May 19, 2064 — Jimmies Goin' Streaking
By Calvin “Cal” Booker | The Baltimore Sun
The first month was a lot of win one, lose one. Lately, it’s been streaks. Four straight wins, two losses, two wins, then a skid of four. The Jimmies ended this week on the upswing with back-to-back victories and now look to claw further up the Atlantic standings. The arms have been excellent, carrying the load, but a few of Charm City’s biggest bats are still trying to shake off slow starts.
May 12 – Blazers Blank Jimmies
Montreal 3 – Charm City 0
Luis Gonzalez silenced Charm City over 5.2 innings, scattering two hits and striking out five. Dan Wilkinson’s run-scoring triple off Allen Davidson gave Montreal breathing room in the third, and the Blazers never looked back.
The Jimmies have now been shut out twice in the last five days, a concerning trend for an offense built to slug. Davidson (7-1) suffered his first loss despite six solid innings.
May 13 – Walk-Off Heartbreak in Montreal
Montreal 3 – Charm City 2
Clancy Lee sent Montreal fans home happy with a ninth-inning RBI single, sealing a 3-2 Blazers win and a series victory. Matt Bamber provided the lone homer for Charm City, while Ramon Rodriguez continued to look sharp at leadoff, going 2-for-3 to push his average to .310.
By night’s end, both clubs were deadlocked at 23-16, tied for second in the Atlantic.
May 15 – Cape Fear Steals One in Extras
Cape Fear 4 – Charm City 3 (10 innings)
Octavio Martínez had a game for the ages, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, three singles, and two RBI. Charm City closer Miguel Reyes unraveled in the tenth, allowing two hits and firing a pair of wild pitches, the second letting Sam Butler score the walk-off run.
Elvin Cade tallied his first career three-hit night, raising his average to .261, while Dave Ackerman swiped his 20th bag of the season.
May 16 – Silva Struggles, Skid Grows
Cape Fear 6 – Charm City 3
Rafael Herrera doubled twice and drove in three as Cape Fear pushed Charm City’s losing streak to four. Hector Silva’s tough season continued with 5.1 innings of six-run ball, including two wild pitches.
“I’m not 100 percent right now, and I think anyone can see that,” Silva admitted. “But I’ve got to be better. No excuses. My job is to give this team innings, and I’ll keep gutting it out until I do.”
The offense mustered only two extra-base hits and six total knocks.
May 17 – Perez Ends the Slide
Charm City 5 – Cape Fear 2 (10 innings)
Finally, a bounce back. DH Arturo Perez came through with a go-ahead RBI single in the tenth, helping the Jimmies snap a four-game losing streak. Jorge Nava was steady with six innings of two-run ball, and Miguel Reyes redeemed himself with a clean ninth for his fifth save.
Charm City ran wild on catcher Sam Butler, with Ackerman swiping his 21st base and Kazunari Chikafuji adding two more.
May 18 – Guevara, Reyes Fuel Vegas Rout
Charm City 12 – Las Vegas 6
The Jimmies’ bats erupted early, plating eight runs in the first inning. Back-to-back homers by Chikafuji, Ackerman, plus another just four batters later by Edgardo Reyes set the tone, and Charm City never looked back. Lucio Guevara starred with a 3-for-4 day, including a homer and three RBI. Emilio Reyes added three RBI of his own. Davidson wasn’t sharp (five runs in 6.1 innings), but the offense gave him all the cushion he needed to improve to 8-1. Rannal Seldon closed it out with 2.2 innings of relief.
“The fans pay the tickets and help us do what we do, so we like to put on a show for them,” Guevara told Pinch Hits postgame.
* * * * *
Extension Watch: Davidson and the Jimmies Talking Future?
Whispers around the league suggest Allen Davidson’s representatives and the Charm City front office may already be circling the idea of a contract extension. Davidson is in the final year of a four-year, $32 million deal he signed back in September 2060. If the two sides strike a deal, it would mark GM Joe Lederer’s first major transaction since taking over the Jimmies.
The timing couldn’t be better for Davidson. Fresh off being named Johnson League Pitcher of the Month in April, he currently leads the entire BBA in victories (8-1) and owns a sparkling 2.98 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. His veteran savvy and consistency have anchored a rotation that’s carried Charm City through streaky offensive stretches.
Davidson isn’t the type to light up radar guns—his fastball sits low-to-mid 90s—but his heavy sinker and pinpoint command have made him a groundball machine. When he’s on, infielders stay busy and opponents leave frustrated. He may not be flashy, but his durability (over 200 innings in 2063) and track record (nearly 1,200 career strikeouts) speak volumes.
The question is whether Charm City views Davidson as worth one last big payday. At 34, he may be seeking a deal to finish his career, and for a franchise with October aspirations, keeping a stabilizing lefty atop the rotation could be worth the gamble.
* * * * *
Final Word
The Jimmies finished the week with renewed energy, ending their skid and rediscovering their offense in Las Vegas. The first-year player draft has wrapped, and signees will soon officially join the Charm City system. You can bet that Pinch Hits will have full coverage in the weeks ahead. An early-season review of the farm clubs is also on deck.
Up next: three more against Frontier Division–leading Las Vegas, a four-game set in Calgary, and then, finally, a long-awaited 12-game home stand. The arms are holding strong. If the bats join them, Charm City could flip from streaky to steady in a hurry.
