HP PhoeGnomes (2-4) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (1-4-1)

After failing to meet expectations last year, the PhoeGnomes needed a victory to stay in contention in 2017.  A 2-5 start would be difficult to overcome, and Heather rallied with a strong offensive performance.  Justin Bour emerged as an unlikely hero with four home runs.  New addition Trea Turner had three steals.  Jose Altuve continued to be a dual threat with two home runs.  Heather had the best OBP and SLG in the league, tied for first in steals, and was second in home runs and RBIs.  It was easily her best offensive performance of the season and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Neither team had strong pitching, but Heather did amass a good saves total that tied for the league lead.  Kyle fell short in strikeouts and wins.  He had the better WHIP, but Heather recorded a lower ERA.  Kyle had a strong week from Yu Darvish (16 strikeouts in 12.0 innings pitched).  However, a nightmare outing from Julio Teheran undid all of Yu’s good work.  Teheran allowed nine earned runs in just three innings.  Chase Anderson struggled as well, allowing 10 earned runs in 9.1 IP.  Kyle’s pitching has been a strongpoint for his team.  However, his season ERA and WHIP numbers are in the bottom third of the league.  They are also near the middle of the pack in strikeouts and wins.  Kyle has to hope his staff can turn things around.  Heather, on the other hand, will look to build on her strong week and move back to 0.500.

JK Lannisters (5-1) vs.  CP Legion (2-3-1)

The Legion and Lannisters had a close battle that Chris P. won by a single hit or walk.  The Legion were able to take four pitching categories behind good weeks from Alex Wood, Robbie Ray, and Lance McCullers.  Chris had the lowest ERA in the league.  He also led the league in wins.  The Lannisters threw fewer innings but had the second most wins and second best ERA.  Every Lannister starter recorded a win.  Unfortunately for Jeff, saves as the only category he was able to win.

The Legion capitalized taking OBP on offense.  The Lannisters again led the league in home runs and RBIs.  They also won SLG handily and tied in steals.  Mike Trout had three home runs, two steals, and 10 walks for the week.  Chris countered with a huge week from Jake Lamb, who hit four home runs and had 10 RBIs.  The Lannisters held the lead until the last game of the week.  Alex Avila had two walks and one hit, and gave the Legion a 0.0003 win in SLG.  Chris earned a narrow victory and the Legion remain in contention.

RK Possums (2-3-1) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (4-2)

The Possums and Goofballs achieved a rare feat:  The two teams tied 5-5 and each teams swept five categories on each side.  Rick took all five offensive metrics.  The Possums had good consistency.  Six players had home runs and the team tied for second in RBI.  Charlie Blackmon had ten hits and a steal while Joey Votto added two home runs and seven walks.  The Goofballs were relatively close in home runs and RBIs, but struggled in the rate stats.  Nelson Cruz had three home runs, but the Goofballs lacked power elsewhere.  The lengthy injury to Freddie Freeman means that Kevin will have to dig even deeper to find power.

Things flipped on the pitching side.  Kevin won all five categories behind a great week from Ariel Miranda and Jose Berrios.  Berrios allowed only two hits over 7.2 IP and struck out 11.  Chris Archer added 19 strikeouts but allowed nine earned runs in 11.1 IP.  Rick’s starters universally underperformed.  Tanner Roark, Masahiro Tanaka, and Jason Vargas allowed 19 earned runs over just 12 IP.  The bullpen struggled as well, and didn’t record a save.  Kevin won all five categories with ease, and the teams settled into a strange 5-5 tie.  The outcome was never in doubt over the weekend, and both teams will hope for better luck next week.

LK Armadillos (5-1) vs.  CM Happy Hollidays (1-4-1)

The week’s final match featured the Armadillos and Hollidays.  After a series of injuries, Larry finally saw some offensive support this week.  They were near the top in all five offensive categories.  The best player was JD Martinez, who had four home runs, nine RBIs, and 10 walks.  Martinez was injured to start the year, and the Armadillos will need his offensive contributions if they want to maintain their lead.  The Hollidays tried to counter with a huge week from Corey Dickerson.  He had five home runs and nine RBI.  However, the Armadillos were a little bit better across all categories and earned the 5-0 sweep.

Chris did better on pitching, but it wasn’t enough to challenge the Armadillos.  The best pitching outing from anyone this week was Carlos Martinez’s complete game shutout.  He allowed just two hits and one walk.  The Armadillos weren’t able to match this singular performance directly, but they did have good showings from Clayton Kershaw and, incredibly, Matt Garza.  The appearance of Garza on a roster, much less an actual start, shows the depths to which the Armadillos must dig to find capable pitchers.  Ultimately, they won 10-0 and will spend another week in first place.

Next Week

The week’s most intriguing match pairs the Legion and PhoeGnomes.  Both are coming off good performances and need a victory to move closer to contention.  The Lannisters and Goofballs meet in another important battle.  The Thunderwolves will try to get on track against the Hollidays.  Finally, the Possums will be desperate for a win against the leading Armadillos.