Game 13: KRAKENS 6 Fair Lawn 4 (4-9)

Jake Peavy took the mound for the Krakens in a must-win game. The contest started as a pitcher's duel; Chipper Jones hit a home run in the second and J.J. Hardy hit his second double play sac fly of the month in the fifth. Peavy finally ran out of gas in the eighth giving up a double to Lombardozzi and an RBI single to Derek Jeter. Reliever Tim Collins had pitched 2 1/3 scoreless inning yesterday but didn't have his best stuff giving up a two-run home run to Todd Frazier making the score 4-1 going into the bottom of the inning.

The crowds were merciless in their booing as J.J. Hardy came up to face C.C. Sabathia but the shortstop muscled out a single and the next batter, Jeff Mathis,  hit one over the fence to make it a one-run game. Sabthia tied to hold on and got a fly out from Brett Butler but an Edwin Encarnacion single finally knocked him out of the game. Reliever Troy Patton came in to face Miguel Cabrera who knocked on into the left field bleachers to put the Krakens on top. Justin Maxwell got on after a Todd Frazier error and scored thanks to a pinch-hit from Gerardo Parra. In the ninth stopper Fernando Rodney came in with a rare save opportunity. The Coney Island crowd was stunned by a Carlos Gomez double but Dave Ross lined right at Omar Infante who doubled Gomez off. Ichiro Suzuki popped up and the Krakens were back on the winning path. What a game!

Game 12: Fair Lawn 7 KRAKENS 4 (3-9)

This went from bad to worse as the Firehawks jumped all over Bronson Arroyo for four runs in the third. It was the now-usual suspects, a Lombardozzi walk, Reyes double, Jeter single and a Chipper Jones home run. But the Krakens wouldn't say die, particularly Miguel Cabrera who plated two with a double in the third. Coney tied the game in the fifth as Butler knocked in Encarnacion and a Parra grounder scored Butler. The Krakens kept Fair Lawn bats quiet until the eighth when Vinnie Pestano allowed an RBI double to Carlos Gomez. Things didn't get much better in the ninth when Pestano gave up back-to-back homes to Derek jeter and Carlos Gonzalez. Fair Lawn relievers struck out five of the last sixth Kraken batters to end the game. Can it get worse?

Game 11: Fair Lawn 5 KRAKENS 3 (3-8)

Jose Reyes continued his revenge tour of Coney Island with an RBI single in the third inning but his smile was short-lived as Jeff Mathis caught him stealing. The Krakens took the lead with back-to-back homers in the fourth from Maxwell and Willingham and a Steve Lombardozzi error gave Coney another run in the sixth. Krakens pitcher Yu Darvish was breezing along until the eighth when the wheels came off. After a Reyes double knocked in Lombardozzi Rafael Soriano was brought in and all he did was give up a double, wild pitch and two walks before giving up the mound to Nate Jones whose first pitch was a two-run single by Chipper Jones. The Krakens are now playing sub-300 ball and have an overworked and ineffective bullpen.

Game 10: Fair Lawn 5 KRAKENS 3 (3-7)

Hope were high for the Krakens going into this four-game series with the defending league champs. The Squid Squad took a 2-0 league early thanks to a Todd Frazier error and J.J. Hardy single in the second inning. Josh Willingham added a run but Miguel Cabrera was thrown out at home denying the Krakens a run they would need later. In the fourth former Kraken Jose Reyes silenced the boo-birds with a game tying two-run homer. Kennedy and the Krakens' Vogelsong bore down keeping the game scoreless until the eighth. With Carlos Gonzalez on third the Krakens brought in yesterday's goat Rafael Soiriano who gave up an RBI double and the lead to Carlos Gomez. Steve Lombardozzi scored on a single and a Willingham error to finish the scoring.

Game 9: MCCLELLAN 3 Krakens 2 (3-6)

Miguel Cabrera opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first but, that man again, David Freese put McClellan up 2-1 with a 2-run shot in the third. Ryan Vogelsong for the Krakens and Marco Estrada for the Macs were both pitching well. In the seventh Josh Reddick hit a home run to open up a 3-1 Mac lead. The Krakens had Infante on third following an eight-inning triple but couldn't plate him. Billy Butler led off the ninth with a home run, making up for his caught stealing earlier. With two outs A.J. Ellis drew a walk but Estrada locked up the win getting Josh Willingham to fly out. A frustrating series and tough opening month for the Krakens.

Game 8: MCCLELLAN 5 Krakens 4 (3-5)

McClellan jumped all over Krakens starter Jake Peavy with four runs in the first two innings including a 3-run HR by David Frees. Coney Island roared back with a two-out rally in the third capped by a bases loaded 3-run double from Miguel Cabrera. The next batter, Josh Willingham was plunked by Barry Zito and benches emptied but no blows were exchanged. There was little action until the bottom of the eighth when Kraken reliever Rafael Soriano gave up a go-ahead single to Ben Zobrist. Scott Atchison tries to close it out in the ninth but Scott Hairston rocks him for a double. The next batter, J.J. Hardy scorches a liner that is grabbed by Zobrist, he tosses to Aaron Hill who doubles off Hairston on a very close play. The Krakens are all over the umpire but to no avail as the Krakens lose another one.

Game 7: MCCLELLAN 7 Krakens 2 (3-4)

The Macs tapped away at the Krakens scoring one run in five of the first six innings. David Freese went 4-4 with a HR and Nelson Cruz was 3-4. Miguel Cabrera homered in the ninth to avoid a shut out.

Game 6: Krakens 4 MCCLELLAN 3 (3-3)

The Krakens began their first road trip of the year with a matchup of Gio Gonzalez and Jeff Samardzija. Gonzalez gave up a 2-run homer to Jonny Gomes in the second but otherwise kept the Macs off the scoreboard until he was pulled in the sixth. Samardzija was gave up one hit until the eighth when the wheels fell off. Two walks and a single loaded the bases and an Infante single and doubles by Hardy and Infante gave the Krakens a 4-2 lead.  Rodney held on for the save despite giving up a run. Can this be the start of a turnaround?

Game 5: Cleveland 5 KRAKENS 3 (2-3)

The CLeveland Buckeyes went up 5-0 thanks to 3 homers including yet another by Andrew McCutchen (he eats Kraken pitching like whales eat krill). Coney Island's relievers pitched well but it was just a case of closing the barn door after the horse had left. The Krakens threatened and Scott Hairston came to the plate as the tying run in the bottom of the 9th but Ryan Cook shut him out to give the Buckeyes the series. 

Overall a disappointing series for the Krakens. The starting pitching was inconsistent, the bullpen overused and the promised hitting explosion has yet to materialize. J.J. Hardy wen 0-14, A.J. Ellis 2-19 and leadoff man Ben Revere 3-22. Kudos to Josh "The Willing Hammer" Willingham who hit 438/813/571.

Game 4: Cleveland 5 KRAKENS 2 (10) (2-2)

Miguel Cabrera broke out of his funk with a home run in the third to give the Krakens an early lead. After a rain delay the Buckeye's Alex Gonzalez and Jeff Keppinger hit their own home runs in the fifth. In the eighth Boone Logan came in to shut down AJ Ellis but the catcher knocked in Cabrera with a two-out double. In the tenth Rafael Soriano gave up two walks, a single and a three-run triple from Nick Markakis to give Cleveland the game.

Game 3: KRAKENS 8 Cleveland 5 (2-1)

Coney Island jumped to a 7-0 lead after two innings. The big hits were a Josh Willingham triple (!) and a 3-run Encarnacion home run. It could have been worse, JJ Hardy left five men on base to get the final out in both innings. Both teams exchanged hit batters and it looked like tempers might flare but umpires calmed the situation. Cleveland struck back for four in the third including two from an Andrew Ethier double. The game quieted down until eighth when the Krakens scored a run. Andrew McCuten hit yet another home run but the Buckeyes couldn't close the gap.

Game 2: KRAKENS 3 Cleveland 2 (1-1)

Andrew McCutchen opened the game with a lead off home run for the Buckeyes but the Krakens tied it up thanks to a Ben Revere single and steal followed by an Edwin Encarnacion RBI single. No runners got into scoring position until Coney Island got two walks in the fifth. In the seventh Morales hit a deep shot that Vogelsong turned from a HR to a 2B and he scored the go ahead run thanks to an Alex Gonzalez single. In the bottom of the inning Harrell returned the favor converting Willingham's HR into a 2B. After two singles the score was tied and JJ Hardy gave Coney Island the lead with a rare Sacrifice Fly double play! Soriano and Rodney closed out the game for the first Kraken win of the season. 

Opening Day: Cleveland 9 KRAKENS 3

Opening day at Coney Island's Lifeway Kefir Park and hope springs eternal. Kraken fans enjoyed their debut season in 2012 but hope for a post-season berth in 2013. The opener showcased a rusty Gio Gonzalez for Coney Island and a sharp Yovani Gallardo for Cleveland. The Buckeyes scored five in the third with five singles in a row and an error from the normally sure-handed Gerardo Parra. Coney came back with three in the bottom thanks to a Ben Revere triple and a Butler single. The Buckeyes stretched the lead out with two more runs in the fourth and Andrew McCutchen's homer in the eighth was the coup de grace.