LK Armadillos (4 – 3 – 4) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (5 – 5 – 1)

The week’s best performance belongs to the Armadillos.  After a slow start the defending champs are beginning to find more consistency and move up in the standings.  This week’s victim was the Goofballs.  The Armadillos led the league in home runs, RBI, and SLG.  They were second in OBP to the Lannisters.  Pete Alonso had a massive week with four home runs and eight RBI.  Gary Sanchez added three home runs of his own and nine RBI.  Four other Armadillos’ players had two home runs.  Even part timers like Domingo Santana were solid – he had two homers, five RBI, and four walks in just 14 at-bats.  Freddie Freeman tried to keep the Goofballs close with two home runs and 10 RBI, but it wasn’t enough to compete in non-steals categories.  Larry won four categories with ease before accounting for pitching.

Neither team had elite pitching but the Armadillos were competitive with the rest of the league and easily outmatched the Goofballs.  Clayton Kershaw and Mike Fiers had solid starts.  Brandon Woodruff had 18 strikeouts over 13.0 IP.  Brad Hand and the relief corps were dominant.  The Goofballs threw slightly more innings and had a higher strikeout total than Larry’s team, but it wasn’t enough.  Poor starts from Lucas Giolito and Joey Lucchesi put the team out of contention in the rate stats, and the Armadillos cruised to an easy win.  The loss drops the Goofballs below 0.500 and the Armadillos continue their steady march up the standings.

JK Lannisters (7 – 4) vs.  SM Lasershow (1 – 10)

The Lannisters remained in first place despite a spirited challenge from the Lasershow.  Both teams put up excellent offensive numbers.  The Lannisters led the league in OBP and were second in home runs, RBI, SLG, and steals.  As usual, Mike Trout was at the center of the offense with three home runs, 10 RBI, and a steal.  Mookie Betts added a home run and two steals.  Manny Machado had three home runs and eight RBI.  Matt Chapman remained hot with two home runs in limited duty.  Sean got great production from Christian Yelich.  He had three home runs and a steal.  Jeff McNeil had two home runs and two steals.  Overall the Lasershow’s offense was solid, but it couldn’t quite keep pace with the Lannisters.  Sean tied for third in home runs, led the league in steals, and was third in SLG.

The Lannisters gained greater separation on pitching.  They led the league in strikeouts, quality starts, ERA, and were second in WHIP.  Jacob deGrom returned to form with 19 strikeouts over 14.1 IP and two quality starts.  Walker Buehler also earned a quality start and struck out 16 in a complete game three-hitter.  This level of production covered for a few down outings from Luis Castillo and some bullpen hijinks.  Sean got a few decent pitching performances but his starters had trouble lasting deep enough into games to compete in strikeouts or quality starts.  Sergio Romo was solid with two saves, but the team could only tie this single category.  The Lannisters won four others and earned a win.  The match was probably closer than the score indicated, and the Lasershow continue to show competitive fire, but seem to always face a hot team.

RK Possums (7 – 4) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (5 – 5 – 1)

The week’s most bizarre result belongs to the Possums and Thunderwolves.  The final outcome of this match rested on a tie in both SLG and OBP.  I can’t remember another time in which this has happened.  The week started well for the Thunderwolves.  They had strong pitching from Aaron Nola who struck out 10 in just 8.0 IP.  German Marquez added another eight strikeouts in 8.0 IP.  Lance Lynn provided valuable innings and one quality start.  This was enough to top the Possums in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts, despite Justin Verlander 17 strikeouts in 14.0 IP.  Verlander also allowed seven earned runs, and likely cost the Possums the victory had he been only slightly more effective.  Max Scherzer also had a nice start for the Possums and their bullpen was effective.  This gave Rick two categories to Kyle’s three before accounting for offense.

Neither team posted great offensive numbers but both were competitive.  Gleyber Torres was outstanding for the Thunderwolves – he had three home runs and nine RBI.  Whit Merrifield added two home runs, as did Nick Senzel.  This was enough to edge the Possums in both categories.  The Possums struggled to show much power or RBI capability.  Three Possums’ players had three home runs but totaled just eight RBI.  Each team lacked doubles power and neither had a good OBP.  This led to a bizarre situation where Rick won steals, OBP, and SLG despite the scoreboard showing ties in OBP and SLG.  This happens when the numbers are so close that they round to the same value.  However, the Possums must have had the higher value before rounding.  For example, Rick could have had a 0.3187 OBP vs. the Thunderwolves’ 0.3186.  Each rounds to 0.319 but the Possums’ number is slightly higher.  Under the old system, you could view the actual value out the three decimal places.  However, this is not possible on the new site.  It is also impossible to calculate the SLG numbers since doubles and triples are not broken out for the week.

However, it is possible to calculate OBP.  Something bizarre happens, though.  When I used the inputs the game displays on the scoreboard summary, I get a different OBP than what is shown.  I don’t know if it does not count HBP or something else, but I cannot replicate the 0.319 OBP.  The chart above shows what I calculated, which does have the Possums ahead in the category but with a different value.  If anyone has any idea what could be happening here please let me know.  As it stands now, the Possums managed to squeak by in both categories and sneak away with a tie.  The Thunderwolves are likely devastated by the result and know that a single hit or out would have turned the tide for either category and give him the win.

CP Legion (6 – 4 – 1) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (5 – 5 – 1)

The week’s final match saw the PhoeGnomes outlast the Legion thanks to some major pitching shenanigans.  Heather posted mediocre pitching numbers that ordinarily would have lost categories.  She had good saves and quality starts totals but a few bad outings left her near the bottom for ERA and WHIP.  Madison Bumgarner had a blow-up that undid a nice Shane Bieber outing.  Cole Hamels was solid, but Chris Sale was pedestrian.  Normally this would spell trouble, but the Legion were somehow even worse.  They were last in the league in ERA and WHIP, second to last in strikeouts and quality starts, and failed to record a save.  Trevor Williams was at the core of the meltdown with seven earned runs in 5.0 IP.  Andrew Heaney was equally bad, giving up five in just 3.2 IP.  Even the two quality starts met the bare minimum threshold of 6.0 IP and three earned runs.  Overall the staff was simply not competitive and Heather swept the categories with ease.

On offense the Legion were better, but it was too little, too late.  Yordan Alvarez had three home runs and eight RBI, and Yasmani Grandal added another pair of home runs.  Three Legion players managed a steal, and Heather did not have the power to compete.  However, she managed to win steals and this was enough to ensure that she took the week overall.  Even a tie in steals wouldn’t save the Legion, those Jose Ramirez tried to do his part.  The loss is the third straight for the Legion, who need to revamp their pitching approach.  The win also moves up the PhoeGnomes, who are now over 0.500 and in the mix for the title.

Next Week

Next week’s biggest match features the Lannisters and Armadillos.  The Lannisters have long struggled with the Armadillos, and need a win to stay on top.  The Possums will try to keep rolling against the Lasershow.  The Legion and Goofballs both need a win to get back on track.  Finally, the PhoeGnomes and Thunderwolves meet in an interesting match with heavy implications for the standings.

RK Possums (6 – 4 – 0) vs.  CP Legion (6 – 3 – 1)

The most important match of the week saw the Legion and Possums battle for first place.  Rick captured a decisive victory behind the best overall performance of the week.  The Possums led the league in SLG and were near the top in RBI, home runs, and OBP.  The Legion posted decent offensive numbers, but they were not enough to challenge for any categories except steals.  The Possums rallied behind Charlie Blackmon.  He had an incredible week with six home runs, 15 RBI, a 0.568 OBP and 1.216 SLG.  Eight other Possums players had a home run.  Eleven players had SLG above 0.500.  The team-wide performance was enough to win four categories.  Chris had a decent week with three home runs each from Cody Bellinger and Yordan Alvarez.  Adalberto Mondesi added a couple of steals, but this was the only category the Legion would win.

The Legion needed a strong pitching performance to have a chance, but unfortunately for Chris, it was the Possums who had dominant numbers.  Rick led the league in strikeouts, quality starts, ERA, and WHIP.  Trevor Bauer rebounded after some poor starts to record two excellent quality starts.  He struck out 14 in 16.2 innings pitched.  He had a 0.54 ERA and 0.90 WHIP.  Julio Teheran provided good value in one start and Justin Verlander struck out 15 in just 7.0 IP.  This was enough for the Possums to dominate all five categories.  The Legion failed to record a save and several starters suffered meltdowns.  Adrian Sampson was miserable in one start and Mike Soroka struggled.  The Possums capitalized on this weakness and easily won the week.  This moved the Possums into a tie with the Lannisters for first place.  The Legion are left looking somewhat vulnerable after two consecutive losses.  However, both of these losses came to the Lannisters and Possums, who now lead the league.  Chris will try to get back on track against teams lower in the standings.

KK Thunderwolves (5 – 4 – 1) vs.  JK Lannisters (6 – 4 – 0)

The Legion’s loss opened a window of opportunity for both the Lannisters and Thunderwolves.  Each team had a chance to gain ground.  The Lannisters posted a solid all-around week while the Thunderwolves had good offensive numbers but not enough pitching.  The match eerily mirrored the Possums / Legion battle.  The Lannisters’ offense was carried by a balanced attack.  Two standouts were Trey Mancini and Manny Machado.  Each player had three home runs.  Unheralded James McCann had two home runs and five RBI in part-time duty.  McCann has quietly put together a strong season – he is hitting 0.324 / 0.374 / 0.509.  Nine different Lannisters players had a home run, and part-time players like Marcell Ozuna made the most of their at-bats.  This yielded a high SLG and league-leading OBP.  Kyle had okay numbers including a standout week from Eduardo Escobar.  Josh Bell had eight RBI, and Kyle produced more RBI up and down the lineup than the Lannisters.  The Thunderwolves took RBI and steals, but lost leads in the rate stats late in the week.  However, despite the deficit, Kyle could still compete if he had good pitching.

Unfortunately for the Thunderwolves, several players suffered severe meltdowns and conceded both pitching rate stats early in the week.  German Marquez allowed 11 earned runs in 11.2 IP.  Aaron Nola continued to struggle and undid a nice week for Dakota Hudson.  The Lannisters had few starts from their best pitchers, but got nice outings from Walker Buehler and Gerrit Cole.  The team deployed a few fill-in starters who dropped the rate stats slightly at the end of the week.  However, there was more than enough cushion for the Lannisters to earn a win.  The Thunderwolves did their best, but didn’t have the pitching they needed.  The win vaults the Lannisters into a tie for first place.  The loss slows the Thunderwolves momentum, but they are still close to the top of the league.

KG Capital City Goofballs (5 – 4 – 1) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (4 – 5 – 1)

The week’s most interesting contest saw the PhoeGnomes continue to improve, this time at the expense of the Goofballs.  Heather had the second best pitching in the league for the week, and she needed it to outlast Kevin.  Shane Bieber had a great week with 12 strikeouts in his 7.2 IP quality start.  Cole Hamels and Zach Eflin each had a nice start with 18 strikeouts in just 15.0 IP.  Chris sale had two good starts in which he struck out 20, allowed two earned runs, and scored two quality starts.  Heather easily won strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP.  Kevin had some fighting spirit, though.  Fourteen different pitchers made appearances.  Steven Brault had a nice start, as did Jose Berrios and Marcus Stroman.  Kevin was competitive in quality starts, but a few high-profile blowups like Kyle Hendricks left him out of the ERA and WHIP races.  Kevin won saves but Heather swept the other four categories.

On offense, things were different.  Kevin scored an incredible league-leading 22 home runs.  The Goofballs were near the top in RBI and SLG.  Twelve different Goofballs had at least one home run.  Freddie Freeman had two and 10 RBI.  Anthony Rendon had three home runs and five RBI.  Part timers like Miguel Sano and Marcus Semien had home runs in very limited duty.  Heather was essentially shut out of home runs, RBI, and SLG.  However, she did tie for the lead in steals with seven.  Three came from Trea Turner.  This left OBP as the category that would decide the week.  Kevin’s power came at the expense of some OBP.  The PhoeGnomes had less power but better OBP up and down the lineup.  This gave her the edge and took the week.  The Goofballs had a strong week but their total output wasn’t enough to get them over the edge.  The win solidifies Heather’s return to form.  Both teams are now hovering near 0.500 and are legitimate threats to the leaders.

SM Lasershow (1 – 9) vs.  LK Armadillos (3 – 3 – 4)

The week’s final match was a wild encounter between the Armadillos and Lasershow.  Both teams posted great offensive numbers and abhorrent pitching stats.  First, the positive.  The Lasershow led the league in OBP and were tied for the lead in steals.  They also had a strong SLG.  The Armadillos were near the top of the league in home runs, RBI, and SLG, but were edged by the Lasershow in the latter category.  J. D. Martinez and Sterling Marte had three home runs each for the Armadillos.  Shohei Ohtani and Jackie Bradley Jr. each had two home runs and two steals.  At the end of the week, the Lasershow held a narrow 3-2 lead.

For pitching, neither team had good stats.  Only the Thunderwolves had a worse ERA than either team.  Both WHIP totals were near the bottom of the league.  David Price punished the Lasershow with six earned runs in 1.1 IP.  Max Fried struggled as well, logging five earned runs in 4.2 IP.  The Armadillos were equally bad with nightmare outings from Patrick Corbin (5.0 IP / 7 earned runs), Matthew Boyd (4.0 / 4), Jake Odorizzi (6.0 / 4) and Noah Syndergaard (6.0 / 4).  This left several categories in flux going into Sunday.  Hyun-Jin Ryu saved the Armadillos with a clutch Sunday evening quality start.  He totaled 14 strikeouts in 13.0 IP and allowed just one earned run.  His Sunday performance tipped quality starts and ERA to the Armadillos, and they escaped with the narrow 5 – 4 – 1 win.

Next Week

Several interesting matches await the league in Week 12.  The Possums hope to defend their position against the Thunderwolves.  The Lannisters will try to keep rolling against the Lasershow.  Heather and Chris meet when the hot PhoeGnomes try to further bring down the Legion.  Finally, the Goofballs will try to get back on track against the Armadillos.  Currently the top seven teams are all separated by just 1.5 games.  Even the Lasershow are just six out and could feasibly make a run.

JK Lannisters (5 – 4) vs.  CP Legion (6 – 2 – 1)

The week’s most important match-up featured the Legion and Lannisters.  The Legion have been hot and lead the league while the Lannisters have been up-and-down this season.  Jeff found himself in the rare position of having the support of the rest of the league in his battle against the league leaders.  The Lannisters responded with a strong week on both offense and pitching.  The Legion failed to gain traction and suffered a down week all around.  The final result was a strong win for the Lannisters.  The victory was largely a result of excellent pitching.  The Lannisters led the league in ERA and WHIP, and tied for the lead in strikeouts and quality starts.  Two pitchers were outstanding.  Walker Buehler allowed a single earned run over two quality starts in which he struck out 20 batters.  Gerrit Cole was exceptional in his single start – he struck out 14 in just 7.0 innings pitched.  The Legion struggled with implosions from Chris Paddack, Andrew Heaney, and Caleb Smith.  The Legion managed to take saves, but it was the only category they could win for pitching.

Chris’s team fared little better on offense.  The team suffered a power outage that resulted in league-low RBI, OBP, and SLG.  Michael Conforto had a good week in the losing effort, but Nolan Arenado struggled with a 4/22 week and 0.182 SLG.  The Lannisters’ offense wasn’t great, but it did enough to get the job done.  Mike Trout had three home runs and Corey Seager added a home run and nine RBI.  Trout and Seager did enough to push the Lannisters over the top with a comfortable 8-2 victory.  The Legion suffered their third loss, two of which came from the Lannisters.  This tightens the race at the top of the standings.  The PhoeGnomes are in seventh place but only two games behind the Legion.  Five teams are within a single game.  The loss also means the Legion can’t win a tie-breaker with the Lannisters at the end of the season.  Chris will look to rebound from the lost week, while the Lannisters continue to rebound.

HP PhoeGnomes (3 – 5 – 1) vs.  RK Possums (6 – 3)

The week’s most surprising result saw the PhoeGnomes defeat the Possums in a close battle.  Each team displayed good power.  Heather enjoyed a monster four home run week from Tom Murphy in just 13 at-bats.  Jay Bruce added two home runs to taunt his former team.  Seven other PhoeGnomes players had a home run and the team posted a good SLG total.  Rick countered with a pair of three home run weeks from Franmil Reyes and Ronald Acuna Jr..  Acuna also added a steal and Rick took the category.  Although Rick had a good home run total, Heather had superior power up and down the lineup.  She took RBI, but the Possums had the edge in steals.  This gave each team two categories.

Heather was able to distance herself thanks to great pitching.  Both teams had nice stats and solid totals that fell just behind the Lannisters’ dominant performance.  Frankie Montas had 10 strikeouts in just six innings for the Possums.  Three relievers contributed to saves.  Rick had five quality starts mixed with some lesser performances.  Masahiro Tanaka and Zach Davies were less effective, though both avoided a total meltdown.  This gave Heather breathing room and a monster start from Cole Hamels set the tone for the week.  He had 10 strikeouts in 8.0 IP.  Madison Bumgarner had two quality starts.  The team’s MVP was Josh Hader.  He struck out nine in just 3.1 IP and recorded three saves.  Heather took strikeouts and sealed the week.  The Possums put in a good effort and would have beaten many other teams.  Unfortunately for Rick, Heather was just too strong and is now just two games out of first place despite being in seventh.  The Possums missed a chance to move into first, but the blow is softened by the Legion’s loss.

SM Lasershow (1 – 8) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (4 – 4 – 1)

The League’s best offensive performance belonged to the Goofballs.  Kevin led the league in home runs, RBI, SLG, and was tied for first in OBP.  Mike Moustakas had four home runs and Freddie Freeman and Javier Baez added three each.  Three other Goofballs had two home runs.  Only one Goofball regular had a SLG below 0.540.  The onslaught was too much for the Lasershow, who also put up strong numbers.  In fact, the Lasershow were second in SLG and tied for the lead in steals.  Francisco Lindor and Shohei Ohtani had three home runs each.  Christian Yelich had a pair of home runs and steals.  The Lasershow were competitive, but they couldn’t withstand Kevin’s home run blitz.

The scores were close on pitching as well.  Each team had good strikeout and quality start numbers, but mediocre ERA and WHIP metrics.  For the Lasershow, Eduardo Rodriguez had good strikeout numbers but too many earned runs and no quality starts.  David Price was dominant in one start, striking out 10 and earning a quality start.  Kevin countered by relying on the hot Lucas Giolito who struck out 11 in 7.2 IP.  Kyle Hendricks had a nice start in which he struck out 10.  Overall, the Goofballs had slightly better numbers despite the Lasershow narrowly winning ERA and tying in strikeouts.  Kevin cruised to a 7-2-1 win, but Sean’s team put up a good fight.  The team’s numbers would have beaten many others in the league, and the Lasershow have to be patient and hope things eventually add up to success.

LK Armadillos (2 – 3 – 4) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (5 – 3 – 1)

The week’s final match saw the Armadillos frustrate the Thunderwolves.  Larry’s win was predicated on good pitching.  Brandon Woodruff had a nice 10 strikeout start.  Hyun-Jin Ryu added a quality start along with good results from Jake Odorizzi and Clayton Kershaw.  Brad Hand added three saves.  Kyle countered with a good start from Lance Lynn but also suffered poor returns from Aaron Nola and Chase Anderson.  Hector Neris had a nice three save week, but the Armadillos were better in the other four categories.

On offense neither team excelled but the Armadillos did enough to post respectable numbers and earn the win.  Edwin Encarnacion had a huge four home run week.  Pete Alonso added two of his own.  Only two Thunderwolves players had a home run for the week – J.T. Realmuto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr..  The team struggled to get men on base and didn’t record a steal.  Four categories went to the Armadillos, though OBP still eludes them.  The win brings the Armadillos back up to 0.500 and within range of the top of the league.  Kyle will need to find some offensive help and get better pitching to stay in the top half of the league.

Next Week

The week’s most critical match pairs the Legion and Possums.  Rick can move into first place with a win, and the Legion need to bounce back after a tough week.  The Lannisters meet the Thunderwolves, and Kyle is desperate to stay near the top.  The Armadillos face the Lasershow.  Finally, there is an intriguing match between the Goofballs and PhoeGnomes.  Both teams are coming off good performances and want to keep building momentum.

RK Possums (5 – 3) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (4 – 3 – 1)

Week 10 featured close battles in almost every match-up.  The most interesting was the Possums versus the Goofballs.  Both teams are positioned near the top of the league behind the Legion.  In this match, each team had strong pitching.  Kevin was slightly better and led the league in quality starts, ERA, and WHIP.  They tied for first in strikeouts (with the Possums).  Leading the way was Lucas Giolito.  He struck out 19 in two quality starts.  Merrill Kelly was also strong with 10 strikeouts in his single start.  The bullpen was productive and struck out ten betters despite not getting many saves.  The Possums were also strong.  They were second in the league in ERA and WHIP.  They tied for the lead in saves and strikeouts.  Max Scherzer was excellent with 21 strikeouts over two quality starts.  Justin Verlander and Trevor Bauer were also solid.  Rick had four pitchers record a save – this is a rarity now that there are only two relief slots.  Saves was the only category that the Possums won, despite good numbers.

Each team’s stats were close on offense, too, but here Rick too the advantage.  Xander Bogaerts, Joey Gallo, and Max Muncy each had two home runs.  Ronald Acuna Jr. had two steals.  The Possums had strong production up and down the lineup.  Kevin boasted a strong week from Anthony Rizzo and Juan Soto.  Each had two home runs.  However, Kevin didn’t have quite the overall strength that the Possums showed.  Rick won home runs by one and took SLG by a wider margin.  Rick’s RBI and stolen base totals were slightly above the Goofballs.   Kevin took OBP but Rick swept the other four categories and it was just enough to earn a 5-4-1 win.  Kevin needed one home run or strikeout to capture a tie.  The results gives Rick sole possession of second place and momentum going forward.

KK Thunderwolves (4 – 3 – 1) vs.  SM Lasershow (1 – 7)

The season’s most surprising team has been the Thunderwolves.  Kyle’s team is near the top of the league and in position to challenge for the title.  After a fast start, the team lost a little momentum.  However, they turned things around against the Lasershow and won a solid match.  Like the Goofballs, the Thunderwolves best showing was on pitching.  Aaron Nola had an excellent start, but the most surprising contributor was Lance Lynn.  He struck out 17 in two quality starts.  Kirby Yates recorded two saves and Zack Greinke was serviceable over two outings.  Kyle had strong quality start, ERA, and WHIP totals.  Meanwhile the Lasershow continued to struggle.  David Price had a good start but others like Marco Gonzales and Jhoulys Chacin imploded.  The Thunderwolves were able to sweep all five categories and set up a strong chance of winning the match.

Despite this poor pitching showing, Sean put up good offensive numbers and tried to keep the match close.  The Lasershow led the league in OBP by a wide margin.  Jackie Bradley Jr. and Tommy Pham each had OBPs over 0.500.  Christian Yelich had two steals and seven different players had a home run.  This gave the Lasershow solid category wins in OBP, SLG, and steals.  However, Kyle was able to win RBI and home runs.  Eduardo Escobar was the best of the group – he had three home runs, nine RBI, and a steal.  Josh Bell was also strong with two home runs and a good overall SLG.  This was enough for the Thunderwolves to secure victory.  Kyle is now two games over 0.500 and remains a threat to the top teams.

CP Legion (6 – 2) vs.  LK Armadillos (2 – 3 – 3)

The week’s most peculiar match-up featured the Legion and Armadillos.  Both teams put up excellent offensive numbers and abysmal pitching.  The ultimate result was a tie, and both teams surely consider this a massive missed opportunity.  The Armadillos led the league in home runs and RBI.  Gary Sanchez had three homers and six other players had two.  Trevor Story had seven RBI and role players like Hunter Renfroe had a SLG of 1.286.  The Legion couldn’t match these totals but managed to have a stronger OBP and SLG.  Derek Deitrich had four home runs and nine RBI.  Nine different Legion players had SLG over 0.500.  Ten had an OBP of at least 0.400.  This production left the two teams with two categories each and one tied.

The pitching from both teams was as bad as the offensive numbers were good.  The ERA and WHIP totals were near the bottom of the league.  Each team’s ERA was double the Goofballs’ total and the Armadillos’ WHIP was twice what Kevin posted.  Each team had a series of meltdowns and poor outings.  Brandon Woodruff allowed six earned runs in just 4.0 IP for the Armadillos.  Matthew Boyd and Clayton Kershaw were bright spots over four starts – they struck out 28 in just 24.0 IP.  The situation was direr for the Legion.  Matt Strahm allowed 10 earned runs in 10.1 IP.  Steven Matz and Chris Paddack were poor as well.  Roberto Osuna recorded three saves, however, and there were a handful of quality starts to go around.  The Armadillos took ERA and saves but didn’t pitch enough innings to compete for strikeouts.  Both teams tied in quality starts and this resulted in a tie for the week.  Both teams are left to wonder what might have been if there had just been a slightly better pitching effort.  For now, the Legion remain in first place.  The Armadillos managed their fourth tie for the year, and continue to look for momentum to defend their title.

HP PhoeGnomes (3 – 4 – 1) vs.  JK Lannisters (4 – 4)

The week’s final match saw the Lannisters win with a sloppy effort against the PhoeGnomes.  On the positive side for the Lannisters was the offense.  After several down weeks, the team seemed to find more power.  They tied for second in home runs and had a good RBI total.  Matt Chapman led the team with three home runs and Austin Meadows stayed red-hot with two home runs, 10 RBI, and two steals including one steal of home.  Mike Trout returned from injury with two home runs and a steal.  The PhoeGnomes weren’t terrible on offense.  Adam Jones and Matt Olson had two home runs each.  However, the team’s OBP couldn’t compete with the Lannisters and the SLG numbers just weren’t there.  Thanks to Meadows, the Lannisters took steals and swept the other four categories as well.

Like the Legion and Armadillos, neither team had great pitching.  Heather was slightly better thanks to a nice week from Cole Hamels and Zach Plesac.  Each of these pitchers earned a quality start.  Aroldis Chapman had three saves.  Chris Sale had ten strikeouts.  No one had great numbers, but they were good enough to compete in all five categories.  Heather won ERA and WHIP with ease, and narrowly won strikeouts.  However, the Lannisters managed to equal the PhoeGnomes in quality starts and saves.  Kenley Jansen had three saves and Gerrit Cole had two quality starts.  This was enough to tie two categories, and thus secure the win.  The Lannisters are back above 0.500, and the PhoeGnomes took another step back despite a decent effort.

Next Week

The biggest match of the week pits the Lannisters against the Legion.  Jeff is one of only two teams to beat Chris this year, and the Legion need a win to have a chance to win a tiebreaker.  The next best match is the Thunderwolves versus the Armadillos.  Each team needs a win to keep pace.  The Possums are heavy favorites against the PhoeGnomes and the Lasershow hope to frustrate the Goofballs.