Possums, Hares Secure Narrow Wins; Other Contests Remain Unresolved

The first week of the season saw the closest, most competitive matchups the league has seen on an opening week. The Possums and Hares were able to secure narrow victories. The other two matches ended in precise 5-5 ties. Overall, all four matchups could have ended in draws if things had broken differently on Sunday.

RK Possums vs CP Kraken

Rick was able to win a tight contest against Chris’s squad. The Kraken looked to have good chances thanks to league leading runs, RBI, and OPS numbers (with a tie for home runs). Yordan Alvarez started red-hot with 4 home runs, 10 RBI, 10 runs, a steal, and a 1.478 OPS. Aaron Judge and Zach Neto each added 3 more home runs. The Possums easily won steals thanks to Jazz Chisolm Jr., but this left Chris with a 4-1 lead.

Neither team had the best pitching for the week, but the Possums were just a shade better across the board. Jesus Luzardo managed a strong 18 strikeouts in two starts, but also gave up 7 earned runs. Edwin Diaz and Trevor Megill secured saves with 3 each. For the Kraken, Hunter Brown did his part with 10.2 IP and just 1 earned run. However, he is now on the IL, and the rest of the team was unable to pick up the slack. Bryan Abreu had a nightmare week with 2.2 relief innings and 7 earned runs. The Possums got a great start from Jack Leiter on Sunday, and managed to sweep for the week.

The Kraken’s inconsistent starting pitching doomed the squad for the week. However, starters are often hard to manage early in the season for all teams, Chris will have to hope he can find more consistency. The Possums earned a win against Chris for the first time in two seasons.

JK Hares vs. HP PhoeGnomes

The Hares were the only other team to capture a win in Week #01. The victory came by the slimmest of margins and the PhoeGnomes almost landed a miracle comeback late on Sunday. The Hares had a strong start on both sides of the scoring ledge. They tied for the lead in home runs and were near the top in RBI and OPS. Brandon Lowe provided 3 home runs, along with Elly De La Cruz. Seven total Hares had at least 2 home runs. Yandy Diaz had a 1.241 OPS in limited duty, and Drake Baldwin provided a clutch home run on Sunday to help secure the tie in RBI, and thus the win.

The PhoeGnomes had excellent pitching overall, led by Drew Rasmussen and Garrett Crochet. The pair combined for 21.0 IP, 6 earned runs, and 25 strikeouts. In a normal week, this would be enough to secure a win thanks to an ERA and WHIP near the top of the league. However, the Hares countered with a horde of strikeouts and IP, along with a massive 8 saves. Rookie Jacob Misiorowski had a monstrous 18 strikeouts in 11.0 IP and just 3 earned runs. Dylan Cease had 18 over just 9.2 IP with 3 earned runs. Mason Miller logged 11 over 4.1 relief innings en route to 4 saves. The Hares’ strategy of focusing on the bullpen this draft paid early dividends, and the team won all three counting categories. This was enough to snag the 5-4-1 win. This could easily have been a draw, so both teams will look to find a bit more consistency next week.

KK Wolf Spiders vs. LK Armadillos

Kyle’s squad put up arguably the strongest overall week of any team, thanks to strong offense and pitching that was just a shade worse than the defending champions. Corey Seager and Oneil Cruz led the way with 7 home runs, 15 RBI, and 15 runs. Wilyer Abreu also managed a 1.252 OPS, giving Kyle 4 of 5 categories.

The Armadillos’ offense couldn’t get much going on offense, and had the lowest RBI and OPS totals in the league. However, they proved their resourcefulness by winning 4 of 5 pitching categories and posting stats behind only the Anchors. Christopher Sanchez was the star of the group with 11.1 IP and 17 strikeouts. Bryan Woo was strong as well, with 13.0 IP and 15 strikeouts. These totals weren’t enough to match the Hares in strikeouts, but they did provide the best rate stats. Kyle had great stats as well, thanks to Tyler Glasnow. The squad also managed 3 saves, with a clutch Sunday conversion from Devin Williams.

This left the two bitter rivals tied at 5-5 each. Both teams had their changes on opposite sides of the scoreboard so the draw was probably the most fair result. Both teams will try to improve next week, but if both teams can consistently show this level of pitching, good things will follow.

CM Dirt Mountain Anchors vs. KG Capital City Goofballs

The Anchors and Goofballs had an excellent battle in the first week. Charlie had the best pitching of the week, including the top ERA and WHIP numbers. Kevin Gausman was the best starter of the week with 12.0 IP, 21 strikeouts, and just 1 earned run. Sandy Alcantara was also on another level with 16.0 IP, 12 strikeouts, and no earned runs. The Anchors also piled up 7 saves and earned a clean 5-0 sweep on pitching.

Kevin counter-attacked on offense. He also posted some of the top numbers across the league. Kyle Schwarber and Andy Pages each had 3 home runs, and combined for 10 runs, and 16 RBIs. Seven players had at least one steal, including 3 from Brice Turang, who also added a 1.001 OPS. This strong showing was enough for a solid 5-0 sweep, and the purest type of tie possible.

Next Week

The week’s two winners face staunch tests in week #02. The Possums face the Armadillos while the Hares square off against the Wolf Spiders. The Kraken and Goofballs meet in what may be an offensive showcase. Finally, the PhoeGnomes and Anchors will matchup in a solid early-season contest.