HP PhoeGnomes (7-11) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (13-5-1)

As the race for the championship reaches its final weeks, the Wolf Spiders stayed in control of their own destiny with one of the most shocking results in the history of the league.  How did this happen? And what does it mean for the pennant race?

First, Kyle built a small lead in pitching thanks to superior counting stats.  Justin Verlander and Luis Castillo each had strong two-start weeks.  Verlander was particularly impressive, striking out 16 without allowing a run.  However, J.P. France had a nightmare start, allowing 10 earned runs in 2.1 IP.  Heather capitalized with a classic rate stat strategy.  She won WHIP and ERA with ease after rebound week from Framber Valdez.  This gave Kyle a 3-2 lead.

On offense, things were evenly matched.  The Wolf Spiders easily won steals, but Heather took home runs and runs.  Aaron Judge netted 4 home runs to lead the charge.  However, the Wolf Spiders produced more RBI thanks in large part to Trea Turner, who’s come back to post solid numbers the last few weeks.  This left the two teams with a split 2-2 score before OPS.  If Heather won OPS, she would tie the week.  If Kyle won, he would take the victory for himself.

Going into Sunday, the category was essentially tied.  Heather held a tiny advantage – could she hold on?  On Sunday, she posted a weak 6 hits in 38 at-bats.  This was good for a 0.516 OPS.  The Wolf Spiders were just 7 for 32, for a paltry 0.441 OPS.

Now, you may be reading this, and asking – how could Kyle have won the week when Heather held the lead in OPS going into Sunday, and Kyle posted the lower OPS for the day?  This seems impossible but it’s not!

Heather’s players had 6 more at-bats for the day.  This mean that their total contribution relative to the week was higher than the total contribution of Kyle’s players on Sunday.  By virtue of having fewer at-bats for the day, the Wolf Spiders reduced their total OPS by less.  This is an absolutely stunning outcome, but it’s even more incredible when looking at the final OPS numbers:

These numbers look dead even.  It’s not until the fourth decimal place that any difference is noticeable.  Heather’s OPS is actually 0.71439123.  Kyle’s is 0.71440162.  This is a difference of just 0.00001039.  This is equivalent to just one base over the course of the entire week for either team.

Is it possible that this tiniest of margins could swing the course of the season?  Kyle remains just 0.5 games behind the Armadillos.  Those two teams have one final match next week.  If both teams win this week, that will become a winner-take-all affair with just two weeks remaining after that.  Kyle may be in a position to battle for the league lead, rather than just a tie, thanks to one base from either team.  It’s truly one of the closest, most contested finishes to a week and a season the league has ever seen.

KG Geo Prizms (10-9) vs. LK Armadillos (14-5)

On the opposite side of the offensive spectrum, the Armadillos put up shocking numbers against the Geo Prizms.  However, Kevin refused to give up, and managed to post amazing numbers himself.  The result was an Armadillos victory, but one that was much closer than anyone would have expected on Monday.

On the first day of the week, the Armadillos did the unthinkable – they posted 10 home runs, 20 RBI, and 17 runs scored.  The team had an OPS of 1.744.  Every player in the line-up had a hit and a run.  All but Ke’Bryan Hayes had an RBI.  Pete Alonso was the only other player without a home run, but he had 2 hits.  The offensive explosion was unprecedented in league history.

Despite being in a terrible deficit, the Geo Prizms continued to fight back.  They clawed their way to the top of runs thanks to Corbin Carroll and Randy Arozarena, who each had 8.  They tied for the lead in steals, thanks again to Carroll and Arozarena with 3 each.  The teams OPS ended at 1.0613, not far behind the Armadillos 1.0971.  While they only won a single category, the produced enough offense to have swept every other team in the league except for the Kraken’s RBI total.  In total, nine of the top 10 offensive stats for the week belonged to the two teams.

Although it was remarkable that Kevin had a chance given the Armadillos’ start, pitching sealed the week for the league leaders.  Kevin suffered blow-ups from Julio Urias, Zack Littell, and others.  The Armadillos got a nice start from Merrill Kelly, who struck out 12 in just 7.0 IP with no earned runs.  This, combined with further solid production, secured three categories for the Armadillos, and they cruised to a smooth win.  They remain at the top of the league, with the monstrous Wolf Spiders / Armadillos clash looming in two weeks.

RK Possums (10-8-1) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (5-14)

While the top two finishers in the league are a known quantity, the race for third is still in force.  The Possums had a chance to move up in the ranks as the Geo Prizms lost.  Rick took advantage and earned a strong win versus the Skyline Sluggers.  The Possums were led by their pitching.  Max Scherzer put up solid numbers, and he joined Kodai Senga and Brandon Woodruff with at least 10 strikeouts in just a single start.  The Sluggers failed to have five starts, and were easily swept.

On offense the Possums posted a strangely high home run total (12) but a weak OPS (0.6990).  It was a feast or famine week for the hitters, although Adolis Garcia posted a nice 2 home run week.  The Possums were able to win two categories and secure an easy win.  The Possums are now in sole possession of third place, 1.5 games above the Geo Prizms, and 2.0 above the Hares.

CP Kraken (5-12-2) vs. JK Hares (9-9-1)

The week’s final match paired two of the league’s biggest disappointments – the Hares and Kraken.  As I said last week, this was a match-up no one wanted, and thus the review will be brief.  The Hares suffered through a hideous pitching week, and like the Possums, had good home run totals (10) and a miserable OPS (0.6948).

With all joking aside, the Kraken did have a nice week overall, and their pitching was near the top of the league.  Aaron Nola was the best of the bunch with 14.0 IP, 14 strikeouts, and just 2 earned runs.  He paired with a nice start from Logan Gilbert to guarantee a win.  It doesn’t change the standings, but it’s always nice to have a victory.

Players of the Week

There aren’t any specific Players of the Week this week, as it would be impossible to determine in the incredible Wolf Spiders / PhoeGnomes match.

Next Week

Next week sees the Wolf Spiders with a relatively tough match against the Geo Prizms.  The Armadillos face the last- place Skyline Sluggers.  Although all eyes are on the Armadillos / Wolf Spiders next week, neither team can afford to slip up this close to the end.  The Possums and Hares play in a relatively meaningless contest for both sides, although the Possums do want to stay in third place.  Finally, the Kraken and PhoeGnomes meet in a match where the Kraken want to try to move into 6^th place for a better pick in the draft lottery.

LK Armadillos (13-5) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (7-10-1)

After a series of defeats and close calls, the Armadillos made a statement this week against the PhoeGnomes.  They led the league in all offensive categories except steals, where they were second.  Pete Alonso had 4 home runs and Marcell Ozuna contributed a 1.320 OPS.  Mookie Betts had 3 home runs and a team-leading 1.431 OPS.  However, the star of the week was Julio Rodriguez.  He had 2 home runs, 12 RBI, 7 runs, and a 1.417 OPS over 37 PAs.  He also had an impossible 6 steals, accounting for the team’s total output for the week!

Heather didn’t give up in the face of this opposition, though.  She was 2^nd in OPS for the week, and was near the top in HR, RBI, and steals.  Bobby Witt Jr. continued to shine with 3 home runs, 3 steals, and a 1.212 OPS.  Unfortunately for Heather, the pitching situation was far worse than offense.  Framber Valdez had two horrific starts for 16 hits in 12.2 IP and 9 ER.  Kevin Gausman had a meltdown, and soon enough most categories were out of reach. 

The Armadillos had strong pitching and led the league in many categories.  Eury Perez, Lance Lynn, and Grayson Rodriguez each had great starts.  Merrill Kelly allowed quite a few earned runs, but also had 14 strikeouts.  This was more than enough for an easy victory for the week.  The win puts the Wolf Spiders on notice that they will need to fight until the end if they want to bring down the season-long leaders.

JK Hares (9-8-1) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (12-5-1)

The Wolf Spiders faced the Hares, who took down the Armadillos last week.  While they aren’t title contenders this year, the Hares were hoping to disrupt the standings yet again by taking down a top team.  Unfortunately, Jeff was denied a tie in an exciting match-up.

The Wolf Spiders were dominant on offense.  Corey Seager was the key with 3 home runs, 6 RBI, and 6 runs scored.  Kyle easily won all of the offensive categories except for steals.  The Hares tried to compete for the category on Sunday and had a clutch 2 steals from Tommy Edman and 1 from Jarren Duran.  This initially put the Hares into the lead for the category (and thus a tie for the week) but Kyle struck back with 1 steal each from Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr.  This was enough to tie the category. 

The Hares were well ahead in pitching for the whole week.  Corbin Burnes had a nice start, and Zach Wheeler and Spencer Strider put up big strikeout numbers.  The Hares were well ahead in all categories except for saves.  The week was headed for a tie until Kyle Finnegan recorded a bizarre save for the Wolf Spiders.  Finnegan entered the game after his team gave up a lead.  He entered the game with two outs and a runner on, and immediately gave up a home run.  He was able to record the final out, though, and record the save despite the bizarre situation.

This was enough to give Kyle the category win and a victory for the week.  This could be crucial as a tie would have put the Wolf Spiders a full 1.0 game behind the Armadillos.  For now, Kyle keeps pace, and the race for the title may be decided in the head-to-head battle in Week #22.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-13) vs. KG Geo Prizms (9-9)

While the battle for the title continues, other teams are looking to move up into the middle of the standings as well.  Such is the case of the newly-named Geo Prizms, who took on the unpredictable Skyline Sluggers.  Neither team posted the best numbers for the week, but it was the Geo Prizms who ultimately came out on top.  In an unusual turn of events, Kevin’s pitching led the way to victory.  The Geo Prizms won every category except for IP.  Freddie Peralta was a one-man show for the week.  He had one start for 5.2 IP, allowed just 1 earned run, and had 11 strikeouts.  A couple of meltdowns from Miles Mikolas and JP Sears dampened the Geo Prizms’ rate stats.  The Skyline Sluggers were even more dire, though.  Nothing seemed to work as starter after starter delivered 2 to 4 IP stinkers.  Even more durable pitchers like Yu Darvish allowed 8 earned runs in two starts.  Overall, the Sluggers somehow won IP, but Keving cruised in the other categories.

The offenses were evenly matched.  Rafael Devers had a big 3 home run week for the Sluggers, but teammates Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber each had 2 for the Geo Prizms.  This back and forth crossed over multiple categories.  Kevin had the edge in runs, but Charlie struck back in RBI and OPS.  Ultimately, the stalemate was enough for the Geo Prizms to earn a victory and move into 4^th place on the season, ahead of the Hares.

RK Possums (9-8-1) vs. CP Kraken (5-11-2)

The week’s final match saw the Possums challenge the Kraken.  Rick wants to finish in the top three, and he made a strong statement against Chris’s squad.  On offense, the Possums were behind only the Armadillos and PhoeGnomes in production.  Christian Walker was the clear star for the week with 4 home runs, 11 RBI, and 8 runs scored.  Fernando Tatis Jr. added 3 steals.  The Possums dominated all five categories with little challenge from his opponent.

Neither team had great pitching, which seems to be a theme for the week.  The Kraken put up good strikeout totals, thanks to Brady Singer.  The rest of the staff also put up good totals, albeit with a lot of earned runs added in.   The Possums only needed one category, though, and relied on Max Scherzer to deliver the win.  He posted a great pair of starts with just 3 earned runs and 15 strikeouts.  This was enough for the Possums to earn a win and stay firmly in 3^rd place.

Players of the Week

The players of the week are Julio Rodriguez, who helped the Armadillos to victory.  The top pitcher has to be Scherzer, without whom the Possums would not have been able to win.

Next Week

The upcoming week is light on critical matchups.  The best pairs the Armadillos with the Geo Prizms.  Kevin would love to spoil the title scene.  The Wolf Spiders have to face off against the PhoeGnomes.  The Possums continue to fight for the bronze medal against the Skyline Sluggers.  Finally, the Hares and Legion meet in a match that, frankly, no one wants to see.  The two teams will be playing for pride alone.

Greetings fellow Dirt Mountainers! Happy to provide my guest recap for the league this past week. We’re in the home stretch now and the final outcome is looking much more uncertain than it was a month ago. Onto the matchups:

Goofballs (8-9) vs PhoeGnomes (7-9-1)

With both teams extremely unlikely to put together any sort of miracle run to a league championship, this was likely a matchup mostly for pride for both Heather and I.

The Goofballs rode absolutely dominant starting pitching this week,  posting a 2.26 ERA and league best 0.87 WHIP with 70 K’s. Julio Urias, Logan Webb, and Freddy Peralta threw a combined 40.1 innings over 6 starts  while posting a miniscule 1.39 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. Heather’s  SP dug her a big hole early in the week that she wasn’t able to climb out of, as the PhoeGnomes staff posted an ERA north of 5.00 this week.  It wasn’t a clean sweep on the pitching side however, as Heather was able to edge out saves  4-3 behind a 3 save week from Kenley Jansen.

On the hitting side, the Goofballs got a monstrous performance from Ozzie Albies, who posted a .983 OPS, 8 runs, 3 HR, 13 RBI and 3 SB for the week. The rest of the Goofballs hitters combined for only 5 additional homers, and that lack of power was reflected in the club’s relatively weak .740 OPS. The Phoegnomes clubbed their way to victories in OPS and HR on the strength of 3 homers apiece from Nick Castellanos and Brian Reynolds. The power advantage the PhoeGnomes enjoyed did not translate to runs and RBI however, as the Goofballs were able to win those 2 categories relatively easily. The margin in steals for the week was 9-5 in favor of the Goofballs, who won that category despite not getting their first SB until Thursday.  Goofballs take the hitting categories 3-2 and the week overall 7-3.

Kraken (4-11-2) vs. Skyline Sluggers (5-12)

The 2^nd matchup of the week featured the league’s 7^th and 8^th place teams in a battle to stay out of the league’s basement.

The Kraken posted astounding run production numbers this week, posting league high 14 HR and 46 RBI with a league 2^nd best 41 runs scoed. Kyle Tucker, Matt Olson, and Cody Bellinger combined for 9 HR and 27 RBI.  MJ Melendez and Joey Meneses both had a pair of homers for Charlie’s Sluggers, but the overall team run production wasn’t enough to provide a serious threat to the Kraken in HR, RBI, or Runs.  Charlie’s squad was able to take OPS despite the power disadvantage, and they edged the Kraken 5-4 in SB behind Shohei Ohtani’s 3 SB.  3-2 in favor of the Kraken on the hitting side.

On pitching, Charlie stacked several solid performance to post a very strong 2.05 ERA, but he just didn’t have great volume in innings or K’s posting totals of just  48.1 IP and 43 K’s. Tanner Bibee and Logan Gilbert lead the way for the Kraken, giving up only 2 runs across 21 IP while striking out 23. That volume helped give the Kraken a narrow category win in IP, and relatively comfortable edge in K’s.  Chris’ team also notched a narrow victory in WHIP, and comfortable victory in saves, as the Skyline Sluggers bullpen continues to be a weakness, failing to record even one save this week. The Kraken take pitching  4-1 and the week 7-3.

Wolf Spiders (11-5-1) vs. Possums (9-7-1)

This was an absolutely crucial matchup for both teams, as they are the only 2 teams in the league who entered the week with a reasonable chance to catch the Armadillos by season’s end.

Both teams employed a real team effort on the hitting side as the Wolf Spiders used 15 hitters for the week with the Possums mixing and matching a total of 16 hitters.

The results happened to be entirely one-sided however.  8 of Kyle’s 15 hitters recorded at least 4 RBI, with the biggest contribution coming from Austin Riley, who recorded 2 HR and 7 RBI for the week. The aforementioned Riley also scored 9 runs for the week, and the Wolf Spiders had 7 other hitters score at least 3 runs giving them a league high 45 runs scored for the week.

The Possums got strong offensive performances from their duo of young first baseman, Ryan Mountcastle and Christian Walker, with each posting an OPS over 1.100 while also combining for 3 HR and 9 RBI. There wasn’t much else happening on offense for the Possums, as the rest of the club belted only 2 additional homers while knocking in just 18. The power advantage Kyle enjoyed also led to a comfortable victory in OPS. And a 6-4 edge in steals gave the Wolf Spiders a clean sweep on the hitting side.

The pitching categories were extremely tight across the board in this matchup, with both teams posting fairly strong numbers.. Kyle got good volume across the board from his SP, with Bryce Elder being the only Wolf Spider starter to record fewer and 6 IP and 7 K for the week. Sonny Gray and Michael Lorenzen both had very good weeks for the Possums, with the former giving up only 2 runs in 12 IP while striking out 17, and the  latter throwing a no-hitter in his only start.

Kyle was able to able to nab victory in IP by only 1/3 of an inning, while also winning K’s by 6, and WHIP by a little over a tenth of a point.  Rick scored a victory in ERA, and took saves 3-1, but it wasn’t nearly enough given the Wolf Spiders dominant hitting this week. The Wolf Spiders take the matchup 8-2 and appear to be rounding into the form that made them league champions last year.

Hares (8-8-1) vs. Armadillos (13-4)

The last matchup of the week features Jeff’s Hares vs. Larry’s suddenly vulnerable Armadillos.

On offense, Jeff’s club struggled to generate much power – as they matched the Possums league low 5 HR and 27 RBI for the week.  Wander Franco was really the only offensive standout for Jeff, posting 5 runs scored, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, and a 1.350 OPS. The Armadillos started 20 hitters this week, with the biggest standouts being Pete Alonso (4 HR 10 RBI), J.T. Realmuto (2 HR 4 RBI) and Marcell Ozuna. That trio’s contributions easily helped the ‘Dillos outpace the Hares in HR and RBI. The speedy Armadillos also notched another victory in SB like they always do, with Ha-Seong Kim swiping 3 of the club’s 6 bases for the week.

Without a ton of power, the Hares were still able to claw their way to victories in two hitting categories . Jeff’s group got 8 runs scored from Michael Harris II, helping the Hares to win the category by 5. And OPS goes to the Hares as well (.789 to .739). ‘Dillos take the hitting categories 3-2.

Pitching was a relatively one-sided affair here. The Armadillo’s starters struggled to record outs and gave up quite a few runs. Eury Perez, Zach Eflin, and Johan Oviedo giving up 20 ER over 16.2 IP.  The Armadillos’ staff struggles gave Jeff’s squad plenty of margin for error. Spencer Strider and Corbin Burnes had uncharacteristically poor starts, but the rest of Jeff’s starters were up to the task, twirling 39 IP while giving up only 6 runs. George Kirby was excellent tossing 9 shutout innings, while Dylan Cease totaled 12.1 IP with only 2 ER allowed across two starts. 

Despite being outclassed in the rate stats, the battle for innings and K’s was much closer, with Jeff ultimately prevailing by 5.2 IP and 1 K, respectively. The bullpen favored  the Hares as well, with the final save tally being 3-1 Hares.  A pitching category sweep gives the Hares a 7-3 victory for the week.

This week:

With only 6 weeks left in the season, it’s starting to look like a 2 team race for the championship. Even though Jeff, Rick, and I aren’t eliminated yet, it seems as though something very bizarre would have to happen for someone other than Kyle or Larry to be hoisting the league title at year’s end.

The sizzling Wolf Spiders, who’ve lost only one matchup since the end of May, look to keep that positive momentum rolling in a matchup with Jeff’s 3^rd place Hares. Larry’s struggling Armadillos (2-4 over the last 6 weeks) take on Heather and the PhoeGnomes, while the Goofballs battle the Skyline Sluggers and the Possums meet up with the Kraken.

RK Possums (8-7) vs. LK Armadillos (13-2)

With the season entering its final seven matchups, every outcome is critical to the chase for the title.  After a dominating season, the Armadillos are now facing the same challenge faced by other legendary teams like the Lannisters of old: Every other team will do anything possible to spoil a march to the title.  This week, it was the Possums who sought to upset the Armadillos, secure third place, and maybe, just maybe, keep their title hopes alive.

The result was competitive hitting that on most weeks would put each team at the top of the league.  The teams tied with 14 home runs, but the Possums proved dominant in runs and especially RBI.  Adolis Garcia led the way with 4 home runs, 5 RBI, and 9 runs.  His OPS of 1.647 was off the charts.  Ryan Mountcastle was also strong, with a 1.301 OPS despite no home runs.  The Armadillos had a great week from Mookie Betts, who added his own 3 home runs and a 1.361 OPS.  Ha-Seong Kim and Jose Ramirez each added 3 steals.  The Armadillos easily won the category.  However, the Possums won the overall battle 3-1-1 thanks to better consistency throughout the line-up.

The pitching battle was competitive as well, albeit at lower quality than offense.  Neither team distinguished themselves in the rate stats, and each side took one category.  The Possums enjoyed 2 saves each from Felix Bautista and Will Smith.  This gave Rick the edge in a category that is normally an Armadillos strength.  Max Scherzer, Sonny Gray, and Brandon Woodruff all notched at least 8 strikeouts in their starts for the Possums.  This, combined with more innings, gave Rick a smooth win for the week.

The loss offers a slim ray of hope for Rick’s title chances. He is still 3.5 games back, but with the win, he’s at least still in the running.  The Armadillos are looking vulnerable at the wrong time – offense and pitching don’t seem to be in synch.  No one will give them an easy matchup.  It also reduces the odds that the Armadillos can beat the Lannisters’ 2013 record of 18 wins on the season, a mark that many hold as the gold standard.

CP Kraken (4-11) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (11-5)

With the Armadillos losing, the Wolf Spiders had a chance to rally and move within one game of the lead.  However, he faced the Kraken, who have shown epic highs and the most dreadful of lows.  This week was no different – Chris produced the best offensive stats in the league, but paired them with abominable pitching. 

The Wolf Spiders tried their best to match the Kraken on offense.  Each team had an amazing 17 home runs, a truly strong total for a normal week.  Matt Olson and Juan Soto each had 4 home runs for the Kraken, while Yordan Alvarez added 3 more and a 1.226 OPS.  Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger had inexplicable steals totals (4 and 5 respectively) to win another category.  The Wolf Spiders had 12 players with a homer, and somehow managed to die the category.  They couldn’t keep pace in the counting stats, though, and settled for an 0-4-1 record before pitching.

Fortunately for Kyle, the Kraken were a complete disaster on the pitching side.  Reid Detmers and Andrew Abbott managed to allow 17 earned runs in just 13 IP.  Strikeouts were in short supply.  Aaron Nola had a nightmare start.  The Wolf Spiders romped their way to wins in all categories with a strong week from Zac Gallen and Gerrit Cole.  However, the Kraken got a clutch save from Adbert Alzolay on Sunday to tie the category and thus the match.  Each squad was one save or home run away from victory.  However, the Wolf Spiders must consider themselves fortunate to have tied, given that their pitching wasn’t great for the week either. 

They move to within 1.5 games for the Armadillos, and still have one head-to-head matchup with the leaders for the year.  They will need help, but the title is still very much up for grabs.

KG Capital City Goofballs (7-9) vs. JK Hares (8-7-1)

After a difficult season, the Goofballs haven’t lost their will to win, and want to finish on the medal podium.  They turned in a solid showing against the Hares.  The Goofballs pitching did not let them down, and easily beat the Hares in everything but saves.  Steven Matz and Eduardo Rodriguez contributed nice starts.  However, the Goofballs lacked saves, and the Hares too advantage to win the category.  A horrific start from Dylan Cease doomed the Hares on rate stats, and Kevin took a 4-1 lead.

The Hares tried to muster a showing on offense and won home runs thanks to 3 home runs from Wander Franco, who had a 1.271 OPS.  The Goofballs leaned on Corbin Carroll and Freddie Freeman to win steals – they had 4 and 3 respectively.  Freeman also added a 1.459 OPS.  Several other Goofballs had strong OPS figures in platoon duty, including George Springer (1.215) and Ryan McMahon (1.591).  This was enough to win the category, and carry runs and RBI.  The Goofballs moved on with a strong win and are once again near 0.500.  The Hares continue to be inconsistent, and will look for answers next week.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-11) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (6-9-1)

The week’s final match saw the Sluggers face off against the PhoeGnomes.  Both teams have endured highs and lows this year.  This time, it was the PhoeGnomes who enjoyed a win and maintained momentum.

Heather’s offense was strong, with a monster week from Lane Thomas.  He had 3 home runs, 10 RBI, 7 runs, and 2 steals.  He also had a 1.133 OPS.  Jose Altuve added 5 steals, and Bobby Witt Jr contributed 3 more, with 2 home runs.  This was enough for a monster 13 steal week that easily led the league.  Heather swept the offensive categories with the one exception of runs. 

Neither team had great pitching, but Heather did enough to win here as well.  Pete Fairbanks and Kenley Jansen paired to win saves, and Kyle Bradish had a nice two-start week with 12 strikeouts.  Charlie Morton and Alex Cobb managed to allow 8 earned runs each for the Sluggers, and this doomed the team’s chances for any momentum.  Heather cruised to a win.

Players of the Week

This week’s top hitter was Lane Thomas, thanks to his combination of power and speed.  No pitcher really stood out this week, so the nod goes to Adbert Alzolay.  His clutch save on Sunday secured the tie for the Kraken.

Next Week

Next week starts the final seven matches of the season.  Each team has one more match against each other team.  The Armadillos will try to rally against the Hares.  After a disappointing year, Jeff is going to throw everything possible at the Armadillos to try to keep the race close.  The Wolf Spiders face a tough match against the Possums.  The Kraken and Skyline Sluggers want to stay out of the cellar, and their match has implications for this battle.  Finally, the PhoeGnomes and Goofballs pair up.  Each team has some recent success, so the match may be close.