Recaps provided by JorgesBankAccount

Seattle Mariners 7, New York Giants 2

The first game submitted this week saw the Mariners get their fourth win and bring their record up to .500, while the Giants continued a five-game slide. Although the Mariners didn’t have the greatest game possible, it was reasonably efficient, as in a game where 15 players got on base, 8 of them got across home plate–an effort made more significant by the fact that the Mariners didn’t record any homers at Cement Gardens. (Their longest hit on the day was a triple.) Their pitching was decent as well, utilizing two pitchers to hold the Giants to two runs; although Dominic Hoskins allowed six hits and two runs on 16 batters, Mamie Skiumsby came in to relieve him and got the last 8 batters out, along the way throwing three strikeouts. As for New York, they struggled to get much going offensively, managing only 9 hits and a walk. To make matters worse, all but one of their hits was a single (the exception being a Maya Woodruff triple), and on top of that their hits weren’t really strung together so much as spread out, leaving the team to only score 2 runs over the course of the game. While Luanne had a good day on the mound, a tight win like this wasn’t enough to overcome Seattle.

Player of the game: Nobody stood out too much in the Mariners’ win, which was a true team effort. However, it’s worthy of note that Christina Beattie went 3-for-3, had the Mariners’ only triple, scored once, and batted in two other runners.

Albuquerque Tapirs 8, St. Louis Cardinals 1

There were heavy playoff implications on the line in this one. The Cardinals wanted to keep their 2-game buffer against the Angels. The Tapirs were hoping to retain their lead in the wild-card race and perhaps even catch up to the Bombers. Meanwhile, the rest of the league outside of the NL West just wanted the Tapirs to lose, with only the Angels being possibly benefited by a Tapirs win. As with the Cardinals previous games, their AI played a large role in this one, especially when it came to Mr. Clanky, who not only broke the Sandy Flats shutout streak the Tapirs had by smashing a dinger to left in the second inning but also destroyed the Tapirs “wear out the pitcher” strategy with his infinite stamina and laser rocket arm, as the Cardinals only allowed 11 hits and 2 walks. Despite this, the Tapirs still managed to get five runs by the fifth to knock him off the mound and into center and finished with an 8-1 win. While the Cardinals still had a chance, shrewsbury91 ended up having the most frustrating game he’s had so far this season, only managing to score 1 run in a 1-0 victory where St. Louis could only manage 5 hits and the only run came off of a solo shot from Marsellus Marx. (To add insult to injury, six players failed to get on base for the Cardinals, and Mr. Clanky gave up as many hits as the Cardinals got.) This meant that the Tapirs ended up winning despite putting up their worst game since Week 3.

Player of the game: Tapirs All-Star Gwen Sears was one of two players to go 3-for-3 (Olive Haldi was the other), and also one of two players to get 3 RBIs (Ricky Johnson was the other, although oddly enough he went 0-for-3). This included a 2-run homer in the third inning to give the Tapirs a lead that was the deciding factor in the final score.

Baltimore Bombers 11, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 9

In a game that might be a preview of a future playoff match, both teams posted identical scores of 10-1 at Steele Stadium. For the Devil Rays, this meant their best game on the season, beating out their previous high of a run differential of 7 against the Expos at home in Week 3, which they gathered by putting 20 people on base and getting half of them in with a triple and two homers. As for Baltimore, while this score wasn’t a new high (albeit one above their steadily increasing season average), they relied on a steady stream of hits (21 in total), mostly singles, to constantly put pressure on Tampa Bay’s pitchers and push runners across the plate. In the end, the deciding factor was the home bonus (in this case 2 runs) that gave the Bombers the win–and, since the Cardinals lost to the Tapirs, sole possession of the #1 seed. Although the Devil Rays are now on a 4-game losing streak, they still hold a two-game lead in their division due to the Giants loss as well as possession of all tiebreakers (although that may change during their final three in-division matchups).

Player of the game: Peggy Heffernan of the Bombers went 3-for-4 with 2 singles and a homer and stole a couple bases on her way to knocking in 3 runs and crossing the plate twice herself. Also, while in the field, she was prone to randomly shouting “HEY! HEY! LBJ! HOW MANY KIDS DID YOU KILL TODAY!” which…okay, that was never appropriate, but since this is neither the 60s nor a political rally, it warps so far into inappropriateness that it actually becomes funny. Plus, I’m pretty sure it threw a few batters off their stride.

Arizona Diamondbacks 18, Super-Duper Melonheads 13

In the first AL game completed this week, the Melonheads had a very solid outing against the Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, when facing the AL East this year a solid performance is at best a narrow win, even when it comes against the worst team in the division. The Melonheads had a good day at the plate, with everybody making at least four plate appearances and everyone but Fabienne Callahan getting on at least twice. Although the Melonheads left 11 people stranded, this was an improvement over many of their recent performances, which featured reliance on the long ball to get runs (although, with 4 homers, there were plenty of long balls at the Paveway anyway). The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, had slightly fewer hits and as many walks but much more efficiency, not just putting 22 people on base but getting 15 of them across the plate on their way to what would have been a win even without the home bonus. Since leaving the AL East, the Diamondbacks are 4-1 with that one loss coming to the Mighty Tigers, while since leaving the AL West the Melonheads are 1-4 with that one win being a forfeit by the Monsters. Despite this, the Melonheads remain very much alive in the playoff race, only trailing on tiebreakers in the AL West, and a late-season push–or even a late in-division push–could be enough to get them into the playoffs.

Player of the game: Uma Morris went 3-of-4 without hitting a single (2 doubles and a triple). She also knocked in four runs and failed to record an error.

Mighty Tigers 3, Oakland Orioles 2

Entering this week, there were questions about how the Monsters and Tigers would fare under their new coaches (BootyHunger and Ozzman, respectively). While that question was open-ended for the Monsters, there was some idea of how the Tigers would perform as Ozzy had played their week seven game against the Monsters, with jlund24 subbing for the Monsters coach. There, the Tigers put up a decent run differential of 7, and it was expected that they would improve with more time to practice; however, the Tigers were only able to post a run differential of 3 this week. Normally, this would be blamed on poor offense, but that wasn’t the case here as the Tigers scored a perfectly respectable (although not amazing) 8 runs on 12 hits (admittedly with more strikeouts than they would’ve liked). No, the problem for the Tigers was their defense, which gave up 6 runs just as it did against the Monsters. However, the Orioles did even worse, only managing to score four times on four different solo shots while giving up two runs of their own. (In total, they left eight runners stranded.) The difference in this game was the home-field bonus, which gave Ozzman the win in what is the lowest combined score in the AL so far this year.

Player of the game: Jay Green went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and a homer as he batted in four runs for the Tigers. Ironically, his favorite color is yellow.

Colorado Rockies 13, Minnesota Monsters 3

This was the first game submitted of the two this week that had massive playoff implications for the AL (the other being Indians vs. Red Sox). It was also the first game the Monsters played under their new coach. The Rockies took care of their end; while they didn’t have a spectacular game, and by mbless1415’s admission left several opportunities on the table in the fifth inning (including an unused Undergrounder and a controversial call on a bang-bang play at home that went against them), they still performed fairly well, getting 18 hits on 31 at-bats on their way to scoring 11 runs. Meanwhile, the Monsters struggled in their new coach’s first game, only managing 5 runs while allowing two from the Rockies AI and only managing to notch 9 hits on the day. In the end, the Rockies cruised to victory and a slim lead in the AL wild card race.

Player of the game: Lindsy Felgate went 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a homer, and a walk. She also had 3 RBIs and scored four times. Sorry, Cure fans, but it looks like the award is going to an actual Rockie this week.

Anaheim Angels 24, Montreal Expos 14

Guess who just had the best game in the AL this week? No, besides the Angels. That’s right, the Expos, who started out 0-6, are now…1-7, because they were playing the Angels, and despite putting up the second-best score in the NL this week still lost as the Angels continued to steamroll their competition. Both teams went off at Tin Can Alley, with the Angels garnering 20 runs on 28 hits and a walk and the Expos getting an impressive 17 (although they allowed three of their own) off of 28 hits and four walks. While both teams had good days, the Angels was better, and they’re now one game back of both the wild card and the division lead in the NL East. (The NL East is actually easier for them to take, as they hold the tiebreaker against the currently-leading Cardinals while the Tapirs hold the tiebreaker in the wild card chase.) Even though they lost, the Expos still have hope; since every other team in their division lost, the Expos remain only three games back, and after putting up two good (utterly fantastic when compared with how they started) performances in a row, they’re a dark horse to come back and take the NL West.

Player of the game: Tony Delvecchio went 4-for-4, including a homer and a double, knocked in 5 runs, and scored twice himself. He did at least part of this against his sister, so the sibling rivalry is alive and well in the Delvecchio household.

Montreal Marlins 13, New York Yankees 8

Getting away from La Chancla proved to be good medicine for the Yankees, as they put up their first win of more than 5 runs since Week 2. (4 of those 5 games came at home, with the exception being a Dirt Yards bout against the Giants reasonably difficult AI.) Despite this, however, the Yankees still fell for the third week in a row, as the Marlins seem to have turned the corner and become a force to be reckoned with, first by beating the Cubs last week by 15 on the road and now by beating the Yankees by 11 at home. This win saw La Resistance smacking the ball around, with four home runs by four different players and a total of 13 runs scored. Even allowing 2 runs didn’t do much to dampen the Marlins spirits, as they put together their second complete game in a row. The Yankees, meanwhile, focused mainly on getting on base and then getting home, as although New York only hit one homer, they still sent 9 runs in while putting 17 people on base in what was one of their more efficient outings to date. Although the Yankees are currently at the bottom of the AL Central, they have hope, as they’ve gone through the toughest teams on the schedule and now have some easier games coming up. As for the Marlins, they stay neck-and-neck with the Angels at one game back in the wild-card race–and the next game is against the race-leading Tapirs. If the Marlins manage a win at Sandy Flats, they’ll find themselves leading the race and just needing to maintain pole position.

Player of the game: Marky Dubois almost hit for the cycle. Unfortunately, he only went 3-for-4. Fortunately, the 3 were a homer, a triple, and a double, which combined meant he slapped in a team-leading 6 runs and scored every time he got on base. Now the only question he has to answer is whether he ate crawfish before the game, after the game, or both.

Boston Red Sox 19, Crazy Indians 16

This was the other game this week that had huge implications for the AL playoffs. Coming into the game, both teams were riding long winning streaks; the Red Sox had won their previous 5 games after a 0-2 start, while the Indians had been undefeated so far this year. In the end, both teams ended up with a run differential of 16, which meant that the home bonus would make the difference and give the Red Sox the win. Throughout the game, the Red Sox performed reasonably well, although by gmchappe’s own admission this was largely bolstered by a large late-game rally. The Red Sox were consistently getting on the base paths, however, getting 26 hits on 38 at-bats in their 5 innings and scoring 16 runs despite leaving 10 runners stranded. As for the Indians, their big inning was the first, where they bashed in 8 runs. Despite that auspicious start, the bats went cold in the 2nd and 3rd, and they ended up scoring 10 runs in the final three innings. In the end, the Indians scored 18 runs on 24 plate appearances, but the Red Sox got the win because they needed 3 fewer outs to record 16 runs and didn’t give up any runs while the Indians gave up 2. With this win, the Red Sox move into striking distance of the wild card, held back only by an indirect tiebreaker with the Rockies. The Red Sox and Rockies play next week, and the winner of that game could very well end up taking the wild card race. As for the Indians, this loss moves them into a tie with the Athletics for the #1 seed, making next week’s game between the two also of paramount importance. Also of note is that with this loss, the Indians now have only a one-game lead on the Rockies, which could end up being very important in the AL Central race.

Player of the game: Parker Collum went 3-for-4 for the Red Sox, but those three hits were huge: two homers and a triple to send in 8 runs. In a postgame interview, Parker credited his success at the plate to “early bebop grooves baby.” Bird is the word, Parker C.

Philadelphia Athletics 19, Blue Blue Jays 11

The Athletics continued rolling at home, racking up their 7th win by beating the slumping Blue Jays, who still haven’t won a game since leaving the AL West. Philadelphia managed this feat by scoring 16 runs on 22 hits and a walk, along the way hitting four homers and only striking out twice in a shutout victory. As for the Blue Jays, they had their best game since Week 4 and their third-best game on the season, notching 11 runs on 17 hits and likewise hitting four homers. Unfortunately for the Jays, this was nowhere near a strong enough effort to unseat the Athletics, and Nick Foles continues his reign of terror against the AL. This puts the 7-1 Athletics on a collision course with the 7-1 Indians in a game that may very well decide who ends up with the #1 seed in the AL playoffs, while the Blue Jays still somehow manage to stay atop their division due to the general noncompetitiveness of the other teams in the AL West.

Player of the game: Derek Jeter went 4-for-4 for Philly with 2 singles, a double, and a home run. He scored every time he got on base and batted in 3 runs. Other performances of note: Nomar Garciaparra (3-for-4, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 2 runs scored) and Amanda Hellerman (3-for-3, 2 singles, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored; 6 innings pitched, 18 batters faced, 1 hit allowed, 7 strikeouts).

Atlanta Braves 6, Crazy Cubs 1

The Braves have finished their season and are always one of the first teams to submit. The Cubs generally submit late. This suggests that it was a tense week for Nodakkian as he waited to find out whether his team got back to .500 or slipped further behind in the playoff race. As it turns out, he didn’t have to worry, as the Cubs only narrowly managed to win their game, allowing him to squeeze past them. Although the Braves only managed to put 14 runners on base, they were very efficient with them, scoring 8 runs in total. On the flipside, the Cubs offensive focus was tough for them to deal with, as Todd Xavier (subbing in for Randy Johnson) allowed 10 hits and 4 runs while only recording one strikeout. As for the Cubs, they found their offense mostly stymied at Eckman Acres, as despite recording 11 hits they were only able to get 2 runs–their entire offensive production being a two-run homer from Courtney Valentino. Although Kenny Kawaguchi had a good day, recording 9 strikeouts while only giving up one run, a strong defensive stand wasn’t enough for the Cubs to win, and the Braves ended up taking their fourth game on the season.

Player of the game: Atlanta only had five extra-base hits, and only three of those were longer than a double. All three came from the same player with an extremely cool name: Zenon Estrada. He went 3-for-4 with a triple and two homers that knocked in 6 runs and proved to be the difference not only in the game as a whole but also in getting the Braves past the Cubs AI in the first place.

Super-Duper Wombats 17, Pittsburgh Pirates 15

The last game of the week to be submitted, this game was unique. Not because the two players were the last ones to submit; that happened last week, with the whole Tigers-Monsters kerfluffle that resulted in both original coaches dropping out and being replaced with newcomers. No, this game was unique because it was the only one where the home team lost. That’s right, in every other game played this week, the home team won, but in this one the away team ended up taking the prize and avoiding the home sweep. To add to the weirdness of the result, the winner was the Wombats, who hadn’t won a game since Week 1 and who were widely considered possibly the worst team in the AL by virtue of being at the bottom of the AL West. This wasn’t even an instance where the Wombats opponents randomly had a bad game; Wizard finally busted out his magic powers to give the Wombats a 17-run win, complete with 42 plate appearances in total in a 22-hit, 2 walk, 12 stolen base game. Even though the Pirates had a solid showing of their own, with 13 runs off of 21 hits and a walk, it wasn’t enough to keep up with the Wombats. This drops the Pirates to 2-6 and effectively pushes them out of the playoff hunt, as they’re behind in their division by 5 games and out of the wild card by 4 games. As for the Wombats, being part of the AL West has meant that they’re always technically in the playoff chase, but this win puts them in 3rd place in the division–but the division is entirely composed of 2-6 teams. If the Wombats can pull off a win next week against the Monsters and their new coach, they might just find themselves leading the division. Either way, they’re currently in position to make a real playoff push.

Player of the game: The Wombats’ Claudia Villarta went 4-for-5, and 3 of those hits were homers. She ended up with 8 RBIs and 4 runs scored. Also, special mention goes to Vladimir Guerrero, who stole 7 bases all by himself.