Week 21 may have decided the championship. The entire season had been building toward Hares versus Goofballs, 1st against 2nd, with Kevin having the opportunity to drag himself level at the top and seize the tiebreaker advantage. Instead, after a matchup that remained genuinely unresolved deep into Sunday, Jeff somehow emerged with a 5-4-1 victory. The margin between winning and losing the league may ultimately have been a handful of strikeouts squeezed out of relievers, 6 suddenly competent innings from Zack Wheeler, and one last stolen base from the Goofballs that wasn’t quite enough.

JK Hares 5-4-1 (15-4-2) over KG Capital City Goofballs 4-5-1 (13-6-2)

For 7 days, the 2 best teams in the league traded categories back and forth, and by Sunday there was still no obvious winner. Jeff’s offense had done enormous damage, hammering Kevin 41-33 in runs, 12-5 in home runs and 36-23 in RBI while posting a ridiculous .886 OPS. Sal Stewart detonated for 4 HR, Jackson Chourio added 3, and the Hares appeared to have built themselves enough of a cushion on offense to survive whatever happened on the mound.

This turned out not to be the case… Kevin’s pitching was vastly better. The Goofballs finished with a 2.77 ERA and 1.15 WHIP against an absolutely hideous 5.22 and 1.38 from the Hares. Michael Wacha threw 12 innings with 9 K and a 0.83 WHIP, Michael King allowed nothing in 7 innings, and suddenly the matchup had transformed from an offensive Hares victory into a Sunday knife fight over the remaining counting categories.

Jeff threw everything he had at strikeouts. Both Hares relievers were pushed for aggressive appearances Sunday and somehow produced 4 critical K. Zack Wheeler, who had been obliterated earlier in the week, came back from the dead and delivered 6 strong innings. A category that looked like it could slip away instead finished 55-52 Hares. Three strikeouts. In a matchup with the championship potentially hanging in the balance, that was the difference.

Meanwhile, Kevin was fighting back elsewhere. Esteury Ruiz, used as a spot start by Jeff, stole a base early Sunday to pull the Hares level in SB. Kevin answered with a late steal of his own to rip the category straight back, 5-4. The Goofballs also found a clutch Sunday save to keep pace in saves, which ultimately finished tied 2-2. Every time one team appeared to have found the decisive category, the other punched back.

And then came Chris Bassitt. Kevin needed strikeouts. Bassitt was one of his final opportunities to get them. Instead he got shelled for 5 ER in 5.2 innings and managed only 4 K. The Goofballs never closed the gap. The Hares held strikeouts by 3, saves remained deadlocked, and when everything finally stopped moving Sunday night, the scoreboard read 5-4-1.

That is how close this was. Jeff won R, HR, RBI, OPS and K. Kevin won SB, IP, ERA and WHIP. Saves were tied. Flip 3 strikeouts and the entire championship picture looks different. Instead, the Hares survived.

After months of baseball, it may have taken 4 strikeouts from desperate relievers and Zack Wheeler redeeming himself to decide the Dirt Mountain title. The Hares now have a 2-game lead, the tiebreaker, and only 3 weeks standing between the Hares and the championship.

RK Possums 6-4-0 (10-9-2) over CM Dirt Mountain Anchors 4-6-0 (3-16-3)

Rick didn’t exactly bludgeon Charlie into submission here. The Possums hit only 4 HR, drove in 22 and posted a gruesome .636 OPS, but they found the categories they needed and turned them into a 6-4 win.

The biggest weapon was speed. The Possums stole 10 bases, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. personally accounting for an absurd 6 of them, while Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. added 2 apiece. Rick also took runs 31-16, giving him enough offense to survive losing HR, RBI and OPS.

The pitching staff did the rest. Jesús Luzardo was magnificent, allowing 1 hit over 7 scoreless innings with 9 K, Parker Messick contributed 12 innings with a 1.50 ERA, and Rick’s bullpen produced 4 saves. Bryan Baker and Mason Montgomery supplied 2 each, while the Anchors finished the entire week with 0.

Charlie actually received a perfectly respectable 3.43 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, and Kevin Gausman struck out 13 across 12 innings, but the Anchors couldn’t manufacture enough counting stats around it. Rick took IP 47.1-44.2, K 49-40, saves 4-0 and WHIP 1.14-1.21, enough to secure the 6-4 victory and move the Possums above .500 at 10-9-2.

KK Wolf Spiders 5-4-1 (10-7-4) over HP PhoeGnomes 4-5-1 (3-15-3)

Kyle won this matchup in perhaps the most Wolf Spiders way imaginable: absolutely annihilate Heather offensively, get absolutely annihilated on the mound, shake hands at 5-4-1 and go home.

The offensive side wasn’t remotely competitive. The Wolf Spiders swept all 5 hitting categories, winning runs 38-23, HR 10-3, RBI 40-10, SB 6-1 and OPS .787-.567. Daylen Lile drove in 9, Ezequiel Duran had 8 RBI, and Luis García Jr. went 8-for-18 with 6 runs and a 1.307 OPS.

Then Kyle’s pitchers attempted to give all of it back. The Wolf Spiders finished with a catastrophic 7.30 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. Jacob deGrom was battered for 8 ER in 3.2 innings, Gavin Williams allowed 5 ER while recording only 4 outs, MacKenzie Gore surrendered 4 ER in 3.2, and Yoendrys Gómez somehow allowed 4 ER in two-thirds of an inning. Heather’s staff, by comparison, was spectacular: 69.1 IP, 65 K, a 2.08 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP.

That created the ridiculous final distribution: Kyle won every offensive category, Heather won IP, K, ERA and WHIP, and saves finished tied 1-1.

CP Kraken 6-4-0 (11-9-1) over LK Armadillos 4-6-0 (8-8-5)

Chris quietly put together one of the strongest all-around performances of Week 21, beating Larry 6-4 behind a combination of huge offensive counting numbers and excellent pitching.

The Kraken erupted for 43 runs and 12 HR while stealing 9 bases. Coby Mayo drove in 8 with 2 HR, Junior Caminero went 9-for-22 with 2 HR, and Otto Lopez swiped 4 bags. Larry actually won OPS .851-.786 and wasn’t far behind with 10 HR, but Chris took runs, HR, RBI and SB.

The Kraken were even better on the mound. Logan Henderson allowed just 1 hit across 7 innings, Hunter Brown struck out 10 in 6.2 innings, Blake Snell added another 10 K, and Raisel Iglesias and Louis Varland combined for all 4 saves. Chris finished with a superb 2.02 ERA, giving him ERA and saves while Larry countered by taking IP, K and WHIP.

That produced the 6-4 final and moved the Kraken to 11-9-1, keeping Chris firmly in the upper half of the standings as the season enters its final 3 weeks. But everything else this week was background noise compared with what happened at the top. The Goofballs had their shot. Kevin pushed Jeff all the way to Sunday, stole back a category late, matched him in saves and came within 3 strikeouts of changing the complexion of the entire race.

Next Week

With only three weeks left to play, the Hares will clinch the title with a win in any of the final three weeks. They also clinch with any Goofballs’ loss. They will clinch with any Goofballs’ tie as long as they also tie. The race is probably over, but that won’t stop Kevin from fighting to the bitter end. The Hares have looked shaky in the last few weeks, so expect Kevin to do everything he can to extend the battle. Elsewhere, The Armadillos meet the Wolf Spiders and the Possums face off against the Kraken. The race for silver and bronze position are still in play, and there are important battles for better slots in the draft lottery.

Week #20 somehow managed to make the top of the league even tighter and set up the biggest matchup of the season. The Hares survived one of the most absurd finishes imaginable, beating the Possums by literally 0.1 IP to maintain sole possession of first place. The Goofballs kept the pressure on with another convincing win, the Wolf Spiders demolished the Kraken to climb into 3rd, and the Armadillos continued their late-season recovery against the Anchors. With 4 weeks remaining, the Hares lead the Goofballs by exactly 1 game, and now the top 2 teams finally meet head-to-head. Given what happened Sunday, Jeff should probably buy a lottery ticket before setting his lineup.

JK Hares 5–3–2 (14–4–2, 1st) over RK Possums 3–5–2 (9–9–2, 6th)

There is winning a fantasy matchup, there is stealing a fantasy matchup, and then there is whatever the the Hares just did to Rick. The Possums entered Sunday with a legitimate chance to knock Jeff out of first place and produced a heroic final-day effort, piling up 9 RBI and a save as Rick desperately tried to drag his team across the finish line. Instead, the entire matchup came down to innings pitched, and the Hares won the category 46.2 to 46.1. One out. That was the difference between Jeff remaining alone atop the league and potentially surrendering first place.

The sequence that produced that 0.1 IP margin was even more ridiculous. Shota Imanaga had one of the strangest starts of the week for the Possums, lasting just 4.2 innings while allowing 6 hits and 4 earned runs. Rick could desperately have used one more out from him. Meanwhile, Ryan Weathers lasted only 3.1 innings for the Hares before an injury cut his start short, seemingly putting Jeff in serious trouble in the IP race. Then Foster Griffin, of all people, came to the rescue. Griffin delivered 11 innings across the week with 10 strikeouts and a 2.45 ERA, giving the Hares just enough volume to scrape past the Possums by that microscopic margin.

The rest of the matchup was almost secondary to the insanity of the finish. The Hares won runs 39–36 and OPS .813–.755, while Rick took HR 10–7 and RBI 31–26. Pitching was similarly tight, with the Hares taking ERA 3.66–4.66 and WHIP 1.31–1.36 while the Possums dominated strikeouts 63–51. Sal Stewart drove in 7 for Jeff, Yandy Díaz scored 7 runs, and the Hares somehow survived despite a brutal 16.20 ERA from George Kirby. Fernando Tatis Jr. nearly stole the matchup himself for Rick, going 12-for-25 with 4 HR and 11 RBI.

It is difficult to overstate how lucky this was. An injury-shortened Weathers start, a bizarrely short Imanaga outing on the other side, an 11-inning rescue job from Foster Griffin, and a final margin of a single out. Change virtually anything and the Hares are no longer sitting alone in first place.

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KG Capital City Goofballs 7–2–1 (13–5–2, 2nd) over HP PhoeGnomes 2–7–1 (3–14–3, 8th)

While Jeff was surviving a heart attack against the Possums, Kevin took care of business against the PhoeGnomes and moved to within exactly 1 game of first place. The Goofballs crushed the offensive side of the matchup, scoring 46 runs with 10 HR, 36 RBI and an .822 OPS. Heather managed to steal strikeouts 48–43 and push saves, but there was never much doubt about who had the stronger week.

Jordan Walker led the Goofballs with a monster 12-for-34 performance, producing 9 runs, 3 HR and 8 RBI, while Max Muncy added 2 HR and 7 RBI and Kyle Schwarber supplied another 2 HR and 6 RBI. Kevin also received strong pitching from Michael Wacha, who worked 12 innings with 9 strikeouts, while Clay Holmes, Jacob Latz, Brayan Bello and Trevor Megill all helped keep the ratios under control. Logan Webb tried his best to sabotage the operation with a 16.88 ERA and 3.38 WHIP, but the rest of the roster absorbed the damage.

The PhoeGnomes actually had some excellent individual performances. Zach Neto went 14-for-28 with 2 HR and 9 RBI, Randy Arozarena hit 3 HR, and Nolan McLean was outstanding over 12 innings with a 0.75 ERA. But Heather simply could not match Kevin’s offensive depth, finishing with 33 runs, 8 HR, 28 RBI and a .691 OPS.

That leaves the Goofballs at 13–5–2, exactly 1 game behind the Hares, and the timing could not possibly be better.

KK Wolf Spiders 8–2–0 (9–7–4, 3rd) over CP Kraken 2–8–0 (10–9–1, 4th)

Kyle picked a hell of a week to make a statement. The Wolf Spiders absolutely dismantled the Kraken 8–2, vaulting into 3rd place and suddenly putting themselves firmly into the late-season picture. Chris won runs 32–27 and stolen bases 9–7, and that was it. Everything else belonged to Kyle.

The Wolf Spiders’ offense was particularly ruthless in the categories that mattered, hammering 9 HR and 41 RBI while posting an .818 OPS. Oneil Cruz drove in 7, Gabriel Moreno somehow produced 8 RBI, and Willson Contreras added 2 HR and 6 RBI. Even with Ronald Acuña Jr. having an ugly 3-for-28 week, Kyle had more than enough offense scattered throughout the roster.

The pitching was even better. Jacob deGrom threw 6 innings of 1-hit shutout baseball with 10 strikeouts, MacKenzie Gore added 6 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts, and Yoendrys Gómez contributed 3 scoreless innings and 3 saves. The final line was excellent: 51 IP, 58 strikeouts, 5 saves, a 3.18 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

Chris, meanwhile, had a nightmare buried inside an otherwise respectable pitching week. Peter Lambert was obliterated for 9 earned runs in 3.2 innings, and Casey Mize wasn’t much better with 4 earned in 2.2. The Kraken still managed a 3.86 ERA and 1.35 WHIP overall, but against what Kyle produced, respectable wasn’t remotely enough.

The Wolf Spiders are now 9–7–4 and sitting in 3rd. After spending much of the year lurking behind the leaders, Kyle has suddenly put himself in position to matter very much down the stretch.

LK Armadillos 5–2–3 (8–7–5, 5th) over CM Dirt Mountain Anchors 2–5–3 (3–14–3, 7th)

Larry continued quietly rebuilding his season with a 5–2–3 win over Charlie, and the formula was overwhelmingly pitching. The Armadillos threw a massive 57.1 innings to the Anchors’ 33.2, struck out 63 to Charlie’s 35, won saves 4–2 and took both ratios with a 3.30 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Charlie managed to win runs and OPS, while HR, RBI and SB all finished tied.

Cade Cavalli was the star of Larry’s staff, throwing 6 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts, while Gerrit Cole allowed only 1 earned run over 6 innings and Tarik Skubal added 11 strikeouts. Riley O’Brien did his best to create some excitement by posting an 18.00 ERA and 3.00 WHIP, but the volume and quality elsewhere were simply too much for the Anchors.

Offensively, Pete Crow-Armstrong supplied nearly the entire Armadillos highlight reel by himself, scoring 6 runs with 5 HR, 8 RBI and 2 steals while posting a 1.566 OPS. The rest of Larry’s lineup combined for only 4 HR. Charlie countered with Shohei Ohtani’s 3 HR and Bryce Harper’s 6 runs, but neither offense was particularly overwhelming.

The win pushes the Armadillos to 8–7–5 and keeps Larry alive in the increasingly crowded group behind the top 2. The Anchors, meanwhile, fall to 3–14–3 after another week in which a short pitching staff left Charlie almost no margin for error.

Next Week

The entire league now turns toward one matchup. The Hares have spent the season clinging to first place, and after escaping the Possums by the smallest possible margin, their reward is a direct confrontation with the team chasing them. Jeff leads Kevin by 1 game. A Hares victory creates a 2-game cushion with 3 to play. A Goofballs victory creates a tie for first with Kevin holding the tiebreaker, and Kevin’s more difficult closing schedule makes getting that advantage now absolutely critical.

With the finish line suddenly getting uncomfortably close, Week 19 delivered exactly the sort of chaos the top of the standings did not need. The Hares finally stumbled, the Goofballs took advantage, and the Kraken continued hanging around with the persistence of something that absolutely refuses to be flushed. Jeff still owns 1st place at 13-4-2, but Kevin is now only 1 game back at 12-5-2 and Chris sits 3rd at 10-8-1. With just 5 matchups left, the title race is officially back open.

LK Armadillos (7-7-5) def. JK Hares (13-4-2), 7-3

For most of the week this looked like another Hares victory in the making, but the Armadillos mounted a late rally and turned the matchup on its head, handing Jeff a costly 7-3 loss just as the championship race was beginning to look comfortable. The funny part is that the Hares actually had the louder offensive week, piling up 44 runs and 42 RBI against 34 and 23 for the Armadillos, with Alec Burleson going berserk for 2 homers, 12 RBI and a 1.298 OPS. Yandy Díaz added 2 homers and 6 runs, and the Hares finished with a solid .801 OPS, yet somehow all of that translated into only 3 categories.

Larry found his openings elsewhere and exploited them. The Armadillos took homers 9-7, steals 7-5 and OPS by the narrowest of margins, .806 to .801, while also grabbing strikeouts 51-47 and saves 3-2. Gunnar Henderson was the offensive engine with 8 runs, 2 homers and a 1.209 OPS, while Wilyer Abreu added 5 runs, 2 homers and a 1.250 OPS. On the mound, Cade Cavalli’s 8 innings of 1-hit, scoreless baseball were enormous, and Gerrit Cole and Cristopher Sánchez helped keep the ratios just respectable enough for the late charge to stick.

Jeff still won ERA at 3.38 and had strong weeks from Ryan Weathers and Jacob Misiorowski, but the Armadillos’ late surge turned what could have been another step toward the trophy into a genuine setback. The Hares remain in 1st, but the cushion that was 2 games a week ago has been chopped to 1. For the first time in a while, Jeff can hear footsteps.

KG Capital City Goofballs (12-5-2) def. KK Wolf Spiders (8-7-4), 6-3-1

Kevin could not have picked a better week to make his move. With the Hares losing, the Goofballs took care of the Wolf Spiders 6-3-1 and climbed to within a single game of 1st place, turning what had looked like Jeff’s title to lose into a proper race. The Goofballs controlled the offensive side with 38 runs, 10 homers, 35 RBI and a .808 OPS, while Kyle managed only 29 runs, 4 homers, 18 RBI and a .669 OPS. Corbin Carroll was outstanding with 9 hits, 5 runs, 2 homers and a 1.519 OPS, Kyle Schwarber added 2 homers and 4 RBI, and Jordan Walker chipped in 4 runs and 5 RBI.

The pitching was much less attractive, but Kevin did not need attractive. He needed enough. Clay Holmes was excellent, Logan Webb gave him 6 innings of 1-run baseball, and the bullpen helped produce a 1.08 WHIP that comfortably beat Kyle’s 1.58. The Wolf Spiders did salvage innings, strikeouts and ERA, thanks largely to Payton Tolle’s 8 scoreless innings and MacKenzie Gore’s 14 strikeouts, but there simply was not enough offense behind them to make the matchup competitive.

Kyle remains firmly in the middle of the standings at 8-7-4, but the bigger story is Kevin. The Goofballs are now 12-5-2 and only 1 game behind the Hares with 5 to play. That sound coming from behind Jeff is getting considerably louder.

CP Kraken (10-8-1) def. CM Dirt Mountain Anchors (3-13-3), 8-2

Chris absolutely buried Charlie 8-2, although this was less an offensive explosion than a methodical dismantling of an Anchors team that continues finding inventive ways to lose categories. The Kraken hit just .574 in OPS with 30 runs, 6 homers and 21 RBI, numbers that would normally inspire an apology to the league, but Charlie answered with only 25 runs, 3 homers and 19 RBI. Junior Caminero did most of the heavy lifting for Chris with 6 runs, 2 homers and 8 RBI, while Matt Olson added 2 homers and 5 RBI.

The real difference came from volume on the mound. Chris rolled out 53 innings and collected 49 strikeouts and 4 saves, while the Anchors managed only 30.2 innings, 34 strikeouts and 2 saves. Charlie actually won ERA behind strong work from Sonny Gray and Logan Gilbert, and his .708 OPS was comfortably better than the Kraken’s miserable .574, but there were simply too many categories in which Chris accumulated more of everything. Louis Varland’s 4 saves alone doubled the Anchors’ team total.

At 10-8-1, the Kraken remain 3rd and are not quite in the same position as the top 2, but Chris has kept himself close enough that another week of chaos could make things interesting. Charlie, meanwhile, falls to 3-13-3 and continues his season-long experiment to determine how few innings a fantasy baseball team can throw before somebody calls the authorities.

RK Possums (9-8-2) tied HP PhoeGnomes (3-13-3), 5-5

Rick and Heather fought to a 5-5 draw in one of those matchups where the two teams seemed determined to be good at completely different things. The Possums took runs 28-22 and homers 7-5, while Heather answered with RBI 24-15 and steals 6-2. Neither offense was particularly frightening, with the PhoeGnomes posting a .683 OPS and the Possums limping home at .592, but Heather did enough there to claim another category.

Pitching was where both teams actually looked dangerous. Rick threw 52.2 innings with 58 strikeouts and a 2.22 ERA, getting 13 scoreless innings and 12 strikeouts from Eury Pérez along with 7 shutout innings from Chase Burns. Heather was even stingier, finishing with a ridiculous 1.61 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 44.2 innings. Cam Schlittler, Paul Skenes, Nolan McLean, Dylan Lee, José Soriano, Chris Sale and Yoshinobu Yamamoto combined to make runs extremely difficult to find, even if the PhoeGnomes somehow emerged from all that pitching without a single save.

The split leaves Rick at 9-8-2 and still hanging around in 5th, while Heather moves to 3-13-3. It was not particularly helpful to either side in the standings, but at least nobody had to spend Sunday night staring at a 3-7 and wondering where everything went wrong.

Five weeks remain, and the championship picture has changed dramatically in the space of 7 days. Jeff still has the Hares on top at 13-4-2, but Kevin and the Goofballs are now only 1 game behind at 12-5-2. After spending much of the season trying to create separation, the Hares suddenly have company again, and there is now almost no room left for another bad week.

Next Week

This week features a new test for the Hares. They battle the Possums, who are firmly in the middle of the pack. The Goofballs have their final contest against the PhoeGnomes. Meanwhile the Anchors will face the Armadillos and the Kraken will try to keep the flame of hope burning aginst the Wolf Spiders. The Hares are in the heart of their toughest stretch – they have a monumental battle with the Goofballs looming in Week #21.

Week 17 has been consigned to the dustbin of history, so we move directly to Week 18, where the race for the Dirt Mountain title suddenly became a lot more interesting. The Possums knocked off the second-place Goofballs, the Hares took advantage by beating the Kraken, and Jeff now sits 2.0 games clear at the top with only 6 games left to play for the title. Elsewhere, Heather continued her late-season revival with another win, while Kyle handled the Anchors to keep the Wolf Spiders moving in the right direction. The finish line is finally in sight, and for the first time all season the Hares can see a path to close out one of the most unlikely runs in league history.

Possums (10-8-1) def. Capital City Goofballs (11-6-2), 6-3-1

Rick did Jeff a hell of a favor this week, handing the second-place Goofballs a 6-3-1 loss and giving the Hares some actual breathing room in the title race. The matchup was remarkably close on the offensive side, with both teams scoring exactly 37 runs and Kevin actually winning RBI 37-35 and steals 9-2. The difference was power, where the Possums clubbed 14 home runs to the Goofballs’ 9, and just barely took OPS .770 to .765.

Dillon Dingler apparently has no intention of cooling off after his monster Week 16, adding another 3 home runs and 8 RBI, while Fernando Tatis Jr. matched him with 3 homers of his own and scored 8 times. Carson Benge had an excellent week with 2 home runs, 5 RBI and a 1.294 OPS, giving Rick more than enough offense despite getting almost nothing from James Wood before he hit the IL and a combined 0-for-11 from Nick Gonzales, Jung Hoo Lee, Griffin Conine and Esteury Ruiz. It was a strange offensive week, with a handful of guys doing almost all the damage, but the guys who hit made it count.

The Possums really won this one on the mound, where Jesus Luzardo was terrific across 15 innings, striking out 19 while allowing just 2 earned runs. Max Fried gave Rick 6.1 scoreless innings and Parker Messick added another solid start, helping the Possums pile up 65 strikeouts to Kevin’s 38 while also taking innings, ERA and WHIP. Kevin actually got an outstanding 14 innings from Logan Webb and 4 spotless innings from Trevor Megill, but there were too many land mines around them. Clay Holmes, Joe Ryan and Shane Drohan all got knocked around, and the Goofballs couldn’t generate nearly enough strikeouts to make up the difference.

It’s a big win for Rick in his own title chase, but it may end up being remembered just as much for what it did at the top of the standings. Kevin entered the week as Jeff’s closest pursuer and left it 2.0 games back with only 6 left on the schedule. There isn’t much runway remaining.

Hares (14-3-1) def. Kraken (9-9-1), 6-3-1

With the Goofballs stumbling, Jeff had a chance to put some daylight between himself and the rest of the league, and the Hares took care of business with a 6-3-1 win over Chris. It wasn’t one of their usual pitching clinics, either. This time the offense did most of the heavy lifting, pounding out 16 home runs and 33 RBI while posting a .790 OPS.

Alec Burleson and Jackson Chourio were the wrecking crew, with each blasting 4 home runs. Burleson drove in 7 and posted a ridiculous 1.851 OPS, while Chourio added 5 RBI and reached base often enough to finish at 1.169. Josh Naylor and Elly De La Cruz each went deep twice, and even though the Hares actually lost runs 40-38 and steals 5-4, the power barrage gave Chris very little room to maneuver in the other offensive categories.

The Kraken certainly didn’t roll over. Jake McCarthy had a monster week, going 14-for-27 with 2 homers, 5 RBI, 8 runs and 3 steals, while Matt Olson and Junior Caminero each hit 3 home runs. Chris finished with 63 hits and 40 runs, but the lineup couldn’t match the Hares’ power, and the pitching staff picked a bad week to have Casey Mize get absolutely annihilated for 8 earned runs in 3.1 innings. Without that disaster, the Kraken’s pitching numbers would have looked considerably different.

Jeff’s staff wasn’t exactly pristine either, with Foster Griffin and Zack Wheeler taking some punishment, but Dylan Cease was sensational with 7 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts, while Ryan Weathers added 6 more scoreless. That was enough for the Hares to win strikeouts 55-39 and ERA 3.97 to 4.74, while the Kraken salvaged WHIP by a fairly comfortable margin.

More importantly, the Hares are now 14-3-1 and have opened a 2.0-game lead with only 6 games left to play for the title. There is still enough baseball remaining for something stupid to happen, and this league has never lacked for wild things happening, but Jeff is now firmly in control of his own destiny.

PhoeGnomes (4-13-2) def. Armadillos (6-8-5), 6-4

Heather’s season may have gone off the rails months ago, but apparently nobody told the PhoeGnomes they’re supposed to stop trying. They picked up another win this week, taking down Larry 6-4 behind a combination of excellent pitching and a surprisingly potent offense that posted the best OPS of any team in the league at .897.

Kyle Tucker and Mickey Moniak each hit 2 home runs, while Munetaka Murakami added 2 of his own and Bryson Stott went 10-for-22 with 8 walks, 3 steals and a 1.236 OPS. Heather only scored 29 runs and drove in 26, both well behind Larry, but the PhoeGnomes made their hits count and took home runs 10-9 and OPS comfortably.

Larry’s offense was bizarre. The Armadillos scored a league-high 39 runs, drove in 36 and stole a ridiculous 13 bases, but much of that production came from Pete Crow-Armstrong deciding to impersonate an entire fantasy roster. PCA scored 11 times, hit 2 home runs, drove in 7, stole 4 bases and posted a 1.078 OPS. Wilyer Abreu also had a huge week with 5 runs and 7 RBI, while Pete Alonso homered twice and drove in 6. Unfortunately, several other Armadillos did almost nothing, and all those counting stats couldn’t overcome Heather’s advantage in OPS and the pitching categories.

The PhoeGnomes’ rotation did the rest. Cam Schlittler struck out 17 across 10 innings, Drew Rasmussen threw 7 scoreless, Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed no earned runs in 5.2 innings, and Matthew Boyd continued his steady work. Heather finished with 58 strikeouts, a 2.96 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, sweeping those categories from an Armadillos staff that got absolutely detonated by Jared Jones’ 11 earned runs in 7 innings and Clayton Beeter’s memorable 54.00 ERA cameo.

Heather isn’t going to turn this into the season she envisioned back in April, but the PhoeGnomes have now won 2 straight reported matchups and suddenly look like an extremely annoying team to draw down the stretch. At this point, ruining somebody else’s season is a perfectly respectable goal.

Wolf Spiders (9-6-4) def. Dirt Mountain Anchors (3-13-3), 7-1-2

The Anchors actually pitched beautifully this week, which makes losing 7-1-2 feel particularly cruel. Charlie’s staff posted a 2.30 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, both excellent numbers, but Kyle essentially matched him at 2.31 and 0.99 while throwing nearly 19 more innings, striking out 24 more hitters and picking up the only 2 saves of the matchup. When you pitch that well and still only manage ties in ERA and steals, it’s probably safe to assume the fantasy gods have stopped returning your calls.

Troy Melton was the star for the Wolf Spiders, throwing 13 scoreless innings, while Payton Tolle struck out 14 in 6 innings and Jacob deGrom added 9 strikeouts with a 1.80 ERA. MacKenzie Gore also chipped in 6 scoreless innings, giving Kyle enough quality and volume to dominate the counting categories without sacrificing much of anything in the ratios.

The offenses were closer than the final score suggests. Both teams hit 10 home runs and stole 3 bases, while Charlie actually won OPS .842 to .722. Bryce Harper had a classic Bryce Harper week with 2 home runs, 5 RBI, 10 walks and a 1.050 OPS, while Brandon Nimmo, Shohei Ohtani and Jarren Duran each homered twice. Unfortunately for the Anchors, they managed only 24 runs and 31 RBI, which left just enough room for the Wolf Spiders to sneak past them in both categories.

Kyle got his biggest production from Ronald Acuña Jr., who hit 3 home runs, and Ezequiel Duran, who collected 8 hits while driving in 6. Nico Hoerner also quietly had an excellent week with 8 hits, 4 runs and a home run, and that was enough offense to complement a pitching staff that carried most of the load.

The 7-1-2 win pushes the Wolf Spiders to 9-6-4 and keeps Kyle firmly in the mix as the season winds down. For Charlie, meanwhile, the Anchors somehow managed to produce a 2.30 ERA, a .842 OPS and still get hammered. If that doesn’t summarize the season, nothing will.

Next Week

The Hares face a tough test with their final match up against the Armadillos. This is essentially a must-win for Larry, who will never go down without a fight. The Goofballs face the Wolf Spiders, who also play with prdie and want to disrupt the title race. The Kraken will fight for pride against the Anchors, who need a win to try to improve draft lottery status. Finally, the Possums and PhoeGnomes meet, as two teams looking for a late season surge.

The calendar says we’re winding down the regular season, but the standings still have plenty left to sort out. The Hares continue to look every bit like the league’s team to beat, the Goofballs are keeping the pressure on with another ridiculous offensive performance, the Possums may have finally found the gear they’ve been searching for all year, and the PhoeGnomes reminded everyone they’re not quite ready to pack it in. Every category feels a little bigger this time of year, and Week #16 had no shortage of swings in momentum.

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HP PhoeGnomes (3-12-2) def. CM Dirt Mountain Anchors (3-10-3), 6-4

If Heather was going to make one last push toward respectability, this was the kind of week she needed.

The PhoeGnomes weren’t overwhelming offensively, but they did just enough. Randy Arozarena, Ozzie Albies, Mickey Moniak and Kyle Stowers all left the yard, the lineup drew 16 walks, and there weren’t many easy outs from top to bottom. They never completely broke the matchup open, but they kept applying enough pressure to stay in front.

The difference came on the mound. Cam Schlittler was outstanding, allowing just one run while striking out 12 over 7.1 innings, and Drew Rasmussen matched him with 14 strikeouts in another dominant outing. Even with Paul Skenes having an unusually rough week, the staff still finished with a 2.85 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 71 strikeouts. That’s usually going to win you a fantasy matchup.

Charlie had to be wondering what more his offense could have done. Salvador Perez mashed three home runs, Ketel Marte added two of his own, Michael Harris II went deep twice, and Brooks Lee chipped in five RBI. The Anchors weren’t exactly quiet at the plate.

Unfortunately, every bit of that offensive production was erased by a rotation that couldn’t keep the ball in the yard. Kevin Gausman, Sandy Alcantara and Sonny Gray all had forgettable weeks, while Spencer Arrighetti somehow managed to allow six earned runs despite recording only three outs. By the time the dust settled, the Anchors had posted a 6.18 ERA and 1.63 WHIP, making it almost impossible to capitalize on one of their better offensive performances of the season.

It wasn’t a season-saving victory for the PhoeGnomes, but it was a reminder that when the pitching shows up, Heather can still make life difficult for anybody.

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RK Possums (9-7-1) def. LK Armadillos (6-6-5), 7-3

Rick’s lineup absolutely caught fire, launching 15 home runs and piling up 42 RBI in one of the best offensive weeks anyone has put together this season. Manny Machado looked like he was playing a different sport, blasting four home runs and driving in seven, while Dillon Dingler somehow stole the show with three homers and eight RBI. James Wood continued his breakout campaign with two more long balls, Jazz Chisholm Jr. chipped in another pair, and it felt like every time Larry started clawing back into the matchup, another Possums hitter answered with a baseball disappearing into the seats.

The pitching quietly held up its end of the bargain. Parker Messick threw 13.1 excellent innings, Jesus Luzardo continued his recent run of quality starts, Nathan Eovaldi did what Nathan Eovaldi always seems to do, and the Possums paired four saves with a sparkling 2.15 ERA. It wasn’t flashy, but it didn’t need to be with the offense doing that kind of damage.

The frustrating part for Larry is that the Armadillos actually had a pretty good week themselves. Jeremy Peña homered twice despite only getting four at-bats, Wyatt Langford continued to produce, Chandler Simpson racked up ten hits while batting over .500, and Pete Crow-Armstrong contributed across the board. On another week, those numbers might have been enough to make this matchup interesting.

The Possums have spent much of the season looking like a team that should be better than its record. If this version of Rick’s lineup starts showing up consistently over the final few weeks, there are going to be some very uncomfortable stretch matchups.

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KG Capital City Goofballs (11-4-2) def. CP Kraken (8-8-1), 5-4-1

There are weeks when you tip your cap and admit the other guy was better – Chris probably isn’t there yet.

The Kraken actually pitched well enough to beat almost anyone in the league. Hunter Brown fired seven scoreless innings, Casey Mize and Kyle Bradish both turned in quality starts, Reid Detmers looked sharp, and the staff finished with an outstanding 3.38 ERA and microscopic 0.94 WHIP. Those are the kinds of numbers that usually put a matchup away.

The problem was Kevin decided pitching was optional. The Goofballs bludgeoned their way to 15 home runs and nearly a 1.000 OPS, completely overwhelming the Kraken with wave after wave of offense. CJ Abrams put together one of the best fantasy weeks we’ve seen all year, collecting 15 hits while blasting six home runs, driving in 12 and scoring eight more. Max Muncy, Corbin Carroll, Brice Turang, Ivan Herrera, Dalton Rushing and Nick Kurtz all joined the party, and before long the offensive categories were simply out of reach.

Chris wasn’t exactly asleep at the plate, either. Yordan Alvarez launched three home runs, Matt Olson added another, and Joey Ortiz continued his quietly productive season, but five home runs felt downright ordinary when the team across the scoreboard had tripled that total.

Even with the tie in saves, Kevin walked away with another victory and kept pace near the top of the standings. When the Goofballs start swinging like this, there simply isn’t much strategy involved. You just hope they cool off before they play you.

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JK Hares (12-3-1) def. KK Wolf Spiders (6-7-4), 7-3

The Hares have spent the entire season doing exactly what championship-caliber teams do. They don’t need one player to carry them because somebody different seems to step up every week, and the pitching staff continues to erase whatever mistakes the offense happens to make.

This week it was Trea Turner and Elly De La Cruz providing most of the fireworks, combining for four home runs while filling up the stat sheet in just about every category. Drake Baldwin chipped in two more long balls, Riley Greene continued his steady production, and Josh Naylor kept finding ways to get on base. It wasn’t the biggest offensive week in the league, but it didn’t have to be.

Jeff’s rotation slammed the door. Dylan Cease piled up 19 strikeouts, Jacob Misiorowski added another 18, Mason Miller and Cade Smith locked things down late, and the Hares finished the week with a ridiculous 1.64 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. That’s becoming a recurring theme. Every week opponents know they’ll have to beat elite pitching before they even think about stealing a matchup.

Kyle had plenty of bright spots of his own. Freddie Freeman looked like vintage Freddie, hitting over .540 for the week, Ezequiel Durán just kept collecting hits, Gavin Williams struck out 11 over seven scoreless innings, and Aroldis Chapman converted three saves.

The problem was that the rest of the rotation never gave the Wolf Spiders much of a chance. Framber Valdez, Jacob deGrom and Payton Tolle all had difficult weeks, and against a team as complete as the Hares, there simply isn’t much margin for error.

With only a few weeks left in the regular season, Jeff continues to win in unique ways. The Hares don’t overwhelm teams in one category. They just keep winning more categories than their opponent, week after week, and that’s a difficult formula to beat.

Next Week

The week’s top match is clearly the Armadillos versus the Goofballs. The defending champs are in a de-facto must-win game, while the Goofballs try to keep pace with the Hares. meanwhile, Jeff’s team faces a lighter challenge against the ANchors, but any team can still be dangrous on a given week. The Kraken also look to stay above 0.500 versus the PhoeGnomes, and The Possums and Wolf Spiders face-off in another interesting contest.

The All-Star break brought an extended scoring period, but there was absolutely nothing relaxing about the baseball. The Hares reminded everyone why they sit atop the league with a ruthless 10-0 sweep, the Goofballs quietly kept the pressure on in second place, the Possums continued their remarkable second-half surge by dismantling the Kraken, and after an offensive fireworks display, the Wolf Spiders and Armadillos somehow couldn’t be separated. With only a handful of weeks remaining, the title race is becoming clearer, but the battle for the title is only getting more chaotic.

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JK Hares (10-3-2) def. HP PhoeGnomes (1-12-2), 10-0

If anyone still had doubts about who the class of Division 1 is, the Hares erased them in emphatic fashion.

A perfect 10-0 sweep is rare enough. Doing it during a two-week All-Star scoring period while piling up 62 runs, 15 home runs and 93 strikeouts is something else entirely. The Hares didn’t simply beat the PhoeGnomes – they dominated every single category.

Offensively, it was another relentless display. Elly De La Cruz continued his MVP-caliber campaign with 13 hits and 3 home runs, Drake Baldwin exploded for 17 hits and 11 RBI, Sal Stewart launched three long balls, while Trea Turner, Seiya Suzuki and Bryan Reynolds all made significant contributions. There were very few easy outs anywhere in the lineup.

The pitching staff was every bit as impressive. Zack Wheeler struck out 24 over 13 innings while posting a microscopic 0.69 ERA. Taj Bradley fanned another 22 hitters, Dylan Cease added 11 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings, Jacob Misiorowski continued to look like a future ace, and Mason Miller and Cade Smith combined for five saves. The staff finished with an outstanding 2.33 ERA, 93 strikeouts and just a 0.92 WHIP.

Meanwhile, the PhoeGnomes actually had several bright spots. Curtis Mead was phenomenal, Kevin McGonigle kept producing, Randy Arozarena continued to contribute, while Jake Bauers and Kyle Stowers both had productive weeks. On the mound, Cam Schlittler and Nolan McLean pitched well, but too many other starters struggled to keep pace with the Hares’ relentless attack.

The Hares now sit alone atop the standings at 10-3-2. Everyone else is chasing.

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KG Capital City Goofballs (9-4-2) def. CM Dirt Mountain Anchors (3-9-3), 7-2-1

The Goofballs continued to quietly keep pace with the Hares near the top of Division 1, taking care of business with a convincing 7-2-1 victory over the Anchors. It wasn’t the flashiest performance of the week, but it was exactly the kind contenders produce: steady offense, reliable pitching, and very few holes across the lineup.

Jordan Walker once again set the tone offensively, collecting 12 hits, 9 runs scored and 9 RBI. CJ Abrams erupted with 12 hits, 3 home runs and 9 RBI, while Kyle Schwarber added another three long balls. Alex Bregman chipped in two home runs, TJ Rumfield continued to provide unexpected production, and the lineup consistently found ways to manufacture offense despite several regulars having quiet weeks.

The Goofballs’ pitching staff once again delivered exactly what was required. Michael King was outstanding across 11 innings, Justin Wrobleski continued his emergence, Bryan Woo punched out 12 hitters, and Trevor Megill locked down another pair of saves. Logan Webb absorbed one rough outing, but overall the staff posted a solid 3.78 ERA with 60 strikeouts.

The Anchors actually produced plenty of offense. Michael Harris II collected 14 hits, Shohei Ohtani launched three home runs with eight RBI, Salvador Perez added two homers and seven RBI, Brandon Nimmo drove in another seven, while Geraldo Perdomo crossed the plate nine times. Aaron Nola struck out 14, Logan Gilbert added 10 punchouts, Sonny Gray was excellent, and Jhoan Durán picked up three saves.

One small commissioner note from this matchup: the Anchors appear to have started 11 starting pitchers during the extended All-Star week despite the league limit being 10. Fortunately, the additional start did not affect the outcome of the matchup, so no corrective action will be taken. Consider this a friendly reminder to everyone to double-check their lineups during these longer scoring periods – next time the extra start might actually matter.

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RK Possums (7-7-1) def. CP Kraken (8-6-1), 9-1

After spending much of the first half chasing the pack, the Possums have officially arrived.

Fresh off knocking off another contender the previous week, they doubled down with an emphatic 9-1 dismantling of the Kraken, piling up an eye-watering 61 runs, 20 home runs and 55 RBI over the extended scoring period. Against one of the league’s perennial contenders, the Possums simply overwhelmed them from start to finish.

James Wood authored one of the greatest offensive weeks anyone has produced this season. The Nationals slugger went 11-for-34 with 5 home runs, 10 RBI, 13 runs scored and 10 walks, seemingly reaching base every time he stepped into the batter’s box. Ben Rice wasn’t far behind, smashing 15 hits, 5 home runs and 12 RBI, while Fernando Tatis Jr. continued his resurgence. JJ Bleday, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Brayan Rocchio all chipped in during a complete offensive explosion.

The pitching staff complemented the offense beautifully. Jesús Luzardo allowed just one earned run over 12 innings while striking out 18. Eury Pérez matched him with 15 strikeouts, Parker Messick continued his impressive rookie campaign, and Bryan Baker quietly collected two saves. A few rough outings barely registered behind another excellent overall performance.

The Kraken weren’t awful – they simply ran into a buzzsaw. Matt Olson launched four home runs, Juan Soto added three bombs and nine RBI, Yordan Alvarez kept producing, while Junior Caminero contributed another three home runs. Sean Burke and Kyle Bradish pitched well, but the Possums simply had an answer for everything.

Three straight statement performances have transformed the Possums from fringe contenders into one of the hottest teams in Division 1.

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KK Wolf Spiders (6-5-4) tied LK Armadillos (6-4-5), 5-5

Sometimes fantasy baseball refuses to produce a winner. Despite combining for nearly 100 runs, 33 home runs and 96 RBI, the Wolf Spiders and Armadillos finished deadlocked at five categories apiece in one of the highest-quality matchups of the season.

The Armadillos once again proved they possess one of the league’s deepest offenses. Esmerlyn Valdez was simply unstoppable, blasting five home runs while driving in thirteen runs. Wyler Abreu added four homers, Pete Crow-Armstrong continued his breakout campaign, while the supporting cast consistently found ways to score. Fifty-nine runs and nineteen home runs would normally be enough to win almost any matchup.

The problem? The Wolf Spiders answered almost every punch.

Hunter Goodman launched three home runs, Chase DeLauter hit three of his own, Ezequiel Durán, Wilson Contreras and Luis García Jr. all contributed power, while Rafael Devers and Mauricio Dubón kept the lineup moving. Their offense wasn’t quite as explosive, but it was deep enough to stay within striking distance throughout the fortnight.

The pitching battle was equally fascinating. The Wolf Spiders received brilliant outings from Landen Roupp, Framber Valdez, Payton Tolle and Gavin Williams, finishing with an outstanding 2.85 ERA and 79 strikeouts. The Armadillos countered with Tarik Skubal continuing his Cy Young-level season, Andrés Muñoz and Riley O’Brien locking down the bullpen, and Bryce Miller adding another quality outing. Although the ERA wasn’t nearly as sparkling, the strikeout production and saves kept them firmly in the fight.

In the end, neither side blinked. One of the best matchups of the year finished exactly how it deserved to—with nobody willing to give an inch.

Next Week

The intensity will only continue to ratchet up this week. The Hares take on the struggling Wolf Spiders, and need to make the most of every matchup with other teams heating up. The Possums and Armadillos face off, and this match is critical. Nether team can afford a loss, and this is an essential match if the Hares continue their run of good performances. The PhoeGnomes and Anchors meet, and both teams are likely happy to face a team of similar calibre. Finally, the most volatile match will see the Kraken and Goofballs meet in a titanic clash that the Kraken need to win to keep pace.

With the league moving into the second half of the season, Week 14 felt like the point where the title race truly began. The Hares continue to lead the way at 9-3-2, but the chasing pack made it abundantly clear they’re not going anywhere. The biggest story of the week wasn’t even who won—it was the offensive explosions from the Kraken and Armadillos. The two contenders combined for 91 runs, 38 home runs, and 102 RBI in what felt more like a Home Run Derby than a fantasy matchup. The Kraken ultimately prevailed, but both clubs reminded the league they have lineups capable of winning a championship.

The Hares continued to take care of business despite battling pitching injuries and, apparently, their owner spending more time in Ibiza clubs than watching baseball. The Wolf Spiders finally saw their offense wake up, even if their pitching staff immediately tried to sabotage it, while the Possums quietly put together another encouraging week to keep themselves relevant heading into the stretch run.

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CP Kraken (8-5-1) def. LK Armadillos (6-4-4), 7-3

If there was one matchup that felt worthy of a heavyweight title fight, this was it. The Kraken and Armadillos entered the week with two of the league’s most explosive offenses, and neither disappointed. Together they combined for 91 runs, 38 home runs, and 102 RBI, turning every night into a fireworks display. In the end, the Kraken’s offense simply reached another level, piling up an absurd 73 hits, 47 runs, 25 home runs, and 56 RBI to hand the Armadillos just their second loss in the last 7 weeks. It was exactly the type of statement win that keeps the Kraken firmly in the championship conversation.

Honestly, it’s difficult to know where to start with this lineup. Yordan Alvarez was completely unstoppable, launching 4 home runs, driving in 11 RBI, and collecting 10 hits. Otto Lopez somehow stole the show anyway, going an incredible 14-for-28 while adding 3 home runs, 7 RBI, and scoring 7 runs. Jake McCarthy erupted for 3 home runs and 10 RBI, Junior Caminero matched Alvarez with 4 home runs, Zach Neto added another 2 bombs and 6 RBI, while Matt Olson, Carter Jensen, Juan Soto, Brandon Marsh, and Michael Busch all left the yard as well. The scary part for the rest of the league is that this wasn’t a top-heavy effort—virtually everyone in the lineup found a way to contribute, making this one of the most complete offensive performances we’ve seen all season.

The pitching wasn’t nearly as dominant, but it didn’t need to be. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was brilliant again with 7 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts, Trey Yesavage continued his outstanding campaign with another quality start, Casey Mize quietly turned in 6.2 strong innings, while Josh Hader and Louis Varland combined for 4 saves without allowing a run. There were certainly bumps along the way—Hunter Brown, Reid Detmers, Kyle Harrison, and Braxton Ashcraft all had rough outings – but when your offense hits 25 home runs in a single week, perfection on the mound becomes a luxury rather than a necessity.

Perhaps the most frightening part of this matchup is that the Armadillos didn’t even play poorly. In almost any other week, scoring 44 runs, hitting 13 home runs, and posting a sparkling 1.35 ERA would be enough to cruise to victory. Instead, they simply ran into a buzzsaw. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, Esmerlyn Valdez, Kody Clemens and Colson Montgomery all had huge offensive weeks, while Christopher Sanchez, Bryce Miller and Tarik Skubal fronted one of the best pitching performances of the season. Sometimes you lose because you play badly. Sometimes you lose because the other team decides to turn every hitter into Barry Bonds for a week. This was very much the latter.

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JK Hares (9-3-2) def. KG Capital City Goofballs (8-4-2), 8-2

The Hares just keep finding ways to win. Despite losing several starting pitchers to injury and piecing together innings wherever they could find them, they still cruised to an 8-2 victory over the Goofballs to maintain their grip on first place. Rumors also surfaced during the week that the Hares owner was spotted somewhere between Ibiza Town and Ushuaïa at approximately 4 AM, yet somehow still managed to set a winning lineup. If true, it may be the most impressive managerial performance of the season.

The offense once again carried the load. Trea Turner led the way with 3 home runs and 7 RBI, Bryan Reynolds added 2 home runs and 4 RBI, Jackson Chourio chipped in 2 more homers, while Seiya Suzuki, Drake Baldwin, Brandon Lowe and Sal Stewart all joined the party. Elly De La Cruz collected 8 hits and 3 stolen bases, and the Hares finished with 42 runs, 12 home runs, 45 RBI, and 8 steals in another complete offensive effort.

Considering the circumstances, the pitching staff deserves enormous credit. Dylan Cease was dominant with 7 shutout innings, George Kirby delivered another quality outing, Jacob Misiorowski struck out 10 over 5 strong innings, and Mason Miller plus Cade Smith combined to stabilize the bullpen. Ranger Suárez and Zack Wheeler both had rough outings, but with so many injuries forcing replacement starters into action, simply surviving the week was a victory in itself.

The Goofballs certainly weren’t awful. Jordan Walker drove in 9 runs, Andy Pages had another productive week, and Joe Ryan struck out 14 hitters. Unfortunately, the offense never found enough consistency, while several rough pitching performances from Logan Webb, Freddy Peralta and Tanner Bibee left them chasing the matchup all week. At 8-4-2, they’re still firmly in the title race, but the Hares showed once again why they’re sitting in first.

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KK Wolf Spiders (6-5-3) def. HP PhoeGnomes (1-11-2), 6-4

The Wolf Spiders may have surrendered nearly 8 earned runs per game, but thankfully for them their offense decided to bail them out. In one of the stranger scorelines of the season, the Wolf Spiders overcame an ugly 7.49 ERA by piling up 69 hits (nice), 36 runs, and 11 home runs to earn a valuable 6-4 victory. It certainly wasn’t pretty, but style points don’t count in the standings.

Wilson Contreras led the way with 3 home runs and 9 RBI, Hunter Goodman added 2 home runs, Luis García Jr. surprisingly matched him with 3 long balls, while Freddie Freeman, Mauricio Dubón and others kept the production flowing. Connor Griffin also swiped 6 stolen bases, giving the offense another dimension throughout the week.

The pitching, however… let’s just say several members of the staff may want to avoid making eye contact with Jacob deGrom this week. Landen Roupp, Payton Tolle, Brandon Young and Michael Wacha were all hit hard, while the team somehow allowed 62 hits and 38 earned runs despite still winning the matchup. The weekly Pitchers Support Group has officially reopened, with complimentary coffee available for anyone forced to explain a 7.49 ERA to their fantasy manager. Fortunately, deGrom delivered another ace performance, Gregory Soto and Aroldis Chapman stabilized the bullpen, and Paul Sewald picked up 2 saves to keep things from completely spiraling.

The PhoeGnomes actually swung the bats extremely well, collecting 70 hits and 44 runs behind huge weeks from Kyle Stowers, Nick Gonzales, Kevin McGonigle and Jake Bauers. Unfortunately, the pitching staff imploded. Paul Skenes, Cam Schlittler and Drew Rasmussen all endured difficult weeks, and despite Shane McClanahan’s bounce-back outing, the staff simply couldn’t keep the Wolf Spiders within reach. For a team sitting at 1-11-2, it was another week wondering how an offense this productive keeps ending up on the losing side.

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RK Possums (6-7-1) def. CM Dirt Mountain Anchors (3-8-3), 5-4-1

After several frustrating weeks, the Possums finally showed some real signs of life. They didn’t completely dominate the Anchors, but they did enough across the board to secure a 5-4-1 victory and move within striking distance of the middle of the table. The offense found its power stroke with 14 home runs, while the pitching staff delivered just enough timely performances to overcome a few ugly outings. It wasn’t perfect, but it was exactly the kind of complete effort the Possums have been searching for.

James Wood was the catalyst all week, stuffing the stat sheet with 9 hits, 3 home runs, 7 RBI, and 6 runs scored. Fernando Tatis Jr. looked much more like himself with 9 hits, 2 home runs, and 4 RBI, while Manny Machado added 2 homers, 5 RBI, and somehow drew 7 walks. Dillon Dingler quietly collected 8 hits, Ben Rice launched 2 home runs, Francisco Lindor chipped in 2 more, and Josh Jung, Casey Schmitt, and Brayan Rocchio all left the yard as well. There were still a few black holes in the lineup—Christian Walker and Cody Bellinger combined to go 0-for-12—but unlike previous weeks, the hot bats more than made up for it.

On the mound, the Possums were far from dominant, but several pitchers stepped up when it mattered. Jesus Luzardo was excellent with 6 innings of 1-run ball and 9 strikeouts, Parker Messick continued his impressive season with another quality outing, while Bryan Baker quietly picked up 2 saves without allowing a run. Shota Imanaga battled through 11 innings across 2 starts and Chase Burns kept the Anchors in check despite some control issues. Walker Buehler’s nightmare outing and Seranthony Domínguez’s one-batter disaster certainly inflated the team ERA, but the rest of the staff did just enough to keep the Possums ahead.

The Anchors once again showed flashes without being able to put together a complete week. Michael Harris II and Ketel Marte carried the offense, Bryce Harper and Shohei Ohtani added home runs, while Kevin Gausman and Spencer Arrighetti both pitched well. Unfortunately, rough outings from Aaron Nola, Zac Gallen, Sandy Alcantara and Mitch Keller ultimately proved too much to overcome. At 3-8-3, the Anchors continue searching for the consistency needed to climb back into contention.

Next Week

The long All-Star weekend is opon us. Remember that teams can start up to 10 pitchers across the two weeks. The Kraken will take their offensive show to the Possums, while the Hares try to stay at the top of the standings against the PhoeGnomes. The Goofballs will try to keep pace against the game Anchors, and the Aramdillos and Wolf Spiders meeting in an important battle to stay in the title race.

Week 12 Recap: The Stretch Run Begins

With the season officially reaching its halfway point, Week 12 carried extra significance across the standings. The Goofballs and Hares entered the week atop the division, the Armadillos and Kraken were fighting to solidify stretch run positioning, and several teams desperately needed wins to stay relevant. By week’s end, the standings tightened even further at the top while a few clubs saw their postseason hopes take another hit.

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LK Armadillos (6-3-3) def. JK Hares (7-3-2), 10-0

The most lopsided result of the week belonged to the Armadillos, who completely dismantled the Hares in a matchup that looked far more competitive on paper than it did in reality. The victory moves Larry to 6-3-3 and within striking distance of the division leaders, while the Hares miss an opportunity to separate themselves at the top of the standings.

The Armadillos’ offense was relentless from top to bottom. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jac Caglianone led the charge with 4 home runs and 7 RBI apiece, while Gunnar Henderson added 2 home runs and 4 RBI. Nasim Nunez continued his strange quest to become the most productive slap hitter in fantasy history, going 10-for-14 with 5 runs scored, while Tyler Soderstrom chipped in another homer and 6 runs. By week’s end, the Armadillos had piled up 43 runs, 18 home runs, and a ridiculous .970 OPS.

The pitching staff more than held up its end of the bargain. Christopher Sanchez, Bryce Miller, Gerrit Cole, and Davis Martin all delivered quality outings, while Andres Munoz locked down 3 saves and earned redemption. The staff combined for a 3.35 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts, more than enough given the offensive explosion occurring on the other side of the ledger.

Meanwhile, the Hares delivered one of the strangest weeks of the season. Bryan Reynolds and Sal Stewart carried much of the offense, but the story of the matchup was the emergency pitching situation created by rainouts and postponements. That led to starts from both Emmet Sheehan and Stephen Kolek, two men currently so unemployed they may have needed to show ID to get into the stadium. Kolek somehow allowed 9 earned runs while recording just 4 outs, good for a tidy 48.60 ERA. Not to be outdone, Sheehan surrendered 6 earned runs in 3.1 innings with a 16.20 ERA. Together they combined for 13 earned runs in 4.2 innings and personally transformed what could have been a competitive matchup into a crime scene. Somewhere, Dylan Cease and Zack Wheeler are probably filing formal complaints. There are rumors the Hares set up a support group in the clubhouse after blasting these two human wildfires into the sun where they belong.

The loss drops the Hares to 7-3-2, keeping them tied atop the division but squandering a golden opportunity to create separation. The Armadillos, meanwhile, continue to look like one of the most dangerous teams in the league.

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KG Capital City Goofballs (7-3-2) def. KK Wolf Spiders (5-4-3), 8-2

While the Hares stumbled, the Goofballs took full advantage. A dominant 8-2 victory over the Wolf Spiders keeps Kevin tied for first place and further strengthens the argument that they may be the most complete roster in the league.

The offense was led by the usual suspects. Kyle Schwarber launched 5 home runs and drove in 10 runs, Nick Kurtz added 3 homers and 9 RBI, while Zack Gelof, CJ Abrams, Ivan Herrera, and Corbin Carroll all contributed major production. The Goofballs finished with 48 runs, 19 home runs, 55 RBI, and a .975 OPS. At this point, opposing pitchers should probably just start issuing intentional walks to half the lineup.

The pitching staff was equally impressive. MacKenzie Gore struck out 16 batters across 13 innings, Bryan Woo tossed 7 scoreless innings with 9 strikeouts, Joe Ryan posted a 0.00 ERA, and the bullpen contributed quality innings throughout the week. The result was a sparkling 2.34 ERA and 1.07 WHIP despite throwing just 34.2 innings.

The Wolf Spiders never really found their footing. Casey Schmitt and Bo Bichette provided most of the offensive production, but the lineup managed only 23 runs and 6 home runs. Worse, the pitching staff couldn’t keep pace. Jacob deGrom surrendered 6 earned runs in 6 innings, Gavin Williams posted a 12.60 ERA, and Aroldis Chapman somehow managed a 9.00 ERA despite only pitching a single inning. When your supposed ace gets hit hard and your offense disappears, bad things tend to happen.

The win keeps the Goofballs tied for first place at 7-3-2 and reinforces their status as a legitimate championship threat. The Wolf Spiders remain in contention at 5-4-3, but they’ll need considerably more consistency if they hope to keep pace with the division’s elite.

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CP Kraken (6-5-1) def. CM Dirt Mountain Anchors (3-7-2), 8-2

The Kraken continued their steady climb up the standings with an impressive 8-2 victory over the Anchors. While Chris hasn’t generated as many headlines as some of the teams above them, they’ve quietly built one of the deepest and most balanced rosters in the league.

Zach Neto was the star of the week, launching 4 home runs and driving in 7 runs. Juan Soto added 2 home runs and 4 RBI, Junior Caminero continued his breakout season, and Yordan Alvarez chipped in another strong performance. The Kraken finished with 34 runs, 10 home runs, and an .820 OPS, consistently applying pressure throughout the matchup.

The pitching staff was the real difference-maker. Kyle Bradish was outstanding, posting a 1.17 ERA with 12 strikeouts. Trey Yesavage, Kyle Harrison, Braxton Ashcraft, Josh Hader, and Reid Detmers all turned in quality performances as the Kraken combined for a 2.81 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts. Week after week, this staff continues to outperform expectations.

The Anchors received strong efforts from Bryce Harper and Shohei Ohtani, who combined for 4 home runs and 7 RBI, but the supporting cast largely disappeared. Kevin Gausman’s seven-earned-run disaster put the team behind early, while JR Ritchie and Shohei Ohtani were unable to fully stabilize the rotation. By week’s end, the Anchors had posted a 4.69 ERA and failed to generate enough offense to compensate.

The Kraken improve to 6-5-1 and remain firmly in the playoff picture. The Anchors fall to 3-7-2 and are beginning to run out of opportunities to climb back into contention.

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RK Possums (5-6-1) tie HP PhoeGnomes (1-9-2), 5-5

The strangest matchup of the week ended exactly where it deserved to: with nobody winning.

The Possums brought plenty of offense to the party. Dillon Dingler continued his breakout campaign, Ben Rice blasted 3 home runs, Byron Buxton added 2 more, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. contributed across the board. The Possums finished with 36 runs and 11 home runs, numbers that typically result in a comfortable victory.

Unfortunately for them, their pitching staff had other ideas. Chase Burns was brilliant with 14 strikeouts and a 0.90 ERA, while Jesus Luzardo and Parker Messick also delivered quality outings. Unfortunately, Bryce Elder surrendered 8 earned runs, Emerson Hancock allowed 5, and Dustin May somehow managed a 27.00 ERA in just 2 innings. The Possums spent much of the week alternating between dominant and catastrophic, often within the same inning.

The PhoeGnomes countered with one of their best performances of the season. Kyle Stowers launched 3 home runs, Ozzie Albies and Jose Altuve added 2 each, and Kevin McGonigle continued his impressive rookie season. More importantly, the pitching staff was exceptional. Cam Schlittler struck out 13 batters in 6 scoreless innings, Drew Rasmussen allowed just 1 earned run across 7 innings, Chris Sale turned in another vintage performance, and Paul Skenes remained one of the most reliable arms in the league.

In many ways, the tie perfectly summarized both teams. The Possums showcased enough talent to beat almost anyone but sabotaged themselves with several disastrous pitching performances. The PhoeGnomes finally received the complete team effort they’ve been waiting for all season but remain buried by months of earlier struggles. Neither team gained much ground in the standings, but both left Week 12 wondering what might have been.

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Next Week

As the season reaches its midpoint, the race at the top remains incredibly tight. The Goofballs and Hares continue to share first place at 7-3-2, with the Armadillos lurking just behind at 6-3-3 and the Kraken holding the final playoff spot at 6-5-1. With half the season still to play, every category is becoming more important, and every missed opportunity a little more painful.

The Armadillos look to keep rolling versus the Anchors. The Goofballs draw the PhoeGnomes, and although they are at the bottom of the standings, Heather’s team is finally showing signs of progress. The Kraken and Wolf Spiders meet in an intriguing matchup. Finally, the Hares will look to get things back on track against the struggling Possums.

Week #11 finally delivered something many around the league had begun to wonder if they would ever see: a PhoeGnomes victory. After 10 weeks of frustration, near misses, and increasingly creative ways to lose fantasy baseball matchups, Heather’s club finally broke through with a 5-4-1 win over the Armadillos. It wasn’t just their first win of the season. It came against one of the league’s strongest teams and produced one of the most memorable storylines of the year.

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HP PhoeGnomes (1-9-1) def. LK Armadillos (5-3-3), 5-4-1

The PhoeGnomes did not suddenly turn into an offensive juggernaut. They scored 30 runs, hit 6 home runs, and posted a respectable .726 OPS. What won them this matchup was pitching, and lots of it.

Paul Skenes led the way with another dominant performance, piling up 17 strikeouts across 12 innings while continuing to look every bit like one of the premier fantasy pitchers in baseball. Drew Rasmussen may have been even better, striking out 13 over 7 brilliant innings while allowing just 2 hits and posting a microscopic 0.43 WHIP. By the end of the week, the PhoeGnomes had racked up 65 strikeouts while posting a 2.39 ERA. For a team that has spent much of the season searching for consistency on the mound, this was exactly the kind of performance they needed.

What makes the result even more painful for the Armadillos is that they actually played well enough to win. Pete Alonso launched 3 home runs and drove in 6. Tyler Soderstrom was even better, crushing 4 home runs and knocking in 8. The Armadillos finished with 42 runs and 14 home runs, numbers that would have been enough to beat most teams in the league this week.

Instead, the week will be remembered for Andrés Muñoz. The Armadillos can point to a lot of things that went wrong, but the season may eventually remember only one stat line. Muñoz entered the week as one of the most reliable relievers in baseball and somehow left it with 0.0 innings pitched, 1 hit allowed, 1 walk, 2 earned runs, an injury, an infinite ERA, and an infinite WHIP. In fantasy baseball, that is roughly equivalent to driving your car into a lake while trying to park it. The Armadillos spent 6 days building a winning matchup only to watch Muñoz kick the entire sandcastle into the ocean in a matter of minutes. Without that appearance, they probably win. Instead, the PhoeGnomes are finally in the win column.

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CM Dirt Mountain Anchors (3-6-2) def. KK Wolf Spiders (5-3-3), 5-3-2

While the PhoeGnomes provided the feel-good story of the week, the Anchors delivered the surprise. Charlie’s club entered the matchup as an underdog against a team tied for 3rd place and left with a convincing victory built on strong pitching and another absurd week from Shohei Ohtani.

At this point, Ohtani’s stat lines almost feel unfair. He hit 2 home runs, scored 5 runs, drove in 4, drew 8 walks, and posted a 1.632 OPS. Oh, and he also contributed 6.2 innings on the mound because apparently being one superstar isn’t enough. Bryce Harper added another strong week, while Michael Harris II, Ernie Clement, and Jarren Duran all chipped in important contributions throughout the lineup.

The biggest difference came on the mound. Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray, Logan Gilbert, and Sandy Alcantara combined to give the Anchors quality outing after quality outing. The staff finished with 50 strikeouts, a 3.40 ERA, and a 1.15 WHIP. It wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly the type of steady performance that wins fantasy matchups.

The Wolf Spiders, meanwhile, never seemed to find a rhythm. Hunter Goodman continued his breakout campaign with 3 home runs and 6 RBI, and Freddie Freeman reached base seemingly every time he stepped into the batter’s box, but the lineup managed only 6 home runs and 21 RBI. The pitching was even more problematic. Roki Sasaki was tagged for 7 earned runs, Noah Cameron struggled, and the staff posted a 5.40 ERA. The Wolf Spiders remain firmly in the playoff hunt, but Week 11 was one to forget.

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JK Hares (7-2-2) def. CP Kraken (5-5-1), 8-2-0

The Hares continue to look like the most complete team in the league. Every time it seems like someone is ready to close the gap in the standings, Jeff’s club responds with another dominant performance. This week it came at the expense of the Kraken, and the final 8-2-0 score hardly feels unfair.

The offense was ridiculous. Jackson Chourio put together one of the best weeks any hitter has had this season, blasting 5 home runs while driving in 10 and posting a 1.417 OPS. Alec Burleson matched him with 5 home runs of his own and added 8 RBI. Brandon Lowe chipped in 2 more long balls, while Josh Naylor and Seiya Suzuki helped power the Hares to an incredible 19 home runs and 50 RBI.

As good as the offense was, the pitching may have been even more impressive. The Hares piled up 78 strikeouts while posting a WHIP below 1.00. Jacob Misiorowski continued his ascent into fantasy superstardom, striking out 15 while allowing just a single hit over 9 innings. Dylan Cease added 11 strikeouts of his own, while Zack Wheeler, Mason Miller, and Cade Smith all turned in strong performances.

The Kraken actually hit 11 home runs and posted an .844 OPS, numbers that would normally make them competitive. Juan Soto hit 2 home runs and posted a 1.410 OPS. Yordan Alvarez added 2 more homers and 6 RBI, while Matt Olson chipped in 3 home runs of his own. The problem was the pitching staff. Ryan Weathers, Kyle Harrison, Kyle Bradish, and Trey Yesavage combined to allow 24 earned runs, leaving the Kraken chasing the matchup for most of the week. Sometimes you lose because you play poorly. Sometimes you lose because the first-place team hits 19 home runs and racks up 78 strikeouts.

One final note: after becoming something of a recurring character in these recaps, Emmet Sheehan finally delivered a week that was merely mediocre. Five innings, 3 earned runs, and 8 strikeouts isn’t exactly inspiring, but compared to some of his earlier adventures, it qualifies as progress.

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KG Capital City Goofballs (6-3-2) def. RK Possums (5-6-0), 7-3-0

Lost amid the PhoeGnomes celebration and the Armadillos disaster was another impressive performance from the Goofballs. Kevin’s club continues to quietly stack wins, and after another convincing victory they now sit alone in 2nd place, just one matchup behind the Hares.

The offense was relentless from top to bottom. Nick Kurtz continued what is becoming one of the best breakout seasons in the league, hitting 4 home runs while driving in 7 and scoring 7 times. Jordan Walker added 2 home runs and 9 RBI, Ivan Herrera posted a 1.397 OPS while scoring 8 runs, and Zack Gelof chipped in 2 home runs of his own. By the end of the week the Goofballs had piled up 15 home runs, 40 runs, and a robust .850 OPS.

The pitching wasn’t dominant, but it didn’t need to be. Logan Webb tossed 8 scoreless innings, Miles Mikolas delivered 7 shutout frames, and Jacob Latz quietly added 2 saves. The overall numbers were solid if unspectacular, but when your offense is producing at this level, solid is often enough.

The frustrating part for the Possums is that they actually had a very good week themselves. James Wood was phenomenal, finishing with 3 home runs, 6 RBI, 3 stolen bases, and 9 runs scored. Byron Buxton looked like an MVP candidate, launching 4 home runs while posting a ridiculous 1.583 OPS. Fernando Tatis Jr. added another homer, while the Possums finished with 13 home runs, 37 runs, 10 stolen bases, and an .882 OPS.

Unfortunately, fantasy baseball is not graded on effort. By the end of the week, Kevin’s offense had simply landed more punches, and the Goofballs left with a comfortable 7-3-0 victory.

Next Week

The key matchup for the week is a monstrous showdown between the Hares and the Armadillos. With the season reaching its halfway point, the Armadillos don’t want to find themsevles 2.5 games behind. Meanwhile, the Wolf Spiders and Goofballs meet in a battle to keep pace at the top of the standings. The PhoeGnomes will go for win number two against the Possums. Rounding out the week is the battle between the Kraken and Anchors. This match is truly a “submarine” series.

Week 10 delivered one of the strangest slates of the season so far. The Wolf Spiders continued their climb toward the top tier with another gritty win, the Armadillos reminded everyone why they’ve been the league’s measuring stick for years, and the Kraken survived a chaotic matchup despite some deeply questionable pitching.

But the most pathetic storyline may have been the Hares. What should have been a comfortable win over the Anchors instead turned into a frustrating stalemate thanks to one of the ugliest pitching implosions the league has seen all season. The Hares remain in first place, but cracks are starting to show = and the rest of the division is watching closely.

KK Wolf Spiders (5-2-3, 2nd) def. the Possums (5-5-0, 6th) — 5-4-1

The Wolf Spiders continue to look like one of the most dangerous teams in the league, grinding out another ugly, tense win behind dominant pitching and just enough offense. The matchup itself felt tight all week, but the Wolf Spiders controlled the important categories and once again showed why nobody wants to face them when they are hot.

Ronald Acuña Jr. quietly stuffed the stat sheet while Casey Schmitt and Freddie Freeman combined for five homers. Hunter Goodman also exploded with three bombs and seven RBI in one of the best surprise performances of the week. The Wolf Spiders didn’t exactly light the world on fire offensively overall, but they produced when it mattered.

The pitching was the real story. Noah Cameron posted six scoreless innings with a microscopic 0.50 WHIP, Jacob deGrom shoved across 11 innings with 14 strikeouts and a 0.91 WHIP, and the entire staff combined for a filthy 2.47 ERA. That’s the kind of pitching line that wins championships.

The Possums actually had a strong offensive week themselves. Dillon Dingler erupted for 10 RBI, Colt Emerson added two homers, and the lineup finished with 15 home runs and an .817 OPS. On another week, that probably wins comfortably.

Instead, the pitching collapsed at the worst possible moments. Nick Martinez got shelled for a 13.50 ERA, Nathan Eovaldi got hit around again, and the Possums simply couldn’t keep pace once the Wolf Spiders’ arms locked in. It was a good week wasted.

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LK Armadillos (6-2-3, 3rd) def. the Goofballs (5-4-1, 4th) — 9-0-1

The Armadillos are officially back!

After weeks of wobbling, the Armadillos lashed out for their most complete performance of the season and absolutely erased the Goofballs from existence. The bats were relentless. Pete Crow-Armstrong crushed four home runs and drove in six. Miguel Vargas added seven RBI. Julio Rodríguez, José Ramírez, Gunnar Henderson, Shea Langeliers – everyone contributed. The Armadillos piled up 42 runs, 15 home runs, and nine steals while winning essentially every offensive category available.

And unlike previous weeks, the pitching finally held together too. Christopher Sánchez, Bryce Miller, Michael Soroka, and Max Meyer all delivered quality outings while the bullpen stabilized just enough to secure the blowout. The Armadillos looked balanced again for the first time in weeks.

Meanwhile, the Goofballs produced one of the most disappointing losses of the season. Not only did they get swept off the board statistically, they got dominated by a team that had been visibly wobbling entering the matchup. The offense disappeared outside of a few isolated explosions from Brice Turang and Corbin Carroll. The pitching was even worse. Gregory Soto opened the week with a catastrophic 40.50 ERA outing, and the staff never recovered. By the end, the Goofballs had been completely flattened.

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CP Kraken (6-4-1, 5th) def. the PhoeGnomes (0-10-1, 8th) — 6-4-0

The Kraken may not have dominated statistically, but they did what competent teams do against weaker opponents: they finished the job. Yordan Alvarez was monstrous again, blasting two homers with nine RBI while Zach Neto and Liam Hicks chipped in quietly productive weeks. The Kraken lineup wasn’t explosive overall, but it consistently manufactured enough offense to stay in control.

The pitching was shakier than the final score suggests. Ryan Weathers got obliterated for a 9.53 ERA, Spencer Arrighetti and Kai-Wei Teng struggled, and the staff finished with an ugly 5.62 ERA overall. Fortunately for the Kraken, the PhoeGnomes simply couldn’t capitalize.

The PhoeGnomes actually showed signs of life offensively. Jake Bauers had a monster week with seven RBI and two homers, while Adley Rutschman and Bobby Witt Jr. both contributed. But the pitching remains an outright disaster.

Nolan McLean imploded. Dennis Santana imploded. José Soriano imploded. The staff once again cratered under even moderate pressure, and the PhoeGnomes remain winless as the season continues slipping away. Still, compared to earlier weeks, at least the offense looked alive.

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JK Hares (7-2-2, 1st) tie the Anchors (2-6-2, 7th) — 5-5-0

The Hares escaped with a tie, but this felt much closer to a loss. Offensively, the Hares were excellent. Jackson Chourio exploded for eight RBI, Alec Burleson drove in five, and Dalton Rushing posted a ridiculous 1.768 OPS. The lineup produced nine home runs and a massive .909 OPS overall.

But the pitching nearly sabotaged everything. And no player embodied that collapse more than Emmet Sheehan.

What an absolute catastrophe. In just 1.1 innings, Sheehan somehow managed to cough up two earned runs, two walks, and a grotesque 13.50 ERA. The outing was pathetic – the kind of performance that makes managers stare silently at the waiver wire at 2 AM. The Hares spent the entire week building to a strong Sunday push, and Emmet wet the bed.

To their credit, Jacob Misiorowski was sensational with 20 strikeouts and a microscopic 0.43 WHIP, while Ranger Suárez and Zack Wheeler stabilized things late. Without them, this week probably ends in disaster.

The Anchors, meanwhile, continue to play far tougher than their record suggests. Shohei Ohtani was dominant at the plate and on the mound, Bryce Harper delivered, Willy Adames launched two homers, and the pitching staff quietly posted a better ERA and WHIP than the Hares. The problem remains consistency. The Anchors still can’t string together enough offense top-to-bottom to finish teams off. But they absolutely made the league leaders sweat this week.

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Next Week

The Armadillos now get a chance to prove the resurgence is real and keep Heather winless. The Hares and Kraken are the most interesting battle, with both teams near the top of the standings. The Possums and Goofballs are both evenly matched and need to bounce back from difficult losses. Finally, the Anchors will try to improve on their tie agaist the hot Wolf Spiders.