The Bellingham Cascades had two peak performances Tuesday: Mike Fiers pitched a nine-inning no-hitter (and shutout), and Justin Turner blasted three homers as part of a 4 for 5 day.
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Maybe yesterday morning there were still some people in Bellingham who were not Cascade fans. I don’t need news reports to tell me what I already know: those days of indifference are over now. These twin peaks, happening on the same day, are surely enshrined in the memories of every Bellinghamster now. They will be Cascade fans until their dying day(s).
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Maybe you all will want to be Cascade fans, too, once you reflect on what I am going to show you today: we all (or close enough to all) had a hand in making these gems possible. They were Cascade peak performances, of course, but they took a village.
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EFL Standings for 2019
| EFL | ||||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB | RS | RA |
| Flint Hill Tornadoes | 24 | 11 | .674 | — | 219.7 | 154.3 |
| Portland Rosebuds | 24 | 14 | .629 | 1.2 | 232.7 | 176.3 |
| Canberra Kangaroos | 21 | 14 | .611 | 2.2 | 214.4 | 174.6 |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 19 | 15 | .549 | 4.4 | 164.1 | 148.8 |
| Kaline Drive | 17 | 19 | .477 | 6.9 | 134.6 | 143.0 |
| Haviland Dragons | 17 | 19 | .473 | 7 | 162.1 | 175.9 |
| Old Detroit Wolverines | 16 | 19 | .465 | 7.3 | 184.5 | 194.5 |
| Cottage Cheese | 15 | 18 | .447 | 7.8 | 157.0 | 176.1 |
| Peshastin Pears | 17 | 21 | .453 | 7.9 | 179.2 | 197.5 |
| Bellingham Cascades | 15 | 19 | .433 | 8.4 | 163.4 | 192.7 |
| Brookland Outs | 12 | 21 | .371 | 10.3 | 145.6 | 193.0 |
| D.C. Balk | 13 | 22 | .367 | 10.7 | 157.5 | 206.4 |
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Flint Hill: W, 6 – 1. (41 PA, .237, .286, .421; 7.7 ip, 1 er, 1.17 ERA) Those sly Tornados conspicuously donated an 0 for 3 from Derek Dietrich, doing their part to protect the no-hitter… but in the very same game having Tyler Mahle going 6 innings with only 1 earned run. And they rode Mahle into a much bigger lead in the EFL race.
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Portland: L, (-1) – 2. (44 PA, .128, .227, .154; 8 ip, 1 er, 1.12 ERA) The Rosebuds had no Athletics hitters to contribute to the Fiers no-hitter. But they symbolically contributed 8 batters without hits over 27 plate appearances — an entire game’s worth! This show of support could only have encouraged Mike Fiers. (Those Johnson boys are both wily, however: Jose Berrios pitched 7 scoreless innings to blunt the damage to the Rosebuds standings.)
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Canberra: “L”, 11 – 6. (40 PA, .333, .390, .639; 1.7 ip, 0 er, 0.00 ERA). I don’t think the Kangaroos did their bit to support Fiers’ bid for immortality, unfortunately. But Rhys Hoskins did his best homage to Justin Turner by also going 4 for 5 with a homer (his other two “homers” fell short as a double and a single). Mitch Garver added a 3 for 3 to continue his own personal offensive miracle. Did you know he’s batting a Ruthian .367, .424, .783 for the season? He already has as many homers this year (7) in 19 games as he did in 102 games last year. Apparently he’s trying to encourage Justin Turner to set his sights even higher.
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Pittsburgh: L, 2 – 7. (53 PA, .265, .315, .531; 9.7 ip, 7 er, 6.52 ERA.) Allegheny Jurickson Profar made a crucial contribution to the Fiers no-hitter. There wouldn’t have been a n0-hitter if he hadn’t made a spectacular diving catch in the 6th inning. (You can see the video of the play here.) Profar also drove in both Oakland runs, one on a homer. Furthermore, the Alleghenys got 15 of their 17 hitters to turn up last night for a whopping 53 plate appearances. This show of solidarity had to be a big boost to Fiers, pitching in an otherwise nearly-empty Oakland stadium.
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Kaline: L, 6 – 9. (47 PA, .273, .319, .500; 2 ip,, 4 er, 18.00 ERA) Drives/Reds Jesse Winker and Kyle Farmer dropped their 0 for 3’s into the collection plate against Fiers. Meanwhile Max Fried fried his ERA by serving up 4 er in 1 inning, a quadruple chulk, including the first of Justin Turner’s home runs. Three Drives laying it all down for the Cascade heroes. Beyond the call of duty.
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Haviland: “L”, 4 – 4. (43 PA, .275, .326,.450; 1 ip, 1 er, 9.00 ERA) Yasiel Puig drew a walk, one of two Fiers allowed, but otherwise went 0 for 2 to help the cause. But the biggest single contribution to Fiers’ no-hit night was from Dragon/Red Ramon Laureano. After Profar’s diving catch, the next batter drove a ball just over the center field wall…except Laureano raced back, leaped, and brought it back.
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Old Detroit: “L”, 9 – 7. (42 PA, .306, .405, .472; 6 ip, 5 er, 7.50 ERA). The W’s had no players in the Reds/A’s game, had no pitchers or hitters copying Cascade triumphs, nothing. So I guess our contribution is getting the word out, telling the story in this update uncluttered by any self-congratulatory gloating over passing the Pears.
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Cottage: W 1, L (-3); (-3) – (-15). 42 PA, .250, .357, .361; 6.7 ip, 2 er, 2.70 ERA). There are also no Cheesy fingerprints on the Fiers no-hitter, since there were no Cheese in that game. But their leadership has left them unattended while he gallivants around the Old World. The poor Cheese are struggling trying (and apparently failing) to keep things afloat until their caretakers are back.
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Peshastin: L, 2 – 9. (49 PA, .267, .327, .311; 8 ip, 8 er, 9.00 ERA) Pear Marcus Semien played shortstop behind Fiers. He isn’t on the highlight reels, but he did make all the plays, including the pivot on a key double play after a walk.
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Bellingham: W 3, L (-2); 14 – (-2). (21 PA, .474, .524, .1.368; 14.7 ip 3 er, 1.84 era). Turner was not the only offensive avalanche of the night for the Cascades. Hunter Pence actually out-OPSed Turner by going 3 for 3 with two doubles, a homer and a walk. Bryce Harper woke out of his slumbers with a 2 for 3 game featuring a homer and a walk. Those three were joined by 3 other Cascades who went a combined 0 for 8, and by at least 9 PA’s of replacement players who did a lot better than the 3 dormant Cascades. It all added up to a stunning 3 win, minus-2 loss day — as good as you’ll ever see in the EFL.
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Brookland: W (-1), L (-1); (-5) – (-10). (34 PA, .290, .353, .419; 5.3 ip, 2 er, 3.37 ERA). Brookland contributed nothing to the Fiers or Turner accomplishments. So sad, to be out to lunch about such exciting events. But, to be fair, they are the Outs.
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DC: L, 0 – 9. (25 PA, .095, .231, .238; 5 ip, 5 er, 9.00 ERA). DC’s Matt Chapman also played defense behind Fiers. That was actually kind off risky for Fiers. The last thing he needed was a balk in the game. But if he had to have one, defensive superstar Chapman would be the Balk to have.
Combined MLB + EFL Standings for 2019
| AL East | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Flint Hill Tornadoes | 24 | 11 | .674 | — |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 23 | 12 | .657 | 0.6 |
| New York Yankees | 21 | 14 | .600 | 2.6 |
| Boston Red Sox | 18 | 19 | .486 | 6.6 |
| Old Detroit Wolverines | 16 | 19 | .465 | 7.3 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 15 | 21 | .417 | 9.1 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 13 | 23 | .361 | 11.1 |
| NL East | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Canberra Kangaroos | 21 | 14 | .611 | — |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 20 | 15 | .571 | 1.4 |
| Atlanta Braves | 18 | 18 | .500 | 3.9 |
| New York Mets | 17 | 19 | .472 | 4.9 |
| Washington Nationals | 14 | 21 | .400 | 7.4 |
| D.C. Balk | 13 | 22 | .367 | 8.5 |
| Miami Marlins | 10 | 25 | .286 | 11.4 |
| AL Central | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Minnesota Twins | 22 | 12 | .647 | — |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 19 | 15 | .549 | 3.3 |
| Cleveland Indians | 18 | 16 | .529 | 4 |
| Chicago White Sox | 16 | 18 | .471 | 6 |
| Detroit Tigers | 15 | 17 | .469 | 6 |
| Bellingham Cascades | 15 | 19 | .433 | 7.3 |
| Kansas City Royals | 13 | 24 | .351 | 10.5 |
| NL Central | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Chicago Cubs | 20 | 13 | .606 | — |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 21 | 15 | .583 | 0.5 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 22 | 16 | .579 | 0.5 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 17 | 15 | .531 | 2.5 |
| Cottage Cheese | 15 | 18 | .447 | 5.2 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 15 | 21 | .417 | 6.5 |
| Brookland Outs | 12 | 21 | .371 | 7.8 |
| AL West | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Houston Astros | 21 | 15 | .583 | — |
| Seattle Mariners | 19 | 19 | .500 | 3 |
| Texas Rangers | 16 | 17 | .485 | 3.5 |
| Kaline Drive | 17 | 19 | .477 | 3.8 |
| Haviland Dragons | 17 | 19 | .473 | 4 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 16 | 19 | .457 | 4.5 |
| Oakland A’s | 16 | 21 | .432 | 5.5 |
| NL West | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 24 | 14 | .632 | — |
| Portland Rosebuds | 24 | 14 | .629 | 0.1 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 20 | 16 | .556 | 3 |
| San Diego Padres | 20 | 17 | .541 | 3.5 |
| Peshastin Pears | 17 | 21 | .453 | 6.8 |
| San Francisco Giants | 16 | 20 | .444 | 7 |
| Colorado Rockies | ||||