2020 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #14

NAME	TEAM	AVG	SLG	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	K	W	IW	SB	CS	HBP
SPRINGER,George	VIR AL	.417	1.042	6	24	10	3	0	4	7	12	5	2	1	0	0	0

NAME	CLUB	G	W	L	S	ERA	IP	R	ER	H	K	BB	IBB	WP	BK	HB	HR
BASSITT,Chris	DET AL	2	2	0	0	2.25	12	3	3	6	11	3	0	0	0	0	1

NAME	TEAM	AVG	SLG	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	K	W	IW	SB	CS	HBP
AQUINO,Aristides	TEM NL	.333	1.333	5	9	3	0	0	3	3	10	4	1	0	0	0	0

NAME	CLUB	G	W	L	S	ERA	IP	R	ER	H	K	BB	IBB	WP	BK	HB	HR
URENA,Jose	HIW NL	2	2	0	0	0.59	15.1	1	1	10	13	3	0	0	0	0	1

Pittsburgh Lumber Company @ Columbus Explorers
Series Preview:	All-Star break is over, 2nd half of the season starts, and the replay of last week’s big NL Battle continues between the tree killers and the adventurers! Just 3 hours apart by fast car, the Pittsburgh Lumber Company tools over to Columbus to see if they can best the Explorers two weeks in a row. Last week they took the series 4-2, the Explorers are hoping things work out better this time. But they don’t call them the Lumber Company for nothing!
Game #1:	Series opener features Dakota Hudson vs. Dario Agrazal (this year’s big surprise!). The teams traded runs in the 2nd when Aaron Judge knocked his 21st homer of the season and Charley Blackmon matched it in the bottom half with his 23rd! Columbus takes the lead 2-1 in the 3rd on a 2 out Dee Gordon single followed by a D.J. LaMahieu single with Gordon running all the way around. The lead was short-lived, however, and as Pittsburgh puts a bunch of hits together in the 4th to score 2 and take a 3-2 lead. Aaron Judge started it with a single, then Carson Kelly doubles. David Peralta reaches on an E6 scoring 1and Lorenzo Cain bounces into a DP scoring another. 3-2 Pittsburgh after 4. Both teams score in the 5th – Anthony Rendon homers (24). Back to back doubles from Enrique Hernandez and Rosell Herrera score 1 for Columbus. Gordon then grounds out moving Herrera to 3rd and he then scores on a Hudson WP and the game is tied 4-4 after 5. Then Matt Shoemaker comes in for 2 scoreless innings. He’s followed by Liam Hendriks who also blanks the Lumber guys for 2 innings. So it’s 4-4 going to the bottom of the 9th. Paul DeJong leads off and draws a walk-off Aaron Bummer. Richie Martin comes into PR – and steals 2nd and 3rd. With a couple of strikes on Eric Haase, he then lines one up the middle, but Bummer snares it for the out. Ian Desmond into PH for Hendriks and he’s given the IW so Bummer can deal with Herrera. Not a good choice, he bloops in the walk-off single (his 2nd hit) and Columbus wins the opener in a thriller, 5-4. PIT 4-11-0 LP Bummer (2-2) COL 5-8-1 WP Hendriks (5-0)
Game #2:	Yu Darvish takes the hill for Pittsburgh in game 2 and he’s opposed by Homer Bailey. Bailey has been pretty strong lately and wants to stay that way. Pittsburgh however, had way different ideas. Top of the 2nd and Joey Gallo leads off with a single. David Peralta follows him with a base knock. Carson Kelly walks and the bases are juiced and NO OUTS! Fortunately, Darvish was the next batter and he pops out! Jorge Polanco hopes to do something and he flies out to RF, but Gallo tags and scores for a 1-0 lead. Then with 2 outs, Kevin Newman singles driving in another run and it’s 2-0 after 2. In the 4th, they get 2 more when Polanco homers (18) with 1 on and 2 outs. 4-0 Pittsburgh. Make it 7-0 Lumber Company when the score 3 more in the 7th. Tony Watson comes in to start the 7th and Pittsburgh attacks him for 5 hits – it was ugly. A Victor Reyes SF in the 8th prevents a shutout, but it was never-the-less a Pittsburgh blowout, 7-1. PIT 7-13-1 WP Darvish (7-4) COL 1-4-0 LP Bailey (9-4)
Game #3:	The Lumber keeps on coming. Mike Clevinger going against homer HAPPy A.J. Happ and Pittsburgh bangs 3 homers in the game. 1st inning Josh Bell unloads for a 3 run dinger (21), but in the bottom half the Explorers put on a rally (and take advantage of a gift) to tie the game. Charley Blackmon triples in 2 and then scores on a 2 out E6 from Jorge Polanco. In the 2nd, Eric Haase leads off with a double, moves to 3rd on a Happ groundout, and then miraculously scores on a weak fly out by Rosell Herrera hits when he actually beats the throw from Ryan Braun. Columbus leads 4-3 after 2. That was their last look at glory in this game. In the 4th, Pittsburgh ties it up on an Anthony Rendon walk and SB followed by a Josh Bell rbi single (he’s now driven in all 4 Lumber Company runs). Moving to the 5th we see Jorge Polanco leading off with a solo homer (19). After Aaron Judge reaches on a single, Braun then unloads for a 2 run homer (12) and a 7-4 lead. 1 more run is scored in the 8th and Clevinger goes 8 giving up just 3 hits, but 4 runs (2 walks, 9ks). Sergio Romo pitches a perfect 9th. PIT 8-10-2 WP Clevinger (8-2) COL 4-3-0 LP Happ (6-6)
Game #4:	Pittsburgh back to having the edge in the series starts Sonny Gray for game 4. He’s been decent but has a bunch of tough-luck losses. He’s facing Julio Teheran, who’s either been great or not-great in his outings. Pittsburgh gets on the board 1st with a rbi double from Lorenzo Cain in the 2nd. Columbus matches the run in the bottom half when Paul DeJong hits a 2 out solo homer (18). In the bottom of the 3rd, Matt Carpenter does the same thing, a 2 out solo homer (11) and the Explorers grab a 2-1 lead. But in the 4th, with 2 outs and Carson Kelly standing on 2nd, Cain rips a single to right-center that scores Kelly and the game is knotted 2-2. We move to the 6th and Joey Gallo leads off with a single. Josh Bell then decides to put a nice 2 run mark on the scoreboard with a big blast (22) that left no doubt what it was. 4-2 Pittsburgh. But in the bottom half, Columbus does the same thing. Victor Reyes leads off with a single and Matt Carpenter knocks one out (12) that just clears the outstretched glove of Lorenzo Cain and the game is knotted again 4-4. For Matt, that was his 2nd homer of the game. The 7th was a stretch, but no runs, so we move to the 8th, Matt Shoemaker pitches it for Columbus and keeps the Lumber characters from scoring. The bottom half of the 8th starts with a Reyes double. He moves to 3rd on a Carpenter ground out. D.J. LaMahieu then walks. Aaron Bummer is called in to face Charley Blackmon. Blackmon grounds to 2nd, but Pittsburgh can only get the out at first and the run scores, 5-4 Columbus. Liam Hendriks comes in for the 9th and actually gets the Lumber Company in a 3 up, 3 down appearance (that’s a switch). Columbus wins to tie the series. PIT 4-4-0 LP Gray (3-7) COL 5-6-2 WP Shoemaker (2-0) S Hendriks (18)
Game #5:	But Columbus was not able to turn the tied in the 5th game as Hyun-Jin Ryu holds Columbus to 4 hits and only 1 run (a Paul DeJong homer [18]) and that came in the 6th making it 3-1 Pittsburgh at the time. Jordan Lyles got the Explorers nod to start – and he goes 6 innings, 6, hits but he gives up 4 walks as well. Things started well for Pittsburgh with Jorge Polanco drawing a lead-off walk. Kevin Newman sends him to 3rd with a double, Anthony Rendon walks and the bags are juiced, NO outs! Josh Bell then mashes a deep fly to LF for a loud out, it scores Polanco, but the other runners had to hold. This allowed Columbus to get out of the inning only down 1-0. But in the 4th, the lead grows to 3-0 on a 2 run David Peralta homer (7). Pittsburgh never was out of control in this one and decided they needed 2 more runs and got them in the 9th for a final score of 5-1! PIT 5-9-0 WP Ryu (8-3) COL 1-5-2 LP Lyles (9-3)
Game #6:	So, game 6, a rematch of game 1 starters Dakota Hudson and Dario Agrazal. Well, Joey Gallo had fun in the 1st as he mashes a Baltimore Special – his 14th homer of the year. But Columbus responded in their half of the 1st when Dee Gordon leads off with a triple and scored on a Brock Holt SF. Then Agrazal walks off the mound to start the 2nd – gone for 5 days so he’ll be back soon. Matt Shoemaker comes in, and for a 23, he sure has had his problems. He ends up going 4 innings in this game and that included a 3 run 3rd where Pittsburgh tore him up some. Well maybe it was just Joey Gallo day as in the 3rd he hits his 2nd Baltimore Special (15) and he’s now accounted for all 6 Pittsburgh runs as they take a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the 3rd. So, in the bottom of the 3rd, Gordon and Holt team up again – Gordon leads off with a single and scored on a Holt triple! D.J. LaMahieu then homers (10) for 2 runs and it’s 6-4 after 3. But let’s not stop there. In the bottom of the 4th, Eric Haase leads off with a walk and Asdrubal Cabrera hit’s one over Gallo’s head that clears the fence for a 2 run homer (10) and the game is tied, 6-6. 5th inning – Anthony Rendon hits a rbi double to get Pittsburgh back on top, 7-6. But in the bottom half Enrique Hernandez leads off with a double. Then Cabrera gets a 2 out infield single to put runners on the corners. And Gordon makes Pittsburgh pay with a bloop rbi single and we’re tied again, 7-7 after 5. We’re into the 7th, both teams on their 3rd pitchers. For Columbus, it works out pretty well as Paul DeJong works a lead-off walk off Aaron Bummer. Eric Haase follows by hitting a towering fly that flies over Joey Gallo into the LF stands for a 2 run homer (12) and 9-7 lead. Having a 2 run lead can be useful. After Jose LeClerc does his job with a perfect 8th, Columbus turns it over to Yusmeiro Petit in the 9th. His job, get 3 outs! Oh, and preserve the lead, that’s important. No BS here, got it? Wonder if the translator got it right? David Freese leads off with a PH double. Lorenzo Cain then grounds him to 3rd, 1 out. Hunter Renfroe comes into PH and he bloops one the RF line for a rbi double, 9-8 Columbus. Joey Wendle into PR – he’s fast and will no doubt, affect Petit. Jorge Polanco at the plate, the pitch, pops him up for out number 2. Kevin Newman up – and Petitreally comes through, fanning Wendle to save the day for Columbus – but he made it interesting. PIT 8-9-2 LP AaronBummer (2-3) COL 9-10-2 WP Liam Hendriks (6-0) S Petit (11)
Series Summary:	So – the series splits 3-3 but it felt like the termite infested Lumber Company had an easier time. We had to work for everything we got!!! Oh well, at least we got the split and Agrazal will only miss a start but not a series. Columbus to host Harsens Island next week, Pittsburgh takes the Lumber guys on the road again as they go to Selkirk.

Dallas Cougars @ Detroit Crime
Series Summary:	One week after losing 6 of 7 to Dal these two teams meet up in Det and this time Det wins 6 of 6; Looks like both teams need new road managers…

Long Beach Dirt Bags @ Jersey Nor’easters
Series Summary:	The Nor’easters score only 13 runs in 6 games but manage to win 4 of the six games. Long Beach was even more impotent as they score only 11 runs in 6 games dropping 4 of 6. The series goes to Jersey 4-2.

Southbend Lynx @ Southwest Detroit Fighting Chihuahuas
Series Summary:	Southwest Detroit Fighting Chihuahuas win 1 Game.

Corktown Cycle @ Triple Creek Patriots
Series Summary:	Patriots take 4 of 6. In-game number six, itchy DeSclafani got the max bump to 15 and dominated.

Portland Lumber Jax @ Valdosta Snappers
Series Preview:	Portland @ Valdosta in the “Who Cares” series of the week.
Series Summary:	The teams split the 6 games.

Hollywood Werewolves @ Manhattan Project
Series Summary:	Hollywood takes 5 of 6.

Selkirk Steelers @ Harsens Island Walleye
Series Summary:	Selkirk wins 4 of 6.

Coconut Creek Crushers @ Virginia Sluggers
Series Preview:	Inter-division rivals hanging around while Hollywood and Southbend fight it out for the Division Title, decide to play a few games. AND what a game #2 was. You gotta check it out…WOW!
Game #1:	VIR 5-3 W-Michel Baez (3-2) L-Drew Pomeranz (2-10) SV- Hansel Robles (13) Slow start finished with a bang as VIR came back late to take this one. CCC’s B.Drury singled in the 4th and 6th innings to drive in 2 runs and put CCC up 2-1 in the 7th. However, in the bottom of the 7th, B.Reynolds lined a bases-loaded double to the gap in LF to score 2 and give VIR a 3-2 lead,… short-lived. Top of the 8th M.Chavis singled in W.Meyers from 2nd to tie the game. And then in the bottom of the 8th,…BANG! “G. SPRINGER facing D. POMERANZ, B 8th, No Outs, Bases Empty, Tied 3-3…The pitch … hit deep … it’s going … it goes! … over the left-field wall.” Two batters later, “E. JIMENEZ facing D. POMERANZ, B 8th, 2 Outs, Bases Empty, Ahead 4-3…POMERANZ brings it to the plate … A well-hit drive … deep to left field … carrying…it’s long gone!” Robles came in to finish and get his 13th save.
Game #2:	VIR 4-0 W-Adam Plutko (10-3) L-Blake Snell (2-7) SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT WOW! This was something! 1 WALK away from a perfect game! Plutko was on his game. But he got help several times from his infielders and outfielders as they made the plays that looked and sounded as if the NO-HITTER would vanish as the ball rolled to the outfield or soared toward the wall as a sprinting outfielder raced to keep destiny inside the park. When it all finally settled in, Plutko Had his NO-HITTER and missed the Perfect Game when Drury walked in the 5th. 9 inning – NO HITS – NO RUnS – and 1 walk – 28 batters faced. Uhhh,…would it be improper to nominate him for Pitcher of the Week? Oh, C.Biggio singled in a run and hit a 2-run homer to lead the offense.
Game #3:	VIR 5-1 W-Luis Castillo (11-1) L-Joe Musgrove (2-14) Evidently still out of sorts from their last game. CCC just couldn’t get their bats back in gear. Castillo held them to no runs over the first six innings and only 3 hits for the entire game. George Springer’s 2 homers and 5 RBI was more than enough offense as VIR took game #3.
Game #4:	VIR 7-3 W-Elieser Hernandez (5-1) L-C.Stashak (0-1) With VIR leading 3-1 going into the top of the 8th, Tyler O’Neill crushed a Hernandez fastball for a 2-run homer and a tie ballgame. In the bottom half of the inning, VIR came right back as Springer singled, Jimenez doubled and Segura singled in Springer. After Garcia popped out for the 2nd out of the inning, ” W. MERRIFIELD facing R. WICK, B 8th, 2 Outs, 1st and 3rd, Ahead 4-3…The pitch … a shot to left field … it’s hit deep … way back … it’s long gone!…a three-run homer for MERRIFIELD” The bullpen finished and VIR had another win under their belts.
Game #5:	VIR 11-8 W-Hansel Robles (2-3) L-Drew Pomeranz (2-11) A heartbreaker for CCC. C. Walker was 3-4 with 2 longballs and 5 RBI for the day and CCC led 8-1 in the 4th. But VIR kept creeping back. A Rizzo solo shot, Markakis RBI single, a 3-run homer from Springer, an RBI double by Springer in the 7th, and an RBI single by Reynolds tied the game up heading to the 9th. “J. SEGURA facing D. POMERANZ, B 9th, 1 Out, 1st, and 2nd, Tied 8-8…POMERANZ brings it to the plate … SEGURA touches this one-off … high and far to left-center O’NEILL and BETTS both give chase … wave bye-bye … it’s all over!” And somehow VIR does it again.
Game #6:	VIR 9-4 W-Tim Hill (2-1) L-Justus Sheffield (2-5) Another late, big inning comeback for VIR. With C.Walker doing all the work for CCC with a 2-run single and 2-run homer the two teams fought to a 4-4 as C.Santana, C.Biggio. A. Rizzo and Santana again drove in runs to tie going into the 8th. In the 8th, Biggio rips a double deep to LF to drive in Segura, Reynolds, and Rizzo walk to load the bases. Once again Santana steps to the plate, “The runners take their lead … the pitch … SANTANA tomahawks it into the gap…BETTS hustles after it … BIGGIO scores easily … REYNOLDS comes around third and scores.” and VIR takes a 7-4 lead. After Springer singles in Rizzo, Jimenez bloops an RBI single to score Santana and VIR ups its lead to 9-4 sealing the win and a 6-0 series sweep.
Series Summary:	Virginia had it all working for them in this series as they got the 6-0 sweep. The Highlight was Plutko’s 28 batter NO-HiITTER and George Springer followed up last week’s performance with another excellent outing,… Springer – 10-24 .417 BA, 7 runs, 12 RBI and 4 HR

Chicago Mobsters @ Motor City Muscle
Series Preview:	Chicago @ Motor City for 6 games to start off the second half
Game #1:	MCM 3 – CHI 2 WP: Verlander LP: Stroman SV: Farrell HR: MCM–Benboom Anthony Benboom was the difference in this one for MCM, with a two-run HR and a double. All the scoring for both teams was done in the second inning.
Game #2:	MCM 12 – CHI 1 WP: de Grom LP: Bauer HR: MCM–Choo (2), Ahmed; CHI–Pence MCM busted it open with seven runs in the fourth inning. Shin-shoo Choo was the big star, with two HRs and three RBI. Nick Ahmed scored three runs. The bottom of the MCM order continued its productivity with two hits and two RBI apiece from Orlando Arcia and Dylan Moore. Jacob de Grom scattered four hits over seven innings.
Game #3:	CHI 8 – MCM 1 WP: Urias LP: Hendricks HR: CHI–McCutchen, D. Santana CHI threw the party this time, with Andrew McCutchen (3-4, three runs, two RBI) and Niko Goodrum (3-4, two runs) leading the parade. Alex Bregman, Joey Votto, and Danny Santana had two hits each. The Mobsters put it out of reach with a four-run 8th inning.
Game #4:	MCM 4 – CHI 2 (15 innings.) WP: A. Adams LP: A.Chapman HR: MCM–Trout, A. Garcia CHI held a 2-0 until MCM pushed across a run in the 7th. In the 8th inning, Avisail Garcia tied it up with a solo home run just after Mike Trout was thrown out trying to stretch a double. Naturally, the missed baserunner led to extra innings. MANY extra innings. Both bullpens did yeoman work until the bottom of the 15th when the Muscle got a runner on for Mike Trout against Aroldis Chapman. Trout atoned for his baserunning gaffe by ending the game with a walk-off two-run HR.
Game #5:	CHI 8 – MCM1 WP: Syndergaard (CG) LP: Bolanos HR: CHI–D. Santana, Y. Diaz Noah Syndergaard shut down his former team with eight strikeouts. It was a sloppy game for MCM, with two errors and five unearned runs for Ronald Bolanos, who pitched better than the score indicates. He took one for the overworked bullpen and went 7.2 innings. It was a balanced attack for CHI, with seven of nine batters recording a hit, and eight of nine scoring a run.
Game #6:	MCM 3 – CHI 2 WP: Leake LP: Stroman SV: Farrell HR: CHI–Santana Danny Santana’s 3-4, two-run performance was not enough to overcome Motor City. Marcus Stroman took a hard-luck loss as MCM took the finale. Both starters pitched in and out of trouble, but MCM got more hits at opportune times.
Series Summary:	MCM takes the series 4 games to 2 CHI’s two wins were both by 8-1 scores. Danny Santana had three homers against his former team. Marcus Stroman took two losses but gave up only five ER in 14.1 IP Luke Farrell had two Saves for MCM

Tijuana Bottle Rockets @ Mesa Solar Sox
Series Preview:	It looks to be a hitters market in this series as both Tijuana and Mesa have a shortage of starting pitching. Let’s see what happens…..
Game #1:	Starling Marte, Todd Frazier, Eddie Rosario, and Eugenio Suarez (with 2) all hit homers and drive in 3 each as Anthony Kay wins his 9th and Mesa romps 14-3. Kay strikes out 7 and walks TEN in 8 2/3 innings
Game #2:	The Bottle Rockets get long balls from Gary Sanchez and Daniel Vogelbach. They build a 4-0 lead but then the Solar Sox starts bashing. Nomar Mazara and Frazier homer, but the star was Randal Grichuk, who clobbers three homers in Mesa’s 8-6 win.
Game #3:	Mesa stays in the yard this time and gets a miracle 9th inning tying run on a single, an error, and a Jason Kipnis game-tying single for a 4-4 tie. In the 10th, however, Ian Kennedy gives up a three-run homer to Cedric Mullins and Tijuana wins 7-4. You live by the sword and you die by it, too…
Game #4:	5 more Mesa homers (2 by Rowdy Tellez) back Pablo Lopez and his CG 3 hitter. His only blemish was a solo HR by Scott Schebler. Mesa hits 4 homers in a row ( Rosario, Duvall, Tellez, and Kipnis) in the 6th inning.
Game #5:	ANOTHER 5 homer game from Mesa, but Tijuana keeps pace. Down 4-0, Tijuana explodes for 6 runs against James Paxton. Volgebach and Garrett Hampson homer in the inning. They tack on 2 more in the 7th for an 8-4 lead going into the 9th. Mesa scores a run and then, with 2 outs Eugenio Suarez blasts a 3 run game-tying homer ( his second homer of the game)!!!! It would have been great, but in the 11th, ace reliever Ryan Pressly groves a three-run homer pitch to that bum Addison Russell. Tijuana wins 7-4.
Game #6:	4 more Mesa homers ( 2 by Eddie Rosario) and Mesa wins 9-5.
Series Summary:	Well… Mesa outhomers Tijuana 25-9. Yep, 25 homers in 6 games…Mesa wins the series 4-2. Rosario ( 4HR, 9 RBI), Suarez ( 4HR, 8 RBI), Grichuk ( 4 HR, 6 RBI) were the really big bats. In 90 games, Eugenio Suarez has 39 HR and 103 RBI. Mesa has hit 183 HRs.

Fremont Cannons @ Yonge Street Stalkers
Series Preview:	Ye Olde Cannons travel north to Yonge Street.
Game #1:	Danny Duffy was strong for the visitors. T. Hernandez and J. McCann homered to back him up. FRE 8 – YSS 2
Game #2:	Michael Pineda pitched well. Dylan Bundy was a touch better, but YSS got to Doolittle in the 10th to pull out a squeaker. The games 5 total runs were driven in by 5 different fellas, with no homers involved. YSS 3 – FRE 2 (10)
Game #3:	Gerritt Cole K’d 14 in his 7.2 IP. The YSS pen was a bit shaky, thus the score was probably tighter than it should have been. YSS 6 – FRE 4
Game #4:	The Cannons swatted 5 homers. The Stalkers countered with 6 singles. Jason Vargas was strong, An itchy Nick Burdi followed with 3 scoreless innings for his first save of the season. FRE 8 – YSS 1
Game #5:	Jorge Soler launched his 30th HR in support of Chirinos. YSS 6 – FRE 1
Game #6:	Danny Duffy ended the series as he started it. He wasn’t quite as sharp as game 1, but it was plenty strong on this day. FRE 11 – YSS 3
Series Summary:	Man, splits are annoying. Along with Duffy’s bookend wins, Max Kepler had a solid series for Fremont.

Bethesda Bandicoots @ Sacramento Capitals
Series Summary:	Bethesda and Sacramento split.

Rosemere Renegades @ Tempe Tempers
Series Preview:	Rosemere visits Tempe for a six-game series.
Series Summary:	Tempe drops the second game but wins the rest.