Possums, Lannisters Dominate; Thunderwolves and Goofballs Upset Favorites

With the season nearing the home stretch, every match-up is important.  Two of the league leaders, the Possums and Lannisters, took care of business in dominant fashion.  However, the Armadillos and Legion fell to unlikely upsets by the Goofball and Thunderwolves.

HP PhoeGnomes (9-8) vs.  RK Possums (9-6-2)

The most important match of the week was between the Possums and PhoeGnomes.  After a hot start, Heather has fallen to around 0.500.  The Possums have done the opposite, surging forward and dominating almost every team in the league over the last two cycles.  This match was critical for both teams’ chances to win the title.

The Possums answered the challenge with one of the best overall weeks for any team this season.  Rick easily had the best pitching in the league.  He led the league in ERA and WHIP, was tied for first in wins and saves, and was second in strikeouts.  Leading the way was Michael Fulmer.  He strike out 15 over 16.0 innings pitched, and allowed just two earned runs.  Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer were also strong, while Zach Britton recorded three saves.  Heather had difficult weeks from Luis Severino and Zach Davies.  She was unable to gain any real traction for the week on pitching, so Rick had a substantial advantage before factoring in offense.

Unfortunately for Heather, Rick dominated here as well.  The Possums led the league in home runs and OBP and were second in RBI and SLG.  Ten Possums’ players had home runs, including six from Charlie Blackmon.  His OBP and SLG were 0.615 and 1.417 respectively.  Even little-used players like Evan Gattis and Hernan Perez contributed power.  The PhoeGnomes didn’t have a chance to compete despite the most steals in the league and good OBP and SLG totals.  Once again, the Possums steam-rolled their opponent and I’m running out of superlatives to describe their hot streak.  Rick remains just 1.5 games behind the Lannisters.  Heather slides to 0.500 for the year and at 3.5 game behind, is like out of the main title hunt.  However, there is still time for her to rally and try to finish in the top three.

KK Thunderwolves (4-10-3) vs.  CP Legion (10-4-3)

The first upset of the week came from the Thunderwolves.  After a difficult series of games, Kyle was able to score a close win versus the Legion.  Kyle put on a dominant offensive performance that set him up for the victory.  Leading the way was Ryan Braun, who had four home runs and nine RBI.  The former Legion outfielder was joined by Jonathan Lucroy , Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz, Addison Russell and Wil Myers who all hit at least two home runs.  The display of power was a welcome surprise for the Thunderwolves, who led the league in RBI, were second in SLG, tied for second in home runs, and third in OBP.  The Legion could do little to counter other than take steals and challenge in OBP.  However, Kyle had a solid 4-1 lead before pitching.

Chris fared better here, but was unable to manage the win or draw.  Kyle suffered through nightmarish weeks from Zack Greinke and Jon Gray.  Chris easily won ERA and WHIP after these two implosions.  He also took strikeouts and threw 13 more innings pitched than Kyle.  However, the Thunderwolves tied for the league lead in saves thanks to Brandon Kintzler, Mark Melancon, and Tony Watson.  This left wins as the decisive category for the week.  Chris totaled four and needed to beat Kyle to earn the tie.  Unfortunately for Chris, neither Gerritt Cole or Kevin Gausman earned a victory on Saturday and Kyle escaped with a close win.  The loss is problematic for the Legion, who are now a game behind the league leaders.  The Thunderwolves are not at the top of the league, but the victory is a reminder that every team remains dangerous and competitive.

LK Armadillos (10-5-2) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (7-10)

The week’s second major upset came from the Goofballs.  After enduring multiple tough losses, Kevin was able to put it all together against the favored Armadillos.  Kevin dominated offensively, leading the league in OBP and SLG.  He tied for second in home runs and tired for third in RBI.  Eight Goofballs’ players had home runs, including four from Freddie Freeman.  Brian Dozier added three, and new acquisition Joc Pederson contributed two.  Larry had no offensive counters and lest his best player, Giancarlo Stanton, for the year.  The Armadillos put up a good steals total, but it was little help.

On pitching, Larry fared slightly better.  Steven Matz was dominant, striking out 17 in 13.1 innings pitched.  He allowed on two earned runs but did not record a win.  Needing to secure only a couple of categories, Kevin relied on slightly more innings pitched than Larry.  He led the league in strikeouts.  The two teams split wins and saves, and Kevin picked up WHIP.  Overall, it was a dominant win for the Goofballs, who continue to improve and show why they are a threat every week.  The Armadillos are now 1.5 game behind the leaders, and have several injured players.  They will need a more energetic performance in their next match-up.

JK Lannisters (11-5-1) vs.  CM Happy Hollidays (2-14-1)

The week’s final match paired the Lannisters with the Happy Hollidays.  The Lannisters are the only team to have never lost to the Hollidays, and this week was no exception.  Jeff enjoyed a solid week on both sides of the ball.  Corey Seager continued to show why he was a priority on draft day with another pair of home runs.  JD Martinez returned with a home run as well.  Jason Kipnis stayed red-hot with two steals and a home run.  Neil Walker had a good week for the Hollidays, but it wasn’t enough to earn a category win.

On pitching, the Hollidays suffered several melt-downs.  Adam Wainwright was a disaster, and Mike Leake struggled.  Jacob deGrom, Jose Quintana, and Felix Hernandez were excellent for the Lannisters, and helped secure the full five-category sweep.  The Lannisters are now back in first place by a game, and own the tie-breaker over the second-place Legion.  The Armadillos and Possums are just 1.5 game back, though.  The hunt for the title is likely a four-team race at this point, after the PhoeGnomes loss.

Next Week

The most important match of the week features the Lannisters and Armadillos.  Both teams are dealing with injuries and Larry needs a win to secure first place.  The Lannisters can’t win the tie-breaker over the Armadillos, so this match is critical.  The Possums and Legion also meet in an epic battle.  Both teams are in almost must-win situations, but there is still some hope for the loser.  Still, the team that wins will keep pace with the Lannisters and Armadillos.  The Thunderwolves and Goofballs meet in a battle that will not impact the standings.  However, both teams are hot and are looking for a victory.  Finally, the PhoeGnomes will try to get back over 0.500 and claw back into the race against the fading Hollidays.