RK Possums (12 – 6 – 2) vs.  LK Armadillos (8 – 7 – 5)

Week 21 saw the Lannisters lose and several teams have a chance to gain ground.  Two prime contenders were the Possums and Armadillos.  Each team needed a win but the Armadillos in particular wanted to pick up a full game on the league leaders.  The Possums have more margin for error, but had a chance to take a small lead if they could pull off the win.

Both teams posted good all-around numbers.  However, the Armadillos were able to take command with strong pitching.  The team threw fewer innings but were more efficient.  Andrew Heaney was especially strong with 10 strikeouts and a quality start in just 6.0 IP.  Patrick Corbin was also great with two quality starts and 17 strikeouts in two starts.  Michael Pineda and Jack Flaherty also had strong starts with lots of strikeouts.  The Possums enjoyed an incredible week from Justin Verlander (including a no-hitter) but the rest of the starters let the team down.  Blake Treinen had an infinite ERA and starters like Trevor Bauer and Charlie Morton were largely ineffective.  The Armadillos swept all five categories, leaving the Possums with a difficult challenge to try to earn a tie.

Rick was better on offense and posted numbers near the top of the league in several categories.  The more remarkable was the team’s 10 steals, easily the best in the league.  Jonathan Villar and Mallex Smith totaled seven.  Eugenio Suarez had a monster week with five home runs and eight RBI.  Xander Bogaerts was almost as good with four home runs and seven RBI.  The Armadillos countered with a great week from JD Martinez who had four home runs and 10 RBI.  Nine different players had at least one home run, so Larry’s lineup was somewhat more consistent from top to bottom.  The Possums took four categories but couldn’t pull off the sweep they needed to earn a tie.  The Armadillos won what was likely a must-win game, and remain in contention.  The loss doesn’t cost the Possums and ground and they remain 0.5 games behind the Lannisters.

CP Legion (11 – 7 – 2) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (8 – 9 – 3)

The Legion were able to capitalize on the Lannisters’ loss by defeating the Thunderwolves.  Kyle put up a strong effort and several categories were tied and the result could have gone either way.  The Legion’s offense was the bright spot for the week.  Kevin Newman and Aaron Judge each had three home runs.  Three other players had two home runs each.  Newman was particularly strong with a 0.571 OBP and SLG over 1.000.  The Thunderwolves enjoyed three home runs each from Josh Bell and Eduardo Escobar.  The team was solid in RBI but fell behind in rate stats.  This led to the Legion earning three categories and tying two.  This would end up being the difference in a win and a tie for the week.

On pitching, the Legion struggled.  They posted the worst ERA and WHIP totals in the league by a wide margin and Kyle easily took both categories.  On the positive side, the team did strike out a lot of batters.  Caleb Smith totaled 10 strikeouts but also allowed 11 earned runs.  Noah Syndergaard allowed nine earned runs in just 3.0 IP.  The Thunderwolves were better in terms of rate stats but had trouble garnering enough innings to have a chance to win strikeouts.  Six of Kyle’s eight starters failed to reach 6.0 IP which limited the team’s potential for quality starts.  This meant that Kyle took saves and the rate stats but couldn’t pick up the extra categories he needed to make up for the ties on offense.  Chris earned a narrow victory but the battle could easily have gone either way.  The Legion now stand just behind the Lannisters and tied with the Possums.

KG Capital City Goofballs (9 – 9 – 2) vs.  JK Lannisters (13 – 6 – 1)

The league leaders suffered a down week on both offense and pitching.  The Goofballs capitalized with strong offensive production and good pitching and earned a dominant win to stay in the title hunt.  The Goofballs led the league in every offensive category except for steals.  Mitch Garver led the way with three home runs and ten other players had at least one each.  Fifteen Goofballs’ players had a SLG of at least 0.500.  The team posted a dominant effort and the Lannisters were unable to mount much of a push in any category except for steals.

The Goofballs were equally impressive on the mound.  Lucas Giolito and Jose Berrios each had quality starts and totaled 17 strikeouts.  The rest of the team pitched well but didn’t seem to get as many strikeouts as one might expect.  This gave the Lannisters their second category and the team led the league by a wide margin.  However, the rest of the stats were more mixed.  A few deplorable outings ended up costing the team.  Luis Castillo, Jacob deGrom, and Gerrit Cole each allowed at least four runs despite striking out several batters.  This limited the team’s potential for quality starts, and the Goofballs earned an easy win for the week.  They are now just 2.5 games behind the leaders but will need help to win the title.  The Lannisters suffered their second consecutive negative result and will have to play better to hold on to the title.  Two weeks of poor offense and mediocre pitching are troubling signs for the team’s chances.

SM Lasershow (3 – 17 – 0) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (8 – 11 – 1)

The PhoeGnomes and Lasershow met in a battle for pride, and by virtue of their win, the PhoeGnomes are still mathematically in the title hunt.  Heather put up one of her best performances of the season in what was an elimination situation.  They had the best overall pitching in the league.  The two stars for the week were Mike Clevinger and Madison Bumgarner.  Bumgarner had a quality start and nine strikeouts in 7.0 IP.  Clevinger was even better with a quality start and 10 strikeouts.  Josh Hader added two saves and had seven strikeouts.  The Lasershow got a great start from Max Fried who had 11 strikeouts and a quality start in 6.0 IP.  Sonny Gray had two nice starts as well, but the team couldn’t put together the numbers that the PhoeGnomes posted.  Heather swept all five categories before accounting for hitting.

Each team posted similar numbers on offense.  Neither team led the league in any categories but the all-around numbers were solid.  Francisco Lindor had a great week for Sean with three home runs.  Heather countered with a huge week from Yadier Molina.  The veteran catcher had four home runs and eight RBI in just 19 at-bats.  Seven other PhoeGnomes’ players had a home run including two from Matt Olson.  This was enough to secure four more categories and set up a comfortable win.

Next Week

With just four weeks left and every team in contention except the Lasershow, every match is important.  The Thunderwolves and PhoeGnomes are in much-win situations against the Goofballs and Armadillos respectively.  The Legion need to keep pace against the game Lasershow.  The week’s most important match is a huge battle between the Possums and Lannisters.  Rick needs a win to take over first place.  A tie would leave the Possums a half game behind.  There is no way Rick can win a tiebreaker, so a tie would be a net positive for the Lannisters since it would give them the tie-breaker.

KG Capital City Goofballs (8 – 8 – 2) vs.  LK Armadillos (8 – 6 – 4)

The week’s most important and competitive match featured the Goofballs and Armadillos. Both teams are on the fringe of contention and neither could afford a loss with the season coming to a close.  Both teams posted solid all-around numbers but the Goofballs were slightly better on pitching and won the week.

The teams were evenly matched in hitting, but the Armadillos had a small edge in rate stats.  No player had more than two home runs, but the team was consistent.  Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman had two home runs each and totaled 19 RBI.  Starling Marte had two steals and a home run.  Only two players with more than 10 at-bats had a SLG below 0.500.  This consistency helped Larry lead the league in OBP and finish second in RBI and SLG.  Kevin won hone runs thanks to a big week from Juan Soto.  He had four home runs and two steals.  Ryan McMahon added five home runs and eight RBI.  Ten Goofballs’ players had at least one home run, and the team tied for second in the league.  This gave the Armadillos a 3-1-1 advantage before adding pitching.

Both teams had respectable numbers but the Goofballs were able to earn the win thanks to higher productivity and more innings pitched.  Griffin Canning was strong in a single start but the biggest surprise was Jose Quintana who struck out 14 in just 6.0 IP.  Lucas Giolito added 11 strikeouts in his 6.0 IP as well.  A few starters struggled but the team had a solid ERA and WHIP.  The Armadillos got a great start from Clayton Kershaw and respectable numbers elsewhere.  However, the bullpen imploded and allowed eight of the team’s 13 earned runs for the week in just 2.1 IP.  This inflated the team’s ERA and sealed a win for Kevin.  The Goofballs remain three games out of first place while the Armadillos drop back to three behind as well.  Both teams have one more game left against the Lannisters, and each can be considered a must-win to keep their title hopes alive.

CP Legion (9 – 7 – 2) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (8 – 9- 1)

The week’s best performing team was the Legion.  Chris led the league in home runs, RBI, ERA, WHIP, and tied for the lead in quality starts.  The PhoeGnomes posted good offensive numbers but the pitching staff let the team down in the end.  Cody Bellinger, Nolan Arenado, and Jose Ramirez led the way for the Legion.  Each had four home runs and totaled 25 RBI.  Danny Santana had three home runs and eight RBI.  Ten total players had a home run which is especially impressive since Chris started just 12 total position players for the week.  Heather tried to fight back and managed to win OBP thanks go good week from Rafael Devers and Carlos Santana.  The latter was particularly strong with four home runs of his own.  Unfortunately for Heather, the Legion had too much power and won four other categories.

The Legion pitching staff was also sharp.  New addition Yu Darvish had a good 10 strikeout start.  Caleb Smith was solid, and several other starters had good numbers in limited innings.  The loss of Robbie Ray is troubling but a problem for next week.  Liam Hendricks recorded two saves and allowed just one hit for the week.  The limited innings gave Chris good rate stats but also limited his strikeout potential.  Heather took advantage and easily won the category.  Madison Bumgarner had 18 strikeouts in 13.0 IP, but also allowed five earned runs.  Cole Hamels had a nightmarish 8 earned runs in just 2.0 IP.  Chris Sale went on the DL after an okay starts.  Overall, the team’s pitching just wasn’t up to par and Chris cruised to a relatively secure win for the week.  The loss doesn’t mathematically eliminate the PhoeGnomes, but the road ahead is difficult.  The Legion remain two games behind with six to play.

JK Lannisters (12 – 6 – 0) vs.  SM Lasershow (3 – 15 – 0)

The week’s strangest match paired the Lannisters with the Lasershow.  Sean hoped to pull off the upset but was foiled by some bad luck on Sunday.  His strong pitching wasn’t enough to overcome the Lannisters’ offensive performance and the league leaders found just enough pitching to escape with a win.  On offense Bryce Harper led the way with four home runs and 10 RBI.  Harper was so tired from carrying the team he was removed from Sunday’s game due to dehydration (seriously).  Gio Urshela was strong with a home run, 12 hits, five RBI, and a 0.545 OBP.  Trey Mancini had two homers.  Matt Chapman had two home runs on the bench on Wednesday.  He was in the lineup Thursday and added two more.  James McCann and Marwin Gonzalez were strong in part-time duty.  The Lasershow were also strong on offense.  Three players had two home runs each including Willie Calhoun and Christian Yelich.  Shohei Ohtani had a home run, steal, and 0.643 SLG.  Sean had great rate stats but in a week with many huge offensive performances, it wasn’t enough.  The Lannisters led 4-0-1 before pitching.

The Lasershow fared much better on pitching.  They posted good numbers across the board.  Sonny Gray was strong with 10 strikeouts in just 5.0 IP.  Max Fried had 12 strikeouts in 11.0 IP.  However, the team struggled to pitch up to the 6.0 IP quality start threshold.  This limited their quality starts total and allowed the Lannisters to sneak in a tie the category despite several meltdowns.  Luis Castillo was deplorable, allowing eight earned runs in his lone start.  Stephen Strasburg, Walker Buehler, and Jake Odorizzi all struggled.  This limited their innings pitched and strikeouts suffered.  However, the short starts also gave the team some flexibility in WHIP, and a strong start from late addition Joey Lucchesi (0.83 WHIP) turned the tide for the week.  Lucchesi’s quality start tied one category and secured another – this turned a loss or tie into an improbable win.

This shocking result means that the Legion, Goofballs, and Possums lost a chance to gain ground on the league lead.  The lucky win mitigates the bad luck from two weeks ago when the Lannisters missed a win after a late pitching scratch.  The Lasershow took another loss in a competitive week.  It seems like Sean is always close to a win but can’t quite get the last category he needs.  Nevertheless, the Lasershow remain a team to watch as the season concludes, since they could still spoil any of the leaders.

KK Thunderwolves (7 – 9 – 2) vs.  RK Possums (11 – 6 – 1)

The week’s final match featured the Possums and Thunderwolves.  Both teams are in the title hunt, with the Possums in particular looking strong.  However, this week ended in a rare 4-4-2 tie with neither team able to force a decisive result.  The Thunderwolves had a strong offensive week and led the league in SLG.  The Possums countered with a rare league lead in the steals category.  Jonathan Villar had two and three other players added one.  The Thunderwolves had a monster week from Gleyber Torres.  He had the best week in the league with six home runs and 11 RBI.  J.T. Realmuto had a better SLG than Torres (1.083 vs. 0.935) along with four home runs and nine RBI.  Rick had three homers each from Max Muncy and Josh Donaldson.  Xander Bogaerts had seven RBI.  Muncy had nine.  This led to a mixed result where Kyle won home runs and SLG while Rick earned RBI, OBP, and steals.

Neither team’s pitching could live up to the standard set but the offenses.  The Possums managed the worst WHIP and ERA by a wide margin in a week when the Lannisters and PhoeGnomes also posted disgraceful numbers.  Five of the Possums’ ten pitchers had ERAs above 10.00 for the week.  This included a horrific outing from Julio Teheran who threw just 1.1 IP and allowed six earned runs.  Trevor Bauer allowed nine in his start.  The bullpen struggled as well with Sean Doolittle recording two saves but landing on the DL.  Kyle had better rate stats despite a tough week for Chase Anderson.  Aaron Nola was strong, but the team failed to record many strikeouts outside of Nola and Lance Lynn.  Rick had better production from Justin Verlander and Charlie Morton.  This led to another split in many categories, and the final result was a tie that will satisfy neither team.  The Possums fall to a full game behind the Lannisters and the Thunderwolves are fighting for their lives.

Next Week

With six weeks left, every match is important.  The biggest match is between the Armadillos and Lannisters.  For the Armadillos to have a realistic chance at the title, they must win.  The same applies to the PhoeGnomes and Thunderwolves.  The loser could be mathematically eliminated from contention.  The Possums face the Lasershow.  Rick needs to keep pace, and the Lasershow want to prove they can take down a contender.  Finally, the Goofballs and Legion meet in a critical battle.  Neither team can afford a loss, but the Goofballs are in an especially precarious position.  If the Armadillos can pull off the upset, this could be a chance to make up some ground in the standings.

CP Legion (9 – 6 – 2) vs.  RK Possums (10 – 6 – 1)

The week’s most important match featured the Legion and Possums.  With the Lannisters winning, neither team could afford a loss and losing ground.  This time, the advantage went to the Possums.  Both teams displayed excellent offensive numbers.  Both teams were only behind the Armadillos in terms of production.  The Legion were slightly better and took three of five categories.  Yordan Alvarez led the way with four home runs and 10 RBI.  Six other Legion players had two home runs, including Jose Ramirez.  He had seven RBI and two steals.  The Possums enjoyed a great week from Ronald Acuna Jr. – he had six home runs, 10 RBI, and three steals.  Fernando Tatis Jr. added two more steals to help the Possums win the category.  Tatis and Eugenio Suarez had three home runs each.  Overall, the Possums took home runs and steals but the Legion took both rate stats and RBI.

Unfortunately for Chris, the Legion’s pitching staff again let them down.  The team had the worst ERA and WHIP in the league and were next to last in strikeouts.  Caleb Smith and Kyle Hendricks combined to throw 13.2 IP.  They allowed 23 hits, 15 earned runs, and struck out just 11.  This negated a good effort from Mike Soroka and a strong Noah Syndergaard start.  The Possums didn’t have the league’s best numbers but they were solid and more than enough to get the job done.  Trevor Bauer was the standout with 11 strikeouts in just 7.0 IP.  Jeff Samardzija added a strong start and Julio Teheran rebounded.  The Possums took four categories and won the week.  The win keeps pace with the Lannisters at the top of the league.  The Legion fall to 1.5 games back.  Both teams are in the heart of the fight for the title.

HP PhoeGnomes (8 – 8 – 1) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (7 – 8 – 2)

Both the PhoeGnomes and Goofballs needed a win to keep each team’s title hopes alive.  The Goofballs were able to rally and secure the win behind good offense and adequate pitching.  Juan Soto was the Goofballs’ best position player for the week.  He had three home runs and two steals.  Freddie Freeman had three home runs as well, along with nine RBI.  Carson Kelly and Javier Baez each had two home runs.  This was enough to easily win steals, home runs, OBP, and SLG.  However, Heather posted good RBI numbers and challenged for the category.  Michael Conforto had three home runs and nine RBI.  Nick Castellanos also had three home runs.  Unfortunately for the PhoeGnomes, they fell just short in this critical category.

Heather tried to fight back on the pitching side.  She posted the best numbers in the league, and had the best ERA, WHIP, and quality starts totals.  She tied for the lead in saves.  These numbers are even more impressive because each quality start came from a different pitcher.  The best of the group was Chris Sale who rebounded from a nightmare week to post 13 strikeouts over 8.0 IP and no earned runs.  Shane Bieber also had a great week with 11 strikeouts over 7.0 IP.  Ryan Yarbrough was solid.  Unfortunately, the team lacked strikeouts and only made seven starts for the week.  Given the team’s solid rate stats, it’s surprising that the PhoeGnomes didn’t try their luck with a floating starter on Sunday.  The Goofballs didn’t have the best totals for the week, but they did pile up the strikeouts.  The week’s hero was Lucas Giolito.  He struck out 21 in 12.0 IP.  He allowed some earned runs, but his Sunday start put the Goofballs over the top in strikeouts and earned Kevin the win for the week.  The Goofballs don’t gain any ground on the league leader but they did close the gap with the Legion and maintain pace with the Lannisters.  The PhoeGnomes’ loss probably ends the team’s title hopes, but there is still a chance and plenty to play for.

LK Armadillos (7 – 6 – 4) vs.  SM Lasershow (3 – 14 – 0)

Like the Goofballs, the Armadillos relied on monstrous offensive numbers along with adequate pitching to earn a strong victory.  The Armadillos led the league in every offensive category except for steals, where they tied for the lead.  Pete Alonso and George Soler led the way with four home runs each.  The pair combined for 15 RBI.  Ozzie Albies and J.D. Martinez had three home runs each.  Three other players had two home runs each.  Alex Bregman had just one home run but notched seven RBI.  Trevor Story was the worst regular player but even he added two steals.  The performance overwhelmed the Lasershow, but Sean did post excellent OBP and SLG numbers.

The Armadillos’ pitching staff did enough to win two categories and secure a victory for the week.  Brad Hand had two saves and John Flaherty and Clayton Kershaw each had a good start.  Dallas Keuchel and Matthew Boyd posted disgraceful numbers and Keuchel was cut as a result.  However, Zac Gallen, Mike Fiers, and Chris Bassitt each had a nice start (albeit with lower innings pitched).  The Lasershow posted great rate stats behind excellent weeks rom Sonny Gray and Mike Minor.  Minor was especially strong with 11 strikeouts and no earned runs in 8.0 IP.  The Lasershow had four quality starts but couldn’t quite get the volume of innings needed to compete in strikeouts or quality starts.  The Armadillos won two categories and secured a win for the week.  Much like the Goofballs, the Armadillos didn’t gain any ground on the leaders but they did improve their position in the standings and are now just two games behind the Lannisters.

JK Lannisters (11 – 6 – 0) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (7 – 8 – 2)

After two tough losses, the Lannisters rebounded to win a comfortable match against the Thunderwolves.  They didn’t lead the league in any categories but their overall performance was probably the best in the league.  The team relied on great pitching to start.  Luis Castillo continued his stellar season with 13 strikeouts in just 7.0 IP.  Gerrit Cole struck out 10 in 6.0 IP and Stephen Strasburg rebounded from a terrible start to have a nice outing.  James Paxton had a good start for the Thunderwolves, but it wasn’t enough.  Kyle wasn’t able to compete in any categories after meltdowns from Andrew Cashner and Alex Wood.  The Lannisters earned a sweep.

On offense, the Lannisters also dominated for the week.  Bryce Harper and Mike Trout each had three home runs and totaled 10 RBI.  Eric Sogard had a home run and a steal.  Ten different players had a home run, and the Lannisters relied on this depth to keep their OBP and SLG numbers high.  Kyle had a god effort from Whit Merrifield and Josh Bell, but it was too little, too late.  The Lannisters earned a relatively easy win for the week.  The loss probably removes the Thunderwolves from contention, but like the PhoeGnomes, there are still opportunities to move up and possibly still challenge for the title.  The loss is a disappointing one for Kyle, but this was the first truly down week in what’s been a strong season.

Next Week

There are seven weeks left in the season, so this means that each team has one more match against each other team.  Every match is now critical.  The seventh place team, the Thunderwolves, are only 4.0 games back and have a possible shot at the title.  However, their match is a strong test against the Possums.  The Lannisters face the Lasershow, and want to avoid any upsets at this point.  The most interesting match pairs the Armadillos and Goofballs.  Each team is desperate for a win.  Finally, the Legion need a win over the PhoeGnomes to keep pace and stay in the title hunt.

CP Legion (8 – 6 – 2) vs.   JK Lannisters (11 – 5)

The Legion were able to earn a victory in a critical match to keep their title hopes alive.  Things didn’t look good for Chris on the offensive side.  The Legion had decent offensive numbers, but the Lannisters were superior in all categories except steals.  Nelson Cruz had four home runs and 20 RBI and three players had two home runs. The Legion had a good week from Cody Bellinger and won steals with just two.  This left the Legion with a 4-1 deficit before pitching.

Fortunately for Chris, the Lannisters suffered a series of technical issues and player implosions that led to the worst pitching performance for the week.  Walker Buehler and Gerrit Cole had outstanding starts and allowed just two earned runs in 16.0 IP.  Incredibly, though, the Lannisters had a team ERA of 8.08 for the week even including these strong performances.  Five starters allowed at least five earned runs, including nine for Stephen Strasburg.  Wade Davis got into the act, allowing five earned runs and losing his closer job.  The Legion easily won ERA and WHIP thanks to nice weeks from several pitchers.  However, there was still hope for the Lannisters when several Legion pitchers failed to go six innings and get quality starts.  However, the Rays’ decisions to move Jake Odorizzi’s start left the Lannisters without an eighth pitcher on Sunday and Chris won strikeouts by one.  Although the Lannisters would have won the week with another starter, it is hard to feel any sympathy for the loss after such a miserable week from so many pitchers.  The win keeps the Legion close and adds even more pressure for the coming weeks’ matches.

RK Possums (10 – 5 – 1) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (7 – 8 – 1)

The closest team to the Lannisters is the Possums.  However, the PhoeGnomes are still within striking distance and they managed to pull out a close win and improve their position.  The team won three categories on offense, but many of them were close.  Three PhoeGnomes’ players had two home runs:  Andrew Benintendi, Jose Altuve, and George Springer.  Benintendi had six RBI and Josh VanMeter had three steals. These steals were enough to tie the category.  The Possums managed to win home runs thanks to a great week from Ronald Acuna Jr..  However, no other Possums player had more than three RBI.  This caused another strange situation where the Possums won home runs but lost RBI and SLG.

The PhoeGnomes suffered the same issues as the Lannisters on pitching.  The team had an abysmal ERA and failed to get many quality starts.  However, the Possums also failed to throw enough innings in most of their games. This led to fewer quality starts despite earning a better strikeout total.  A few bullpen meltdowns let the team with a poor WHIP.  The lack of pitching quality cost Rick, and the team was unable to overcome the offensives deficit.  The win pulls the PhoeGnomes to within 2.5 games of the league lead.  The Possums benefitted from the Lannisters’ loss and remain just 0.5 games back.

SM Lasershow (3 – 13) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (6 – 8 – 2)

The Goofballs needed a win to remain in contention and they responded to the challenge with a great all-around week, probably the best in the league.  Kevin was near the top of the ague in every category except saves.  He had the best ERA and WHIP in the league thanks in large part to a masterful Jose Berrios starts in which he allowed just two hits and struck out 11.  No starter allowed more than two earned runs.  The team’s numbers would have been even better if not for a single bad inning from Luke Jackson.  Sean had an okay week including a good start from Zack Wheeler.  Unfortunately for Sean he didn’t have the volume of quality starts, saves, or strikeouts to compete in those categories and Kevin swept all five.

Like pitching, Kevin’s hitting was also near the top of the league.  Jean Soto had three home runs.  Ketel Marte, Carson Kelly, Anthony Rendon, and Max Kepler had three homers each.  Javier Baez had a home run and a steal.  Rendon also added nine RBI.  The volume of Kevin’s quality hitters was too much for the Lasershow to compete with.  They were able to tie in steals, but it wasn’t enough and the Goofballs remained in contention for at least another week.  They are now three games back from the league lead.

LK Armadillos (6 – 6 – 4) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (7 – 7 – 2)

The week’s final match also presented an opportunity for two mid-tier teams to move closer to the league lead.  The Armadillos and Thunderwolves had a close match that eventually tipped in the Armadillos favor.  Both teams had excellent pitching.  Kyle had great starts from German Marquez, Aaron Nola, and Lance Lynn.  Each recorded ten strikeouts and Kyle won the category.  Other players threw fewer innings and weren’t bad, but were definitely less effective.  For example, Zack Greinke allowed two earned runs in just 5.0 IP.  This was okay, but not enough for a quality start or a big boost to ERA and WHIP.  The Armadillos suffered similar problems with Patrick Corbin but had slightly better efforts from Jack Flaherty and Noah Syndergaard.  Six pitchers had quality starts, and the team had the better WHIP and ERA.  This left Larry with a 3-1-1 advantage before hitting.

Both teams were good enough to win against many other teams on offense.  The Thunderwolves led the league in RBI and the Armadillos led in home runs, OBP, and SLG.  Leading the way for Kyle was Vladimir Guerrero Jr..  He had three home runs and 11 RBI.  The Armadillos countered with a three hoe run week from Trevor Story and Starling Marte.  Eight other Armadillos players had at least one home run, and the power up-and-down the lineup was too much for Kyle to overcome.  The Armadillos moved to just two games back of first place.  The Thunderwolves lost on a good week because they did not lose any ground to the Lannisters and remain just three games back.

Next Week

Week 18 has several massive battles.  The most important features the Legion and Possums.  Both teams are desperate for a win to keep close to first.  The Goofballs and PhoeGnomes have a match in which the loser is likely to be out of contention.  The Armadillos are heavily favored against the Lasershow, but Sean’s team has been better lately.  Finally, the Thunderwolves need to rally against the Lannisters, who themselves are looking to avoid a three game losing streak.

RK Possums (9 – 4 – 1) vs.  JK Lannisters (10 – 4)

With first place on the line, the most important match of the week paired the Lannisters and Possums.  The two teams had split their first two meetings so this match has implications for tie-breakers as well as the league lead.  In this match, the Lannisters won thanks to superb pitching and a strong offense.  Leading the way was an unlikely hero – Trey Mancini.  He had four home runs and seven RBI for the week to lead both teams.  Nelson Cruz, Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, and Manny Machado each had a pair of home runs to help the Lannisters tie for the league lead.  The team also had a stellar OBP and SLG thanks to strong weeks from role players like Eric Sogard and Marwin Gonzalez.  The Possums tried to counter with a nice three homer week from Max Muncy and an astonishing seven steal week from Ronald Acuna Jr. to easily win the category and lead the league.  The team tied in home runs thanks to good power up and down the lineup.  However, they lost the other three categories by large margins and the pitching wasn’t able to keep pace.

The Possums suffered several down weeks, including a disastrous stint for Andrew Cashner and bag games from Jeff Samardzija and Charlie Morton.  Every Possums’ starter allowed at least two earned runs and the team mustered only two quality starts.  In contrast, the Lannisters had only one starter allow three runs.  Luis Castillo had two great starts and Walker Buehler matched him and recorded 18 strikeouts.  The pair had four quality starts.  Although they didn’t lead the league in any pitching category, the Lannisters were near the top in everything but saves.  This was enough to earn a comfortable victory for the week.  The Possums have to be disappointed, because this loss means they cannot win a tie-breaker with the Lannisters and fall to 1.5 games behind.

LK Armadillos (5 – 5 – 4) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (6 – 7 – 1)

The Lannister victory means that all of the other contenders needed to step up to avoid losing ground.  The Armadillos kept their title hopes alive with a strong victory against the PhoeGnomes.  The Armadillos put up the best overall week in the league.  The pitching staff led the way with a bizarre but effective quality over quantity strategy.  The team made only five starts and essentially conceded strikeouts and possibly quality starts.  However, two excellent Clayton Kershaw outings gave the team a huge lead in ERA.  The bullpen posted good numbers behind Craig Kimbrel.  The PhoeGnomes tried their best and also posted good numbers.  They led the league in strikeouts behind Mike Clevinger and Chris Sale, both of whom were lights-out with 24 total strikeouts in just 12 IP.  The relief corps gave up too many runs to be effective, though, and Heather had to settle for just three category wins.  However, things looked promising after Heather took WHIP despite the Armadillos’ strategy.

Unfortunately the PhoeGnomes were let down by their offense while the Armadillos put up excellent numbers.  George Springer did all he could with four home runs and eight RBI.  Rafael Devers added three of his own, but the rest of the team struggled to get on base or hit for power.  The Armadillos enjoyed their own four home run week from Edwin Encarnacion, who had 11 RBI as well.  Keston Hiura had eight RBI and three other Armadillos’ players had two home runs.  The consistent production saw the Armadillos sweep all five categories and place near the top of the league in them all as well.  This was enough to overcome the slight pitching deficit and earn a hard-fought win that was closer than the final score indicate.  The win means the Armadillos keep pace three games behind the Lannisters along with two other teams.  Heather falls back to seventh place 4.5 games back.  The loss drops her two games below 0.500, but it’s too early to close the book on her season.

SM Lasershow (2 – 12) vs.  CP Legion (6 – 6 – 2)

The struggling Legion were desperate for a win and they earned one against the Lasershow to also remain three back from the lead.  The team’s offense was a strength this week with great home run power and rate stats.  Cody Bellinger had three home runs, and four other Legion players had two.  Three additional players each added one home run.  Trea Turner had three steals and Nolan Arenado added three RBI.  The Lasershow also put up good numbers.  Christian Yelich had three home runs and eight RBI, along with two steals.  Francisco Lindor and Yuli Gurriel each had two home runs and five RBI.  Unfortunately for Sean, he didn’t have the depth needed to match the Legion and Chris won all offensive categories except for steals.

In a trend that is all too common for both of these teams, the pitching side was troublesome for both.  However, the Legion were able to do enough to capture three categories and earn the win for the week.  Robbie Ray and Caleb Smith weren’t particularly effective in their starts, but they each struck out seven.  Roberto Osuna and Liam Hendricks had two saves each.  The Lasershow got a nice start from Sonny Grey and another from Eduardo Rodriguez to earn a win in quality starts with just two.  It was the Legion who won the day and remain within striking distance of the lead.

KK Thunderwolves (7 – 5 – 2) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (5 – 7 – 2)

The week’s final match saw the Goofballs bring down the Thunderwolves with a strong all-around showing.  Both teams wanted a win but the Goofballs needed one more to keep their title hopes alive.  After weeks of strange happenings, the team finally got a solid pitching performance and led the league in ERA, WHIP, and quality starts.  Lucas Giolito had two great outings and Marcus Stroman and Ryan Yarbrough did not allow an earned run.  Kevin Gausman had a nice eight strikeout game.  The Thunderwolves took saves behind a monster four save effort from Ian Kennedy, but the rest of the team struggled and Kevin win everything else but strikeouts with ease.

Both teams were decent on offense, but failed to hit the highs of the league leaders.  Kyle had a great week from Eduardo Escobar with three home runs and 10 RBI.  Michael Brantley had three home runs for himself as well.  The Goofballs countered with their usual phalanx of players and saw success up and down the shifting lineup.  Javier Baez and Ryan McMahon had two home runs each.  Five different Goofballs had a steal to win the category.  Ketel Marte was solid with a 9/18 H/AB and 0.833 SLG.  This was enough for Kevin to win three categories and earn a close win.  The loss means the Thunderwolves join the Armadillos and Legion three games behind the league leaders.  The Goofballs are at four back and still have hope.

Next Week

The stake are high for everyone in Week 16.  The Legion and Armadillos pair off, as do the Possums and Goofballs.  If the Lannisters win against the PhoeGnomes, it will be hard for the loser of either of those matches to remain in contention with just nine weeks left.  There will be less pressure if the PhoeGnomes can pull off an upset, which Heather needs to keep her dreams alive.  The Thunderwolves seem to have the advantage against the Lasershow, but Sean’s improved team could still spoil Kyle’s chances.

HP PhoeGnomes (6 – 6 – 1) vs.  SM Lasershow (1 – 11)

After a rough start to the season the Lasershow have found some consistency.  The team put together some strong performances in losing efforts.  Over the long week, Sean was able to put together the best offensive performance in the league and earn a second victory.  They led the league in OBP and steals.  They tied for first in home runs and were second in OBP.  Christian Yelich was one of six Lasershow players with a steal – he had three home runs and three steals.  Yuli Gurriel had six home runs and 14 RBI.  Maikel Franco added three home runs, as did Yasiel Puig.  Heather had a nice offensive week from Rafael Devers who had five home runs and 14 RBI.  She was able to take RBI, but this as the only category the PhoeGnomes won.

Neither team’s pitching lived up to their offensive counterparts.  Heather suffered a few meltdowns from Ross Stripling, Chris Sale, and Zach Eflin.  The trio combined for 25 earned runs over 27.1 IP.  Eflin’s short outing likely cost Heather strikeouts for the week.  The Lasershow also had a rough week from a few pitchers, most notably Zack Wheeler, Max Fried, and Mike Minor.  However, David Price had a strong 20 strikeout week, and Sonny Gray had a nice start.  This was enough for Sean to win quality starts, strikeouts, and ERA.  Heather won saves, but it wasn’t enough to swing the week.  Sean relied on great offense and adequate pitching to earn and overdue win.

CP Legion (6 – 5 – 2) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (6 – 5 – 2)

The Thunderwolves and Legion met with control of third place on the line.  The match was incredibly close and was eventually decided by an extra innings game.  Both teams registered good pitching, which is certainly welcome news for the Legion.  Chris rebounded to lead the league in saves and capture WHIP by a small margin.  Liam Hendriks and John Means did not allow an earned run for the week, and Hendriks had four saves.  Robbie Ray was also strong with 16 strikeouts over two starts.  The Thunderwolves were slightly better over ten more innings, though.  Aaron Nola stayed red hot with 23 strikeouts for the week.  Kirby Yates was strong, as was Zack Greinke.  Kyle had the second best ERA and strikeout total in the league.  The teams tied in quality starts, so there was a 2-2-1 tie before hitting.

In terms of home runs and RBI, the Legion were much stronger than the Thunderwolves.  Cody Bellinger led the way with four home runs and Jose Ramirez added three of his own.  Yordan Alvarez had seven RBI and four different Legion players had a steal.  Kyle failed to compete in either home runs or RBI, but he did win steals thanks to Whit Merrifield’s three.  Rhys Hoskins had 10 RBI despite just one home run.  Josh Bell was on fire with five home runs and 14 RBI.  The team had a strong OBP total and also matched the Legion in SLG.  The Legion were in the lead up until the final game of the week.  In a shocking turn of events, Cody Bellinger made an extra out in the tenth inning of the Dodgers’ game.  This was enough to give a tiny edge to the Thunderwolves.  This flipped the category and ultimately the week.  Kyle narrowly escaped with a win and remains in third place just two games behind the league leaders.

JK Lannisters (9 – 4) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (5 – 6 – 2)

The Lannisters held on to first place with a strong showing against the Goofballs.  The Lannisters had the best overall performance for the week.  Their pitching was outstanding with the best ERA and WHIP in the league by a considerable margin.  They won quality starts and likely could have led the league in strikeouts had the team needed to use more starters to secure the win.  Stephen Strasburg was the star of the week with 20 strikeouts, two quality starts, and no earned runs in two outings.  Luis Castillo and Jacob deGrom were strong as well, and Gerrit Cole totaled 22 strikeouts in 13.0 IP.  The Goofballs threw 26.0 more innings than the Lannisters but at slightly lower quality and efficiency.  They posted good numbers and won saves, but the Lannisters held a commanding 3-2 lead.

On offense, Mike Trout was on fire.  He had one fewer home run than the entire Thunderwolves team with eight.  He added 18 RBI and seven walks.  Danny Jansen finally showed signs of life with four home runs and seven RBI in the catcher slot.  Jean Segura added two steals in part-time duty secure another category.  The Goofballs had a good RBI week thanks to Juan Soto, Kevin Kiermaier, and Javier Baez who had seven apiece.  However, the team didn’t have enough power to compete in home runs and were near the bottom in SLG and OBP.  This meant the Lannisters enjoyed a comfortable victory and remain in first place, just ahead of the Possums.

LK Armadillos (5 – 4 – 4) vs.  RK Possums (8 – 4 – 1)

The week’s final battle saw the Possums hold on to second place against the Armadillos.  Rick was tied for the lead in home runs and was second in steals.  Max Muncy, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Ronald Acuna Jr. each had three home runs.  Josh Donaldson had four and eight RBI.  Starling Marte had a great week for the Armadillos with three home runs, 12 RBI, and steal.  Trevor Story and Alex Bregman had good weeks but it wasn’t enough for the Armadillos to compete beyond RBI.  This gave Rick a heavy 4-1 advantage before pitching.

Both squads had the best pitching in the league besides the Lannisters.  They tied with an impressive eight quality starts.  Rick led the league in strikeouts and was second in WHIP and third in ERA.  The Armadillos were just behind the possums in both categories.  Patrick Corbin was strong for the Armadillos with 28 strikeouts over 20.0 IP and three quality starts.  The Possums got 18 strikeouts from Charlie Morton and 26 from Trevor Bauer.  The Possums were slightly more efficient, and earned three categories and a win for the week.  The match was closer than the final score indicated and one bad Possums start could have ruined quality starts, ERA, and WHIP.  Rick was able to hold on, and remains in second place.

Next Week

The most important match of the week features the Possums and Lannisters.  The teams have split two matches so far.  This means that the loser of this match cannot win a tiebreaker against the winning team.  The Legion will try to keep pace but must play the hot Lasershow.  The Goofballs meet the Thunderwolves, and Kevin needs a win to remain close to the top.  Kyle wants a win since one of the top two teams will lose ground this week.  Finally, the Armadillos will try to right the ship against the PhoeGnomes.

LK Armadillos (5 – 3 – 4) vs.  JK Lannisters (8 – 4)

The Lannisters exacted more revenge on the Armadillos for last year’s title win, this time with a Sunday power surge.  The Armadillos put up solid numbers and easily won steals.  DJ LeMahieu had two home runs and 10 RBI.  Eleven total Armadillos players had at least one home run.  On most weeks this would be enough to win.  However, the Lannisters dominated RBI with 52, including 15 on Sunday to lead the league.  Manny Machado was on fire with four home runs and eight RBI.  Jean Segura had three in limited playing time.  Matt Chapman had three and nine RBI.  In total, the Armadillos won three categories, but the Sunday barrage gave the Lannisters two.

On pitching, the Armadillos suffered the same fate as the Legion and PhoeGnomes.  Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed 15 earned runs in 17.0 IP.  The team managed single quality start for the week and had the second worst ERA and SLG in the league.  In contrast, the Lannisters had the best ERA total in the league and were second in strikeouts, WHIP, and quality starts.  Gerrit Cole was in the middle of the action with two quality starts and 13 strikeouts.  Luis Castillo rebounded for a nice outing.  Overall, the Lannisters were able to capture the win and stay in first place ahead of the Possums.  The win is the second over the Armadillos this year, meaning there is no way Larry can win a possible tie breaker this time around – The Lannisters will have that advantage.

SM Lasershow (1 – 11) vs.  RK Possums (7 – 4 – 1)

The Possums needed a win to keep pace with the Lannisters.  Though they didn’t have the Lannisters’ strong pitching, Rick had enough hitting and pitching volume to win the week.  The Possums led the league in home runs, steals, OBP and SLG.  Max Muncy led the way with three home runs and 12 RBI.  Joey Gallo had three home runs as well and Ronald Acuna had four steals.  Ten different Possums had at least one home run.  The Lasershow had decent hitting as well, but it wasn’t enough to win a category.  Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had three home runs in the losing effort.

Neither team had dominant pitching stats but the Possums led the league in quality starts with five.  The Lasershow also failed to record a save.  Trevor Bauer and Max Scherzer totaled 36 strikeouts in 22.2 IP.  Jesse Chavez also added a nice quality start.  Max Fried pitched well for the Lasershow, as did Mike Minor.  However, they were only able to take ERA while the Possums took all of the counting stats and WHIP.  This was enough for Rick to earn a win and stay close behind the Lannisters at the top of the league.

KK Thunderwolves (5 – 5 – 2) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (6 – 5 – 1)

The Thunderwolves and PhoeGnomes met in a battle between two fairly hot teams.  Neither team posted great offensive numbers but Kyle earned the victory thanks to good pitching stats and several PhoeGnomes’ players’ meltdowns.  The Thunderwolves led the league in both ERA and WHIP.  Aaron Nola stayed hot by striking out 10 in his only start.  Lance Lynn bounced back to strike out ten as well.  Zack Greinke was solid over two starts.  The PhoeGnomes managed more strikeouts in fewer innings, but several pitchers suffered catastrophic failures.  Blake Snell, Chris Sale, and Zach Eflin allowed 21 earned runs in 21.1 IP.  This volume of poor quality innings left quality starts, ERA, and WHIP well out of reach, though Heather did win saves.  Kyle held a 3-2 advantage before accounting for offense.

The Thunderwolves were slightly more consistent on offense and narrowly won all five categories.  Rhys Hoskins had three home runs and Josh Bell added two more.  Nick Senzel had two steals.  The PhoeGnomes failed to steal a base.  Matt Olson was strong for Heather with three home runs, but the rest of the offense didn’t click.  The team’s home runs, RBI, steals, and SLG were worst win the league, and their OBP was next to last.  Kyle earned a solid win and stayed above 0.500.  Heather suffered her first down week in a while and will need to regroup next week.

KG Capital City Goofballs (5 – 6 – 1) vs.  CP Legion (6 – 5 – 2)

The Goofballs and Legion struggled to a tie for the week.  The Legion offense was strong, but the pitching staff undid their hard work.  Kevin did just enough to force the tie on the week’s final day of play.  Kevin put up solid offensive numbers.  Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon each had two home runs.  However, the Legion were superior in all of the other categories.  They were second in the league in RBI, steals, OBP, and SLG, and third in home runs.  David Dahl had three homers and eight RBI in relatively few at bats.  Four other Legion players had two home runs, and Trea Turner had four steals.  This was enough to sweep all five categories.

On pitching, neither team was great but the Legion struggled to a greater extent than the Goofballs.  Chris’s team had a 6.11 ERA, but what is truly shocking is that this was only the third worst ERA for the week!  The Legion also joined the Lasershow to earn the dubious honor of not recording a save for the week.  The Goofballs easily won ERA, WHIP, and saves.  However, they needed a strong performance from Miles Mikolas on Sunday to earn a quality start and record enough strikeouts to win both categories.  The Legion were let down by Robbie Ray who failed to get out of the fourth inning.  The tie means that both teams lose some ground to the Thunderwolves, Lannisters, and Possums.  However, given the relatively poor performances, each is probably happy with the result.

Next Week

This week is the long All Star week, so each team can start a maximum of 10 pitchers with a minimum of 7.  Remember that the minimum will still show as five on the site, so we will count at the end of the week to make sure everyone has enough starts.  The Possums face the Armadillos in a critical grudge match.  The PhoeGnomes will try to return to winning form against the Lasershow.  The Lannisters and Goofballs meet in yet another long-week match.  Finally, the Thunderwolves and Legion meet in a critical battle to emerge from the middle of the league.

LK Armadillos (4 – 3 – 4) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (5 – 5 – 1)

The week’s best performance belongs to the Armadillos.  After a slow start the defending champs are beginning to find more consistency and move up in the standings.  This week’s victim was the Goofballs.  The Armadillos led the league in home runs, RBI, and SLG.  They were second in OBP to the Lannisters.  Pete Alonso had a massive week with four home runs and eight RBI.  Gary Sanchez added three home runs of his own and nine RBI.  Four other Armadillos’ players had two home runs.  Even part timers like Domingo Santana were solid – he had two homers, five RBI, and four walks in just 14 at-bats.  Freddie Freeman tried to keep the Goofballs close with two home runs and 10 RBI, but it wasn’t enough to compete in non-steals categories.  Larry won four categories with ease before accounting for pitching.

Neither team had elite pitching but the Armadillos were competitive with the rest of the league and easily outmatched the Goofballs.  Clayton Kershaw and Mike Fiers had solid starts.  Brandon Woodruff had 18 strikeouts over 13.0 IP.  Brad Hand and the relief corps were dominant.  The Goofballs threw slightly more innings and had a higher strikeout total than Larry’s team, but it wasn’t enough.  Poor starts from Lucas Giolito and Joey Lucchesi put the team out of contention in the rate stats, and the Armadillos cruised to an easy win.  The loss drops the Goofballs below 0.500 and the Armadillos continue their steady march up the standings.

JK Lannisters (7 – 4) vs.  SM Lasershow (1 – 10)

The Lannisters remained in first place despite a spirited challenge from the Lasershow.  Both teams put up excellent offensive numbers.  The Lannisters led the league in OBP and were second in home runs, RBI, SLG, and steals.  As usual, Mike Trout was at the center of the offense with three home runs, 10 RBI, and a steal.  Mookie Betts added a home run and two steals.  Manny Machado had three home runs and eight RBI.  Matt Chapman remained hot with two home runs in limited duty.  Sean got great production from Christian Yelich.  He had three home runs and a steal.  Jeff McNeil had two home runs and two steals.  Overall the Lasershow’s offense was solid, but it couldn’t quite keep pace with the Lannisters.  Sean tied for third in home runs, led the league in steals, and was third in SLG.

The Lannisters gained greater separation on pitching.  They led the league in strikeouts, quality starts, ERA, and were second in WHIP.  Jacob deGrom returned to form with 19 strikeouts over 14.1 IP and two quality starts.  Walker Buehler also earned a quality start and struck out 16 in a complete game three-hitter.  This level of production covered for a few down outings from Luis Castillo and some bullpen hijinks.  Sean got a few decent pitching performances but his starters had trouble lasting deep enough into games to compete in strikeouts or quality starts.  Sergio Romo was solid with two saves, but the team could only tie this single category.  The Lannisters won four others and earned a win.  The match was probably closer than the score indicated, and the Lasershow continue to show competitive fire, but seem to always face a hot team.

RK Possums (7 – 4) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (5 – 5 – 1)

The week’s most bizarre result belongs to the Possums and Thunderwolves.  The final outcome of this match rested on a tie in both SLG and OBP.  I can’t remember another time in which this has happened.  The week started well for the Thunderwolves.  They had strong pitching from Aaron Nola who struck out 10 in just 8.0 IP.  German Marquez added another eight strikeouts in 8.0 IP.  Lance Lynn provided valuable innings and one quality start.  This was enough to top the Possums in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts, despite Justin Verlander 17 strikeouts in 14.0 IP.  Verlander also allowed seven earned runs, and likely cost the Possums the victory had he been only slightly more effective.  Max Scherzer also had a nice start for the Possums and their bullpen was effective.  This gave Rick two categories to Kyle’s three before accounting for offense.

Neither team posted great offensive numbers but both were competitive.  Gleyber Torres was outstanding for the Thunderwolves – he had three home runs and nine RBI.  Whit Merrifield added two home runs, as did Nick Senzel.  This was enough to edge the Possums in both categories.  The Possums struggled to show much power or RBI capability.  Three Possums’ players had three home runs but totaled just eight RBI.  Each team lacked doubles power and neither had a good OBP.  This led to a bizarre situation where Rick won steals, OBP, and SLG despite the scoreboard showing ties in OBP and SLG.  This happens when the numbers are so close that they round to the same value.  However, the Possums must have had the higher value before rounding.  For example, Rick could have had a 0.3187 OBP vs. the Thunderwolves’ 0.3186.  Each rounds to 0.319 but the Possums’ number is slightly higher.  Under the old system, you could view the actual value out the three decimal places.  However, this is not possible on the new site.  It is also impossible to calculate the SLG numbers since doubles and triples are not broken out for the week.

However, it is possible to calculate OBP.  Something bizarre happens, though.  When I used the inputs the game displays on the scoreboard summary, I get a different OBP than what is shown.  I don’t know if it does not count HBP or something else, but I cannot replicate the 0.319 OBP.  The chart above shows what I calculated, which does have the Possums ahead in the category but with a different value.  If anyone has any idea what could be happening here please let me know.  As it stands now, the Possums managed to squeak by in both categories and sneak away with a tie.  The Thunderwolves are likely devastated by the result and know that a single hit or out would have turned the tide for either category and give him the win.

CP Legion (6 – 4 – 1) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (5 – 5 – 1)

The week’s final match saw the PhoeGnomes outlast the Legion thanks to some major pitching shenanigans.  Heather posted mediocre pitching numbers that ordinarily would have lost categories.  She had good saves and quality starts totals but a few bad outings left her near the bottom for ERA and WHIP.  Madison Bumgarner had a blow-up that undid a nice Shane Bieber outing.  Cole Hamels was solid, but Chris Sale was pedestrian.  Normally this would spell trouble, but the Legion were somehow even worse.  They were last in the league in ERA and WHIP, second to last in strikeouts and quality starts, and failed to record a save.  Trevor Williams was at the core of the meltdown with seven earned runs in 5.0 IP.  Andrew Heaney was equally bad, giving up five in just 3.2 IP.  Even the two quality starts met the bare minimum threshold of 6.0 IP and three earned runs.  Overall the staff was simply not competitive and Heather swept the categories with ease.

On offense the Legion were better, but it was too little, too late.  Yordan Alvarez had three home runs and eight RBI, and Yasmani Grandal added another pair of home runs.  Three Legion players managed a steal, and Heather did not have the power to compete.  However, she managed to win steals and this was enough to ensure that she took the week overall.  Even a tie in steals wouldn’t save the Legion, those Jose Ramirez tried to do his part.  The loss is the third straight for the Legion, who need to revamp their pitching approach.  The win also moves up the PhoeGnomes, who are now over 0.500 and in the mix for the title.

Next Week

Next week’s biggest match features the Lannisters and Armadillos.  The Lannisters have long struggled with the Armadillos, and need a win to stay on top.  The Possums will try to keep rolling against the Lasershow.  The Legion and Goofballs both need a win to get back on track.  Finally, the PhoeGnomes and Thunderwolves meet in an interesting match with heavy implications for the standings.

RK Possums (6 – 4 – 0) vs.  CP Legion (6 – 3 – 1)

The most important match of the week saw the Legion and Possums battle for first place.  Rick captured a decisive victory behind the best overall performance of the week.  The Possums led the league in SLG and were near the top in RBI, home runs, and OBP.  The Legion posted decent offensive numbers, but they were not enough to challenge for any categories except steals.  The Possums rallied behind Charlie Blackmon.  He had an incredible week with six home runs, 15 RBI, a 0.568 OBP and 1.216 SLG.  Eight other Possums players had a home run.  Eleven players had SLG above 0.500.  The team-wide performance was enough to win four categories.  Chris had a decent week with three home runs each from Cody Bellinger and Yordan Alvarez.  Adalberto Mondesi added a couple of steals, but this was the only category the Legion would win.

The Legion needed a strong pitching performance to have a chance, but unfortunately for Chris, it was the Possums who had dominant numbers.  Rick led the league in strikeouts, quality starts, ERA, and WHIP.  Trevor Bauer rebounded after some poor starts to record two excellent quality starts.  He struck out 14 in 16.2 innings pitched.  He had a 0.54 ERA and 0.90 WHIP.  Julio Teheran provided good value in one start and Justin Verlander struck out 15 in just 7.0 IP.  This was enough for the Possums to dominate all five categories.  The Legion failed to record a save and several starters suffered meltdowns.  Adrian Sampson was miserable in one start and Mike Soroka struggled.  The Possums capitalized on this weakness and easily won the week.  This moved the Possums into a tie with the Lannisters for first place.  The Legion are left looking somewhat vulnerable after two consecutive losses.  However, both of these losses came to the Lannisters and Possums, who now lead the league.  Chris will try to get back on track against teams lower in the standings.

KK Thunderwolves (5 – 4 – 1) vs.  JK Lannisters (6 – 4 – 0)

The Legion’s loss opened a window of opportunity for both the Lannisters and Thunderwolves.  Each team had a chance to gain ground.  The Lannisters posted a solid all-around week while the Thunderwolves had good offensive numbers but not enough pitching.  The match eerily mirrored the Possums / Legion battle.  The Lannisters’ offense was carried by a balanced attack.  Two standouts were Trey Mancini and Manny Machado.  Each player had three home runs.  Unheralded James McCann had two home runs and five RBI in part-time duty.  McCann has quietly put together a strong season – he is hitting 0.324 / 0.374 / 0.509.  Nine different Lannisters players had a home run, and part-time players like Marcell Ozuna made the most of their at-bats.  This yielded a high SLG and league-leading OBP.  Kyle had okay numbers including a standout week from Eduardo Escobar.  Josh Bell had eight RBI, and Kyle produced more RBI up and down the lineup than the Lannisters.  The Thunderwolves took RBI and steals, but lost leads in the rate stats late in the week.  However, despite the deficit, Kyle could still compete if he had good pitching.

Unfortunately for the Thunderwolves, several players suffered severe meltdowns and conceded both pitching rate stats early in the week.  German Marquez allowed 11 earned runs in 11.2 IP.  Aaron Nola continued to struggle and undid a nice week for Dakota Hudson.  The Lannisters had few starts from their best pitchers, but got nice outings from Walker Buehler and Gerrit Cole.  The team deployed a few fill-in starters who dropped the rate stats slightly at the end of the week.  However, there was more than enough cushion for the Lannisters to earn a win.  The Thunderwolves did their best, but didn’t have the pitching they needed.  The win vaults the Lannisters into a tie for first place.  The loss slows the Thunderwolves momentum, but they are still close to the top of the league.

KG Capital City Goofballs (5 – 4 – 1) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (4 – 5 – 1)

The week’s most interesting contest saw the PhoeGnomes continue to improve, this time at the expense of the Goofballs.  Heather had the second best pitching in the league for the week, and she needed it to outlast Kevin.  Shane Bieber had a great week with 12 strikeouts in his 7.2 IP quality start.  Cole Hamels and Zach Eflin each had a nice start with 18 strikeouts in just 15.0 IP.  Chris sale had two good starts in which he struck out 20, allowed two earned runs, and scored two quality starts.  Heather easily won strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP.  Kevin had some fighting spirit, though.  Fourteen different pitchers made appearances.  Steven Brault had a nice start, as did Jose Berrios and Marcus Stroman.  Kevin was competitive in quality starts, but a few high-profile blowups like Kyle Hendricks left him out of the ERA and WHIP races.  Kevin won saves but Heather swept the other four categories.

On offense, things were different.  Kevin scored an incredible league-leading 22 home runs.  The Goofballs were near the top in RBI and SLG.  Twelve different Goofballs had at least one home run.  Freddie Freeman had two and 10 RBI.  Anthony Rendon had three home runs and five RBI.  Part timers like Miguel Sano and Marcus Semien had home runs in very limited duty.  Heather was essentially shut out of home runs, RBI, and SLG.  However, she did tie for the lead in steals with seven.  Three came from Trea Turner.  This left OBP as the category that would decide the week.  Kevin’s power came at the expense of some OBP.  The PhoeGnomes had less power but better OBP up and down the lineup.  This gave her the edge and took the week.  The Goofballs had a strong week but their total output wasn’t enough to get them over the edge.  The win solidifies Heather’s return to form.  Both teams are now hovering near 0.500 and are legitimate threats to the leaders.

SM Lasershow (1 – 9) vs.  LK Armadillos (3 – 3 – 4)

The week’s final match was a wild encounter between the Armadillos and Lasershow.  Both teams posted great offensive numbers and abhorrent pitching stats.  First, the positive.  The Lasershow led the league in OBP and were tied for the lead in steals.  They also had a strong SLG.  The Armadillos were near the top of the league in home runs, RBI, and SLG, but were edged by the Lasershow in the latter category.  J. D. Martinez and Sterling Marte had three home runs each for the Armadillos.  Shohei Ohtani and Jackie Bradley Jr. each had two home runs and two steals.  At the end of the week, the Lasershow held a narrow 3-2 lead.

For pitching, neither team had good stats.  Only the Thunderwolves had a worse ERA than either team.  Both WHIP totals were near the bottom of the league.  David Price punished the Lasershow with six earned runs in 1.1 IP.  Max Fried struggled as well, logging five earned runs in 4.2 IP.  The Armadillos were equally bad with nightmare outings from Patrick Corbin (5.0 IP / 7 earned runs), Matthew Boyd (4.0 / 4), Jake Odorizzi (6.0 / 4) and Noah Syndergaard (6.0 / 4).  This left several categories in flux going into Sunday.  Hyun-Jin Ryu saved the Armadillos with a clutch Sunday evening quality start.  He totaled 14 strikeouts in 13.0 IP and allowed just one earned run.  His Sunday performance tipped quality starts and ERA to the Armadillos, and they escaped with the narrow 5 – 4 – 1 win.

Next Week

Several interesting matches await the league in Week 12.  The Possums hope to defend their position against the Thunderwolves.  The Lannisters will try to keep rolling against the Lasershow.  Heather and Chris meet when the hot PhoeGnomes try to further bring down the Legion.  Finally, the Goofballs will try to get back on track against the Armadillos.  Currently the top seven teams are all separated by just 1.5 games.  Even the Lasershow are just six out and could feasibly make a run.

JK Lannisters (5 – 4) vs.  CP Legion (6 – 2 – 1)

The week’s most important match-up featured the Legion and Lannisters.  The Legion have been hot and lead the league while the Lannisters have been up-and-down this season.  Jeff found himself in the rare position of having the support of the rest of the league in his battle against the league leaders.  The Lannisters responded with a strong week on both offense and pitching.  The Legion failed to gain traction and suffered a down week all around.  The final result was a strong win for the Lannisters.  The victory was largely a result of excellent pitching.  The Lannisters led the league in ERA and WHIP, and tied for the lead in strikeouts and quality starts.  Two pitchers were outstanding.  Walker Buehler allowed a single earned run over two quality starts in which he struck out 20 batters.  Gerrit Cole was exceptional in his single start – he struck out 14 in just 7.0 innings pitched.  The Legion struggled with implosions from Chris Paddack, Andrew Heaney, and Caleb Smith.  The Legion managed to take saves, but it was the only category they could win for pitching.

Chris’s team fared little better on offense.  The team suffered a power outage that resulted in league-low RBI, OBP, and SLG.  Michael Conforto had a good week in the losing effort, but Nolan Arenado struggled with a 4/22 week and 0.182 SLG.  The Lannisters’ offense wasn’t great, but it did enough to get the job done.  Mike Trout had three home runs and Corey Seager added a home run and nine RBI.  Trout and Seager did enough to push the Lannisters over the top with a comfortable 8-2 victory.  The Legion suffered their third loss, two of which came from the Lannisters.  This tightens the race at the top of the standings.  The PhoeGnomes are in seventh place but only two games behind the Legion.  Five teams are within a single game.  The loss also means the Legion can’t win a tie-breaker with the Lannisters at the end of the season.  Chris will look to rebound from the lost week, while the Lannisters continue to rebound.

HP PhoeGnomes (3 – 5 – 1) vs.  RK Possums (6 – 3)

The week’s most surprising result saw the PhoeGnomes defeat the Possums in a close battle.  Each team displayed good power.  Heather enjoyed a monster four home run week from Tom Murphy in just 13 at-bats.  Jay Bruce added two home runs to taunt his former team.  Seven other PhoeGnomes players had a home run and the team posted a good SLG total.  Rick countered with a pair of three home run weeks from Franmil Reyes and Ronald Acuna Jr..  Acuna also added a steal and Rick took the category.  Although Rick had a good home run total, Heather had superior power up and down the lineup.  She took RBI, but the Possums had the edge in steals.  This gave each team two categories.

Heather was able to distance herself thanks to great pitching.  Both teams had nice stats and solid totals that fell just behind the Lannisters’ dominant performance.  Frankie Montas had 10 strikeouts in just six innings for the Possums.  Three relievers contributed to saves.  Rick had five quality starts mixed with some lesser performances.  Masahiro Tanaka and Zach Davies were less effective, though both avoided a total meltdown.  This gave Heather breathing room and a monster start from Cole Hamels set the tone for the week.  He had 10 strikeouts in 8.0 IP.  Madison Bumgarner had two quality starts.  The team’s MVP was Josh Hader.  He struck out nine in just 3.1 IP and recorded three saves.  Heather took strikeouts and sealed the week.  The Possums put in a good effort and would have beaten many other teams.  Unfortunately for Rick, Heather was just too strong and is now just two games out of first place despite being in seventh.  The Possums missed a chance to move into first, but the blow is softened by the Legion’s loss.

SM Lasershow (1 – 8) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (4 – 4 – 1)

The League’s best offensive performance belonged to the Goofballs.  Kevin led the league in home runs, RBI, SLG, and was tied for first in OBP.  Mike Moustakas had four home runs and Freddie Freeman and Javier Baez added three each.  Three other Goofballs had two home runs.  Only one Goofball regular had a SLG below 0.540.  The onslaught was too much for the Lasershow, who also put up strong numbers.  In fact, the Lasershow were second in SLG and tied for the lead in steals.  Francisco Lindor and Shohei Ohtani had three home runs each.  Christian Yelich had a pair of home runs and steals.  The Lasershow were competitive, but they couldn’t withstand Kevin’s home run blitz.

The scores were close on pitching as well.  Each team had good strikeout and quality start numbers, but mediocre ERA and WHIP metrics.  For the Lasershow, Eduardo Rodriguez had good strikeout numbers but too many earned runs and no quality starts.  David Price was dominant in one start, striking out 10 and earning a quality start.  Kevin countered by relying on the hot Lucas Giolito who struck out 11 in 7.2 IP.  Kyle Hendricks had a nice start in which he struck out 10.  Overall, the Goofballs had slightly better numbers despite the Lasershow narrowly winning ERA and tying in strikeouts.  Kevin cruised to a 7-2-1 win, but Sean’s team put up a good fight.  The team’s numbers would have beaten many others in the league, and the Lasershow have to be patient and hope things eventually add up to success.

LK Armadillos (2 – 3 – 4) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (5 – 3 – 1)

The week’s final match saw the Armadillos frustrate the Thunderwolves.  Larry’s win was predicated on good pitching.  Brandon Woodruff had a nice 10 strikeout start.  Hyun-Jin Ryu added a quality start along with good results from Jake Odorizzi and Clayton Kershaw.  Brad Hand added three saves.  Kyle countered with a good start from Lance Lynn but also suffered poor returns from Aaron Nola and Chase Anderson.  Hector Neris had a nice three save week, but the Armadillos were better in the other four categories.

On offense neither team excelled but the Armadillos did enough to post respectable numbers and earn the win.  Edwin Encarnacion had a huge four home run week.  Pete Alonso added two of his own.  Only two Thunderwolves players had a home run for the week – J.T. Realmuto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr..  The team struggled to get men on base and didn’t record a steal.  Four categories went to the Armadillos, though OBP still eludes them.  The win brings the Armadillos back up to 0.500 and within range of the top of the league.  Kyle will need to find some offensive help and get better pitching to stay in the top half of the league.

Next Week

The week’s most critical match pairs the Legion and Possums.  Rick can move into first place with a win, and the Legion need to bounce back after a tough week.  The Lannisters meet the Thunderwolves, and Kyle is desperate to stay near the top.  The Armadillos face the Lasershow.  Finally, there is an intriguing match between the Goofballs and PhoeGnomes.  Both teams are coming off good performances and want to keep building momentum.