KK Wolf Spiders (9-5) vs. LK Armadillos (12-2)
With only ten weeks left in the season, the Armadillos entered the week with a chance to extend their lead on the rest of the league. With every other team hovering near 0.500, only the Wolf Spiders boasted a record that could challenge Larry’s team’s lead. Even with their winning record, the Wolf Spiders were three games behind the leaders. However, they have two head-to-head matches left, and Kyle knew he could still threaten to win back-to-back titles. With everything on the line, could the Wolf Spiders respond? Could they handle the pressure of a must-win situation? Or would the Armadillos all but seal the title?
Kyle answered the call in emphatic fashion, earning a dominant 9-1 win that was never in doubt. His offense led the way and finished second in home runs, tied for second in RBI, and third in runs. One player was crucial to the effort and saved Kyle’s season: Austin Riley. When his team needed him, he delivered one of the biggest stat lines of any player this season. Riley had 6 home runs, 9 runs, and an incredible 16 RBI in just 25 at-bats. His OPS was 1.640. His production alone was ~35% of the Wolf Spiders’ team totals for counting stats. Other players like Orlando Arcia and Bryan De La Cruz had nice weeks, but Riley stood alone, willing his team to victory in every category except steals.
On the pitching side, the Wolf Spiders were serviceable. However, their totals weren’t strong enough to run away with the week on their own. Unfortunately for the Armadillos, their old bugaboo surfaced again with a series of pitching meltdowns. The staff produced league-worst ERA and WHIP totals that are near season highs for any team. The shameful list includes a 7 ER, 4.0 IP start from Tarik Skubal. Braxton Garret added 6 ER in just 3.0 IP. Ranger Suarez allowed 4 in just 5.0 IP. While the ERA and WHIP were bad enough, the low innings totals also suppressed strikeouts and IP. This gave Kyle an easy path to victory where he swept all five pitching categories.
With this win, the Wolf Spiders are just two games behind the Armadillos and appear to have momentum. The Armadillo’s pitching has always been a weak point, and it cost them at the worst possible time. Still, they remain the favorites until these troubling results become a pattern. Kyle has proven that his team has the determination needed to push for a second title. He has also beaten the Armadillos twice, meaning he can’t lose a tie-breaker. (The Goofballs are the only other team to have beaten the Armadillos, with the Hares having two extremely close calls.)
CP Kraken (3-10-1) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (7-7)
While the Wolf Spiders were busy saving their season, the Kraken were busy posting the best overall stats for the week. They led the league in home runs, RBI, and OPS by a wide margin. They were tied for the top in steals, and tied for second in runs. Give players had OPS’s over 1.000, led by Juan Soto with 3 home runs and 9 RBI. Josh Naylor was even better with 3 home runs and 10 RBI. Kyle Tucker and Bryson Stott each had 3 steals. The Goofballs were solid on offense as well, and enjoyed a remarkable week from Freddie Freeman. He had 3 home runs, 7 RBI, 13 runs, and an unimaginable 1.833 OPS. This allowed Kevin to take runs, but Chris dominated the other four categories.
The Kraken differentiated themselves on pitching. They posted the second best overall stats in the league to the Hares. There were no major standouts but everyone was efficient and piled up strikeouts. Aaron Nola was probably the best of the group in two starts over 14.1 IP and 13 strikeouts. Alexis Diaz added 3 saves. The Goofballs countered with good weeks from Raisel Iglesias and Devin Williams. However, they suffered from a series of poor starts with small IP totals. Logan Webb was a disaster, allowing 9 ER in 8.1 IP. Other starts like Aaron Civale did well, but couldn’t throw enough innings. This gave Chris a clear path to victory after his strong offensive showing. The Kraken earned a win, and with it hope to improve the draft lotter chances. The loss is a difficult one for the Goofballs, who had hoped to make a run. However, they are still in the hunt for third place with plenty of time left in the year.
HP PhoeGnomes (6-7-1) vs. RK Possums (6-7-1)
The week’s third match paired two teams with a chance to get back to 0.500 facing off. The Possums and PhoeGnomes both fought hard, but it was Rick who came out on top and moved back up in the standings.
The PhoeGnomes were the better offensive team with a big week from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He had 3 home runs, and paired with Nolan Arenado’s 12 RBI to build some solid counting stats. The team also had five players with OPS’s over 1.000. Despite these strong showings, the team had a strange lack of runs and the steals total was low. This gave Rick an opportunity, and he responded to win both categories. Christian Walker added 6 runs, and Luis Robert Jr. and Francisco Lindor had a total of 5 steals. This was enough to win two critical categories.
On pitching, neither team had great stats. The PhoeGnomes managed to finish second in the league in strikeouts, but the Possums had the better ERA and WHIP. Felix Bautista’s 3 saves were enough to win their category on their own for Rick. Luis Castillo also represented the Possums well with a nice 11 strikeouts in just 6.0 IP. Michael Lorenzen also had a nice start with no earned runs in 7.0 IP, but with just 3 strikeouts. The PhoeGnomes had a disastrous week from Lucas Giolito, who allowed 8 earned runs in 8.2 IP. (I feel like I have written this sentence once or twice a season for the last 9 years.) Giolito and Jesus Luzardo combined for 29 strikeouts, but Rick’s better rate stats were enough to earn four categories and the win.
CM Skyline Sluggers (5-9) vs. JK Hares (7-7-1)
The week’s final match saw the Skyline Sluggers meet the Hares. Charlie’s team has been relatively hot lately, and hoped to keep on track versus the inconsistent Hares. Things went well on offense for Charlie, with Shohei Ohtani posting a 1.479 OPS with 2 home runs. Masataka Yoshida and Javier Baez each had a pair of steals. Rafael Devers and Christian Yelich also had nice weeks with OPS’s over 1.000 but limited home run totals. This would hurt the squad as it allowed the Hares to take RBI with 40. Max Muncy was the key contributor with 3 home runs and 10 RBI for the Hares. Jeff’s team didn’t post terrible offensive numbers, but were only able to take one category.
Pitching was a different story. Charlie posted the third best overall stats in the league, led by a nice week from Yu Darvish. However, the Hares were on a different level and posted the best stats in the league by far. Three pitchers had 10 or more strikeouts in single starts, and a fourth had 9. Spencer Strider once again led the way with 13 in just 6.0 IP. Corbin Burnes and George Kirby threw 15 IP with 20 strikeouts, 0 earned runs, 6 hits, and just 1 walk. Kirby’s control is insane – he has just 11 walks in 119.2 IP with 103 strikeouts. Thanks to two non-terrible spot starts from Tyler Anderson and MacKenzie Gore, the Hares swept all five categories and earned the win.
Players of the Week
This weeks’ best players are the Hare’s Austin Riley, who saved Kyle’s season. Burnes and Kirby are the pitchers of the week thanks to their dominant outings.
Next Week
After a week of shocking results, the standings are in absolute chaos. The Armadillos are on top with a two game lead over the Wolf Spiders. The Possums and Hares are somehow tied for 3rd with just 7-7-1 records. The Goofballs are right behind with a 7-8 record. After that, the PhoeGnomes, Sluggers, and Kraken are all in the mix. It’s impossible to tell where things will end up.
This week, the Kraken hope to keep things rolling and defeat their most bitter rival, the Armadillos. Kyle will try to build further momentum against the Skyline Sluggers. The Possums and Goofballs meet in a battle for 3rd place. Finally, the PhoeGnomes will look to stay out of the bottom tier of the league versus the unpredictable Hares.
Dirt Mountain Baseball League 