League Summary

This week saw the last undefeated team fall, providing a needed window for mid-tier teams to gain ground on the league leader. Meanwhile, both the Kraken and PhoeGnomes were able to secure much-needed victories. With offensive numbers down for yet another week, pitching led the way for many teams. The week also represents the end of the first cycle of the season, as each team has now faced all other teams one time. With the second cycle beginning, there are two clear powers that are at the top of the league. However, everyone is still in contention and there are sure to be some surprises as the second cycle begins.

LK Armadillos (4-1-1) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (5-0-1)

This week’s most important match saw the Armadillos take down the Wolf Spiders to earn a share of first place. The Wolf Spiders suffered their first defeat of the year, and Larry cemented his status as the biggest threat to Kyle’s reign. Both teams has solid pitching and split the five categories 2-2-1. The Armadillos relied on dominance in the rate stats whereas Kyle shined in counting totals. The Armadillos’ win is especially surprising considering Michael King and Zach Efflin allowed 13 runs in 3 starts. However, Luis Gil was incredible with 14 strikeouts in just 6.0 IP with 1 earned run. Kyle go great starts from Seth Lugo and Zac Gallen, who combined for 20 strikeouts. However, his pitchers generally allowed 3-4 runs per start. This was just high enough for the team’s ERA to drift over 3.00 and lose WHIP. The teams split saves, so the week would be decided by offense.

Larry’s hitters rose to the occasion. The Armadillos led the league in home runs with 10. They were tied for second in steals and posted respectable run and RBI numbers. Gunnar Henderson led the charge with 3 home runs and a steal. Jose Ramirez and Mookie Betts each added 2 home runs to the cause. Ramirez was especially strong with 8 RBI. The Wolf Spiders tried to keep up, but their offense finally let them down despite a decent showing from Corey Seager and Ryan McMahon with 2 home runs each. No player had a steal and the team presented generally depressed numbers. The loss is the first for the defending champs, and the win is a crucial step forward for the Armadillos. Kyle’s defeat end an impressive unbeaten streak. For Larry, the win puts him into a tie for first place, and also a big tiebreaker advantage early. Which team is the favorite the rest of the way?

KG Capital City Goofballs (3-1-2) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (3-3)

The week’s most hotly contested battle featured two teams who are each on the cusp of serious contention. In the end, the Skyline Sluggers continued to show that they are for real, and no team should take them for granted. The teams were relatively even on offense. Kevin was able to secure OPS and runs. His runs total of 41 was second only to the Possums’ impressive 42. Rick’s OPS was also a shade above Charlie’s, thus securing two categories. Rafael Devers and Freddie Freeman led the Possums with 8 and 9 runs each. Interestingly, though each player had only 6 and 8 hits! This means that both players contributed some walks and got a lot of help from their teammates to score in so few opportunities! Charlie countered with wins in RBI and steals. Four Sluggers had at least one steal, and William Contreras contributed 7 RBI and 2 home runs. Charlie took these two counting categories, and the teams tied with 8 home runs. The Goofballs can at least take comfort that they did not leave many home runs on the bench – they had only two for the week, on Monday and Wednesday.

The split decision meant that everything hinged on pitching. Neither team has posted the elite pitching stats that the Hares and Wolf Spiders have, but neither team is truly weak on the mound. The Sluggers were able to take both ERA and WHIP thanks to a few strong starts and a controlled effort from the bullpen. Brandon Pfaadt was the star for the week with a strong 9 strikeout performance over 7.0 IP and just allowing just 2 earned runs. Reed Garrett and Ryan Helsley each added a critical save to secure this vital category. The Goofballs tried to counter with an excellent week from Mithc Keller who had 12.0 over two starts with just 2 earned runs and 10 strikeouts. However this was offset by a rough week for Jordan Mongomery, who allowed 7 earned runs in just 11.1 IP. The end result was a 3-2 category split for the Skyline Sluggers, who improved to 4-3. The goofballs fell to 3-2-2. This is am important milestone for the Skyline Sluggers as they are now above 0.500 after the first series for the first time in franchise history. If the team can continue their current pace, they could challenge the league leaders and certainly rank in the top division for the league.

CP Kraken (3-3) vs. RK Possums (2-4)

The week’s next closest battle saw the Kraken return to form with a win over the Possums. The Kraken earned the win through a strong combination of pitching and offense. They were second in home runs and OPS and third in runs. A trio of Kraken had 2 home runs, including Kyle Tucker, Tyler O’Neill, and Juan Soto. The team’s OBP translated into good runs totals with Soto and O’Neill each adding 6 apiece. The Possums weren’t able to compete in OPS despite having a respectable home run total. The Possums were able to win runs with a great showing of 9 from Bryson Stott. He and Francisco Lindor each had 2 steals, easily securing the category. Chris left hitting with a narrow 3-2 lead.

Neither side had great pitching, but the Kraken were able to do enough to secure the overall win thanks to superior volume and a disastrous ERA for the Possums. On the positive side, Chris had a nice week from Shota Imanaga, who threw 12.0 IP and struck out 15 while not allowing an earned run! He was joined by four starts between Brady Singer and Kutter Crawford. This duo combined to eat innings and record 26 strikeouts, but didn’t have great earned run totals. This left the Kraken potentially vulnerable. Unfortunately, Rick wasn’t able to capitalize on this opportunity. The squad suffered a series of nightmare starts from normally reliable pitchers. Max Fried had a rough game with 4.1 IP, 9 hits, 3 earned runs, and just 2 strikeouts. Tyler Glasnow and Sonny Gray also struggled to put together quality or quantity. The Possums’ pitchers fell into a pattern of throwing around 4-6 IP but allowing 4-5 earned runs. They won saves and WHIP, but these numbers weren’t enough to swing the counting stats or secure ERA. This was enough for the Kraken to take a 3-2 lead and secure the week. The win is an important one for the Kraken, who still believe they are contenders for title. The loss is also a small setback for the Possums, and they were trying to build momentum. Rick will have to continue to look for answers, while the Kraken look for that final piece of the pitching puzzle to tie everything together.

JK Hares (2-4) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (1-5)

The week’s final match saw the PhoeGnomes take down the Hares in a close battle the featured excellent pitching on both sides. Heather, though, led the league in strikeouts and ERA, was second in WHIP, and tied for second in IP. Leading the way was Aaron Nola, who had 13 striekouts over 16.0 IP with just 2 earned runs. Not far behind him were Chris Sale and Framber Valdez with 14.0 IP, 17 strikeouts, and no earned runs. In fact, no starter allowed more than 2 earned runs for the week. The Hares tried to keep pace with good weeks from Corbin Burnes and Hunter Greene. The team somehow won IP and took saves behind the motley duo of Kyle Finnegan and James McArthur. However, Heather’s dominance led to a commanding 3-2 lead.

On offense, the Hares fell apart with the lowest OPS in the league. However, the somehow won home runs when 7 players each contributed 1 apiece! The Hares also continued to dominate in steals thanks to Elly De La Cruz and, strangely enough, Bryan Reynolds. The Hares easily led the league in the category and continue to dominate on the base paths. However, this wouldn’t be enough as the PhoeGnomes managed the top OPS in the league, along with solid runs and RBI totals. Aaron Judge was the player of the week with 10 hits, 3 home runs, and 7 runs and RBI. He had a mammoth 1.830 OPS and willed the team to the win. The loss is yet another in string of tough defeats for the Hares, who continue to put up good numbers but lose. For the PhoeGnomes, the win was a welcome one and a way to keep pace with the other mid-tier teams and try to build some momentum.

Next Week

The second cycle of the season begins, as bot the Wolf Spiders and Armadillos face teams who want to take them down, namely the Hares and the Possums. While these two teams are at the bottom of the league right now, both have proven they can compete. The Kraken and Goofballs meet in another major match to build momentum. Finally, the Skyline Sluggers will face a fresh test against the PhoeGnomes!