Wahoos Rule!

Rumor has it the Wahoo just won his third league championship in his other Strat league. In fact, the word is he won it against the "best team in the league" by coming back from an 0-3 deficit. The Wahoo has been in that league just a few short years and already has three championships.

Congratulations to the Wahoos!

From the Chief...

In what was an epic 7-game series, SGP rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win. How it happened…

Game 1:  SGP jumped out quick with an Infante HR in the first and took a 2-0 lead. Chatfield scored the next 14 runs. Marco Estrada was forced into starting Game 1 after  SGP played 7 games in the semifinals. Tulo had 6 RBIs and 2 HRs. No. 9 hitter Desmond Jennings homered and drove in 3. Wainwright went 9 for the win.

Game 2:  AJ Burnett started for SGP. He pitched pretty poorly. Ivan Nova and 5 relievers combined for a 9-0 victory. At this point Chatfield was 6-0 in the playoffs and SGP was pretty concerned.  Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Michael Cuddyer and Matt Carpenter all drove in 2 runs for Chatfield.

Game 3: Finally, SGP got to have Max Scherzer start after his mandatory rest.  He went 9 innings. And lost, 3-2. SGP and the ChooChoos traded 2 spots in the first couple innings. But Chatfield scored a single run in the fourth and 6 pitchers were able to hang on. At this point, SGP MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt was hitting .132 for the playoffs. Yasiel Puig .205. Carlos Santana .156. Carlos Gomez .184. Ian Desmond .156. You get the idea…

Game 4: Adam Wainwright vs. Derek Holland. Going to the bottom of the 3^rd and SGP was down 4-1. Then, out of nowhere, an 8-run outburst. The inning went: single, out, double walk, HBP, single, single, single, double, single, out, single, out. Omar Infante was 5-for-5. Wainwright went all the way. SGP wins, 11-6.

Game 5:  Our final home game of the season. Must win. Marco Estrada. Yeah, same guy who got ripped in Game 1. This time he goes all the way and strikes out 8 only giving up 3 runs (2 earned) as SGP wins, 7-3. Big Bartolo Colon took the loss. SGP scored the first seven runs before Chatfield made it interesting late. Infante had 3 more hits. Goldschmidt and Adam Lind both hit their first postseason homers.

Game 6: Max Scherzer gets another start. He goes all the way and strikes out 12 while allowing 4 hits. The ChooChoos used 7 pitchers. SGP rallies to win 8-3. ChooChoos jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first. SGP scored 5 in the fourth. Ian Desmond had the big hit but everybody was getting in on the action. The victory ties the series and means there is still a chance for a miracle.

Game 7: Derek Holland vs. Adam Wainwright. And neither of them make it out of the 5^th inning. ChooChoos score 3 in the third with 2 walks and 3 singles. But the hit that will go down as one of the most clutch in SGP history happened in the fourth. Lind and Puig singled with one out. Cervelli walked. Gomez flew out. Desmond rolls HR 1-3 Fly 4-20. And hit the bomb. SGP leads 4-3. Naturally, this wasn’t it. ChooChoos tie it in the 6^th thanks to Carlos Gomez committing a 2-base error in CF. Tyson Ross, a starter and winner earlier in the series, started the eighth.  Goldschmidt coaxes a walk. Stanton and Puig K. After a wild pitch, Cervelli is walked intentionally. Carlos Gomez makes up for the error with a single to score Goldy.  Bottom of the eighth took awhile as both teams were thinking and rethinking all along. Lefty Brett Cecil gives up a lead double to Matt Carpenter. Hochever walks Tulo. Revere bunts them over. PH Scooter Gennet whiffs. PH David Ortiz walks. PH Shin Soo Choo grounds out.  SGP goes quietly in the ninth. ChooChoos have a last gasp but start with 2 quick outs. Craig Breslow comes on to face PH Dioner Navarro. He walks. Matt Carpenter doubles. Tulo comes up. Darren O’Day comes in. And Tulo pops up. Ball game over. World Series over.

Co-MVPs Omar Infante (.419) and Ian Desmond (.346 and the slam). Infante hit .410 in the playoffs.

SGP finally won its first division title this season.

SGP has 3 World Series titles after beating Littleton, Margaritaville and Chatfield.

Tweeners and Inmates Trade

The Tweeners sent Wilin Rosario to the Inmates for a reserve pick.

More Picks Change Hands

The Rhinos traded pick 54 to the Warpigs for picks 113 and 128.

And 5 minutes after posting the Mock Draft...

The Wahoos traded picks 22, 29, 45, 54, 70, and 86 to the Rhinos for picks 3 and 13.

Of course.

Christmas Eve Eve Mock Draft

This is the post you've all been waiting for. This is the post where you find out who you will take next March in the 2015 NASOMA Draft.

The Draft is a bit unusual this year, in that 5 teams have 2 picks each in the first round. Those teams doubling up are the Zaps, Nads, Rhinos, Inmates, and Goofs. The Bees, Pigs, DVs, Tweeners, and Drillers don't have a first round pick.

The selections below were made based on careful consideration (or just a passing glance, really) of player stats, player prospects, and need.

If there are any errors in my judgment (unlikely), I promise to do an updated Mock a few days prior to the Draft.

Here we go...

1. Zaps - Corey Dickerson. The Zaps drafted Corey in the Lightning Round last year and then cut him so that "he would be in the draft next year." This is a lie. Dickerson was cut because, "Ryan Sweeney is better right now than Dickerson will ever be." This is an actual Zapper quote from last March. It must be true because it has quotation marks around it.

2. Nads - Josh Harrison. The Nads follow up last year's excellent draft class with the best player in this year's draft. With Dozier and Frazier already locked in at 2b/3b, JHay will have to play a corner outfield position for the Wrinkled Pink.

3. Rhinos - Jorge Soler. He's young, right-handed, and powerful. And on his first card, he'll be a 3(-3) in RF. If the Nads go for him at pick 2, Harrison falls nicely into the Rhinos' hooves, but I think he'd prefer Soler.

4. Mavs - Jake deGrom. There are lots of talented young pitchers in this draft, and deGrom is arguably the best of the bunch. The Mavs love talented young pitchers. Plus, there's that lower case d at the start of his name which is sure to mesmerize the Mavman.

5. Goofs - Jake Arrieta. There have been years when this would have easily been the first pick in the Draft. The Goofs continue to stockpile top tier starters.

6. Wahoos - Danny Santana. The Wahoos went after pitching in last year's Draft, and, well... that didn't work. This year, he'll take the talented young Twin to play CF and double as the SS back-up.

7. Inmates - Dellin Betances. After looking at his stats again, I can't imagine he's still there at 7. What a studly card! And with all the strikeouts, he's the perfect Inmate. Expect a season-ending trip to the DL in May.

8. FFTs - Joc Pederson. The young phenom makes sense for the FFTs because he's a Dodger, but the FFTs are hurting at shortstop, and there are a couple out there. If you don't get Joc now, however, you'll never have the chance again. So if you've got an itch to grab the next Rookie of the Year, it doesn't hurt to have the Joc itch.

9. Goofs - Wade Davis. Good gravy, this guy's as good as Bettances! How the heck can relievers this good last this long?

10. Inmates - Collin McHugh. The HEAD INMATE was beginning to think he would get Betances AND Wade Davis, but will have to settle for ruining the career of McHugh instead.

11. Nads - J.D. Martinez. He doesn't really have a position to play, but plugging him into the DH spot every day will make the Nad offense formidable. Is this the year the Nads make the post season? Is this the Year of the Nads?

12. Buckeyes - Mookie Betts. It's something the likes of which we have never seen before: the Buckeyes are rebuilding with youth. Betts is a great place to start. So is Pederson if he should hang around, or if you're willing to roll the dice, Rusney Castillo. In the SOMWorld rookie draft, Betts went #2 overall behind Soler. But then... those guys are idiots.

13. Rhinos - Matt Shoemaker. There's a rumor the Rhinos are trying to trade this pick (and even pick #3) to pick up extra picks in the middle rounds, but Shoemaker would be a great pick for the Rhinos or anybody having this spot. If young starting pitchers are what you seek, Marcus Stroman or Dallas Keuchel would be good picks here, too.

14. Zaps - Carlos Carrasco. The Zaps are reloading for another chance to lose to the Snakes in the playoffs.

15. Sidewinders - Dee Gordon. Yes, the Snakes cut him just last year. And yes, it will be difficult to use a 1st to take him back. But as the Snakeman said, "How the hell is Kipnis a 4?!?"

16. Fungoes - Adeiny Hechevarria. The defending champs need to add some pitching to complement Kershaw and Roark, but until there is somebody to field the grounders up the middle, new pitchers aren't the answer. Hechavarria is a fine fielder with a lot of at bats and a fairly decent hitting card. And he gives the Fungoman another option just in case the Indians wait until Lindor is 30 before giving him his shot.

Draft Gems

The 2014 Draft List is now on the Archives page. While looking through it, I noticed a few gems. Diamonds in the rough. Whatever. Really good picks a year later. I've probably overlooked a guy here and there, but here are the ones I spotted by round.

Round 1
1. Donaldson, Drillers
6. Sonny Gray, Tweeners

Round 2
22. Dozier, Nads
31. Ozuna, Inmates

Round 3
33. J.Abreu, Drillers
40. T.Ross, Sidewinders
41. Roark, Fungoes

Round 4
59. Archer, Rhinos
61. Y.Ventura, DVs

Round 5
70. Matt Adams, Nads
72. Wong, Mavs
78. Richards, Mavs

Round 6
86. Calhoun, Nads
92. A.Wood, Goofs

Round 7
106. Kluber, Zaps (Probably the best pick of the Draft)
112. Odorizzi, Warpigs

Round 8
114. G.Polanco, Warpigs
118. Lagares, Nads (The 4th Nad on this list! Nice draft, Nadman!)

Round 11
161. Petit, FFTs
172. Rutledge, Drillers

Lightning Round
212. Corey Dickerson, Zaps (WOULD have been the best pick of the Draft, but he was a cut.)
213. Duda, Rhinos (Also a cut)

If I missed anyone, feel free to let me know in the comments.

Web Site Wordle

I added a NASOMA Wordle to the front page of the website. The team names are sized by how long they've been in the league - which answers my daughter's question after seeing the word art I had made, "Why are the Nads so small?"

Wordles

Here are two examples of what your homework assignments will look like (and many thanks to the Snakes and Buckeyes for being the first two to turn theirs in):

NASOMA.org

I have updated the ARCHIVES and the LINKS pages on the website. I think I've updated everything, but if you find any bad links or screwed-up pages, let me know.

Three-Team Trade (7 players, 2 picks)

The Inmates lose Adrian Beltre and pick 106.
The Inmates receive Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Flaherty, and pick 7

The DVs lose Lance Lynn and pick 7
The DVs receive Stephen Strasburg, Domonic Brown, Yonder Alonso, and pick 106

The Warpigs lose Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Flaherty, Stephen Strasburg, Domonic Brown, and Yonder Alonso
The Warpigs receive Adrian Beltre and Lance Lynn

Fungoes and Warpigs trade

The Warpigs traded Gerardo Parra to the Fungoes for pick 128.

Warpigs and Wahoos trade

The Wahoos traded Craig Gentry to the Warpigs for pick 97.

FFTs and Warpigs trade

Josh Rutledge was an FFT for less than 24 hours. The FFTs sent Rutledge along with picks 97 and 113 to the Warpigs for pick 65.

Drillers and FFTs Trade

The FFTs traded Jimmy Rollins and Drew Pomeranz to the Drillers for Asdrubal Cabrera, Josh Rutledge, and pick 8.

Snakes and Buckeyes Trade

The Buckeyes traded Colby Rasmus to the Sidewinders for Neftali Feliz and picks 127 and 159.

Post-Playoff Weekend

Buckeyes and Warpigs Trade

The Buckeyes traded Gerardo Parra to the Warpigs for picks 109, 141, and 157.

Trade Made at the Playoffs

The Buckeyes traded Yunel Escobar to the Drillers for Patrick Corbin.

Congratulations to the Fungoes!

The Fungoes beat the Sidewinders in 5 games to win their second NASOMA Title. Hats off to the Fungoes.

Thanks to everybody who made this a fun and successful weekend. Thanks to those teams who made an appearance. The Drillers brought the Zaps, and the FFTs brought tamales (much more enjoyable gift than the Drillers brought). The Fungoes brought drinks and donuts. The Snakes brought beer... and then drank it. The Buckeyes and Drillers showed up and made a trade.

We made a pre-World Series trip to Twisted Root for burgers and fries. (Note: It was good.) Later that evening, the Zapper and Snakeman twisted each other's root.

He got weed! He got weed!

On a personal note, a big thank you to the FFTs for the Ole Miss CWS shirt.

The 2015 Draft Grid is now posted on the website. It is, I think, current with all traded draft picks accounted for. Let me know if you see any errors or omissions. I have gone to the rosters page and changed the names of your draft picks to represent the actual numbers of the picks. Use those new numbers when trading picks.

When is the Draft? Where is the Draft? When do the ratings come out? When do the cards get here? Will the Fungoes repeat? Will the Buckeyes survive their first ever effort at rebuilding? And, knowing the Buckeyes, will they make the playoffs WHILE rebuilding?

Stay tuned.

2014 NASOMA World Series

The top two seeds are facing off in the World Series. For the top seeded Fungoes, this is their 3rd trip to the finals. They lost to the Warpigs in 1995 and beat the FFTs in 2006. Both series went 6 games. The Sidewinders are in their 4th World Series. They beat the Zaps in 1998 in their first trip and then lost to the Drillers in 2001 and to the Warpigs in 2007. All three Snake World Series have gone 5 games.

Game 1 - @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 3-0. Clayton Kershaw threw a complete game shutout.

Game 2 - @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 3-2. Brandon Moss misplayed a grounder in the bottom of the 8th for a single & error, allowing the go ahead run to score. Matt Harvey went 8 innings for the win. David Robertson got the final out for the save.

Game 3 - @ Snakeville - Fungoes won 3-2. In a familiar theme, the Fungoes won (6th game in a row) while scoring exactly 3 runs (5 of the 6 games - the other time he scored 2) with the winning run being unearned (6th game in a row). Okay, that last one might be a bit of hyperbole, but the first two stats are accurate. Glen Perkins got the win in relief of Kris Medlen with Sergio Santos getting the save. Mike Trout struck out 4 times. The Fungoes are a win away from their 2nd title.

Game 4 - @ Snakeville - Sidewinders win 3-2 in 10 innings. Jay Bruce hit a walk-off homer in the 10th off of Kershaw. The Snakes are still alive!

Game 5 - @ Snakeville - Fungoes win 5-1. Matt Harvey the win. David Robertson the save. Eric Hosmer contributed a key 2-out, 2-run double. The Fungoes are the champs!

Fungoes World Series Ramblings:

Game 1

Kershaw throws a 4 hit shutout!  Jeff Baker hits a 1st inning home run.  Ryan Zimmerman and Matt Carpenter each bang out triples leading to 2 more runs.  Fungoes win it 3-0.  Kershaw struck out 11.

Game 2

Matt Harvey allows 2 runs over 8 innings and picks up the win as the Fungoes won this one 3-2.  Harvey also strikes out 11 Snakes.  Perkins, Roark and Robertson all got one out in the ninth with Robertson picking up the save.  Sidewinders held to 5 hits by Fungo pitching.  Fungoes winning run scored on a single and E3 in the bottom of the 8th inning.  Matt Carpenter smashed 2 doubles, scored a run and drove in a run for the Fungoes.

Manager note:  up two games to none I started to believe we might win the Series!  However, we were heading to the Snakepit now and the numbers are so weird at his park we were afraid to think beyond game 3.

Game 3

Fungoes scored 2 in the first inning after two out and no one on base.  Hosmer got the two run single to put us ahead.  Medlen cruised into the bottom of the fourth looking like Harvey but when he walked the leadoff hitter he got the quick hook!  Lopez allowed an immediate triple and, two outs later an E3 tied the score at 2.  Top of the 6th inning Ryan Zimmerman leads off with a smash to 3B which is booted.  One out later Salvador Perez singles Zimmerman to third.  Rajai Davis lofts the sac fly for the go ahead run.  Perkins (3 innings) and Santos (2 innings) shut down the Sidewinders the rest of the way for the win.  Perkins gets the win while Santos picks up the save.  Santos is now 1 and 1/3 inning from the floor.  Snakes are held to 4 hits in this one.  Fungoes manage 7 hits while both teams score an unearned run.

Game 4

Fungoes stake Kershaw to a 2-0 lead and the clubhouse idiots roll out the champaign......and of course, the Snakes rally with single runs in the 5th and 7th innings to tie!  It seems like destiny for Kershaw to get the win in extra innings so his manager leaves him in......for the walk off Home run with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning.  Kershaw takes a tough 3-2 loss.  

Game 5

Harvey on the mound for the Fungoes.  Snakes take a 1-0 lead in the second.  Just when Fungo ownership starts thinking what a disaster this is shaping up to be (when the Snakes fight their way back from 0-3 to win the series), Fungoes score 2 in the 3rd and 3 more in the 5th to cruise to a 5-1 win!  Fungoes win the Series!  Santos hits the floor in the 7th inning but what an amazing Playoff and Regular season he had, allowing just one run all year!

Interesting Fungo World Series Facts:

Steve Cishek awarded MVP for the previous playoff series vs Pigs doesn't make an appearance in the World Series.

Clayton Kershaw (1.48 ERA) throws two complete games in the WS including a shutout.

Fungo pitchers allowed 4.6 hits per game to the Snakes!

Santos picks up a save in the WS and finished the playoffs with 9 innings pitched, 1 hit allowed, 7 strikeouts and zero runs allowed!

Matt Harvey (2.03 ERA) picks up 2 wins in the World Series and is awarded the WS MVP

When do we draft?

On second thought lets wait as long as possible............

Derek

In our sun-down perambulations, of late, through the outer parts of WTF, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing "base", a certain game of ball...Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms...the game of ball is glorious.

Sidewinders vs Zaps

The Sidewinders beat the Zaps 4 games to 2 to advance to the World Series.

Gm1 @ Snakeville - Sidewinders win 6-5 in 11 innings. Danny Valencia had the game winning hit. Or, I think he did. Reading the Snake box score is not an easy thing to do. Jay Bruce had a grand slam in the 4th. Craig Kimbrel got the win.

Gm2 @ Snakeville - Sidewinders win 3-1. Jon Lester gets the win; Kimbrel the save. James Loney homered.

Gm3 @ Pasta Park - Zaps win 7-5 in 10 innings. Someone hit a walk-off 2-run homer off of Tyson Ross. It appears Ross allowed 3 homers to first blow the save and then lose the game.

Gm4 @ Pasta Park - Sidewinders win 9-0. Chris Sale and four relievers combined on the 4-hit shutout. Joe Mauer and Donnie Murphy both homered for the Snakes.

Gm5 @ Pasta Park - Zaps win 10-3. The Zap bats woke up and extended the series for at least one more game.

Gm6 @ Snakeville - Sidewinders win 4-3. The game was tied in the bottom of the 8th when Brandon Moss hit a sac fly to score pinch runner Billy Hamilton. Kimbrel, who had taken over in the top of the 8th, finished off the Zaps in the 9th. The Sidewinders advance to their 4th World Series.

Fungoes vs Warpigs

The Fungoes defeated the Warpigs 4 games to 2 to advance to the World Series.

Gm1 @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 5-4 in 10 innings. The Fungoes scored 4 in the 2nd inning off of Stephen Strasburg - including a 2-run homer by Ryan Zimmerman, but Clayton Kershaw couldn't hold the lead. The Pigs came back with a 4-run 5th highlighted by Darwin Barney's 2-run double. The Fungoes won it in the 10th when Mike Trout hit the 1-4 triple, fly to end the game.

Gm2 @ WTF Field - Warpigs win 12-3. Matt Harvey threw a complete game for the Fungoes, but could no longer make sound while passing gas by the 5th inning. Jose Fernandez relieved Wily Peralta with no outs in the 1st and threw 7 innings for the win. Yoenis Cespedes went 3-5 with a double and homer and 4 RBI.

Gm3 @ The BallPork - Warpigs 3-1. Adam Wainwright took a shutout into the 9th before surrendering a run. Michael Wacha got the last out for the save. The Warpigs take a surprising 2 games to 1 lead.

Gm4 @ The BallPork - Fungoes win 2-1. The Fungoes scored a pair of unearned runs, and Kershaw and company helped even the series. Sergio Santos made his first appearance, sailing thru 1.1 innings of shutout ball, but Glen Perkins got Melky Cabrera for the save.

Gm5 @ The BallPork - Fungoes win 3-1. Bret Lawrie doubled to lead off the game against Harvey, and it was the only hit the Pigs got. Harvey, Steve Cishek (who went 3 innings for the win), and Santos (who went the last 2 innings for the save) combined for the gem. The Pig defense cost them again as the Fungoes scored 2 more unearned runs. The Fungoes only had 3 hits. Fernandez threw 6 innings in relief and took the hard luck loss.

Gm6 @ WTF Field - Fungoes win 3-1. Mike Trout hit a 1st inning 3-run homer, and that was all the Fungo staff needed. Santos got another win in relief. Wainwright pitched well after the Trout homer, but again had no run support. The Fungoes advance to their 3rd World Series.

From the Fungoes...

Fungoes vs Warpigs

 

Game 1

Freddie Galvis scored the winning run when Mike Trout tripled in walk off fashion (yes yes triple 1-4 flyout 5-20, I know I know) in extra innings.  Galvis was on base via a HBP.  That was the only batter Warpig pitchers hit during the 6 game series.  It was also the only time Freddie was on base the entire series.

 

Game 2

Jose Fernandez came in to pitch after the Fungoes first 2 batters reached on a walk and a triple.  The first batter Fernandez faced was Daniel Murphy and he hit a sac fly to tie the game at 2.  Fernandez then pitched 7 innings striking out 9 Fungoes along the way picking up the win.  Harvey threw a complete game for the Fungoes (saving the bullpen) allowing 12 earned runs.

 

Game 3

Fungoes reliever Javier Lopez made his only relief appearance in this series when he started the bottom of the 6th inning.  He gave up a leadoff single and was quickly pulled.  Too late though, as he got the loss, so his playoff line is 1 appearance, 0 innings pitched, 1 hit allowed, 1 run allowed, and yes 1 loss and the dreaded ERA of INFINITY!

 

Game 4

In a 2-1 Fungo win Brett Gardner drove in the winning run for the Fungoes with 2 out in the 7th inning.  His 2 out single brought in Mike Trout with the winning run.  It was Brett Gardner's ONLY hit in the series as he hit a dismal .067!

 

Game 5

Matt Harvey (0-1 8.31 ERA) started this game and allowed a leadoff double that scored on an E6 (unearned).  That leadoff double was the Warpigs ONLY hit as Harvey - Cishek - Santos threw a no hitter for the following 9 innings (the hit occured before the first out of the contest).  Cishek recorded his second win.

 

Game 6

A Mike Trout 3 run home run in the first inning sealed the Warpig's fate as Fungoes pitchers scattered 5 hits  the rest of the way.  Santos picked up the win in relief finishing off the 5th inning and shutting down the Pig hitters in the 6th and 7th.  

 

Picking an MVP for this series was almost impossible; none of the Fungo hitters deserved the MVP and really the only pitchers that could be considered were Cishek and Santos.  Cishek receives the MVP based on his 9 and 1/3 shutout innings and 2 wins in relief.   In 24 innings, the Fungo bullpen allowed 3 runs (all earned) picking up 3 wins and 3 saves.

2014 NASOMA Playoffs Resumes Today

The dice will be rolling at the PigSty today. Come on by. The Warpigs and Fungoes will get started first - around 9:00. The Zapper will get here around noon (assuming the Driller Dude remembers to pick him up at the airport), and the Zaps and Snakes will get started then. The World Series will be some time tonight after their series finishes.

Any predictions? I'll say Fungoes in 4 over the inept Pigs and the Snakes in 7 over the Zaps. That series should be recorded. It will be entertaining. World Series prediction: Fungoes in 5.

One More Set of Ranges...

SOM released more ranges yesterday. They chose this set of players based on requests.

B.Hamilton cf-1

B.Dozier 2b-1

X.Bogaerts ss-4, 3b-4

C.Kershaw is the first pitcher with an 8 endurance rating since Cliff Lee in 2010.

J.Bautista rf-3(-4), cf-4

J.Peralta ss-3

H.Ramirez ss-4

B.Zobrist 2b-2, lf/rf-2, ss-3, cf-4

A.Rendon 3b-2, 2b-3

J.Harrison 3b-2, 2b-3, lf/rf-3(-1), ss-4

Y.Puig rf-2(-5), cf-3

Two Trades Today

The Buckeyes traded Ed Lucas to the FFTs for Martin Perez.

The Warpigs traded Jacoby Ellsbury to the FFTs for Lorenzo Cain.

More Range Ratings

SOM revealed more today...

N.Markakis rf-1

M.Betts 2b-3, cf/rf-4(0)

A.Eaton cf-2(-1)

J.Kipnis 2b-4 (!!!!)

JD.Martinez lf/rf-4(+1)

G.Springer rf-2(-2), cf-3

S.Perez c-1; E.Hosmer 1b-1; A.Escobar ss-1; L.Cain cf/rf-1  (along with Dyson, KC has 5 1s)

K.Calhoun rf 2(-2)

D.Santana ss-3, cf-3(-1)

C.Headley 3b-2, 1b-3

J.Reddick rf-1(-4), cf-3

R.Cano 2b-2

K.Kiermaier rf-1(-3), cf-2

A.Beltre 3b-1

A.Gose of-1(-3)

A.Hill 2b-4, 3b-4

J.Heyward rf-1(-4)

J.Baez 2b-3, ss-3

T.Frazier 3b-2, 1b-3

DJ.Lemahieu - 2b-1

D.Gordon 2b-3

G.Stanton rf-2(-3)

K.Davis lf-3(+3)

L.Duda 1b-3, lf-(5(+3)

M.Byrd rf-2(-1)

N.Walker 2b-3

J.Jay cf-2(+2), lf/rf-3 (He's better in cf than in lf/rf.)

J.Gyorko 2b-4

J.Panik 2b-2

D.Span cf-1(-1)

Twitter Range Sneak-peeks

SOM released one player from each team on Twitter today. They'll do another round tomorrow.

J.Schoop 2b-2
C.Vazquez c-2(-4)
J.Abreu 1b-4
C.Santana c-4(0), 1b-3, 3b-5
I.Kinsler 2b-1
J.Altuve 2b-3
J.Dyson lf-2, cf-1
D.Freese 3b-5
J.Mauer 1b-3
D.Jeter ss-4
J.Donaldson 3b-1
D.Ackley lf-2(+2)
Y.Escobar ss-4
E.Andrus ss-2
J.Reyes ss-3
E.Inciarte of-2(-1)
F.Freeman 1b-2
J.Soler rf-3(-3)
J.Bruce rf-2(-4), 1b-5
C.Blackmon of-3(0)
A.Ethier lf/rf-3(-1), cf-4
M.Ozuna of-2(-3)
J.Lucroy c-1(0), 1b-4
J.Lagares cf-1(-4)
B.Revere cf-3(+3)
S.Marte lf-1(-3), cf-2
M.Adams 1b-2
W.Venable of-2(?)e0
B.Crawford ss-1
A.Cabrera 2b-2, ss-4

Individual Stats

Miguel Cabrera of the Zaps won the league's triple crown. Maybe this year he will actually DESERVE the MVP. (Yep, still bitter.)

Pitching leaders boiled down to the Warpigs and Fungoes, as the same 5 SPs from these 2 teams finished 1-5 in both ERA and Shutouts, with league records being broken in both.

Batting Average
Mi.Cabrera, Zaps .337
Werth, Bees .332
Mauer, SSW .332

Homers
Mi.Cabrera, Zaps 46
C.Davis, Mavs 44
Werth, Bees 41

Runs Batted In
M.Cabrera, Zaps 128
Goldschmidt, Zaps 118
C.Davis, Mavs/Werth, Bees 113

Stolen Bases
Segura, Inmates 50

Doubles
Carpenter, Fungoes 56

Triples
Trout, Fungoes 13

Runs Scored
McCutchen, Zaps 124

Most Strikeouts
C.Davis, Mavs 236

Most Errors
Alexei Ramirez, Goofs 25

Wins
Kershaw, Fungoes 23-7
Wainwright, Warpigs 23-9
Colon, SSW 21-6

ERA
Fernandez, Warpigs 1.85 (new league record)
Wainwright, Warpigs 2.13
Kershaw, Fungoes 2.40
Strasburg, Warpigs 2.42
Harvey, Fungoes 2.77

Saves
Kimbrel, SSW 54
Uehara, Buckeyes 46

Shutouts
Kershaw, Fungoes 9 (new league record)

Strikeouts
Darvish, Goofs 297

Complete Games
C.Lee, Killer Bees 15

Most Losses
Leake, FFTs 4-20

Team Stats

Some quickie team stats leaders...

ERA
Warpigs 3.01
Fungoes 3.24
Tweeners 3.27
(highest - FFTs 4.85)

Shutouts
Drillers 21 (tied league record)
Fungoes 20
Warpigs 19
(fewest - Wahoos 2)

Strikeouts
Killer Bees 1327

Complete Games
Rhinos 57
(fewest - Mavs 1)

Most Homers Allowed
Buckeyes 227

Batting Average
Zaps .2784
Wahoos .2778
(lowest - Nads .229)

Runs
Zaps 906
(fewest - Nads 562)

Home Runs
Zaps 272
Killer Bees 265
(fewest - Goofs 120)

OBP
Zaps .352
(lowest - Nads .291)

Slugging
Zaps .485
(lowest - Goofs/Nads .361)

Most Errors
Killer Bees 109 (despite no pitcher errors for the 17th year in a row)

Tweeners and Drillers Trade

The Tweeners traded Oscar Tavares and a reserve pick to the Drillers for Michael Saunders.

2nd Round and World Series Schedule

Come one, come all. The 2014 NASOMA Playoffs will resume at the PigSty on Saturday, December 6th. The Fungoes and Warpigs will square off that morning, and the first pitch between the Sidewinders and the Zaps should take place around noon. The World Series will follow after that series finishes.

All are welcome!

First Round Playoff Series - Buckeyes vs Warpigs

Cards and dice.

First 2 games at The BallPork

Game 1 - Warpigs win 7-5. The Warpigs blasted A.J. Burnett for 6 runs in the 1st inning, 3 coming on a home run by Scott Van Slyke. Adam Wainwright was shaky, but went 8.2 innings for the win, getting last out save help from Michael Wacha. Austin Jackson had an RBI double in the 1st and an RBI triple in the 3rd. That 3rd inning triple was the last hit the Pigs would get.

Game 2 - Warpigs win 2-1. The Buckeyes had runners at the corners in the 9th, but Jose Fernandez was called in to get the last out for the save. Tyler Lyons threw 2.1 dandy innings to get the win in relief of Stephen Strasburg, who pitched pretty well himself. The game-winning hit was a solo homer by Brandon Crawford in the bottom of the 8th off of R.A. Dickey. The Buckeyes outhit the Warpigs 10-5.

Next 3 games at the Buckeye Bandbox

Game 3 - Buckeyes win 6-4. The Buckeyes built a 4-0 lead behind Jeanmar Gomez, but the Pigs scored 4 in the top of the 8th, the last 3 coming on a pinch hit homer by Yoenis Cespedes. But Jose Fernandez could not get Ryan Doumit out. He jacked a 3-run homer in the 6th and a 2-run shot in the 8th, both off of Fernandez. Doumit, dammit.

Game 4 - Warpigs win 6-2. The Warpigs scored in each of the first 4 innings. Yadier Molina and Yoenis Cespedes both hit home runs, and A.J. Pollock hit two bombs, both off of Travis Wood. Tyler Lyons (1.2), Casey Fien (1.2), and Jose Fernandez (2.2) shut down the Buckeye bats after Wily Peralta threw a gutsy 3 innings.

Game 5 - Warpigs win 2-0. Adam Wainwright went 5.2, Tyler Lyons got David Ortiz out in the 6th with the tying run at 2nd, and Jose Fernandez threw the last 3 innings in this shutout. Scott Van Slyke homered in the 2nd and later added a 9th inning RBI double (on a 2b-1, out the rest that scored Molina from 1st 1-10 with 2 outs).

The Buckeyes outhit the Warpigs in 4 of the 5 games, and outhit them 43-32 for the series. The Series MVP goes to Tyler Lyons, who went 2-0 and threw 7.1 innings in 4 games, allowing 4 hits, no runs, no walks, while striking out 7. Adam Wainwright also went 2-0. Jose Fernandez had 3 saves.

The Warpigs advance to play the top-seeded Fungoes in round 2.

2015 Draft Order for Non-Playoff Teams

The order of the Draft (without regard to which picks have been traded), is as follows:

1. FFTs (55-107)
2. Nads (66-96)
3. Rhinos (72-90)
4. Mavs (72-90) - The Mavs went 6-4 vs the Rhinos.
5. SuperGoofs (73-89)
6. Wahoos (76-86)
7. DVs (77-85)
8. Drillers (77-85) - The Drillers went 6-4 vs the DVs.
9. Killer Bees (79-83)
10. Inmates (86-76)

After the playoffs, I will post a draft grid that includes all of the trades.

First Round Playoff Series - Tweakers vs Zaps

The Zaps and Tweakers are netplaying their first round playoff series today. Results will be posted here.

The Zaps won the Millard Fillmore Division and are the #3 seed with a record of 94-68.

The Tweakers finished 1 game ahead of the Inmates for the final Wild Card spot. The Ab Wheeler Division runners-up had a record of 87-75.

Game 1 - Zaps win 4-0 - Miguel Cabrera launched 2 homeruns and had 3 RBI and Max Scherzer went 9 solid innings at PNC Park where the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS beat the NORM TWEENERS by the score of 4 to 0. The TRISTAN fans enjoyed the offense provided by Cabrera. He popped a two-run clout over the fence in the 1st inning and blasted a solo shot in the 8th inning. TRISTAN had 7 hits for the afternoon. Scherzer(15-9) was credited with the shutout. Felix Hernandez(1-2) was the loser. He allowed 3 runs and 6 hits in 6 and 1/3 innings.

Game 2 - Tweakers win 6-2 - Gonzo pitched 5 shutout innings and homers by Byrd, Gomes, and Lind powered the Tweakers.

Game 3 - Zaps win 6-4 - In a two run game the smoking-hot TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS got by the NORM TWEENERS by the score of 6 to 4. Zack Greinke(15-11) looked very much in control throughout the day. He didn't give up much, just 5 hits and 1 walk in 8 innings. Greinke struckout 9 NORM batters. TRISTAN banged out 8 hits on the afternoon. Bobby Parnell earned the save, his 14th. Hisashi Iwakuma(0-3) was the loser. He surrended 3 homeruns in his 8 innings.

Game 4 - Tweakers win 3-2 - Series tied two games apiece

Madison Bumgarner delivered 8 solid innings as the NORM TWEENERS beat the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS by a score of 3 to 2. NORM had 2 runs cross the plate in the bottom of the 4th inning. TRISTAN had a chance to come back in the 9th but they came up short. Bumgarner(3-1) went 8 innings allowing 1 run for the victory. Bumgarner was helped out by Sonny Gray who recorded his 2nd save. Francisco Liriano(10-8) was the loser. He was touched for 6 hits and 2 walks in 3 and 2/3 innings. 'We lose our concentration for one pitch, and we lose the game.' TRISTAN's manager said after the game. 'Maybe now these guys will listen when I say they have to concentrate on EVERY pitch.'    

Game 5 - Zaps win 8-0 - Three-hit complete game shutout by Scherzer.

Game 6 - Tweakers win 6-4 - We have a game 7.

Left fielder Marlon Byrd hit a homerun and had 3 RBI at PNC Park as the NORM TWEENERS beat the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS by the count of 6 to 4. TRISTAN lost it in the 5th inning when NORM did all their damage when they scored 6 runs on 5 hits. The critical plate appearance was by Byrd who helped quiet the crowd when he belted a three-run homer. NORM ended up with 10 hits for the game while TRISTAN had 5. The victory went to Gio Gonzalez(1-0) who went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs. Gonzalez was helped out by Luis Avilan who recorded his 2nd save. Cole Hamels(17-10) was the loser. 'He gutted it out' NORM's manager said of Gonzalez. 'I was very impressed by his tenacity.'    

Game 7 - Zaps win 4-2 - Zaps wins the series.

Greinke throws a complete game five-hitter and Miggy's three-run tater
stands up.

End of Regular Season

The Nads went 1-1 vs the Wahoos and 2-3 vs the Sidewinders to end the regular season.

Let the playoffs begin.

Wahoos 3, Nads 2

Games played at Wahoos.

Rhinos 2, Wahoos 2

The Rhinos and Wahoos split the final four games of the season

June 21

Wahoos win 6 – 0

Jordan Zimmermann blanked the Rhinos in a complete game shutout giving up just 6 hits and 1 walk. C.C. Sabathia was tagged with the loss.

June 22

Rhinos win 10 – 7

The Rhinos scored 5 runs in the top of the 2nd inning with the help of 3 hits.  The highlight belonged to Robinson Cano who doubled with the bases loaded scoring all three runners.  The Rhinos offense pounded out 12 hits in route to their victory.

Aug 2

Rhinos win 5-4

The game was deadlocked at 4 after nine full innings.  But the Rhinos managed to pull out the win in the 10^th inning when Nick Markakis lead off with a doubled, Matt Dominguez got his chance to keep things going, but he went down on strikes.  One out later, Robinson Cano was walked intentionally and Matt Kemp stepped in and promptly lined a base-hit to center resulting in an exciting win for the Rhinos.

Aug 3

Wahoos win 6-5

Randall Delgado was touched for 4 homeruns in his 6 and 2/3 innings of work and Caleb Thielbar quieted any hopes that the Rhinos had by pitching a perfect top of the ninth for the save.

Playoff Seeds

With the Zaps finishing his season, the playoff teams have been determined.

The first round will have the Buckeyes (5) facing the Warpigs (4), and the Tweeners (6) facing the Zaps (3). Awaiting the winners of those series will be the Fungoes and Sidewinders. The Snakes have 5 games left. A Snake sweep will give him the same record as the Fungoes, otherwise the Fungoes will have the top seed.

The Inmates missed the playoffs by 1 game and will have lucky pick #10.

Zaps 5, Nads 0

The Zaps were firing on all cylinders to sweep the series.

Game 1- Zaps clinch the division powered by Liriano's three-hit shutout. Bautista, two taters, and Miggy, one tater, provided the offense in a 12-0 win.
Game 2- Lackey and the bullpen turn in another three-hit shutout of the Nads. Miggy provides the offense by driving in two with a double and hitting a two-run tater in the 10-0 whitewash.
Game 3-The Zaps score five runs in the first inning powered by Bautista's granny. Scherzer goes the distance for the 6-3 triumph.
Game 4-The Zaps broke open a close game in the home half of the eighth behind a lead-off home run by McCutchen and a two-run, pinch hit triple by Chase Utley (UCLA Bruin alum). The rally preserved the win for Cole Hamels.
Game 5- A strong outing by Greinke gives the Zaps the nod in the finale. Goldschmidt's two-run double was the key hit in the 5-2 game.

Zaps 3, Fungoes 2

It was a back and forth series.
Game 1-Harvey and Hamels hooked up in a 1-1 pitcher's duel until Fungoe
Man pulled Matt because of a pitch count after six innings. When Navarro
hit a grand slam off of Perkins in the home half of the 8th inning
Harvey went nuts tearing up the dugout and the clubhouse, and rumor has
it he hurt his elbow while doing so!
Game 2-The Fungoes chase Niese early and take advantage of six walks to
counter the Zaps 3-1 edge in taters to back Medlen's complete game 8-4
triumph.
Game 3-The Zaps feast on David Price for two runs in the first and five
runs in the second. Liriano tires in the 6th but the big lead allows the
pen to curise to an 11-4 victory.
Game 4-Kershaw and Niese duel to a 3-3 tie through seven innings but the
Fungoes get an unearned run off in the top of the 9th to give Cishek the
win in relief.
Game 5-Scherzer pitches a strong seven innings to out duel Medlen in the
getaway game. The big blow is a Navarro three-run tater that gets the
scoring started in the home half of the 4th inning. The pen barely hangs
onto to the lead for a 5-4 win.

Zaps 3, Killer Bees 2

Game One- At PNC Park the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS outscored the PHILIP Killer Bees 4 to 1. TRISTAN came up with 3 runs in the 4th inning. After an out was recorded, Paul Goldschmidt opened up the rally as he stroked a base-hit. Miguel Cabrera next to the plate and he reached on an error. Dioner Navarro then smacked a three-run homer. TRISTAN out-hit PHILIP for the game, 10 hits to 4. Zack Greinke(13-11) was the winner allowing 1 run in 5 and 1/3 innings. Brad Ziegler was credited with his 10th save. Cliff Lee(3-1) was the losing pitcher. He allowed 3 runs and 4 hits in 5 innings.

Game Two-The TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS bested the PHILIP Killer Bees by a 12 to 8 score at PNC Park. TRISTAN promptly took the lead in their half of the first as they scored 3 runs on 4 base hits. PHILIP had a chance in the 9th but they came up short. The win was credited to Francisco Liriano(9-6) who went 5 innings allowing 4 runs. Julio Teheran(2-1) was tagged with the loss. He gave up 4 hits and no walks in 1/3 of an inning.

Game Three-Julio Teheran went the distance at PNC Park as the PHILIP Killer Bees embarrassed the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS by the lopsided score of 13 to 2. Teheran(3-1) earned his pay with a solid performance for PHILIP. He was reached for 5 hits and 5 walks in 9 innings lowering his ERA to 2.79. PHILIP totaled 13 hits on the afternoon. The losing pitcher was Francisco Liriano(9-7). He allowed PHILIP 5 runs in 3 innings of work.

Game Four-TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS won a dramatic crowd-pleaser over PHILIP Killer Bees at PNC Park pulling it out in their last at bats, 12 to 9. TRISTAN scored the winning runs in the 9th inning scoring 3 runs on 3 hits. Miguel Cabrera got things going when he ripped a one-base hit. Jose Reyes stepped up next and he hit a single. Jose Bautista then rifled a three-run blast giving TRISTAN the win and sending the home town fans into a frenzy. PHILIP was out-hit by TRISTAN, 15 hits to 11. The winning pitcher was Bobby Parnell(4-1) who allowed no runs in 1 inning. Luke Hochevar(0-1) took the loss in relief. He gave up 4 runs and 4 hits in 1 inning.

Game Five- The PHILIP Killer Bees bested the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS by a 7 to 4 score at PNC Park. PHILIP set the tone of the game in the first inning when they came up with 4 runs on 2 hits. The key at-bat was by Daniel Nava who quieted the crowd when he doubled emptying the bases. TRISTAN went down quietly in the bottom of the 9th. Tim Lincecum(1-2) went 5 and 2/3 innings allowing 4 runs for the win. Louis Coleman earned his 1st save. Max Scherzer(13-9) ended up with the loss. He got hit pretty hard, allowing 9 hits and 6 walks in 6 innings.

MadBum

Well, everyone figured the post season would be dominated by a left-hander... we just figured it would be that guy down in LA.

22 Years Old

Cardinal rookie Oscar Taveras died in a car crash today. He was 22.

Warpigs 8, DVs 2

The Pigs made the drive up to Tulsa this weekend for the BUD championship. Both teams entered the 10-game series with identical records. The first one to 6 was the winner (including a possible game 11 to break the tie).

The Warpigs started off hot and the DVs started off cold, and it didn't vary much the whole series, which included the most amazing finish I've ever seen in game 4.

First three @ DV Field

Gm1 - Warpigs win 6-1 - Brandon Crawford silenced the rowdy DV crowd with a 2nd inning Grand Slam off of Andrew Cashner. Yonder Alonso hit a 2-run homer the next inning, and Adam Wainwright (22-9) won his 22nd game.

Gm2 - Warpigs win 6-4 - The DVs scored 4 in the 2nd inning on 2 singles, 4 walks, and an error. But Brandon Crawford hit another homer in the 5th and the DV lead was 4-3 going into the 6th. A.J. Pollock and Albert Pujols hit back-to-back pinch hit home runs in the 6th to give the Pigs the lead, and Jose Fernandez (15-5), with some stellar relief work, got the win. Tyler Lyons picked up his 3rd save of the year.

Gm3 - Warpigs win 6-3 - Stephen Strasburg (16-8) went 8.1 innings for the win. Yoenis Cespedes and Albert Pujols homered. Dexter Fowler and Giancarlo Stanton homered for the DVs.

Next three @ The BallPork

Gm4 - Warpigs win 5-4 - This one was unbelievable. The Pigs led 3-2 going to the top of the 9th. Casey Fien was on in relief, but the first batter up was Brian McCann, and Fien doesn't like lefties. The next two batters, however, were RHers, so Fien cautiously faced McCann. All we needed him to do in this park, was avoid 6-5. The roll? 6-5. Gone. Game tied. Fien stayed in to face the righties. Next batter was Allen Craig... 6-5. Again. This homer they had to roll for, but back-to-back rolls of 6-5 gave the DVs the lead. On to the bottom of the 9th. The first two Pig batters go meekly against Tommy "Big Game" Hunter. Austin Jackson was the next scheduled hitter, and the bench had already been emptied. BUT... Michael Bourn was at DH, so the Pigs reached for Pitcher Hitting Card #7 and brought Jose Fernandez to the plate. He rolled 2-3 for the game tying homer. Un-fucking-believable. When Jose reached home, he was met by DV catcher Brian McCann and words were exchanged. Both benches emptied. When order was restored, the DVs were faced with a dilemma: Let the reeling Hunter face Brandon Crawford or go to a lefty. The only thing to worry about was... get this... a solid HR vs LH on... yep, 6-5. He left him in. Crawford's roll? 6-5. Ballgame. (Additional note: the date of this game was July 4th. So yes, there were fireworks.)

Gm5 - Warpigs win 3-1 - Strasburg (17-8) needed 2.1 innings of bullpen help, but the Pigs held on for their 5th straight victory of the weekend, and 7th straight overall. Casey Fien, Tyler Lyons, and Michael Wacha each allowed a baserunner in the 9th to load the bases, but Wacha struck out the last two batters for the save.

Gm6 - DVs win 6-1 - Zack Wheeler was forced to start a game because of inning problems, and he pitched better than expected. The teams were tied 1-1 into the 8th when the DV bats finally woke up. Wheeler took the tough loss, getting no help from the bullpen.

Last 4 @ DV Field

Gm7 - Warpigs win 4-1 - Jose Fernandez (16-5) hit the floor after 5 innings of shutout ball but was around long enough to the the win. The game ended with an odd situation. Because the Pigs had used all of their relievers except Terrible Tommy Milone and Nick "Firestarter" Tepesch, the Warpig choices were limited in the bottom of the 9th when the DVs loaded the bases with nobody out. Wacha got a K and a popout, but Matt Holliday was up - not a great match-up for Wacha. The decision, questionable as it was, was to bring in Milone to face Holliday. He got the out for the save. The Pigs clinched the BUD with this victory.

Gm8 - Warpigs win 5-0 - Strasburg (18-8) used his last 9 innings to throw a complete game shutout. He allowed only 4 singles and struck out 11.

Gm9 - DVs win 3-1 - Both teams reached down deep on their benches for this game. Both lineups looked like a Spring Training game. Jake Odorizzi, spot starting for the inning-depleted Wily Peralta, pitched well in only his 2nd start of the year. In fact, he did not take the loss.

Gm10 - Warpigs win 14-2 - The DVs experimented, allowing each reliever to throw an inning. The experiment failed. Yonder Alonso had 4 hits including 1 of 4 Pig homers in the game. Adam Wainwright (23-9) got the win.

BUD Showdown Weekend

The Pigman heads to Tulsa for a showdown with the DVs.

Inmates 6, Wahoos 4

INMATES 6 – WAHOOS 4 (all games via netplay)

It was the best of rolls; it was the worst of rolls…

The Inmates needed to win 7 of 10 for a chance to make the playoffs.

Inmates 4 – Wahoos 3 (12 innings – Baptist Bowl): Verlander and Chacin lock into an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel. The Inmates head into the bottom of the 9^th trailing 3-1 when Melancon, with the help of a Desmond error, implodes and allows a pair of LDMF runs to score (highlighted by a solo HR by Parra). This allowed the Wahoos to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory in the 12^th, when Cargo hit a walk-off tater to complete the Inmates’ come-from-behind victory. THE BEST OF ROLLS.

Wahoos 8 – Inmates 7 (Baptist Bowl): Tired of the Wahoos having their way with the ever easy Stults, Inmate management brings Nud Borris into the game in the 3^rd with one out and the bases loaded to save the day. After one pitch, the day WAS saved – for Desmond, who promptly hit a 791 foot grand salami. The Inmates battle back, but can’t catch up.

Wahoos 8 – Inmates 3 (The Reservation): The Inmates jump to a fast 3-0 lead off of Sanchez, then Chacin gets looser than a $10 crack whore and allows eight runs (five earned) to give the game to the ‘Hoos. Aoki and Beltran had four doubles between them.

Wahoos 4 – Inmates 2 (The Reservation): Verlander pitches well (again) and Stults pitched shitty (again), putting the LDMF in a situation where they had to win out to make the post season. THE WORST OF ROLLS.

Inmates 12 – Wahoos 5 (The Reservation): Could there be life left in the Inmates’ bats? The Beakless Chicken Gang piled on 12 runs and 16 hits to beat the Wahoos, despite Aoki’s two taters. THE BEST OF ROLLS.

Inmates 5 – Wahoos 3 (Baptist Bowl): A 5-run Inmate fourth, highlighted by a Rizzo 3-run HR, was all the LDMF needed for the win. Is there still hope for the playoffs?

Inmates 3 – Wahoos 1 (Baptist Bowl): A Pedroia HR in the 1^st was all the scoring the Wahoos could muster off Danny Salazar, who K’d 12 in 7.1 IP. Inmate front office staff start printing playoff tickets.

Inmates 6 – Wahoos 1 (Baptist Bowl): The Baptist Bowl Juggernaut continues with Straily pitching a very solid 8.1 innings. Jones and Pierzynski both homered in a game that was never close. Confidence levels are high. THE BEST OF ROLLS.

Wahoos 11 – Inmates 10 (The Reservation): With the Inmates down 8-5 in  the 7^th, Josh Satin hit a G-Slammer to cause both Inmate fans to soil themselves with joy as the BC Gang took a 9-8 lead. The Inmate Arson Squad blew the game, and themselves, however, allowing the ‘Hoos one run in the last of the 7^th and a pair in the 8^th on a Beltran single with the infield in. Beltre made two #$%@! errors (HAL is an asshole), meaning only five of the Wahoos eleven runs were earned. An Inmate run in the 9^th made the game closer, but not close enough. Shitfuck. THE WORST OF ROLLS.

Inmates 6 – Wahoos 5 (The Reservation): In a game that was now meaningless to the LDMF, the Inmate pitching staff pitched like a bunch of pussies, the hitters swung bats like crack fairies, and Verlander pitched like Walter Johnson. For 8 innings (THE WORST OF ROLLS). All hell broke loose in the 9^th, as the Inmates scored six times to take the lead. Then Furbush and Grilli slammed the door in the last of the inning for the improbable victory (THE BEST OF ROLLS). Alas and alack! It was all for naught as the Baptists from Waco finish the year one game behind the Tweakers for the last playoff berth.

Fuckshit.

The HEAD INMATE

Zaps 5, Drillers 2

Game 1-Center fielder Andrew McCutchen had 5 hits and scored 4 times and Jean Machi went 3 and one third innings for the victory at PNC Park as the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS beat the SHAWN DRILLERS in 10 innings by the count of 8 to 7. Both teams were tied at 7 runs apiece after nine innings. Finally, TRISTAN pulled the game out in the 10th inning. After an out was recorded, McCutchen smashed a bases-empty 'big-fly' making TRISTAN victorious to the delight of the the home town crowd. TRISTAN finished with 10 hits in the victory. Machi(5-1) went 3 and 1/3 innings allowing no runs for the victory. Luke Gregerson(0-1) was the loser in relief. He pitched 2 and 1/3 innings and surrendered 1 hit and 2 walks.

Game 2-Cole Hamels whiffed 10 batters and Ryan Sweeney launched 2 homeruns and had 3 RBI as the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS defeated the SHAWN DRILLERS by a score of 10 to 1 at PNC Park. The home town fans were very appreciative of the fine hitting performance provided by Sweeney. He delivered a solo blast in the 3rd inning and blasted a solo shot in the 8th inning. TRISTAN had 10 hits for the afternoon. The victory was credited to Hamels(14-4) who went the distance, allowing 1 run. Mike Minor(3-2) was the loser. He served up 3 homeruns in his 8 innings. TRISTAN's manager was asked about the performance of Hamels, 'He had his good stuff out there this afternoon. The fans really get into it when the strikeouts start mounting up - and that seems to give him even more adrenalin.'

Game 3-The TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS defeated the SHAWN DRILLERS by a score of 7 to 3 at PNC Park. Zack Greinke(8-8) pitched a fine game. He surrendered 7 hits and 2 walks in 7 and 1/3 innings. Greinke struckout 8 SHAWN batters. TRISTAN finished with 11 hits in the victory. Ricky Nolasco(3-2) was charged with the loss. He pitched 6 innings allowing 10 hits and 1 walk.

Game 4- Third baseman Manny Machado had 3 base hits and 2 RBI as the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS defeated the SHAWN DRILLERS by a score of 10 to 6 at PNC Park. TRISTAN won the game with an offensive outburst in the bottom of the 8th inning when they exploded for 8 runs on 7 hits. The critical plate appearance was by Machado who made the crowd happy when he stroked a base-hit bringing home two baserunners. Both teams totaled 13 hits on the afternoon. Corey Kluber(4-1) got the win allowing 4 runs in 3 innings. Joe Nathan(0-2) was hit with the loss in relief. He pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up 1 hit and 2 walks.

Game 5- Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera launched 2 homeruns and had 3 RBI and Alex Cobb pitched 6 strong innings as the SHAWN DRILLERS beat the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS by a score of 6 to 1. Cabrera was a thorn in the side of the hometown fans as he enjoyed a fine day at their team's expense. He popped a two-run clout over the fence in the 3rd inning and ripped a solo home run in the 5th inning. TRISTAN was out-hit by SHAWN, 10 hits to 3. The victory went to Cobb(2-3) who went 6 innings, allowing no runs. Zack Greinke(8-9) was charged with the loss. He surrended 3 homeruns in his 5 innings. 'Ahhh, how sweet it is,' SHAWN's manager sighed. 'That win feels like a tall, cool drink of water after spending far too much time in the desert lately.'

Game 6-One run was the difference at PNC Park as the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS defeated the SHAWN DRILLERS 6 to 5. Jean Machi(6-1) came through for TRISTAN's manager with an excellent relief stint. He gave up just 1 hit and no walks in 2 innings. SHAWN made it exciting in the 9th, but they were unable to push the needed runs across. Brad Ziegler earned the save, his 9th. Mike Minor(3-3) took the loss. He surrendered 8 hits and 1 walk in 7 and 1/3 innings.

Game 7-Yasiel Puig slammed a homerun and had 3 RBI as the SHAWN DRILLERS topped the TRISTAN VIVAZAPASTAS by a score of 8 to 5 at PNC Park. In the 7th inning SHAWN scored 4 runs when they had 4 base hits. The big moment was provided by Desmond Jennings who silenced PNC Park as he tripled bringing home two baserunners. SHAWN finished with 13 hits while TRISTAN ended up with 10. The victory went to Ivan Nova(2-1) who went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs. Joe Nathan got the save, his 10th. Brad Ziegler(1-4) was hit with the loss in relief.