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 2nd 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 4th 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 3rd 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.
Dirt Mountain Baseball League 