CP Legion (2-8-1) vs. RK Possums (6-5)

The week’s most thrilling match-up featured the Legion/Kraken versus the Possums.  Both teams put up astounding numbers in an epic battle.  On offense, with the exception of teals, the Legion led the league in all four categories and the Possums were second.  On pitching, the Possums were near the top of the league in all categories.  The end result was a razor-thin 5-4-1 victory for Chris’s squad.  The Possums suffered the most bitter defeat possible – they would have easily defeated any other team in the league.

Let’s start with Rick’s pitching.  No one player had a particularly great week, but the overall team effort was strong.  James Paxton and specifically Max Scherzer had good weeks.  Scherzer had 16 strikeouts in 14.0 IP with just 3 earned runs.  Felix Bautista and Will Smith each had a pair of saves.  This was enough to win four categories – but the Legion drew saves thanks to a 3 save week from Alexis Diaz.  This tie would prove essential to Chris’s win.

Offensively, both teams were amazing, but the Legion were on a different level.  Matt Olson have 5 home runs, 9 RBI, and 7 runs.  Juan Soto emerged from a slump with 3 home runs and a 1.514 OPS.  Six players had OPS values over 1.000, all with lots of playing time.  This included Elly De La Cruz, who had 2 steals and 6 runs. 

Normally this would guarantee a victory for a team, but incredibly, the Possums kept pace and game within a single steal of tying for the week.  Luis Robert led the team with 3 home runs, and the unlikely Christian Walker contributed 3 steals.  Rick had 5 players with OPS values over 0.900, just a tick behind the Legion.  The teams combined to have 15 players with a home run.  Each individual team had more home runs than either the Sluggers/Goofballs and PhoeGnomes/Armadillos match totals!  Combined, the two teams had 29 home runs.  The rest of the league had just 40.

With just one more steal of save, the Possums could have earned a tie.  Unfortunately for Rick, the Legion truly “released the kraken” and came out of nowhere to earn an impressive win.

KG Capital City Goofballs (5-6) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (3-7)

The next match in our rundown saw the Sluggers win another close contest with the Goofballs.  Charlie earned back to back wins thanks to good pitching and just enough hitting to get the job done.  The Sluggers were second in the league in strikeouts behind another great outing from Blake Snell.  He had 11 strikeouts in 6.0 IP, and allowed no earned runs.  The Goofballs suffered a series of meltdowns “led” by Jack Flaherty’s 6 earned runs in 6.1 IP.  Every Goofballs started allowed at least 3 earned runs, and none started two games.  In a somewhat bizarre development, Kevin managed to win one category – saves – with a lone save from Devin Williams. 

On offense, neither team did well.  Neither team had a player with more than 1 home run.  The teams’ OPS were both below 0.670, an abysmal total in itself.  Kevin managed 7 steals, but the Sluggers won OPS, home runs, and RBI.  This was enough for Charlie to achieve back-to-back wins and show that the team remains a competitive threat.

KK Wolf Spiders (7-4) vs. JK Hares (5-6)

Our next match-up paired the Hares with the Wolf Spiders.  Kyle needed a win to keep pace, and his team delivered with a solid overall performance.  The Hares also had some good numbers, and the score was deceptively lopsided.

The Wolf Spiders had arguably the best pitching stats across the league.  They were at the top for IP and saves, and were just behind the Possums in ERA and WHIP.  Leading the way was Gerrit Cole who had 15 strikeouts in 2 starts over 12.0 IP.  Camilo Doval had 3 saves, but three other Wolf Spiders relievers also recorded a save.  This shows that Kyle paid attention to rest, matchups, and other factors to keep fresh relievers in his lineup across the entire week.  The Hares normally have reliable pitching, but they suffered a series of low-inni

ng meltdowns (particularly Corbin Burnes) that rendered most categories almost un-winnable. 

Neither team had great offensive numbers, but neither team was at the bottom of the league tables.  The Hares had 8 home runs – strangely, this came from 4 players with 2 each.  Will Smith continued to be one of the league’s top catchers.  However, the Hares’ totals were only good enough to tie home runs and win runs.  Kyle had better depth and took RBI, steals, and OPS.  Austin Riley had a nice week with a 1.125 OPS, and Trea Turner had 3 steals in limited duty, another testament to Kyle’s attention to detail this season.

Overall, the Wolf Spiders earned a comfortable victory and kept pace with the Armadillos.  Kyle is serious in his bid to repeat, and the rest of the league should take notice.

HP PhoeGnomes (5-5-1) vs. LK Armadillos (10-1)

The week’s final match saw the Armadillos win yet another week.  This time, the result came from excellent pitching.  The Armadillos led the league in strikeouts and ERA and were second in WHIP and IP.  Leading the way were two players with incredible weeks.  First, Braxton Garrett had 13 strikeouts in just 7.0 IP and gave up 1 ER on 3 hits.  Even more impressive with Eury Perez, who had 18 strikeouts across 2 starts, gave up no earned runs, and allowed just 1 walk.  These two pitchers combined to dominate the stats page.

Neither team had spectacular offense, but the Armadillos managed to win steals and solidify their victory.  The win increases their phenomenal streak, and the rest of the league is disappointed that Heather couldn’t pull out the upset.  The score was such that the leaders were vulnerable, but yet another team failed to capitalize on the opportunity.

Players of the Week

The best players of the week are undoubtedly Juan Soto for the Legion and Garrett / Perez duo for the Armadillos.  Without these key contributors, neither team would have won their matches.

Next Week

The final week before the All-Star break sees the mighty Kraken take on the slumping Hares.  The Possums and Wolf-Spiders hope to keep pace versus the Sluggers and PhoeGnomes.  Finally, the Armadillos face off against the…. U-Haul Trucks??  Kevin hopes a name change will give him a chance!

RK Possums (6-4) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (6-4)

The week’s most interesting match-up paired the Wolf Spiders versus the Possums. Both teams are among the few that might be able to defeat the Armadillos. In this mach, Kyle was able to come out on top thanks to the best overall performance in the league.

Both teams were evenly matched on offense, but Kyle was able to get a slight edge across all categories except steals. The teams were #1 and #2 in home runs, and the Wolf Spiders were led by an amazing week from Corey Seager. He had 3 home runs, 6 RBI, 6 runs, a steal, and an astonishing 1.408 OPS over 28 at-bats. The Possums enjoyed a fine week from Jonathan India (3 home runs) and Fernando Tatis Jr (4 steals). Unfortunately, steals was the only category that went Rick’s way, and he had to face a 4-1 deficit before pitching.

On the pitching side, the Wolf Spiders pulled away. Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander, and Zac Gallen each had great starts, giving up just 1 ER each. The Possums suffered through three starters who each gave up 6 earned runs or more. The Possums won saves, but Kyle was good enough to take the other four categories with relative ease. This was enough for Kyle to earn a win and move into second place, 3 games behind the Armdillos. The Possums are still in third, and are no 4 back.

LK Armadillos (9-1) vs.. JK Hares (5-5)

The Armadillos were heavy favorites against the Hares, but Jeff had a gameplan to try to bring down the league leaders. The team’s goal was to win as many pitching categories as possible and hope to steal an offensive category or two.

Half of the plan worked. The Hares had good pitching and took four categories without a lot of effort. Zack Wheeler allowed 1 earned run in 2 starts, and George Kirby added a nice effort as well. Chris Bassitt humiliated himself yet again, and one has to wonder how many chances the Armadillos will continue to give him. This implosion guaranteed that the Hares would win both rate categories. However, Larry was able to win saves. The Hares had a lot of relief innings, but none in save situations. However, the first part of the plan worked with a 4-1 lead.

On offense, things tilted more toward the Armadillos. J.T. Realmuto was the Armadillos’ leader with 2 home runs, a steal, and an unthinkable 1.676 OPS. Justin Turner added 10 RBI, and the Armadillos were in control of many categories. The Hares did make things close with good home run, OPS, and steals totals. However, it wasn’t quite enough. The Armadillos managed 10 steals, and the Hares fell 2 home runs or a few OPS points short of a tie.

The win cements the Armadillos’ place at the top of the league, but the Hares effort shows a possible path to victory. With slightly better offense, the results would have been different. Other teams with more offensive firepower might need timely pitching to stop the leaders.

KG Capital City Goofballs (4-6) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (5-4-1)

The Goofballs and PhoeGnomes faced-off in a battle of mid-tier teams. Each team had their bright spots, and the Goofballs earned a nice 7-3 win.

Heather’s pitching was a strong point, and she led he league in ERA and was second in WHIP. No one pitcher really stood out, but every starter had a nice outing and no one on the staff allowed more than 3 earned runs. This wasn’t just a narrow band of production either! The PhoeGnomes had the second and third highest strikeout and IP totals, respectively, in the league. However, Kevin was a little better over the long-haul and led the league in IP and strikeouts. Taijuan Walker was the best of his group of starters with an 8 inning gem. Kevin also had a nice week of relief pitching, and took 3 of 5 categories.

On offnese, the Goofballs were on a roll. The team had great all-around stats and outside of steals, the PhoeGnomes didn’t have much of a chance. Kevin tied for the leauge lead in home runs and was second in RBI. Ozzie Albies had the best week on the team with 3 home runs, 10 RBI, 7 runs, and a steal. He boasted a 1.330 OPS and led the team to victory for the week.

The win moves Kevin closer to 0.500, and Heather is left looking for answers.

CM Skyline Sluggers (2-8) vs. CP Legion (2-7-1)

The week’s final match-up pit the Skyline Sluggers versus the Legion. The Sluggers managed a hard-fought win with a nice all-around performance. Both teams put up decent numbers, but the Sluggers were led by yet another incredible week from Shohei Ohtani. He had another 4 home runs and a steal, and has become a fixture in the weekly recap time after time.

Blake Snell gave the Sluggers an otherworldly pitching performance with 12 strikeouts in just 6.0 IP. The Legion didn’t have a major meltdown outside of Bobby Miller, but they weren’t able to put up good enough numbers to be competitive. The Sluggers won, and are now in 7th place!

This is a nice milestone for the Sluggers, who have climbed out of last place for the first time this late in the season. The loss also serves as a grim talisman for the Legion. For a franchise as proud as Legion, it is time to take drastic action to right the ship.

Players of the Week

The best player of the week has to be Corey Seager. His powerful week was enough to give Kyle the edge in a close battle on offense. Blake Snell was the best pitcher thanks to his absurd strikeout totals.

Next Week

On paper, many of next week’s match-ups appear to be one-sided. The Armadillos face the slumping PhoeGnomes. Their closest competition, the Wolf Spiders, face the equally troubled Hares. The Goofballs face the Sluggers, whose offense might pose issues for Kevin. Finally, the Possums meet the Legion, who must be desperate for a victory.

LK Armadillos (8-1) vs. RK Possums (6-3)

The week’s most important match-up saw the Armadillos face-off with the Possums.  The Armadillos’ hot start makes every match-up critical for teams lower in the standings.  The Possums needed win to try to keep pace.  Despite a valliant effort, Rick was unable to hold on for a win or a tie, and the Armadillos earned yet another win.

Larry’s team posted the best stats across the board in the league.  However, his pitching was in rare form.  The team led the league in ERA and WHIP, never an Armadillos strong suit.  However, the team ceded IP and K to the Possums, who had a pretty good week of their own.  The Possums had a good WHIP and ERA but it wasn’t enough to keep pace.  Logan Gilbert and Chris Bassitt had good starts for the Armadillos, but Rick countered with volume from Mitch Keller and a gem from Jon Gray.  Unfortunately for Rick, neither of his reliever had a chance for a save over the weekend, which led to a 3-3 tie for saves.

On offense, the teams were also close.  Rick had the edge in steals thanks to seven different players picking up at least one each.  He also had a great OPS thanks to solid work from Luis Robert Jr and Fernando Tatis Jr.  However, the Armadillos countered with stronger counting stats.  They won home runs, RBI, and runs.  Jose Ramirez was the key to the victory, with a 10/23 week, 4 home runs, 8 RBI, and 7 runs.  Four other players also had two home runs, including a shocking contribution from the long-forgotten Gary Sanchez.  This was enough to win 3 categories, and a victory for the Armadillos.  The loss is a bitter one for the Possums, who fall another game behind and had a good chance at the tie.  Both teams were evenly matched and had a competitive week, but as we’ve seen so many times this season, the Armadillos had a tiny edge when they needed it. 

KK Wolf Spiders (5-4) vs. CP Legion (2-6-1)

The Wolf Spiders and Legion engaged in a fun battle featuring abysmal pitching and closer offense.  Neither team had pitching worth writing about, but Chris was the better of the two and “won” four categories, despite having and ERA over 4.00 and the second worst WHIP in the league, behind only the Wolf Spiders.  Andrew Abbott had a nice week for the Legion, and his 0 ER over two starts were enough to give Chris the edge.

On offense, the situation was different.  The Legion weren’t able to get a lot going.  Their OPS was at the bottom of the league table.  They managed a respectable RBI total, and a few steals, but not much else.  In contrast, the Wolf Spiders were able to post the most RBI in the league.  They were second in steals and third in runs.  Their OPS was solid, and Nolan Jones had a great week in limited action with 2 home runs and a steal.  Trea Turner continued to improve as well, with a 1.346 OPS.  Thanks to a surplus of steals, the Wolf Spiders were able to sweep the hitting side and take a narrow 6-4 win.

Much like the Possums, the Legion put up a solid week and feel just short of the tie.  For Kyle, the win keeps pace with the Armadillos.  The team will need to find more consistency, because most other teams would have beaten him this week after the numerous pitching meltdowns.

HP PhoeGnomes (4-4-1) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (2-7)

The PhoeGnomes were able to move above 0.500 for the first time in several weeks with a nice win against the Sluggers.  Heather put up excellent pitching numbers, and these were the keys to victory.  The team led the league in IP and was second in strikeouts, saves, ERA, and WHIP.  No one pitcher was above the rest, but four had starts of at least 6.0 IP and giving up 1 earned run or fewer.  Jordan Romano also added three important saves, and took a 4-1 lead.

On offense, neither team did well.  Both squads were at the bottom of the league in most categories.  However, Heather was able to record a good steals total, and score some runs.  For example, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jose Altuve each had tow steals.  However, the had a 0.625 and 0.566 OPS respectively.  This resulted in abysmal rate stats, but some fair counting numbers.  The Sluggers were much the same.  Besides Shohei Ohtani and Isaac Paredes were the only bright spots.  They combined for 5 home runs and Ohtani had 2 steals.  This wasn’t enough, and Heather won a comfortable victory.

The win is critical for Heather, who moves into the conversation of contenders along with the Possums and Wolf Spiders.

JK Hares (5-4) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (4-5)

The week’s final match saw the Hares put up a feeble effort against the Goofballs.  After a decent start to the year, the Hares have fallen back to earth behind abominable hitting and inconsistent pitching.  The Goofballs weren’t great, but they did manage to dominate hitting and take the week.

Leading the way was Francisco Alvarez with 4 home runs.  However, 8 other Goofballs had at least one home run, and the team easily had the best total in the league with 17.  This led to good RBI and runs numbers, too, and clinched the best OPS in the league at 0.9159.  The Hares weren’t able to keep pace, and despite some good pitching, the Goofballs took the victory.

Next Week

Believe it or not the season is nearing the half-way point.  There are also some enormous match-ups to watch.  The most critical is the Possums versus Wolf Spiders.  They both have to hope that the Hares can some how muster enough offense to compete with the Armadillos.  The PhoeGnomes and Goofballs meet in another important battle of mid-tier teams.  Finally, the Legion face the Sluggers as both teams try to build momentum.

This week we have a guest author as The Commissioner continues his move to London! Thank you so much to Chris for the phenomenal write-up! We will be back on track with the normal programming next week.

Week 9 – The Legion and the rest…

LK v CP

After the best all round week in week 8, the Legion looked to carry it on against the league leading Armadillos to show that they still had a chance to make a run for the title. On the flip side, the Armadillos have barely been challenged since a week one loss. They cruised into the week looking to stomp the trash-talking Legion and put them in their place… last.

Last week’s dominant SP for the Legion started the week with the two highest-rated pitching match-ups per ESPN, B Miller(Sea) and B Miller(LAD), plus a red hot Kopech on Monday. Expectations were high. Before either of them took the mound, the Legion watched Stroman pitch a CG 1H shutout, against Tampa, while sitting on the Legion bench. Miller, Miller, and Kopech had no such luck. They combined for a disappointing 7.87 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. This gave the Armadillos a huge advantage out of the gate on the pitching side before they ever threw an inning, but the Armadillos watched in frustration as Gilbert had his worst start of the year on Tuesday. Needless to say, the trash-talking Legion took note.

Neither team had huge offensive numbers early in the week. After the first couple of days, both teams owned a couple of categories with mediocre numbers.

The Armadillos did not stay on the mediocre side for long. A savvy pickup of an old mainstay, Gary Sanchez (Sanchez?), sparked the team. Betts had a great day on Friday with 2HR and a SB to give Larry a comfortable 9-1 lead going into the weekend with multiple categories looking out of reach for the Legion.

The Armadillos’ worst nightmare seem to unfold as the Legion had a miracle weekend to come back and pull off a massive upset against the league-leading Armadillos!

It was a great dream…

The reality is that the Legion could do nothing to even make the week close. The Armadillos put up average stats across the board (except for SB) and still managed to dominate without losing a category.

Larry is no doubt happy but relieved to have a down week out of the way before he has to go head-to-head with Rick next week in a battle of 1st and 2nd. Armadillos MVP: JD Martinez- 1.167 OPS 4R, 3HR, 7RBI.

CM v KK

The defending champions Wolf Spiders who started off the season in a dominating 3-0 fashion found themselves somehow sitting at .500 going into week 9 vs the Sluggers. They badly needed to get back on track. Meanwhile, the Sluggers found themselves wondering how they could possibly be 2-6. Each week they are competitive in every category and somehow find a way to fall short. This week the Sluggers started off much like most weeks. They had a good not great first couple of days. They did enough to be close in every offensive category.

The Wolf Spiders came out throwing. On Tuesday, they started 5 SP and put some serious pressure on the Sluggers. Those arms combined for a crazy 1.89 ERA and 1.11 WHIP while racking up 32 Ks over 33.1 IP.

The Sluggers had an uphill battle. Ohtani looked up the hill and said, “Get on my back.” The superstar launched … HR including his first multi-HR game of the year. The rest of the team did just enough to keep the offensive categories close going into the weekend. As for the pitching, the Sluggers quietly made multiple solid starts and looked like they could challenge those lofty numbers set by the Wolf Spiders early on.

Shockingly, Ohtani did not play a role on the pitching side. Charlie wisely left Ohtani on the bench against the Astros when they blasted him for 10 base runners and 5ER. Charlie’s lone pitching disappointment leading up to the weekend came not as a performance but as the inevitable injury of Sale. So many other league managers have experienced the euphoria/frustration that is Sale. The Wolf Spiders rode those early numbers into the weekend with a 7-3 lead.

Then, came Saturday. The Sluggers combined for 19 for 46 and a 1.164 OPS. Arraez led the way with a 5/5 performance and 5RBI.

It was anyone’s match as late as 6:30 on Sunday. The Sluggers were sitting one HR or RBI away from a win for the week. Alas, it was not meant to be.

The Wolf Spiders had the Sluggers trapped in their web. There would be no more counting numbers added to their weekly stats, and for good measure, the Wolf Spiders’ Seager and Jung tallied a couple more RBI to make the week slant more in their favor and end at 5-3-2. The Wolf Spiders had an excellent overall week and were near the league leaders in almost every category.

The continue to linger just out of reach of the Possums and Armadillos. They will look forward to a match up with the Legion next week.

Wolf Spiders’ MVP: Seager 7R, 2HR, 10RBI, 1.169 OPS (Mikolas was a close 2nd with 8IP 0ER 10K and 0.50WHIP)

HP v JK

The star-studded yet inconsistent PhoeGnomes, who have been hit harder than anyone by injuries this year, welcomed back their emotional leader Jose Altuve to start the week against the Hares.

The Hares, who already had one heartbreaking loss to the PhoeGnomes this year were looking to get a little revenge as they continued their climb toward the league lead.

Early on the PhoeGnomes looked like they were on a mission. Altuve blasted his first HR of the year and Judge had three HR in two days. All told, the PhoeGnomes had 5 HR and 2 SB at the end of day two.

The Hares’ phoned in Memorial Day and started the week with a pedestrian .468 OPS. Coupled with a blown save from their stud RP, Presley, the Hares looked like they were in deep trouble. As the week progressed, Trout and the gang gave us all a little reminder that Jeff is a perennial contender for a reason. One day can close the gap in almost any offensive category. By the end of Wednesday only OPS seemed out of reach on the offensive side. However, the PhoeGnomes put up consistent numbers each day with Castellanos launching two HR on Friday and Kershaw and Valdez pitching like the aces they are supposed to be to give the PhoeGnomes a comfortable 9-1 lead going into the weekend.

The news headlines didn’t look good for Heather as both Altuve and Judge reported lingering injuries that had them in street clothes as the weekend ended. Pair that with a couple of mediocre starts from the PhoeGnomes’ staff to end the week and ….. well, it didn’t matter.

Jeff was more than outmatched this week. The Hares would have only been competitive with the Legion (a phrase no owner wants to hear/read)

PhoeGnomes MVP: Judge 6R, 4HR, 5RBI, and 1.513 OPS.

RK v KG

The last match of the week was a tale of polar opposites. The Possums came into the week rolling over opponent after opponent and sat at a stellar 6-2. The Goofballs on the other hand have been seen at minor league parks scouting for help as the have struggled to a 2-6 record.

Although the Goofballs seem to be at an all-time low, they can never be considered an easy week as long as Kevin (arguably the best waiver wire scout in the league) is making the managerial decisions.

Both teams started the week with mediocre stats starting in their lineup. The Goodballs’ bench had the advantage over the Possums’ bench as they went 11/21 and wracked up two early HR. As for the stats that counted, the Goofballs had a 1 HR edge, and each team had a couple of steals and a save after the first two days of games. This kind of close week has historically made the Goofballs the favorite, yet Rick had to be concerned but confident early on after seeing the Goofballs’ missed opportunities.

The Goofballs’ had to be running out of desks to flip over back in the office after SP Steele left after three perfect innings on Wednesday with what looks like (a season ending) elbow soreness, but it did seem to spark the offense.

Carroll and Freeman both had huge days with a HR each and two steals, but the real story prior to the weekend was the Possums pitching. Every pitcher, starter and reliever, hung zeros and Ks inning after inning. They entered the weekend with a 1.88 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 46 Ks. The two teams were locked into a fight with a 5-4-1 split going into Saturday. As the weekend started, rumors swirled that the Goofballs were looking at property in Vegas. Pictures started circulating showing multiple tables not flipped over in Vegas.

Kyle Schwarber was asked about his thoughts on his owners actions. His response was elegant, “I really don’t give a s—-, nope. Move on!”

He then went out and had a monster Sunday with a 2HR, 6RBI, and 2R. The Possums had a good day in their own right but could not do enough. The Goofballs pulled away with a 6-3-1 victory.

After an embarrassing loss last week to the Legion that thrust them into last place (Go Legion), the Goofballs claw back out of the trenches. Next week they will look to keep it going against the struggling Hares.

Goofballs’ MVP: Devin Williams (RP) 3IP, 1H, 4K, and 2Saves. Ok, fine! The MVP was Schwarber based on timing. Rookie Corbin Carrol had a great week as well with 2HR, 2SB, 6R, 6RBI, 1.068OPS and a diving catch.

Overall MVP: Commissioner Jeff Kramer – thanks for all you do between your busy RL schedule. I speak for the whole league when I say, ‘We look forward to having you write the wrap up next week.’ 2nd place MVP: Cory Seager!! The Wolf Spiders could not have won without him this week.

Commissioner’s note: Thank you Chris! I really appreciate it and I’m looking forwad to getting back at it next week. 🙂 This was a great write-up and I think everyone will enjoy it!