Recaps provided by JorgesBankAccount.

Baltimore Bombers 9, New York Giants 3

After barely winning against the NL West leaders last week, the Bombers faced another NL West team, this one sitting in second place in the division. The Bombers had a strong game at home in Week 8, beating the Devil Rays by a score of 10-1 (a score almost negated by the Devil Rays turning in the exact same score), and this week had another 9-run victory, taking the game by a score of 11-2 in a game with very few extra base hits (2 doubles, 2 triples) but very many singles (18 in total). Everyone on the team got at least one hit, and the Bombers had an overall very solid game. The Giants, meanwhile, managed only seven hits, and while they had the same number of extra-base hits as the Bombers (1 double, 2 triples, 1 homer), this still wasn’t enough to give them a bunch of runs, as they only scored 4 on the game. That, combined with them giving up a run in the field, meant that the Bombers walked away with the game.

Player of the game: The Bombers’ Terry Vega went 3-for-4 with 3 singles and 3 RBIs. Not the most accomplished game, sure, but on a day when everyone on the team performed well, the player of the game didn’t need to be a big hero–they just needed to give the Bombers a little push over the line.

Super-Duper Wombats 8, Minnesota Monsters 1

This match had large playoff implications for both teams as they entered. The Monsters needed a win to keep pace in the highly-competitive wild card race, not to mention the AL East, while the Wombats had just pulled off a shocking win in Week 8 to put them in a four-way tie with everyone else in the AL West at 2-6. The Wombats had the advantage here, though, as the Monsters are still adjusting to having a new coach at midseason. Consequently, while the Wombats didn’t put up the best game, managing only 10 hits and a walk at their home field, they were reasonably efficient and brought in 7 runs off of those 11 baserunners. The Monsters, on the other hand, got 9 hits, no walks, and only 3 runs. The problem for the Monsters was twofold: firstly, they weren’t at home, so they didn’t get the home bonus that they would have probably needed to win (and even then, it would’ve been a longshot), and secondly, they also allowed two runs. This meant that the Wombats would have won the match so long as the AI didn’t manage to beat them, and they guaranteed this by pitching a shutout. This win means that the Wombats are still tied for first, and currently sit in second on tiebreakers, behind the Orioles (head-to-head) and ahead of the Melonheads (head-to-head).

Player of the game: Vladimir Guerrero of the Wombats only had one hit on the day, but it was a doozy: a grand-slam homer to decisively shut the door on the Monsters AI.

Anaheim Angels 16, New York Yankees 4

The Yankees have been underwhelming at La Chancla this season, usually scoring no more than two runs. To make matters worse, the best NL games at that field so far this season have come from opposing teams, who can apparently do what the home team cannot. While the Yankees managed to avoid the two-run curse, putting up a 4-0 game, this game itself was not without its drawbacks, as the four runs came off of a grand slam from Gary Allen. The Yankees only got six hits and a walk, and only three players came to the plate more than two times. Meanwhile, the Angels continued their dominant run, notching 17 runs in a 16-run win where everyone got a hit and everyone made at least 5 plate appearances (with the final batter being Julie Dunkel, the leadoff batter for the Angels). In the end, the Angels snagged 27 hits and 4 walks in the most dominant showing at the NL Casa yet and the third double-digit game there (the others coming from the Expos in their Week 7 breakout game [14-4] and the Tapirs in Week 1 [12-0]).

Player of the game: Jose Meisenheimer went 4-for-5 with 3 singles and a double and knocked in a team-leading 6 runs. He may have only scored once himself, but there’s no way Jose doesn’t get the nod for the best player in this game.

Crazy Indians 14.4, Philadelphia Athletics 14

This game might very well decide who gets the #1 seed in the AL. Coming into the game, the Indians and Athletics were tied at 7-1, with the Indians having just suffered their first loss in Week 8 (to the Red Sox) and the Athletics on a 5-game win streak. At Steele Stadium, both teams performed below their season averages in an incredibly close game. The Athletics got a bunch of people to first, notching 27 hits in total, 20 of the singles. The Indians, on the other hand, were more reliant on the long ball, smacking 6 homers as they batted in 12 runs off of 18 hits. In the end, the home bonus was what made the difference, launching the Indians past the Athletics by less than a single run and giving them sole possession of the AL’s #1 seed.

Player of the game: Cheryl Reynolds went 4-for-4 for the Indians, with a double and 3–count ’em, 3–home runs. This meant she batted in fully half of the Indians’ runs, and when you factor in that she ended up crossing the plate every time she came up to bat as well, she comes out as the dominant factor in the Indians success this week.

Super Duper Melonheads 12, Mighty Tigers 7

With the sudden (possibly brief) resurgence of the AL West after the All-Star Break, the Melonheads desperately needed a win to keep pace. Fortunately, they were facing one of the newer members of the league, in as a midseason replacement for GSchlim (who may just be pulling a reverse Michael Jordan and taking his talents to the basketball court): OZZY FREAKING OSBOURNE. Unfortunately, while Ozzy may be the Prince of Darkness, he’s not the king of Backyard Baseball–at least not this year. The Melonheads didn’t have the best game possible, only getting 12 runs off of 21 hits and 2 walks, but it was adequate and enough to beat the Tigers, who despite getting 9 runs off of 13 hits would not have had enough to win and were further undone by their leaky defense, which let up 3 runs. In the end, the Melonheads are in the midst of the AL West division race, while with this loss and the Diamondbacks win the Tigers are now officially the first team eliminated from playoff contention.

Player of the game: While everybody on the Melonheads got a hit, only Jane Davis was able to get four: two singles, a double, and a home run in a 4-for-5 day that included 4 RBIs and a plate crossing. In a postgame interview, she attributed her performance to having a bowl of low-in-fat Chunky Puffs prior to the game. We’re certain that her father’s position in the Chunky Puffs marketing department had nothing whatsoever to do with her endorsement.

Arizona Diamondbacks 29, Blue Blue Jays 20

The Diamondbacks had the highest score this week, which in most cases guarantees a win (ask Aesnop for info on when it doesn’t…or, if you want a less in-depth answer, ask Eauxps). How did they do it? Hitting, hitting, hitting, a few walks, and hitting. In total, the Diamondbacks sent players to the plate 52 times, and while four of them got on with walks, 32 hits provided plenty of contact as the Diamondbacks slapped the ball around Casa de Pablo. Every player but one had 3 hits, and the one who didn’t (Uma Morris) got on base with walks twice. The Blue Jays didn’t do too shabbily themselves, either; while they only managed 23 hits and a single walk, they managed to turn these 24 baserunners into 18 runs (although, unlike Arizona, they also allowed a run on an unimpressive 8-hit, 3 strikeout day from Betty Houston). In the end, the playoff implications for these teams were negative; the difficulty of the wild card race means that the Diamondbacks didn’t really manage to do anything but tread water in the wild card race, while the Blue Jays lost their lead in the division race (one they held on tiebreakers) and now sit a game back of everyone else.

Player of the game: On a day when the Diamondbacks were pretty much unstoppable at the plate, Fred Benson was the biggest star on the field. He went 4-for-5 to hit for the cycle and drew a walk, on the way getting 8 RBIs and crossing the plate himself every time he got on base. The only disappointment is that he’s not a sentient gumball machine with anger issues. Wait. Is that a disappointment?

Montreal Expos 13, Atlanta Braves 9

In a game the Expos desperately needed to win in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, their offense delivered with their third double-digit win in a row. While last week’s performance wasn’t enough against the likes of the Anaheim Angels, this week an 11-run win at Playground Commons carried the Expos past the Braves. While the Expos didn’t do too much in the way of extra-base hits, with only 2 doubles and a homer, they did well at getting on base, snagging 11 runs despite leaving 14 runners stranded (so this game could’ve been even bigger for the Expos). On the other side of the game, the Braves put together their best performance yet, knocking in 9 runs and not allowing any. Despite this, though, they had a comparatively weak day at the plate, only garnering 12 hits and a walk and striking out 9 times on their way to a game that was pretty good but not good enough this week. Incidentally, this is also the first time an NL West team has won since…Week 7, when the Expos got their first win against the Yankees. Before that, the last win from the division was in Week 4, when the Tampa Bay Devil Rays also defeated the Atlanta Braves.

Player of the game: Expos first round pick Pablo Sanchez went 4-for-4 with three singles, their only home run, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Somebody get him that burrito he’s been dreaming of!

St. Louis Cardinals 7, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1

The Cardinals were in shaky playoff position after a tough loss last week against the Tapirs. Their competition? A Devil Rays team that had been struggling since Week 4 and had recently fallen to a losing record after starting 4-0. The Cardinals needed a win in order to keep their lead in the NL East as well as look to remain viable contenders when they couldn’t completely rely on their AI, but Shrewsberry’s team was up to the task as they provided a 7-0 shutout on 15 hits and a walk. The Devil Rays just couldn’t keep up, in large part because despite scoring 4 they also allowed 3. In the end, the Cardinals stood victorious, and while the Devil Rays retain their 2-game lead in the division thanks to the Giants losing as well, the Expos now have more wins than they do outside the division and are looking to make a late season surge–one that appears more and more plausible by the game despite the odds being firmly against it.

Player of the game: Mr. Clanky threw 10 strikeouts while allowing only 5 hits. He also drew the game’s only walk and batted in a run, but that’s not important; he’s a pitching machine, not a hitting machine. Also, he’s the referee for the BFL.

Oakland Orioles 21, Pittsburgh Pirates 3

The Pirates were facing elimination coming into Week 9, with their playoff hopes hinged entirely on this game. They’d have to put up a strong performance–no, a winning performance–no, the best performance they possibly could in order to keep their season alive. But they didn’t. Instead, they had one of the worst performances of the week, one that was only kept from being the worst in the AL by BootyHunter’s struggles with the Monsters (and BootyHunter has the excuse of it being his second game). Although the Pirates didn’t do much on offense, managing only 6 runs off of 15 hits and 2 walks, the real thing that brought down their score was allowing 3 runs on defense. The Orioles wouldn’t have to do much in order to win, but they did anyway, as they scored 18 in their best home game yet. With the Blue Jays loss, this puts them atop the AL West, while the Pirates became the second team this year to take out their metro cards and board the L train to Elimination Station.

Player of the game: Mavfatha refuses to tell us what happened, citing that it would ruin the magic. Since we want to ruin the magic, the player of the game is someone who does exactly that: the two-headed worm from Samurai Jack. When does the magic begin?

Albuquerque Tapirs 25, Montreal Marlins 22
The second game played at Sandy Flats this week saw the second highest number of runs scored on the week (57 after bonuses; compare to Diamondbacks/Blue Jays, which had 62 after bonuses), the second-closest margin of any game, and a bunch of playoff intrigue to top it all off. Both teams had everyone make at least five plate appearances, only one player (Angelique Harding) failed to record a hit or score a run, and both teams combined for 33 stolen bases. How’d they do it? Well, the Tapirs had a great first inning, then hit single after single and stole a bunch of bases on the tired-out Marlins. The Marlins took a little bit longer to catch on in their game before seeing success with numerous extra-base hits and punishing the exhausted Tapirs in the late innings. In the end, the Marlins scored 1 more run than the Tapirs, but because the Tapirs were at home the home bonus pushed them past the Marlins for their sixth win in a row. This win allows the Tapirs to hold on to their lead in the wild card race while pushing the Marlins into a 2-game deficit in both the wild card and the NL East races.

Player of the game: For the Tapirs, this game was pretty much a team effort, while the Marlins relied more on a few standout players, the most impressive of whom was Perry Marx: 5-for-5, a single, a triple, and 3–count ’em, 3–home runs. From this performance, he tallied 7 RBIs, although the Marlins failed to get him in every time he didn’t hit a homer.

Boston Red Sox 14, Colorado Rockies 7

The penultimate game of the week was the battle between the Red Sox and Rockies for pole position in the wild card race. Whomever won this game was going to have sole possession of the wild card and a much better chance of making the playoffs. The loser? Would be back a game in the wild card race and lose any tiebreaker between themselves and their opponent. Needless to say, this was an incredibly important match, to which gmchappe and mbless1415 reacted by…not quite bringing their A-games. The Red Sox were below average, putting up 14 runs, a tally only one better than their season-low score of 13 (two separate games, 1-1 record). The Rockies had exactly the same experience, scoring one more run than their previous low score (a game they won on a tiebreaker). The difference? The Rockies previous low was 6. The end result is a Red Sox win, first place in the wild card chase, and when the Athletics loss this week is taken into account a tie for the lead in the AL East that they’re losing on a head-to-head tiebreaker with a game against the Athletics still to come.

Player of the game: PJ Shareef went 4-for-5 with two singles, a triple, and a home run on the way to knocking in 2 runs for the Red Sox and scoring four times himself. After the game, he showed us pictures of his pet snake relaxing on a hot rock. Nice.

Seattle Mariners 9, Crazy Cubs F

The Mariners are in a tough division and a tight playoff race, and they need wins to keep up. They wanted to make this happen, so this week they came out blasting at Cement Gardens, slamming 4 homers as they scored 10 runs with only 13 baserunners. While they did allow 3 runs to the Cubs potent offense, the home bonus left them with a 9-run lead, one that would be difficult for the Cubs to overcome as their highest score so far was 5 runs. They didn’t even try, not showing up and eventually registering a forfeit on Tuesday night. This is the Cubs second forfeit of the year and the fourth so far this season (although the Tigers and Monsters both came close in Week 7 when both coaches resigned, and a dual forfeit was on the table), and as MarcoMcGwire hasn’t checked in at all since Valentine’s Day when he submitted his game against the Braves, the Cubs might just be the third team to change coaches.

Player of the game: Tina Herrara went 2-for-2 with a single and a home run, scoring twice, knocking in 2 runs (although one of these was herself crossing the plate), and having the only stolen base of the game. Also, rumor has it that as soon as the forfeit was officially registered, Cement Gardens played Rooster at 100 dB, so that’s pretty cool.

ADDENDUM: What’s with the fields this week?

Here’s an interesting statistic for you: this week, the highest-scoring games all came at either Sandy Flats or Casa de Pablo. This is notable because they have reputations as being some of the toughest defensive parks in the game, in large part because of their slowing effects on both runners and rolling balls. Of the 23 players who played this week, 8 played at one of those two fields, and all but three of them managed to top 20 runs. To put this in perspective, nobody who played at a different ballpark this week managed to break 15. The Diamondbacks scored 29, the Tapirs scored 25, the Marlins scored 22, the Orioles scored 21, and the Blue Jays scored 20. On top of this, the only true dud games came from the Yankees (4 runs, home at La Chancla) and the Pirates (3 runs, visiting Sandy Flats), as the Angels put in another stellar performance by getting 16 runs at La Chancla against the Yankees, meaning that the top 6 games this week all came at either Sandy Flats or Casa de Pablo. On top of that, even the smallest games didn’t come at these fields, as the Devil Rays only managed a one-run win where they scored four times at The Paveway (the Pirates scored six times but allowed three runs, and the Yankees scored 4 times without allowing any) and the Monsters only managed a 1-run win at Scrapco Field where they scored thrice and allowed two runs.

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.

Angels 44, Cubs 4

In Week 6, the Cubs continued in the same vein as their last two matchups – 11 hits (12 average in Weeks 4 and 5), three extra-base hits (3.5 average), and four runs (3.5 average). They were able to successfully buck the trend of runs allowed, though, as Kenny Kawaguchi shut out the AI Angels for his first shutout of the season. But the AI Cubs were the opposite of successful in that regard – instead, they were the victims of a slaughterfest by the Angels, as the team truly broke out with the second-highest score of the entire season so far, and the best game yet by a Frontyard League team. The entire team went off, nobody getting on base less than four times, and even with only two triples and two home runs, all the Angels’ singles and doubles, combined with five walks and 23 stolen bases, worked well at Tin Can Alley to demonstrate why that can be such a desirable field. Dunkel and Koppel split pitching duty in a clean shutout to punctuate the Angels’ game, as they hope to break out of their tie for last in the NL East.

Player of the game: The entire team had a big day, but nobody more so that Julie Dunkel, who went 7-for-7 with 3 singles, 3 doubles, a home run, 6 RBI, 7 runs scored, 4 stolen bases, and 3 scoreless innings pitched.

A’s 20, Melonheads 9

A slumping Melonheads team failed to break out of it and regain their earlier form this week. Several undergrounders, as well as two home runs and 6 RBI by Fabienne Callahan, helped them to not totally bomb the game, but five of their players combining to go 3-for-16 put a damper on any rallies they attempted. That left the Athletics free to take care of business as normal, which they proceeded to do. They actually recorded their lowest run and hit + walk totals so far this week, but at 17 and 24 compared to previous lows of 18 and 26, it wasn’t noticeable in the big picture. Nomar Garciaparra had a comparatively bad day with just three singles, but his teammates picked up the slack and everybody got a piece of the action, with the A’s tacking four more home runs on as well as they continue to comfortably lead the league (sans the Indians) in that category. The A’s continue to coast to a likely playoff spot, while the Melonheads’ poor division competition can only help them stay afloat there for so long.

Player of the game: Amir Khan filled the void that Nomar left this week, 4-for-4 with two singles, two home runs, and four runs scored and batted in.

Mariners 6, Braves -2

The Braves had another standard game for them at the plate, with three home runs account for 4 of their 6 runs and Lambert, Estrada, and Thomas continuing to carry the team. But this week, they were unable to control the AI Mariners, as neither Johnson nor Huggins could stop them on the way to a game-winning 8 runs. Meanwhile, the Mariners had a similar game to their recent efforts, but with just five runs and twelve hits, it was a bit muted in comparison. The bottom five players went a collective 2-for-14, which undoubtedly was the biggest cause for their lack of output, but the top four going 10-for-12 with six extra-base hits was enough combined with their AI to carry the team to victory despite Hoskins giving up two runs on the mound. That gives the Mariners hopes of welcoming company to the basement of their division this week, even as the Braves are put in danger of sliding to their own division’s.

Player of the game: Susan Gore went 3-for-3 with a single, double, home run, and two runs scored and batted in.

Bombers 8, Expos 3

After logging their first two runs and first victory against the AI last week, the Expos followed it up with an even stronger performance this week, scoring five runs total. A three-run shot by Mike Piazza helped, and everybody except Billy Jean Blackwood got in on the action as the team set a new high of 13 hits on the game, leaving their improvement clear even if Angela Delvecchio surrendered three runs on the mound. But it wasn’t enough to stand up to the Bombers’ onslaught – seven of their players got two hits or more, and despite just four extra-base hits and 10 left on base, the resulting stream of hits was enough to drive in run after run until the team had locked up both the victory this week, and the sole division lead in the NL Central for at least one more week.

Player of the game: Terry Vega went 3-for-4 with two singles, a double, and two runs scored and batted in.

Cardinals 4, Yankees 1

Stuck at their hated Casa again and facing a strong Cardinals defense, the Yankees suffered badly this week. They got plenty of hits – a total of 14, including four by Jessica Wassersas – but extra bases were few and far between and they were only able to bring two of those runners around to score. Bobby Bulgrien also struggled on the mound, giving up a hit for every batter he struck out and giving up one run to halve the Yankees’ differential. That opened up the opportunity for the Cardinals to return to their early-season form, scoring not a lot, but enough to get the job done. Even though they got three less hits than the Yankees, they still managed to score four more runs, helped greatly by a trio of home runs, and that plus their staunch AI defense gave them the victory despite Mr. Clanky giving up two runs to the AI Yankees. The Yankees drop into a tie for last in the NL Central, while the Cardinals extend their lead in the East to two games.

Player of the game: Marseullus Marx was 2-for-3 with a single, home run, three RBI, and two scored.

Tapirs 19, Giants 2

The Giants’ latest game was squarely average when compared to their other efforts so far this season – 10 hits (average of 9.6 in the first five games) and 2 runs (average of 2.2), although like the Cubs, they were able to buck the runs allowed trend by shutting out the AI Tapirs. Their two runs this week came on a pair of solo shots by McDonnell and Futterman, with nobody else able to circle the bases this week. But if the Giants were hoping for their AI to shut out another team, they were gravely disappointed, as a Tapirs team on a hot streak continued it for their strongest game yet. While Morgan and Harding combined to go 1-for-8, everybody else on the team got on at least three times, and 18 stolen bases set them up perfectly to continue their rallies and leave just four runners on. With home runs by normally weak hitters in Haldi and Johnson, it looks like the Tapirs also benefitted from some powerups. Their latest smackdown moves them into a sole second place, nipping on the Bombers’ heels just one game behind, while the Giants continue to stagnate multiple games behind the Devil Rays.

Player of the game: Gwen Sears went 3-for-4 with two singles, a triple, two runs scored, and a team-leading 5 RBI.

Rockies 6, Orioles 6

Indians 24, Monsters 5

With Monsters coach Aesnop unable to play this week, Eauxps I. Fourgott subbed in for him, and as could be expected, they didn’t have the biggest day under the management of a substitute coach. While Liz Kinghorn went 4-for-4 and Wally Evans smacked a three-run shot to center, it was otherwise slow scoring for the Monsters, and their effort wasn’t helped when Sammy Sosa hit an extremely questionable “home run” off-screen in the left-field corner. That left an easy win for the Indians, but not an uneventful one. Their effort stood out by virtue of the fact that they had a field day smacking it out of the park – hitting an amazing total of 14 home runs on the day! With only 8 other hits, that truly did define their game, and allowed home run legend Crazyei8hts to cement his lead for the most home runs of the season, as with 11 more total than the next-closest team, he’ll be hard to catch for the rest of the season. The Indians also remain standing as the only undefeated team in the league, while the Monsters have now been knocked out of the lead in the AL East for the first time.

Player of the game: Cheryl Reynolds led the slugfest by going 4-for-4 with four solo home runs.

Tigers 16, Diamondbacks 5

Pirates 7, Blue Jays 3

The Blue Jays had one of their roughest games all season this week. While they were able to scrounge up five extra-base hits, they were of limited use when paired with just six singles, and they lost several runs of their lead when the AI Pirates lucked out by having a Crazy Bunt go outside the field but still be counted as in play. Meanwhile, after two very strong games, the Pirates fell back some this week, only scoring an eight runs that they had doubled or better in each of the past two weeks. Making their effort even more frustrating, they got a full 20 hits and one walk, meaning 13 runners were either out on fielder’s choices or left on base. Put in a different perspective, the Pirates achieved nine more hits than the Jays this game, but a mere two more runs. Still, those two runs, combined with giving up three less runs than the Jays, were enough to give them their second win in a row. The Pirates are still in the basement of the AL Central but now have a realistic chance of climbing out of it; meanwhile, with the same record of just 2-4, the Blue Jays manage to still be in a tie for the division lead with the Melonheads and Orioles.

Player of the game: Adam van Doren went 4-for-4 with two each of singles, doubles, runs scored, and RBI.

Marlins 9, Devil Rays 4

One week after getting thrashed by the Yankees AI, the Devil Rays were able to rebound. Dobbs and VanderHoek combined to shut down the AI Marlins, while three singles from Grace Tipton resulted in two runs and led the Rays’s offensive. But the Rays weren’t the only team to recover from an AI loss this week, as the Marlins bounced back and proved that the curse of the AI Devil Rays was broken in an 8-run effort where Esther French pitched a shutout. A team that normally relies on the long ball to do well, the Marlins made it through this game with no home runs at all, and four of their hitters went a combined 3-for-14, but a total 16-for-19 by their other five hitters resulted in several rallies, especially on balls hit to a struggling Dobbs in center field, that drove in quite a few runs and gave the Marlins their third victory of the season. The Devil Rays still have a two-game lead in the West, but if they continue this slide and one of their division rivals heats up, they could see that lead slip away. Meanwhile, the Marlins maintain a tie with the Braves and Angels at the bottom of the East.

Player of the game: A boosted Anna Goodreau continually contributed to the Marlins’ effort, going 4-for-4 with four singles, scoring twice, and batting in three runs.

Red Sox 22, Wombats 9

A struggling Wombats team had another game along the lines of many of their efforts this season, producing a score that was decent but not high. While the team managed to draw an impressive six walks, everybody except Vladimir Guerrero got on either two or three times, and four different players contributed home runs, they still struggled to bring runners home, with 11 of their 22 runners failing to score, and Bosworth had a dud of a game, striking out only one hitter and giving up two runs to cut into their score. The result still would have been enough to beat out several mediocre efforts by AL teams this week, but not the Red Sox. With everybody getting at least two hits, six players getting at least three, and three players getting at least four, it was another smackdown week for Boston. The fact that half of their 28 hits were for extra bases underscored their dominance for the matchup as they continue their reign of terror outside of the AL East. The Sox catch up to the Monsters with this win, as they continue to nip on the A’s heels in the East, while even in their weak division, the Wombats continue to drift in last place with no victories since Opening Week.

Player of the game: Earl Abbott was a true workhorse this week. At the plate he went 5-for-5 with three singles, two doubles, and four runs scored, while on the mound he pitched five-and-a-third scoreless innings.