I’m above .500, along with five-fifths of the National
League. The last three weeks will certainly be fun as five teams battle for
three spots.
For myself and Steroid.ERA, it will be a tough road as both
of us sit 14.5 games out of the final wild card — and we play each other this
week, so this matchup will be pivotal.
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| Crunch Time! The front-runners in the AL and NL appear to be ready for the bye week, Choo certainly, but eight teams are battling for the final four spots in the JLB Playoffs. This week will be pivotal for several teams because with two matchups remaining after this week's slate of games, it will be tough for anyone to make up a deficit of 10 or more games in the final two weeks. Of course, in both leagues, the fourth- and fifth-place teams are playing each other. Big wins will go a long way. At the same time, the teams in command of Wild Card spots can control their destiny. |
A big win will lift one team into contention while putting
the nail in the coffin for the other.
A small win or stalemate may spell doom for both.
It all depends on what happens with the two teams in control
of the wild cards right now, Vandelay and the Outs.
Vandelay won 13-7-4 over Steroid last week to remain 11.5
games out of first place after the top team, Philly Cheese Steaks, won by the
same score over the Outs.
That loss dropped the Outs to 15.5 games out and potentially
in danger of the playoffs if Steroid or I can make a move.
His matchup this week with Otto Parts will be key for him,
too.
In the American League, well, the Handi Jerks and Sex
Panthers both have a decent shot at the Wild Card slots that keep falling.
Right now, the Bombers (34.5 games out) and Gameday Gamblers
(37.5 games out) hold the playoff spots.
Both the Sex Panthers and Handi Jerks had prime
opportunities to move into Wild Card spots, but both drew stalemates against
the Bombers and Gamblers, respectively.
Choo, of course, made the distance between himself and the
rest bigger with a 13-7-4 win over Coldsmith.
Choo got some great pitching from Johnny Cueto (17 innings,
2.12 ERA, 15 strikeouts, CG) and Max Scherzer (15 innings, 1.80 ERA, 15
strikeouts) helping him post a 2.25 ERA and win six pitching categories. He won
seven on the batting side, thanks to an eight-RBI week by Gregory Polanco.
Look at all those criticized trade acquisitions performing!
Speaking teams who had had the trade acquisitions working
for him, the Cheese Steaks sit atop the NL because of all the great moves he
has made.
But last week, it wasn’t just the trade acquisitions. It was
the free agent pick-ups, Denard Span and Pablo Sandoval.
Sandoval has been a solid add for the Cheese Steaks, and his
11 hits, two homers and nine RBIs helped him win nine batting categories. Span
had 15 hits last week, including 11 singles and three doubles. Daniel Murphy, a
trade acquisition, also had a big week, going 13-for-32 with 10 singles, a
double, triple and a homer. He also had eight RBIs, a SAC and a SB.
In total, the Cheese Steaks had 60 singles, 41 RBIs and a
.300 average.
He only won four pitching categories, but against the Outs,
that can be considered a small victory, especially considering the fact that he
won ERA (2.27) and WHIP (1.02). Jon Lester played a pivotal role with his
complete game shutout, which spoiled Garrett Richards’ CG SO.
Fortunately for the Outs, Jordan Zimmerman also got a
complete game — a cheap 6.1-inning CG, but a CG nonetheless.
Vandelay’s pitching was the catalyst for him, too, as he
went 10-2 with nine quality starts, 82 strikeouts, 2.41 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.
His trade deadline acquisition joined the party with a
strong 7-inning outing that produced five strikeouts, a quality start and a
1.29 ERA for the week.
Considering he won strikeouts by one and quality starts by
one, Hamels was a huge get.
He also got strong performances out of Chris Sale — of
course — Jake Odorizzi and Wily Peralta.
Vandelay’s offense was decent as well, led by Michael
Brantley’s nine hits and seven RBIs. For being selected in the ninth round, he
has been far beyond phenomenal this year, and it kind of goes unnoticed with
him being on the Indians.
Yes, he was an All-Star, but did you know he had a .324
average with 17 homers, 76 RBIs and 77 runs scored? I knew he was close to
that, but that’s because I’m a super nerd. It’s very surprising to see those
numbers, and kudos to Vandelay.
I was originally going to draft Brantley in the third or
fourth rounds, but then, I made the offseason deal to get Yoenis Cespedes,
which “took care” of my left field situation. Perhaps, I made a mistake.
And of course, Giancarlo Stanton hit three more home runs.
He’s a beast. Did you see the homer he hit the other night? Berman’s head would
have exploded if he hit that shot at a home run derby. Back, back, back, boom!
Berman’s head, gone.
Did you notice I went a whole blog without touching on my
matchup? You didn’t think it would end without it, did you?
All I have to say is, sometimes the best trades are the
trades you don’t make. All the offers I had out there for months for Billy
Butler, and no one bit. He’s built that slow start into a .276 average (which
is very respectable considering how close to .200 he was for about a month and
a half). With 10 hits last week, he continues to be a strong player for my
team.
Perhaps he can get me back into this race. Last week’s
15-8-1 win over the Otto Parts was my fourth straight win, and I’m 32 games
over .500 during that span. It’s just unfortunate that the rest of the NL hasn’t
relented.
With three weeks left, it will take a miracle to get back to
third place.
But, hey, I’m feeling lucky.
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