CP Legion (2-3-4) vs.  RK Possums (6-2-1)

The Possums continued their hot streak this week against the Legion.  Despite a determined effort, Rick continued to dominate on both sides of the score book.  To their credit, the Legion did everything they could to try to at least tie the Possums.  However, the question must now be asked – are the Possums the front runners for the title?

On offense, both teams excelled.  They easily tied for the league lead with 16 home runs each.  Rick had a narrow edge in RBI, but Chris took steals with five.  Rick won OBP, but the SLG battle was close to the end.  The Legion enjoyed a monster week from Paul Goldschmidt.  After struggling for much of the year, he broke out with four home runs and 11 RBI.  His OBP was 0.680 for the week with a 1.524 SLG.  In total, 10 Legion players had at least one home run.  Cody Bellinger had a strong week with two home runs and two steals.  The Possums countered with a huge week from Khris Davis.  He had four home runs and a 0.870 SLG.  Max Muncy added three more home runs and a 1.500 SLG for the week.  The power explosion from both teams created a deadlock in home runs and a narrow win for Rick in RBI.  This gave the Possums a 3-1-1 advantage before pitching, but the numbers could easily have flipped in RBI and SLG.  Rick led the league in home runs, RBI, SLG, and OBP.  Chris was first in home runs and steals and second in RBI and SLG.

The Possums were even more impressive on pitching.  Corey Kluber as the star for the week with 15.0 innings pitched, two wins, and 15 strikeouts.  The only Possums pitcher with an ERA over 2.50 was Justin Verlander who gave up three earned runs and earned a victory in his start.  Seven of Rick’s eight starters earned victories.  The team picked up a relief win for eight total.  This led the league and it’s almost impossible to post a higher number.  The squad led the league in strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP as well.  They also won saves.  The Possums would have beaten every other team in the league with ease this week.  The Legion can take some comfort in the fact that they put up a solid effort.  The pitching was decent and Chris could have beaten several other teams this week.  The Possums were just too hot.  Rick is currently in second place behind the Lannisters, but they are clearly the most dominant team at the moment.  Whether they can keep up this torrid pace remains to be seen – they have three consecutive wins.

KK Thunderwolves (3-5-1) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (2-4-3)

There is an anomaly in the Goofballs/Thunderwolves score that is under investigation.  I will post more details soon.

JK Lannisters (5-1-3) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (3-5-1)

The Lannisters and Thunderwolves met in a competitive, close match-up.  The Lannisters are currently in first place but a series of injuries and suspensions have hurt the team.  Almost a quarter of the roster is either injured or day-to-day, and that’s not including two season-ending injury cuts.  Still, the team has persevered and searched for talent high and low.  This week’s hero was Jose Martinez.  The Lannisters added him mid-week and he rewarded them with four home runs and seven RBI, both team bests.  The rest of the Lannisters lineup was quiet, though.  Lesser names like Brandon Crawford and Francisco Cervelli were instrumental in helping the Lannisters reach ten home runs and a solid RBI total.  Heather didn’t have the power numbers that Jeff produced, but she had a more solid all-around attack.  She tied for the league lead in steals with five.  She also had the better OBP and SLG thanks to strong weeks from Andrew McCutchen and Jose Altuve.  George Springer was also solid all-around with a 0.609 SLG, a home run, and a steal.  Overall, the PhoeGnomes carried a 3-2 advantage before pitching.

The Lannisters were able to take control of the match thanks to solid pitching.  The staff posted the best numbers in the league besides the Possums.  No Lannisters’ starter had a two-start week, so the team went with several different names.  Gerrit Cole destroyed the Rangers and Jose Quintana had a nice 10 strikeout start.  Jon Lester and Jacob deGrom allowed just two earned runs combined in their two starts.  Heather tried to reply with a great week from Ross Stripling. However, Gio Gonzalez suffered a devastating outing and Jake Arietta was largely ineffective.  Aroldis Chapman had four saves, but that was the only category in which the PhoeGnomes were competitive.  The Lannisters earned a narrow 5-4-1 victory for the week.  The Lannisters are still on top, but they look more vulnerable than ever.  However, the improved pitching staff should cause concern for other teams, especially if the hitting gets back on track.

LK Armadillos (5-3-1) vs.  SM Lasershow (2-5-2)

The week’s final match paired the Armadillos and Lasershow.  Both teams are dealing with numerous injuries, especially on the pitching side.  Neither team posted good numbers, but the Armadillos were just a little bit better in aggregate.  The bullpen remained the Armadillos’ strength.  They easily won the week with five saves.  Andrew Heaney was also superb with a complete game one-hitter.  This was key for the week, as the Armadillos edged the Lasershow in ERA and WHIP.  The Lasershow had a nice strikeout total, though.  They also took wins.  The Armadillos only threw 36.1 innings for the week.  The Lasershow had 49, but the efficiency wasn’t there.  This left Sean with an uphill battle going into offense.

The Armadillos were able to pull away on offense.  Giancarlo Stanton and J.D. Martinez were strong and combined for five home runs and seven RBI.  Alex Bregman was another standout with two home runs and six RBI.  The team did just enough to take OBP and SLG.  The Lasershow lacked power, but managed for steals.  It wasn’t enough, though, and the Armadillos were able to cruise to a comfortable win.  However, the struggles on both sides of the ball should concern both teams.

Next Week

Next week features two big matches.  The Lannisters face the only team to have beaten them this season – the Armadillos.  The Possums face the PhoeGnomes.  The Goofballs and Legion meet and both want to gain ground on some of the leaders.  Finally, the Lasershow and Thunderwolves square off in an interesting matchup of improving teams.