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can you not shitpost on my log, thanks

Seattle Mariners (70-71) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (80-61)
September 9th-11th

The Mariners did us a favor by taking 3 out of 4 from the Dolphins over the weekend. Still, we're four games out of both the division and wild card races, so it's not really the time to be paying them back.

Key Players:

Erik Bedard - SP
13-8, 3.62 ERA, 171.2 IP, 151 K, 1.27 WHIP
97, C, A, 2SFB(2), CUT(2), CB(3), CHG(2), VS LH Batter 4, STR Finisher, Dr. K, Consistency 4, Choke Artist
Bio: A 29-year old in the prime of his career, Bedard is a lefty who consistently shuts down opposing hitters with his blazing fastball and solid curve.
Analysis: Bedard's having a good year, but we won't see him in this series.

Felix Hernandez - SP
8-8, 3.90 ERA, 159.1 IP, 180 K, 1.35 WHIP
98, C, A, SLD(3), CB(5), CHG(5), SPLT(2), Spin 4, Dr. K, Star
Bio: Though he's just 22, Hernandez is already one of the most feared strikeout artists in the game. He has room to refine his pitching, but he could be truly special if he develops, and the fans in Seattle know it.
Anaylsis: Though his ERA isn't great, his strikeout numbers suggest he's been the victim of some bad luck (.341 BABIP). We're fortunate to not have to face him either in this series.

Ichrio Suzuki - CF
.302/.363/.471, 45 2B, 22 3B, 36 SB
2, A, E, A, A, B, B, Clutch Hit 4, Contact Hitter, Push Hitter, Hot Hitter, Gd Bunt, Grt IF HTR, Throwing 4, Durability 4, Base Running 4, Spider Catch, Cannon Arm, Gd Rain, Pr Day Game, Star, Slap Hitter, Aggressive STL, Aggressive RUN, Aggressive FLD
Bio: The pride and joy of Seattle, Ichiro Suzuki has dominated the majors since his transition from the NPB in 2001. He may be getting on in years, but he is still easily the best leadoff man in the game.
Analysis: Ichiro is second in the AL in steals and doubles and first in triples. Remarkably, however, he still his not hit a home run.

Bryan Thomas - 1B
.232/.288/.331, 10 HR, 58 RBI
2, B, D, D, C, A, A, Throwing 4, Gold Glover, Barehand CTH, Star, Slap Hitter, Aggressive FLD
Bio: Thomas definitely deviates from the typical first baseman, but that doesn't mean he's any less of a superstar. Like his teammate Ichiro, although to a lesser extent, Thomas focuses on singles and doubles rather than home runs. He's also the best fielding first baseman in the AL, and regularly wins the Gold Glove award.
Analysis: He's almost been bad enough to warrant his removal from this list, but he really is one of the faces of the Seattle franchise. His glove keeps him in the line-up. That's probably the only time that has even been said about a first baseman.

Projected Pitching Match-ups:

Game 1
Brendan Bikowski (10-4, 2.59) vs. Carlos Silva (6-14, 5.92)

Silva is terrible, but the Mariners really don't have any other options. This is such a lopsided pitching match-up that we should almost certainly win, but with the way we've been playing lately I just don't know...

Game 2
Charlie Huff (11-5, 3.37) vs. Miguel Batista (9-8, 3.83)

Batista is pretty decent. His offspeed stuff is nothing to write home about, but he has a mid-90's fastball. Huff should be able to out-duel him.

Game 3
Akinori Otsuka (12-6, 3.35) vs. Jarrod Washburn (10-9, 3.68)

Washburn is an unspectacular pitcher, but he's actually second on the Mariners in ERA. Otsuka has been red-hot lately though, so I'm inclined to give him the edge.

September 9th, 2015

Seattle Mariners (70-71) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (80-61)

Final Score:
Seattle Mariners - 2
Honolulu Gunmen - 4

Box Score
Win: Brendan Bikowski (11-4)
Save: Rick Allen (40)
Loss: Carlos Silva (6-15)
HR: Patrick Warr (24)

J. Medrano - 3-4, RBI, .298
M. McElroy - 0-3, 266
-----D. Millwood - 0-1, .276
J. Hernandez - 1-4, .274
M. McCarthy - 1-4, 2B, R, .295
D. Wayne - 2-4, RBI, R, .329
P. Warr - 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, R, .261
S. Bernard - 1-4, E, .270
M. MacKenzie - 1-4, R, K, .279
T. Weaver - 2-3, SB, .300

B. Bikowski (W) - 7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, ER, 4 K, 2.53
M. Colyer (HLD) - IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2.75
R. Allen (SV) - IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3.81

September 10th, 2015

Seattle Mariners (70-72) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (81-61)

Final Score:
Seattle Mariners - 4
Honolulu Gunmen - 3

Box Score
Win: Adam Clontz (3-0)
Save: J.J. Putz (25)
Loss: Adam Wilson (4-2)
HR: Steve Bernard (12), Mason Belle (9)

J. Medrano - 1-4, R, K, .297
M. McElroy - 1-3, .267
-----M. MacKenzie - 0-1, .267
J. Hernandez - 0-4, K, .272
M. McCarthy - 2-4, 2B, RBI, .296
D. Wayne - 1-3, K, BB, .329
P. Warr - 0-4, 3 K, .259
D. Wilde - 1-3, .278
-----T. Weaver - 0-1, R, .286
S. Bernard - 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, K, .271
C. Raines - 0-3, K, .233

C. Huff - 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 K, BB, 3.39
J. Hampson - 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, K, 4.13
A. Wilson - 1.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 K, 2.83

September 11th, 2015

Seattle Mariners (71-72) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (81-62)

Final Score(11):
Seattle Mariners - 3
Honolulu Gunmen - 5

Roy Schapp hit an absolute bomb of a home run for a walk-off in the bottom of the eleventh.

Box Score
Win: Mike Colyer (6-6)
Save:
Loss: Adam Clontz (3-1)
HR: Donnie Wilde (8), Roy Schapp (4), Yuniesky Betancourt (12)

J. Medrano - 0-5, .295
M. McElroy - 0-3, K, .265
-----D. Millwood - 1-2, R, .279
J. Hernandez - 2-4, 2B, .274
-----T. Weaver
----------R. Schapp - 1-1, HR, 2 RBI, R, .160
M. McCarthy - 0-4, .294
D. Wayne - 1-4, .328
P. Warr - 0-3, R, BB, .257
D. Wilde - 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R, .279
S. Bernard - 0-4, 2 RBI, .268
C. Raines - 0-4, .231

A. Otsuka - 8 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 K, 2 BB, 3.36
V. Trieu - IP, H, 0 ER, 2.34
M. Colyer (W) - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, K, 2.67

Series MVPs:
Donnie Wilde - 3-7, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R
Derek Wayne - 4-11, 2B, RBI, R, BB
Brendan Bikowski - 7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, ER, 4 K, W
Mike Colyer - 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, K, W
__________________________________________

A solid series win. Hopefully a sign of things to come. We're still four games back, though.

2-3???!! Damnnnnnn

Minnesota Twins (69-75) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (82-62)
September 12th-14th

We're now three games behind Boston for the AL Wild Card. We badly need to break this cold spell. A sweep would be nice.

Key Players:

Dick Shogun - SP
6-7, 4.74 ERA, 148.0 IP, 198 K
95, D, A, CUT(3), CB(7), SPLT(2), CCHG(2), Spin 4, Safe Pitch, Dr. K, Gd Delivery, Gd Rain, Release 4
Bio: An ace in the truest sense of the word, Shogun has been dominating AL hitters with his lively fastball and wicked curveball for a decade now.
Analysis: Shogun ranks sixth in the AL in strikeouts, but his ERA is lackluster.

Joe Mauer - C
.331/.395/.496, 13 3B, 15 HR, 72 RBI
2, C, C, C, C, B, B, Contact Hitter, Push Hitter, Hot Hitter, Gd IF HTR, Firstball HTR, Throwing 4, HD 1st Slide, Gd Catcher, Gd Day Game, Gd Rain, Durability 2, Star, Slap Hitter, Patient HTR, Gd Eye
Bio: One of the best all-around players in baseball, the 25-year old Mauer is the centerpiece of this Minnesota franchise.
Analysis: Mauer is having another fantastic season. It's easy to see why he's a fan favorite in Minnesota.

Justin Morneau - 1B
.313/.381/.475, 16 2B, 17 HR, 91 RBI
3, D, B, E, C, D, B, Contact Hitter, Gd IF HTR, Firstball HTR, Throwing 4, Consistency 4, Barehand CTH, Pr Rain
Bio: The second half of a truly terrifying JM-combo, Morneau (27) is a bit older than his catching counterpart.
Analysis: Morneau came into the year with a career batting average of .276. That number's already up to .282.

Michael Cuddyer - RF
.316/.379/.500, 19 2B, 19 HR, 96 RBI
3, D, C, B, D, E, C, Gd IF HTR, Throwing 4, Gd Eye
Bio: He may be overshadowed by his slightly younger teammates, but the 29-year-old outfielder is no slouch.
Analysis: Cuddyer has forced himself onto this list with a great season. His 96 RBI lead the team.

Projected Pitching Match-ups:

Game 1
Johnny Rivera (4-8, 3.23) vs. Kevin Slowey (5-9, 6.12)

22-year old Rivera has been pretty dependable all season, despite his record. Meanwhile, the 24-year old Slowey may soon find himself out of the league if he doesn't improve.

Game 2
Michael Davis (11-5, 3.89) vs. Dick Shogun (6-7, 4.74)

Davis has struggled in the last month or so, and he'll have a tough match-up against the Twins' ace.

Game 3
Cesario Castillo (7-10, 3.42) vs. Nick Campbell (5-5, 5.09)

The last time rookie Nick Campbell pitched against us, he held us to just two runs. He features a low-90s fastball and a variety of breakers that admittedly all need some work, but he seems to have a bright future.

September 12th, 2015

Minnesota Twins (69-75) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (82-62)

Final Score:
Minnesota Twins - 6
Honolulu Gunmen - 3

Johnny had a real rough go of it today, getting roughed up for ten hits and five runs in just five innings.

Box Score
Win: Kevin Slowey (6-9)
Save: Francisco Liriano (12)
Loss: Johnny Rivera (4-9)
HR: Derek Wayne (20), Donnie Wilde (9), Michael Cuddyer (20)

J. Medrano - 1-4, R, K, .294
M. McElroy - 1-4, .265
J. Hernandez - 2-4, 2B, RBI, .276
M. McCarthy - 0-4, .292
D. Wayne - 1-4, HR, RBI, R, .328
P. Warr - 0-4, .255
D. Wilde - 1-3, HR, RBI, R, .280
S. Bernard - 2-3, .271
C. Raines - 1-3, K, .231

J. Rivera (L) - 5.0 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 4 K, 3.44
P. Casey - 2 IP, H, 0 ER, 3 K, 5.40
V. Trieu - 0+ IP, 2 H, ER, 2.52
D. Edwards - 2 IP, H, 0 ER, 2.83
___________________________________________

Playoff Race

AL West Standings
1. Sacramento Dolphins - 86-59
2. Honolulu Gunmen - 82-63

AL Wild Card Standings
1. Boston Red Sox - 86-59
2. Honolulu Gunmen - 82-63
3. Detroit Tigers - 75-70
4. Seattle Mariners - 72-73

September 13th, 2015

Minnesota Twins (70-75) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (82-63)

Final Score:
Minnesota Twins - 1
Honolulu Gunmen - 0

Michael Davis pitched pretty well, but Dick Shogun looked just like his old self as a he struck out six en route to a two-hit shutout.

Box Score
Win: Dick Shogun (7-7)
Save:
Loss: Michael Davis (11-6)
HR:

M. McElroy - 1-4, K, .265
D. Wayne - 1-3, K, .328
J. Hernandez - 0-3, E, .274
M. McCarthy - 0-3, .290
P. Warr - 0-3, K, .253
D. Wilde - 0-3, .278
S. Bernard - 0-3, K, .269
C. Raines - 0-3, K, .230
J. Soriano - 0-2, K, .000
-----J. Medrano - 0-1, .294

M. Davis (L) - 6.1 IP, 8 H, ER, 2 K, BB, 3.79
M. Colyer - 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, K, 2.65
E. Lorrier - 2 IP, H, 0 ER, 2 K, 2.08
_________________________________________________

11:18 PM
Honolulu, HI

I had just finished changing into my street clothes when I felt my cell phone vibrate, I answered without looking, as I was busy putting my clothes into my duffel bag.

"Hello?"
"You are once again showing your incompetence, Matthew."

It was Preston. I set my bag down.

"Why are you calling me?" I asked.
"To remind you of your present failures... and your past betrayals." The resentment in his voice was palpable. I was caught a bit off guard by the statement.
"Preston, I... I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I can say that."

There was a moment of silence. He seemed to be surprised that I had addressed the long-ignored issue.

"We won again tonight. You're now five games back. Even if you manage to get closer, you will lose when our teams square off at the end of the month, and your failure will be broadcast on the national stage."
"National stage?"
Preston laughed once, then explained. "Haven't you heard? The league has been hyping up the so-called 'rivalry' between our two teams for weeks now. They cleared the broadcast schedule so that all four games will be on national TV. It's the hottest story in baseball." Preston laughed again.

"As if you're worthy of being my rival."

I wasn't really sure what to say. Preston was always hard to talk to. He tended to talk plenty for the both of us.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
"Oh, you'll see all right."
*click*

He hung up. I paused for a moment before sliding my phone into my pocket and heading out to my car.

Damn, that's Edgey, Preston

September 14th, 2015

Minnesota Twins (71-75) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (82-64)

We fell behind 4-0 in the 4th, but answered back in the 5th with a 3-run homer from the rookie Jeremy Johnson. In the top of the 6th, however, Brandon Philips hit a moon shot to left center, extending the Twins' lead to 5-3.

In the bottom half, McCarthy hit home run number 58 to cut the Twins' lead back to one. Later in the inning, with two outs, Steve Bernard singled and stole second, and Johnson once again played the hero, tying the game with a single.

Our bullpen held down the fort until Mike Colyer ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the 9th. With runners on first and second and one out, I called for Evan Lorrier out of the 'pen. Justin Morneau prompt;y unleashed a deep fly ball to right field, and I thought for sure the Twins had snagged a late lead. Tommy Weaver, however, had a different idea. Sprinting back and to his right, he leaped and made an incredible catch just before bumping into the outfield wall. Without missing a beat, he hurled the ball back in to Bernard as the runners retreated to their bases. Evan struck out the next batter,and pumped his fast having escaped the threat unscathed.

After failing to capitalize on a two-out double in the bottom of the 9th, Evan pitched a clean top half of the 10th. In the bottom half, Danny Millwood slapped a leadoff single to right field. Derek Wayne flew out, but Matt McCarthy drew a walk to push the winning run to second base. Due up next was Colin Raines, who had pinch run for Roy Schapp in the previous inning. I opted to bring in Juan Hernandez off the bench, who unleashed on the first pitch he saw, roping a grounder down the first base line. Justin Morneau made a fantastic backhand play to save the game, but the Twins were unable to turn the double play, putting the winning run at third with two outs. Up came Steve Bernard with a chance to be a hero.

Stevie worked the count, seeing a ball, then a strike, then another ball from Twins reliever Matt Guerrier. After swinging and missing at the 2-1 pitch, the Twins were just one strike away from extending the game. Guerrier got his sign from Mauer and broke off a hard curveball - straight into the dirt. Mauer stabbed at it, but it got away and skidded to the backstop. McCarthy was running hard all the way, and slid into home just ahead of Mauer's toss to the pitcher. The team ran out onto the field, elated, and I pumped my fist and grinned as Guerrier stood there, watching the celebration, dumbfounded.

Final Score(10):
Minnesota Twins - 5
Honolulu Gunmen - 6

Box Score
Win: Evan Lorrier (5-2)
Save:
Loss: Matt Guerrier (3-4)
HR: Matt McCarthy (58), Jeremy Johnson (1), Brandon Philips (19)

J. Medrano - 2-5, K, SB, .295
D. Millwood - 1-5, R, K, .277
D. Wayne - 0-5, .325
M. McCarthy - 1-4, HR, RBI, R, K, BB, .290
R. Schapp - 3-4, 2B, R, .190
-----C. Raines
----------J. Hernandez - 0-1, .274
S. Bernard - 1-4, 2 R, SB, .269
J. Johnson - 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, R, .250
M. MacKenzie - 2-4, .283
T. Weaver - 0-4, K, .240

C. Castillo - 5.2 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 2 K, 3.59
J. Hampson - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3.97
A. Wilson - IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2.79
M. Colyer - 0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2.64
E. Lorrier (W) - 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K, 2.01
________________________________________

Playoff Race

AL West Standings
1. Sacramento Dolphins - 87-60
2. Honolulu Gunmen - 83-64

AL Wild Card Standings
1. Boston Red Sox - 87-60
2. Honolulu Gunmen - 83-64
3. Detroit Tigers - 76-71
4. Seattle Mariners - 73-74

Los Angeles Angels (72-75) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (83-64)
September 15th to 17th

Our last series against Los Angeles resulted in us losing three of four.

Key Players:

Francisco Rodriguez - CP
2.31 ERA, 46.2 IP, 46 K, 27/30 SV
97, C, E, SLD(5), CB(5), CHG(2), Poise 4, Spin 4, Recovery 4, Dr. K, Intimidator, Star
Bio: "K-Rod" is one of the best closers in the game, and also one of the most feared.
Analysis: Nobody likes to face Rodriguez. We'd be smart not to let the Angels take a lead into the 9th.

Torii Hunter - CF
.267/.338/.414, 15 HR, 58 RBI
3, D, B, D, B, A, C, Gd IF HTR, Throwing 4, Consistency 4, Spider Catch, HD 1st Slide, Timely Whiff, Stealing 2, Pr Rain, Aggressive FLD
Bio: Torii Hunter, at age 33, is a perennial Gold Glove candidate who still hits the ball pretty well. Expect very few cheap singles to center, and precisely zero triples from the Gunmen offense.
Analysis: Hunter is having a good season and is one of LA's most valuable players.

Raul Alcarez - RF
.236/.308/.428, 27 HR, 101 RBI
3, B, B, D, C, D, B, Clutch Hit 5, Hot Hitter, Tough Out, Gd IF HTR, Rally Hitter, Throwing 2, Durability 2, Star
Bio: The 32-year old Raul Alcarez has been one of the most popular players in Los Angeles throughout his entire big league career. Perhaps he isn't the most graceful, as his proneness to injuries show, but he certainly holds his own at the plate and always seem to come through when it matters.
Analysis: Perhaps if their top hitter weren't struggling so mightily, the Angels might be in the playoff hunt.

Projected Pitching Match-ups:

Game 1
Brendan Bikowski (11-4, 2.53) vs. Ervin Santana (6-11, 5.47)

Santana, 25, brought a 4.84 career ERA into this season and that number has gone nowhere but north. He struggles early in games, late in games, and in the middle of games. Up against Bikowski, we should - I repeat, should - be able to start this series on a strong note.

Game 2
Charlie Huff (11-5, 3.39) vs. Kelvim Escobar (11-13, 5.51)

Escobar has struggled this season, and although we scored just three runs off him earlier this month, we did managed to hit him with a loss. Huff has been solid lately, adding onto his great rookie campaign.

Game 3
Akinori Otsuka (12-6, 3.36) vs. Scott Mathieson (12-4, 3.10)

Not to be confused with Christy Mathewson, the hard throwing Mathieson has been one of the biggest pleasant surprises of 2015. He features an upper-90s fastball and a respectable, if unspectacular, slider-changeup combo. Otsuka will have to stay hot if we want to win this one.

September 15th, 2015

Los Angeles Angels (72-75) vs. Honolulu Gunmen (83-64)

Final Score(10):
Los Angeles Angels - 2
Honolulu Gunmen - 3

McCarthy hit a pair of home runs today, the latter a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 10th!

The Dolphins lost today, so we've narrowed the divisional gap to 3.0 games.

Box Score
Win: Evan Lorrier (6-2)
Save:
Loss: Justin Speier (3-6)
HR: Matt McCarthy (59, 60), Garret Anderson (15)

J. Medrano - 3-5, K, .297
M. McElroy - 1-5, 2 K, .264
J. Hernandez - 1-5, R, .273
M. McCarthy - 3-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, E, .293
D. Wayne - 2-4, .326
P. Warr - 0-4, .251
D. Wilde - 1-4, .278
S. Bernard - 2-4, SB, .271
C. Raines - 1-4, SB, .230

B. Bikowski - 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 6 K, BB, 2.53
V. Trieu - 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2.49
M. Colyer - IP, H, 0 ER, K, 2.60
E. Lorrier (W) - IP, 0 H, 0 ER, K, 1.97
______________________________________________

Playoff Race

AL West Standings
1. Sacramento Dolphins - 87-61
2. Honolulu Gunmen - 84-64

AL Wild Card Standings
1. Boston Red Sox - 88-60
2. Honolulu Gunmen - 84-64
3. Chicago White Sox - 76-72
4. Seattle Mariners - 74-74

This log actually make me want to play Power Pros...

Keep trimming dat gap

Ayy it doesn't get old.

I'm workin' on it.

So the Gumen have 84 wins through mid-September and they still don't have a playoff berth. Stupid 1 wildcard rule.