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03-10-2023, 01:25 PM
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#101 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Week 5: May 9-May 15, 2039
Division 1
Brooklyn’s Carson Prince continued his rampage this week, smashing four homers and putting up a .517 OBP for his second straight Player of the Week award as the Dodgers won five of seven to move into first place in the D1 East. Keith Capwell, who came to Brooklyn in an offseason trade with Cleveland, has emerged as a steadying rotation arm behind ace Jason Blanche, while young CF Adam Slagle is developing into a star, hitting .311/.359/.557 with six homers so far. New York is a game back at 17-16, though their offensive numbers are slipping as Matt Wood, Mike Burcham, and Andrew Fitts have all struggled out of the gate. 3B Charlie Kelley has emerged as a run producer to complement Alex Parga and Roberto Estrada, but New York is also dealing with a rotation that has struggled behind co-aces Willie Rodriguez and Jon Sayre. Chicago and Toronto now sit two games back, while Tampa has gone into free fall, and is now a game back of Philadelphia in last place. The West still belongs to Monterrey, which continues to be stingy with their pitching, though Carlos Mendez finally allowed a run - his first of the season - in a save against Toronto on Sunday. Chase Maze showed signs of life this week, which would be huge for the Industriales, and David McConnell has emerged as an exciting young player. At 20-13, Los Angeles is still very much a threat in the West, with Ryan Haymes batting a robust .404 with a .670 slugging early on. Jon Segura had a monster week with five homers as LA went 4-3. El Paso, at 18-15, is the only other West team with a winning record, but after a strong start Brian Castrovinci and Joe Rison have both been slumping. Getting David Matthews back after a couple weeks on the sidelines was big, however, and will help a rotation that hasn’t found its groove. Seattle continues to struggle to recapture its dynamic offense from 2038, though the rotation has been excellent. They’re tied with Denver at 15-18; while the Bears have been scoring a lot of runs, their pitching staff is in shambles. Tijuana once again takes up the rear, and may be looking at its first relegation. Player of the Week: Carson Prince, 1B, BRO: .481/.517/.963, 4 HR, 6 RBI - second consecutive win Top Hitters: Jon Segura, RF, LAA: .409/.458/.1.182, 5 HR, 14 RBI Jim Yoder, 1B, TOR: .346/.357/.885, 3 HR, 7 R, 7 RBI Chase Maze, 2B, MRY: .316/.409/.737, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI Top Pitchers: Pedro Luna, SP, PHA: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.52 FIP, 10 K, 6 HA, 1 W Jayden Jarrett, SP, TIJ: 9 IP, 1.00 ERA, 0.30 FIP, 14 K, 1 W Doug Kluz, SP, LAA: 18 IP, 1.00 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 15 K, 2 W League News
Division 2 The Boston Bees were 3-4 and the Baltimore Terrapins were 4-3, with the end result of a two-way tie for first in the D2 East at 19-14 apiece. Baltimore’s early rotation struggles are perhaps starting to stabilize; after some adjustment Cory Spry has been strong recently, while Eric Cool has made a nice transition from the pen, and Randy Putnam has been outstanding despite a 4-4 record. Baltimore’s offense remains strong despite a deep slump for Omar Juarez, last season’s MVP. Boston is in nearly the same boat: a powerhouse offense that leads D2 in Batting WAR, but a weaker pitching staff. The bullpen has been great after recent adjustments, though, with closer Tim Potter one of the best in the game right now. Three teams sit at 16-17, three games back from the leaders. Ottawa has been surprisingly strong this season and has a +15 run differential with a top 3 offense led by DH Brian Pressley and 2B Omar Arredondo. Ottawa’s bullpen has also performed well early, but the rotation has been a disappointment and could use an upgrade. New Orleans has a top 5 offense but much of that can be attributed to Carlos Ybarra’s early season explosion; Kyle Hickenbottom has nearly matched his power with 12 homers of his own, but Robert Zermeno hasn’t heated up yet. New Orleans will also need some bullpen stability. Montreal is the third club three games back, and has struggled offensively; the pitching has been solid but the club could really use Bubba Fread, who is on a rehab assignment in the minors as he prepares to make his season debut. That leaves us with Detroit, at 15-18 but with a 4-3 week that suggests they may be turning things around a bit. The Buffaloes stay on top in the west, and have now significantly increased that lead after a 6-1 week that included two wins apiece against Baltimore, Boston, and San Diego. While their pitching staff is aging and has significant holes, there’s no denying this squad can hit, with a dynamic young lineup centered on 1B Doug Frey, DH Bill Tucker, and C Justice Slaton. Houston is the only team in the west with a positive run differential; the next three teams, all tied at 16-17, have some work to do. San Diego has the best pitching in the Division with Brice Asmus pitching like an ace and Max Cartmill having the season of his life, plus good campaigns from young starters Alex Ojinaga and Aaron Meadows. But the hitting is another story, as San Diego has socred only 105 runs this season, the fewest of any D2 club. Sacramento is in a similar boat, as Yusuke Kondo and Josh Argo have led the way in the rotation with newly-acquired closer Xavier Mayes approaching lights-out status at the back end, but with little offensive contribution from their big bats so far. Vancouver is in this group too, but the Mounties just dropped four straight to Ft. Worth and Baltimore after pulling into second in the Conference at the start of the week; they’ve had some standout pitching performances, but the offense hasn’t arrived yet. That’s especially true of Leo Rodriguez, who has hit only three homers this season - fewer by five than his total in last season’s Championship Series. Ft. Worth was 4-3 this week, but an even better sign for them is the hot hitting of Jesse Moeller, who took a while to get off the ground but who hit .391 with a .609 SLG this week. Kansas City continues to flounder in last place, and seems destined for a relegation. Player of the Week: Bill Tucker, RF, HOU: .481/.517/.963, 4 HR, 9 R, 9 RBI - 3 HR game, 5/14 Top Hitters: Devon Johnson, 3B, BAL: .412/.517/.963, 2 HR, 4 R, 2 RBI Leo Rodriguez, 3B, VAN: .429/.448/.607, 1 HR, 5 RBI Jesse Moeller, CF, FTW: .391/.417/.609, 1 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI Top Pitchers: Brice Asmus, SP, SDP: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.82 FIP, 12 K, 5 HA, 1 W Cory Spry, SP, BAL: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.16 FIP, 9 K, 6 HA, 1 W Rhett Frew, SP, KCM: 17 IP, 1.59 ERA, 1.16 FIP, 23 K, 2 W League News
Division 3 After jumping out to a solid conference lead last week, Nashville skidded, going 2-5 including a sweep at the hands of Austin. Andres Orozco was outstanding in his two starts, but the rest of the rotation struggled to the point that even huge weeks by Tristan Burns, Bobby Cook, and Miguel Navarro couldn’t win ballgames. The Sounds still lead the conference by two games, but a surprisingly strong Columbus squad is closing the gap, with young starters Yong-jun Jang, Myles Roberts, and Marlon Anderson playing a big role. Miami (16-17) was 3-4 this week but offseason pickup Kyle DuBell hit well with two doubles and two triples as he comes back from injury, while Paul Herrin won his start, giving him two strong outings in a row. Cleveland and Memphis have expected 16-17 records, but have both fallen short, with Cleveland at 15-18 and Memphis six games back and in last at 13-12. In the West, Austin and St. Paul have raced to 21-12 records after a 4-3 week for the Pioneers and a 6-1 run for the Saints. Player of the Week Jonathan Becker led the way for Austin. Becker seemingly couldn’t miss the ball - a .645 OBP with 4 homers in just 31 plate appearances. Those 4 homers gave him 10 for the season despite a career-high of 12, but his power has increased the last couple of years. Still, it’s unlikely that at 33 Becker is experiencing a massive evolution as a hitter. For St. Paul, Tony Cruz had a strong week but the big news was Jerry Dudek’s season debut, coming back to throw a complete game on just 110 pitches while striking out 8 in a 6-1 win over Portland. Calgary continued to hover around .500 with a 4-3 week, while the Gulls are a game below even at 17-16. The Beavers have sunk into last place, 3-7 over their last te to drop below San Francisco at the bottom of the Conference. Player of the Week: Jonathan Becker, 3B, AUS: .577/.645/.1.115, 4 HR, 9 RBI Top Hitters: Justin McCann, 2B, CLE: .440/.500/.880, 3 HR, 8 RBI Mike Brown, RF, MEM: .409/.435/.909: 3 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R Gabe Perkins, RF, POR: .444/.500/.833, 2 HR, 4 RBI Top Pitchers: Andres Orozco, SP, NSH: 14 IP, 0.64 ERA, 1.78 FIP, 15 K, 1 W Eric Lohuis, SP, POR: 13.2 IP, 0.66 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 17 K, 2 W Jason Riddle, SP, SFS 15.1 IP, 1.17 ERA, 2.16 FIP, 16 K, 1 W League News
Division 4 Pittsburgh is back on top in the D4 East, after a blistering 5-2 week. The Crawfords come into Monday on a 4 game win streak, having outscored opponents 39-16 over seven games. C Ghi-cheng Miao in particular is giving the club excellent returns on an offseason investment: the Sanchung, Taiwan native is hitting .300/.376/.633 in his first taste of D4 action, with 8 homers. Joel Ortiz is now 5-0 with a 2.84 ERA, and Karunamaya Nema has done well in his last four starts after a tough start to the year. Charlotte, meanwhile, is headed in the other direction: the Hornets have lost their last 5 straight to fall a game back. Havana, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati are bunched together at two games back, though watch Cincinnati, which is currently playing three games below their expected record - 1B Jim Zaro hit .600 to win the Player of the Week award. And then there’s Washington, in dead last and 44 runs under even, at 15-18. They’re lucky to be only three games back right now. In the West, the 51s still cling to the lead but their time may be coming to an end in that spot as they’ve lost four straight. Matthew Smith was great during a bad stretch for Vegas, but he was essentially alone in that. San Antonio, meanwhile, has risen to meet them, now just a game back after a 5-2 week. Albuquerque, too, was 5-2 and has won four straight, as LF DJ Moskowitz hit .500 for the week as he continues his amazing run. Moskowitz is currently hitting .423. There’s a big drop between 19-14 Albuquerque and the rest of the conference, as Milwaukee is 14-19 and eight games back, a game ahead of the floundering Browns and Firebirds. Player of the Week: Jim Zaro, 1B, CIN: .600/.600/.950, 1 HR, 9 RBI Top Hitters: Ricky Lopez, 2B, PIT: .389/.500/.1.278, 3 HR, 3 3B, 7 RBI, 7 R Matthew Smith, 1B, LVG: .381/.519/.762, 2 HR, 6 R Tim Baker, 1B, MIL: .455/.538/.682, 5 2B, 5 RBI, 5 R Top Pitchers: Kerry Chumley, SP, PHX: 17 IP, 0.53 ERA, 1.96 FIP, 14 K, 2 W Joel Ortiz, SP, PIT: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.99 FIP, 11 K, 1 W Mario Caudillo, SP, SAM: 1.12 ERA, 0.81 ERA, 12, W League News
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03-10-2023, 02:50 PM
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#102 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Game of the Week: D2 Montreal Expos at Vancouver Mounties, May 10, 2039
After Two Wild Days, a Tight Duel Goes to Vancouver
The Montreal Expos and Vancouver Canucks have played 32 innings of baseball over the last two nights, including a nineteen-inning marathon. But tonight’s game clocked in at a breezy 2:58 minutes, as the clubs split five hits and Vancouver came away with the win 2-0 behind Carlos Sanchez’s gem. Sanchez, who was excellent in limited time with Vancouver in 2038, has gotten off to a good start this season. Tonight’s game was his high-water mark so far, as he blanked the Expos over eight innings of work, allowing just five hits and two walks while striking out 11. Sanchez was perfect in the first inning,with two Ks and a ground out, before his teammates got him all the runs he’d need.With Sonny Scoggins on second after a 3-1 single and uncontested steal, Leo Rodriguez launched the third homer of his season to put the Mounties on top 2-0. Rodriguez has been hitting for average, but his power has lagged with just a .409 SLG coming into the game, so the homer was no doubt a welcome sight for Vancouver fans and management. Joe Fuller buckled down thereafter, allowing only three hits for the rest of the game while striking out nine. But Sanchez was better: he worked out of a second and third, no-out jam in the second inning, and scattered three hits after that, allowing only two runners into scoring position with none advancing as far as third. In the ninth, Matt Greene came in to set the Expos down, allowing a lone walk and striking out Juan Garcia on three straight to end the game. |
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03-10-2023, 11:23 PM
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#103 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Week 6: May 16-May 22, 2039
Division 1
Brooklyn has held on to the top spot this week, and is clearly a legitimate contender at 22-17. The Dodgers, who finished in second place last season and won the D1 Championship the year before, are still struggling to replace Matt O’Brien’s rotation spot and have now lost both Josh Sanders and Andy Ponce - two fill-ins - to injury. But the offense, behind MVP candidates Carson Prince and emerging star Adam Slagle, have kept the club competitive. Prince hit another two home runs this week and is now at 17, on pace to break Pedro Quiroz’s all-time mark, though it remains quite early in the season. The 20-19 Giants continue to threaten, though their rotation is still a weak spot after co-aces Willie Rodriguez and Jon Sayre. Bob Paul has rebounded from injury and has 7 saves with a 59 FIP-, while Alex Parga has led the offense with 12 homers. Chicago, Tampa, and Toronto are all four games back with an 18-21 record; Tampa is watching star CF T.J. Carcone, who is now five triples away from breaking the all-time NABF mark. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is now in last place after starting the week 0-4 before winning two in Chicago over the weekend. In the West, the Angels have taken over the Conference after a 5-1 week. LA to this point has been the best in the Division with the highest overall runs scored and fewest runs allowed, as 3B Ryan Haymes continues to set the table from the two-spot with a D1-best .391 BA to go along with a .427 OBP and .626 SLG. Jon Segura is the D1 RBI leader with 45, and has hit 12 homers. Monterrey broke even in Week 6, with a 3-3 record, but remains a genuine contender with John Witherspoon earning every cent of that offseason contract. At 22-17, El Paso would be tied for the D1 East lead, but is three games back and in third here; Joe Rison is having a superstar-quality year from the leadoff spot, hitting .329/.394/.638 with four homers, while Brian Castrovinci leads the team with nine homers and 28 RBI. Denver and Tijuana are seven and eight games back respectively, but the real surprise here is Seattle: the Steelheads have now lost 11 straight, with last year’s stellar offense evaporating. Only Roger Alvarado and Mike Hood have been solid offensive performers, as the club has sunk to last place. Player of the Week: Benni Phillips, CF, TOR: .375/.423/1.000, 4 HR, 8 RBI Top Hitters: John Witherspoon, 1B, MRY: .389/.593/.833, 2 HR, 5 R Joe Rison, LF, ELP: .458/.552/.792, 6 R Adam Slagle, CF, BRO: .407/.433/.778, 2 HR, 7 RBI Top Pitchers: Jack Johnson, SP, TMP: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.45 FIP, 10 K, 1 W Willie Rodriguez, SP, NYG: 8 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.09 FIP, 11 K, 1 W Andres Arenas, SP, TOR: 13.1 IP, 2.02 ERA, 2.36 FIP, 16 K, 1 W League News
Division 2 The Boston Bees were 3-3 this week, but due to a rough showing by Baltimore they end Sunday in sole possession of first place at 22-17. Boston’s offense has improved in recent weeks and now ranks third overall in runs scored, as Jonathan Wyand sets the table and Rogelio Ventura and Adam Andersen clean it off. The rotation has been shaky in places, but the Bees have a lockdown bullpen and a FIP that suggests some of those rotation struggles will correct themselves. The Terrapins simply haven’t looked as good, certainly when compared with last year; for a team that added a lot, very little is clicking. Big free agent signing Dave Judge has been terrible at the plate, as has reigning MVP Omar Juarez, whose struggles may need to be chalked up to more than a season-opening slump soon. The rotation has stabilized as Eric Cool has shown himself a capable #3 behind Cory Spry and Randy Putnam, and Pedro Acosta shows some promise as a starter as well. The big story out of the East this week, though, is Detroit, who ripped off a 5-1 week to move into third, two games back of Boston. Detroit pitching has been incredible recently, as Zack Root and Chris Morris lead a top 3 rotation and new closer Pat Pipkin the best bullpen in the Division. Montreal continues to slide down the standings, three games back at 19-20, with Ottawa and New Orleans tied in the final spot at 18-21, four games back. It’s still early, but the excitement in the air is real in Houston as the Buffaloes have built a six game lead on the rest of the conference. They have D2’s best run differential, and the best in the West by far at +31. Doug Frey continues to have a career year, while 26 year old catcher Justice Slaton is breaking out, with 8 homers and a .811 OPS. The rotation is the biggest weakness for this club, so look for them to start trying to address this on the trade market, especially as Vancouver seems to be heating up. The Mounties are now in second, after a 5-1 week in which they swept the Bees. Vancouver has not looked back at Rich Buxkemper, their 2038 Pitcher of the Year, once: the Mounties now have the best pitching staff in D2 with a deep, if possibly overperforming, rotation. The bullpen has been an issue though: Matt Greene has not looked like his old self yet, and only Steven Smith and Carlos Castillo have had any real success so far. After Vancouver, the West drops off fast: San Diego and Sacramento are both 18-21, and behind them are Kansas City and a very disappointing Ft. Worth team. Hector Razo has been excellent, but Ian Weaver has struggled mightily, and Jesse Moeller’s immense skill still haven’t translated into solid 2039 results. Player of the Week: Doug Frey, 1B, HOU: .519/.536/.1.313, 2 HR, 4 RBI Top Hitters: David Davis, LF, DET: .364/.464/.955, 4 HR, 8 R, 6 RBI Tony Adams, RF, HOU: .522/.577/.870, 1 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI Shane Oftedal, C, SDP: .400/.478/.850, 2 HR, 4 R, 6 RBI Top Pitchers: Franklin Romero, SP, VAN: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.24 FIP, 10 K, 1 W John Budgell, SP, DET: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.80 FIP, 9 K, 1 W Danny Schwindt, SP, SAC: 14 IP, 1.93 ERA, 2.42 FIP, 14 K, 1 W League News
Division 3 Nashville’s 4-2 week kept them three games up in the East as they look to repeat as Conference champs. They’re playing a bit above their heads with a +16 run differential and expected record two wins worse than their actual, but they’re still clearly one of the top two teams in the conference. SP Andres Orozco continues to impress, and though he’s benefitted from a .243 BABIP his FIP- remains 87, so even if there’s reversion he’ll still be an above average arm. Columbus remains a threat in the East, though, and actually has a better Pythagorean than Nashville, though in reality they’re three games back. Caleb Weatherspoon was stellar this week, winning Player of the Week with two wins on two straight shutouts. Cleveland is just behind Columbus, with Atlanta and Miami five games back overall; there’s a lot of buzz around Atlanta’s young starter Eli Willim, who was great in his last two starts, but concern over Paul Herrin, who hasn’t been bad but has seen a sharp drop in his strikeout rate, from 27.3% last season to just 22.9% this year. Memphis is in free-fall, having won just two of their last ten, nine games back. The Saints are two games up to enter Week 7, and are right now clearly the team to beat in D3. They’ve allowed a paltry 116 runs - 3/game, easily the best in the Division, thanks to Pitcher of the Year candidates John McNayr and Felipe Esparza; add to that a brilliant return to action by young ace-in-waiting Jerry Dudek, and St. Paul is building a reputation as one of the game’s stingiest teams. In Austin, another week went by with no sign of a cool-down from Jonathan Becker, who has been startlingly good in May: .419/.500/.839 with seven homers. They’ve also got a stable of outstanding starters, but have been consistently betrayed by a bullpen that is badly in need of stabilization, not to mention a new closer. Salt Lake went 5-1 this week to pull up into 3rd, four games back, mostly due to last year’s MVP Ralph Keough and offseason trade acquisition Edgar Troche, who has a mere 1.43 ERA to this point in the year. Calgary treaded water this week at 3-3, while Portland and San Francisco traded places again, with Portland going 4-2 to end at 17-22, while the Seals went 2-4 and are now 16-23 on the year. Player of the Week: Caleb Weatherspoon, SP, CMB: 17.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.95 FIP, 14 K, 2 W Top Hitters: Joe Wrobel, LF, CLG: .444/.500/.667, 1 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI Ralph Keough, 1B, SLC: .278/.381/.778, 3 HR, 4 R, 6 RBI Jonathan Cosner, 1B, NSH: .385/.407/.731, 2 HR, 6 R, 4 RBI Top Pitchers: Eli Willim, SP, ATL: 7.2 IP, 2.35 ERA, 0.41 FIP, 10 K Masahiro Nakanishi, SP, AUS: 15.2 IP, 2.87 ERA, 2.38 FIP, 16 K Dylan Powers, SP, MIA: 14 IP, 0.64 ERA, 2.81 FIP, 18 K League News
Division 4 The Pittsburgh Crawfords are in business. The club ripped off a nine game win streak that ended Sunday, and they displayed unparalleled pitching dominance in doing it, allowing just 7 runs over those nine games while scoring 59. Joel Ortiz, at 23, is authoring an all-time season so far, and was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA over his two shutouts during the streak, over which he struck out 26. But he’s not the only one contributing to D4’s best rotation: Karunamaya Nema has been locked in in recent starts, as has Chri Scott, while Matt Hahn has rebounded as well. This pitching staff is scary. They’re certainly not running away with it, though - another great pitching staff in Indianapolis is hanging three back. While Nate Mefford is having a difficult year, Aaron Cottrell has bounced back, and Greg Smith’s amazing knuckleball continues to make D4 batters look foolish. As always, though, the Clowns need bats, ranking ninth in the Division in runs. Charlotte continues to slide, and is now tied with Cincinnati at four games back, with a 19-20 record. Washington and Havana follow, each at 18-21, five games behind. The Las Vegas 51s no longer have sole possession of first place after a tough 2-4 week that saw San Antonio catch up with them. C Josh Killion continues to hit, and that Vegas bullpen can cook, but a team that ranks 10th in offense and 6th in runs allowed isn’t destined for greatness. That gives San Antonio an opening, led by Player of the Week and leadoff hitter Justin Gulden, who is hitting .354 so far on the season. San Antonio pitching has also been outstanding, second only to Pittsburgh in runs allowed as Bill Lorentz, Eduardo Fernandez, and Mario Caudillo have been pitching deep enough to limit the exposure of a bullpen that has been weak at times. San Antonio and Las Vegas are now tied atop the Conference, but are headed in different directions, as Albuquerque lurks three games back. Current batting leader DJ Moskowitz is having a career year at .383/.433/.586, but an awful bullpen will need to be addressed if the club hopes to see October. Milwaukee, at 17-22, is seven games back, followed by Phoenix at 8 and St. Louis at 9. Phoenix had a good week, winning four games and taking two one-run losses; they may be heating up after a slow start. Player of the Week: Justin Gulden, 1B, SAM: .519/.536/.741, 4 2B, 5 R, 2 RBI Top Hitters: Joe Shelton, RF, CIN: .412/.500/.824, 2 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI Francisco Garcia, 2B, MIL: .333/.455/.556, 3 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI Josh Killion, C, LVG: .300/.364/.800, 3 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI Top Pitchers: Joel Ortiz, SP, PIT: 9 IP, 1.00 ERA, 0.42 FIP, 15 K, 1 W Aaron Cottrell, SP, IND: 8.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.54 FIP, 14 K, 1 W Jon Pelayo, SP, CIN: 14 IP, 0.64 ERA, 2.28 FIP, 16 K, 1 W League News
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03-11-2023, 12:13 PM
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#104 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Game of the Week: D4 Charlotte Hornets at Pittsburgh Crawfords, May 21, 2039
Nema Near Perfect in One-Hit Victory Over Charlotte as Pittsburgh Wins Ninth Straight
After over 30 years of futility, the Pittsburgh Crawfords are the talk of the NABF after taking their ninth straight behind the most dominant pitching performance of a stretch in which they’ve outscored opponents 59-7. Karunamaya Nema carried a perfect game into the sixth, and finished with a complete game one-hitter, while his offense piled on with ten runs against a defenseless Hornets staff. The win keeps Pittsburgh at three games up on Charlotte. After Nema completed the first on twelve pitches, striking out Dylan Harris, the Crawfords gave him all the runs he’d need in the bottom half. After two singles by Joe Guthrie and Donovan Bryant, offseason acquisition Chi-cheng Miao launched his tenth homer, a scorching line drive that landed in the left field bleachers at PNC Park. The homer gave the Crawfords a 3-0 lead that they would improve upon in the second, as Bryan Knowles raised his season batting average into the .380s with an RBI double scoring Joe Guthrie. Another three runs came in during a raucous 4th that began with a Doug Jagger double. After a strikeout, Nate Pettigrew walked to bring up the leadoff hitter Guthrie, who smoked a ball into the right-center gap scoring Jagger and chasing starter John Richardson; Donovan Bryant would bring both baserunners home with his own double to deep center a few batters later. All the while, Nema cruised, inducing grounder after grounder with the best sinker he’s shown all season, and overpowering those who went deeper in the count. Jason McCollum gave the crowd a scare when he smoked a ball to lead off the fifth, but shortstop Nate Pettigrew made a diving stop of the 115 mph rope and got McCollum easily, and a pop-up and strikeout closed it out. After five perfect innings, he had recorded only two fly ball outs while striking out five. Another Doug Jagger double plated Pittsburgh’s eighth run in the bottom of the fifth, and Nema went back out with the crowd starting to buzz. The excitement deflated quickly as Nema walked the leadoff batter, Jose Nunez, and then allowed a one-out single to Luke Townend. But he erased Townend on a James Arnold double play ball, and the runner stranded at second would be the last one Charlotte would get in the game. Nema shut the Hornets down with practiced ease for the rest of the game. Ernesto Gonzales, one of the hardest hitters to strike out in the entire Federation, went down on three straight swinging strikes in the 7th, the last coming on Nema’s first screwball of the game. Two pop-ups and a strikeout made up the entirety of Charlotte’s eighth inning, and it ended equally quietly in the ninth, as a soft popup and a sharp grounder were handled in succession by Nate Pettigrew before James Arnold rolled a ball to first, where Mark Butler scooped it up and tossed to Nema to complete the gem. With the win, Pittsburgh moved to 28-18, now the team to beat in D4. |
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03-13-2023, 05:21 PM
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#105 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Week 7: May 23-May 29, 2039
Division 1
The D1 East race is shaping up to be a good one between Brooklyn and New York, with Chicago far from out of it as we approach the end of May. The Giants end the week up by one over Brooklyn, going 5-2. Some signs of offensive awakening from the club, as Jose Cruz, Alex Parga, Dan Morris, and Matt Wood all hit well over the seven games, but the real value came from the starters: Jon Sayre, Willie Rodriguez, and Jose Estrada pitched a total of 35 innings over 4 games, allowing just 7 runs overall while striking out 34. Brooklyn, meanwhile, had a difficult week at 2-5, suffering a sweep at the hands of the Industriales before losing 2 of 3 to LA. That’s despite great starts by Jason Blanche and Steve Honsey, and another good stretch by Carson Prince. Chicago’s 4-2 week, meanwhile, was the product of rookie Robby Towne, one of a few strong Rookie of the Year contenders, and SP Armando Orozco, who made two great starts despite taking a tough luck loss in one. Chicago is inching up the standings, but remains below .500 on the season. Toronto and Tampa Bay are 20-26, five games out, and Philly continues to take up the rear, though a good run could put any of these teams right in it. Los Angeles pulled another run up on the Conference this week, going 5-2 while finishing up a sweep of the Bears. Brian Weisman continued to wreck the ball: the best rookie in D1 is now hitting .338/.372/.623 with ten homers, at 23, while playing eye-opening defense in center. Ryan Haymes continues to lead D1 in average though his has slipped to .371, and Doug Kluz is continuing his late-career renaissance with an outstanding early season. Monterrey is now two back at 28-18, and swept Brooklyn this week, winning the finale on two solo shots in the top of the 11th. El Paso, meanwhile, surged this week with a 6-1 run behind Player of the Week Brian Castrovinci, who hit six homers over seven games while driving in about a third of the runs his team scored in that stretch. Seattle, meanwhile, has broken that 11 game losing streak, and is now tied with Tijuana and Denver at 20-26. Player of the Week: Brian Castrovinci, 1B, ELP: .385/.467/.1.115, 6 HR, 6 R, 13 RBI Top Hitters: Zach Breland, C, TOR: .375/.450/.1.125, 4 HR, 5 R, 9 RBI Nate Madden, 1B, TMP: .444/.444/.926, 3 HR, 4 2B, 5 R, 7 RBI Brian Weisman, CF, LAA: .440/.481/.880, 3 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI Top Pitchers: Steve Honsey, SP, BRO: 15.2 IP, 0.57 ERA, 1.40 FIP, 19 K Armando Orozco, SO, CHI: 15 IP, 1.20 ERA, 1.58 FIP, 17 K Nick Book, SP, LAA: 16.1 IP, 0.55 ERA, 1.78 FIP, 18 K League News
Division 2 The Baltimore Terrapins took two of three from the Bees on their way to a 5-2 week and a first place berth in the D2 East. It was an encouraging week for Baltimore’s offense, as Jimmy Stroud won Player of the Week filling in for Wayne Richard, while Omar Juarez had his first great week of the season, hitting .391/.444/.565. Offseason acquisitions Dave Judge and Dustin Jennings were also excellent, as was LF Pat Miller. Eric Cool, meanwhile, has made the transition to the rotation look effortless, with better success in 38 innings in the rotation than he had in 28 from the pen. But Detroit should concern the Pins, as they continue their march up the Conference. Detroit actually has the best expected record in the Conference, and is now 25-21, only a game back of Baltimore. Victor Ortiz and Matt Petrick both smoked the ball this week, helping Detroit go 5-2 with a sweep of the D2 West-leading Buffaloes. Boston hit the ball well too, but went just 2-5 despite scoring exactly as many runs as they allowed. Rogelio Ventura continues to have a breakout season. Montreal remains just three games back at 23-23, and welcomed Bubba Fread back with a great scoreless start this week. The Zephyrs and Champions are six and seven games back respectively, though the Champions have played better than their record suggests. Houston had a tough week, and slipped a bit, though they remain in charge of the West three games up on Vancouver, with the NABF’s best record at 31-15. The Buffaloes were hardly bad, going 4-3 despite a sweep at the hands of Detroit, and Bill Tucker continued to mash. Aaron Ferguson is still struggling, and may see his playing time reduced with Houston in the middle of a pennant race. And Vancouver is really making it a pennant race, as they didn’t lose this week while extending a streak to eight games. They’ve outscored opponents 42-12 over the run, holding opponents to just a run and a half per game while Sonny Scoggins, Leo Rodriguez, and RF Greg Cousino provided the offense. The rest of the Conference is increasingly irrelevant here, as third place Sacramento is already 10 games out with a 21-25 record, and Kansas City, San Diego, and Ft. Worth at the bottom. Player of the Week: Jimmy Stroud, CF, BAL: .577/.645/.846, 5 2B, 6 R, 6 RBI Top Hitters: Aaron Felton, RF, DETL .353/.400/1.100, 4 HR, 4 R, 10 RBI Lorenzo Tapia, 1B, FTW: .458/.500/.917, 2 HR, 3 R, 9 RBI Bill Tucker, RF, HOU: .381/.480/.810, 2 HR, 5 R, 9 RBI Top Pitchers: Steve Shelton, SP, KCR: 18 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.57 FIP, 14 K Jorge Ortiz, SP, BOS: 16.1 IP, 1.10 ERA, 2.09 FIP, 21 K Rhett Frew, SP, KCR: 8 IP, 1.12 ERA, 1.38 FIP, 15 K League News
Division 3 Nashville continued building their lead this week, winning seven in a row to push their record to 30-16, tied for second best in the NABF. The week wasn’t as dominant as the record looks, as the Sounds won four of those games by a single run and two more by two, but they count just the same in the standings. Scott Glendenning, despite another bad start from the rotation, crushed the ball from the plate; meanwhile Mario Guzman had his best start in years, as the Sounds beat Salt Lake 1-0 behind his 8 inning, two-hit game. Columbus kept winning too, going 5-2 despite losing ground, and has to be considered a real contender at this point despite their last place finish last year. Ricky Ponce is mashing again, on pace for 50 homers, and Phil Osborne is adding a bounceback year to a borderline Hall of Fame career. After Columbus, Cleveland and Miami are both even at 23-23, with Atlanta slipping a bit this week. Memphis is now 13 games back without any sign of a recovery any time soon. The D3 West is once again shaping up to be a wild division, as St. Paul stays at the top of a pile that includes four teams within three games of first. St. Paul has dramatically improved its pitching this year despite no major changes, as the entire staff has allowed just under 3.4 runs per game. John McNayr is an early Pitcher of the Year contender, and Jerry Dudek may not be far behind. Austin, too, has had some strong contribution from a better-than-expected rotation led by Masahiro Nakanishi, while Chris Parker has returned from last year’s season-ending injury to hold his own. But the Pioneers did receive some devastating news this week with the loss of Jonathan Becker, who will miss potentially the entire rest of the season with shoulder inflammation; Becker was having the year of his life with a .383 average and 12 homers, a huge factor in Austin’s offense. Calgary’s turnaround season has kept them in striking distance too, just two games back of St. Paul with the Division’s best offense, both overall and in most major categories. Salt Lake is three games back, with San Francisco trailing by six and Portland by seven. Player of the Week: Ian Farmer, 1B, SFS: .345/.367/1.000, 6 HR, 7 R, 12 RBI Top Hitters: Judah Avila, 3B, CLE: .440/.500/.800, 3 HR, 3 R, 6 RBI Adrian Leonetti, 3B, AUS: .364/.391/.909, 3 HR, 5 R, 5 RBI Sam Stanton, DH, ATL: .357/.419/.714, 3 HR, 4 R, 6 RBI Top Pitchers: Jacob Bergman, SP, SLC: 15 IP, 1.20 ERA, 1.54 FIP, 17 K, 1 W Ryan Lako, SP, MIA: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.56 FIP, 11 K, 1 W Mario Guzman, NSH, 8 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.76 FIP, 9 K, 2 HA, 1 W Division 4 A 5-2 week kept Pittsburgh on top of the D4 East, as the Crawfords closed out a series with the Hornets with a win then took two of three from both the Firebirds and the Tigers. Pittsburgh pitching has been unreal, with Matt Hahn stepping up this week alongside Karunamaya Nema and Joel Ortiz; Pittsburgh is down to a remarkable three runs per game average, a pace that would set the D4 runs allowed record and approach the all-time NABF record, shared by the 2014 Seattle Pilots and 2009 Detroit Stars (460). Consequently, their +79 run differential is the best in the Federation at the end of Week 7. But if the Crawfords have the best rotation and pitching staff in the Division, the second place Clowns are close behind, with a 3.60 team FIP, third in runs allowed. Greg Smith was among the Division’s best last season, and appears to be equaling that effort in 2039, while Jason Stanfill is having a career-year type of start. If the club can get Aaron Cottrell firing again and keep Nate Mefford in shape, they could challenge Pittsburgh in run prevention, if not in run production. The Hornets and Tigers are both 23-23, but the Tigers are playing below their ability at +37 runs, the second best total in the Division. Havana and Washington are sinking fast, and it’s unclear which will wind up in last though it’s clear one of them will. That’s despite amazing weeks by Senator corner bats Trent Robinson and Ryan Zecca, the latter of whom won Player of the Week this week. As for Havana, there are rumblings that the club, which has experienced just one winning season in the last 20 years, could jump ship to the regional Caribbean League in favor of the Canadian Baseball League powerhouse Buffalo Bison at season’s end… In the West, the fall has finally come for Las Vegas, as they drop to second following a 3-4 week. Instead, the top spot now belongs to San Antonio, who were 6-1 in Week 7 behind strong hitting from Sukehiro Sakamoto and Morgan Teeple. San Antonio is hardly a powerhouse, but is now the only D4W team with a positive run differential at +29. Ironically, the club they supplanted has the worst at -13. Vegas was always playing with house money, and may now be about to fold completely. After Vegas, the Conference gets weird quick. Both 30-16 San Antonio and 27-29 Vegas are playing way above their expected records, and the bottom three clubs in the Conference - St. Louis, Phoenix, and Milwaukee - are all playing below theirs, but Albuquerque is right on target at 23-23 as DJ Moskowitz holds on to his .366 BA. Albuquerque has the Division’s best offense, but nearly its most runs allowed, as the bullpen has utterly fallen apart. This Conference is tough to predict given the weaknesses across the board; even the last place team has only been outscored by 12 runs on the season and could make a run. Player of the Week: Ryan Zecca, 3B, WAS: .444/.464/1.111, 6 HR, 6 R, 8 RBI Top Hitters: Trent Robinson, 1B, WAS: .444/.524/1.000, 3 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI Paul Sallet, 1B, ALB: .385/.407/.923, 4 HR, 5 R, 8 RBI Jason McCollum, 1B, CHR: .448/.448/.759, 2 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI Top Pitchers: Matt Hahn, SP, PIT: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.90 FIP, 11 K Jason Stanfill, SP, IND: 15.2 IP, 1.15 ERA, 2.51 FIP, 14 K Ryan Patton, SP, CIN: 15.2 IP, 1.15 ERA, 3.53 FIP, 11 K League News
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03-13-2023, 05:46 PM
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#106 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Game of the Week: D1 Los Angeles Angels at Seattle Steelheads, May 26, 2039
Angels Hold On To First With Big Day From Young Stars
The future is bright in Los Angeles. 26 year old Alex Turner threw 6 ⅔ strong innings to hold the powerful Seattle lineup down, while rookie Brian Weisman and fellow rising stars Frank Mozo and Ryan Haymes added key hits to defeat the Steelheads 5-1 on Thursday, maintaining LA’s slim lead over Monterrey in the D1 West. The Angels did most of their hitting in the early innings, scoring one each in the first four innings and adding a final run in the seventh. Brian Weisman bookended the scoring, homering with two outs in the first to put LA up, and delivering a two-out knockout blow in the seventh to complete Angel scoring at 5-1. He also doubled in the team’s third run of the game. The 23 year old Weisman is a clear early favorite for D1 Rookie of the Year, and could contend for MVP votes: he’s hitting .338/.372/.623 with 9 homers on the season, and while one can criticize his patience - something he is working on with hitting coach Khalil McIntosh - there are few other holes in his game despite his young age. Beyond Weisman’s heroics, RF Jake Baldwin added another solo shot in the top of the second to make it 2-0 Angels before the Steelheads managed their only run off Turner, as Seattle CF Frank Gonzales homered to lead off the bottom of the same inning. A leadoff walk to Frank Mozo in the third led to Weisman’s RBI double to make it 3-1, and D4 BA leader Ryan Haymes (26) singled in catcher Danny Cadavid to make it 4-1 in the fourth. And that was all they needed, though Weisman’s second homer pushed it to 5-1. Turner lasted into the seventh, striking out six while allowing seven hits and walking two. The Angels, one of the NABF’s most storied franchises, may be about to start a new chapter. |
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03-14-2023, 02:03 PM
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#107 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Week 8: May 30-June 5, 2039
Division 1
Monthly Awards
Brooklyn is back on top in a see-saw East this week, going 5-1 with a sweep of Denver to pull two games ahead of New York. While Carson Prince has finally cooled down, 3B Brett Reed homered twice and put up a .971 OPS, and Jason Blanche and Steve Honsey pitched well in front of a bullpen that - aside from one terrible outing from closer Tim Gaspard - didn;t allow a run all week. For New York, though, a 2-4 week meant a slide into second place despite excellent starts from Josue Estrada and Ruben Hernandez, and a much needed strong showing by 2B Andrew Fitts, who has struggled through the season’s first two months. Chicago remains in third, two games under .500, while 24-28 Toronto is a game behind Chicago - after a slow start, though, Toronto CF Benni Phillips has been on fire, which must give Toronto fans some hope. Young SS star and Player of the Week Mike Mitchell helped propel Philadelphia out of last place with a 4-2 week, leaving Tampa behind, at 22-30, seven games out. More eyes are now on TJ Carcone’s quixotic chase for the all-time triples record than the Conference: Carcone has 188 career triples now, three shy of the record. It’s a dogfight in the West, as LA and Monterrey continue to fight over first with El Paso lurking in the shadows. The Angels and Industriales are tied with 33-19 records, as the Angels split their six games this week. Young LF Jon Segura, another of LA’s stable of up-and-coming bats, had a monster week hitting .368/.381/.684 with two homers, while Ryan Haymes, Brian Weisman, and Frank Mozo all contributed. Instead, it was the pitching that failed the Angels this week, with Doug Kluz and Nick Book both getting knocked around. Monterrey, meanwhile, rode their pitching to a 5-1 week, holding opponents to 19 runs over six games, eight of which came in the club’s only loss (a 15 inning defeat by New York on Thursday). Don’t overlook closer Carlos Mendez, last year’s Reliever of the Year who was a shutdown force this week. Beyond the top two, El Paso remains the only serious contender, now 31-21 and two games back. Joe Rison is finally having his breakout season: he leads D1 in WAR with 3.3, on pace for a monster 10 WAR year with a .337/.424/.617 line and four homers, and 18 steals already. The Potros are the best of the rest behind Jayden Jarrett and a 23-29 record, with Seattle and Denver in last at 12 games back apiece. Lots of things have gone wrong in Seattle, but the biggest is simply a failure to score runs, as Mike Hood, Roger Alvarado, and Greg Allen have all taken steps back this year. Player of the Week: Mike Mitchell, CF, PHA: .345/.387/.828, 3 HR, 3 2B, 7 R, 10 RBI Top Hitters: George Bradner, RF, MRY: .400/.478/1.000, 3 HR, 8 R, 5 RBI Joe Rison, LF, ELP: .350/.581/.600, 5 2B, 3 R, 1 RBI, 5 SB Matt Galante, SS, SEA: .294/.478/.706, 2 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI Top Pitchers: Raul Orduno, SP, MRY: 15 IP, 2.40 ERA, 2.33 FIP, 21 K, 2 W Jayden Jarrett, SP, TIJ: 9 IP, 1.00 ERA, 1.64 FIP, 7 K Jason Blanche, SP, BRO: 8 IP, 1.12 ERA, 1.82 FIP, 7 K League News
Division 2 Monthly Awards
The D1 East is shaping up to be an exciting race, as four teams are within two games of first heading into June. The Bees have the top spot after Week 8, with the division’s best run differential and a quietly devastating offense led by CF Adam Andersen, switch-hitting LF Rogelio Ventura, in the middle of a career year, and 27 year old C Rick Wilde, who has taken a huge step forward offensively. Detroit split the week 3-3, but that was enough to keep a game back of Boston behind a strong starting staff and unhittable bullpen. Pat Pipkin has thus far been one of the offseason’s best signings, while converted starter John McAndrew has found lightning in a bottle as a lock-down middle innings option. Detroit is tied with early surprise contender Montreal, which has an expected 25-27 record but is hanging with the big boys regardless. Bubba Fread is back and has a couple of good starts under his belt already, so Montreal is hoping he can help guide the Expos the rest of the way. That means Baltimore, courtesy of a rough 1-5 week, has gone from first to fourth at 27-25; their pitching is increasingly a problem, as the back end of the rotation is a huge drop-off from the top three. And Baltimore’s offense hasn’t approached last year’s levels due to Richard’s injury and the continued struggles of Omar Juarez. Beyond the Terrapins, Ottawa and New Orleans have been far from terrible - in fact, Ottawa has a +31 run differential, second only to Boston in the conference. There’s no one player that stands out for the Champions, but they’ve put together a top 3 offense regardless. New Orleans looks like the most likely relegated at this point, given their current record and recent finishes. Player of the Week: Randy Foti, RF, SAC: .409/.500/.955, 3 HR, 5 R, 7 RBI Top Hitters: Tyler Chapman, LF, OTT: .375/.423/.750, 2 HR, 6 R, 8 RBI Phil Beresford, 1B, VAN: .316/.458/.579, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI Jason Turnquist, RF, SDP: .348/.423/.609, 1 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI Top Pitchers: Rhett Frew, SP, KCM: 1-0, 16 IP, 0.56 ERA, 1.13 FIP, 19 K Bryan Murphy, SP, BOS: 2-0, 16.2 IP, 1.62 ERA, 2.11 FIP, 16 K Jalen Ainsworth, SP, NOL: 1-0, 7.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.39 FIP, 10 K League News
Division 3 Monthly Awards
Nashville came into June with an eight game win streak and won one more to make it nine, but ended the week with a 1-3 run. Taken as a whole, they wind up in the same spot they were in last week, five games up on Columbus. Mel Irving had a blisteringly hot week for the Sounds, with a 1.740 OPS; Irving is having his best season in some time, and is currently second in BA, tied for fourth in OBP with teammate Bobby Cook. Columbus leads a traffic jam in the middle of the D3 East standings, hitting the ball well up and down the lineup though they lack standouts; the top of the rotation has also been strong, but with a drop off. That’s why it was encouraging to see Jose Castaneda pitch well this week, bringing his ERA down from above 7 to 5.51. Atlanta and Cleveland are each at 27-25, a game behind Columbus and six back from Nashville. Both saw great individual offensive performances this week, with Sam Stanton knocking in ten runs on four homers while OPSing 1.520, and Cleveland’s Judah Avila getting on base in 64% of his plate appearances with power to win Player of the Month. Memphis continues to sit in the basement at 21-31, suddenly staring at possible relegation with Columbus’ reversal. Player of the Week: Judah Avila, 3B, CLE: .520/.640/.1.100, 4 HR, 7 R, 9 RBI Top Hitters: Mel Irving, CF, NSH: .550/.640/.1.100, 2 HR, 2 3B, 5 R, 4 RBI Sam Stanton, DH, ATL: .478/.520/1.000, 4 HR, 7 R, 10 RBI Mike Avison, CLG: .409/.458/.909, 2 HR, 8 R, 5 RBI Top Pitchers: Cody Garrett, SP, MEM: 1-0, 8 IP, 1.12 ERA, 0.25 FIP, 11 K Jose Castaneda, SP, CMB: 2-0, 17 IP, 1.06 ERA, 2.94 FIP, 13 K Tommy Boles, SP, ATL: 1-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.66 FIP, 9 K League News
Division 4 Monthly Awards
The Crawfords continue to dominate D4, with a +72 run differential and a 31-21 record, but this wasn’t an easy week for them at 3-3. Matt Hahn had a great start and Donovan Bryant contributed with the bat, but Pittsburgh remained three up in the standings from last week as a result. Indianapolis was also 3-3, with Aaron Cottrell winning two with a couple of dominant turns and Jason Stanfill dipping his ERA down below 2. The big star for Indy, though, was Player of the Week Kurt Miller, who hit .450 with a 1.700 OPS and four homers. Cincinnati and Charlotte are tied at 26-26, five games back, while Havana and Washington vie for fifth place: Havana has a slight edge right now, two games ahead of Washington despite Matt Haughton’s gem against Albuquerque on Friday. Player of the Week: Kurt Miller, RF, IND: .450/.600/1.100, 4 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI Top Hitters: Steve McNellis, CF, SAM: .476/.560/.905, 2 HR, 3 2B, 5 R, 5 RBI Matt West, 1B, PHX: .412/.500/.647, 1 HR, 4 R, 1 RBI Donovan Bryant, 1B, PIT: .353/.450/.706, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI Top Pitchers: Aaron Cottrell, SP, IND: 2-0, 16 IP, 1.69 ERA, 1.57 FIP, 17 K Pete Morin, SP, MIL: 1-0, 15.2 IP, 2.30 ERA, 1.66 FIP, 16 K Matt Hahn, SP, PIT: 7 IP, 3.86 ERA, 0.89 FIP, 10 K League News
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03-14-2023, 02:16 PM
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#108 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Game of the Week: D3 Cleveland Spiders at Salt Lake Gulls
Avila, McCann Sink Salt Lake With Long Balls As Spiders Win 6-4
Judah Avila’s breakout season continued in a big way Thursday night as his two homers and 4 RBI proved decisive in Cleveland’s victory over Salt Lake. The game began badly for Cleveland and starter Dirk Oake, as Salt Lake opened up a 3-0 lead in the first, with Jerry Easter blasting a two run homer. But Oake settled down after the inning, and Cleveland went to work. In the top of the fourth, a leadoff double by Justin McCann brought Avila to the plate for the second time, and he put a charge into an 0-1 pitch, rocking it 382 feet to left to bring Cleveland within one. In the sixth, it was McCann’s turn, as he hit his own two run shot scoring John Wisniewski. But Salt Lake tied it up in the bottom of the inning, as Ralph Keough singled and stole second, then advanced on a sacrifice fly before scoring on a Jerry Easter single. The Gulls brought starter Sam King back out for the eighth after he delivered a 1-2-3 seventh, and he got two ground outs before McCann singled in front of Avila. Once again, the Cleveland 3B delivered, this time going to the opposite field for the game’s fourth and final two run homer, this one proving a game winner. Closer Mark Blaize came in to put Salt Lake away in the ninth and secure Cleveland’s 25th win of the season. |
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03-19-2023, 11:46 AM
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#109 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Week 9: June 6-June 12, 2039
Division 1
Brooklyn stayed on top this week, going 4-2 behind a strong Dane Best, who has had a down year after his fantastic 2038. Carson Prince, meanwhile, is making a run at a home run title: he’s a little off pace for Pedro Quiroz’s NABF mark of 62, but Francisco Carreno’s 2011 D1 record of 54 is very much within reach for the Brooklyn star. The Giants are just two games back, but the concerns about the Giants offense are growing - they’re still 4th overall in runs, but the big bats have not produced, with Mike Burcham, Idar Olsen, Charlie Kelley, and Roberto Estrada all producing under league average at the plate. The pitching has held - especially a lockdown bullpen led by Bob Paul - but this team needs to start hitting if they want to repeat at the top of the East. Increasingly, this is a two team race as Chicago has faded to six games back, tied with Toronto at 27-31. Philadelphia is a game behind them, in an interesting spot with two top players in SP Pedro Luna and CF Mike Mitchell, but not much else; Tampa, meanwhile, is last, nine games back. T.J. Carcone is now just one triple away from the all-time NABF record with 190. Los Angeles continues to cement their status as the team to beat in D1. They are first in runs scored and runs allowed, with an offense chock full of young talent and a pitching staff that, while somewhat cobbled together, has produced under the leadership of pitching coach and former Angel Salvatore Mendoza. 3B Ryan Haymes and Brian Weisman are 1-2 in the batting title race right now at .360 and .252, and Weisman is not only the favorite for Rookie of the Year but also a legitimate MVP candidate. This team is for real. Nevertheless, they’re far from a sure thing with both the Sun Kings and Industriales only two games back. El Paso fans would disagree with the view that Weisman is MVP-bound, but this time they’re not talking Brian Castrovinci: Joe Rison is having the dream season that his boosters have long believed he could have. Nine weeks into 2039, Rison is on pace for 9.5 WAR, hitting .340/435/.608 with four homers and 23 doubles, currently on pace to tie the NABF/D1 all time mark set by Jesse Hewitt back in 2011. Rison has also stolen 23 bases. He’s a big part of why El Paso is just two games back, tied with Monterrey. The Industriales have been sliding, and were 2-4 this week despite a fantastic outing by Raul Ordono. After Monterrey, there’s a steep drop down to fourth place Tijuana, 10 games back at 27-31 but coming off a 4-2 week that pushed them up the standings and further from last place. Seattle (24-34, 13 GB) and Denver (22-36, 15 GB) are the main contestants for that spot now, with relegation on the line for Denver. Player of the Week: Brian Weisman, CF, LAA: .524/.565/.952, 2 HR, 4 R, 7 RBI Top Hitters: Lane Borowski, LF, TIJ: .526/.571/.947, 2 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI Dane Best, RF, BRO: 455/.536/.955, 3 HR, 5 R, 7 RBI Jon Moore, RF, PHA, .467/.619/.667, 3 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI Top Pitchers: Jayden Jarrett, SP, TIJ: 1-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.54 FIP, 11 K Pedro Luna, SP, PHA: 8 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.20 FIP, 11 K Raul Ordono, SP, MRY: 1-0, 8 IP, 1.12 ERA, 1.83 FIP, 7 K League News
Division 2 Boston expanded its D2 East lead this week, pulling two games up on Detroit with a 4-2 run despite dropping two of three to the Stars. Rick Wilde is turning into a star before our eyes, now hitting .335/.407/.578 with ten homers from the catching position, and joining Rogelio Ventura as Boston’s surprise stars this season. If you’re looking for how Boston will improve at the deadline, look no further than a rotation that has succeeded only through run support thus far; a step up there could help Boston put some distance behind them in the conference. Detroit has the opposite problem: they have some of the best pitching in the game with Zack Root, Chris Morris, and the surprising John Budgell in the rotation and Pat Pipkin holding down the Division’s best pen. But they’ve struggled to score runs, and could really use an upgrade at 1B where Michael Peterson has been a black hole. Losing Aaron Felton has also hurt, but the aging RF could return any day now from a lingering back strain. Montreal and Baltimore are just three back and shouldn’t be counted out, though they’ve struggled to separate themselves thus far, while Ottawa should be a far better team than their record. That leaves New Orleans, who were carried this week by an absolute explosion from Player of the Week Robert Zermeno, but have little else to lean on. In the West, we’re coming perilously close to a done deal as Houston has pulled away. The Buffaloes stampeded to a 6-0 week, and have now won seven in a row to open an eight game lead on second place Vancouver. SP Curt Loy was exceptional this week with two wins, and Bill Tucker, Tony Adams, Doug Frey and Justice Slaton keep hitting at the front of D2’s best offense. Vancouver isn’t having a bad season by any stretch at 32-26, but it will take a lot to put them back into it. The huge year many expected from Leo Rodriguez hasn’t materialized, and Sonny Scoggins has cooled off, but the Mounties still have the best run prevention unit in the Division and could make noise. Everyone else in the Conference is below .500, and below even on their run differential. Sacramento has had some strong individual performances this year but the whole hasn’t been greater than the sum of its parts. Kansas City has one of D2’s best pitchers in Rhett Frew, but little else. San Diego has some solid arms and the second fewest runs allowed in the Division, but they’re dead last in runs scored, with just 200 over 58 games - an average of 3.44 per game. And Ft. Worth still sits in last, with unrealized promise aplenty. Player of the Week: Robert Zermeno, 1B, NOL: .476/.478/.1.333, 6 HR, 10 R, 8 RBI, 407 wRC+ Top Hitters: David Caputo, 1B SDP: .438/.571/.875, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI Andy Phillips, SS, DET: .429/.600/.786, 3 2B, 6 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB Won-il Cho, 1B, KCM: .429/.520/.952, 3 HR, 6 R, 5 RBI Top Pitchers: Curt Loy, SP, HOU: 1-0, 15.2 IP, 1.72 ERA, 1.51 FIP, 25 K Jaiden Paniagua, SP, OTT: 1-0, 15 IP, 0.60 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 8 K Josh Argo, SP, SAC: 1-0, 8 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.61 FIP, 6 K League News
Division 3 Nashville has D3’s best run differential and record at 37-21, and continues to score runs with a well-rounded offensive attack. Future Hall of Famers Mel Irving and Ivan Castillo are both drinking from the fountain of youth this year, with their best seasons in recent memory, while Bobby Cook and Tristan Burns supply the power. The rotation lacks a true ace, but Andres Orozco has been close, and John Giordano may be pitching over his head but the result is still fewer runs. Columbus remains in second by five games, in need of pitching if they want to make a run at Nashville. Columbus is still in danger of relegation if they slip further down the standings, so the motivation is there for GM Josh Bavone. Atlanta is a game back of Columbus at 31-27, with a strong rotation and Division-best bullpen, but after Sam Stanton Atlanta lacks offensive threats. After Atlanta, everyone’s underwater. Miami is 28-30 despite the Division’s best rotation, and Cleveland has sunk to 27-31, 10 games back after losing their last six. Memphis has actually been improving, and has won seven of their last ten to pull within 12, and at -4 run differential are playing better than their record. The Saints suffered a tough week at 2-4, dropping two three-game series to Austin and Miami, including nearly being no-hit by Paul Herrin on Thursday and then being four-hit by Paul Lako and closer Pedro Llopiz on Saturday. Despite that, they cling to the narrowest of leads, though their closest competitor has changed. Calgary is for real, with D3’s best offense despite any real stars - just a bunch of solid hitters hitting, solidly. They have a significant problem in their pitching, with a D3 worst staff that they need to address before the trade deadline if they want to hang at the top of the Conference. If they slip, Austin is there to take advantage; the Pioneers have a lot of good pieces that they haven’t quite fit together, including Player of the Week Danny Loaiza and a solid starting staff. San Francisco shares Austin’s 28-30 record with Jason Riddle making a strong bid for Pitcher of the Year, though hometown hero prospect Jared Kraft has struggled in his introduction to NABF play. Salt Lake is in fifth, just four games back, while Portland sits in last with a 24-34 record. Player of the Week: Danny Loaiza, RF, AUS: .556/.609/1.000, 1 HR, 3 2B, 5 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB Top Hitters: Matt Showalter, 1B, ATL: .438/.550/.875, 2 HR, 4 R, 7 RBI Ivan Castillo, SS, NSH: .429/.478/.762, 2 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI Ricky Ponce, RF, CMB: .263/.333/.947, 4 HR, 6 R, 4 RBI Top Pitchers: Paul Herrin, SP, MIA: 1-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.90 FIP, 11 K, 1 HA Ted Dodds, SP, ATL: 1-0, 8 IP, 1.12 ERA, 1.01 FIP, 8 K Ron Ibach, SP, MEM: 1-0, 7 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.30 FIP, 9 K League News
Division 4 The D4 East leading Crawfords skidded a bit this week, going 2-4 and losing two of three to both the Browns and Senators. Pittsburgh’s only real weakness this season has been its bullpen - a possible reason why the club is playing four games under their expected record, and a stronger pen might have helped them win a couple of this week’s losses. Look for them to target bullpen arms on the trade market in the coming weeks. The Indianapolis Clowns gained a game this week by breaking even, with Nate Mefford pitching a gem against Phoenix Thursday; Mefford has shown his age a bit this season, but getting him on track would be huge for Indy’s chances, especially as Aaron Cottrell also rights the ship. Charlotte lurks three games back, with their powerful lineup, but the pitching continues to struggle mightily. 29-29 Cincinnati rounds out the East’s real contenders, while Havana (26-32, seven games back) and Washington (24-34, nine games back) take up the rear. San Antonio is pulling away from the field in the West, after a 4-3 week. The Missions are now six games up on Las Vegas, and 11 games up on third place St. Louis and Albuquerque. They remain a well balanced team, though with a significant power shortage - only 34 homers on the year, good for a tie for last in the Division. And despite allowing fewer runs so far than all but one other D4 team, advanced metrics show warning signs - the team’s 4.04 FIP and 6.7 Pitching WAR are both 8th in the Division, and the staff is ninth in strikeouts. So it’s certainly possible that this Conference race will tighten. Las Vegas, however, seems less and less like the team that will make a run: since their early season dominance, they’ve sunk steadily, and are 3-7 over their past ten games including a 2-4 week. Both Albuquerque and St. Louis have negative run differentials as well, with major holes: Albuquerque can hit, but their pitching is in tough shape, while St. Louis is getting on base at a decent clip but has had difficulty converting those baserunners into runs. With Phoenix now in last place, the best bet for a challenge may actually be Milwaukee, though they are already 12 games back: the Brewers are the only other D4 West team that has scored more than they’ve allowed, thanks to a strong pitching staff that includes emerging ace Ben Eliopolous and crafty veteran Hector Inoa behind Pete Morin. If Milwaukee can add or improve a bat, they could make noise. Player of the Week: Robert Tanski, LF, IND: .478/.538/.826, 2 HR, 6 R, 2 RBI Top Hitters: Kevin Zecca, 1B, WAS: .318/.400/.909, 3 HR, 4 R, 7 RBI Elijah Richardson, 3B, LVG: .444/.524/.778, 2 2B, 2 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI John Davis, 3B, MIL: .333/.391/.810, 2 HR, 2 2B, 5 R, 5 RBI Top Pitchers: Karunamaya Nema, SP, PIT: 2-0, 16.2 IP, 2.16 ERA, 2.24 FIP, 18 K Ben Eliopolous, SP, MIL: 1-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.98 FIP, 12 K, 5 HA Nate Mefford, SP, IND: 1-0, 8.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.52 FIP, 12 K League News
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03-19-2023, 12:08 PM
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#110 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Game of the Week: D4 Albuquerque Dukes at Milwaukee Brewers, June 9
Mefford Shuts Down Clumsy Firebirds in 4-0 Victory
It was a glimpse of the old Nate Mefford today, as the NABF strikeout king shut down one of D4’s best offenses, throwing eight and a third shutout innings and striking out 12 against Phoenix, in his first scoreless performance of the season. The Firebirds didn’t help themselves either, allowing three errors in the field to help the Clowns bring home four. In the top of the first, D4’s second highest all-star vote-getter, Clowns LF Robert Tanski, doubled and came around on an Art Degon single for Indianapolis’ first run against Mike Bove. Another Tanski double in the top of the fourth led to the club’s second run of the game, as he went to third on a Degon base hit and came home on a fielder’s choice. In the fifth came Phoenix’s comedy of errors: a dribbler on the first pitch of the inning ended with Ryan Laier on first as C Matt Hrbek muffed the throw. Zach Weaver reached the same way, as Bove threw wild to first on another soft grounder, resulting in runners on first and third. Then Zach Weaver smoked a 1-1 pitch right at 3B Dave Reyes, and Reyes couldn’t handle it, with the ball clanging off his glove and skittering into foul territory. Laier raced home. Bove and the fielders got it together and ended the threat there, but Tanski wasn’t quite done, scoring his third run of the game in the top of the ninth on a short homer to right that barely cleared the fence. But as it turned out, none of those last three runs mattered, as Nate Mefford had the game in hand from the very start. Mefford allowed just four hits, while walking a characteristic three, over his 8.1 innings of work. He struck out at least one batter in every inning but the seventh, and struck out the side in the fifth and eighth, bringing his new all-time K total to 3,759 while recording the 166th victory of his career. |
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03-19-2023, 10:13 PM
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#111 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Week 10: June 13-June 19, 2039
Division 1
The New York Giants reclaimed the top spot in the D1 East with a 5-2 week that included a critical sweep of Brooklyn. Willie Rodriguez pitched a gem in the finale, with a complete game shutout victory striking out 11, while Matt Wood came alive for New York, hitting .526 with a .571 OBP. Brooklyn, by virtue of that sweep, went 2-5 to sink a game back of the Giants, though no one can fault Player of the Week John Brucia, who celebrated his 300th career home run with five more following it, for a six homer week. Brooklyn’s week ended, though, with two straight pitching failures: a 12-16 loss in extra innings to Tampa on Saturday, and an 8-17 loss to El Paso Sunday. All other D1 teams are below .500, though the Athletics are making a bit of a move, and are now tied with Chicago for third place at 31-34, with young CF star Mike Mitchell playing a big role. The Angels kept things rolling, going 5-2 this week despite being absolutely destroyed by Monterrey in a 4-20 loss on Sunday in which Chase Maze drove in seven on two homers. Beyond that game, though, the Angels were largely dominant, with two consecutive shutouts against Tijuana on Friday and Saturday. Courtesy of that drubbing of LA, Monterrey kept pace, two games back. The Industriales, too, went 5-2 this week, but outscored opponents by a gaudy 51-24. The offensive explosion included big weeks by Joel Gamble, John Witherspoon, and - finally - Chase Maze, who busted out of a months-long slump with three homers and a .483 OBP. El Paso, too, hung around at three games back, led by DH Ralph Carter, though Mike Kepler, Brian Castrovinci, and Joe Rison were all relatively quiet. Tijuana, Seattle, and the increasingly terrible Denver Bears round out the Conference. Player of the Week: John Brucia, RF, BRO: .381/.458/1.238, 6 HR, 8 R, 15 RBI Top Hitters: Chase Maze, 2B, MRY: .423/.483/.885, 3 HR, 3 2B, 9 R, 10 RBI Ralph Carter, DH, ELP: .364/.462/.818, 3 HR, 6 R, 9 RBI Mike Mitchell, CF, PHA: .393/.469/.786, 2 HR, 3 2B, 8 R, 6 RBI Top Pitchers: Armando Orozco, SP, CHI: 1-0, 15 IP, 1.80 ERA, 1.92 FIP, 19 K Kenny Trent, SP, LAA: 1-0. 8 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.63 FIP, 15 K, 3 HA Toshiyo Nimiya, SP, SEA: 16 IP, 1.12 ERA, 1.69 FIP, 17 K League News
Division 2 Boston pulled a bit further ahead in Week 10, with a 5-2 week that featured a convincing sweep of the West-leading Houston Buffaloes. The Bees outscored Houston 18-4 in the three game set, with Bryan Murphy blanking them in game 1, and Boston’s top-level offense scoring 10 off Buffalo pitching in game 2. Houston remains the best team in the game right now, but Boston showed they can hang with them. Detroit remains Boston’s closest competition despite a tougher week in which they were no-hit by San Diego’s Brice Asmus, and then two-hit the following night by Joey Dulin. Add that to a strong turn by Yusuke Kondo of the Solons and Detroit had a down week offensively, falling another game back. But Baltimore is fading faster, and was in free fall this week at 2-5, swept by Houston and losing two of three to the last place Monarchs. The Terrapins fell below .500 for the first time this season. Baltimore’s offense hasn’t been bad, but it hasn’t been nearly good enough to survive the revolving door at the back end of the Pins rotation, and there are signs that Eric Cool’s success as a starter is wearing thin. Randy Putnam and Corey Spry have been good, but there are three other days a week to worry about. Montreal, Ottawa, and New Orleans are bunched below Baltimore, at seven, eight, and nine games back apiece. Houston had a two-faced week, sweeping Baltimore convincingly before being swept by Boston just as convincingly. The best news for Houston has to be the tear that rookie Aaron Ferguson went on, as the preseason Rookie of the Year favorite rebounded from a long slump to hit .464 with four XBH at the top of their lineup. Houston still has a major pitching problem, which Boston exploited, and will need to address it soon - they may be eight games up on the D2 West, but they need a championship in order to have real hope of promotion to D1. The most likely promotee is in second place: the Mounties may be eight games back but at 36-27 they’ve been more than respectable. That’s due to their best-in-division pitching staff, led by lefty Franklin Romero and staff ace Danny Tanon. With Leo Rodriguez and Colin Hannigan still underperforming, though, the offense could use a boost. There’s a big drop after Vancouver, with Sacramento 14 games back. Ft. Worth was 6-1 this week behind the hot hitting of Player of the Week Lorenzo Tapia, and Jesse Moeller had a good week with a couple homers; it would take a lot for Ft. Worth to contend, but a winning record and closing in on second place is hardly out of the question. And that leaves Kansas City and San Diego, who despite Brice Asmus’ heroics are tied for last in the Conference. Player of the Week: Lorenzo Tapia, 1B, FTW: .500/.633/1.045, 3 HR, 12 R, 7 RBI Top Hitters: Rogelio Ventura, LF, BOS: .316/.480/.842, 3 HR, 5 R, 9 RBI Kyle Hickenbottom, LF, NOL: .333/.400/.852, 4 HR, 4 R, 8 RBI Aaron Ferguson, 2B, HOU: .464/.500/.679, 4 2B, 1 3B, 5 R, 4 RBI Top Pitchers: Steven Johnston, SP, KCM: 1-1, 16 IP, 0.56 ERA, 1.50 FIP, 19 K Bryan Murphy, SP, BOS: 1-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.01 FIP, 11 K Brice Asmus, SP, SDP: 1-0, 15.2 IP, 1.72 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 13 K, 5 HA (no-hitter 9/14 vs. Detroit) League News
Division 3 Nashville is still on top in the East, but if Columbus keeps going like this they won’t be for long. The Sounds put up a respectable 5-2 record this week behind RF Eric Cano, C Miguel Navarro, and 1B Jonathan Cosner, but Columbus was 6-1, having lost just one of their last ten games. Ricky Ponce only had eight hits over the week, but five of them went over a fence; Phil Osborne, Fred Burdette, and Fernando Cruz were on fire all week as well. Atlanta is still hanging around, at 34-31 and eight games back courtesy of Sam Stanton’s MVP-level early year. And Memphis has bounced back some, giving the East a three way tie for fourth between the Blues, Cleveland, and Miami, all at 29-36. While there’s a three way tie for last place in the East, in the West we’ve got three teams knotted in first. Calgary, Austin, and St Paul have identical 33-32 records in what is yet again the weakest conference in the Federation. And no one is really out of it: San Francisco is just two games back and hoping young hometown prospect Jared Kraft is about to turn a corner, while Salt Lake and Portland lurk three and four games back respectively. This is truly anyone’s conference right now. Player of the Week: Sam Stanton, DH, ATL: .346/.433/.885, 4 HR, 6 R, 7 RBI Top Hitters: Ricky Ponce, RF, CMB: .296/.375/.852, 5 HR, 6 R, 10 RBI Jeremy Almy, LF, AUS: .348/.407/.739, 2 HR, 3 2B, 6 R, 6 RBI Rob Cady, SS/SP, SLC: .417/.500/.583, 1 HR, 1 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI Top Pitchers: John McNayr, SP, STP: 1-0, 16 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 20 K Jared Kraft, SP, SFS: 0-1, 8 IP, 2.25 IP, 0.15 FIP, 13 K Felipe Esparza, SP, STP: 1-1, 15 IP, 1.20 ERA, 2.50 FIP, 24 K League News
Division 4 The Crawfords just keep winning. The 1st place Pittsburgh club cut through Albuquerque, winning three straight with a combined score of 16-3, then took two of three from Milwaukee before dropping an 11-3 win onto Havana Sunday. Through it all, that killer pitching staff kept scoring to a minimum - only 14 runs in those seven games, while Pittsburgh’s #1 offense kept rolling. But Indianapolis has a pitching staff too, and the Clowns showed it with three straight shutouts against Havana, sweeping the Sugar Kings without allowing a single run. Indianapolis has major offensive holes, but if they finally get that pitching clicking, they could pose a real challenge. The gap between the best and the rest is growing in the East, with Charlotte now seven games back and slipping; the Tigers (31-34, 8 GB) still have a far better run differential than their record shows, but it’s getting later in the year now and this just might be who they are. Behind them, the Senators and Sugar Kings battled it out for fifth; Havana had a dreadful 1-6 week, getting outscored 45-13 as calls to drop them into the regionals grows. San Antonio right now is as sure a thing as exists in the NABF, at ten games up on Las Vegas. There may be trouble on the horizon as offensive star RF Morgan Teeple was injured on a baserunning play and is getting checked out by specialists; the team will know a diagnosis soon. If Teeple is out for an extended period it could hurt San Antonio, but they have the luxury of wiggle room at the moment. If they falter, though, it seems unlikely it will be the 51s who will catch up: Vegas was 2-5 this week, getting swept by Albuquerque and dropping two of three to Washington as they descend down the standings. St. Louis, however, is headed in the opposite direction: the Browns were 6-1 over their last seven, with their only loss of the week a devastating extra innings walk off by Phoenix after nearly coming back to win it in the ninth. The Dukes, Brewers, and Firebirds are all 14 to 16 games back to close out the conference. Player of the Week: Jason McCollum, 1B, CHR: .385/.429/.923, 4 HR, 2 2B, 4 R, 8 RBI Top Hitters: Ryan Johnston, 3B, STL: .444/.500/.722, 1 HR, 2 2B, 3 R, 5 RBI Morgan Teeple, RF, SAM: .526/.640/.737, 1 HR, 1 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI Paul Sallet, 1B, ALB: .385/.414/.769, 2 HR, 5 R, 7 RBI Top Pitchers: Eric Kronburger, SP, IND: 1-0, 14.2 IP, 0.61 ERA, 2.03 FIP, 14 K Greg Smith, SP, IND: 1-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.11 FIP, 13 K, 2 HA Paul Boden, SP, CIN: 1-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.77 FIP, 10 K League News
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03-21-2023, 03:49 PM
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#112 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Game of the Week: D2 Detroit Stars at San Diego Padres, June 14, 2039
Asmus No-Hits Stars as Padres Take Tight Contest, 1-0
In a pitcher’s duel for the ages, the San Diego Padres came out on top thanks to Brice Asmus’ no-hitter, the fifth in Padres history. The Padres prevailed 1-0, as Zack Root gave almost as good as his teammates got, allowing just five hits over eight innings despite taking the loss. Root had to work out of trouble a couple of times early on, allowing a first inning, one-out double to Brad Becerra; walking two in the third. But through four, he had allowed just one hit and two walks as he matched Asmus inning for inning; the Padres starter also allowed three baserunners through the top of the fifth, courtesy of an error that allowed Aaron Felton to reach in the first, a ball that hit Victor Ortiz in the 4th, and a walk to Shane McBride in the 5th. As low-scoring games do, this one turned on just a couple of pitches in the bottom of the fifth. With Mobley leading off, Root hung a slider that the Padres OF turned on, lacing a double down the LF line. Two batters later, Chris Weber lunged and got some of a beautiful low outside fastball, looping it just over 2B McBride’s head. Mobley, having to hang back for a moment on the bloop, only got to third, but a roller to second by Victor Castro was slow enough to bring him home to give the Padres the only run they’d need. Both pitchers were nearly flawless after the fifth, with Asmus walking two and Root giving up two hits, but nothing more. The mood at Lane Field was electric as Asmus entered the ninth to face the top of the Stars order. Matt Petrick gave the home fans their biggest scare of the night, roping a shot off a 1-2 offering, but 2B Brad Becerra somehow got a glove on it in full dive, and corralled it long enough to record out one. Aaron Felton swung through a slider for out two, and as the crowd stood and cheered as one, Ali Brown rolled a slow one off a slider, to SS Chris Weber. The veteran charged it and handled it cleanly, flinging it across the diamond to get Brown by a couple of steps. The Padres converged on the mound as Asmus raised his arms in victory, a no-hitter in the books. |
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03-23-2023, 11:02 PM
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#113 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Week 11: June 20-June 26, 2039
Division 1
No huge shifts this week in the East, as the Giants remain on top. The New York club extended their lead to three games over Brooklyn, with Willie Rodriguez winning two of the team’s four wins, striking out 25 over those two starts, while the biggest highlight came with Roberto Estrada’s three home run game over Philadelphia on Monday. Brooklyn had their second straight tough week, losing four of six to El Paso, Chicago, and Tijuana. Young Venezuelan two-way player Ermino Rizzo had an encouraging start, but Carson Prince was quiet this week, nursing a bruised back. Philadelphia, briefly a third place team, sunk back down to fifth with an abysmal 1-5 record that included a sweep by Tampa, which Chicago and Tampa otherwise held steady, though Tampa made some headlines when T.J. Carcone tied Mike Mitchell’s all-time triples record - he hopes to break it when the Tarpons begin a homestand this week. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, scored a ton of runs, averaging 6.17 runs a game; the problem is they allowed 50, a little over 8 a game in that stretch. Toronto at this point looks like a near-certain relegation. The West, too, remains almost completely unchanged from last week, with the Angels, Industriales, and Sun Kings all going 3-3. Frank Mozo had an outstanding week atop the Angels’ lineup even as Brian Weisman hit a slump, going just 3-24. Things tightened a bit in the bottom half of the standings, as Tijuana dropped to 14 games back and Denver gained a game, while Seattle held steady. Player of the Week: Eddie Santana, 2B, TOR: .476/.542/1.524, 6 HR, 4 2B, 6 R, 14 RBI Top Hitters: Paul Lechter, RF, TMP: .476/.542/.905, 2 HR, 3 2B, 8 R, 5 RBI Benni Phillips, CF, TOR: .471/.591/.706, 4 2B, 7 R, 4 RBI Frank Mozo, 2B, LAA: .455/.520/.773, 3 2B, 2 3B, 6 R, 3 RBI Top Pitchers: Willie Rodriguez, SP, NYG: 2-0, 16 IP, 2.25 ERA, 2.15 FIP, 25 K John Hummel, SP, CHI: 1-0, 7 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.99 FIP, 14 K, 3 HA Nick Padley, SP, MRY: 1-0, 7 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.99 FIP, 11 K League News
Division 2 The East is tightening, as Boston’s three game lead dropped to one this week. The Bees were two and four against Kansas City, Vancouver, and Ft. Worth, getting shut out by Steven Smith of the Mounties on Wednesday. That worked to Detroit’s benefit, as the Stars rode Matt Petrick’s strong hitting to a 4-2 week, taking two of three from the third place Expos. Montreal is a game below .500 but a good couple of weeks could put them into real contention. The same is true of the Terrapins, whose hitting has rebounded in recent weeks. The Champions and Zephyrs are tied 8 games back, though the Champions continue to entice with a +23 run differential - there’s a world in which they’re just 4 games back of Boston, it’s just not this one. In the West, Houston’s dominance continues, though the lead has shrunk from 8 to 6 over Vancouver. Watch out for rookie leadoff hitter Aaron Ferguson: the club has stuck with him this year and it has paid off, as the 24 year old 2B is hitting .310/.402/.417 in June. The Buffs still need arms, though, and minor deals may not cut it: they need a strong #2 or #3 starter to stabilize the staff and allow either David Olson, Matt McNutt, or Curt Loy to transfer to the pen. Vancouver is doing their best to challenge Houston, with a 5-1 week and big series wins against both Boston and Baltimore. The Mounties are Houston’s photo negative - a great pitching staff backed by a questionable lineup. Leo Rodriguez has been hitting for more power this month but Vancouver still ranks tenth overall in runs scored. Below them, Sacramento, Kansas City, Fort Worth, and San Diego are all fighting to stay out of last place. Player of the Week: Ray Nierman, CF, MON: .500/.565/.900, 4 2B, 2 3B, 5 R, 2 RBI Top Hitters: Sam Campbell, 3B, KCM: .556/.600/.667, 2 2B, 3 R Matt Petrick, 2B, DET: .400/.455/.800, 2 HR, 1 3B, 4 R, 8 RBI Josh Hinthorne, 1B, OTT: .391/.440/.739, 2 HR, 2 2B, 7 R, 3 RBI Top Pitchers: Chris Yeadon, SP, MON: 1-0, 15.2 IP, 0.57 ERA, 1.57 FIP, 17 K Rhett Frew, SP, KCM: 2-0, 15.2 IP, 1.15 ERA, 1.63 FIP, 23 K Billy Smith, RP, BAL: 1-0, 7 IP, 1.29 ERA, 1.31 FIP, 11 K League News
Division 3 Ricky Ponce and Columbus are making this a race. At the start of June the Red Birds were six games back of Nashville, but have gone 16-7 so far in June to pull within two games of the Sounds. Nashville struggled this week, getting swept in Miami, but Ricky Ponce won Player of the Week with three homers and three doubles as the Red Birds won 4. Atlanta is 38-33 after a 4-2 week of their own, with Hiram Reznicek providing a huge offensive boost; the LF went 6-6 Friday against Calgary, and homered four times. After Atlanta, Cleveland, Miami, and Memphis are all 11 or 12 games out and would need a lot of things to go right to get back into contention at this point. The West continues to be tough to predict. St. Paul is the only team with a significantly positive run differential, using a top-notch pitching staff to stay ahead; John McNayr has to be considered a Pitcher of the Year favorite at this point. Calgary and Austin are just a game back, though, at 36-35 apiece. Portland, Salt Lake, and San Francisco are bunched up at the bottom of the standings, though only 5 or 6 games back - once again, this division is collectively so mediocre that anyone could rise to the top. Player of the Week: Ricky Ponce, RF, CMB: .480/.481/.960, 3 HR, 3 2B, 4 R, 6 RBI Top Hitters: Hiram Reznicek, LF, ATL: .429/.455/1.095, 4 HR, 2 2B, 6 R, 11 RBI Ed Weddell, CF, POR: .474/.545/.842, 1 HR, 1 3B, 2 2B, 7 R, 2 RBI Kyle DuBell, CF, MIA: .368/.429/.842, 1 HR, 3 3B, 5 R, 3 RBI Top Pitchers: Matthew Boyd, 2-0, 16 IP, 0.56 ERA, 1.46 FIP, 23 K Cody Garrett, SP, MEM: 1-1, 18 IP, 1.50 ERA, 2.41 FIP, 18 K Chris Parker, SP, AUS: 1-0, 8 IP, 1.12 ERA, 1.15 FIP, 9 K League News
Division 4 Though Pittsburgh still has by for the best run differential in the NABF and among its best records, the Clowns are closing in, now just two games back. Pittsburgh split the week, with their bats delivering even as the pitching failed on a couple of occasions. But Indianapolis gained a game, taking two of three from the Browns including an excellent start from Eric Kronburger. At 8 games back, and having just lost their closer Tom Thorpe for the season, Cincinnati looks to be headed in the wrong direction, as do the 33-38 Hornets. Washington and Havana have identical records at the bottom of the standings despite Player of the Week Alejandro Batiz’s strong week for the Sugar Kings. San Antonio, meanwhile, continues to sprint ahead of the rest of the West, now with a 12 game lead over Vegas. The Missions have pulled ahead of Houston for the best record in the Federation at 48-23, with starters Bill Lorentz and Suguru Kawabata both delivering gems this week. It’s a bit of a cluster below them, with Vegas, the St. Louis Browns, Albuquerque, and Milwaukee all between 12 and 15 games back, while Phoenix continues to sit in the basement at 19 games out. Player of the Week: Alejandro Batiz, LF, HAV: .471/.550/.824, 1 HR, 3 2B, 3 R, 7 RBI Top Hitters: Doug Jagger, LF, PIT: .421/.450/.737, 1 HR, 3 2B, 5 R, 7 RBI Randy Ahern, RF, ALB: .450/.450/.750, 6 2B, 5 R, 4 RBI Donovan Bryant, 1B, PIT: .368/.400/.684, 2 HR, 3 R, 7 RBI Top Pitchers: Matt Walker, SP, ALB: 1-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.45 FIP, 10 K Bill Lorentz, SP, SAM: 1-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 8 K Suguru Kawabata, SP, SAM: 1-0, 13.1 IP, 2.02 ERA, 2.07 FIP, 13 K League News
NOTE: After this Week 11 Update, I'm moving back to a monthly recap - this is too much. |
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03-24-2023, 09:20 AM
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#114 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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2039: June Awards
Division 1
D1 Record and Milestone Watch:
Division 2
D2 Record and Milestone Watch:
Division 3
D3 Record and Milestone Watch:
Division 4
D4 Record and Milestone Watch:
Last edited by ArquimedezPozo; 03-24-2023 at 03:37 PM. |
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10-02-2023, 12:05 AM
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#115 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 219
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Life got in the way of this one back in the spring, and I set it aside for a while, but I recently switched it over to OOTP24 and have revived it. Check out the thread here if you want to see how the 2039 season played out, and beyond.
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