League Overview

After the second week of the season ended, the league was left with more questions than answers. Only three teams won their first two match-ups. The defending champion Wolf Spiders, Armadillos, and Kraken all captured wins. Meanwhile, the Goofballs, PhoeGnomes, and Possums all remained winless. The Skyline Sluggers and Hares are the only teams even at 1-1.

This isn’t surprising, as every team has faced injuries, dealt with serious flaws, or suffered scheduling problems. The only team that has looked solid in both games is the Kraken, who remain the story of the early season thanks to their dominance.

There is one other small note. I am renaming the weeks to align with ESPN’s Matchup number. That means that this was “Week 03” as this was “Matchup 3” in the site. I’m doing this in case anyone needs to cross-reference the reports and might later get confused about which week the report refers to.

CP Kraken (1-0) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (0-1)

The Kraken remained red hot this week as they dominated the PhoeGnomes. Chris continues to deliver on both the offensive and pitching side of the ledger. The Kraken had a remarkable run of starting pitching. The staff gave up only 7 earned runs for the week. Cole Ragans proved to be a smart pickup with a good two-start week with 13 strikeouts and only 3 earned runs. Reid Detmers and Logan Gilbert also had great outings. Chris easily won each category except saves, and led the league in ERA by a wide margin. They were also second in WHIP and had solid counting totals.

On offense, neither team excelled, but Chris generated enough power to score an easy win for the week. Juan Soto was stellar with a 1.245 OPS, 2 home runs, and a steal. Heather enjoyed great efforts from Bobby Witt Jr and Jose Altuve. They each had 2 home runs, and Witt added a steal and 10 runs. Each had an OPS well over 1.000. Unfortunately this wasn’t enough to turn the tide, as the reset of the team struggled. Vlad Guerrero Jr. continued his slow start to the season. He was one of 7 players with an OPS under 0.500.

The Kraken have proven they are potential title contenders. Their second consecutive week of good play means the rest of the league needs to take them seriously. If Chris can find a way to continue to conjure good pitching, they may be the primary team to push the Wolf Spiders.

LK Armadillos (1-0) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (0-1)

The week’s most competitive match features the Armadillos and Goofballs. These two teams have developed into compelling rivals in recent seasons. The Armadillos were the first to strike this year, as Larry squeaked out a victory by the thinnest of margins.

On Offense, the Goofballs had a bizarre, disappointing week. The team had the lowest run, home run, and RBI totals in the week by a significant margin. They had the second lowest OPS, and the gap between then and the next worst team was 0.090. What makes this even more shocking is that Michael Busch had 3 of the team’s 5 home runs. Corbin Carroll added 3 steals, but this was essentially the team’s whole output. The Armadillos led the league in runs, home runs, RBI, and were near the top in steals. The biggest star was clearly Pete Alonso. He had 4 home runs, 8 runs, 7 RBI, and a 1.603 OPS. Taylor Ward, Colton Cowser, and Brice Turang all had significant at-bat totals and each had and OPS over 1.000. The Armadillos are getting epic production from overlooked players. When paired with high steals totals from Gunnar Henderson, Mookie Betts, and Anthony Volpe.

Both teams had quality pitching efforts. They were both at the top of the league behind the Kraken. Kevin relied on more IP to generate a ton of strikeouts (tied with the Hares) and the most saves in the league with 4. Jose Berrios was incredible with two starts, 13.2 IP, 13 strikeouts, and no earned runs. Freddy Peralta also added 11 strikeouts in just 5.1 IP. The Armadillos threw fewer innings, and were not competitive in counting stats. However, the team showed solid control and were able to sneak a victory in WHIP. In fact, the Goofballs could have tied the week by flipping WHIP, and had a chance on Sunday. However, Robert Suarez gave up a walk in an otherwise fine outing where he recorded a save in the last game on Sunday. This was enough to tilt the category and thus the week.

The narrow victory keeps the Armadillos undefeated, but the team will need to find more pitching (if only in terms of quality) to compete. Kevin can take comfort in his pitching, but needs to put both offense and pitching together to record his first win.

CM Skyline Sluggers (1-0) vs. JK Hares (0-1)

The Skyline Sluggers tried to follow-up their first week against the struggling Hares. Jeff has dealt with a horrible run of luck the last two years, with multiple players falling to season-ending injuries, demotions, trades, and even criminal activity. However, no loss has hurt as much as that of Spencer Strider. The team’s most valuable player went down for the year with an elbow injury. The Hares had a chance to trade him for a package of players from the Kraken. Chris and the Kraken must be elated to have avoided this pitfall.

Despite this, the Hares put together a solid effort this week and picked up their first win. The team had the highest OPS for the first time in ages, and also had great home run and RBI totals. Leading the way was Marcell Ozuna, who had 3 home runs, 11 RBI, and a 1.394 OPS.

Neither team had good pitching, but the Sluggers suffered meltdowns from Brandon Pfaadt and Andrew Heaney. Only Nathan Eovaldi had a good start. The Hares had to rely on Corbin Burnes to have two good starts with 12.0 IP and 11 strikeouts and only 3 earned runs. George Kirby, Zack Wheeler, and Pablo Lopez all suffered blowups, but the Hares did just enough to pick up the win. Neither team can feel too proud of their second week, but the Hares will take a win any way they can get one. They are sure to continue to scour the available players list in their unending quest to find value.

KK Wolf Spiders (1-0) vs. RK Possums (0-1)

The week’s final match saw the Wolf Spiders continue to win with a solid outing against the Possums. Kyle had a rough first week, but held on for a narrow win against the Hares. This week, Kyle’s offense came to life and ha had a pretty solid week of pitching. Jonah Heim had 2 home runs and then six other players had one each for the Wolf Spiders. The team also had an incredible 6 steals from Ronald Acuna Jr.. This would have beaten many other teams by themselves.

Rick had two incredible starts from Joe Ryan and Tyler Glasnow. They combined for 1 earned run, 13.0 IP, and 26 strikeouts, and just 1 walk. This good work was undone by nightmare outings from Sean Manaea and Tanner Bibee, the first week’s hero. Kyle had a better ERA thanks to overall better quality across the board. Clay Holmes added two saves, and Kyle was able to win the week and improve to 2-0. The Possums didn’t embarrass themselves, but they need to right the ship quickly if they want to compete this year.

Next Week

Next week offers a few intriguing match-ups. The Kraken face the Hares and appear to hold an advantage. However, one can’t help but wonder if the Kraken’s pitching staff will eventually turn back into a pumpkin. The Wolf Spiders and Armadillos each face mid-tier teams in the Skyline Sluggers and PhoeGnomes respectively. Heather in particular will need to focus against the resourceful Armadillos. Finally, unless there is a tie, either the Possums or Goofballs will get their first win of the year.

League Overview

The first week of the season saw a number of surprise performances. Two familiar contenders won close matchups.Tthe Skyline Sluggers and Kraken surprised their opponents with tenacious performances.

The most disturbing trend in the opening week is injuries.  Nearly all teams suffered at least one important injury that cost a top-ranked player time on the field.  With ILs already full, this trend will force some teams to make difficult decisions.  Owners must decide to keep injured players on the active roster and cut healthy players, reducing their bench.  This might help put some bubble relief pitchers back on the market for needy teams.  Conversely, teams could cut their injured players and allowe opportunistic competitors to hunt for bargains.

KK Wolf Spiders vs. JK Hares

The defending champs opened the season veruss the Hares.  While Kyle was the clear favorite, the Hares kept things close until the last games of the night on Sunday.  Neither team’s stats were great, but none were terrible either.  Both suffered pitching meltdowns (Bobby Miller’s 1.2 IP, 5 ER start for Kyle and George Kirby’s 6 ER, 3.2 IP start for Jeff).  Zach Wheeler had a fantastic 10 strikeout start for the Hares, but Shane Bieber matched him before falling victim to the injury plague.  The star of the week for Kyle was Camilo Doval who had a clutch save in a late Sunday game that tied both strikeouts and saves and secure the win for Kyle.

On offense, no one on either team had a massive week but Spencer Steer had 3 home runs, 9 RBI and a steal.  The Hares led the league in steals for the first time in this millenium, thanks to 4 from Elly De La Cruz.  Ultimately the Wolf Spiders managed to squeak out a win, but neither team can be happy with their opening performance.  Kyle is suffering severe injuries for the first time in his run, and it will be interesting to see if he can adapt.

LK Armadillos vs. RK Possums

The league’s runner-up took care of business against the Possums, who also finished in the top division.  The teams were evenly split on offense, with neither producing championship-calibre results in the first week.  No Armadillo had more than one home run, and the highest OPS of a regular player was Mookie Betts with 0.953.  Rick fared little better, but Adolis Garcia had 2 home runs, (in addtion to one on opening day that Charlie, Larry, and Jeff saw in person)!

The Armadillos were able to win on the strength of pitching.  Emmanuel Clase and Edwin Diaz combined for a massive 5 saves to lead the league.  No starter was spectacular, but Grayson Rodriguez had a nice outing.  The Possums led the league in strikeouts, led by 9 from Tanner Bibee in just 5.1 IP.  However, the rest of the team was dragged down by miserable efforts from Max Fried and Jack Flaherty.  The Possums couldn’t compete in rate stats, and it cost them the week.  This was certainly not a strong opening for either team.  All four of these first teams have work to do if they want to contend with the weeks’ two big winners, discussed below.

CM Skyline Sluggers vs. HP PhoeGnomes

The week’s biggest winner was Charlie.  The Skyline Sluggers put up dominant numbers and thwarted a week that Heather would have won against many other team.s  The Skyline Sluggers led the leaguue in ERA and WHIP.  They were second in Saves, OPS, and home runs.  The offense was led by a trio of players who had 2 home runs (William Contreras, Shohei Ohtani, Isaac Paredes).  They all had OBP over 1.000 as well.  Jose Altuve and Aaron Judge tried to help the PhoeGnomes keep pace, but it wasn’t enough.  Charlie won 4 categories, but lost steals.

Both teams had excellent pitching, and these were easily the two best performances of the week.  Tanner Houck was absolutely incredible for the PhoeGnomes.  He recorded 17 strikeouts in just 12.0 IP and didn’t allow and earned run.  Framber Valdez and Aaron Nola also went without allowing a run.  However, Charlie was able to top this with five starters who didn’t allow a run, and one who allowed just one.  Yoshinobu Yamamoto was a standout with 8 strikeouts in 5.0 IP.  Nathan Eovalidi was also great with no earned runs and 7 K’s in his start.  Charlie won the rate categories and saves, and took a win to open the season.  Is this the start of a new era for the Skyline Sluggers?  This is definitely Charlie’s best start to a seaon.  The PhoeGnomes also performed admirably, and can take some positive momentum into next week.

CP Kraken vs. KG Capital City Goofballs

The Kraken delivered the offensive equivalent of Charlie’s pitching by leading the league in home runs and OPS while finishing second in runs and RBI.  Chris presented a balanced attack with 4 players with two home runs and 9 players contributing at least one.  Five regulars or semi-regulars had an OPS over 1.000.  Matt Olson was the best of the crew with 4 RBI, 5 Runs, and 2 home runs.  The Goofballs had some decent offense, including a 3 homer week from Bryce Harper.  Neither team had many steals, and the Kraken took 4 categories.

The Kraken also excelled on the mound, whereas the Goofballs fell flat.  Shota Imanaga dominated with 9 strikeouts and no earned runs in 6.0 IP.  Triston McKenzie and Logan Gilbert allowed 4 ER each to bring up the rate stats, but others picked up the slack like Cole Ragans.  The Kraken avoided the massive blowups that doomed the Hares and other teams.  The combined performance was the strongest in the league by a wide margin.

The Kraken are known to have a powerful offnese.  However, if they can find consistent success like this on the mound, they are certain to jump into contender status.  However, this was just the first week, and the staff’s depth has yet to be tested.  The Goofballs will have to sort out their pitching woes to return to the top of the league.  The shocking output from the Kraken should put the rest of the league on notice, especially last year’s leaders, who started out slow.

Next Week

The Kraken will face another solid opponent when they take on the PhoeGnomes. Charlie and the Skyline Sluggers face one of their rivals, the Hares, who need to find some offensive production. The Possums face a tough second opponent with the defending champs, the Wolf Spiders. Finally, the Armadillos and Goofballs will battle in what is sure to be a competitive match.

This will be the official trade repository for the 2024 season.

LK Armadillos
2023 Round #01 Pick
~ for ~
CP Skyline Sluggers
2024 Round #01 Pick
2024 Round #03 Pick

LK Armadillos
Josh Hader
~ for ~
CP Kraken
Zach Eflin
Conditional 2025 Draft Pick
25-29 saves – #18
30-34 saves – #11 
35-39 saves – #8 
40-44 saves – #6 
45 or more    – #4 

HP PhoeGnomes
Ceddanne Rafaela
~ for ~
KG Capital City Goofballs
Ceddanne Fafaela
Conditional 2025 Draft Pick
18 or fewer SB – #12
19 or more SB – 11th round pick
29 or more SB – 10th round pick
44 or more SB – 9th round pick
54 or more SB – 7th round pick

CP Kraken
Jake Meyers
2 SP to be named later (Heather picks any two SP)
Conditional Pick:
– Round #02 (Kraken finish in top 2)
– Round #03 (Kraken finish out of top 2)
~ for ~
HP PhoeGnomes
Aaron Judge

KG Capital City Goofballs
Michael Busch
~ for ~
HP PhoeGnomes
2025 Round #12 Pick

KK Wolf Spiders
Salvador Perez
Camilo Doval
Seth Lugo
2025 Round #01 Pick
~ for ~
RK Possums
Cal Raliegh
Tyler Glasnow

JK Hares
2025 Round #16 Pick
PTBNL
~ for ~
LK Armadillos
Nolan Gorman

CP Kraken
Mark Vientos
2025 Round #12 Pick (or Round #09 if Fairbanks ends with 30+ saves)
~ for ~
KG Capital City Goofballs
Pete Fairbanks

KK Wolf Spiders
Spencer Steer
Yu Darvish
2025 Round #03 Pick
~ for ~
KG Capital City Goofballs
Freddie Freeman

The penultimate week of the season left the race for the title in a clear holding pattern.  Both the Wolf Spiders and Armadillos won, meaning this week will decide the championship.

The Wolf Spiders face the Kraken, and if they win or tie, they will claim back-to-back titles.  The Armadillos face the Possums.  Larry must win and Kyle must lose for the Armadillos to regain the crown.  The Kraken have openly declared their desire to decide the title, so Kyle will need to bring his A-game if he wants to achieve something only the Lannisters have done – win consecutive championships.

The Possums (who face the Armadillos) have some motivation as well – they will finish in third place with a victory.  The Goofballs face the Hares (who have nothing to play for) and they can make a push for third with a win and Possums’ loss.

The bottom of the standings are settled, with the Hares and PhoeGnomes in 5/6^th place.  The Kraken and Skyline Sluggers are locked into 7^th and last place respectively.  This means the draft lottery is already fixed, so each team can focus on earning a win without respect to positioning.

After two days, the Wolf Spiders have pushed to a small lead over the Kraken, but Chris has put up decent numbers.  The Armadillos are also in the lead, so the question is – can Kyle hold on, and claim the title?  Or can Chris make a charge, catch a few breaks, and ruin the dream?

The Battle for the Title

With everything on the line, the Armadillos and Wolf Spiders met in a battle that could determine the league’s champion for this season.  Both teams put up a solid fight, but it was the Wolf Spiders who sustained a devastating offensive attack throughout the week.  Kyle paired this with the best pitching in the league, and the result was a decisive win.

Offense

How did Kyle achieve this feat?  First, his offense put up the highest totals in the league.  He easily led the league in runs, home runs, and RBI.  In fact, Kyle’s 21 home runs were more than double any other team besides the Armadillos.  Their 62 RBI were double most of the rest of the league.

Leading the way was Corey Seager.  The Rangers star had 4 home runs, 6 RBI, and 5 runs.  Triston Casas had 9 RBI to lead the team, and Ronald Acuna Jr. added 8 RBI and 3 home runs.  Seven Wolf Spiders had OPS totals over 1.000 with at least 15 at-bats.  In total 12 Wolf Spiders had a home run; if each player had hit only one homer, this would have been enough to lead the league.  

The Armadillos had a good offensive week, but it couldn’t match Kyle’s.  Julio Rodriguez was outstanding with 5 home runs for the week.  Royce Lewis added 8 RBI.  In aggregate, the Armadillos would have beaten many other teams on offense.  However, Kyle’s attack was too strong and persistent for the Armadillos to hold up.

Pitching

This mean Larry had to rely on his pitching to try to keep things close.  The week started well for the Armadillos, with Merrill Kelly striking out 12 and allowing just 1 earned run on Monday.  Things changed on Thursday, though, when Carlos Rodon imploded and allowed 7 earned runs in 3.2 IP. 

The Wolf Spiders endured a nightmare start from Lance Lynn.  He allowed 8 earned runs in 4.2 IP.  Both teams experimented with spot starters, and each paid the price.  The Wolf Spiders were able to deploy Gerrit Cole for two starts, and he performed well.  He allowed just 1 earned run and struck out 16 in two starts.  Zac Gallen then sealed the week with a beautiful complete game, 3-hit shutout with 9 strikeouts.

By Saturday, the Wolf Spiders’ performance had all but assured the team a victory.  Kyle was able to cruise to a win, and he now sits 0.5 games ahead of the Armadillos in first place.  This marks the first time since Week #05 that the Armadillos are not in first place.

The Aftermath

With the outcome of this titanic clash now decided, the title picture is clear.  The Wolf Spiders control their destiny.  They need a win and at least a tie in their last two matches to claim the title either outright or via tiebreaker.  The Wolf Spiders must lose one or more games, or tie both games for the Armadillos to have a chance.

For Larry to reclaim first place, he must win his last two match-ups and hope the Wolf Spiders lose.  The Kraken have a chance to decide the title, as they play both leaders in their final two games.  Chris will do everything he can to defeat both squads, and his team post big numbers on the right week. 

This week the Wolf Spiders face the Skyline Sluggers.  Charlie’s squad is injured and needs some help on both offense and pitching.  The team failed to qualify for the ERA and WHIP categories in a humiliating loss to the Hares.  Charlie needs to adjust his line and put up a fight against the Wolf Spiders for the championship run to maintain its integrity.  Everyone must hope that Charlie embraces the challenge to upset the league leaders, and not simply give up categories by default or have injured players littering his line-up.

A Final Note

With little to play for, other teams deployed their own experimental strategies for the week.  The most hilarious must be the Goofballs.  Kevin’s squad put up solid offensive numbers, but absolutely obliterated the rest of the league in steals.  Corbin Carroll ran wild to score 6 of his own, and four other players had at least two, including… William Contreras?!  The team totalled 17, which has to be a league record.

Despite several close calls for both teams, the Armadillos and Wolf Spiders are set to meet in a match-up that will decide the season champion.  Rather than break down the week that led us to this point, I want to look at both teams to identify how they reached the top of the standings.  From there, I will breakdown the upcoming match, and identify a few key factors that will decide the week, and likely the season.

Incredible Winning Streaks

Both the Armadillos and Wolf Spiders have put together amazing winning streaks at different points in the season.  After losing to the Wolf Spiders in Week #01, the Armadillos rolled over the league to win 11 consecutive matches.  This is likely a league record. 

After the Week #01 loss, Larry was 1.0 game behind the Wolf Spiders.  At the end of the winning streak, he was 3.0 games in front.  The winning streak came to an end during week #13 at the hands of the Goofballs.  The Wolf Spiders won that week, to drop the gap to just 2.0 games.

While the Armadillos were steamrolling the competition, the Wolf Spiders initially stumbled.  They lost three weeks in a row from Week #04 to Week #06.  However, they were able to rally and built their own 6 game winning streak while the Armadillos were also undefeated.

Kyle’s streak came to an end a week after Larry’s, once again to the Goofballs!  Larry won that week, once again ballooning his lead to 3.0 games.  It looked like the championship was almost a foregone conclusion.

Instead of giving up, the Wolf Spiders began an inspired rally that has seen them remain undefeated over the last 6 weeks, with 5 wins and a tie.  This included a win over the Armadillos, and 3 weeks with scores that were almost too close to call.  Since week #08, Kyle is 10-1-1.  The result is a 0.5 game lead for the Armadillos, with everything on the line in a final match this week.

Besides the Goofballs, only two other teams were able to beat both the Wolf Spiders and Armadillos this year.  These teams might surprise you – it was the Possums and Hares!  The Possums’ and Hares’ success against each team will be discussed in more detail later.  

Six of the leaders’ 10 total losses came to the Goofballs, Hares, and Possums.  They were the only teams (besides the Wolf Spiders) to beat the Armadillos.  The PhoeGnomes were able to beat the Wolf Spiders, and the Kraken managed a tie.  However this still means that neither the Kraken nor the Skyline Sluggers were able to pick up a win against either team.

Statistical Dominance

How did the Armadillos and Wolf Spiders so thoroughly dominate the league?  The answer is clear, with each team being a mirror image of the other.  The charts below show each team’s ranking in each category.  The lower the score, the better – 1 represents leading a category.

Raw Totals:

Rankings:

The Armadillos have been an offensive juggernaut.  They are first or second in every offensive category.  In contrast, the Wolf Spiders are more toward the upper-middle of the pack.  In fact, the Goofballs have been the second best offensive team by this measure, thanks to their outstanding Rus and OPS totals. 

This means that the Armadillos have relied on their offense to carry them throughout the season.  However, both the Possum and Goofballs have been able to challenge them.  This explains their success versus the Armadillos compared to other teams.

Pitching is a different story.  The Wolf Spiders are at the top of the league in every category except Strikeouts.  The Possums are close behind.  The Hares also have strong Strikeout and WHIP numbers.  The Armadillos are more in the lower-middle of the pack here.  Kyle has won on the strength of his pitching, while Larry has struggled.  This also explains why the Hares have had some success – their totals are strong enough to give them a chance to win on a good week.

What are the totals for all teams?  The results are surprising:

The Wolf Spiders have the lowest total in the league.  The second-place team is shocking – the Possums!  In pure statistical terms, Rick has slightly outperformed Larry week-to-week, and is almost equal with Kyle!  The Armadillos and Goofballs fall slightly behind these two teams, with the other four languishing at the back.

What can explain these results?  First, grand totals don’t matter week-to-week.  You can win a category by one point or ten, and the result is the same.  Therefore absolute dominance over a single category might be a net negative if the roster isn’t balanced.

Second, pitching is especially vulnerable to manipulation.  For example, teams will often limit starters when they have leads in rate stats, or deploy scrubs when they are desperate for innings.  This is all normal behavior, but it does skew pitching stats to some degree.  For example, the Hares could have more strikeouts and IP if they wanted, but they often tried to limit damage to rate stats when these categories were already won. 

In general, offense is more consistent and linear throughout the season.  This gives the Armadillos an advantage, and you see it in the standings.  The Wolf Spiders are more variable due to their pitching.  However, when you pair up two teams with fundamentally different strengths, the results can vary wildly. 

For example, the Wolf Spiders lead the three-week season series with the Armadillos by a total of 22-8 categories.  This is largely due to Kyle’s timely hitting paired with better pitching. 

The more consistent teams will win the majority of the weekly match-ups.  The Possums couldn’t generate enough overall offense to complement their pitching.  The Goofballs couldn’t get enough pitching, but when they did, were nearly unbeatable.  The Hares had good pitching, but so little offense that they fell in the standings.  Only the Armadillos and Wolf Spiders have put things together week after week, and this is why they are battling for the title.

Who Has the Advantage?

Entering this week, the Armadillos are 0.5 games ahead of the Wolf Spiders.  This gives them a small advantage in the sense that a win all but seals the title, while a tie maintains their narrow edge. 

However, there is a critical area where Kyle holds the edge – tiebreakers!

Thanks to their 2 wins over the Armadillos already, the Wolf Spiders cannot lose a tiebreaker.  Even if the teams tie this week, Kyle will still hold the edge.  This gives him slightly more margin for error – he is still in contention if he ties for the week, and if he can secure a tied position in the final two weeks, he will win.

So what does this all mean?  Here are the two key factors:

1. If either team wins their last 3 games, that team will be the champion.
2. If the teams are tied at the end of the season, Kyle will likely be the champion, barring one bizarre scenario where he loses this week but Larry loses the two weeks thereafter.

The result is that both teams control their own destiny.  The winner of this week will be in control with only two weeks left to play.  After all the hours of draft prep, weeks of line-up management, and hundreds of added and dropped players, it all comes down to one final match.  Can Kyle do something that only the Lannisters have done, and win back-to-back titles?  Can the Armadillos break through for the first time since 2018?  Everything comes down to this week when these two teams battle for the final time.

HP PhoeGnomes (7-11) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (13-5-1)

As the race for the championship reaches its final weeks, the Wolf Spiders stayed in control of their own destiny with one of the most shocking results in the history of the league.  How did this happen? And what does it mean for the pennant race?

First, Kyle built a small lead in pitching thanks to superior counting stats.  Justin Verlander and Luis Castillo each had strong two-start weeks.  Verlander was particularly impressive, striking out 16 without allowing a run.  However, J.P. France had a nightmare start, allowing 10 earned runs in 2.1 IP.  Heather capitalized with a classic rate stat strategy.  She won WHIP and ERA with ease after rebound week from Framber Valdez.  This gave Kyle a 3-2 lead.

On offense, things were evenly matched.  The Wolf Spiders easily won steals, but Heather took home runs and runs.  Aaron Judge netted 4 home runs to lead the charge.  However, the Wolf Spiders produced more RBI thanks in large part to Trea Turner, who’s come back to post solid numbers the last few weeks.  This left the two teams with a split 2-2 score before OPS.  If Heather won OPS, she would tie the week.  If Kyle won, he would take the victory for himself.

Going into Sunday, the category was essentially tied.  Heather held a tiny advantage – could she hold on?  On Sunday, she posted a weak 6 hits in 38 at-bats.  This was good for a 0.516 OPS.  The Wolf Spiders were just 7 for 32, for a paltry 0.441 OPS.

Now, you may be reading this, and asking – how could Kyle have won the week when Heather held the lead in OPS going into Sunday, and Kyle posted the lower OPS for the day?  This seems impossible but it’s not!

Heather’s players had 6 more at-bats for the day.  This mean that their total contribution relative to the week was higher than the total contribution of Kyle’s players on Sunday.  By virtue of having fewer at-bats for the day, the Wolf Spiders reduced their total OPS by less.  This is an absolutely stunning outcome, but it’s even more incredible when looking at the final OPS numbers:

These numbers look dead even.  It’s not until the fourth decimal place that any difference is noticeable.  Heather’s OPS is actually 0.71439123.  Kyle’s is 0.71440162.  This is a difference of just 0.00001039.  This is equivalent to just one base over the course of the entire week for either team.

Is it possible that this tiniest of margins could swing the course of the season?  Kyle remains just 0.5 games behind the Armadillos.  Those two teams have one final match next week.  If both teams win this week, that will become a winner-take-all affair with just two weeks remaining after that.  Kyle may be in a position to battle for the league lead, rather than just a tie, thanks to one base from either team.  It’s truly one of the closest, most contested finishes to a week and a season the league has ever seen.

KG Geo Prizms (10-9) vs. LK Armadillos (14-5)

On the opposite side of the offensive spectrum, the Armadillos put up shocking numbers against the Geo Prizms.  However, Kevin refused to give up, and managed to post amazing numbers himself.  The result was an Armadillos victory, but one that was much closer than anyone would have expected on Monday.

On the first day of the week, the Armadillos did the unthinkable – they posted 10 home runs, 20 RBI, and 17 runs scored.  The team had an OPS of 1.744.  Every player in the line-up had a hit and a run.  All but Ke’Bryan Hayes had an RBI.  Pete Alonso was the only other player without a home run, but he had 2 hits.  The offensive explosion was unprecedented in league history.

Despite being in a terrible deficit, the Geo Prizms continued to fight back.  They clawed their way to the top of runs thanks to Corbin Carroll and Randy Arozarena, who each had 8.  They tied for the lead in steals, thanks again to Carroll and Arozarena with 3 each.  The teams OPS ended at 1.0613, not far behind the Armadillos 1.0971.  While they only won a single category, the produced enough offense to have swept every other team in the league except for the Kraken’s RBI total.  In total, nine of the top 10 offensive stats for the week belonged to the two teams.

Although it was remarkable that Kevin had a chance given the Armadillos’ start, pitching sealed the week for the league leaders.  Kevin suffered blow-ups from Julio Urias, Zack Littell, and others.  The Armadillos got a nice start from Merrill Kelly, who struck out 12 in just 7.0 IP with no earned runs.  This, combined with further solid production, secured three categories for the Armadillos, and they cruised to a smooth win.  They remain at the top of the league, with the monstrous Wolf Spiders / Armadillos clash looming in two weeks.

RK Possums (10-8-1) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (5-14)

While the top two finishers in the league are a known quantity, the race for third is still in force.  The Possums had a chance to move up in the ranks as the Geo Prizms lost.  Rick took advantage and earned a strong win versus the Skyline Sluggers.  The Possums were led by their pitching.  Max Scherzer put up solid numbers, and he joined Kodai Senga and Brandon Woodruff with at least 10 strikeouts in just a single start.  The Sluggers failed to have five starts, and were easily swept.

On offense the Possums posted a strangely high home run total (12) but a weak OPS (0.6990).  It was a feast or famine week for the hitters, although Adolis Garcia posted a nice 2 home run week.  The Possums were able to win two categories and secure an easy win.  The Possums are now in sole possession of third place, 1.5 games above the Geo Prizms, and 2.0 above the Hares.

CP Kraken (5-12-2) vs. JK Hares (9-9-1)

The week’s final match paired two of the league’s biggest disappointments – the Hares and Kraken.  As I said last week, this was a match-up no one wanted, and thus the review will be brief.  The Hares suffered through a hideous pitching week, and like the Possums, had good home run totals (10) and a miserable OPS (0.6948).

With all joking aside, the Kraken did have a nice week overall, and their pitching was near the top of the league.  Aaron Nola was the best of the bunch with 14.0 IP, 14 strikeouts, and just 2 earned runs.  He paired with a nice start from Logan Gilbert to guarantee a win.  It doesn’t change the standings, but it’s always nice to have a victory.

Players of the Week

There aren’t any specific Players of the Week this week, as it would be impossible to determine in the incredible Wolf Spiders / PhoeGnomes match.

Next Week

Next week sees the Wolf Spiders with a relatively tough match against the Geo Prizms.  The Armadillos face the last- place Skyline Sluggers.  Although all eyes are on the Armadillos / Wolf Spiders next week, neither team can afford to slip up this close to the end.  The Possums and Hares play in a relatively meaningless contest for both sides, although the Possums do want to stay in third place.  Finally, the Kraken and PhoeGnomes meet in a match where the Kraken want to try to move into 6^th place for a better pick in the draft lottery.

LK Armadillos (13-5) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (7-10-1)

After a series of defeats and close calls, the Armadillos made a statement this week against the PhoeGnomes.  They led the league in all offensive categories except steals, where they were second.  Pete Alonso had 4 home runs and Marcell Ozuna contributed a 1.320 OPS.  Mookie Betts had 3 home runs and a team-leading 1.431 OPS.  However, the star of the week was Julio Rodriguez.  He had 2 home runs, 12 RBI, 7 runs, and a 1.417 OPS over 37 PAs.  He also had an impossible 6 steals, accounting for the team’s total output for the week!

Heather didn’t give up in the face of this opposition, though.  She was 2^nd in OPS for the week, and was near the top in HR, RBI, and steals.  Bobby Witt Jr. continued to shine with 3 home runs, 3 steals, and a 1.212 OPS.  Unfortunately for Heather, the pitching situation was far worse than offense.  Framber Valdez had two horrific starts for 16 hits in 12.2 IP and 9 ER.  Kevin Gausman had a meltdown, and soon enough most categories were out of reach. 

The Armadillos had strong pitching and led the league in many categories.  Eury Perez, Lance Lynn, and Grayson Rodriguez each had great starts.  Merrill Kelly allowed quite a few earned runs, but also had 14 strikeouts.  This was more than enough for an easy victory for the week.  The win puts the Wolf Spiders on notice that they will need to fight until the end if they want to bring down the season-long leaders.

JK Hares (9-8-1) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (12-5-1)

The Wolf Spiders faced the Hares, who took down the Armadillos last week.  While they aren’t title contenders this year, the Hares were hoping to disrupt the standings yet again by taking down a top team.  Unfortunately, Jeff was denied a tie in an exciting match-up.

The Wolf Spiders were dominant on offense.  Corey Seager was the key with 3 home runs, 6 RBI, and 6 runs scored.  Kyle easily won all of the offensive categories except for steals.  The Hares tried to compete for the category on Sunday and had a clutch 2 steals from Tommy Edman and 1 from Jarren Duran.  This initially put the Hares into the lead for the category (and thus a tie for the week) but Kyle struck back with 1 steal each from Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr.  This was enough to tie the category. 

The Hares were well ahead in pitching for the whole week.  Corbin Burnes had a nice start, and Zach Wheeler and Spencer Strider put up big strikeout numbers.  The Hares were well ahead in all categories except for saves.  The week was headed for a tie until Kyle Finnegan recorded a bizarre save for the Wolf Spiders.  Finnegan entered the game after his team gave up a lead.  He entered the game with two outs and a runner on, and immediately gave up a home run.  He was able to record the final out, though, and record the save despite the bizarre situation.

This was enough to give Kyle the category win and a victory for the week.  This could be crucial as a tie would have put the Wolf Spiders a full 1.0 game behind the Armadillos.  For now, Kyle keeps pace, and the race for the title may be decided in the head-to-head battle in Week #22.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-13) vs. KG Geo Prizms (9-9)

While the battle for the title continues, other teams are looking to move up into the middle of the standings as well.  Such is the case of the newly-named Geo Prizms, who took on the unpredictable Skyline Sluggers.  Neither team posted the best numbers for the week, but it was the Geo Prizms who ultimately came out on top.  In an unusual turn of events, Kevin’s pitching led the way to victory.  The Geo Prizms won every category except for IP.  Freddie Peralta was a one-man show for the week.  He had one start for 5.2 IP, allowed just 1 earned run, and had 11 strikeouts.  A couple of meltdowns from Miles Mikolas and JP Sears dampened the Geo Prizms’ rate stats.  The Skyline Sluggers were even more dire, though.  Nothing seemed to work as starter after starter delivered 2 to 4 IP stinkers.  Even more durable pitchers like Yu Darvish allowed 8 earned runs in two starts.  Overall, the Sluggers somehow won IP, but Keving cruised in the other categories.

The offenses were evenly matched.  Rafael Devers had a big 3 home run week for the Sluggers, but teammates Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber each had 2 for the Geo Prizms.  This back and forth crossed over multiple categories.  Kevin had the edge in runs, but Charlie struck back in RBI and OPS.  Ultimately, the stalemate was enough for the Geo Prizms to earn a victory and move into 4^th place on the season, ahead of the Hares.

RK Possums (9-8-1) vs. CP Kraken (5-11-2)

The week’s final match saw the Possums challenge the Kraken.  Rick wants to finish in the top three, and he made a strong statement against Chris’s squad.  On offense, the Possums were behind only the Armadillos and PhoeGnomes in production.  Christian Walker was the clear star for the week with 4 home runs, 11 RBI, and 8 runs scored.  Fernando Tatis Jr. added 3 steals.  The Possums dominated all five categories with little challenge from his opponent.

Neither team had great pitching, which seems to be a theme for the week.  The Kraken put up good strikeout totals, thanks to Brady Singer.  The rest of the staff also put up good totals, albeit with a lot of earned runs added in.   The Possums only needed one category, though, and relied on Max Scherzer to deliver the win.  He posted a great pair of starts with just 3 earned runs and 15 strikeouts.  This was enough for the Possums to earn a win and stay firmly in 3^rd place.

Players of the Week

The players of the week are Julio Rodriguez, who helped the Armadillos to victory.  The top pitcher has to be Scherzer, without whom the Possums would not have been able to win.

Next Week

The upcoming week is light on critical matchups.  The best pairs the Armadillos with the Geo Prizms.  Kevin would love to spoil the title scene.  The Wolf Spiders have to face off against the PhoeGnomes.  The Possums continue to fight for the bronze medal against the Skyline Sluggers.  Finally, the Hares and Legion meet in a match that, frankly, no one wants to see.  The two teams will be playing for pride alone.

Greetings fellow Dirt Mountainers! Happy to provide my guest recap for the league this past week. We’re in the home stretch now and the final outcome is looking much more uncertain than it was a month ago. Onto the matchups:

Goofballs (8-9) vs PhoeGnomes (7-9-1)

With both teams extremely unlikely to put together any sort of miracle run to a league championship, this was likely a matchup mostly for pride for both Heather and I.

The Goofballs rode absolutely dominant starting pitching this week,  posting a 2.26 ERA and league best 0.87 WHIP with 70 K’s. Julio Urias, Logan Webb, and Freddy Peralta threw a combined 40.1 innings over 6 starts  while posting a miniscule 1.39 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. Heather’s  SP dug her a big hole early in the week that she wasn’t able to climb out of, as the PhoeGnomes staff posted an ERA north of 5.00 this week.  It wasn’t a clean sweep on the pitching side however, as Heather was able to edge out saves  4-3 behind a 3 save week from Kenley Jansen.

On the hitting side, the Goofballs got a monstrous performance from Ozzie Albies, who posted a .983 OPS, 8 runs, 3 HR, 13 RBI and 3 SB for the week. The rest of the Goofballs hitters combined for only 5 additional homers, and that lack of power was reflected in the club’s relatively weak .740 OPS. The Phoegnomes clubbed their way to victories in OPS and HR on the strength of 3 homers apiece from Nick Castellanos and Brian Reynolds. The power advantage the PhoeGnomes enjoyed did not translate to runs and RBI however, as the Goofballs were able to win those 2 categories relatively easily. The margin in steals for the week was 9-5 in favor of the Goofballs, who won that category despite not getting their first SB until Thursday.  Goofballs take the hitting categories 3-2 and the week overall 7-3.

Kraken (4-11-2) vs. Skyline Sluggers (5-12)

The 2^nd matchup of the week featured the league’s 7^th and 8^th place teams in a battle to stay out of the league’s basement.

The Kraken posted astounding run production numbers this week, posting league high 14 HR and 46 RBI with a league 2^nd best 41 runs scoed. Kyle Tucker, Matt Olson, and Cody Bellinger combined for 9 HR and 27 RBI.  MJ Melendez and Joey Meneses both had a pair of homers for Charlie’s Sluggers, but the overall team run production wasn’t enough to provide a serious threat to the Kraken in HR, RBI, or Runs.  Charlie’s squad was able to take OPS despite the power disadvantage, and they edged the Kraken 5-4 in SB behind Shohei Ohtani’s 3 SB.  3-2 in favor of the Kraken on the hitting side.

On pitching, Charlie stacked several solid performance to post a very strong 2.05 ERA, but he just didn’t have great volume in innings or K’s posting totals of just  48.1 IP and 43 K’s. Tanner Bibee and Logan Gilbert lead the way for the Kraken, giving up only 2 runs across 21 IP while striking out 23. That volume helped give the Kraken a narrow category win in IP, and relatively comfortable edge in K’s.  Chris’ team also notched a narrow victory in WHIP, and comfortable victory in saves, as the Skyline Sluggers bullpen continues to be a weakness, failing to record even one save this week. The Kraken take pitching  4-1 and the week 7-3.

Wolf Spiders (11-5-1) vs. Possums (9-7-1)

This was an absolutely crucial matchup for both teams, as they are the only 2 teams in the league who entered the week with a reasonable chance to catch the Armadillos by season’s end.

Both teams employed a real team effort on the hitting side as the Wolf Spiders used 15 hitters for the week with the Possums mixing and matching a total of 16 hitters.

The results happened to be entirely one-sided however.  8 of Kyle’s 15 hitters recorded at least 4 RBI, with the biggest contribution coming from Austin Riley, who recorded 2 HR and 7 RBI for the week. The aforementioned Riley also scored 9 runs for the week, and the Wolf Spiders had 7 other hitters score at least 3 runs giving them a league high 45 runs scored for the week.

The Possums got strong offensive performances from their duo of young first baseman, Ryan Mountcastle and Christian Walker, with each posting an OPS over 1.100 while also combining for 3 HR and 9 RBI. There wasn’t much else happening on offense for the Possums, as the rest of the club belted only 2 additional homers while knocking in just 18. The power advantage Kyle enjoyed also led to a comfortable victory in OPS. And a 6-4 edge in steals gave the Wolf Spiders a clean sweep on the hitting side.

The pitching categories were extremely tight across the board in this matchup, with both teams posting fairly strong numbers.. Kyle got good volume across the board from his SP, with Bryce Elder being the only Wolf Spider starter to record fewer and 6 IP and 7 K for the week. Sonny Gray and Michael Lorenzen both had very good weeks for the Possums, with the former giving up only 2 runs in 12 IP while striking out 17, and the  latter throwing a no-hitter in his only start.

Kyle was able to able to nab victory in IP by only 1/3 of an inning, while also winning K’s by 6, and WHIP by a little over a tenth of a point.  Rick scored a victory in ERA, and took saves 3-1, but it wasn’t nearly enough given the Wolf Spiders dominant hitting this week. The Wolf Spiders take the matchup 8-2 and appear to be rounding into the form that made them league champions last year.

Hares (8-8-1) vs. Armadillos (13-4)

The last matchup of the week features Jeff’s Hares vs. Larry’s suddenly vulnerable Armadillos.

On offense, Jeff’s club struggled to generate much power – as they matched the Possums league low 5 HR and 27 RBI for the week.  Wander Franco was really the only offensive standout for Jeff, posting 5 runs scored, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, and a 1.350 OPS. The Armadillos started 20 hitters this week, with the biggest standouts being Pete Alonso (4 HR 10 RBI), J.T. Realmuto (2 HR 4 RBI) and Marcell Ozuna. That trio’s contributions easily helped the ‘Dillos outpace the Hares in HR and RBI. The speedy Armadillos also notched another victory in SB like they always do, with Ha-Seong Kim swiping 3 of the club’s 6 bases for the week.

Without a ton of power, the Hares were still able to claw their way to victories in two hitting categories . Jeff’s group got 8 runs scored from Michael Harris II, helping the Hares to win the category by 5. And OPS goes to the Hares as well (.789 to .739). ‘Dillos take the hitting categories 3-2.

Pitching was a relatively one-sided affair here. The Armadillo’s starters struggled to record outs and gave up quite a few runs. Eury Perez, Zach Eflin, and Johan Oviedo giving up 20 ER over 16.2 IP.  The Armadillos’ staff struggles gave Jeff’s squad plenty of margin for error. Spencer Strider and Corbin Burnes had uncharacteristically poor starts, but the rest of Jeff’s starters were up to the task, twirling 39 IP while giving up only 6 runs. George Kirby was excellent tossing 9 shutout innings, while Dylan Cease totaled 12.1 IP with only 2 ER allowed across two starts. 

Despite being outclassed in the rate stats, the battle for innings and K’s was much closer, with Jeff ultimately prevailing by 5.2 IP and 1 K, respectively. The bullpen favored  the Hares as well, with the final save tally being 3-1 Hares.  A pitching category sweep gives the Hares a 7-3 victory for the week.

This week:

With only 6 weeks left in the season, it’s starting to look like a 2 team race for the championship. Even though Jeff, Rick, and I aren’t eliminated yet, it seems as though something very bizarre would have to happen for someone other than Kyle or Larry to be hoisting the league title at year’s end.

The sizzling Wolf Spiders, who’ve lost only one matchup since the end of May, look to keep that positive momentum rolling in a matchup with Jeff’s 3^rd place Hares. Larry’s struggling Armadillos (2-4 over the last 6 weeks) take on Heather and the PhoeGnomes, while the Goofballs battle the Skyline Sluggers and the Possums meet up with the Kraken.

RK Possums (8-7) vs. LK Armadillos (13-2)

With the season entering its final seven matchups, every outcome is critical to the chase for the title.  After a dominating season, the Armadillos are now facing the same challenge faced by other legendary teams like the Lannisters of old: Every other team will do anything possible to spoil a march to the title.  This week, it was the Possums who sought to upset the Armadillos, secure third place, and maybe, just maybe, keep their title hopes alive.

The result was competitive hitting that on most weeks would put each team at the top of the league.  The teams tied with 14 home runs, but the Possums proved dominant in runs and especially RBI.  Adolis Garcia led the way with 4 home runs, 5 RBI, and 9 runs.  His OPS of 1.647 was off the charts.  Ryan Mountcastle was also strong, with a 1.301 OPS despite no home runs.  The Armadillos had a great week from Mookie Betts, who added his own 3 home runs and a 1.361 OPS.  Ha-Seong Kim and Jose Ramirez each added 3 steals.  The Armadillos easily won the category.  However, the Possums won the overall battle 3-1-1 thanks to better consistency throughout the line-up.

The pitching battle was competitive as well, albeit at lower quality than offense.  Neither team distinguished themselves in the rate stats, and each side took one category.  The Possums enjoyed 2 saves each from Felix Bautista and Will Smith.  This gave Rick the edge in a category that is normally an Armadillos strength.  Max Scherzer, Sonny Gray, and Brandon Woodruff all notched at least 8 strikeouts in their starts for the Possums.  This, combined with more innings, gave Rick a smooth win for the week.

The loss offers a slim ray of hope for Rick’s title chances. He is still 3.5 games back, but with the win, he’s at least still in the running.  The Armadillos are looking vulnerable at the wrong time – offense and pitching don’t seem to be in synch.  No one will give them an easy matchup.  It also reduces the odds that the Armadillos can beat the Lannisters’ 2013 record of 18 wins on the season, a mark that many hold as the gold standard.

CP Kraken (4-11) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (11-5)

With the Armadillos losing, the Wolf Spiders had a chance to rally and move within one game of the lead.  However, he faced the Kraken, who have shown epic highs and the most dreadful of lows.  This week was no different – Chris produced the best offensive stats in the league, but paired them with abominable pitching. 

The Wolf Spiders tried their best to match the Kraken on offense.  Each team had an amazing 17 home runs, a truly strong total for a normal week.  Matt Olson and Juan Soto each had 4 home runs for the Kraken, while Yordan Alvarez added 3 more and a 1.226 OPS.  Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger had inexplicable steals totals (4 and 5 respectively) to win another category.  The Wolf Spiders had 12 players with a homer, and somehow managed to die the category.  They couldn’t keep pace in the counting stats, though, and settled for an 0-4-1 record before pitching.

Fortunately for Kyle, the Kraken were a complete disaster on the pitching side.  Reid Detmers and Andrew Abbott managed to allow 17 earned runs in just 13 IP.  Strikeouts were in short supply.  Aaron Nola had a nightmare start.  The Wolf Spiders romped their way to wins in all categories with a strong week from Zac Gallen and Gerrit Cole.  However, the Kraken got a clutch save from Adbert Alzolay on Sunday to tie the category and thus the match.  Each squad was one save or home run away from victory.  However, the Wolf Spiders must consider themselves fortunate to have tied, given that their pitching wasn’t great for the week either. 

They move to within 1.5 games for the Armadillos, and still have one head-to-head matchup with the leaders for the year.  They will need help, but the title is still very much up for grabs.

KG Capital City Goofballs (7-9) vs. JK Hares (8-7-1)

After a difficult season, the Goofballs haven’t lost their will to win, and want to finish on the medal podium.  They turned in a solid showing against the Hares.  The Goofballs pitching did not let them down, and easily beat the Hares in everything but saves.  Steven Matz and Eduardo Rodriguez contributed nice starts.  However, the Goofballs lacked saves, and the Hares too advantage to win the category.  A horrific start from Dylan Cease doomed the Hares on rate stats, and Kevin took a 4-1 lead.

The Hares tried to muster a showing on offense and won home runs thanks to 3 home runs from Wander Franco, who had a 1.271 OPS.  The Goofballs leaned on Corbin Carroll and Freddie Freeman to win steals – they had 4 and 3 respectively.  Freeman also added a 1.459 OPS.  Several other Goofballs had strong OPS figures in platoon duty, including George Springer (1.215) and Ryan McMahon (1.591).  This was enough to win the category, and carry runs and RBI.  The Goofballs moved on with a strong win and are once again near 0.500.  The Hares continue to be inconsistent, and will look for answers next week.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-11) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (6-9-1)

The week’s final match saw the Sluggers face off against the PhoeGnomes.  Both teams have endured highs and lows this year.  This time, it was the PhoeGnomes who enjoyed a win and maintained momentum.

Heather’s offense was strong, with a monster week from Lane Thomas.  He had 3 home runs, 10 RBI, 7 runs, and 2 steals.  He also had a 1.133 OPS.  Jose Altuve added 5 steals, and Bobby Witt Jr contributed 3 more, with 2 home runs.  This was enough for a monster 13 steal week that easily led the league.  Heather swept the offensive categories with the one exception of runs. 

Neither team had great pitching, but Heather did enough to win here as well.  Pete Fairbanks and Kenley Jansen paired to win saves, and Kyle Bradish had a nice two-start week with 12 strikeouts.  Charlie Morton and Alex Cobb managed to allow 8 earned runs each for the Sluggers, and this doomed the team’s chances for any momentum.  Heather cruised to a win.

Players of the Week

This week’s top hitter was Lane Thomas, thanks to his combination of power and speed.  No pitcher really stood out this week, so the nod goes to Adbert Alzolay.  His clutch save on Sunday secured the tie for the Kraken.

Next Week

Next week starts the final seven matches of the season.  Each team has one more match against each other team.  The Armadillos will try to rally against the Hares.  After a disappointing year, Jeff is going to throw everything possible at the Armadillos to try to keep the race close.  The Wolf Spiders face a tough match against the Possums.  The Kraken and Skyline Sluggers want to stay out of the cellar, and their match has implications for this battle.  Finally, the PhoeGnomes and Goofballs pair up.  Each team has some recent success, so the match may be close.