After a week of one sided contests, the GBL had a more competitive slate in week four. Yes, there was still a few games where one team had the upper hand but, it never felt any team was out of reach. The week had a different aura than week three and it was noticeable from the first pitch. The Ducks on the Pond went toe to toe with the Taka Drivers and nearly had their first victory. Nobody (even myself) thought they could hang with one of the leagues best. They have showed promise in the last few weeks and could sneak into the playoffs if things break their way. On the other hand, the Taka Drivers continue to win. With one of the most talented rosters, they continue to impress and deserve more national attention (on the bubble in week two's NWLA Large League rankings).The next set of games included two teams who desperately needed victories. Both the Nighttime Ninjas and Stallionaires were a combined 0-6 in the last two weeks (Ninjas 0-4; Stallionaires 0-2). The Nighttime Ninjas almost walked out of the Janke Cage with a sweep but, the Stallionaires found a way to steal one at the very last moment. After the 11-4 pummeling they took in game one, the Stallionaires were down 2-0 in game two but came back on stole a victory to split the series.
The nightcap witnessed the Gashouse Gorillas do what they do best, win. The Bird Gang had much to prove after starting the season 4-2 but, could not score in either game. They only had a few opportunities since the Gashouse Gorillas pitching staff (Bobowski, Tucker, Ratajczyk) shut down the Bird Gang offense.
It was a week where no team made any move in the standings. It has become clear that everyone is chasing the Gashouse Gorillas and Taka Drivers. As for the for the remaining two playoff spots (assuming Taka and Gashouse continue to play the same way for the rest of the season), they are completely up for grabs. The GBL will know more in the coming weeks and the other competitors will begin to surface. For now, here is Week Four's Power Rankings.
WEEK FOUR POWER RANKINGS
1. Gashouse Gorillas 6-1 (Last Week #1)
There seems to be no stopping the Gashouse Gorillas. After coming off a fourth consecutive championship, you would think they would start a bit sluggish. Not a chance. Ever since losing the opener, they have won six straight and outscored their opponents 54-8. They lead the league in offense and pitching. At times they look unstoppable and are clearly the GBL's flagship franchise.
2. Taka Drivers 6-1 (Last Week #2)
They may have had a close call this week but, the Taka Drivers are easily the next best team in the GBL. Their pitching staff is still sitting under a 2.00 ERA and their hitting continues to improve as the season goes on. They also showed some resilience this week as they fell behind early. They erased every deficit they had and continue to find ways to win.
3. Bird Gang 4-4 (Last Week #3)
Even after a week where they did not score a run, the Bird Gang are barely clinging to the third spot. They did not have a runner reach third base all night and their defense also had four errors in one game. Week four was a major letdown for the Bird Gang. On the bright side, their pitching continues to impress as they only allowed three earned runs in two games to Gashouse.
4. Nighttime Ninjas 3-5 (Last Week #4)
The Nighttime Ninjas regained the stroke in week four scoring thirteen runs in two games. They hit six home runs en route to splitting their series with the Stallionaires. They were one out away from a sweep but fell apart in the very last inning. Each week it feels like the Ninjas need to out-slug their opponent in order to succeed. That approach can work but, it has to done every game, not every other week.
5. Stallionaires 2-4 (Last Week #5)
The Stallionaires now have two wins that have come in the fifth inning or later. After getting clobbered in game one, the Stallionaires fought until the very end stole game two. The turn over on the roster is evident. This is not the same team the GBL has seen in the last two seasons. Their pitching has declined and keeping games within reach could cause a lot of lopsided affairs.
6. Ducks on the Pond 0-6 (Last Week #6)
The Ducks on the Pond are starting to show a bit of the potential they their roster indicates. The Ducks just have not been able to combine it all in a victory. They had the first ever lead this week but, let it slip away in extras. The Ducks are getting closer and closer to their first GBL win but, as other teams seem to find ways to win, the Ducks find ways to lose.
WEEK FOUR PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTER OF THE WEEK - Sammy Krucek - 13 Hits 21 At-Bats 5 HR 1 Triple 3 Doubles 11 RBI
PITCHER OF THE WEEK - Ryan Voges - 1-0 3 IP 0 ER 1 Hit Allowed 6 K 1 BB
ROOKIE HITTER OF THE WEEK - Brian Brilmyer - 5 Hits 14 At-Bats 1 HR 3 RBI
ROOKIE PITCHER OF THE WEEK - Nick Bobowski - 1-0 3 IP 1 Hit Allowed 2 K 2 BB
WIFFLE OUT!
No comments:
Post a Comment