shutting down the few opportunities each team had, but in the 5th, Aurora started to change that, as Juan Rodriguez led off with a single, and would score on a 2-out double off the bat of Angel Silva. The Warriors would strike back - with three singles and a double plating two before Gonzales finally signaled the training staff and he was removed form the game, losing 2-1. Ryan Tate would enter, and he would continue to be used as he has been - for multiple innings. This time, Tate would throw 3.1 IP in relief of Gonzales and allow a hit and 2 BB and, ultimately, his third win on the season. For Pak, and Andres Cruz in relief, the result was not as good. In the 7th, singles by Hernandez, Madore and Silva proceeded a Jose Aleman double, as Aurora chased Pak with a 4-2 lead. Cruz was ineffective - to say the least. three singles, a pair of walks (one intentional) and a bases loaded double - clearing the bases, by Aleman, chased Cruz and made it a 9-2 score - and an Aurora win.
Richard Neely was the starter in game 2 for Aurora, and the typical theme was in-play - Neely giving up first inning runs (Herrera 2-run homer) - and on theme, it looked like Richard would settle down and shut the door. But on this day, unlike his last start v. Shin Seiki, Duluth was able to do just enough to eek out a few more. But not for a lack of effort on Aurora's offense. They would answer with a run in the bottom of the first, and take the lead in the 3rd (a walk and doubles by 'Matchbox' and Simmons), but Duluth would get a run in the 4th - loading the bases and the tying run coming in on a DP; a Bonilla double and Morrissey single giving the Warriors the lead in the 6th; and a throwing error by de la Cruz as Velasquez tried to steal third would bring home the last run of the day - a 5-3 Duluth win.
Brian Clark battled through into the 6th in game 3, Duluth having at least one hit in every inning, but when 'Slug' left the field, the Warriors were scoreless. Man Sim would allow the only Warrior run in the 7th - Cal Morrissey doubling and trying to steal third - with Pedro de la Cruz throwing the ball into left field once again, but by then, Aurora had a comfy 4-0 lead. The Borealis plated 2 in the 3rd - thanks to a PB and an infield out which put the winning runs on the board, with Tony Munoz doubling in a run in the 4th, and Claudio Hernandez homering in the 5th for the final 4-1 score. For Clark, it was his 3rd win (with no defeats), and his ERA sitting at 1.39. 'Machete' earned his 7th save with a perfect 9th, with a 1.50 ERA - despite some shakiness early on this year.
Henry Cluett and Alfredo Vargas would open the series with the Win-D's, and each would surrender 4-runs - Oglethorpe homering in the 6th, a 3-run shot that made it a 4-0 game, and in essence chasing 'Professor Plum', then Aurora would chip back in the bottom of the inning with a pair - thanks to a WP and a 2-out RBI double by Gabriel Rodriguez. It would be G-Rod again in the 8th with 2-out, full count homer to tie the game at 4, and leave it in the hands of the 'pen. Did I mention Gutierrez has had some struggles? Kobayashi tripled to lead off the 9th, followed by doubles by Pulsifer and Cabrera. 'Machete' would limit the damage to that, but the two-run lead was more than enough for Toyama closer Scotty Shorland, who made quick work of the Borealis in the 9th. 7 saves for Gutierrez... and 3 losses. Oy vay.
Game 2 was full of intrigue as Armando Batista would pitch 7-innings and allow 5 H - and 3 BB - but he would leave the game with the lead. Aurora would get four straight singles in the first off 'The Emperor' to take a 3-0 lead, and after Toyama grabbed one back in the top of the 2nd, Angel Silva would triple with 2-out in the bottom of the second - and score on an Aleman single, making it a 4-1 game that would last through the bulk of the game. Both teams would manage runners as the game headed into the 8th - most notably Toyama loading the bases in the 3rd, but it was Salinas and Vasquez doubling to open the 8th that chased Batista and brought on 'Chattahoochee' Fujii. He would instantly allow a walk and a double to Pulsifer - making it 4-3 Aurora. Fujii looked to have settled down, striking out Maeda and Newton, but Kobayashi never let the count get deep - striking an RBI single to tie the game. Aurora would get two on with no outs in the bottom of the 8th, but Simmons, de la Cruz and Arundale all struck out to end that threat. Both teams had two on in the 10th, but it wasn't until the bottom of the 11th that this one would end. Arundale led off with a single, stole second and scored on a Juan Rodriguez single - leaving the series tied at 1-1, and giving Ryan Tate his 4th win - after a 1-walk 11th.
It was Gonzales v. Gonzales in the rubber match - both allowing a pair of unearned runs on a day of some sloppy defensive play. Both teams had a 2-run and a 1-run inning over the first 3-innings, as both pitchers entered the 5th. And that was when Ramon's wrist acted up - a walk and a single brought out the trainer and brought in Man Sim, who would strike out the first two he faced, before Rodrigo Vasquez singled home Guang Liu. Man Sim would be his worst own enemy in the 6th, as his own error - he dropped a comebacker, allowed former-Auroran Yato Shirane to score on a Salinas triple - who scored on a grounder to short - making it a 6-3 Toyama lead. Aurora wouldn't give up. Arundale would walk to open the bottom of the 7th, and he'd go round to third on a Raul Munoz double. Hernandez would hit a sac fly that plated 'Litterbug' and moved Munoz to third - where Simmons would bring him home with a single, making it 6-5. Aurora had a shot as de la Cruz followed Simmons with his own single - putting the tying and go ahead runs on base, but neither Juan Rodriguez nor Francisco Montoya could come up with the big hit. Toyama's 'pen closed it out - a 6-5 win for the Win-D's and a series win.
G-Rod was one of the big bats on the week, as he was 5-10, with a pair of doubles and a homer. Jose Aleman was 9-22 with 2-2B and 6 RBI, while Angel Silva was 8-21 with 2-2B, a triple and 3 RBI - and 6-runs scored. Silva is currently 3rd in the SL, hitting .372, while his 22 RBI, and Aleman''s 20 RBI, place them 4th and 5th in the SL. Silva has 21 RS and is 2nd behind Raul Ortega of Bakersfield, while Aleman is tied for the early season triples lead at 3. Brian Clark's 1.39 ERA is tops in the SL, and his 0.87 WHIP is second - as is Hector Gutierrez' 7 saves.
What's on Tap
The 3-3 week was not a total waste, as Reno lost 2 of 3 to Fargo and 3 of 4 to Duluth - to lose a game and a half to Aurora, falling to 2 GB in the Desert Hills. The Codgers, tied for 3rd (BAK), 3.5 games out, sweet Crystal Lake and lost 2 of 3 to KZoo as they await tonights opener at Elderberry Field. Tempe, Aurora's other opponent this week, will entertain Reno for 4 before heading to The Front Range.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Borealis 'Slumping' as Quarter Pole Arrives
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
May 19, 2036: Bakersfield, California – It's certainly been a trend in recent years - a well reported trend; a comical trend, well... almost. Two trends to be precise - a roller coaster like path through the season and the sheer lack of home run power for the Borealis. As Aurora limps into the California Central Valley, the first place Borealis - winners of 15 of 21 in April, approach the quarter mark of the season this week with a 7-9 May - traditionally a strong Aurora month, and a once 5.5 game lead over Bakersfield is under serious threat - just two-games now, while still clinging to a small lead over Reno.
The power issue has seemingly gone beyond comical. With just 16 HR thus far, they are on pace for less than 70 - the Tempe Knights of 2022 (a PEC winning year for Aurora, with 142 HR) hold the SL record (and PEBA 2nd) fewest with 71 - while the Charleston Statesmen of the same year hold the PEBA record of 63. Last year Aurora hit 98 - which was still dead last in the SL - by 26! And yet, this was a club that won the division by 6.5 games (arguably more due to Bakersfield's poor stretch drive) - and still leads. Last year's total is less impressive when you consider 10 of those homers were from David Simmons' 23-September call-up games. He has 3 thus far in 29 games.Claudio Hernandez, who led the club last year with 26 last season, has just 5 thus far.
Keep in mind, they are also missing the 12 HR Dean Walden hit in 2035. He has four already for Kuwana in the WIL.
What keeps this club in the running? Well, their sheer ability to get on base - a .292 average that only Havana and Toyama are close to achieving - even the high-fire power F-heads and Alleghenies sit further back. Despite being just 10th in OBP - thanks to a dead-last in the SL 75 BB, they still manage to be 3rd in runs scored - thanks to a shockingly high 4th in the SL for XBH; remember they are dead-DEAD last in HR - an SL-leading 101-2B (the Win-D's have 87) and 14-3B (Tempe and KZoo have 15). What this tells us is nothing we already didn't know: Aurora really has to work to earn their runs, and if they don't string together a bunch of hits, multiple times a game, then they are in trouble - and will continue to do so unless something changes - they walk more or put more over the fence.
To be fair, Simmons and 'Matchbox' are not the only ones with their homers down from last year: 2nd year SS Jose Aleman had 12 last year - he's at 2; Raul Munoz has none thus far, after hitting 11 in each of the past two seasons; and G-Rod has just 1 after hitting double digits for the first time last year. Only Angel Silva - who had three in 47-games last year, is ahead of his pace (with 3 thus far) - but he's having an outstanding start to his first full PEBA season.
Take the past week for example. In losing four of six games - taking two of three from Duluth, but losing three to The Evil Evas, Aurora hit not a single homer. The pitching, on the other hand, which has allowed just 30th homers - 4th best in the SL, did not allow one in the two wins, but surrendered two in the loss to Duluth (for the three-run difference. In all fairness, one was allowed by Rookie Victorio Guerra in his 2nd career start), and just one to the usually powerful Evas (Man Sim to the series' first batter - Masuda). Just one HR in any of the three games v. Shin Seiki - a 1-run loss and a pair of 2-run losses, may have made the difference. Aurora had 31 hits in the series, and 13 were for extra-bases. Shin Seiki had 9 XBH of their 29 H. What a difference a single homer might make. How about two?
And it'll be interesting to see what happens as Aurora play their rival Bears and Zephyrs this week. The Borealis enter the park formerly known as YUM!, where the Bears are 11-3 on the year - despite being just 12th in average and 14th in SLG - they have 34 HR (11th in the SL) - with a pitching staff that has allowed the 3rd fewest hits and homers - and 5th fewest walks. They also have just the 10th most K''s - something Aurora hitters have been good at avoiding. Aurora will host the Zephyrs, whose offensive numbers look very much like Bakersfield's.
Looking at the individual numbers, Angel Silva, the 'Otter', has been the major contributor thus far. He is hitting .359, which is second to Madison's Javier Aguilar's .374 - they are tied with 52 H, with Silva just a run back in the SL-lead in that category. Jose Aleman, last year's Wunderkind, is hitting .319 with a league-leading 5-3B. His 13-2B lead the team - as does his 27 RBI.
Showing improvement over his first full season is Pedro de la Cruz, who is hitting .309 - despite the drop in HR power - with an improved SLG and OBP. Gabe Rodriguez is hitting .370, though mostly starting against RHP - where he's hitting .488 - thanks mostly to Stewart Arundale's .450 against LHP forcing a platoon situation in left.
The one distressing statistic thus far is Raul Munoz' .286 average. Normally, a .286 average wouldn't be thought of as distressing, but when you've won 2 of the past three batting titles - and missed the third by .001, you are saddled with expectations. Added on is the fact that after a seasons of .327 and .339, he hit .309 last year and this year's .286 may suggest a trend. Fortunately, if we talk trend, Raul has shown a tendency to warm with the weather.
Down on the Farm
SP Ramon Gonzales, who hasn't really pitched to expectations, will begin a set of rehab starts - the club is expecting just two this week before rejoining the ML roster - despite the club winning 5 of his 6 starts, and both of his v. Bakersfield. The club prefers to take it easy, limiting his pitches before his return to The Front Range (despite being in Thornton), and letting the mid-May games at Bakersfield be handled by Man Sim and Richard Neely. As usual, the Borealis are taking the long view on the season when it comes to injuries.
'Lanza' returns to the Sun Dogs after two starts in place of Gonzales, that saw him post a 9.72 ERA over 8.1 IP. For the year at AAA he had 6 GS with a 1.79 ERA. The 22-year old RHP has just 12 AAA starts, so his test drive at Aurora was certainly just that - a test drive.
A pair of relievers are making some upward movements. Abay Icharia will bring his 3.55 ERA and 9 saves at Thornton up to Aurora this week - also as a test drive, while Gonzales has his week up the freeway. It's unclear what expectations are, and who may lose a job should he pitch well, but scouts feel the South African 21-year old is very close to challenging for a job. He pitched in 9 ST games and allowed runs in just two - three of which came in 2/3 of an inning v. Kalamazoo, making his 3.52 spring ERA deceptive. 2034 3rd round pick, Toshikuni Kichida will move up from Gatineau with a aa ERA of 2.02 and 7 saves, to replace Abay with the Sun Dogs. Since being drafted out of the University of Queensland, he is 5-4 with a 1.62 ERA and 59 saves in 101 games.
What's on Tap
As mentioned earlier - on the road at the Bears, home to the Zephyrs. Aurora has had a rough time on the road - - it's been a home-heavy start to the year, while the Bears have been a strong home team thus far. Reno has likewise been a rugged road team (7-12) against the 16-8 homesteading Borealis. Batista (2 H in 5 IP v. BAK), Neely ( 10 H, 3 R in 11.2 IP) and Man Sim (4.2 IP in relief, 1 H) against Godina, Pemberton and Mendoza for Bakersfield; Ojeda, Ayers and Yun for the Zephyrs, with Clark, Cluett and Batista going for Aurora. It'll be the first match-up between the top two in the Desert Hills.
This week's series will be the first of 20 straight games for the Borealis, as they will follow the intra-divisional match-ups with four at Northern Lights with Madison, then three at Kalamazoo to end May and back home with four against Palm Springs and three with Yuma to begin June. The summer will then get tough as June will include two series with Reno (home and home), and series with the Badgers and Win-D's on The Front Range.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Bears, Zephyrs Drop One on Borealis
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger
May 26, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – One of the worst weeks, ever. Painful. From first to third as Aurora's top two divisional foes made it clear - in no uncertain terms, that they are in the race, and Aurora better figure it out and quick. A 1-5 week, with Aurora scoring just three runs in the five losses. With the devastating week, Aurora went from a game up on Reno and 2 up on Bakersfield at the start of the week to 3 GB of Reno and 2 back of Bakersfield - and dropping into a tie for the last playoff spot in the SL.
The odd thing was, the week started with such promise.
In the opener at the park formerly known as YUM!, both teams had shots in the first - but most notably was Tsuginori Takahashi - the first of Armando Batista's uncharacteristic four walks (only the 2nd time this season - interestingly enough, both against BAK), trying to score on a 2-out double by Jaramillo, but a strong throw from Tony Munoz nailed him at the plate. David Simmons led off the 2nd, clearly enthused by Munoz' play, homering on the fist pitch by Bears starter Derrick Harvey. Munoz would provide his own offensive contribution in the 5th, scoring on a 2-out Jose Aleman double. Bakersfield would strike back - Armando Garcia leading off the bottom of the 5th with a homer and Shane George with a run on a sac fly after doubling off Batista. But for the sheer lack of speed by Mauro Mata, he failed to score the go ahead run on Jaramillo's 2-out double. The game would move forward, tied. Batista would walk the first two he faced in the 6th - the first on a questionable ball four, the second seemingly due to a loss of focus, but Ryan Tate would finish the inning, stranding runners at 2nd and 3rd.
The 7th inning may have given a hint of the disaster to come, as Tony Munoz led off with a double, was bunted to third - but could not score with Ed Madore at the plate, as an infield single kept the speedy Munoz at third. Jose Aleman got the fly ball - but too shallow. 'Litterbug', though, was able to come through and get the run home - and the lead. Ryan Tate kept the Bears at bay, allowing just 3-hits as he would guide the game into the 9th, while watching the Borealis pad their lead. Derrick Harvey's night would end with a 2-out double by Lan-quing Qing, and Zack Newman, in relief did not provide such, as Tony Munoz would cap off a fine day with a 2-run blast. Aurora would add 2 in the 9th off Puddifoot - Aleman single, Arundale double and a 2-out single by 'Otter' finishing it off - a 7-2 victory, with Ryan Tate picking up his 5th win of the year, giving Aurora a 6-1 lead in the season series.
Game 2 was a classic Aurora-Bakersfield pitching duel, and Richard Neely and Adam Pemberton would each scatter 7-hits. For Neely, he allowed no more than a baserunner through 5, but in the 6th, the Bears broke through, Dirk Ortega led off with a single, was bunter to 2nd, went to 3rd on a grounder, and on a 2-2 pitch, Mata singled him home. Bakersfield would virtually repeat that mechanism in the 8th, scoring a 2nd run off Neely - and he'd complete the game for Aurora - and earn nothing for his fine effort, but an L. Aurora had they chances against Pemberton: Singles by Madore and Aleman in the 3rd - but Jose was thrown out stealing, making G-Rod's subsequent fly ball the third out, and not the first run; Raul Munoz led off the 4th with a double, but Aurora failed to get him home with Silva, Hernandez and Simmons following; and Aleman had a 2-out double in the 5th. Aleman would end Pemberton's night in the 8th with a 1-out single - and Zack Newman came on and this time served up a double to G-Rod - but Raul popped up, 'Matchbox' flew out and that was that. Puddifoot slammed the door on this one - as Bakersfield evened the series with a 2-0 win.
Man Sim was on the mound for the rubber match, and he had one of those effectively wild days - which limited his day to 4 IP. 2 H, 5 BB - the first of which scored in the first - after Aurora loaded the bases in the top half, but Jeff Mendoza ended that threat. Mendoza would allow just 2-hits into the 7th, where Claudio Hernandez homered, making it a 2-1 game. Bakersfield would seal the deal on this day, as after a 2-out walk by 'Haggis' sent him to the showers and brought in 'Chattahoochee', the once reliable Fujii allowed a single to Mata and a 3-run homer to Jaramillo - after fouling off four straight offerings. Sim took the tough luck loss that really belonged to the 'pen, while Mendoza picked up his 4th win of the year.
The bulk of the excitement in the Reno series happened in the very first inning, as the Zephyrs scored three - a Freddy Morales 2-run homer, as part of a three run 1st inning, followed by three straight singles by Aurora to open this half of the first, followed by a walk - but David Simmon's liner to right was hit too hard for G-Rod to score - he had hesitated for a moment, thinking it would drop, before tagging too late to score. Reno would get one more run off Brian Clark on this day, while Aurora never again was able to string multiple hits together. This would be 'Slug's first loss on the year, with his ERA rising to 2.32, while Jose Ojeda would get his 5th win, despite surrendering 8 H over 5.2 IP.
Henry Cluett continued his troubled season as he wouldn't make it out of the 4th inning as Reno scored 3 in the first and 3 in the 4th and put this game away early. Toby Ayers was tough in his 8 IP, allowing 7 H while striking out 4. Three of those hits came in the 3rd, as Montoya, Juan Rodriguez and Aleman would single, loading the bases with an out, but G-Rod and Hernandez failed to make Ayers pay. Aurora managed two more runners in the 8th, but by then it was too little, too late - with Luis Cruz blasting a 2-run shot off Pedro Morales in the 9th for an 8-0 win - clinching the series.
Reno went into the final game of the series looking for a sweep, and Armando Batista and Ji-chol Yun battled neck and neck through 6 IP in this one. Both pitchers would give up two baserunners in the first, but they held tight until the 4th, when a Cruz lead-off single and a walk to Jon Hill gave Keagan Cooper a chance that he took advantage off - singling home Cruz with the games first run. Ryan Tate would take over with two out in the 6th and he started the 7th - where his defense failed him - David Simmons booting a ball at third. After having been bunted over there was a brief thunderstorm-cloud burst, that more chased everyone into the dugout than it mucked up the field. Upon returning to the field, Tate gave up a single to Boyer and Inman hit the sac fly and it was a 2-0 game. Andres Perez came on in relief for Reno and he would load the bases with a walk and singles from Madore and Tony Munoz (scoring Arundale, who walked), but Alemand and G-Rod could not tie the game. And that would be it. Reno had the sweep, another tough loss for Batista, and Aurora had done what was the worse possible outcome - having a horrid week against the teams they are battling with.
Despite slightly outhitting their opponents, Aurora was outscored 23-10 on the week, with the bulk of the lineup having poor weeks: Simmons (2-18), de la Cruz (2-15), Arundale (2-11), T. Munoz (4-22)Hernandez and G-Rod (4-18). Only Aleman (9-21) with 3-2B), Raul Munoz (7-21, 2-2B in maybe his best week) and Silva (6-19) making it over .300. Aside from Batista's two outings and Neely's CG loss, the pitching staff was mostly poor. Ryan Tate did manage four scoreless innings in relief, as did Twia and de Kook in their lone appearances (be scoreless that is).
Perhaps the one piece of interesting pitching news was the effort by Abay Icharia - the young South African reliever that the Borealis picked up in trade from Arlington after the 2034 season. He had two appearances and three 3-innings -allowing 3 H, walking one and striking out six. Icharia was brought up as Victorio Guerra was sent down after a couple of rough starts. Both have filled the roster spot that belongs to Ramon Gonzales, who spent the past week on rehab at Thornton. Gonzales had two starts, threw 11-innings, gave up 8 H, 4 BB and striking out 10 as Thornton would win games over Glendale (REN) and Chandler (TEM). As much as Aurora would like to keep Abay at the ML level, he's the likely demotion - though, in the midst of a 20-game stretch, and a 'pen that is fatigued may force Aurora to think otherwise for the week - with four days off in the four weeks leading to the All-Star break.
What's on Tap
Madison comes to town and it's a club that is playing well, and sits just 2-games out of the last wildcard. Aurora then travels to Kalamazoo, where they will face a Badger team that is in disarray - with Yun on the DL - missing Aurora this time around. Madison is 8.5 back of surprising Duluth and Kzoo is just a game further back. Aurora will see Brenden Clymo, who is having a fantastic season - he's 6-1 with a 2.04 ERA.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
