KK Thunderwolves (3 – 2 – 1) vs.  CP Legion (5 – 1)

The week’s closest match paired the Legion and Thunderwolves.  Both teams are experiencing unexpected success early in the season.  Kyle won this meeting behind strong power and pitching.  The two teams easily led the league in home runs with 15.  Kyle posted the best SLG in the league and had the most RBI.  Josh Bell and Vladimir Guerrero Jr each had four home runs for the Thunderwolves.  Eduardo Escobar and Gleyber Torres each had three.  Nick Senzel won the steals category on his own with four for the week.  Chis had a three home run week from Kris Bryant and Cody Bellinger.  Ten total Legion players hit home runs.  Despite this heroic effort, Chris was unable to win any offensive categories.  The Thunderwolves had a slight edge across the board.

In a week where several teams had good pitching numbers, Kyle and Chris both had their strong points.  Mike Soroka had a good start for the Legion, but the rest of Chris’s pitchers failed to work deep into games.  Chris had good ERA and WHIP numbers, but Kyle was able to get more quality starts.  The teams were even in strikeouts and Kyle earned one more save.  The teams split pitching 2-2-1, which cemented Kyle’s victory.  The loss is a frustrating one for the Legion.  The win moves Kyle into second place at the end of the first cycle.  After years of offensive struggles, it’s possible that Kyle has found some answers.  The Thunderwolves are third in the league in home runs and second in SLG just behind the Legion.

RK Possums (3 – 3) vs.  LK Armadillos (2 – 2 – 2)

The defending champion Armadillos continued to struggle and the Possums took some small revenge to close the first cycle of play. Rick enjoyed power up and down his lineup.  Nine players had at least one home run.  Ronald Acuna had six RBI and two steals.  Joey Gallo stayed hot with a 0.481 OBP.  The Armadillos struggled to find power, though three players hit two home runs.  Alex Gordon made his presence known with two steals, but this was all the team could produce.  Both teams struggled with RBI and tied the category.  However, Rick swept the other four.  The Armadillos are still struggling to get on base and hit for consistent power.

The battle for pitching was close.  The Armadillos put up an excellent week and led the league in ERA, WHIP, and quality starts.  Patrick Corbin was especially good in his start – he struck out 11 over eight innings.  The team as a whole recorded an impressive seven quality starts out of a possible eight.  The Possums were almost as good – their ERA and WHIP were the second best in the league!  The team had six quality starts and managed to record more strikeouts than the Armadillos.  Besides Trevor Bauer, no player allowed more than three earned runs for the week.  Rick won just enough categories to pick up a 6-3-1 victory.  The loss pushes the Possums to back above 0.500 and the champs are now near the bottom of the pack.  This win won’t ease the pain of last season, but Rick has to be happy with an early victory.

KG Capital City Goofballs (2 – 3 – 1) vs.  JK Lannisters (4 – 2)

The Goofballs and Lannisters tend to have exciting matches and this was no exception.  Kevin earned a victory behind a dominant offensive showing.  Two former Lannisters were the main culprits.  Freddie Freeman had four home runs and Byron Buxton added three more along with 10 RBI.  The Goofballs had the third most home runs in the league, were second in RBI and SLG, and had the best OBP.  The Lannisters suffered a down week and had the second fewest home runs and were near the bottom in each of the other statistical categories.  Bryce Harper led the team with just two home runs, and no other player had more than one.

The Lannisters were more competitive on pitching, but still failed to pick up many categories.  Only three pitchers had a quality start compared to just two for Kevin.  Jacob deGrom was inconsistent and Jon Lester imploded.  The Goofballs had fewer strikeouts and quality starts, but managed a solid ERA with relatively few innings pitched.  Outside of a disastrous Jose Berrios effort, no Goofball pitcher allowed more than three earned runs for the week.  The combined offensive and pitching numbers gave the Goofballs a relatively easy win.  This pushes the Goofballs higher in the standings.  Meanwhile, the Lannisters are left to wonder where the team’s power has gone.  Before the start of games today, the Lannisters were tied with the PhoeGnomes for the second fewest home runs in the league.

SM Lasershow (1 – 5) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (2 – 4)

Speaking of the PhoeGnomes – Heather’s squad won again, despite some peculiar numbers against the Lasershow.  The PhoeGnomes had 11 home runs but somehow managed to have the second lowest SLG in the league.  Mitch Haniger had three home runs to pace the team.  Six other players had at least one, but for whatever reason the team didn’t have strong power elsewhere.  Christian Yelich tried to carry the Lasershow with an impressive three home run week.  His two steals, along with another pair from Francisco Lindor, helped him win the category.  The rest of the team struggled, though, and Heather built an early lead.

Heather sealed the win with a good pitching showing.  They led the league in strikeouts thanks to an absurd total of 27 from Chris Sale in just 12.1 IP.  Sale’s total equaled the Lasershow’s team total!  Several members of the Lasershow struggled.  Zack Wheeler and Marco Gonzales each had 9.00 ERAs.  This made it almost impossible to win any rate stats, and Heather was able to cruise to a smooth victory.  The loss drops the Lasershow into last place.  The PhoeGnomes are now beginning to move up the standings after a few solid weeks in a row.

Next Week

The first cycle is over so now teams are going back to their Week 01 matches.  The Possums and Lannisters meet again and Rick hopes to avenge his early loss.  The most interesting match features the Goofballs and Thunderwolves.  Kyle is tied for the fewest losses in the league and needs to keep winning.  Kevin is looking to get back over 0.500.  The Legion face the Lasershow – Sean is desperate for a win, and the Legion want to stay in first.  Finally, the PhoeGnomes meet the slumping Armadillos.  Heather will want to keep up her hot streak while the Armadillos are desperate to not fall too far behind early in the season.

HP PhoeGnomes (1 – 4) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (3 – 1 – 1)

Before Week 06, the PhoeGnomes and Thunderwolves were trending in different directions.  Heather’s team struggled mightily while the Thunderwolves started strong.  Everything changed this week.  The Thunderwolves posted good numbers but the PhoeGnomes had the best pitching in the league.  Leading the way were Zach Eflin and Blake Snell.  The pair combined to allow just two earned runs over 20.2 innings pitched.   Snell threw 11.2 of those innings and struck out an astounding 21 batters.  Chris Sale was also strong – he struck out 14 in just 8.0 IP.  This base was too much for the Thunderwolves to handle.  Heather won strikeouts, quality starts, ERA, and WHIP.  The team’s ERA and WHIP were easily the best in the league.  Kyle had an okay pitching week, but he faced to steep a climb to challenge Heather’s best results.

The offensive battle was closer.  Each team had good power numbers.  George Springer had five home runs and 10 RBI for the PhoeGnomes.  Kyle countered with a three homer week from Michael Brantley.  Heather usually steals many bases, but the team was held in check this week.  Kyle won the category with just two.  He also had a slightly higher SLG since seven players had home runs.  However, Springer’s week was enough to give Heather home runs, RBI, and OBP.  When added to her pitching numbers, this was enough to take a secure win.  The Thunderwolves were respectable, but Heather picked up a desperately needed win.  It remains to be seen whether she can build on the remarkable pitching results, but at least it’s a step in the right direction for the struggling franchise.

JK Lannisters (3 – 2) vs.  LK Armadillos (2 – 1 – 2)

The Armadillos and Lannisters met in another close contest.  Both teams had solid pitching, but the Lannisters managed to pull ahead slightly on offense thanks to a balanced attack.  Larry managed to win three pitching categories including saves and both rate stats.  Hyun-Jin Ryu was almost as good as Blake Snell – he threw 17 innings, struck out 15, recorded two quality starts, allowed no earned runs and had a 0.35 WHIP.  Other Armadillos’ pitchers performed well, including Patrick Corbin and Matthew Boyd.  A few bad outings from Noah Syndergaard and Max Fried kept the team from being in the PhoeGnomes class, but they were still outstanding.  The Lannisters had productive weeks from their starters but they gave up more runs and walks.  Luis Castillo was the standout – he threw only 6.0 IP but had 11 strikeouts.  Jacob deGrom and Stephen Strasburg also added 26 strikeouts combined.  Jeff easily won the category and quality starts, leaving the Armadillos with just a small lead.

On offense, Larry couldn’t find any rhythm.  Alex Bregman stayed hot with three home runs.  Six other players also had home runs, but the team continued to struggle with a low batting average, meaning they weren’t getting singles, doubles, or triples to go with their home runs.  This also cascades into OBP issues.  The Lannisters won SLG and OBP with ease – they had 20 more walks than the Armadillos.  They also won home runs thanks to a solid team effort.  Mike Trout had two and eight other players had one.  Mookie Betts had a 0.467 OBP and Jose Martinez added solid production.  They easily led the league in RBI.   Larry took steals, but it wasn’t enough.  The Lannisters claimed a 6-4 victory over a team that typically gives them problems.  This could be a useful win as the season moves along.

RK Possums (2 – 3) vs.  SM Lasershow (1 – 4)

The Possums overcame a slow pitching week thanks to dominant offense to earn a win over the Lasershow.  Like the Armadillos, the Possums displayed extreme home run power.  They led the league with 16 and had seven combined from Charlie Blackmon and Eugenio Suarez.  However, they were unable to produce as many RBI as one might expect.  They still won the category but only 4^th in the league overall.  Sean didn’t offer much power, but he did lead the league in steals thanks to Yasiel Puig and Francisco Lindor.  They also had the league’s best OBP behind Jeff McNeil and Andrelton Simmons.  Improving OBP is a critical area for the Lasershow, so hopefully this step lasts.  They also had a good SLG but the Possums took the category based on their home runs.  This gave Rick a slim 3-2 lead.

On pitching the Lasershow had far superior quality – they won ERA and WHIP with little trouble.  Eduardo Rodriquez and Jhoulys Chacin were outstanding and didn’t allow a run over two starts.  Felipe Vazquez picked up three saves.  However, Rick was able to tie this critical category behind Shane Greene and Sean Doolittle.  Andrew Miller had 2.0 IP for Sean, but he didn’t record a save.  This would eventually cost the team a tie.  The Possums threw more innings and, predictably, had more strikeouts.  They also won quality stats, thanks to two good efforts from Max Scherzer.  This 2-2-1 split was enough for Rick to earn a narrow victory.  However, the Lasershow would have beaten or tied several other teams in the league.  Rick moves back to 0.500 after a somewhat frustrating opening to the season.

CP Legion (4 – 1) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (2 – 2 – 1)

The week’s second best overall performer behind the PhoeGnomes were the Legion.  They were near the top of the league in every statistical category.  The Goofballs put up a solid effort but it just wasn’t enough.  The best Legion members were the pitchers – they posted great stats would have dominated the league most weeks if not for Heather’s great work.  Caleb Smith and Chris Paddack struck out 22 in just 14.1 IP.  Roberto Osuna captured three saves.  Only the injured Tyler Glasnow allowed more than two runs for the week, and he only allowed three over 5.2 IP.  Kevin threw more innings but his team couldn’t match the level of production from Chris’s squad.  Yu Darvish and Domingo Santana weren’t terrible but they failed to go deep into their games.  The Legion dominated all five categories.

The same pattern continued on offense.  Chris deployed a lot of players in part time and platoon situations and it payed off.  They had 14 total home runs, including four from Kris Bryant.  However, only one other player had two, with the rest just having one.  This kind of up-and-down the lineup production is sure to frustrate opponents.  This is the same tactic that Kevin usually deploys, but Chris executed it more successfully this week.  Adalberto Mondesi had three steals and a home run.  Nolan Arenado led the team with a 0.737 SLG.  This was more than enough to supplement the pitching and capture the week with a 10-0 rout.   Like the Lasershow, the Goofballs didn’t play poorly.  They caught a hot team that countered their best stats.

Next Week

The Legion and Lannister wins clear the standings somewhat.  Chris remains in first place, one game ahead of the Lannisters.  Kyle is still in third at just 1.5 games back.  Larry and Rick are tied for fourth, while the Goofballs, PhoeGnomes, and Lasershow are at the back of the pack.  The Goofballs have another tough match against the Lannisters.  The Thunderwolves can try to prove they deserve to be in the first division against the Legion.  The Lasershow and PhoeGnomes pair off, and at least one of the teams will make progress.  Finally, the Possums meet the Armadillos for the first time this year.  This will be Rick’s first chance to get some revenge for the shocking end to last season, where still-unsigned Craig Kimbrel secured the title in a non-save situation.

KK Thunderwolves (2 – 1 – 1) vs.  RK Possums (2 – 2)

The most unexpected start to the season belongs to the Thunderwolves.  For the first time in several seasons, Kyle is multiple games above 0.500.  His team is in second place behind good pitching and hitting.  Kyle added to his resume with a win over the Possums in Week 05.  The Thunderwolves offense led the way.  Although the team did not have stats on par with the Lannisters or Armadillos, they were near the top of the league in most categories.  Four players had two home runs including Rhys Hoskins, who had eight RBI.  Six Thunderwolves had SLG values over 0.700.  This gave Kyle easy wins in home runs, RBI, and SLG.  They also won OBP handily and tied steals.  Rick had a nice three home run / nine RBI week from Jose Abreu, but the rest of his offense was quiet.  This put Kyle in a commanding position for the week.

Neither team had great pitching stats, but most categories were evenly matched.  Kyle had a good week from Zack Greinke while Rick relied on Justin Verlander.  The two teams threw almost the same number of innings.  Rick had a slight edge in strikeouts and quality starts.  However, Kyle won ERA by a tiny amount.  Both teams had two saves.  This was just enough to give Kyle the needed win.  Rick could have tied if not for a disastrous start from Joe Musgrove, who allowed five earned runs in just 2.2 IP.  The win keeps the Thunderwolves near the top of the standings.  Rick’s slow start is becoming more of a concern.  However, the Possums were one of the most feared teams in the league last year and have time to turn around their season.

SM Lasershow (1 – 3) vs.  JK Lannisters (2 – 2)

The week’s top performer overall was the Lannisters.  Jeff’s team led the league in multiple categories and dominated the Lasershow.  The Lannisters were tops in strikeouts, OBP, and SLG.  They were second in quality starts and RBI.  Manny Machado tallied four home runs, and eight other Lannisters contributed one.  Stats appeared up and down the lineup – role players like Jonathan Schoop had a home run and four RBI to add to the team’s strong total.  The Lannisters didn’t steal a base, but they easily won the other four offensive categories and built an almost insurmountable lead.

On pitching, the Lannisters kept up the pressure with five quality starts and a league-leading 69 strikeouts.  Jon Lester, Gerrit Cole, and Jacob deGrom each had a seven inning start with no earned runs.  The trio gave up only five total hits.  Lester in particular was strong, recording 11 strikeouts and posting a 0.29 WHIP.  The Lasershow struggled to keep up and the Lannisters won another four categories.  Overall, it was a dominant return to form for the Lannisters, who are dealing with numerous injuries.  Sean will need to make some changes going forward to get back to winning.

KG Capital City Goofballs (2 – 2) vs.  LK Armadillos (2 – 1 – 1)

The week’s closest match was a strange 5-5 tie between the Goofballs and Armadillos.  These teams are evenly matched and seem to gravitate toward ties.  On offense, the Armadillos led the league in home runs with 15.  Alex Bregman had five along with 10 RBI.  Like the Lannisters, the Armadillos had production up and down the lineup.  Eight players had at least one home run.  Ozzie Albies added eight RBI.  The Goofballs countered with a great week from Anthony Rizzo and Keel Marte.  The pair totaled six home runs and nine RBI.  The Goofballs had more overall power and took SLG despite Larry winning home runs.  The Goofballs also took OBP when the Armadillos posted the league’s worst total.  Larry did take RBI, and Kevin captured steals.  Alex Bregman was thrown out stealing, and this would haunt the Armadillos after factoring in pithing.

The Goofballs went with a quality-over-quantity strategy that seemed to work.  They won ERA and WHIP behind a masterful start from Kyle Hendricks.  However, they didn’t throw enough innings to be competitive in quality starts or strikeouts.  Larry took these categories with ease and dominated saves.  This left the stats deadlocked.  Kevin came one RBI from winning and the Armadillos were one steal behind.  The close match means both teams lose ground against the Legion, Lannisters, and Thunderwolves.  However, the result is obviously better than a loss that could have gone either way.

HP PhoeGnomes (1 – 3) vs.  CP Legion (3 – 1)

The week’s final match saw the Legion win with confidence against the PhoeGnomes.  Chris posted the week’s best pitching stats and finished just behind the Lannisters in total performance.  Mike Soroka had a masterful week over two quality starts, striking out 13.  Caleb Smith and Matt Strahm were solid as well.  Heather had good pitching stats behind Luke Weaver and a three-save Josh Hader week.  She won strikeouts by virtue of more innings pitched.  Chris held a slim 3-2 lead before accounting for hitting.

Although pitching was close, offense was a no-contest win for the Legion.  Chris had good numbers across the board, and Heather failed to be competitive in anything but steals.  Nolan Arenado haunted his former team with three home runs for Chris.  Jesse Winker and Willson Contreras added two apiece.  The PhoeGnomes finished at the bottom of the league in SLG and OBP, and barely beat the Lasershow for home runs and RBI.  Chris earned a solid win that keeps him in first place with his only loss coming against the Lannisters.  Heather remains in last place, and must find more offense to compete.

Next Week

Week 06 features a few strong matches.  The surprising Thunderwolves will try to keep things rolling against the PhoeGnomes.  The Possums hope to rally against the Lasershow.  The Goofballs and Legion meet in an intriguing contest.  Kevin can challenge the Legion offensively, but what about pitching?  Finally, the Lannisters meet their long-time nemeses, the Armadillos.  The Possums and Armadillos frustrate the Lannisters more than any other team, but their strong pitching might give them the advantage this week.

Note on Week 03

I’m sorry for the lack of a League Update last week.  I moved to NYC and my computer and most of my stuff was either in transit or inaccessible.  I’ve got everything unpacked now, and this shouldn’t be an issue in the future.

CP Legion (2 – 1) vs.  RK Possums (2 – 1)

The week’s best match paired the Legion and Possums, two of last season’s top teams.  Both teams were off to a good start, but the Legion earned a dominant victory that saw him lead the league in many categories.  Chris’s standout performers were his pitchers.  They led the league in ERA and WHIP by a wide margin.  They tied for the lead in quality starts.  Chris Paddack had the best start of the week, allowing no earned runs and just one hit and walk along with nine strikeouts.  This effort, when paired with a dominant bullpen showing from Roberto Osuna, handed the Legion a tiny 0.59 WHIP.  This was easily the best number in the league and was less than half of some other team’s totals.  Trevor Williams and Caleb Smith also had strong performances.  Rick’s pitchers threw more innings than Chris’s team, and he easily won strikeouts.  Max Scherzer was especially strong.  The team was good enough to tie quality starts, but Rick was still well behind before counting offense.

The Legion managed a dominant offensive showing to go along with their pitching.  They had the second highest SLG, OBP, and home run numbers in the league.  They were tops in RBI and tied for the lead in steals.  Nolan Arenado and Cody Bellinger had three home runs each and totaled 17 RBI.  Seven other Legion players also added at least one home run.  The Possums weren’t able to keep pace.  Their offense suffered a down week and surrendered all three categories to the Legion.  This gave Chris a comfortable win against a marquee team.  He is now in first place with his only loss a close one to the Lannisters.  Rick falls back to 0.500, and the Possums will hope for a rebound and more consistency next week.

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

Although the Legion are the story of the week, Kevin made it back to 0.500 with a strong showing against the PhoeGnomes.  Kevin led the league in home runs and was second in RBI.  He was also near the top in steals and SLG.  Leading the way were Javier Baez, Juan Soto, and Freddie Freeman.  Each player had three home runs, and the group totaled 19 RBI.  Soto also added two steals.  Nine total Goofballs hit a home run, though the team’s OBP number was still low.  OBP aside, the Goofballs easily won four categories.  The PhoeGnomes had the second lowest home run and SLG totals in the league.  No PhoeGnome had multiple home runs.  Overall, the disappointing offensive showing left Heather in a tough position on the pitching side.

The Goofballs do a great job of finding quality matchups on the offensive side.  However, their pitching remains shaky despite the team deploying hordes of players on the mound.   Ten Goofballs players combined for the second worst ERA in the league.  Domingo German was a small bright spot in two starts, but the team struggled to record strikeouts over 51.0 IP.  The PhoeGnomes threw nine fewer innings and had five more strikeouts.  They also had a better ERA neither team had good WHIP or saves numbers.  They split the two categories, which was enough to secure victory for the Goofballs.  This improves Kevin’s record back to even, while the PhoeGnomes are stuck looking for answers.  Neither team’s pitching is good enough to contend right now, and both will need to search the waiver wires for more possible starters.

JK Lannisters (2 – 1) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (1 – 1 – 1)

The strangest match of the week paired the Lannisters and Thunderwolves.  After a series of injuries decimated his starting lineup, the Lannisters offered a putrid offensive effort.  The team had the lowest home run and SLG totals in the league.  The RBI and OBP numbers were also near the bottom.  Kyle capitalized with a nice offensive effort that easily won all but one category.  Eduardo Escobar and Rhys Hoskins each had three home runs and totaled 16 RBI.  Gleyber Torres had three stolen bases, despite the Lannisters’ winning the category.  Michael Brantley had two home runs, and Whit Merrifield and David Peralta each had SLG over 0.570.  The Thunderwolves picked up four categories with ease.

On pitching, the Lannisters had bizarre results.  They led the league in saves with seven.  They also tied for the lead in quality starts and were tied for second in strikeouts, one behind the leader.  However, they also had the worst ERA and WHIP in the league.  How did this happen?  Three of the eight starts for the Lannisters were horrible, and the rest were quite good.  Jake Arrieta, Carlos, Rodon, and Jacob deGrom gave up 21 earned runs for the week.  The rest of the staff gave up only seven.  By comparison, Kyle’s staff gave up just 22 earned runs total.  The trio of horrible starts doomed the Lannisters in the rate categories they desperately needed.  Kyle had fair pitching numbers, including an excellent week from J.A. Happ.  This was enough to earn a safe 6-4 win.  Both teams are now 2 – 2, and each needs to find some consistency and heath if they want to contend.

LK Armadillos (1 – 1 – 1) vs.  SM Lasershow (1 – 2)

The week’s final match was much closer than the final score indicates.  The Armadillos won a lopsided victory, but almost all of the categories were close.  Home runs, steals, SLG, strikeouts, quality starts, ERA, and WHIP were all in play on the last day of the week.  Sean didn’t have luck on his side this time.  Both teams had great pitching.  They tied in quality starts and split ERA and WHIP.  The Armadillos threw more innings and had a great week from Jack Flaherty.  The Lasershow countered with a nice effort from Marco Gonzales.  Mike Minor piled up strikeouts, but also gave up a few too many runs to have an excellent week.  The Lasershow bullpen struggled, and the Armadillos won the category without difficulty.  This gave Larry a 3-1-1 lead in a closely-fought battle.

On offense, there were even more close categories.  The Armadillos swept home runs, OBP, and SLG.  However, they won home runs but just one and SLG was only 0.032 apart.  Ozzie Albies had three home runs for the Armadillos.  Trevor Story added two more, and six other Armadillos had one each.  Sean countered with a great week from Travis Shaw, who had three home runs.  Christian Yelich had one home run and three steals.  Andrelton Simmons and a nice 0.636 SLG.  Despite this effort, the Armadillos were able to get just a little more production from their stars and took the week.  Both teams had a shot, and Sean can look to build on this balanced effort next week.

Next Week

The best match of Week 05 is probably the Armadillos and Goofballs.  The two teams are probably the most tactical pair in the league and always try to outmaneuver other teams.  The Legion are heavy favorites over the PhoeGnomes while the Lannisters and Possums will face strong opposition from the Lasershow and Thunderwolves respectively.

CP Legion (1 – 0) vs.  LK Armadillos (1 – 0)

The week’s only match of two winning teams paired the Armadillos and Legion.  The rivalry between these two teams is probably the most intense in the league.  In this early contest, the Legion won a decisive victory.  Chris led the league in four hitting categories:  home runs, steals, OBP, and SLG.  Yasmani Grandal led the Legion with three home runs, but nine total Legion players contributed at least one.  Cody Bellinger paid early dividends with two home runs and two steals.  Jesse Winker added a pair of home runs in part time duty.  The Armadillos had a nice three home run week from Pete Alonso, but it wasn’t enough to stay competitive.  Domingo Santana contributed eight RBI to help tie the category, but Chris captured a strong 4-0-1 advantage on offense.

Neither team had great pitching stats except for the Legion’s league-leading save total.  Roberto Osuna had five saves, more than any other team’s combined total.  The real story on pitching was the Armadillo’s struggles.  The team put up a terrible 7.20 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, easily the worst numbers in the league.  Larry suffered debacles from Carlos Carrasco (0.2 IP, 6 ER), Freddy Peralta (3.1 IP, 7 ER), and Masahiro Tanaka (4.0 IP, 5 ER).  The loss of these two categories paired with Chris’s dominant bullpen spelled triggered a rout of the defending champions.  The Legion are the league’s only unbeaten team and sit in first place.  The shocking loss leaves the Armadillos searching for answers on both sides of the ball.

KK Thunderwolves (0 – 1) vs.  SM Lasershow (0 – 1)

Although the Legion had the best statistical week of any team, the Thunderwolves had the most dominant victory.  Kyle secured a rare 10-0 victory of Sean’s squad.  Despite the lopsided score, the match was somewhat competitive when looking at individual categories.  On offense, each team put up respectable if unspectacular numbers.  Freddy Galvis and Tommy Pham each had two home runs for the Lasershow.  Andrelton Simmons added a home run and a solid SLG total.  However, Kyle was able to edge out all of the key categories thanks to a great week from Elvis Andrus and Rhys Hoskins.  Each had two home runs and Andrus slugged 1.260.  His two steals secured the final category for the Thunderwolves and they recorded a 5-0 sweep.

Like many other teams this week, neither squad had a good pitching rate stats.  However, the Thunderwolves recorded good strikeout, quality starts, and saves figures.  They tied for the league lead in the first two categories and were second in the third.  Zack Greinke had a vintage 15 strikeout week over two starts, and German Marquez added two solid outings as well.  Kirby Yates recorded all four of the team’s saves and secured the category.  Sean didn’t have an answer for the week.  David Price had a nice start but several of the team’s other starters imploded.  Overall, the Thunderwolves picked up a nice win despite not having their best on pitching.  They are now at 0.500 and possibly on the rise.  The Lasershow continue to slide, and things won’t get any easier against the Armadillos next week.

RK Possums (0 – 1) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (1 – 0)

Last year’s second place team faced off against the tough Goofballs squad and had the closest match of the week.  Rick was able to secure a narrow win and improve to 0.500, while the Goofballs tried their best to remain unbeaten.  The two teams easily had the best pitching numbers in the league.  Kevin had the better rate stats but Rick was able to earn more strikeouts and saves.  The teams tied in quality starts.  Rick had a productive week from Justin Verlander, who struck out 17 in two starts.  However, he gave up more runs than usual.  Max Scherzer and Trevor Bauer continued this pattern.  They pitched a lot of innings and piled up strikeouts.  However, they weren’t totally dominant and did allow some earned runs and walks.  Kevin took advantage and deployed twelve different pitchers who got innings.  Julio Teheran and Jon Gray were the best of the bunch.  Neither allowed an earned run.  The bullpen was strong, despite only earning two saves.  Ultimately, the two teams reached a stalemate and had a 2-2-1 tie before accounting for offense.

Both teams put up respectable offensive numbers.  Kevin had more home runs and RBI, but Rick easily won steals and OBP.  Rick’s top hitter was Khris Davis, who stayed red-hot with five more home runs and 10 RBI.  Ronald Acuna Jr. added three home runs of his own.  Tim Anderson contributed three stolen bases and Rick dominated the category.  The Goofballs countered with good weeks from multiple players.  Anthony Rendon had two home runs and eight RBI.  Ten different Goofballs had at least one home run.  Unfortunately for the Goofballs, Anthony Rizzo and Freddie Freeman struggled for the week.  This gave Rick a slight edge in SLG that carried through the final game on Sunday.  Kevin had a chance to flip the category, but he couldn’t quite get enough power to turn the result.  Rick won a narrow 5-4-1 match.  The Goofballs would have beaten many other teams in the league, and Kevin has to hope for better luck in future weeks.

HP PhoeGnomes (0 – 1) vs.  JK Lannisters (1 – 0)

The week’s final match saw the PhoeGnomes win against the Lannisters.  Both teams seemed to struggle to get into a rhythm but Heather’s crew did just enough to secure her first win of the year.  The week’s star was undoubtedly Jose Altuve.  He had six home runs and 10 RBI.  Dansby Swanson was strong as well with a home run, nine RBI, and a steal.  The Lannisters had a good week from Austin Meadows with three home runs.  However, the rest of the squad struggled to pick up RBI or steals.  Heather won a close SLG race and earned a 3-1-1 lead before pitching.

Neither team had strong pitching stats.  The Lannisters suffered multiple meltdowns from Jacob deGrom, Stephen Strasburg, and Walker Buehler.  Luis Castillo had a nice outing, as did Jake Arrieta.  The Lannisters won strikeouts with ease but only tied in quality starts.  Heather had slightly better rate stats thanks to Shane Bieber and Ross Strickling.  However, her stats weren’t great overall.  The PhoeGnomes had their share of meltdowns, they just weren’t as extreme as the Lannisters’ embarrassing performances.  In a final mark of shame for both teams, neither roster recorded a save.  Despite these poor metrics, the PhoeGnomes are thrilled to pick up their first win.  The Lannisters will need to reevaluate their pitching after one good week and one poor one.

Next Week

The week’s best match pairs the Legion and Lannisters.  This rivalry has less animosity than the Legion / Armadillos, but the matches are always competitive.  The Thunderwolves hope that the Armadillos continue to struggle in their first meeting.  The PhoeGnomes and Possums both hope to hold on to their winning momentum.  Finally, the expansion teams meet for the first time this year as the Goofballs face the Lasershow.

Week 01 of the fantasy season is complete!  Despite technical problems with the ESPN Fantasy Baseball website, the League’s eight teams fought several close battles.  In the end, the three most heavily favored teams earned victories.  The Lannisters also won a critical early contest against the Possums.

RK Possums vs.  JK Lannisters

The week’s most interesting match paired the second and third place teams from last season.  Rick started out with strong hitting.  Khris Davis had five total home runs for the long week.  Joey Gallo started strong as well with four home runs.  The pair combined for 21 RBI, nearly half of the Possums’ total.  The rest of the Possums put up good offensive numbers as well, but the team had some trouble getting on base.  This left an opening for the Lannisters.  Despite a slow start, the perennial contenders put together good power numbers.  The addition of Tim Tebow seemed to spark the team.  Mike Trout had five home runs and 12 RBI, mostly against hapless Rangers’ pitching.  Bryce Harper and Matt Chapman added three more home runs each.  Rick was able to win steals, but the Lannisters posted better numbers in the other three categories.  This put a lot of pressure on the Possums’ pitching staff.

Rick relied on three starts from Max Scherzer and two from his other three best pitchers (Kluber, Bauer, and Verlander).  This paid off with the league’s highest strikeout total.  Scherzer struck out 28 in just 19 innings.  However, the crew had trouble earning quality starts.  They posted a good ERA and WHIP, but the Lannisters were able to counter these numbers with good starts of their own.  Jacob deGrom was outstanding.  deGrom, Gerrit Cole, and Stephen Strasburg combined for 60 strikeouts in six starts.  This wasn’t enough to beat the Possums, but their efforts carried ERA and WHIP.  Jeff led the league in ERA and was second in WHIP.  Despite a good start from Scherzer on Sunday, the Lannisters were able to escape with a narrow victory.

HP PhoeGnomes vs.  LK Armadillos

The defending champion Armadillos opened the season against the PhoeGnomes.  Despite being a heavy favorite, the Armadillos struggled early in the week.  Their offense came alive in the end, though, and they led the league in home runs.  Gary Sanchez had three in one game and four for the week.  J. D. Martinez, Domingo Santana, and Trevor Story added three apiece.  Santana was strong on the bases as well, with three steals.  This gave the Armadillos a five category sweep.  Heather enjoyed a monster week from Cody Bellinger, who hit five home runs.  However, he was traded mid-week and his replacement Paul Goldschmidt also added a homer.  This wasn’t enough to help the PhoeGnomes, but the team posted respectable totals and several categories changed throughout the week.

Losing all five hitting categories meant Heather’s best hope was to tie behind great pitching.  The staff was up to the challenge and managed to win everything but saves.  Blake Snell was strong, and started to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke.  Madison Bumgarner was strong over two starts and looks like he may be back to his old form.  Mike Clevinger was strong in his only start before falling to injury.  Heather had the best WHIP in the league and her ERA was second, just behind the Lannisters.  The only point of concern was Chris Sale, who struggled over two starts and looks like he may be hiding an injury or some kind of arm problem.  The Armadillos’ starters didn’t post great numbers, but Masahiro Tanaka and Patrick Corbin had good weeks.  The Armadillos were able to earn the win thanks to their bullpen.  Edwin Diaz and Brad Hand had four saves each.  This was enough to outdo a strong week from the PhoeGnomes’ Josh Hader.  Flipping this single category gave the Armadillos the narrow victory.  Heather can take pride in leading for most of the week and falling just short at the end.

KG Goofballs vs.  KK Thunderwolves

The week’s best performance probably came from the Goofballs, who did enough to defeat the Thunderwolves.  Kevin put up league-leading numbers on offense – he topped the league in RBI, OBP, and SLG.  Leading the way was Javier Baez, who hit four home runs, had eight RBI, and added two steals.  Anthony Rendon added three more homers and a total of nine Goofballs had at least one home run.  Freddie Freeman didn’t have a home run but he did draw ten walks and had a 0.568 OBP.  Kyle enjoyed a good week from Ryan Braun (three home runs, 11 RBI), Gleyber Torres, and Rhys Hoskins.  Unfortunately, he caught Kevin on a hot week and was only able to capture steals.

Kevin was able to secure victory thanks to a good pitching week.  Marcus Stroman and Jose Berrios were strong in their four combined starts.  The re-emergence of Stroman would be a huge addition for the Goofballs, who consistently uncover bounce-back players.  Jon Gray struck out ten in his only start for the week.  With the exception of German Marquez, Kyle’s starters struggled to throw many innings.  Fortunately for the Thunderwolves, they managed to take strikeouts anyway and won saves behind a nice week from Kirby Yates.  Eventually the Goofballs’ overall quality won the day, and Kevin secured another season opening win.  Kyle showed some improvement on offense, and will need to have better starting pitching to contend in the future.

CP Legion vs.  SM Lasershow

The week’s final match saw the Legion edge out the Lasershow.  Both teams struggled with pitching and posted two of the top three worst ERAs in the league, along with the worst two WHIP figures.  Both teams struggled to get quality starts and saves, but the Legion were able to take the rate stats thanks to good weeks from lesser names like Tyler Glassnow.  Robbie Ray struggled with ERA but did average a strikeout per inning.   Sean had a great week from Kyle Freeland who struck out 15 in 11.2 IP.  This easily secured strikeouts.  However, meltdowns from Zack Godley and Rick Porcello sealed other categories for the Legion.

The Legion were more consistent on offense.  Paul Goldschmidt added four home runs in part-time duty.  Willson Contreras added three of his own.  Christian Yelich did all he could for the Lasershow with five home runs and 11 RBI for the week.  It wasn’t enough, though, and the Legion won all the categories but steals.  This total gave the Legion a solid win to open the year.

Next Week

Week 02 features two good match-ups.  The Possums will try to rebound against the Goofballs, who want to build on a Week 01 victory.  Both the Legion and Armadillos will try to stay unbeaten in their early-season meeting.  Both the Lasershow and Thunderwolves will try to get things rolling and earn their first wins.  Finally, the PhoeGnomes face another tough team when they battle the Lannisters.

 

2019-08-01
LK Hyun-Jin Ryu
LK Noah Syndergaard
– for –
CP 2020 Round #02 Pick
CP 2020 Round #04 Pick
CP 2020 Round #06 Pick
CP 2020 Round #08 Pick
CP 2021 Round #03 Pick
CP 2021 Round #09 Pick

2019-08-01
LK Craig Kimbrel
– for –
KG 2020 Round #02 Pick

2019-06-05
LK Max Fried
LK Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
– for –
SM 2020 Round #09 Pick
SM 2020 Round #14 Pick

2019-03-23
HP Yoan Moncada
HP Nick Castellanos
HP 2020 Round #01 Pick
– for –
CP Cody Bellinger

2019-03-09
SM 2020 Round #04 Pick
– for – 
KG David Price

2018-11-18
HP Nolan Arenado
HP Wilson Contreras
– for –
CP Ken Giles
CP Yoan Moncada
CP Blake Snell
CP 2019 Round #01 Pick
CP 2020 Round #01 Pick

2019-02-12
JK 2019 Pick
– for –
CP 2019 Pick
Both owners know the terms of the trade.  The trade automatically occurs if certain conditions are met.

Note:  Trade was not triggered.

The 2018 season reached its conclusion and a new champion was crowned.  After twenty five weeks of play, the Armadillos captured the title by the slimmest of margins.  The victory erases the pain of 2017 and ends the Lannisters’ three year reign on top.  The Armadillos’ path to victory was dramatic and left the Possums heartbroken.  Rick finished in second place after an outstanding season.  The Lannisters ended up in third place, but the margin between the top three teams was the closest in league history.

RK Possums (16-5-3) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (5-17-2)

Entering the week both the Possums and Armadillos could clinch a share of the title with a win.  Rick faced the PhoeGnomes, and seemed to be a clear favorite.  Heather was at the bottom of the league and Rick’s pitching neutralized Heather’s biggest strength.  Both teams started slowly but as the week progressed, the Possums appeared to have the advantage.  They were close in all of the hitting categories and had steals locked down.  They also had a good lead in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts.  Rick had our starters lined up for Saturday, and the group delivered good performances.  Justin Verlander struck out ten over six innings.  Miles Mikolas didn’t allow an earned run over eight innings.  Anibal Sanchez was strong and didn’t allow a run.  Corey Kluber was marginal, but not a disaster.  The Possums only picked up one win despite these solid starts.

The PhoeGnomes got a good start from Steven Matz, but Trevor Cahill picked up an unlikely victory after entering a game in the second inning.  (Note:  Cahill was in a starter slot and Heather counted this as one of her starts for the week.)  Aroldis Chapman picked up a save, and Heather tied the critical wins and saves categories.  With no more starters set to go on Sunday, both teams looked to be deadlocked.  Rick had ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts.  The teams were tied in wins.  These two categories would remain tied for the rest of the weekend, and ultimately doom the Possums to a tie for the week.  Sergio Romo had a save for the Possums on the bench on Saturday, but Rick had better options in his starting lineup.  Still, just knowing that the save that would have turned the week existed will haunt the Possums all off-season.

Despite the two tied categories, Rick was optimistic before accounting for hitting.  On Sunday, the Possums rallied around their offense and took an early lead in home runs.  Heather remained in control of RBI and SLG.  However, The Possums only needed a tie in home runs to secure the week.  Cesar Hernandez, Xander Bogaerts, and Charlie Blackmon each had a home run and things looked good for the Possums.  However, Nolan Arenado exploded for the PhoeGnomes and added two home runs of his own.  This flipped the category and earned Heather an implausible tie for the week.  The Possums did everything they could, but Heather’s careful management came through.  The shocking tie left the Possums vulnerable, but the Armadillos still had to win for Rick to lose out on a share of the title.

LK Armadillos (17-6-1) vs.  JK Lannisters (14-4-6)

The Possums’ tie meant that the Armadillos could win the title outright with a victory.  A tie would yield a tie between Larry and Rick, and a Lannister win would cause a tie between the Possums and Lannisters.  With everything on the line, the Armadillos’ offense finally came back to life.  They led the league in home runs, RBI, and SLG.  Trevor Story and Giancarlo Stanton had three home runs each.  Gary Sanchez rallied for two of his own.  The Lannisters were not competitive in power, but they did have the league’s best OBP.  Mookie Betts ended a phenomenal season with a 0.600 OBP for the week.  The offensive onslaught meant that the Lannisters needed a pitching sweep to stay alive.

Jeff’s team responded with excellent performances.  The Lannisters easily led the league in ERA and WHIP.  Jacob deGrom ended his season with a fine start but Stephen Strasburg  (and several other pitchers) struggled to reach many innings pitched.  Jon Lester and Walker Buehler had good starts, but didn’t strike out as many batters as usual.  This left strikeouts as the only category in question.  The Lannisters dominated saves, ERA, and WHIP.  The two teams tied in wins thanks to clutch Sunday starts from both clubs.  Eventually, the week came down to a Craig Kimbrel tune-up outing.  After a disastrous third of an inning earlier in the week, Kimbrel responded and struck out three batters.  This was enough to win the category by one strikeout and claim the title for the Armadillos.  The loss dropped the Lannisters to third place and also knocked the Possums into second.  The Possums and Lannisters were both within two strikeouts of the championship.

Kimbrel’s effort capped off a stunning final few weeks of the season.  The Lannisters rallied to re-enter the playoff picture only to be denied.  The Possums and Armadillos both suffered shocking upsets.  The Goofballs, Lasershow, Lannisters, Legion, PhoeGnomes, and Thunderwolves all applied relentless pressure to the leaders and forced them to earn every category for weeks at a time.  The Armadillos were able to rally at the right time.  For the Possums, one fewer PhoeGnomes’ home run or two Lannisters’ strikeouts would have earned Rick a share of the title.  The same goes for one more win or save.  Rick’s pitching was the most dominant and consistent the league has seen, but they came up just short at the very end.

After 229 moves and one of the most competitive and stressful seasons in league history, the Armadillos earned the title.  If there is any silver lining for the Possums it is that they have the first pick in the 2019 draft thanks to a draft-day trade last year.  They also have several other picks due in various rounds.  Rick should be able to add some impact players and remain competitive.

SM Lasershow (7-12-6) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (9-14-1)

The Lasershow finished their season with a tie against the Thunderwolves.  Kyle hoped to win ten matches for the first time in several seasons but he came up short against Sean’s improved club.  Both teams were competitive forces this season and each has reason to be optimistic for the future.  Each team has a ways to go to compete with the League’s elite, but they are trending in the right direction.

KG Capital City Goofballs (5-14-5) vs.  CP Legion (9-10-5)

The Legion ended their season with a victory over the Goofballs.  Chris made it back to 0.500 after a slow start and played a key role in the spectacular end of the season.  The Goofballs are happy to put 2018 behind them and start preparing for the draft.   With the second overall pick, Kevin will have a variety of interesting ways to go.  Chris ends the year in fourth place and will evaluate what he needs to do to re-enter the league’s elite

Final Thoughts

Thanks to everyone for making this a great season.  This was the closest and most competitive end to the season ever.  Congratulations to the Armadillos for winning the title, and to the Possums for pushing them to the absolute brink.  The rosters will remain open for the next couple of weeks, so if there are any players you want to add, feel free to do so.  I’m going to send out an email with some rules questions and clean-up, then it will be time to think about freezes and preparing for the 2019 season!

Two stunning upsets have left the league’s standings in chaos entering the final week.  Both the Lasershow and Legion shocked the Possums and Armadillos with robust performances.

CP Legion (8-10-5) vs.  RK Possums (16-4-3)

The week’s closest match saw the Possums lose a heartbreaking 5-4-1 decisions to the Legion. Chris relied on good hitting and solid pitching to win by the thinnest possible margin.  Blake Snell probably clinched the Cy Young award with two strong starts.  He did not allow an earned run and struck out 16 in 11.2 innings pitched.  He also earned two wins.  Hyun-Jin Ryu had a clutch win on Sunday to tie the hotly-contested wins category.  Rick dominated strikeouts and WHIP, but Chris had the better ERA.  Both teams pitched the same number of innings, but Chris had one extra save.  Both of these small differences shifted the week late, and the Possums were not able to counter on offense despite leading the league in steals.  Chris delivered the Possums just their fifth loss of the season.

LK Armadillos (17-5-1) vs.  SM Lasershow (6-12-5)

The Possums’ loss gave the Armadillos a chance to eliminate the Lannisters and guarantee themselves at least a share of the title with a victory.  Unfortunately for Larry, the improved Lasershow had other ideas.  Sean led the league in OBP and SLG thanks to great weeks from Christian Yelich and Tommy Pham.  The pair combined for three home runs and two steals.  Kyle Freeland had a pair of nice starts as well.  The Armadillos were not competitive after a series of injuries and offensive slumps.  The Armadillos deployed an absurdly high number of position players (25) and pitchers (12).  This means that only three players on the roster didn’t see action (though the number is higher in reality since some of these players were added and cut within the week).  The Armadillos tried everything they could to get good match-ups, but they couldn’t counter the Lasershow.  Sean’s team has shown a great deal of improvement late in the season.

JK Lannisters (13-4-6) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (5-16-2)

The Lannisters took care of business with a strong performance against the PhoeGnomes.  The Lannisters led the league in home runs and RBI.  Mike Trout contributed four home runs and Manny Machado was hot for the week.  On pitching the PhoeGnomes were never competitive after bad starts form key rotation members.  The dominant win kept the Lannisters alive to the final week.  The loss also dooms the PhoeGnomes to last place, but Heather still has a chance to end the season on a high note versus the Possums

KK Thunderwolves (9-13-1) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (4-14-5)

Kevin and Kyle had a close match this week that Kevin eventually won.  Kyle Hendricks was the Goofballs’ star of the week with two starts, two wins, and 13 strikeouts.  Will Smith had two saves.  Freddie Freeman was also solid on offense with two home runs.  Kyle had a good week from Wil Myers, but the team faced criticism for not starting “Kevin Kramer” and refusing to trade him to the Lannisters for a package including a “Ricky”, “Jeff”, and “Kyle”.

Standings Chaos

The stunning upsets mean that three teams still have a chance to win the title.  There are nine different outcomes for the Possums and Armadillos.  Since the Lannisters face the Armadillos, their chances correlate to the Armadillos win/loss/tie scenarios.

• Possums Win / Armadillos win

The Possums and Armadillos share the title.  The Possums have the fewest losses but the Armadillos have more wins.  Since the records are not the same, the head-to-head tiebreaker does not apply.

• Possums Win / Lannisters win

The Possums win the title outright.  The Lannisters finish in second.

• Possums Win / Armadillos and Lannisters tie

The Possums win the title outright.  The Armadillos finish in second.

• Possums Lose / Armadillos win

The Armadillos win the title outright.  The Possums finish in second.

• Possums Lose / Lannisters win

The Lannisters win the title outright.  The Possums and Armadillos tie for second.

• Possums Lose / Armadillos and Lannisters tie

The Armadillos win the title outright.  The Lannisters and Possums tie for second.

• Possums Tie / Armadillos win

The Armadillos win the title outright.  The Possums finish in second.

• Possums Tie / Armadillos and Lannisters tie

The Possums and Armadillos share the title.

• Possums tie / Lannisters win

The Possums and Lannisters share the title.  The teams would have different records, so the head-to-head tie-breaker does not apply.

There are several interesting things to note here.  The Armadillos will end the year with at least a tie for the most wins.  The Lannisters will at least tie for the fewest losses.  Each team has a way to win the title outright:

• Rick: Possums win and Armadillos lose or tie
• Larry: Armadillos win and Possums lose or tie + Armadillos tie and Possums lose
• Jeff: Lannisters win and Possums lose

Rick and Larry will tie if both teams win or both teams tie, but not if both teams lose since the Lannisters would then win.  Rick and Jeff can tie if the Possums tie and the Lannisters win.  In both cases, Rick owns the in-season head-to-head tie-breaker, but the teams’ records are not the same so they don’t come into play for the official results (although the ESPN site still uses them to sort the rankings).  The shared titles are most likely if the Possums tie, because either the Lannisters or Armadillos could then force a tie.

The Possums appear to have the easier path since they play the last-place PhoeGnomes.  However, Heather will not end the year without a fight.  The Armadillos face a much more perilous task since the Lannisters have been so difficult to beat this year.  Jeff’s team has more ties plus wins (20) than any other team (Rick is second with 19).  The week is also challenging because teams rest starters and position players during the playoff reset period.  The Possums and Armadillos may regret not voting to end the season after Week 24 if some of the exotic outcomes happen.

The rest of the standings are almost set.  The Legion will end the year in fourth place after their heroic effort against the Possums.  The win is another legendary moment for the Legion, who always seem to be in the middle of something.  Kevin avoided last place but will have to live with seventh.  Heather will finish last, but can still try to knock of the Possums and debate draft picks.  The Lasershow and Thunderwolves are tied for fifth, and Sean could end his year on a high note.  Kyle could double his win total from last year and reach at least ten wins for the first time since 2015.  There’s at least a small something at stake in every match, so make the final week count!

 

KK Thunderwolves (9-12-1) vs.  RK Possums (15-4-3)

The Possums needed a win to retain a share of first place.  The Thunderwolves declared their intention to challenge the leaders, and followed through with a good effort.  Rick’s totals were too much, but the match was closer than the score indicated.  Neither team posted good offensive numbers.  Going into Sunday Rick had a lead in steals, but Kyle was close in the other four categories.  Rick had a mini-surge that was good enough to sweep all five categories.  Khris Davis and Joey Gallo each had two home runs.  Xander Bogaerts and Mallex Smith added two steals.  Kyle didn’t have any players with multiple home runs and only three players with more than 10 at-bats with a SLG over 0.500.

Rick had an okay week for pitching, but the totals weren’t great.  Max Scherzer and Corey Kluber struggled in their two starts.  J.A. Happ was solid, though, and Anibal Sanchez had a nice start.  Kyle had room to pick up some categories, but he was doomed by a terrible relief appearance.  Trevor Hildenberger had a 135.00 ERA and 15.00 WHIP for the week after a dreadful third of an inning.  Rick picked up strikeouts, saves, and wins, along with the rate categories.  Although the final score was 10-0, things could have turned out differently for the Thunderwolves if they had a little better luck.  For his part, Rick was able to survive a down week and get a win when he needed one.

KG Capital City Goofballs (4-13-5) vs.  LK Armadillos (16-5-1)

The Armadillos matched the Possums with a workmanlike win against the Goofballs.  Much like the Possums, the Armadillos didn’t have their best numbers but did enough to win.  The Armadillos had a good week from Trevor Story and Robinson Cano, but Kevin countered with a great outing from Juan Soto.  He had four home runs, three steals, and eight RBI.  This was enough to give Kevin wins in SLG and OBP.  Larry took home runs and RBI.

Unfortunately for Kevin, his pitching let him down, just as it has much of the season.  The team didn’t have any spectacular meltdowns but also just one good start from Masahiro Tanaka.  The Armadillos countered with a great start from Mike Foltynewicz.  Craig Kimbrel added three saves to Jose Leclerc’s two, giving the Armadillos another category.  This was enough for a smooth win.  Neither team posted huge totals, but like the Possums, the Armadillos did just enough to win and advance.

The win leaves the Possums and Armadillos tied at the top of the league.  Nothing has changed since last week:  The Armadillos have the most wins and the Possums have fewest losses.  This presents and un-breakable tie and the possibility of a split title.  The two wins all but eliminate the Lannisters, who also won.  For the Lannisters to stay in the race, the Possums must lose or tie next week against the Legion.  The Armadillos must lose or tie against the Lasershow.

For the title situation to resolve, either the Possums or Armadillos will need a loss or tie in the final week.  The following scenarios are in play:

1. Both teams win out – the title is split since the Armadillos have an extra win but the Possums have fewer losses (head-to-head does not come into play since the records are different)
2. One team wins out and the other suffers a loss or tie – the winning team wins the title
3. Both teams win one game and lose or tie one game – the title is split, just like in scenario #1
4. The Armadillos tie two games while the Possums win one and lose one – The Possums win the title because the teams will have the same record, and Rick wins the head-to-head tie-breaker.

The Lannisters are technically still in the race, but need at least a draw from both teams to be in play in the final week.  Until this happens, there is no need to analyze the multiple bizarre possibilities.  The update from last week still applies.  However, it is still possible for both the Possums and Armadillos to lose the title outright if they do not win at least one of their final two games.

Next week, the schedule probably favors the Armadillo.  They face the Lasershow.  Rick meets the Legion.  However, Sean’s play late this season has improved and he is more of a threat.  Despite the improved play, the Legion are still the more dangerous team.  Things change in the final week, where the Possums face the PhoeGnomes and the Armadillos meet the Lannisters.

SM Lasershow (6-11-5) vs.  JK Lannisters (12-4-6)

Jeff managed to stay alive with a narrow win against the Lasershow.  The Lannisters had great pitching and put up the best aggregate stat line in the league.  Stephen Strasburg and Jacob deGrom were dominant and Wade Davis and Pedro Stop picked up relief wins along with a save each.  Sean had a nice week from Trevor Williams and Cole Hamels but the Lannisters tied his strikeout totals despite throwing 14.2 fewer innings pitched.

On offense, Sean had the better OBP for the week and piled up steals.  Christian Yelich continued his good season, and Jackie Bradley Jr.  added two steals.  Yelich had two home runs to go alone with his steals.  The Lannisters countered with big weeks from Mike Trout and Manny Machado.  Justin Upton and Cole Calhoun rallied for home runs on Sunday, and the Lannisters led the league in the category.  The unexpected boost also gave the Lannisters the edge in SLG.  Flipping this category kept the team’s hopes alive for one more week.  Sean posted good numbers, and his improved play should not be overlooked.

CP Legion (7-10-5) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (5-15-2)

The week’s final match saw the Legion take care of business against the PhoeGnomes.  Chris posted the best offensive numbers across the board.  He led the league in steals and SLG and was second in home runs and OBP.  Michael Conforto, Jurickson Profar, and Adalberto Mondesi each had two home runs.  Mondesi added five steals and posted a 0.645 SLG for the week.  Mondesi’s speed and power have caused many owners to take notice of the young player’s abilities.  Heather got nice weeks from Nolan Arenado and Matt Olson, but it wasn’t enough to match the Legion.

Heather put up nice pitching numbers in an effort to come back.  Jhoulys Chacin had two good starts, but Chris Sale was limited to just 4.0 innings pitched.  Mike Clevinger had a good start, but Heather suffered from throwing too few innings.  The Legion were a little more efficient and had more saves.  Chris was able to win the categories he needed to get the win.

Next Week

The league is essentially set up in three tiers.  The title will be decided between the Possums and Armadillos, with the Lannisters on the fringe.  In the middle of the pack, the Legion, Thunderwolves, and Lasershow are all within two games of each other.  At the bottom, the PhoeGnomes and Goofballs are separated by just half a game.

The Armadillos meet the Lasershow while the Possums face the Legion.  Both teams will look to spoil the title chances of the leaders.  The Lannisters face the PhoeGnomes in a game they must win or tie to stay in contention.  Finally, the Goofballs and Thunderwolves meet.  Kyle can maintain his hold on the middle ground while the Goofballs are desperate to finish out of last place.