Goofballs, Lannisters Return to Form; Possums Keep Rolling; Armadillos Vanquish Legion
KK Thunderwolves (1-7-1) vs. RK Possums (4-4-1)
The Possums entered with the week hoping to continue their winning streak. Kyle hoped to stop a losing streak and get back on track. Unfortunately for the Thunderwolves, it was the Possums who completed their objective. Kyle relied on a strong pitching attack to carry the week. Chase Anderson and Zack Greinke threw 15.2 IP and didn’t allow a run. Mark Melancon and Alex Colome were stellar from the pen. The Thunderwolves led the league in saves and ERA, and were second in WHIP. Rick countered with roughly the same number of IP but had t
he edge in both strikeouts and wins. Michael Fulmer recorded two wins with no earned runs and seven base runners over 12 IP. He also became the first rookie pitcher since 1892 to have three consecutive games of at least six innings pitched and two or fewer hits in each game.
Ricks two pitching categories paired with his dominance on offense. The Possums tied for the league lead in home runs, easily topped RBIs, and had the second highest SLG. Once again, Rick’s middle infield led the way. Ian Kinsler and Xander Bogaerts had four home runs, 21 hits, and two steals. The Thunderwolves saw better play from Prince Fielder and good weeks from Ryan Braun and Nelson Cruz. However, it wasn’t enough, and Rick easily took all five categories and secured a comfortable 7-3 victory. The Possums have climbed above 0.500 for the first time this season. They are also far ahead of last year’s pace and may be emerging as a surprise contender.
JK Lannisters (6-2-1) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (6-3)
After difficult battles with the Goofballs and Possums, the Lannisters hoped for better luck against the PhoeGnomes. Heather needed a win to keep pace with the top of the league and for potential tie-breakers. Her offense was definitely up to the task. The PhoeGnomes tied for the league lead in home runs and steals. They were also near the top in RBI (2nd place), OBP (2nd place), and SLG (3rd place). Chris Davis was the top contributor – he added three home runs in just 10 at-bats. Jose Altuve added teals and a home run, as did Paul Goldschmidt. The Lannisters had good power numbers but were not close in home runs, RBI, and SLG. However, they displayed their typical strengths in OBP and SLG. JD Martinez was particularly strong, with an OBP of 0.476. Manny Machado, Robinson Cano, and Carlos Beltran combined for a SLG well above 0.600. This was enough for the Lannisters to capture two categories and disrupt Heather’s improved offense.
On pitching, both sides had good performances and meltdowns. Jon Lester was the clear MVP for the week, throwing 15 IP, allowing now earned runs, giving up 9 hits and no walks for the Lannisters. Heather didn’t have any two-start starters, but Zach Davies continued to pitch well, as did Julio Teheran. Jake McGee had a bullpen meltdown, as did Santiago Casilla for the Lannisters. Jeff’s slight advantage in innings pitched resulted in a league-leading strikeout total and a tie for wins. The team also had the best WHIP in the league and the second best ERA. This was enough to capture four categories and secure the win. The result was a close one and the OBP and SLG categories were in play up through Sunday. This time, the breaks fell the Lannsiters’ way, and the PhoeGnomes are likely frustrated that the tie slipped away.
KG Capital City Goofballs (2-7) vs. CM Happy Hollidays (2-7)
After a series of close losses, the Goofballs were probably looking forward with a match against the Happy Hollidays. However, Chris M. had other plans and launched an improved offensive attack in the battle of Chicago clubs. Neither team bothered with steals, but the Hollidays produced the third best SLG in the league. Chris M. also had the best OBP and a narrow edge in RBI. Martin Prado was the star of the week with a 0.680 SLG for the Hollidays. Kevin countered with strong power. Brandon Belt had two home runs, as did five other Goofballs’ players. DJ LeMahieu continued to be a strong presence at second base, and Starlin Castro made the most of a single start by hitting a home run.
The Goofballs needed results on the pitching side to overcome the 3-1-1 deficit on offense. Chris Archer racked up strikeouts and was okay for the week, but the David Price and Sonny Gray were the main stars. These performances were mirrored by the Hollidays, who saw Aaron Sanchez amass strikeouts but allow runs. However, the rest of the Hollidays’ staff did not fare well. They had the second worst ERA in the league. The Goofballs were slightly better, and they won strikeouts, saves, ERA, and WHIP. This was enough for a 5-4-1 victory. The Hollidays fell one steal shy of a tie. Once again, the Goofballs were in a close battle, but this time (like the Lannisters) luck favored them.
LK Armadillos (6-2-1) vs. CP Legion (6-1-2)
The week’s final match featured a battle for first place. The Legion and Armadillos were virtually tied, and the winner would be guaranteed at least a share of first. Normally a battle like this would merit the lead story in the League Update. However, neither team performed particularly well for the week and the battle shifted to survival. The Armadillos had good power and RBI numbers. Ian Desmond continued his hot start, and made Larry’s trade look even better for the week. Mark Trumbo added two more home runs, and Chris Carter slugged 0.727. Chris P. didn’t have a counter. Eduardo Nunez had two home runs, but only two Legion regulars had SLG above 0.500. Jonathan Villar had a difficult week, going just 4/24 with a walk. The Armadillos were able to sweep all five categories, though their OBP and SLG totals were not impressive. 
Chris needed a miracle on pitching to save a tie. The Legion had some hope when Steven Matz and JA Happ struggled in all four of their starts. Only Clayton Kershaw and Matt Harvey were solid for the Armadillos, and the team had the worst ERA in the league, and the second worst WHIP. The Legion piled up victories behind Tyler Chatwood. They also won strikeouts. However, the Legion’s bullpen continued to be a problem. They ended the week with just two saves. This gave the Armadillos an easy win, and enough to edge out a 6-4 victory. Both OBP and SLG were in play up to the end of the week, but neither team could get anything going. The Armadillos’ Sunday OBP and SLG were 0.275/0.289. The Legion had an opportunity, but posted OBP/SLG totals of 0.313/0.345. This wasn’t enough to swing either category. The Legion left Joc Pederson and Javier Baez on the bench on Sunday. They had a collective 4/9 day with two home runs. The Legion could have captured SLG. Conversely, the Armadillos’ bench failed to record a hit on Sunday. The close win puts the Armadillos back in first place, thanks to a tie-breaker with the Lannisters.
Next Week
The Armadillos hope to remain in first place. They face the Goofballs, who hope to build a winning streak. The Lannisters take on the slumping Hollidays. The Legion also get an easier match on paper when they face the Thunderwolves. Finally, the red-hot possums hope to move into the league’s top four. They face the PhoeGnomes.
After winning his first match of the season, Kyle hoped to keep rolling against a tough Armadillos team. However, Larry’s offense jumped to an early lead in almost all categories. Leading the way were Mark Trumbo and Carlos Gonzalez. The pair combined for eight home runs and 17 RBI. Daniel Murphy added two home runs. The Armadillos totaled 15 for the week. This also translated into a win in RBI, OBP, and SLG. The Armadillos had the highest SLG and OBP in the league by a wide margin. Kyle had little to counter on offense, with only Nelson Cruz (3 HR) producing above average stats. Gonzalez’s pair of home runs on Sunday officially turned the tide of RBI, and the Armadillos swept five categories.
The final upset try for the week belonged to the Possums. Unlike the Thunderwolves and PhoeGnomes, Rick was able to complete a close win against the Lannisters. Both teams posted jaw-dropping offensive totals. Eight Possums and nine Lannisters hit home runs, including five each from Adam Duvall and Mookie Betts. Three players each had three home runs, and four more had two. Betts had 10 RBI, Duvall had nine, and Charlie Blackmon, Ian Kinsler, and JD Martinez had eight each. Joey Votto managed two steals, and this was enough to clinch the category. However, Jeff left five home runs on the bench from Corey Seager, thanks to Manny Machado’s new SS eligibility. The Possums finished the week with the most home runs and RBI in the league, with the Lannisters right behind them. The massive power showing gave Rick five categories after a weekend push.
Chris P. countered on offense. The Legion reached double-digits in home runs, thanks to great weeks from Jonathan Villar and Evan Longoria in limited use. Villar added three steals, and was the player of the week for the Legion. Chris M. made a strong push, with four home runs from Jay Bruce and seen RBI from Matt Kemp. Unfortunately, the Hollidays fell short in all categories except SLG. Chris P. earned a 6-4 victory thanks to his edge in power. Chris M. should take some comfort in the improved offensive performance. The Legion earned a workman-like win and avoided the upset.
Each team has strengths and weaknesses. Rick took a closer look at each team’s performance across a variety of categories. The numbers in the charts represent the number of players on each team who are in the league’s top 15 players, or have achieved x number of stats.
Like the Thunderwolves, the Possums started slowly this season. However, they have turned things around in recent weeks and hoped to keep things rolling against the Armadillos. Rick took advantage of Larry’s weak offensive showing, but the Armadillos countered with better steals totals and a higher OBP. Rick’s power came from some unlikely sources. Wilson Ramos hit two home runs, as did Xander Bogaerts. Adam Duvall also added a home run and four RBI in his only game played. Four other Possums also hit homers, and rick built a commanding leader in the power and RBI categories. The Armadillos countered with a rebound week for Starling Marte, who had four steals. Ian Desmond added two more, along with a team-high 0.444 OBP. This was enough to give Larry two categories to Rick’s three, before accounting for pitching.
Kevin had to rely on his offense to carry the week. The Goofballs deployed an incredible 19 players and 11 of them hit home runs. Todd Frazier and Lorenzo Cain stayed hot, as did Brandon Belt and Trevor Story. Frazier was the best of the group, with two homers and two steals. However, despite all of the home runs, the Goofballs fell short of the RBIs you might expect. The Lannisters took advantage with massive weeks from Eric Hosmer and David Ortiz. Nine Lannisters hit home runs, including three from Robinson Cano. Buster Posey finally returned to form with a pair of home runs and a steal. Hosmer and Mike Trout added steals, and Jeff tied the category. Every Lannister with at least 10 at-bats had at least two RBI. This was enough to give the Lannisters the win in HR, RBI, SLG, and OBP. They led the league in all of those categories except OBP, where they were second. Despite this level of production, the Goofballs kept things close until Sunday when the third Cano home run locked down HR and SLG.
The Goofballs fell just short yet again. Here are the results they would have had against every other team in the league:
Heather’s pitching was outstanding, leading the league in every category except saves. Noah Syndergaard was phenomenal, pitching 14 innings, striking out 21, and allowing no earned runs. Heather had only one starter allow more than two runs for the week. If you remove the terrible stats from Shawn Tolleson, the PhoeGnomes would have had a 1.26 ERA over 64.1 IP. Aroldis Chapman and Francisco Rodriguez had three saves each, and Heather tied for second in this category. Kyle was unable to mount a serious challenge in the face of these dominant statistics. He did lead the league in saves, but Heather still boasted a commanding 4-1 lead for the side.
On pitching, the Hollidays fared much better. Cole Hamels struck out 17 over 14.2 innings. Aaron Sanchez and Adam Wainwright were also strong in their single starts. Larry’s starters were the corollary to Chris’s staff: They were largely ineffective. Adam Conley pitched 11.1 innings but gave up seven earned runs. Kenta Maeda allowed nine in nine IP. J.A. Happ and Jason Hammel weren’t much better, and only Clayton Kershaw really lived up to expectations. Chris won ERA and WHIP by a huge margin, though Larry somehow tied in wins. The Armadillos’ advantage in innings pitched translated to a win in strikeouts. This resulted in a decisive win, but the Hollidays were not without opportunities. One more win, a few strikeouts, and a steal would have turned the tide.
The Legion received stellar pitching early in the week. Danny Salazar and Carlos Rodon set the pace, and the Legion built a commanding lead in strikeouts along with solid ERA and WHIP numbers. The Lannisters had an unfavorable pitching schedule for most of their starters, were there were few early-week games. This gave the Legion the luxury of observing results and tailoring later pitchers as conditions dictated. However, Jeff had solid stat lines from Stephen Strasburg and John Lackey in the early going. He also piled up saves, and built a commanding lead.
On offense, the Lannisters had better fortune. Monster weeks from Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, and Kris Bryant built huge leads in HR, RBI, and SLG. Chris was closer and OBP, but the Lannisters were fairly comfortable there too. However, Chris dominated steals in the same way the Lannisters captured saves. This gave each team four secure categories, with only steals and wins realistically in play.
Xander Bogaerts and Albert Pujols led the way for the Possums with four home runs and 13 RBI. Bogaerts was particularly strong for the week with 15 hits. Charlie Blackmon contributed seven more RBI, and the Possums easily won OBP, SLG, home runs, and RBI. Chris was able to salvage a tie in steals, and Matt Holliday had a big week, but it wasn’t enough to turn any categories. After leading the Hollidays to a win over the PhoeGnomes, Francisco Lindor endured a miserable five hit week. Lindor has a .222 OBP and .192 SLG. Yadier Molina and Ben Zobrist were the opposite, combining for 20 hits in 41 at-bats. Unfortunately, they didn’t offer much power for the week, and Chris was forced to rely on his pitching.
Both teams performed well relative to the rest of the league. The PhoeGnomes had the lowest ERA of any team, and the Armadillos were second. Heather was second in WHIP and Larry was third. He also led the league in saves and tied for first in wins. This gave each team a 2-2 split to go along with their 2-2-1 result on offense. The outcome of the week rested on strikeouts. If Larry won the category, he would win the week. A tie would also result in a draw.
The teams were evenly matched on pitching as well. Kyle threw fewer innings but had good starts from Jose Fernandez and Aaron Nola. Fernandez in particular was outstanding, giving up one run and striking out 22 in 14.0 IP. Jeff countered with solid weeks from Felix Hernandez, Jon Lester, and Jacob deGrom. However, both teams had several starters who struggle. This led to split results with Kyle taking wins and ERA but Jeff winning both strikeouts and WHIP. In fact, the Lannisters led the league in WHIP despite having just the third best ERA. These mixed results were enough to give the Lannisters the win. Kyle had an opening to win the match, but didn’t have enough firepower to get the job done. For the Lannisters, the workmanlike win was important after the rest of the leaders kept pace.
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