League Update

The 13th week of the season has come and gone. The season is now more than halfway over, and there is clear movement happening in the standings. The defending champion Wolf Spiders are struggling for the first time in several seasons. The Armadillos have taken advantage and have captured a strong lead in the standings. However, the Kraken and Goofballs have made aggressive trades to improve their teams, and the results are visible on the scoreboard. They have climbed above 0.500 and appear to be the only teams that can challenge the Armadillos if the Wolf Spiders continue to struggle. Meanwhile, the Possums have also clawed back to even while the Hares, PhoeGnomes, and Skyline Sluggers are struggling to pick up wins.

KG Capital City Goofballs (4-4-3) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (4-6-1)

The week’s most dominant club was the Goofballs. Kevin has suffered from up-and-down performances at times, but this week he put it all together. He led the league in OPS and posted strong offensive numbers across the board. Kevin dialled back his tendencies to use too many players in search of platoon advantages. His more compact lineup rewarded his restraint. Bryce Harper was the star of the week with a 1.405 OPS and 3 home runs. Kyle Schwarber wasn’t far behind with another 3, plus a 1.301 OPS. Corbin Carroll had two steals, and CJ Abrams had a hot week. Heather had a great week from journeyman Brandon Nimmo. He had 4 home runs and a great 1.361 OPS.

The Goofballs also shined on the mound. They posted the second-best ERA for the week and had the most strikeouts of any team. Logan Webb and Nick Lodolo were the stars with 4 starts between them. They totalled 24.2 IP and had 24 strikeouts. Luis Severino delivered a gem with a 6.0 IP, 10 strikeout, 0 ER, 3 hit effort. Preddy Peralta and Mitch Keller also didn’t allow a run in their two starts. If not for one bullpen mishap, the Goofballs’ stats would have been even stronger. The PhoeGnomes were doomed by Jonathan Cannon’s dreadful 1.0 IP, 7 hit, 5 ER “effort” that left him with a 45.00 ERA. Yusei Kikuchi was also terrible in his 2 starts, allowing 9 ER and an otherworldly 15 hits in just 6.0 IP.

The win shows the path the Goofballs must be competitive. Much like the Kraken, they will be a threat if they continue to get strong pitching. Heather and the PhoeGnomes join the Hares in the lower depths of the standings.

LK Armadillos (7-1-3) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (5-6)

The Armadillos and Skyline Sluggers met in a quality matchup. The Armadillos couldn’t dominate like the Goofballs, but they did get the job done when it was required. Unlike the Goofballs, Larry relied on a horde strategy, The Armadillos deployed a Zerg swarm of 22 batters and 10 pitchers. The results of this strategy were mixed. On offense, things worked well. The Armadillos led the league in every category save OPS, where they were second. Royce Lewis, Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson, and Brendan Donovan were all strong with OPS over 1.000. Donovan was especially productive with 3 home runs, 8 RBI, and a 1.381 OPS. Henderson added 4 valuable steals. The Sluggers tried to keep up, but the team couldn’t quite reach the same high totals as the Armadillos. Shohei Ohtani tried his best, with 4 home runs, 11 RBI, 8 runs, and a monster 1.650 OPS. He even had a steal. Anthony Santander had three home runs and 8 RBI of his own. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough, and the Armadillos swept the five offensive categories.

For pitching, the Sluggers were much better. Thy had great numbers and were in the top two or three in most categories. Max Scherzer returned strong and Tyler Anderson had a great start. Nestor Cortes added 13 strikeouts in a two-start week. The Armadillos didn’t have much luck with starters. Luis Gil outduelled Jonathan Cannon by throwing 1.1 IP. However, his 7 ER led to a 47.25 ERA, making it a split decision for which starter was the dog of the week. Carlos Rodon had a travesty of his own with 7 ER in just 3.2 IP. Larry couldn’t compete after these disasters, but was bailed out by the bullpen. Emmanuel Clase had 3 saves, and Mason Miller added two more. The Skyline Sluggers did not record a save, so they weren’t able to compete for the tie. The Armadillos picked up the ugly win and stay firmly in first place. The Sluggers had a decent showing but weren’t quite able to pull off the upset despite Ohtani’s massive effort.

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

The week’s most intriguing match on paper saw the Kraken continue their ascent up the standings at the expense of the Wolf Spiders. Chris’s team has been hot, and they may now be the biggest threat to the Armadillos. The Kraken followed the Goofballs’ blueprint and led with their pitching. The Kraken had a strong week on the mound and won four categories, two by small margins. Paul Skenes was the key for the Kraken. He had two starts with 13.0 IP, 15 strikeouts, and just 2 earned runs. Logan Gilbert was great as well. He had 0 earned runs and a 8.0 IP start with a 0.63 WHIP. Josh Hader and Ryan Helsley were critical as well, with 2 saves each. Chris also made good moves with his backup relieves and picked up 2 saves from part-timers. The Wolf Spiders weren’t far from the Kraken in IP and strikeouts. Tyler Glasnow had a great start with just 2 hits allowed in 7.0 IP. This was good for a 0.29 WHIP. Andrew Abbott had 10 strikeouts in his start. However, Jon Gray had two devastating outings and surrendered 9 earned runs. This ruined any chance at ERA.

Chris also got the job done on offense. He led the league in home runs, but had a surprisingly low OPS. The runs totals were also a bit of a disappointment. Tyler O’Neill was the best offensive player with 3 home runs. Aaron Judge added yet another pair, and his OPS deflated to a pedestrian 1.076 for this week. Kyle enjoyed a good week from Steven Kwan who had 7 runs. Alex Bregman also had a good week, albeit without a home run. The muddy offensive split was enough for Chris to earn the win for the week. The Wolf Spiders’ loss shows how big an impact the loss of Acuna was. His power and steal combination could singlehandedly win weeks on their own. Without their star, the Wolf Spiders reign may be coming to an end.

JK Hares (3-7-1) vs. RK Possums (5-6)

The week’s final match saw the Possums take on the Hares. The Possums have been improving, and they were able to keep their momentum in this battle. Rick’s team enjoyed a great week of pitching. They led the league in ERA, WHIP, and IP. Sonny Gray had two starts and allowed just 3 earned runs along with 12 strikeouts. Jared Jones had a great start as well, with 8 strikeouts in his effort. Joe Ryan and Erick Feddie were also solid. The Hares were pretty solid as well, with high strikeout totals. Hunter Greene had 9 in just 6.1 IP. Dylan Cease had a bizarre 10 strikeout, 4.2 IP exhibition in which he also allowed 4 earned runs. The Hares put up solid numbers, but the Possums were just on a different level.

On offense, the Hares had the second-highest home run total in the league. Bryan Reynolds had 3 and a 1.500 OPS. Jake Cronenworth and Jeimer Candelario had a pair each. The Hares subsequently took OPS. The Possums countered by putting up a huge runs total. Josh Naylor had 7, along with 8 RBI and 3 home runs. Seven other Possums players had a solo home run. The team managed five steals thanks to Francisco Lindor. This was enough to secure the category and the narrow 6-4 win. The Hares suffered another loss despite a decent performance. The Possums are now back above 0.500, but they will need to continue to improve to make a run.

Players of the Week

This week’s top pitcher was Luis Severino for his impressive showing. There are many candidates for top hitter, so the award will go to Shohei Ohtani’s excellent one-man performance.

Next Week

The season continues with one pivotal matchup. The Kraken face the Armadillos. If Chris wins, he will be just 2 games back in the standings. A loss might be too much to overcome with the resulting 4 game deficit. The Wolf Spiders and Goofballs have easier matchups, with the PhoeGnomes and Hares respectively. Finally, the Possums and Skyline Sluggers will battle in an important match for the middle tier of the standings.

League Update

Week #12 saw a number of close contests. With the season reaching the halfway point, it’s time for contending teams to step up. The Armadillos managed to hold a tie with a shocking Father’s Day performance. Mid-tier teams like the Goofballs and Kraken seized on the opportunity to gain ground with decisive wins of their own. Finally, the Possums remained hot, and took another step toward competitiveness.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-5) vs. CP Kraken (4-5-1)

The week’s biggest winner was the Kraken. Chris’s squad put up dominant pitching numbers and had enough offense to outlast the Skyline Sluggers. Charlie’s team put up a strong fight against their rival, but in the end fell short.

It’s not often that the Kraken can say that they leaned on their pitching. This week was a different story, though. Chris easily led the league in ERA and WHIP. Logan Gilbert was on fire, allowing just 8 hits in 14.2 IP. He also recorded 17 strikeouts. MacKenzie Gore recorded 10 in just 7.0 IP while allowing 1 ER. The Kraken had multiple starters record 6-7.0 IP starts with only a run or two allowed. This was a surprisingly consistent showing from most of the staff. New addition Ryan Helsley added 3 saves. This was enough to sweep all five categories.

On offense, the Skyline Sluggers fared better but it wasn’t enough. Charlie tied for the lead in home runs with 13, and also for steals with 10. Shohei Ohtani was the star with 4 home runs and a 1.340 OPS. Anthony Santader added three more of his own. The Kraken took advantage of Charlie’s relatively low runs totals. Juan Soto added 9 for the Kraken. Chris’s team had better depth in the lineup and also claimed OPS. This was enough to win the week. The Kraken are now back to 0.500 and look to be a possible threat to contend. If they can continue to get pitching like this, they will be a difficult matchup for anyone.

JK Hares (3-7) vs. LK Armadillos (7-1-2)

The Hares and Armadillos had a bizarre match-up that ended in a draw. The Hares dominated for most of the week, but the Armadillos had a massive offensive surge on Sunday to tie multiple categories and secure a draw for the week.

Both teams tied in home runs and RBI. Riley Greene had a massive week from the Hares with 3 home runs, 11 RBI, and a 1.098 OPS. Jeimer Candelairo was even better with 3 home runs, 9 RBI, and a 1.479 OPS. The Armadillos countered with Royce Lewis, who had 4 home runs, 9 runs, and 1.440 OPS. On Sunday alone, the Armadillos had 6 home runs, including 2 from Lewis, and 12 RBI. This miraculous output secured ties in many categories.

None of this would have mattered if the Hares had not had multiple pitching implosions on Sunday. Dylan Cease and Zack Wheeler allowed a combined 15 earned runs in just 8.0 IP. This cost the Hares ERA, and the limited output meant that IP were lost as well. The Hares went from a sure sweep of all 5 categories to only winning 3 and thus tying for the week. This result is a bitter one for the Hares, who seem to always have some mishap or calamity ruin potentially good weeks. The tie is better than a loss, though, and it does offer some support to mid-tier teams looking to make a move in the standings.

RK Possums (4-6) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (4-5-1)

The Possums managed to stay how against the PhoeGnomes. Rick’s team tied for the lead in home runs and won OPS outright. Jarren Duran was hot, with a 1.272 OPS despite not having a home run. Christian Walker was a monster with 4 home runs, 8 RBI, and a 1.227 OPS. Heather had a solid week in steals, but didn’t stand out in other categories. In fact, her 4 home runs is one of the lowest totals in the history of the league. Adley Rutschman had a rough 2/22 week, but the biggest dud was Jeremy Pena. He went 0/16 with no runs, 1 RBI, and 1 steal.

Neither team’s pitching staff distinguished itself, and both would lose to multiple categories to every other team in the league. Joe Ryan had a nice start for the PhoeGnomes, as did Sonny Gray for the Possums. Rick’s superior strikeout rates were enough to secure the category and pick up the win for the week. The victory keeps the Possums’ momentum alive. The loss hurt the PhoeGnomes, who remain in the middle of the pack.

KG Capital City Goofballs (3-4-3) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (6-3-1)

The week’s final battle saw the Goofballs trounce the Wolf Spiders. Kevin’s offense was strong and led the league in runs and was second in OPS. Corbin Carroll managed 8 runs and a steal. Kyle Schwarber had 3 home runs and a strong 1.298 OPS. The Wolf Spiders had a surprisingly good week from Steven Kwan, who had 13 hits and a 1.336 OPS despite no home runs. Neither team had many steals, and Keving held a 3-1-1 edge before pitching.

Both teams recorded middle of the pack results on the mound. However, considering the Goofball’s frequent pitching issues, this was an overall solid showing. Kevin won 4 categories thanks to consistent work from the staff. Most of his starters were in the 6.0 IP range with 2 or 3 earned runs. This was enough for a decent ERA and solid IP total. The Wolf Spiders struggled with just one or two slightly worse starts than Kevin, but this was enough to turn the two rate stats against him. Kevin had a smooth win, and also remains in the middle of the pack.

Player and Pitcher of the Week

This week’s best player has to be Royce Lewis, who singlehandedly salvaged a tie for the Armadillos on Sunday. The pitcher of the week will go to Logan Gilbert. There weren’t a lot of true pitching standouts this week, so his solid effort will earn him the nod.

Next Week

The second half of the fantasy season begins! The Possums will try to reach 0.500 against the struggling Hares. The Goofballs will try to do the same against the PhoeGnomes. The Wolf Spiders and Kraken meet in a pivotal battle. Chris must continue to win if he wants to catch the Armadillos, who started out much hotter than the Kraken. Finally, the Skyline Sluggers will take their shot at the league leaders. The Armadillos have suffered a setback with the Mookie Betts injury, so the rest o the team will need to step up.

League Update

Week #11 saw a few surprising results as close battles raged across the league. The Armadillos suffered a setback against the hot PhoeGnomes squad. The Possums again put-up solid numbers to beat the Goofballs. The Kraken squeaked by the Hares in a week with two dominant sides for each time. Finally, the Skyline Sluggers returned to 0.500 by bringing down the defending champions!

RK Possums (3-6) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (3-3-3)

The biggest winner of the week was the Possums. Rick’s team continued a run of improved play by defeating the Goofballs by the widest margin of any team. This result came about in a familiar motif – the Goofballs offense was solid, but the pitching staff faltered. Rick was able to win with only one offensive category – steals. Nine Possums managed at least one steal and Jarren Duran had 3. The Goofballs posted good offensive numbers with good weeks from Rafael Devers and Bryce Harper. Each had OPS values north of 1.000. Devers contributed 2 home runs. Rick managed to tie that category, but Kevin had a 3-1-1 lead.

The Goofballs suffered a horrific week on the mound. The team allowed a shocking 26 earned runs in just 39.2 IP. They did not record a single save. In fact, the Goofballs pitching staff would not have recorded a category win or tie against any other team in the league. The team’s stats were truly shocking and horrifying to view. Jesus Luzardo allowed the most runs with 9 in 4.1 IP. Frankie Montas was so bad he recorded a 27.00 ERA and 6.00 WHIP for his start. Evan Phillips suffered a meltdown and managed a 27.00 ERA. What makes the final stats even more incredible were that Jack Flaherty, Nick Lodolo, and Logan Webb each allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in their starts. Rick won by merely showing up and starting enough pitchers to qualify for the rate categories.

The Possums picked up a nice win and have shown definite improvement in the last few weeks. The loss is yet another humiliation for the Goofballs pitching staff. One must wonder how long Kevin will tolerate this level of performance without making major changes.

CM Skyline Sluggers (4-5) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (6-2-1)

The week’s second-best win belonged to the Skyline Sluggers. After a few down weeks, some were doubting Charlie’s ability to continue his improved play. He answered these questions with a resounding win over the champs. The story here is eerily like that of the Possums. The only offensive category that Charlie won was steals. Leading the way was Luis Rengifo was 4 in relatively light duty. Kyle took all of the other categories with solid stats up and down the lineup.

Again, just like the Possums/Goofballs contest, Charlie won by default on pitching. Kyle starters served up a week as deplorable as that of the Goofballs. Adam Mazur was most of the lot. The Padres legend allowed a whopping 8 earned runs in just 3.0 IP. Jameson Taillon was driven to drink his namesake whiskey after allowing a ludicrous 10 hits and a walk in 5.0 IP. Clay Holmes had two saves, but Ryan Helsley and Hector Neris equalized and eventually won the category. This gave Charlie a sweep of all five categories.

Just like the Possums, the Sluggers basically won by default. Again, like the Possums, they didn’t have great overall stats, but when your opponent has a collapse, all you need to do is take advantage and not overthink the moment. Charlie is not back to 0.500 and the Wolf Spiders are looking for a spark after losing their superstar player for the year.

HP PhoeGnomes (4-5) vs. LK Armadillos (7-1-1)

On paper, this matchup looked intriguing before the week began. Heather’s team was hot, but so were the Armadillos. The matchup was incredibly close for the week and the eventual 5-5 tie was probably a fair outcome for both teams.

Larry had the advantage on offense thanks to the league’s second highest home run totals. The Armadillos also tied for the league lead in RBI and were second in OPS. TJ Friedl and Jose Ramirez were both solid with 2 home runs each. Friedl also had 7 RBI, 6 runs, and 2 steals. His OPS was 1.037, making him the best overall contributor. Heather was able to rally and take RBI and steals. Adley Rutschman added 11 RBI and 3 home runs. Bobby Witt Jr. had 2 steals and a 1.156 OPS. Both teams were super solid up and down the lineup.

Although Larry had a slight lead on offense, Heather was able to strike back on pitching. Her squad posted amazing numbers in a lot of innings thrown. Framber Valez had a complete game shutout with 8 strikeouts. Carrett Crochet had 10 strikeouts in just 6.0 IP. Chris Sale added 10 more in 7.0 IP. They combined to allow just 2 earned runs. Jhoan Duran suffered a blown save that would eventually prove to be important. It should also be noted that Heather’s team absolutely destroyed the rest of the league with a 0.649 WHIP. The Armadillos opted for quality over quantity and it somehow worked. The team squeaked by with a 1.91 ERA in just 42.1 IP. This was a far cry from Heather’s 61.2 IP. The team also recorded 2 saves, which was enough to flip the category thanks to Duran’s folly. No Armadillo allowed more than 2 earned runs, and it was enough to win two categories and create a 5-5 tie for the week. Both teams deserved a win based on their good numbers. In fact, both teams would have crushed every other team besides the Kraken and in Larry’s case, the Hares. The tie is probably the most fair result with all things considered.

CP Kraken (3-5-1) vs. JK Hares (3-6)

The week’s final match was yet another close affair. The Kraken and Hares had weeks that were mirror images of each other on offense and pitching. Chris was absolutely destroying the rest of the league in power categories. They led in home runs by 4 over the next closest team. They won RBI by an astounding 11 over the next best. Finally, their 1.0452 OPS is one of the highest we’ve recorded since using the stat. The most impressive part is that may players contributed to these totals. Aaron Judge was yet again and absolute monster with 3 home runs, 12 RBI, 8 runs, and a steal. His OPS was 1.830. This is an insane number – it means Judge generated nearly a double in every at bad that he had for the week. There was no way the Hares could keep up despite having decent stats across the board.

On pitching, the Hares were in control. They were second in most pitching categories to only the PhoeGnomes. George Kirby rebounded to have 13 strikeouts in 12.0 IP, while allowing only 3 earned runs. Kyle Finnegan continued to supply saves, and Chris Bassitt contributed a nice 8.0 IP start. Craig Kimbrel recorded a save on Sunday, but the Hares left their backup reliever on the bench. He recorded save and Chris was able to tie the category and the week. Both teams played pretty well, but Chris’s offensive outburst meant the Hares were not able to compete in any category. Both teams will look to move on and continue with some positive momentum.

Players of the Week

This week is another easy week with Aaron Judge single-handedly winning entire categories on his own. The best pitcher has to go to a PhoeGnome and Framber Valdez was the best of the lot. He gets the nod this week for his role in securing a nice tie against the league leaders.

Next Week

Nothing gets easier for any team this week. The Kraken have to take their offense against the Skyline Sluggers. Charlie has another chance to reach above 0.500. The Possums and PhoeGnomes are both showing improvement and face-off against each other. The Armadillos face the Hares. Larry traditionally frustrates Jeff’s teams, but the Hares pitching is definitely a threat. Finally, the Goofballs and Wolf Spiders will try to rebound form difficult weeks.

League Summary

Week #10 saw a series of shocking upsets as lower-rated teams rose up to take revenge on their neighbors higher in the standings.  In all, three of the week’s four matches ended with the lower-rated team taking a victory.  Not only did the underdogs secure wins, but they did so with solid performances across the board.  Only the Armadillos were able to withstand their challenger, and the Goofballs suffered a rough loss.  This leaves only two teams over 0.500 and Larry at the top of the standings.  With Kyle’s (and baseball’s overall) best player out for the year, can any team compete with the Armadillos?

RK Possums (2-6) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (6-1-1)

The week’s biggest win came from the Possums.  Rick’s squad has struggled to find consistent success this year, but Week #10 saw them take a major step in a promising direction by defeating the two-time defending champion Wolf Spiders.  The Possums became only the second team besides the Armadillos to achieve the feat this year.

The Possums’ win was the result of good offense and solid  pitching.  Rick swept the 5 offensive categories.  He was tied for second in home runs and led the league in steals.  Francisco Lindor was the major difference maker with 2 home runs, 2 steals, 5 RBI, and an OPS of 1.067.  Fernando Tatis Jr was also hot with 10 hits and a 1.045 OPS.  Kyle had a trio of players with 2 home runs, including Alex Bregman, Corey Seager, and Ryan Mountcastle.  The three all had OPS stats over 1.000.  However, the rest of the team produced only one home run, and Rick took all categories.

Kyle had a strange week when it comes to pitching.  The Wolf Spiders easily had the best ERA in the league thanks to four great starts from Luis Castillo and Justin Steele.  No Wolf Spider pitcher allowed more than 2 earned runs.  However, the team threw a limited number of innings, and the Possums were able to capitalize.  Despite allowing far more earned runs, the Possums’ starters like Sonny Gray and Joe Ryan built up enough innings and strikeouts to easily win two categories and save the week.  The loss is only the second for the Wolf Spiders, who now fall to second place.  Rick has to hope that the win is a statement victory that is a harbinger of better things to come for the middle of the season.

JK Hares (2-6) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (4-4)

The week’s next upset came at the hands of the Hares versus the Skyline Sluggers.  Jeff’s team has run into some unfortunate injury luck to start the season, so it was nice to see some new role players step up and contribute for a week.  The team’s catchers were on fire, with Will Smith and Ryan Jeffers combining for 5 home runs.  Ty France managed an OPS over 1.080, and Riley Greene stayed hot with 2 steals, a home run, and a 1.289 OPS.  Charlie kept pace with a huge week from Christian Yelich who had 8 RBI and an OPS of 1.222.  However, the teams tied in both RBI and steals, and this gave the Hares a small advantage.

On pitching, the Skyline Sluggers suffered from a series of meltdowns that cost them the week.  Charlie Morton had two nightmare starts that led to 8 total earned runs and a Chicago-themed 6.17 ERA.  Nestor Cortes struggled on Sunday, and the bullpen was merely adequate.  The Hares had to deal with some scheduling oddities and relied on two sport starters on Sunday to eat some innings.  However, the pick-ups didn’t completely embarrass themselves.  James McArthur did, though, by allowed 4 earned runs and recording no outs, good for an INF ERA and WHIP.  Ultimately, the Hares got a rebound start from George Kirby and a great effort from Bryce Miller that were enough to secure three categories and the win.  The Skyline Sluggers are now just below 0.500, but remain competitive.  The Hares have a long way to go, but this is a signal that they are certainly not content with a last-place finish.

HP PhoeGnomes (3-5) vs. CP Kraken (3-4-1)

The week’s most shocking match paired the Kraken with the PhoeGnomes.  Heather earned yet another upset victory for the underdogs, but in a somewhat roundabout manner.  To start, the Kraken dominated on offense.  They led the league in every category but steals.  Heather picked the wrong time to trade Aaron Judge, because he unleashed 4 home runs, 8 RBI, 6 runs, and 2 steals.  Juan Soto added 3 home runs and 9 RBI.  The Legion had 7 players with 1.000 OPS or higher (though some had low at-bat totals).  Yordan Alvarez added 2 home runs, and another 2 steals.  The PhoeGnomes only took steals, thanks to six individual players recording one.

Neither team had a great week pitching, but the Kraken dealt with three shocking meltdowns.  First, Bailey Ober struggled to a 5.0 IP, 6 ER line.  Shota Imanaga trumped this, with a 7 ER, 4.1IP outing.  Finally, Taj Bradley said “hold my beer!” and served up 9 earned runs on just 3.1IP.  This was enough to cost Chris any chance of holding the rate stats.  In addition, these starts were so short that it gave Heather a window to win the non-rate categories as well.  The PhoeGnomes had their share of rough starts as well, with Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Bradish, and Chris Sale allowing 18 earned runs in their three starts.  However, Heather was able to get enough support from her other starters, plus her bullpen, to sweep all five categories.  This ensured a 6-4 win for the week.  The victory is nice for the PhoeGnomes, but the Kraken have to be frustrated that, yet again, their league-leading offense was undermined by poor pitching.  Rumors continue to swirl that the Hares and Legion could make a deal for a quality starter.  However, the scarcity of pitching has necessitated a high asking price for consistency.

LK Armadillos (6-1-1) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (3-2-3)

The week’s only favored team to win was the Armadillos.  Larry’s squad moved into first place with a solid win against a game Goofballs squad.  The Armadillos struggled a bit on offense this week, but did manage to win runs, RBI, and steals.  Kevin took OPS and had a great home run total.  Freddie Freeman was the best hitter for the Goofballs with 2 home runs and 1 1.291 OPS>  Rafael Devers had a 1.068 OPS.  Kyle Schwarber continued the strange trend of slow players stealing bases with 2.  Larry countered with a great week from Jose Ramirez and Gunnar Henderson.

On pitching, the sides were evenly matched.  Ultimately, the Armadillos were able to grab three categories, and secure a narrow win.  The team had a series of good starts, and Tarik Skubal was the best of the bunch.  He had only 7.0 IP, but allowed just 3 hits, 1 walk, no earned runs, and 8 strikeouts.  Reynaldo Lopez had a similar start with 8 strikeouts.  Kevin had a nice week with Freddy Peralta striking out 18 in just 10.2 IP.  However, Peralta allowed too many earned runs and Trevor MeGill managed an INF ERA and WHIP.  All totaled the Armadillos won the week 6-4.  It was another close call for the Goofballs.  For the Armadillos, they now posses sole control over first place.  Can any team stop their rise?

Player and Pitcher of the Week

The top player was definitely Aaron Judge in a losing effort for the Kraken.  The top pitcher is going to be Tarik Skubal, because without his quality effort, the Goofballs would have swung two categories and thus the week.

Next Week

The season rolls on as two winners, the hot PhoeGnomes and Armadillos, face off.  The Kraken face the Hares, and will likely spend a good amount of time scouting the Hares’ quality pitchers.

The Wolf Spiders will try to get back on the winning track versus the Skyline Sluggers.  Finally, the Goofballs and Possums will face off in a battle to move up in the middle tier of the standings.