Los Angeles Leopards (SVMLB)

[pauwoo]

Toronto Maple Leafs (37-39, .487, 3rd AL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (46-29, .613, 1st NL West)
Toronto’s offense can crack – 4th in AVG, 5th in OBP, wOBA, and Home Runs – but it’s pitching has left something to be desired so far in 2080, ranked 10th overall in the American League and featuring a starting rotation with the 11th ranked ERA & 10th ranked FIP. The expectation in Toronto was that they’d finish ahead of all the AL East riff raff with only Detroit blocking them from the division title, and while that prediction may still well come true given that the 2nd place AL East team, Buffalo, is only operating a game and a half better than Toronto’s pace and, based on what I’m seeing in my notes, are unlikely to keep that up, Toronto has some work to do if they are to fulfill whatever promise it was that the BNN punditry saw in them at the start of this campaign. That work, we hope, will commence after this three-game set on our turf.


Elsewhere: Steve Green, a man whose name rings out across many saves in the multiverse (proof), went 3-for-3 with a double, a TANK, 2 RBI, and a run during a loss as his Las Vegas Outlaws were handed an 8-5 loss at home at the hands of the Charlotte Imperials. Good to see that the Green family lineage is still doing the dirt after all these years.

76 of 162: Jonny Garcia (3-5, 4.83) @ Merl Crawford (8-4, 3.52)
Win, 2-1. It’s been said that you have to learn to walk before you run, and, if that idiom is true, than this leisurely stroll of a victory in our park could very well put us back on a pathway to success… Ono and Hutch did the honors offensively, each driving one in on a double, while Merl and the boys gave a good account of themselves with Crawford earning a win after 5.2 innings of work, Armendariz and Ram Chen each earning a hold, and Haag picking up his 20th save of the year for us by striking out the side during the top of the 9th. We’ll take it – they don’t all have to be heaters, you need a slow jam every once in a while, to round out your deep cuts.


Elsewhere: RF Dag Shea, who we drafted 97th overall out of UC Santa Cruz, turned in a nice 4-for-5 day against Grand Rapids with a double, TWO DING DONGS, 3 RBI, and 3 runs to lead the charge for our Brentwood Bishops in what will enter the permanent record as a 16-4 win over the Wolverines. Dag looks to track toward good contact and Avoid K at the plate that he’ll couple with some really nice fielding in both left and right (good arm, not great) and plus speed. I don’t know if he’ll develop into a Major League player, but he definitely has an outside chance at it.

77 of 162: Victor Valderas (1-4, 3.06) @ Jan Hernandez (5-3, 1.78)
Win, 5-3. We’ve reeled off two straight now, the offense has started to percolate, and, if we can keep this up, we might have ourselves a perfectly brewed americano tomorrow as we take a run a earning at sweep of our own. OH HONG extended our lead to three runs during the bottom of the 3rd with a 2-run HOMER, Walt Tignor would bring in two more on a double only two frames later, and despite Toronto threatening to make a game of it, pulling within two runs during the 8th, our bullpen would settle into a nice groove and close the show in the image & style we’ve grown accustomed to. Haag with save #21, two steals for Ethan (11 total now), a double for Dalton during a 2-for-4 day, and 5 runs scored while leaving 12 more stranded.

Note: Otto’s back… Dalton DFA’d, and, while we’re at it, Beasley is headed to Compton to work on his control issues with Ramiro Marte getting some burn on the big club. Marte will work out of the pen with Ram Chen being promoted to the starting rotation.

78 of 162: Dejuan Burns (3-8, 6.23) @ Dontrell McNeil (2-2, 5.12)
Win, 1-0 (12). OH HONG, batting against Toronto’s Evan Tibbs, saved the day for us, securing the walk-off win on a single that brought Ethan home immediately after he had stolen 3rd. McNeil, T-Rex, Sepulveda, and Haag each put in some serious work for us, maintaining a clean sheet between them to go along with their 10 K’s as a unit. SWEEP CITY, folks… good to get back on the horse after Detroit gave us the business during our last time out – not gonna lie, it kind of feels like we work for Detroit… first we lay down and play dead against them in their park and then follow that up by sweeping the odds-on favorite to challenge them for the AL East division title… I feel violated.

Record: 49-29, .628, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll welcome the 3rd-place Las Vegas Outlaws to town as they look to make up some of the ground that has them 7 ½ games behind us in the NL West.

[pauwoo]

Las Vegas Outlaws (42-37, .532, 3rd NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (49-29, .628, 1st NL West)
Las Vegas hasn’t quite put things together yet – the preseason darlings have thrown the ball well… 1st in FIP and pWAR, 2nd in Starters ERA, and 3rd in Runs Against, and their offense has been amongst the NL’s best, it’s just that they’ve been unable to get those two parts of the puzzle on the same page for any extended periods, especially while on the road where they’ve performed at an unsatisfactory 18-20 clip. Here we’ll put our immaculate 30-9 home record (which, I know makes us every bit as bad as Las Vegas on the road) and 3-game winning streak on the line against the club I love to hate the most…

79 of 162: Lee Myers (4-5, 3.53) @ Stephen Estevez (7-3, 2.63)
Win, 3-2. After Otto blasted a 2-run DING DONG to knot this one up, D-Rod would bring Dom home on a run-scoring single that would give us a lead we’d not relinquish the rest of the way as Don Haag racked up his 22nd Save of the year. A good effort from the staff overall, with the bullpen keeping this one within reach after Estevez gave up two early runs… Armendariz went 2-innings, allowing only a single hit during his outing, and Turnbull would be credited with the win after pitching the top of the 8th before handing it off to Haag.


Elsewhere: Josiah Kawka, currently serving as the Ace of Portland’s staff, pitched his 3rd straight, 8+ inning game, this time in a complete-game, 4-hit shutout with 10 K’s that gave the Pioneers all the room they’d need to get over on the Salt Lake Alpines by a score of 3-0. On the year, Josiah has an 8-4 record with a 2.25 ERA, 96 Ks and 24 walks.

80 of 162: Cam Murphy (5-3, 1.82) @ Merl Crawford (9-4, 3.28)
Loss, 2-9. Down by only 2 runs entering the 8th, Las Vegas would erupt to the tune of 5-runs, extending their lead to an insurmountable 7-runs after welcoming Ramiro Marte back to the bigs by charging 3 to his account followed by two more for Donovan Turnbull (ending his 23-game shut down streak). Only 2 extra base hits for the club, and with nothing of note strung together, we’ll get back after it tomorrow and try to close this out with a series win by taking the rubber match.


Elsewhere: C Adam Hatfield, the 15th overall pick in this years draft by Phoenix, showed that he may well be the real McCoy with a 4-for-5, TWO JACK day that included 3 RBI and 3 runs. And, while his teammates on the Cheyenne Rattlers did not reward his efforts with the victory, falling by a score of 10-9 to the Duluth Zeniths, the young man should take solace in the fact that he is not likely to spend too much more time donning the Cheyenne kit in the Coyotes’ development system… nah, I’d expect him to move up the charts in short order. Kid looks like the real deal.

81 of 162: Jack Sanchez-Flores (6-6, 3.50) @ Ram Chen (2-2, 1.38)
Win, 5-2. We’d take home the rubber match on the strength of Ram Chen’s debut as a starter even though we limited his innings worked to 4.1 on the day (we got to build buttercup up) and Duarte’s tip-top work in relief as he was rewarded with the win after going 2.1 innings. OH HONG was the whole show for us offensively, driving in 3 runs on run-scoring singles during a 2-for-4 day at the plate, and, despite Walt Tignor committing his 14th fielding flub at 3rd we’d remain sturdy enough on defense to not let the road-weary Las Vegas Outlaws back into this one.

Record: 51-30, .629, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll welcome the 4th place Phoenix Coyotes to town for another home set against a division rival.

[pauwoo]

Phoenix Coyotes (42-39, .519, 4th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (51-30, .630, 1st NL West)
Phoenix has lived up to most baseball pundits’ preseason expectations so far – the staff has been lights out with the only issues stemming from a couple of their bullpen arms that can’t seem to get things dialed in (Ken Cleary – 7.40 ERA & Patrick Alvarado - 1-2, 8.40). The offense has performed admirably as well, ranked 6th overall in the National League so far with plenty of room for improvement – if laggards like Ivan Ortiz (.178, 1, 20) can dial it in a bit, the Coyotes would, undoubtedly, start turning some heads. As it stands, they’re an upper echelon club whose ceiling seems to be playoff fodder for those of us making our living a step or two out of their reach.

82 of 162: Max Harrington (3-7, 3.75) @ Jan Hernandez (6-3, 1.76)
Win, 5-1. Harrington was no match for the likes of us, eating every single one of our 5 runs to take his 8th loss on the year as Simon Paulino brought 3 around on a double, his only hit in 4 AB’s, to put us up 4-1 at the time until Otto added one more for good measure only a few batters later. Jan was fierce over 6-innings of 2-hit, shutout baseball and Nakagawa kept the damage to a minimum after giving up hits to the first three batters he faced, while Haag, seemingly on that good stuff now, secured his 24th save of the year and has now earned 6 saves and 1 win in his last 7 outings. That’s called being good at what you do…

83 of 162: Ferdinand Loving (4-5, 3.53) @ Dontrell McNeil (2-2, 4.74)
Win, 4-3. We’d take the lead on a bases-clearing triple courtesy of William Henderson during the bottom of the 6th, our lone offensive highlight, and rely on our bullpen the rest of the way as Sepulveda picks up his 3rd hold and Haag his 25th save as we made sure not to leave the door ajar in this one lest Phoenix find a way to sneak back into it.

84 of 162: Landon Sampson (1-3, 3.62) @ Stephen Estevez (7-3, 2.68)
Win, 4-0. Estevez (5.2 innings, 2 hits, 7 K’s), T-Rex (3 IP, 5 K’s), and Donovan Turnbull (0.1 inning, 3 pitches) would combine for a 2-hit, clean sheet while the offense provided more than enough run support, with Hendo and Tignor each driving in one on doubles, to get over on Phoenix for the second time in a row to secure another series victory at home. OH HONG would contribute a solo shot, Dom brought another in on a single… another solid, less-than-overpowering win for the boys as we continue to get by on our good looks and charming personalities.

Record: 54-30, .642, 1st NL West
Up Next: San Jose is headed our way for one more series before we break for the All-Star festivities.

[pauwoo]

A quick look at some roster highlights…

This year, the American League will be represented by these All-Star performers:

SP David Arney (SEA) - 7-4, 3.07 ERA, 108.1 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Peter Garcia (DET) - 7-4, 2.89 ERA, 109.0 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 3.0 WAR
SP Josiah Kawka (PDX) - 8-4, 2.36 ERA, 129.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 3.0 WAR
C Johnny Alavez (BUF) - .279/.332/.404, 265 AB, 5 HR, 113 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
1B Blas Polo (PDX) - .265/.359/.537, 283 AB, 21 HR, 157 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
1B Austin Rollins (BUF)* - .293/.366/.530, 338 AB, 22 HR, 158 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
2B Telma Taveras (SEA)* - .268/.328/.415, 306 AB, 9 HR, 7 SB, 115 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
3B Jason Spears (VAN)* - .293/.354/.441, 331 AB, 9 HR, 11 SB, 130 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
SS Jess Alford (PDX)* - .330/.349/.442, 339 AB, 5 HR, 9 SB, 122 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
LF Bakari Konaté (DAL) - .322/.404/.541, 270 AB, 15 HR, 170 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
LF Tony Voorhis (DET)* - .290/.334/.570, 286 AB, 22 HR, 1 SB, 155 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
CF Norris Flaherty (DEN)* - .299/.379/.494, 314 AB, 15 HR, 16 SB, 147 wRC+, 5.1 WAR

While the National League best will include these stars:

SP Stephen Estevez (LAL) - 8-3, 2.52 ERA, 96.1 IP, 0.87 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 3.9 WAR
SP Jan Hernández (LAL) - 8-3, 1.74 ERA, 93.0 IP, 0.91 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Bradley Hughes (BRK) - 7-1, 2.95 ERA, 97.2 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, 1.6 WAR
SP Cathal Magill (MIA) - 8-6, 2.45 ERA, 102.2 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 1.8 WAR
SP Landon Sampson (PHX)* - 1-4, 3.78 ERA, 83.1 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 6.9 K/9, 1.9 WAR
CL Don Haag (LAL)* - 6-4, 27 SV, 1.79 ERA, 45.1 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 1.6 WAR
C Rex Engelstad (PHI)* - .236/.327/.320, 259 AB, 3 HR, 90 wRC+, 1.3 WAR
1B Tom Franzone (PIT)* - .328/.420/.568, 329 AB, 20 HR, 181 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
1B Oh Hong (LAL) - .324/.376/.560, 361 AB, 24 HR, 170 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
2B Heathcote Kinton (BRK)* - .282/.361/.423, 319 AB, 11 HR, 3 SB, 130 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
SS Toddrick Carr (PIT) - .263/.332/.373, 335 AB, 6 HR, 12 SB, 103 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
SS Hamza McDonnell (PHI)* - .257/.331/.404, 342 AB, 9 HR, 10 SB, 112 wRC+, 4.9 WAR
LF Palmer Parker (PHI)* - .322/.368/.545, 332 AB, 19 HR, 161 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
CF Otto Isaac (LAL)* - .293/.344/.586, 273 AB, 21 HR, 6 SB, 167 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
RF Aitor Cubas (LV) - .246/.361/.542, 297 AB, 22 HR, 10 SB, 153 wRC+, 3.3 WAR

All-Star game box is attached…

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (57-31, .647, 1st NL West) @ Philadelphia Founders (56-31, .644, 1st NL East)
Philadelphia sent 7 players to the All-Star game. We sent 5. Between us nearly 50% of the 25 men who earned a place on the All-Star team are rostered with our clubs. Our records, as you can see above, are nearly identical, we each have won 8 of our last 10, and we have the top two offenses in the National League, with Philly coming in at the top of the pops while we’re nipping at their heels. This is as marquee a matchup as our league can produce, each of the four games will be broadcast nationally, with the Sunday game having the widest reach of any we’ve played so far this season. Ranked 1st in Runs Scored, AVG, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and Home Runs, the Philadelphia offense, led by the likes of Palmer Parker (.318/.363/.537, 19 HR, 66 RBI, 3.4 WAR) and Sage Reid (.330/.413/.537, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 3.5 WAR), is widely considered to stand amongst the best of the modern era. Summed up as succinctly as possible – they’re as formidable as it gets. But we rake too… and we pitch well, are expertly managed, and arrive in town ready to take things over as we work towards this season’s conclusion. Taking 3 or more of these games would serve as notice to the rest of the Majors that this year’s model of the Los Angeles Leopards is coming for the crown.

89 of 162: Merl Crawford (9-5, 3.31) @ Linden Brittingham (10-5, 3.83)
Win, 10-8. While Sage Reid and Palmer Parker busied themselves by going a combined 0-for-9 at the plate, our 3x Boyce Rigg award winner, Otto Isaac, did nothing less than act as the generator powering our offense during a 3-for-4 day at the plate that included 2 DING DONGS and 6 total RBI. OH HONG, Ono, Hendo, and Hutch would each get in on it with an RBI, we’d hit 3 doubles to go along with Otto’s two long balls, and somehow cribbed a win in game one despite Crawford allowing 6 runners to plate and Duarte following that mess up by allowing 2 more before Haag could come in to stop the bleeding during the 8th. Both clubs shot out of a catapult in this one, but ours was the lighter load, going further and faster than the home team today.

90 of 162: Ram Chen (2-3, 2.15) @ Bob Dauncey (9-3, 3.86)
Win, 2-0. After last night's offensive explosion, both clubs would present a much less rambunctious front, and, despite being out hit by Philly, 6 to 4, we’d manage to get two of ours across during the first two frames with Ethan’s lead off homer to start the 1st inning ultimately representing the game winner. We’d also get a team shutout from the staff as Ram Chen picks up his first win since being moved into the starting rotation and now finds himself flexing a 3-3 record on the year after putting in 5-innings of shutout work – Armendariz would represent for the staff as well, earning his 9th hold over 3-innings of solid craftsmanship and Haag closed the show, earning his 29th save of the year despite giving up a couple of hits. All systems go, folks… we out hit the biggest offensive bully in the league yesterday and kept them locked down & confused in this one.


Elsewhere: I’ve been seeing Jess Alford’s name come up a lot lately, and while I usually ignore it because his facial hair bothers me in a mid-90’s, aggro bro rock kind of way, I’ve come to admit that it is often with good reason… today, while visiting the Nickels, Jess went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, 4 RBI, and 3 runs to lead his Portland Pines to a satisfying 13-4 win on the road in Buffalo. So far this season, in addition to playing a tip-top shortstop, Alford is posting a .335/.355/.453 slash with 5 dingers, 45 RBI, and 3.2 WAR… representing a bit of a breakout campaign for the kid as his previous best in WAR came last season when he finished at 3.7 after playing in 141 games. I do question whether his teammates like him though, not sure he’s a good glue guy… if he was, and if anyone in the PDX clubhouse loved him, they’d hand the kid a razor, right? Right.

91 of 162: Dontrell McNeil (2-2, 4.52) @ Wilson Pena (8-3, 2.80)
Win, 3-2. Philly knotted things up during the bottom of the 5th on a run-scoring single from Hamza, and would, ultimately, waste a 3-for-4 day from Andy Gardener that included a double, a triple, and a solo homer as our own OTTO ISAAC made his presence know once again, smashing the game winning SOLO TANK during the top of the 8th. Isaac was fierce defensively too – 2 OF Assists for our Centerfielder gunning down Sage Reid at 2nd and 1B Ben Compton at home. From the OOTP generated game recap… "The vibe's good," said Los Angeles manager Michael Scott. "We've got to keep it going." Truer words have never been spoken… the Los Angeles Leopards are a vibe right now, as the kids like to say.


Elsewhere: Austin Velasquez, the 10th overall pick of this year’s draft by Seattle, who is currently getting in reps with their short season A club, the Bremerton Yardies, gave the baseball world a preview of what is to come during a 3-for-5 day that included TWO DING DONGS, 4 RBI, and 5 RUNS as he led his squad in torching the Elizabeth Rulers’ ramshackle staff, defeating the home team by a score of 14-12 in New Jersey.

92 of 162: Stephen Estevez (8-3, 2.52) @ Quirk Benoit (6-3, 3.38)
Win, 5-4. After scoring our first four runs prior to the start of the 4th inning, we’d go quiet for a stretch, letting Philly claw their way back into things, until the 8th inning where, instead of Otto, it was Dom that put us over the top with a SOLO HOMER off Founders reliever Milt Montemayor. OH HONG matched Dom with a SOLO SHOT of his own while Satoru Ono powered the offense with a 3-run TRUCK during the top of the 1st off starter Quirk Benoit. Our second 1st inning homer of the series as we find a way to run roughshod over Philadelphia in their house. This was an absolute dressing down of a series, just a complete and utter annihilation of a club with designs on earning a championship. Coming out of the All-Star break, on the road, against one of the top three clubs in all of baseball and getting a 4-game sweep, in their park? OUTLANDISH.

Record: 61-31, .663, 1st NL West
Up Next: The road trip continues with four games against the Alouettes in Montreal.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (61-31, .663, 1st NL West) @ Montreal Alouettes (41-50, .450)
Montreal can pitch (5th in Starters ERA) and they can defend (5th in runs against, defensive efficiency, and zone rating) – what they can’t do, obviously, is hit the ball. Ranked 10th in AVG, OPS, and wOBA, 11th in runs scored, and dead last in OBP, it’s clear to see that the Alouettes are this year’s definition of futile offensively. Still, they’ve managed to keep their RDiff respectable (compared to the clubs they hang around with at the bottom of each week’s power rankings) at -26 so far and have posted a 19-17 record at home… so, while they are a far cry from formidable, they ain’t no patsy, especially when they are putting in work at home, in bootleg France.

93 of 162: Jan Hernandez (8-3, 1.74) @ Rad Taylor (4-9, 4.64)
Loss, 0-2. Shutout in Montreal, lulled to sleep by Montreal’s staff who befuddled us with a mix of well-placed sliders and readings from Leonard Cohen’s Book of Longing… we’d manage a paltry 6-hits as a club to go along with our 9 total strikeouts with Rad Taylor leading the way for the Alouettes staff, putting in 5-innings of 5-hit, shutout work before handing the pill off to the likes of Steven Barbaccia, Tony Cartwright, and Max Enger to close the show. For our part, Jan was good – 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K’s, 1 HRA – but we’d not give him even the minimum amount of support required to reward his effort with a much-deserved victory… instead, because our bats couldn’t be bothered to do their job, he’d be unjustly awarded with his 4th loss of the season and first in 5 outings.


Elsewhere: Seattle’s David Arney tossed a masterpiece today, twirling our 3rd PERFECT GAME since 1992 during a 2-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. For the game, Arney, in addition to not allowing a single baserunner, fanned 11 batters, and recorded 6 outs by ground out, and the remaining 10 by pop up. This is the first perfect game since 2039 when SP Mart Huerta, a Los Angeles Leopard at the time, completed one against the San Francisco 49ers.

94 of 162: Merl Crawford (9-5, 3.25) @ Joseph Grace (4-8, 4.38)
Win, 5-1. It looked like Merl and Donovan would return the favor, holding Montreal scoreless until the very last frame when RF Leo Bullock brought one around for the Alouettes on a double… still, the stories of the game would be Merl’s 6 lockdown innings of work, Ethan’s 2-for-3 day at the plate that included a triple, 2 RBI, a couple of free passes, and two steals, and our two, rally-killing Rodriguez-Hutchinson-ONO DP’s. Otto, Ono, and Cooke each contributed an RBI, Ono’s coming on his 12th JACK of the year, and we’d find a way to bring 5 of our guys all the way around despite leaving 5 more stranded… just a good, workmanlike effort from the club here, knotting this series up, and giving ourselves a shot at a road series win.


Elsewhere: LF Andy Shepard, of the Pittsburgh Pipers, had himself a busy Tuesday night in San Jose as he finished 4-for-5 at the plate with 2 DING DONGS, 5 total RBI, and 2 runs during his clubs 8-2 road win over the Seals. Andy’s been something of a vagabond since leaving our club after the 2078 season with stops in Dallas, Las Vegas, and now Pittsburgh after the Outlaws dealt him to the struggling Pipers.

95 of 162: Ram Chen (3-3, 1.94) @ Norm Rodriquez (3-7, 3.05)
Win, 3-0. Ram Chen would turn in his most impressive start to date – 5.2 innings, 5-hits, nothing earned – and the pen, Armendariz with the hold and Haag the save, would do the dirt as we managed to hold Montreal to a single run over the last two contests of this four-game series. Ethan Mullens recorded two more RBI today, the first coming on a SAC FLY and second on a drawn walk, D-Rod hit a double, Hutchinson a run-scoring single, and the club, down to a man, brought their hard hats and lunch pails, turning in yet another workmanlike effort and guaranteeing nothing less than a split.


Elsewhere: SP Elroy Seaborn, currently plying his trade with the Oklahoma City Friendlys (a Dallas affiliate), twirled one for the ages, completing a NO HITTER over 9 innings of no-hit work with 2 walks and 14 K’s as his club ran roughshod over the Barbados Tridents by a score of 9-0. Elroy was the 20th overall pick of the ’79 draft and, if tonight was any indication, appears to be developing just fine.

96 of 162: Dontrell McNeil (2-2, 4.45) @ Miguel Almeida (5-3, 2.99)
Win, 4-0. OH HONG, coming on during the top of the 6th with the bases juiced would be the whole show for us today, hitting the game-winning GRAND SLAM to propel us to a much-needed, 3 games to 1 series victory on the road. We’d also claim another shutout, this time led by McNeil’s 6.2-innings of 2-hit, 6 K work which would be followed up by a nearly as impressive 2.1 innings from Ramiro Marte where he’d allow an identical 2 hits and secure 4 K’s on less than half the number of pitches. A good & satisfying three-straight for the La La’s as we head to Sin City to wrap up this road chip.

Record: 64-32, .667, 1st NL West’
Up Next: We’re headed to the crown jewel of Nevada for a 3-game set in Vegas over the weekend.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

[B] Another double play for Charlotte – they’re nothing if not determined – this one a yo-yo, Ramis-Norris-Ramis effort that made me, ever so briefly, imagine Harold Ramis and Chuck Norris doing the dirt for the Imperials here. Weird.

If for nothing else, this is the sort of imagery that will always have me coming back to your dynasty threads. (Of course, there is also much else.)

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

[B We’d earn the win by the skin of our country teeth, doing the minimum amount required offensively to come away with a series win before heading north to Toronto for a 3-game interleague set…

CYHSY (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) reference there?
If so, hurrah for that.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

Attachment 885970
Elsewhere: Steve Green, a man whose name rings out across many saves in the multiverse (proof), went 3-for-3 with a double, a TANK, 2 RBI, and a run during a loss as his Las Vegas Outlaws were handed an 8-5 loss at home at the hands of the Charlotte Imperials. Good to see that the Green family lineage is still doing the dirt after all these years.

Nice Steve Green shout out. And damn if this Steve Green doesn't look just like his WPK ancestor.

[pauwoo]

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

CYHSY (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) reference there?
If so, hurrah for that.

It's nice to see that you've moved the W.P. Kinsella League into the Dynasty Reports section!

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

It's nice to see that you've moved the W.P. Kinsella League into the Dynasty Reports section!

Thanks friend! In spite of some long held reservations about it (for reasons not entirely logical) I decided it was time.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (64-32, .667, 1st NL West) @ Las Vegas Outlaws (50-44, .532, 3rd NL West)
Still chasing Austin after posting a 14-14 record in June, the Las Veas Outlaws have found themselves on the proverbial treadmill so far in July at 10-8 while the Grackles have posted an identical record for the month. The difference between these two outfits, by my estimation, is luck… Austin has it in spades, and the Outlaws have finally met their match at the blackjack table. Flexing a +67 RDiff, the 3rd rated offense and the 5th rated pitching staff in the National League, yet still performing a full 4 games below the PYT, these Outlaws have the makeup, on paper, of a playoff contender that could make some serious noise come October. They’ll have their work cut out for them here – we arrive in Sin City on some of the best form I’ve ever seen, 18-3 so far this month, winners in 9 of our last 10, and on an absolute tear since the all-star break. Throw in the fact that we’re 7-2 against these guys so far and you have the makings of a robbery… a group of advanced mathematics students arriving in town to turn the house on its head.

97 of 162: Stephen Estevez (8-3, 2.58) @ Jack Sanchez-Flores (7-7, 3.52)
Win, 3-2. The winning run would come on a late, top of the 9th run-scoring SAC FLY from Walt Tignor off Anderson Parker to bring William Henderson home. He also brought one in on a double earlier in the game, providing just enough offense to overcome T-Rex Stiles’ 3-inning, blown save where he allowed two runners to plate on a Rayon Tierney DING DONG. Estevez was impressive – 5-innings, 3 hits, nothing earned, and 7 K’s – we managed to kill the Outlaws’ late rally attempt with a sweet Rodriguez-Hutchinson-Ono double play, and Haag worked his way through an 18-pitch bottom of the 9th to close the door on Las Vegas and enter his 33rd save into the permanent record.


Elsewhere: Dwight Beasley, pitching his 5th game since rejoining our Triple-A outfit in Compton, went 8.2-innings, missing his 3rd straight CG by one batsman, allowing 8 hits, 1 earned, and 2 walks while fanning THIRTEEN HAPLESS HITTERS. Beasley really struggled this year on the big club where his 6-5 record coupled with his 66 ERA+ just wasn’t going to cut the mustard – his run of 4 wins and 1 no decision, averaging 8.1 innings per contest with a 226 ERA+ so far in Compton, is making a convincing case that we may need to bring the kid back up soon.

98 of 162: Jan Hernandez (8-4, 1.79) @ Shizuka Takeuchi (5-3, 3.51)
Loss, 1-3. Game two belonged to the Outlaws from the bottom of the 2nd forward as Justin Jenkins took Hernandez yard with 2 on to put Las Vegas up by three during that frame and would barely look back from there as we’d only manage to get their attention once during the top of the 6th when Kyle Weaver brought Tignor around on a double. Armendariz and Turnbull were able to stop the bleeding, but Takeuchi managed to helm a 5-inning, 2-hit shutout before handing it off to the Las Vegas pen to close the show. We’d strikeout 7 times as a club with D-Rod, OH HONG, Otto, Ono, Hutch, Paulino, and Mullens doing the honors.

99 of 162: Merl Crawford (10-5, 3.06) @ Lee Myers (4-5, 3.58)
Loss, 3-6. It’s not like we are miles ahead of these guys, that we were supposed to win this set with ease, but, given our form, I was confident when we arrived in town… instead, what we got here is a preview, an early sneak peek if you will, of the Outlaws’ perseverance. This is a club who, despite their 1st half troubles, will be heard from before the 2080 campaign is in the history books. Here they’d ride a bottom of the 6th, 3-run TANK courtesy of LF Gunner Henry all the way to victory as we’d not be able to close the gap on their 3-run lead from that point on… Merl, after putting in a solid 5-innings of 3-hit, 2-run work, was saddled with his 6th loss of the season and Ramiro Marte, in allowing three runners to plate over a mere 0.2 innings of work, made sure things stayed that way. Aitor Cubas, the Outlaws’ marquee signing during the offseason, was able to get some small measure of revenge on Otto, finishing 1-for-3 on the day with a 2-run DING DONG, 3 total RBI, and a run of his own while Otto went 0-fer in 3 tries.


Elsewhere: 3B Mo Van Elst, a Blue Mountain State graduate drafted 14th overall this year by the Detroit Motors, showed some early promise in Short Season A Ball with the Grand Rapids Wolverines… he’d finish 4-for-4 with a double, 3 RBI, and 2 runs during his clubs 12-5 dismantling of the Brownsville Bandits. The last time this kid managed to secure 4 hits in a game, 3 of them were dingers during a 9-6 win for the Blue Mountain State Goats over the Georgia Bulldogs.

Record: 65-34, .656, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll take a much-needed day off in Los Angeles as we await the arrival of Mexico City for a 3-game set to close the book on July and, hopefully, open the month of August with a bang.

[pauwoo]

Mexico City Jaguars (45-54, .454, 5th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (65-34, .656, 1st NL West)
Mexico City is in an even worse way than when we last met – their pitching is in shambles, ranked 12th in Starters ERA, 10th in FIP, and their defense isn’t very defensive, ranked 12th in efficiency, 11th in runs against, and 10th in Zone Rating. As a result, they’ve been forced to rely, almost exclusively, on their offense to win ballgames, and even though they rank 5th overall in the National League, putting up 4.2 runs per game with a .706 OPS, they are having a hard time raking up all the leaves left behind by their staff. They’re eager to put July behind them, where they’ve gone a dismal 9-14 so far… but, I’d like to think that, of all the possible scheduling permutations, finishing up this poor month of play in our house was the last thing the Mexico City Brass would have wanted. Our goal here then will be to make sure they feel that disappointment at their very core over the next three games.

100 of 162: Patrick Keith (7-9, 3.64) @ Ram Chen (4-3, 1.75)
Win, 1-0. In a contest that was made more difficult than it should have been by an uncharacteristically lights out performance from a Mexico City pitcher as Keith gave us the business for 8.2 innings before he’d run out of gas, hanging a curveball that Walt Tignor took yard during the bottom of the 9th to secure a WALK OFF win in this, the first of three games in Los Angeles. There’s really not a lot to parse out here – Ram Chen gave us his customary 5-innings of work, this time allowing just 2 hits while fanning 4, Marte gave us a 3-inning effort out of the pen, and Haag was credited with the win for his work during the top of the 9th. He’s now 8-4 on the year, which likely says more about our offense than it does about his pitching acumen.

101 of 162: Hunter Newhouse (0-2, 1.66) @ Dontrell McNeil (3-2, 4.12)
Win, 2-1. Another day, another closely contested victory for the La La’s… though we’d get this one sorted early enough off a 2-run TRIPLE from Walt Tignor, whose name seems to be ringing out often lately, while Duarte, who improved to 7-0 after coming on in the 3rd when McNeil left with an injury, Turnbull, and Haag (save #34!) rebuffed each of Mexico City’s efforts at making a game of this one. Fortunately, McNeil’s injury looks like a day-to-day type of thing, requiring no time on the IL while he tends to what our team Doctor called a mild calf strain.


Elsewhere: SS Lorne Goolsby, of the Staten Island Killer Bees (a Brooklyn affiliate), and who recently, for some unknown reason, shaved his mustache, recorded a 5-hit day in A-Ball, as his Killer Bees, through no fault of his own, fell to the Cheyenne Rattlers by a score of 12-10. Goolsby went to the plate 6 times, hitting singles in 5 of those AB’s, and driving in 3 of SI’s 10 runs.

We’ve closed the book on July with that last win… League Leaders and Standings are attached!

102 of 162: Jaxon Dupre (5-8, 5.48) @ Stephen Estevez (8-3, 2.45)
Win, 6-1. OH HONG extended his League Leading HR total by 2 over Las Vegas’ Aitor Cubas, belting out his 28th of the year during a 3-for-3 day at the plate that included said JACK, a double, and 2 runs while Estevez gave Mexico City the business over 5-innings of work where he’d allow only a meager 2 hits to go along with 1 earned and 8 K’s. Otto drove in two on a single, with Ethan coming in from 3rd and OH HONG making it all the way in from 2nd, while Ono, Hutch, and Hendo each added an RBI to the cause, with Hutch and Hendo bringing theirs in on SAC FLIES. We’re an unstoppable force of late… ending July on a couple of wins and kicking off August by completing the sweep.

Record: 68-34, .667, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll travel to Boston for a three-game set… nothing like a cross country flight to start the month.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (68-34, .667, 1st NL West) @ Boston Shamrocks (48-54, .470, 3rd AL East)
When we last saw Boston, way back in May, we rebuffed them in our house, earning what was, to that point, our 3rd sweep of the season. Since then, we’ve been one of the, if not THE, best teams in baseball and currently have the look of a meteor that will not be extinguished on its way towards Boston. The Shamrocks, for their part, have put two low-key winning months on the board in a row, finishing out June on a 16-12 clip then backing that up in July on a nearly as good 14-12 record, and will look to continue to build on that as they welcome us into Boston. Their pitching, ranked 4th in the American League, will give them a chance at doing just that as their top ranked bullpen look to give us fits late in the game as their starters, while not quite as good, look to take advantage of our usual slow starts on the road.

Side Note: Noticed a small issue where I’m having trouble keeping the Short Season A clubs full… lots of J. Unknown’s in the mix… so, to that end, I’ve added 7 NCAA feeders to the save, bringing the total up to 100. Hopefully, that will, over time, get us where we need to be.


The new schools are as follows…

North Dakota State Bison
Stetson Hatters
South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
Nevada Wolf Pack
Idaho Vandals

103 of 162: Jan Hernandez (8-5, 1.97) @ Carlito Cisneros (2-6, 4.70)
Win, 6-4. After we took the lead during the top of the 9th off a Demetri Rodriguez run-scoring double that ran our total up to 4 runs, and on the strength of a 2-run cushion that OH HONG ushered in on his league-leading 29th LONG BALL of the year a few AB’s later, Don Haag, with a chorus of BEAT L.A. raining down upon him, and despite letting Boston load up the bags, would secure his 36th save of the year and close the book on a nice game one victory. Otto, Walt, and D-Rod each hit doubles, Ethan and OH HONG put balls out, and we’d manage to get six across while leaving 6 more stranded. T-Rex was credited with the win today, his 2nd on the year, after putting in 2.1 innings of tip-top relief work where he allowed only one hit with 3 K’s.

104 of 162: Merl Crawford (10-6, 3.08) @ Ben French (7-5, 2.61)
Win, 6-4. Once again, the difference maker would come during the top of the 9th, this time it would come courtesy of Carson Hutchinson who hit a 2-run single off Boston Closer Harvey Allen, bringing our run total up to 6 and his RBI total up to 4 on the day. Otto ran his HR total up to 26, blasting two SOLO SHOTS out of the park in this one, and Don Haag, in another shaky bottom of the 9th performance, managed to get save number 37 despite walking the bases loaded once again. With the win, we’ve guaranteed another series victory and have given ourselves the opportunity to earn our first true sweep of August.

105 of 162: Ram Chen (4-3, 1.61) @ Abe Meinecke (4-9, 3.63)
Win, 7-3. In each of our wins, it was Boston’s much-vaunted bullpen that came up lame, as 13 of our 19 runs came after the 7th inning in this series… here it was more of the same as we’d score all 7 of our runs after that frame with Ethan’s 2-run double serving as the opening salvo and Satoru Ono’s 3-run double representing the icing on the cake. In total we’d hit 7 two-baggers as a club, field two double plays, get an OF Assist from Henderson, and look on from the dugout as Sepulveda earned his 2nd save of the year on 16 total pitches to send the Boston faithful home in a fit of rage as a club from a city they seem to think is their antithesis waltzed into town and cribbed three in a row off their suddenly struggling club. You’re welcome Massachusetts… someone must make sure you understand your place in the pecking order. That’s two sweeps in a row for the La La’s…

Record: 71-34, .676, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll board a plane bound for Los Angeles to meet the Detroit Motors in our house for another 3-game Interleague set.

[pauwoo]

Detroit Motors (61-43, .587, 1st AL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (71-34, .676, 1st NL West)
While our lot is an embarrassment of riches, making our living as the plaything of a trillionaire pest extermination tycoon, Detroit’s is grimier, fraught with lessons learned the hard way, and marked by the hard work required for a club like theirs to lift themselves up to claim territory on higher ground. They’ve been good enough to rule the AL East, where they currently own a 9.5 game lead over the Buffalo Nickels and are widely considered to be the best club in their sub-league. Led by Los Angeles defectors Tony Voorhis and Peter Garcia, the Motors are as formidable as they come, and no doubt have designs on sticking a couple of these to us in our house in an effort to serve notice to the baseball punditry that their time is now.

106 of 162: AJ Quimby (13-4, 3.04) @ Dontrell McNeil (3-2, 4.12)
Win, 2-1. Our 7th straight win looked a lot like the 6 that came before it with all of our scoring coming late, this time on a bottom of the 7th, 2-run double from OH HONG, that gave us all the cushion we’d need to get the win. The bullpen was resolute once again – after Dontrell left with an injury with one out down in the top of the 2nd – with Armendariz securing his 7th win after putting in 2.2 innings of work, Sepulveda earning his 4th hold, and closer extraordinaire, Don Haag, entering his 38th save of the year into the permanent record. All in a day’s work ladies and gents, all in a day’s work…

Dontrell will be listed DtD once again, though this time the cause will be listed as back stiffness. You and me both, brother, you and me both…

107 of 162: Ray Mendoza (3-1, 2.03) @ Stephen Estevez (9-3, 2.43)
Win, 3-1. We’d get started early, for once, scoring our first run of the game during the bottom of the 1st on a run-scoring single from Satoru Ono that brought Ethan around and, as is our habit, would put a couple more on during the bottom of the 7th when OH HONG brought two in on a double. Estevez was lights out, giving us 5-innings of burn while allowing only one run on two hits, Armendariz would pick up another win, his 8th this season, and Mr. Haag, who was particularly nasty today, striking out the side during the top of the 9th, picked up his 39th save of the year. That’s 8 in a row now… we’re a mean machine, been drinkin’ gasoline… loaded like a freight train (which is to say we’re stacked with talent, right?), flyin’ like an aeroplane…


Elsewhere: Dwight Beasley, who continues to build his case, put in a complete-game, 1-hit shutout effort that included 4 K’s as his Compton Raiders defeated the Kansas City Wheat Kings, in KC, by a score of 6-0. We’ll give Dwight a day or two to rest up before bringing him back up in place of Ramiro Marte who has struggled to gain traction in 15.2 innings of work on the big club.

108 of 162: Dontell Wilburn (8-7, 2.89) @ Jan Hernandez (8-5, 2.11)
Win, 5-1. With the win, ushered in on a 4-run bottom of the 3rd (GRAND SLAM FOR HENDO), we’d make it 9 in a row at the expense of the AL’s best club with Jan, T-Rex, Turnbull, and Haag each taking turns befuddling the Motors offense, holding them in check after Jan gave up a run during the top of the 5th. Three double plays for the club, save #40 for Haag, a triple for Henderson, and another comfortable win in a season, seemingly, filled with them. This is, simply put, the best form I’ve ever seen from this club… it’s almost not fair. Almost… we’ll probably be bounced out of the playoffs during the Second Series, so… This is our 3rd straight sweep. Craziness.

Record: 74-34, .685, 1st NL West
Up Next: A day off followed by a 3-game set in San Jose.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (74-34, .685, 1st NL West) @ San Jose Seals (51-59, .464, 4th NL West)
It’s been said before, over and over, an embarrassingly high number of times, that the San Jose Seals need to invest some of their development capital into pitching. Not all. Just some, any of the money they spend developing hitters. Theirs is, as ever, a halfway house where all the offensive might in the world (ranked 5th in the NL) can’t cover for the fact that their staff, to a man, makes a habit of serving up the biggest, juiciest meatballs to opposing hitters. Offenses are so well fed by the San Jose staff that despite having an upper echelon offense the club maintains a girthy -54 RDiff and find themselves ranked 12th in runs against. They are, however, coming off a series win against the New York Sluggers, are still brimming with whatever confidence that simple fact has instilled in them, and, because they are professionals, will look to carry that good fortune forward as they welcome us to HP Ballpark for some fun in the sun.

109 of 162: Merl Crawford (10-6, 3.19) @ Lucas Torres (8-5, 3.50)
Loss, 3-4. Otto’s 3-run TRUCK during the top of the 6th would be the only offense our club could muster against the National Leagues 12th ranked staff… and, that’d not be enough as San Jose managed to put 4 runs on the board prior to the end of the 4th inning and would hang on for dear life from there as our bullpen kept them off the board the rest of the way while theirs was busy doing the same after Isaac chased Lucas Torres out of the game. Look, we played fine, I’d have rather we styled on San Jose’s staff, but sometimes you just don’t get that fortuitous bounce that you need to help win the day. We’ll chalk this one up to life being one big mystery and move on to the next…


Elsewhere: Lucas Sherman, our 1st pick, 18th overall out of Wichita State, put together a rip-roaring 4-for-5 performance at the plate that included 2 DING DONGS, 5 total RBI, and 2 runs as our Short Season A-Ball Club, the Brentwood Bishops, defeated the Grand Rapids Wolverines in a real slobber knocker, by a score of 14-13. Woo doggie! That’s all the runs.

110 of 162: Ram Chen (4-3, 1.76) @ Knox Hussmann (7-4, 3.36)
Win, 3-0. Still incapable of filling up at the San Jose Spaghetti and Meatball Buffet, we’d at least put two early runs on the board before settling into an impression of the Seals from yesterday where our bullpen handled their order with aplomb. Otto and Ono brought in our early runs, Isaac’s a run-scoring single during the top of the 2nd and Satoru’s a run-scoring double during the very next frame. Team shutout for the staff too… Ram Chen went 5-innings, allowing 4 hits while fanning 9, Beasley earned his first Hold of the season, T-Rex earned his 8th, and Haag closed the show, needing only 14 pitches during the bottom of the 9th to get things sorted and register his 41st save of the year. Don’t look now, but… if Haag keeps picking up saves at his current clip, he’ll eclipse his high-water mark of 56 set last season and, in so doing, would set the all-time record at 62 (2 better than Jacques Jameson’s record of 60 set way back in 2078).

111 of 162: Dontrell McNeil (3-2, 4.06) @ Ty Peterson (4-9, 4.68)
Win, 3-1. In a game that played out like some bootleg baseball themed version of Andy Samberg’s Palm Springs where we were living yesterday over again until Haag nearly came undone during the bottom of the 9th, allowing one runner to plate before successfully closing the door and earning his 42nd save in the process, we’d earn another series win on the road and, ultimately, keep the good times rolling. Ono, D-Rod, and Tignor were responsible for our runs, Demetri swiped a bag, his 16th, and we turned a rally-killing, around the horn, Tignor-Hutchinson-Ono double play… we’ll head out of town no worse for wear and steel ourselves up for a trip to the hottest city in the USA.

Record: 76-35, .684, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll head to Arizona for a dust up against the Coyotes.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (76-35, .684, 1st NL West) @ Phoenix Coyotes (50-62, .446, 6th NL West)
That we live in a world where Phoenix, one of our most ardent rivals, finds themselves moored to the bottom of the NL West table, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Miami (42-69, .378), Montreal (50-61, .450), and Mexico City (51-61, .455) doesn’t sit well with me. Phoenix, like us, is supposed to be one of the haves… residing in an astronomical market, with good loyalty and interest from their fans, and owned by a billionaire in Anna Walters who will flash the cash if it means a postseason berth. And on that note, while she’s proved to be more than willing to spend her way into contention before, she’s also known as a merciless boss who expects her staff to perform at the highest of levels… so, while Phoenix finds themselves languishing at the bottom of the barrel, you can be sure that changes will be swift and thorough come the offseason.

112 of 162: Stephen Estevez (9-3, 2.40) @ Landon Sampson (2-6, 3.54)
Loss, 0-2. Landon Sampson, who has been known to handle our club with relative ease, handled us with relative ease over 5.1 innings of 4 hit, 3 K work and the Phoenix pen followed suit with Ken Cleary throwing 2.2 scoreless frames for the hold followed by an economical, 10-pitch top of the 9th from Coyote closer, Parker Curtain, to secure the win and his 7th save of the season. Look, Estevez and Beasley each gave a good account of themselves, Stephen was stung for two runs while Beasley gave us a couple of hitless innings to close it out, but the offense, as is their wont whenever Landon is on the bump, went dormant losing game one of this 3 game set in low-key embarrassing fashion.

113 of 162: Jan Hernandez (9-5, 2.07) @ Matthew Krebs (7-8, 4.35)
Win, 4-1. We’d ride a 2-run top of the first all the way to victory, tacking on a couple of insurance runs late for good measure as Otto’s 2-run DINGER during that opening stanza carried us all the way home with Jan’s 5.1 innings of 5-hit, 1-run work helping us knot this series up with a chance to take it tomorrow. A solo shot from Ethan, a run-scoring double from Ono, and an OF Assist from Otto, catching Rayan Impellizeri at 3rd, would round out the highlights with Haag’s 43rd save serving as mere icing on the cake.

114 of 162: Merl Crawford (10-7, 3.28) @ Max Harrington (5-11, 3.43)
Win, 14-3. In a performance for the ages the likes of which I don’t think I’ve seen in any of my OOTP saves so far, OH HONG went GONZO during a 3-for-6 day that included 3 DING DONGS, TEN RBI, and 3 runs to lead our offense in razing Phoenix’s Pueblo Deco-styled castle… if you’re counting, and I know that you are, your boy hit 2, 3-run TANKS and a GRAND SLAM for the game during a performance that those in attendance and everyone watching around the world will not soon forget. Good stuff from Crawford as well – 6-innings, 4 hits, an earned run, and 4 K’s for our starter – with the pen doing their level best to back him for the win. This is our 4th straight series win, we are clearly the best team in baseball right now, and the world, as ever, is our oyster.

Record: 78-36, .684, 1st NL West
Up Next: The wicked (that’s us) will rest back in Los Angeles before picking things back up on the 16th with the big bad wolf from Philly in town to take a run at us.

[BirdWatcher]

OH HONG! (Oh, Hong? Oh, OH HONG!?)

(Sorry, been awhile since I gave him some love. Great game and sounds like he's having quite the season.)

[pauwoo]

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

OH HONG! (Oh, Hong? Oh, OH HONG!?)

(Sorry, been awhile since I gave him some love. Great game and sounds like he's having quite the season.)

He's having his best season so far... leading the team in AVG, OBP, HR, RBI, XBH, tied with Otto at 172 wRC+, and 2nd in WAR...

[pauwoo]

Philadelphia Founders (72-41, .637, 1st NL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (78-36, .684, 1st NL West)
What is there to be said about the Philadelphia Founders? What superlatives should I draw from to describe their offensive prowess, dominant lineup, and 1st place ranking in every single offensive category except for stolen bases? If the English language is capable, or, more pointedly, has the descriptive chops to sufficiently, umm, describe the dominance that is the Founders lineup then I lack the vocabulary to do so here… they are, in their way, a smash mouth crew of ne'er-do-wells who, so far in 2080, have made their living travelling from town to town, looting and pillaging, razing each village along the way, and leaving a trail of dead in their wake. And, while ours is no doubt a difficult castle to fell, with this club on the way to our shores we’ll take the necessary precautions, hide the women and children away, and make sure that our broadswords are balanced, sharpened, and at the ready.

115 of 162: Bob Dauncey (11-4, 3.57) @ Ram Chen (5-3, 1.64)
Win, 7-2. When Philly arrived on our shores and knock at our door, they originally announced themselves with unintelligible gibberish. When we asked for further clarification, they claimed to be a flower delivery. When we asked who they were being delivered to, they replied… plumber. When we told them that we didn’t need a plumber, they claimed to be delivering a candy gram. And when, after all that fuss, we rightfully called them out as the landshark that has been terrorizing the National League all season, they tried to convince us that they were only a dolphin… it wouldn’t work, however, as Otto Isaac led our club to victory on the strength of his 2-for-4 day that included 2 TANKS, 4 total RBI, and 2 runs while our defense held firm with Ram Chen giving Philly the business over 5-innings of 4-hit, 2-run work. And just like that, we passed the first test against the beast from the east… let’s hope we can foil their trojan horse attempt, should that be their next strategy.

116 of 162: Wilson Pena (9-5, 3.51) @ Dontrell McNeil (4-2, 3.86)
Loss, 4-10. Less trojan horse, and more brute force, the Philadelphia Founders found a way to breach our gates to exact a small measure of revenge for the loss they took only one short night ago… the story here, in addition to the NL’s top offense doing what a top offense does, was the benches clearing brawl that erupted between our clubs when Philadelphia hurler, Wilson Pena, pegged Demetri Rodriguez on the ribs during the top of the 3rd inning… as a result of the fracas we’ll be without D-Rod for 3 games while Pena will miss his next start while serving his 6 game suspension.

117 of 162: Hudson Dorsch (7-6, 4.46) @ Stephen Estevez (9-4, 2.43)
Win, 7-0. After a slight misstep in game 2, our defense force would rebuff our invaders from the east, holding them scoreless as Estevez, in 5.1 innings of tip-top, 5 K work, combined with Nakagawa and Armendariz to keep the Founders at bay while our offense made mincemeat of their pitching staff much to the delight of the Leopards faithful who were brave enough to watch this one in person. Otto and Walt each drove in two runs, Otto’s on a 2-run TANK and Walts on a solo shot plus run-scoring single, with Satoru Ono and William Henderson bringing a couple of late insurance runs across to rub it in Philly’s face a little bit. You come at the King, you best not miss…

Record: 80-37, .683, 1st NL West
Up Next: More home cooking with the hard-luck Miami Herons headed to town for a four-game parlay.