It has been a dismal season in Portland up to this point. For the first time all season the Lumberjacks find themselves at the bottom of the power rankings. Their 9-22 overall record is tied with Edmonton for the worst in the league as well. Things have hit rock bottom. The team went 1-5 in the last sim, meaning we have to be able to find a moment worthy of highlighting.
Just like with Portland and its dismal beginnings, things have gone horribly wrong for Lumberjacks outfielder Jim Ashford. Long gone are the 7.0 WAR glory days of Las Vegas championship years. Instead, the 36 year old former all-star has become one of the worst players in the league. But for a very brief moment he brought some glory to himself and the team.
In Thursday's home game versus San Fernando, Ashford strode to the plate with a chance to give his team an early lead. Ohayashi led the bottom of the first off with a bunt single before being erased on a caught stealing. Frampton followed with a full-count single before Rosales struck out looking. After Conley singled, the Lumberjacks had a pair on a a couple of outs for the struggling Ashford. After taking a pair of pitches outside the zone, Ashford connected with our Kate's Kookies Moment of the Sim.
Ashford sent a wall scraper to left centerfield that was estimated at traveling a mere 396 feet. But that was enough to leave the ballpark for a 3-run homerun. Unfortunately for Portland those 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning would be all they'd score. Fortunately for Portland they only needed 3 as the team won 3-1. It would be the Lumberjacks lone win of the sim.
Ashford followed that homerun with a dinger the following night pushing his season total to 3 on the season. But even those two long balls can't erase the poor start for Jim who currently sports a -0.8 WAR on the young season with a .189 batting average and .520 OPS. Portland is currently looking into whether it's time to let the veteran go and find someone else to play outfield for the Lumberjacks.
