So while the trading deadline sparked a number of moves in MLB, the BaseballGB trade deadline passed without any deals being made. But in an eventful week, the top of the standings has a new look to it.
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What a week for the ‘Cuse, who came up big in a matchup with the Stuff. The ‘Cuse put up crazy run and RBI numbers, while hitting .343 for the week. Ellsbury scored 12 runs and Kendry Morales hit five homers and drove in 13. The Stuff put up very respectable numbers, which would usually be good enough to win most matchups, but despite the efforts of Holliday and Juan Rivera, it wasn’t to be.
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| stevenston angels |
40 |
12 |
40 |
1 |
.321 |
.939 |
3 |
2 |
32 |
1 |
3.22 |
1.16 |
8 |
| SWAT |
30 |
8 |
33 |
3 |
.322 |
.860 |
1 |
2 |
21 |
2 |
4.73 |
1.46 |
3 |
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The ‘Cuse’s week got even better after seeing the Angels defeat SWAT 8-3. Ryan Zimmerman was the pick of the Angels’ hitters while Gavin Floyd and Scott Kazmir were the star pitchers. The Angels will lose out on regular saves after Sherrill’s trade to the Dodgers. Choo helped Swat take average by .001 and his two steals also proved decisive.
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The Chasers hit their way to a 9-3 win over the Gas. Ryan Braun had the best overall numbers for the Chasers, while Bailey picked up a trio of saves and Wolf struck out 11. Peralta was the pick of the Gas’s batters, while Latos, Wells and Piniero all pitched well. Â
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My Isotopes held on for a narrow win over Borders Bats. Michael Young, Mark DeRosa and Curtis Granderson provided plenty of power, but the Bats scored more runs, won steals by one and hit for a better average. My pitching staff pitched well enough to take four close categories, with Niemann and Cain the pick of the starters while Nathan and Bell both had good weeks. The Bats had nice weeks from Ichiro and Justin Upton while Soria had a hat-trick of saves.
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The Whos and Bonestalkers shared the spoils in a 5-5 tie. The Whos put up impressive run totals, although Bonestalkers took average by .002. The pitching categories also remained close to the end, with Bonestalkers putting up an incredible 61 strikeouts thanks to Lincecum, Beckett and Sabathia. But the Whos took ERA and WHIP thanks to a stingy week from practically the whole pitching staff.
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Joe’s Typos got the better of the Giants in an all BaseballGB matchup. Adam Jones was the Typos’ star hitter, with new Phillie Cliff Lee the pick of the pitchers. The Giants, helped by Kendrick and Crawford, hit for a good average but just fell short on power. Verlander had another good week for a skeleton pitching staff.
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Another week, another loss for Tribal Warfare, as the Bangers beat them 8-2. Despite losing Berkman, and now Hart, to the DL the Bangers had big weeks from Tulowitzki, cycle hitter Melky Cabrera and Matt Kemp. The pitching categories were very close, but the Bangers took strikeouts, ERA and WHIP thanks to Wainwright, Zambrano and Happ.
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The results leave the ‘Cuse at the top of the table, just half a game ahead of SWAT. The Cheddar Chasers leap up to third, with my Isotopes in fourth ahead of the Stuff, with all three teams five games back. The Borders Bats are in sixth, closely followed by Bonestalkers and the Angels. The Giants, Typos, Whos and Bangers still have a chance of cracking the top six.
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The next set of fixtures sees the Chasers take on the Isotopes, the Stuff face the Bats and the ‘Cuse against Bonestalkers. SWAT take on Tribal Warfare.
This week, many teams have reached the two-thirds mark of games played for the regular MLB season, so let’s see how the divisional races are shaping up.
British baseball fans can listen to, and contribute to, a fifteen to twenty minute programme about British baseball this evening. It will be part of a feature about the sport in this country on BBC Radio London at just after 20.00.  The programme will include guest appearances by representatives of British Baseball Federation clubs from the London area and players, coaches and fans are encouraged to join in the fun by phoning or texting into the show.
With four games left to play for Richmond, Cody Cain has a good opportunity of registering his 500th regular-season strike-out in top-tier British baseball. It’s a milestone that will be accompanied by an asterisk, as 127 of the 489 nothced up to date were recorded in the renegade