2021 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #8

NAME	TEAM	AVG	SLG	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	K	W	IW	SB	CS	HBP
BUXTON,Byron	FRE AL	.417	1.167	3	12	5	0	0	3	3	9	4	1	1	0	0	0

NAME	CLUB	G	W	L	S	ERA	IP	R	ER	H	K	BB	IBB	WP	BK	HB	HR
DAVIES,Zach	MCM AL	1	1	0	0	0.00	9	1	0	5	8	1	0	0	0	0	0

NAME	TEAM	AVG	SLG	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	K	W	IW	SB	CS	HBP
SOTO,Juan	BET NL	.600	1.200	3	10	6	0	0	2	2	7	2	5	0	1	0	0

NAME	CLUB	G	W	L	S	ERA	IP	R	ER	H	K	BB	IBB	WP	BK	HB	HR
BIEBER,Shane	TCP NL	1	1	0	0	1.29	7	1	1	3	9	1	0	0	0	0	1

Corktown Cycle @ Triple Creek Patriots
Series Preview:	Corktown peddles into Triple Creek for 3 games.
Game #1:	Arrieta is hit hard early and often as he allows 7 runs on 4 IP. Verdugo 2-3 w/ a double. Seager with a 3-run shot, Bellinger 3-4, and Gurriel 2-5 w/ homer pace the Patriots. CC 2 TCP 7 W – Strahm (2-1) L – Arrieta (0-3)
Game #2:	Bieber goes 7 IP allowing just 3 hits and 1 run (solo shot from Rosario). Gurriel stays hot with another 2-3 day (double and HR). CC 1 TCP 4 W – Bieber (5-0) L – Berrios (1-3)
Game #3:	Cycle up 2-3 after 3 innings and 2-1 after 7 full. DeSclafani pitched a great game and Fairbanks laid an egg on him in the 8th. Seager (2-4 w/ double and HR) powered Triple Creek. CC 2 TCP 4 W – Staumont (2-1) L – Fairbanks (0-1) S – Holland (4)
Series Summary:	Triple Creek sweeps The Cycle.

Bethesda Bandicoots @ Portland Lumber Jax
Series Preview:	The 8-10 Bethesda Bandicoots visit the 10-8 Portland LumberJax.
Game #1:	Bandicoots get 20 hits and 12 runs as they trash Portland’s pitching. Three of Bethesda’s players get four hits each in the game. BET 12 POR 4
Game #2:	Portland has a 5 run 6th inning, and then coasts for the win. POR 8 BET 4
Game #3:	Portland rallies to make it close in the 9th inning, but the Bandicoots prevail in a group effort as 8 of 9 players get hits. BET 3 POR 2
Series Summary:	Bethesda wins the series 2-1.

Cincinnati Skyliners @ Mesa Solar Sox
Series Preview:	2 teams in the lower half of the division face off for 3 games.
Game #1:	What an MWBL debut for Mesa rookie catcher Sam Huff: 3-3 with a double, 2 homers, and 7 RBI!!! Tim Anderson goes deep twice also and Rowdy Tellez goes 4-5. Mesa gathers 17 hits in a 10-0 whitewash of the Skyliners. Kyle Hendricks pitches 7 innings of 2 hit shutout baseball to raise his record to 3-0.
Game #2:	A 3-3 tie in the 12th inning. Cincinnati gets back-to-back doubles from Tim Lopes and Brian Goodwin to take the lead. Mesa rallies and gets an RBI single from Jesus Aguilar and then a game-winning double from Aldoberto Mondesi. Mesa wins 5-4.
Game #3:	This time the Skyliners win 5-4 making the most of their 6 hits. Mesa contributes 2 errors leading to 2 unearned runs. Josh Lindbloom struck out 13 in 7 2/3 innings for the win
Series Summary:	Huff went 5-7 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, with 3 runs scored, and 7 RBI for Mesa.

Hollywood Werewolves @ Southwest Detroit Fighting Chihuahuas

Series Summary:

Hollywood miraculously sweeps Southwest Detroit.

In Game 1, they trailed Burns and didn’t think we would even get a hit when the errors let loose with the SW Detroit defense, allowing 5 runs to score.
In Game 2: Hollywood scores early and often and wins in a rout
In Game 3: Hollywood jumped out early and held on.

The head-on the road to Yonge Street next.

Motor City Muscle @ Virginia Sluggers
Series Preview:	Virginia 10-8 hosts Motor City 8-10
Game #1:	VIR 3-1 Springer and Devers get their only hits of the series,…both homers. L.Castillo K’s 12 as he improves to 4-0.
Game #2:	MCM 3-2 N.Walker’s 2-out RBI double in the top of the 9th gives MCM the win. MCM pitching held Sluggers to 2 hits.
Game #3:	MCM 4-1 Once again,…few hits by VIR equates to few runs. N.Goodrum of MCM IS the offense for the team. 3-3 with a homer and all 4 RBI.
Series Summary:	Don’t care how good the card numbers are. If they don’t come up, you don’t score runs. You don’t score runs, you don’t win. Virginia didn’t win. MCM took series 2-1.

Tempe Tempers @ Rosemere Renegades
Series Summary:	The rich get richer and the poor poorer as Tempe sweeps Rosemere.

Valdosta Snappers @ Columbus Explorers
Series Preview:	Columbus hosts Valdosta – and the Explorers are looking for help as their teams could use some depth at starters and actually players – but in the meantime, their surprising season continues as they (for reason known only to the baseball chips in the computers) hang close to Tempe. Can they keep it up?
Game #1:	In the Jordan bowl – Jordan Zimmerman gets the start for Valdosta and goes 5. And in those 5 he gives up 11 hits – but ONLY 4 runs and leaves the game in the 6th leading at the time 4-3. But with 2 runners on, Phillips Valdez comes on and can’t hold the lead. And Columbus keeps scoring with single runs in the 7th and 8th to take the opener 6-4. The Snappers 4 runs were lead by a 3 run 4th sparked by Albert Pujols 2 run triple – yes he really ran out a triple! But the Explorers bullpen bailed out Jordan Lyles and they nailed down another win and save. VAL 4- 8-0 LP Valdez (0-2) BS (1) COL 6-14-0 WP Jimmy Herget (4-0) S Liam Hendriks (8)
Game #2:	The 2nd game features a short start by Matt Shoemaker (5 innings) but it yielded on 1 hit by the Snappers and no runs (and 6 ks). He left up 3-0 which included a solo homer from Matt Carpenter (2). Miguel Sano hits a solo homer off Kyle Ryan in the 9th which then requires Liam Hendriks to make another appearance – it was a good one – and the Explorers win it 3-1 VAL 1-3-1 LP Touki Toussaint (1-3) COL 3-5-1 WP Shoemaker (2-1) S Hendriks (9)
Game #3:	In the finale, Homer Bailey gets the nod and gets within 1 out of a complete game. then has a meltdown giving up a hit and 2 walks in the 9th to load the bases (with 2 outs)….. But to get to that point, the Snappers score 1st with a run in the 2nd and 3rd – Jose Peraza a rbi double and Austin Riley a rbi single. But Enrique Hernandez gets to Daniel Ponce de Leon for a 2 run homer (3) to tie it in the 2nd. Explorers then string together a bunch of hits and walks in the 7th score 3 more for a 5-2 lead. Thus the stage is set for Bailey to polish off the Snappers in the 9th. But you could see him laboring – so with 2 outs, J.B. Wendelken is called on to get the final out – and he does to preserve the 5-2 Columbus win. VAL 2-10-0 LP Javvy Guerra (0-1) COL 5- 8-1 WP Bailey (3-0) S Wendelken (1) Well, sure enough, Bailey couldn’t get through the 9th because he was having issues. In fact, it’s more than probable that was his last outing of the season!!!
Series Summary:	Columbus continues its odyssey through the 2021 season and next week they host Long Beach for a couple. Trade rumors persist, but can they or will they pull any triggers…….????

Jersey Nor’easters @ Long Beach Dirt Bags
Game #1:	Alzolay struggled with his control in the 1st inning and Long Beach took a 2-0 lead on a bases-loaded walk and a SF. He settled down after that and gave up just 1 hit over 6 innings. Jersey got all the runs they needed from the long ball. Calhoun hit a 2 run shot to tie the game in the 4th and Odor gave them the lead in the 5th with a solo dinger. That was all the Nor’Easters needed in the 3-2 win. After Alzolay went 6, Garcia and Hand blanked the Dirtbags to seal the win. Woodruff was strong in a losing effort with 12 K’s in 8 innings.
Game #2:	This was a pitcher’s duel until the 6th when Calhoun doubled in 2 runs and then scored on a double by Nunez to give Jersey a 3-0 lead. Later Gregorius & Nunez hit 3-run HRs and Jersey rolled to a 9-3 win. Lamet gave up just 4 hits in 7 innings to get the win.
Game #3:	Gonzales gave up just 2 hits over 7 innings and Jersey completed the sweep with a 3-0 win. All their runs came in the top of the 1st on run-scoring hits by Calhoun, Nunez & Gregorius off Wheeler who was returning from the DL.
Series Summary:	Jersey swept Long Beach..

Detroit Crime @ Dallas Cougars
Game #1:	Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the 9th A.J. Pollock doubled home a run and Jose Abreu followed with a 2 run blast to tie the game at 5-5. In the bottom of the 10th Kyle Schwarber throws out Cougar Josh Harrison trying to score from third on a sac fly. In the top of the 11th Martin Maldonado gets his first homer of the year to give the Crime the victory. Detroit 6, Dallas 5 (11)
Game #2:	Three solo home runs were enough offense for Dallas to take game 2. Dallas 3, Detroit 1
Game #3:	A grand slam by Manny Machado in the top of the 9th breaks open a tight game and the Crime win going away. Detroit 9, Dallas 3
Series Summary:	Detroit comes to Big D and take 2 of 3.

Coconut Creek Crushers @ Fremont Cannons
Series Preview:	An exciting series, all three games were decided in the final inning.
Game #1:	Fremont gets on the board in the 1st with a three-run homer by Byron Buxton. The cannons add on three more runs in the third with a Mike Yastrzemski RBI double followed by a James McCann two-run homer. Brandon Nimmo puts the Crushers on the board with a two-run double in the fourth. In the fifth, Crushers starter Keegan Akin feels something in his arm and departs, and will miss the next seven days. The sixth inning becomes a disaster for Fremont. Cannons starter Carlos Rodon gives up a leadoff home run to Tyler O’Neil. After getting an out, Carlos Rodon is pulled when he gives up a double to Tim LoCastro. Derek Norris comes in without having allowed a run all season. He promptly walks Brandon Nimmo and gives up a run-scoring single to Willi Castro. Mookie Betts chops one in front of the plate that James McCann boots, and now it is 6-5 Fremont. Christian Walker hits into a force out that scores Castro to tie the game. Michael Chavis then doubles in Betts for the Crushers lead 7-6. Norris is left in, and Nico Hoerner blasts one to the wall that Teoscar Hernandez cannot handle. Hernandez slams into the wall, Chavis scores, but Byron Buxton is able to throw out Hoerner trying to get into third base. The inning is over, with Coconut Creek up 8-6 and Teoscar Hernandez injured for six days. The game is scoreless from there on, with Drew Pomeranz brought in to hold on to the two-run lead. Austin Hays greets him with a leadoff homer, and the Cannons have life down by one. Pomeranz gets the next two batters, leaving it up to Javier Baez. Baez sends it deep to left, and it clears the fence to tie the game at 8! Pomeranz gets the next out, and the game moves to the tenth. Mookie Betts sends one to the wall, but not deep enough, and Coconut Creek goes 1-2-3. Tom Hatch comes in for Pomeranz and gets the first two batters before walking James McCann. Next up is Byron Buxton, and he hits his second homer of the game to walk off the Fremont 10-8 victory. Buxton picks up 5 RBI on the day. W: Genesis Cabrera (1-0) L: Tom Hatch (0-1) BS: Derek Norris (1), Drew Pomeranz (1) HR: CCC-Tyler O’Neill (2); FRE-James McCann (2), Byron Buxton 2 (5), Austin Hays (2), Javier Baez (2)
Game #2:	This time, Coconut Creek takes the early lead. Alec Bohm scores two with a double in the first, making Fremont regret choosing Gavin Sheets over him in the 2018 draft. The Crushers score two more in the second to go up 4-0. Fremont strings together a bunch of singles in the third, and cuts it to a 4-3 CCC lead. In the top of the 5th, Bohm brings in another run with a sac fly, and Shed Long singles home Mookie Betts to increase the Crushers’ lead to 6-3. Travis Shaw gets one back for the Cannons with a run-scoring single in the sixth to make it 6-4. Fremont starter Dylan Bundy is pulled after 6 innings after giving up 11 hits in total. Coconut Creek starter Joe Musgrove is pulled after 7 after Mike Yastrzemski reaches base with a leadoff single. Yastrzemski then steals second, and Byron Buxton singles him in to cut the lead to 6-5. Drew Pomeranz comes in to try to close down the ninth and make amends for the previous day and is met with a string of pinch-hitters. Michael Brosseau reaches on a single, then moves to second on an Austin Hays groundout. James McCann doubles home Brosseau to tie the game. Manuel Margot is intentionally walked, then James McCann is replaced at second by pinch-runner Shohei Ohtani. Electing to face Carlos Correa instead of Margot, Pomeranz unintentionally walks him. With the bases loaded and one out, the Crushers call in Tom Hatch. Hatch gets Mike Yastrzemski to ground it to Alec Bohm, but Bohm throws it in the dirt trying to get Ohtani out at home. Fremont wins 7-6! Pomeranz has his second blown save in as many days. Coconut Creek tests the “6” arm of catcher Kyle Higashioka, and goes 4-4 on stolen bases. W: Giovanny Gallegos (1-1) L: Drew Pomeranz (0-1) BS: Drew Pomeranz (2) HR: none
Game #3:	Starters Danny Duffy (FRE) and Blake Snell (CCC) combined to keep this game much more low scoring than the previous two. Coconut Creek strikes first with a Mookie Betts two-run homer in the opening frame. The game stays scoreless until the sixth when Byron Buxton’s two-run HR ties it up. Fremont gets a runner on second in the eight with Mike Yastrzemski’s SB, but cannot bring him home. After getting the opening out in the ninth, Giovanny Gallegos serves up a solo HR to Michael Chavis which puts the Crushers on top 3-2. Nico Hoerner then doubles, but Gallegos strikes out the final two batters. Coconut Creek brings in Tom Hatch rather than Drew Pomeranz to close this one out. Yoan Moncada singles then is replaced by pinch-runner Shohei Ohtani who promptly steals second base. With the tying run at second with no outs, Fremont is unable to come up with the base hit they need, and Coconut Creek holds on to win 3-2. W: Tom Hatch (1-1) L: Giovanny Gallegos (1-2) HR: CCC- Mookie Betts (3), Michael Chavis (1); FRE- Byron Buxton (6)
Series Summary:	Fremont wins the series 2-1, but it could have gone any way with as close as the games were. Byron Buxton was the star of the series, slashing.417/.500/1.167 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI.

8Harsens Island Walleye @ Sacramento Capitals
Series Summary:	The Caps sweep the Walleye at home.

Tijuana Bottle Rockets @ Yonge Street Stalkers
Series Preview:	The Stalkers host the Bottle Rockets. Who knows what’s gonna happen?
Game #1:	Brady Singer was strong early but tired in the 5th. Framber Valdez was strikin’ out everyone and didn’t seem to tire. That was Game 1 in a nutshell. Mullins, Sanchez, and Happ homered for TIJ. Gary Sanchez was injured for 5 days after he hit his homer. TIJ 6 – YSS 3
Game #2:	ick Margevicius lasted just 2+ innings for the BR’s. The shaky defense didn’t help matters, as only 3 of the 6 runs he allowed were earned. Ke’Bryan Hayes got tossed for arguing a strikeout. Trea Turner (he’s good), homered for the second straight game for the Stalkers. Stellar news for the home team. Kris Bryant, newly activated from a lengthy stint on the DL, got injured again for 21 flippin’ days. YSS 7 – TIJ 5
Game #3:	Tanner Roark was this week’s grade 3 who’s a 13 at the end of the game after making the Yonge Street squad look silly. Trea Turner didn’t homer in this one, but went 2-3, with 2 BB and a SB. Ke’Bryan decided to swing and not leave it up to the ump. He went 3-5 with a triple and 4 RBI to lead the Rockets to victory. TIJ 7 – YSS 2
Series Summary:	Tijuana took 2 of 3, and Kris Bryant is hurt for 21 more days. Ugh.

Selkirk Steelers @ Pittsburgh Lumber Company
Series Preview:	Selkirk and Pittsburgh square off for 3 games.
Game #1:	Pitcher’s duel between Ian Anderson and Mike Clevinger. Pittsburgh’s Clevinger goes 6, scattering 4 hits and allowing only a run. Anderson tosses 6 1/3 innings, allowing only a Joey Gallo RBI double while striking out 11. Pablo Sandoval’s RBI single in the 8th is the difference as the Steelers hold on for a 2-1 victory. SEL 2 5 1 PIT 1 2 0 WP – Dolis (2-2) LP – Romo (0-2) S – Williams (3)
Game #2:	Back and forth game as Selkirk takes 1-0, 3-1, and 4-3 leads, only to see Pittsburgh battle back each time. Down 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th, Aaron Judge reaches on a 2 base Profar error. Joey Gallo doubles to tie the game at 4. Carson Kelly is issued a free pass to set Pittsburgh runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Hunter Renfroe is asked to bunt. He lays it down, Wolters fields, and throws the ball away, Gallo comes around to score the game-winner, Gallo had a 2 for 4 day, knocking in 4 to lead Pittsburgh. SEL 4 9 3 PIT 5 8 1 WP – Pena (1-0) LP – Williams (0-2)
Game #3:	Another tight game. With the game tied at one in the bottom of the 8th, Aaron Judge slugs a 3 run blast to win the game and series for Pittsburgh. Hasely had 3 hits for Selkirk. Peralta went 4 for 4 for Pittsburgh. SEL 1 8 0 PIT 4 7 0 WP – Manaea (1-0) LP – Ramirez (0-1)
Series Summary:	The Lumber Company wins the series 2-1.

Chicago Mobsters @ Southbend Lynx
Series Preview:	Chicago up near the top of the AL standings visits Southbend down near the bottom of the standings.
Game #1:	SBL gets an early solo-HR from Bichette in the 2nd and thats all she wrote. CHI takes over the game with a 6 run 5th with the big hit being a 3-run 2b by McCutchen. CHI Hill goes a strong 5 giving up 4 hits before the CHI bullpen took over and closed out the game. CHI 6, SBL 1
Game #2:	HI gets out to a 4-0 lead after 3 1/2 innings. SBL pull within 1, but CHI puts it away with 2 runs in the 6th on rbi-1bs by Barnhart and Wade. CHI also gets HRs from Cruz and McCutchen. CHI Luzardo has a rough start giving up 3 runs in 5.2IP. But once again the CHI bullpen is spot on to nail down the win. Canha homers for the SBL. CHI 6, SBL 3
Game #3:	CHI cruises behind J.Urias, who goes 6IP giving up only 3 hits while fanning 9 and walking none. Cruz hits another HR and Bregman swats 2 HR as CHI rolls easily. SBL gets solo-HRs from Escobar and Forsythe for their runs. CHI 7, SBL 2
Series Summary:	Chicago sweeps Southbend as they continue their strong hold on a playoff spot with an eye towards taking the top spot in the AL. Southbend continues to struggle as they drop to 1-7 at home.