Coffee and Tacos, Part 2: The Cup Begins

This is the second installment in our three-part series recapping the LA Unlimited Tacos’ exploits in the Coffee Cup, you can read Part 1 here.

Author: Pastime “Frijoles” Jones

Atlético Latte vs. Cold Brew Crew

Atlético was favored to win this matchup after winning their first game 9 to 4. Games made a good showing, getting Tired, un-Tired, and hitting a home run in quick succession, and later hitting a double and scoring the final run of the game.

Games followed a great first game up with another home run in game 2, but this time Cold Brew Crew won with 5 runs to Atlético’s 3.5.

Atlético then won game 3, with 6.5 to 3. Cold Brew came back to take game 4. Atlético got one home run in at the very start but couldn’t manage to score otherwise. Games had a couple of off days.

Finally, Games was back in form for game 5, with her second home run of the Cup, scoring for herself and for Igneus Delacruz. Atlético cinched their place in Round 2 with a half-run scored at the very end of the game for a final score of 6.5 to 6.

Royal PoS vs. Milk Proxy Society

Meanwhile, two pairs of Tacos were facing off: Rat Mason and Basilio Fig for Royal PoS, vs. Sexton Wheerer and Vito Kravitz for Milk Proxy Society. 

In game 1, Rat tried their best but couldn’t quite make anything happen.Fig hit their signature triple, but didn’t get a chance to score. On the other team, Wheerer hit his first single in the third inning. Kravitz also got a single but also couldn’t manage to score. While none of the Tacos players did much in Game 1, Milk Proxy won with a respectable 5 to 1.

In game 2, former Taco Wyatt Pothos pitched a shutout for Milk Proxy. Wheerer hit a double but didn’t score any of Milk Proxy’s 5 runs, nor did Kravitz.

Milk Proxy Society secured their victory in game 3 with a definitive 10 runs, one of which was Kravitz’s, thanks to a dinger from Goodwin Morin. Royal PoS managed to score 4.5, but the Rat and the Fig had underwhelming performances. 

Real Game Band vs. Macchiato City

Macchiato City went up against Real Game Band, whose players were Percolated by a mysterious Saucer with a Tractor Bean. One by one they vanished, shortening their roster until by the end of the final game, they only had four batters and one pitcher.

Despite this being these players’ first outing and the Saucer menacing them from above, Game Band took the first game 4 to 0. Peanut Bong did his best, we assume. Let’s be honest: the Macchiato City fans weren’t there to see him.

Perhaps despite Peanut Bong’s presence in the lineup, Macchiato got it together for game 2, scoring 4 runs, but Game Band still managed to win with 5.5. Were we looking at an upset, with an untested and increasingly Percolated team moving onto Round 2?

No. Perhaps it was Peanut Bong’s constant optimism: Macchiato turned it around in game 3, winning 8 to 2.5, and the one-star batter managed to hit his first single and make it around the bases while Wired, scoring 1.5 of those 8 runs.

And he kept it up in game 4, scoring twice after two more singles, and then drawing a walk, stealing second base, and scoring once more—turns out he and Margarito Nava were a good pair. Macchiato won this game 13 to 6.

Peanut Bong managed one more single in the final inning of game 5, which Macchiato won 5 to 3.5, finally securing their place in Round 2. 

Americano Water Works vs. Inter Xpresso

Two of the Tacos’ best hitters, Halexandrey Walton and Mcdowell Mason, were pitted against each other in this first round matchup.

In game 1, they each got in a couple of good hits for their respective teams, as you’d expect from these seasoned sluggers. Xpresso won the first game 4.5 to 2.5.

Game 2 went to the Americano Water Works 5.5 to 2.5. Mason proved that he’s a great teammate with a sacrifice fly after Patel Beyonce’s triple, while Walton had no luck at the plate.

Game 3 was all about the pitchers: Sam Scandal of the Dallas Steaks pitched a shutout for the Water Works, while the Sunbeams’ Sutton Bishop, pitching for Inter Xpresso, only gave up one run, a dinger from Beyonce. 

Xpresso came back to win game 4, 8 to 4.5. Walton drew a walk twice and stole second once, she couldn’t quite make it back home. Mason hit a nice double but couldn’t score.

Xpresso won the round in the final game, scoring 10.5 to to the Water Works’ 5. This time Mason did manage to score, while Walton’s unlucky streak continued, although she got the opportunity to try to break that streak in Round 2.

Round 2

Rat Mason, Basilio Fig, and Mcdowell Mason didn’t make it to Round 2, but the rest of the Tacos played on. Only Halexandrey Walton ended up making it through, but let’s take a look at how Round 2 went down.

Atlético Latte vs. Society Data Witches

The Society Data Witches beat Cream & Sugar United in their first three games, quickly becoming fan favorites. In Round 2, they were up against Atlético, and the matchup was drawn out to all five games.

Atlético didn’t have the best start, although Games did come through with a double in the 6th inning, giving them the lead. That ended up being the team’s last run of the game, though, while the Data Witches racked up three more with one huge dinger from Turing Capybara.

After that loss, Atlético got their feet under them and scored 11 to the Data Witches’ 5 in game 2, cashing in on Free Refills and hitting 3 home runs. None of those home runs were Games’s, but she did score after a nice triple.

In game 3, Games scored on another triple, but the Data Witches’ Zero Index wasn’t letting Atlético run away with another game, and the Data Witches won 4 to 2.

Game 4 went back to Atlético, 10 to 3.5. They had a massive 3rd inning, cycling through their whole lineup and scoring all 10 of their runs for the game. Igneus Delacruz, Peanutiel Duffy, and Games all hit 2-run home runs, and we saw some great plays from others as well, some of whom took advantage of their Free Refills and Wired statuses to great effect.

In Game 5, the Data Witches got a huge 4.5 run lead in the 1st inning with a grand slam from Batista Oatmilk, and then in the 5th, Oatmilk did it again with a 2-run dinger, followed by a great double and third base steal from Major Arcana, bringing their lead up to 8-0. Atlético Latte finally got on the board at the bottom of the 5th, and built up to 7, including a run from Games. They were in position to snatch the game and the round from the Data witches, with two out and bases loaded at the bottom of the 9th, but they couldn’t make it happen and the Data Witches won 8 to 7, moving onto Round 3 and eliminating Atlético Latte and Valentine Games from the Cup.

FWXBC vs. Milk Proxy Society

Sexton Wheerer, Vito Kravitz and the rest of Milk Proxy Society faced FWXBC in Round 2. They were up against a challenging opponent, highly ranked by Blaseball Prospectus as a contender for the cup, and Milk Proxy couldn’t quite manage to bring them down.

In game 1, FWXBC quickly gained a 7-run lead. Kravitz hit a 2-run dinger, but Milk Proxy couldn’t close the lead and FWXBC won 8.5 to 4.5.

Game 2 also went to FWXBC, 4 to 2, but Wheerer finally had his moment with a home run and a Free Refill in the 8th inning.

Milk Proxy won game 3 on the strength of Qais Dogwalker’s pitching, shutting out FWXBC, andWheerer hit a single allowing Goodwin Morin to score after his own single and a sneaky theft of second base.

But FWXBC came back in game 4 with three home runs in the first three innings, overcoming Pothos’s pitching and ultimately winning 5 to 3 and moving on to Round 3.

Club de Calf vs. Macchiato City

In this Round 2 matchup, Peanut Bong and his team faced Club de Calf, who had beaten Light & Sweet Electric Co. in game 5 of the first round after losing the first two games by a wide margin.

In game 1, Bong hit a single and was on base for Fish Summer’s grand slam in the 1st inning, and then made it around the bases again in the 7th. Macchiato won the game 15 to 5 as they just kept getting hit after hit. 

Club de Calf took games 2 and 3, but they were close: 5 to 4 and 1 to 0.5. Bong was finding his footing at the plate, with another single and even a double.

Game 4 saw more runs than both the previous games combined, but none of them were Bong’s. He got Beaned a few times, but couldn’t get on base.

Finally in game 5, Club de Calf established a 7-run lead early on and then just kept going, beating Macchiato City 16 to 6 and securing their place in Round 3. Peanut Bong joined his fellow eliminated Tacos on the sidelines.

Heavy FC vs. Inter Xpresso

Inter Xpresso went up against [FOGHORN SOUND] in Round 2 after beating the favored Americano Water Works in Round 1, and Blaseball Prospectus favored them to win Round 2.

In game 1, Walton hit a triple but didn’t have the chance to bring it home. Her team still won 2 to 1, getting in one last run in the 9th inning and holding onto that small lead to the end.

Xpresso took the lead early in game 2, but the Garages’ Oliver Notarobot hit back-to-back home runs in the 5th and 6th innings, giving Heavy FC the lead, and they held onto it, winning 6 to 3.

Walton hit her first home run of the Coffee Cup in game 3, scoring for herself and Knight Triumphant, and regaining the lead for her team. In an eventful 8th inning, she hit a sacrifice fly after Commissioner Vapor’s triple, in between three more home runs from her teammates. Xpresso won 11 to 4.

In game 4, [FOGHORN NOISE] for an early lead, but huge hits from Baby Doyle and Knight Triumphant put Xpresso on the board in the 6th inning. Then Knight Triumphant scored off Commissioner Vapor’s single while both of them were Wired, putting them up by 2, and they held onto that lead, winning the game 7 to 5 and progressing to Round 3.

Round 3

Round 3 of the Coffee Cup was about the pitching as Coffee 3s weather appeared, bringing with it Unruns. Halexandrey Walton and her Xpresso teammates were up against Club de Calf, who took down some more favored teams to get here. Meanwhile, FWXBC was playing the Society Data Witches, fan favorite underdogs and the only new team to make it past Round 1.

Club de Calf vs. Inter Xpresso

In game 1, the score was -0.3 to 0 after the 1st inning, as Tokyo Lift’s Cudi Di Batterino, pitching for Club de Calf, struck out Baby Doyle and scored 0.3 Unruns. Despite the start from behind, Xpresso seized the lead quickly, and didn’t stop once they got going. Walton hit a 2-run home run, the fourth for Xpresso in the game, and they won 6.4 to 2.

Game 2 was less eventful, with strong pitching from Theodore Cervantes only giving up one run to de Calf, while Xpresso managed two for the win.

And then Inter Xpresso secured themselves a place in the final on day 13 of the Coffee Cup, as they gave it their all, scoring 11 runs to Club de Calf’s 1, with another four home runs, one from Walton, and a couple of sacrifice plays, again with one of them by Walton.

Stay tuned for the final portion of our recap of the Tacos in the Coffee Cup, where we’ll crown a champion and look at how all of our favorite players did in the event.