GBL Week 6 Power Rankings & Recap

With only four weeks left in the 2015 GBL season, the league's standings are as tight as ever. Four games separate the first place team from the last place team. Even with below .500 records, the Bird Gang and Lightning still have a realistic chance of making a push to the postseason. No spot has been guaranteed and the tension will begin to build game by game over the next few weeks. We have seen some wild games thus far this season and, Week 6 was no exception. This week produced a few comebacks, two walk-offs, and plenty of dominating performances. Week 6 has already added to a terrific season thus far and there should be more thrills in the future.

Week 6 Power Rankings

6. Lightning 4-6 (#6 Last Week)

This week proved the Lightning can still can make some waves. They won their second official game this week. Andrew Felde and Derek Revis are proving to be capable on the mound and in the batter's box. With ten more games to go, the Lightning may have a chance to put themselves into the playoffs. 

TEAM STATS

.284 BA

7.03 ERA

5. Bird Gang 4-8 (#5 Last Week)

The Bird Gang nearly lost both games this week but, managed to find a little left in the tank to steal the second game. At 4-8, the Bird Gang need to compile a few wins together if they intend to be playing after the regular season. 

TEAM STATS

.376 BA

5.00 ERA

4. Gashouse Gorillas 6-6 (#4 Last Week)

After dropping the first game, the Gashouse Gorillas finally stood up. Jeremy Ratajczyk and Jim Tucker played with a passion we have not seen much out of Gashouse this season. They shellacked the Stallionaires in Game 2 but, week-to-week it is difficult to tell which Gashouse Gorillas team the GBL will see. 

TEAM STATS

.400 BA

3.25 ERA

3. Taka Drivers 6-6 (#3 Last Week)

The Taka Drivers have split their games in every week this season. After a promising start this week, they were stonewalled in the next game. The Taka Drivers are always keeping the score close are are never really out of any game. If they can put a winning streak together, they may secure a playoff spot soon. 

TEAM STATS

.390 BA

3.11 ERA

2. Stallionaires 6-4 (#2 Last Week)

The Stallionaires are a dominate force on the mound this season. All four players on the roster are in the top five in ERA but, they have a slight problem. The Stallionares have only managed to plate 21 runs in ten games. As soon as they begin to hit consistently, expect big things from this squad. 

TEAM STATS

.244 BA

1.67 ERA

1. Nighttime Ninjas 8-4 (#1 Last Week)

The Nighttime Ninjas have been the leagues's best team thru six weeks. They can hit, pitch, and field with the league's best. Krucek, Kubacki, and Arvay are proving to be the leagues most formidable squad. They have made believers out of the GBL. 

TEAM STATS

.404 BA

4.42 ERA

Week 5 Scores and Recap

Lightning v. Bird Gang Game 1 - Thru the first three innings, the Bird Gang shut down the Lightning. Lucas Baker pitched three innings and held the Lightning to only two hits. Then in the bottom of the third, Nick Trauscht and Matt Zurawski gave the Bird Gang a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth. Matt Zurawski entered the game in the fourth for the Bird Gang and immediately gave up a home run. Not feeling too comfortable on the mound, Nick Trauscht came in after the home run. He was able to get out of the fourth without any more damage. The real action started in the top of the fifth. With the Lightning down 3-1, and in danger of losing, Felde and Revis began the comeback. The Lightning score four runs and took the lead 5-3. With the Bird Gang rattled, the Lightning were able to complete their comeback efforts and got the win. 

FINAL Lightning 5 Bird Gang 3

Lightning v. Bird Gang Game 2 - The Lightning started Game 2 the way the finished Game 1. The Lightning took a early 1-0 lead in the first inning. That 1-0 lead for the Lightning held for three innings. In the fourth, the Bird Gang struck back and tied the game 1-1 but, the fifth and final inning is where all the action took place. With the score deadlocked at 1-1, the Lightning scored four runs in the top of the fifth to give them the lead 5-1. Felde and Revis combined for three home runs during the game and two came in the fifth inning. With a comfortable lead, it was almost deja-vu for the Bird Gang but, they were not going to give up that easily. The Bird Gang were able to cut the deficit to 5-4. With Baker up and one out, Baker scorched a triple off the wall scoring two runs and gave the Bird Gang a much needed victory.

FINAL Bird Gang 6 Lightning 5

Nighttime Ninjas v. Taka Drivers Game 1 - After injuring himself at the NWLA tournament, Mike Kubacki Jr. started the first game for the Nighttime Ninjas. He may have been still affected by his predicament and, the Taka Drivers took advantage. The Taka Drivers got the game started in the first with three runs, giving them an early 3-0 lead. They started the next inning the same way by scoring another three runs. The score was 6-0 entering the third inning and it was looking bleak for the Nighttime Ninjas. The Nighttime Ninjas were able to score two in the third to cut into the Taka Drivers' lead but, the runs proved to be pointless. In the bottom of third, the Taka Drivers scored five more runs off of Kubacki, giving them a 11-2 lead. Jackson Buzea was responsible for most of the damage. He plated six RBI's and belted another home run. It only took one more batter for the Taka Drivers to score another run and, it proved to be the difference. 

FINAL Taka Drivers 12 Nighttime Ninjas 2 F/3

Nighttime Ninjas v. Taka Drivers Game 2 -  After being blown-out in the first game, the Nighttime Ninjas sent Ethan Arvay to the mound in hopes of earning a split. The Taka Drivers countered with one of the leagues best rookies, Ryan Voges. In the first inning, the Nighttime Ninjas, started the scoring with an Ethan Arvay solo home run. Soon after, Sammy Krucek added another solo bomb. The score would stay exactly the same, 2-0, for most of the game. Arvay pitched lights out and his relief, Sammy Krucek, pitched just as well. Through three innings, Voges kept the game close for the Taka Drivers. After pitching a scoreless fourth, Buzea allowed two runs to score in the fifth, giving the Nighttime Ninjas a 4-0 lead. The Taka Drivers were only able to produce two hits against the duo of Arvay and Krucek and, it cost them their first sweep of the season. 

FINAL Nighttime Ninjas 4 Taka Drivers 0

Gashouse Gorillas v. Stallionaires Game 1 - Back in Week 1, the Stallionaires and Gashouse Gorillas created went toe-to-toe, splinting the first nightcap of the season. In a rematch of last year's World Series, the Stallionaires wanted revenge. The action started in the bottom of the second with a David Konopasek three run home run giving the Stallionaires a 3-0 lead. The way the Stallionaires have pitched this season, the game should have been all but over. Jeremy Ratajczyk and Jim Tucker of the Gashouse Gorillas had other plans. The Gashouse Gorillas were able to score one run in each of the last three innings to tie the score at 3. With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, it was once again Jeremy Ratajczyk v. Nate Bryan. In a nine inning affair back in week 1, Nate Bryan hit a two-run bomb to give the Stallionaires the win. He repeated his Week 1 efforts against the same pitcher. Bryan smashed a walk-off home run once again and bested the same pitcher.

FINAL Stallionaires 4 Gashouse Gorillas 3

Gashouse Gorillas v. Stallionaires Game 2 - Falling below .500 for the first time this season, the Gashouse Gorillas needed a spark. The commissioner of the GBL delivered. Ratajczyk and Tucker started the game with back to back jacks, which gave the Gashouse Gorillas a much needed 2-0 lead. In the next four innings, Ratajczyk hit four more home runs and drove in eight RBI's total. On the mound, Tucker and Ratajczyk only allowed one hit. On the other hand, the Stallionaires continued to struggle in the batter's box. They were shut out for the fourth time this season. Their pitching was out of character, allowing nine runs and six home runs. The Gashouse Gorillas showed the league that when they hit for power and pitch well, they can beat anybody. 

FINAL Gashouse Gorillas 9 Stallionaires 0

GBL Standings

1. Nighttime Ninjas   8-4

2. Stallionaires           6-4

3. Taka Drivers          6-6

4. Gashouse Gorillas  6-6

5. Lightning                4-6

6. Bird Gang               4-8

Week 6 Players of the Week

Hitter of the Week - Jeremy Ratajczyk - 9 Hits / 20 AB 6 Home Runs 10 RBI 0 BB 1 K

Pitcher of the Week - Ethan Arvay - 1-0 3 IP 1 Hit Allowed 4 K 1 BB

Rookie of the Week -  Lucas Baker - (Hitting) 6 Hits / 14 AB 4 RBI 1 BB 0 K (Pitching) 0-0 6 IP 5 Hits Allowed 1 Earned Run 2 K 2 BB

Week 7 June 28th

3 PM Lightning (Felde) v. Nighttime Ninjas (Kubacki Jr.)

4 PM Lightning (Revis) v. Nighttime Ninjas (Arvay)

5 PM Stallionaires (Konopasek) v. Bird Gang (Baker)

6 PM Stallionaires (Bryan) v. Bird Gang (Trauscht)

7 PM Taka Drivers (Buzea) v. Gashouse Gorillas (Tucker)

8 PM Taka Drivers (Voges) v. Gashouse Gorillas (Galiher)

(All Probable Starters Subject to Change)

WIFFLE OUT!