Monday April 14th, 2025

The second week of PCI action delivered the goods—tight games, sharp pitching, and a few eyebrow-raising performances.

In Doña Ana, the Chihuahuas outpaced the Michiana Cavemen 7–4, powered by William Contreras, who launched 3 home runs to lead the little dogs to victory.

Down in Sinton, the Mullets edged out the New Mexico Roadrunners 6–5 in a hard-fought battle. The win was anchored by pitching gems from Tarik Skubal and Kodai Senga, who combined for 18 scoreless innings.

In a matchup that added up to a win for the home team, the Indy Integrals divided and conquered the Denver Donuts 5–4. Indy’s rotation was perfectly calculated, delivering a combined ERA of just 0.48 over 38 innings—clear proof their formula is working. Garrett Crochet nearly made history, taking a no-hitter into the 8th inning before finally surrendering a hit. It was a game of tight margins, but in the end, the Integrals proved greater than the sum of their parts.

Also, this reporter is dangerously close to using up all his bad math puns by Week 3, which—if I’m being honest—was not factored into the original projection model.

Over in the Pacific, the Austin Armadillos shut out the Oahu Rocketeers 9–0, led by a breakout week from Isaac Paredes, who smacked 3 home runs and drove in 6.

In a low-scoring nail-biter, the Boerne Mutts slipped past the Rockport Redfish 5–3 behind another strong performance from Framber Valdez, who is quickly establishing himself as the ace of the Mutts’ staff.

Down in Gallagher Gulch, the Coastal Bend Oilers took down the Fat Boys 8–3, leaning heavily on a bullpen that was damn near perfect. Oilers relievers combined for 9 shutout innings, allowed just 7 baserunners, and posted a collective 0.00 ERA. Andrés Muñoz and Robert Suarez each racked up 3 saves, while Felix Bautista added another, bringing the weekly bullpen total to 7 saves—a clinic in late-inning dominance.

Week 3 Matchups

Standings Update
In the East, the Coastal Bend Oilers sit atop the division, with the Austin Armadillos close behind.
Out West, the Doña Ana Chihuahuas lead the pack, while the Roadrunners are two games back.
(Full Standing at Bottom of Page).

This Week in Baseball History (April 7–13)

On April 13, 1954, a 20-year-old named Henry Aaron made his MLB debut for the Milwaukee Braves. He went hitless that day—0-for-5 in a loss to Cincinnati—but it was the quiet start to one of the most legendary careers in baseball history. Twenty years—and a whole lot of home runs—later, on April 8th, 1974, he passed Babe Ruth with No. 715, launching it into the Atlanta night while Braves radio broadcaster Milo Hamilton called it from the booth:

“Henry Aaron, in the second inning walked and scored… He’s sittin’ on 714… Here’s the pitch by Downing… swinging… there’s a drive into left-center field… that ball is gonna beeee… OUTTA HERE! IT’S GONE! IT’S 715! There’s a new home run champion of all time… and it’s HENRY AARON!”

Aaron broke baseball’s most iconic record with grace and dignity, all while receiving a steady stream of hate mail from people threatened by the idea of progress. He never once swung back. One of the all-time greats, in every sense of the word.

On the mound that night was Al Downing, a former All-Star who followed in Milo Hamilton’s footsteps and built a solid broadcasting career after his playing days. He called games on TV and radio for the Dodgers and, fittingly, in 2000, for Aaron’s Braves.

As for Milo Hamilton—he became one of the most legendary voices in baseball history. A National Radio Hall of Fame inductee, Hamilton called games for the Braves, Pirates, and Cubs, and across 59 seasons and in 59 different ballparks. He eventually settled in as the longtime voice of the Houston Astros, and in his later years developed a charming (if slightly dangerous) habit of throwing candy out of the press box at Minute Maid Park—a fact I didn’t know until a 2011 home game, when he hit me in the back of the head with a Werther’s Original.

Video: Milo Hamilton calls Hank Aaron’s historic 715th homer