Burnett tosses a one-hitter, Shields fans 11

A.J. Burnett tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout Tuesday while James Shields, who has struggled this year, was brilliant in Oakland, striking out 11 while allowing just three hits in a complete game shutout.

The Slammers needed a good outing by Shields as the Lower Haighters are on a hitting rampage. Albert Pujols hit a pair of home runs and Neil Walker smashed a grand-slam to propel the Haighters to the league lead in three of six offensive categories.

Tuesday's Hitting Stats

Bomba needs all the help they can get at the plate because the pitching is failing. On Tuesday, catcher A.J. Pierzynski was 2 for 3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI. He was part of a four home run, 10 RBI outburst that still has Bomba trailing the Machine in this week's series...The Menehunes are holding their own offensively against a stout Give it a Yankee lineup. Last night, Nick Markakis went 3 for 5 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. The Menehunes also caught a break when Give it a Yankee second baseman Brandon Phillips hurt a calf and is likely headed to the DL...The Fishes won big last week and they're on a tear again in Week 17, leading the Jersey Boys 9-2. Second baseman Dustin Ackley, who has been a big disappointment for much of 2012, had a huge three-run homer last night and stole a base...When your team scores seven runs and knocks in 11 you expect to gain ground in the offensive categories but the Slammers simply maintained ground Tuesday against a red-hot Lower Haighters lineup. Allen Craig had a big night for the Slammers, going 3 for 3 with two walks, three RBI, and two runs scored...With Phillips hurt, Give it a Yankee is going to need offensive production from other players to keep the Menehunes at bay. Cory Hart produced on Tuesday, going 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI.

Tuesday's Pitching Stats

Things are getting desperate for Bomba on the mound. The team ERA sits at 8.71 after Derek Holland was blasted for six runs Tuesday and normally reliable reliever Jason Motte coughed up a run in relief...Home Run 101 is gunning for an upset of the Mirrors this week and rookie Wade Miley helped the team's cause with an eight inning masterpiece Tuesday. Miley allowed just three hits, one walk, and struck out seven while giving up one run...Cliff Lee made his first start for the Lower Haighters last night after coming over to the team in a blockbuster trade that sent Felix Hernandez to Bacon. Lee's initial impression was a good one. The veteran tossed seven shutout innings, striking out seven...Tim Lincecum has now tossed three quality starts in his last four outings after giving up just one run over seven innings while fanning seven last night for the Menehunes...Francisco Liriano settled down last night after a poor start his last outing. Lirianio struck out eight over six innings while allowing just two runs to score.

Updated Weekly Stats

Albert Pujols is the hottest hitter in the game right now. He's 5 for 9 with a .556 OBP, two home runs, four RBI and four runs scored over the last two days. He's the primary reason the Lower Haighters lead the league in home runs, RBI, and are tied for the lead in runs scored...James Shields and Yovani Gallardo have combined for 16 strikeouts and both will have a second start this week. The Slammers have a commanding lead in strikeouts and should maintain that through Sunday...Saves and holds have been hard to come by through the first two days of Week 17. A total of five saves and three holds have been recorded league-wide...A.J. Burnett's one-hitter Tuesday has led the Cys to the early lead in WHIP, where the team sits at 0.76.

Wednesday's Projected Starters

 

Yu Darvish has dominated the Angels in two earlier meetings. The Angels are a combined 11 for 66 with 22 strikeouts and just three extra base hits. Mike Trout is 4 for 9 with a home run and three RBI off Darvish...Carlos Ruiz has pounded Edwin Jackson. Chooch is 5 for 9 with two doubles while the rest of the Phillies are hitting .324 off Jackson...Chase Headley is just 3 for 18 with six strikeouts versus Bronson Arroyo while the Padres as a team are hitting just .220...Coco Crisp, Jemile Weeks, and Kurt Suzuki are the only A's who have faced rookie Alex Cobb. Crisp is 3 for 3...The Marlins are just 16 for 71 off Ben Sheets but Carlos Lee is 7 for 19 with four doubles and a home run...The Mariners have just 20 at bats off Carlos Villanueva but they have nine hits including two doubles and a triple from Brendan Ryan...The Nationals are 7 for 28 off Vance Worley including a home run by Danny Espinosa. Ryan Zimmerman is 0 for 3 with two strikeouts...Michael Cuddyer is 9 for 26 with a double and five RBI off Jake Westbrook but Carlos Gonzalez is just 1 for 6...The Mets have hit Matt Cain well, going 23 for 82. David Wright is 9 for 21 with five doubles while Scott Hairston is just 3 for 15 with six strikeout but he has taken Cain deep...Rookie Jarrod Parker has never faced a current member of the Rays...The Twins have just nine extra base hits, and no home runs, off Jake Peavy in 113 at bats. Josh Willingham has yet to get a hit off Peavy in 12 at bats...Adrian Beltre has clobbered Dan Haren, going 24 for 58 with seven doubles, a triple and three home runs. David Murphy and Nelson Cruz each have two homers off Haren and the Rangers are hitting .320 against the Angel ace...Adam Jones is just 4 for 25 with five strikeouts off Phil Hughes while Matt Wieters is 4 for 17 with six strikeouts...The White Sox are hitting .263 in 57 at bats off Scott Diamond. Paul Konerko is 3 for 7 with a double and Alex Rios has taken Diamond deep...The Dodgers are 20 for 63 off Josh Collmenter including seven doubles and a home run. Matt Kemp is 3 for 7 with a long ball while Mark Ellis is 1 for 10 with four strikeouts...The Giants are hitting .361 off Jonathon Niese including Melky Cabrera's 4 for 9 with a double and Buster Posey's 3 for 6 with two doubles.

Monday's Mound Meltdown - It's a Homer Palooza!

If you avoided Monday's apocalyptic bullpen meltdown, congratulations. You won't be trying to extract your pitching categories from the depths the rest of the week. How bad was it? Try these numbers on for size:

• Just two saves and three holds were scored across the entire league.
• Only five teams had an ERA lower than 3.50.
• Only five teams had a WHIP lower than 1.20.
• Eleven teams had an ERA of more than 4.50 and four teams ended up with an ERA of more than 10.00.
• A total of 11 starting relievers in our league coughed up at least one earned run.

This was an epic disaster.

Monday's Hitting Stats

 If pitchers were having a bad day then you would expect some great numbers from hitters and that's exactly what happened Monday. Rookie Mike Trout was sensational for Bacon, going 2 for 5 with four RBI, a home run, and three runs scored. Unfortunately, he was the only hitter on Bacon's team swinging a hot bat, as the team finished with a league-low three hits and an abysmal .200 OBP...Twinkle Toes was more productive, finishing with 10 hits including four hits from Alejandro de Aza. He also drove in half of the team's RBI and scored its only run...The Cys continued to pound the ball Monday, led by a recording-setting night from Kendry's Morales. In one inning, Morales hit two home runs and drove in six RBI. He became just the third hitter in MLB history to hit a home run from both sides of the plate...Nelson Cruz supplied three of the four RBI for the Vicious Fishes last night and the team's only homer. Cruz was 2 for 4 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Monday's Pitching Stats

While the relievers struggled, there were some excellent pitching performances Monday. David Price has emerged as one of the league's best pitchers and could keep the Fishes from a second consecutive Wooden Spoon. Price gave up three runs over seven innings Monday but struck out 11...The Menehunes have made it a personal mission to resurrect struggling pitchers and Clay Buchholz repaid the team with a strong eight inning outing last night. Buchholz gave up just two runs and allowed just seven base runners...Marco Estrada continued to roll along for Bacon, giving up two runs over seven innings while striking out six. Bacon was the only team with two quality starts last night...The Toes start the week with a low ERA and WHIP thanks to six strong innings from Madison Bumgarner. He allowed eight baserunners over six innings and struck out nine...Not every reliever struggled Monday. Jim Johnson didn't allow a run and struck out two to earn a save for Scully's Slammers.

Overall Stats

The Cys led the league in RBI and home runs Monday, which is no surprise given the historic night from Morales....HUMA scored a league-high 10 runs with Jose Altuve plating three....Darwin Barney had a busy night for the Machine, stealing a base, driving in four runs, and scoring three times...While saves and holds were scarce, Bacon had one of each but they came at a heavy price to the team ERA and WHIP. Jerome Williams earned the save because he pitched more than two innings of relieve with the Angels leading but he gave up four earned runs. Bobby Parnell earned a hold by recording one out but his ERA sits at a staggering 54.00.

Tuesday's Projected Starters

The Nationals have six extra base hits in 60 at bats against Cliff Lee including three home runs by Danny Espinosa. As a team, the Nationals are hitting a robust .317 off Lee...Howie Kendrick and Mark Trumbo both have home runs off Derek Holland and the Angels are 46 for 157 off the Angels hurler...Current Cubs have just one extra base hit in 60 at bats against A.J. Burnett. Alfonso Soriano is just 3 for 15 with seven strikeouts...The Red Sox are hitting just .187 off Justin Verlander with six extra base hits in 171 at bats. Adrian Gonzalez has hit a home run off Verlander but is just 2 for 12 with three strikeouts...The Pirates have hit Ryan Dempster well, including eight home runs and 12 doubles in 182 at bats. Neil Walker is 9 for 22 off Dempster with three doubles and two homers...The Dodgers have 40 at bats off Wade Miley, hitting .375 with three home runs and two doubles. Mark Ellis is 6 for 11 with two homers...Tim Lincecum has historically been tough on the Mets. They've struck out 36 times in 90 at bats. David Wright is 2 for 19 with 11 strikeouts...Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, and Elvis Andrus each have two home runs off Jered Weaver. Andrus is 22 for 51 with six extra base hits...Homer Bailey has only allowed six extra base hits to Padres hitters in 75 at bats. Chase Headley is just 2 for 9...Tommy Milone has faced the Rays once and they hit .500 off the rookie. B.J. Upton hit a homer off Milone...Stephen Strasburg has struck out nine Phillies in 28 at bats. Jimmy Rollins is 0 for 5 with three strikeouts...Brian McCann and Chipper Jones have owned Ricky Nolasco. McCann has six homers, four doubles, and 20 RBI while Jones has five doubles and four home runs in 44 at bats off Nolasco...Billy Butler is 3 for 8 with a home run off Derek Lowe. The Royals are hitting .282 off the veteran pitcher...The Astros have just 49 at bats against Yovani Gallardo and they've had no success, collecting just five hits. Jose Altuve is 1 for 8 with two strikeouts...The A's have just two extra base hits in 64 at bats against James Shields. Josh Reddick is 3 for 13 off Shields but he does have a homer...Carlos Gonzalez is 4 for 11 with a double and a homer off Kyle Lohse. Nine of the 22 hits by the Rockies off Lohse have gone for extra bases...The Diamondbacks have 12 extra base hits in 78 bats off Chris Capuano. Justin Upton is 4 for 9 with a double, a triple, and a home run...The Blue Jays have struck out 15 times in 76 at bats against Jason Vargas but Edwin Encarnacion is 5 for 13 with a pair of homers...Miguel Cabrera is just 4 for 18 against Josh Beckett but two of those hits cleared the fences. Prince Fielder is 4 for 8 off Beckett with three bombs...Jamey Carroll and Josh Willingham are the only Twins who have faced Francisco Liriano. Willingham has two at bats off Liriano and a home run....Shin-Soo Choo has to be excited to see Luke Hochevar on the bump tonight. Choo is 15 for 25 with four doubles, three homers, and 12 RBI. Carlos Santana has struggled against Hochevar, going 1 for 12 with three strikeouts.

Week 17 Preview - A Three-Way Tie for the Final Playoff Spot

The Marin Menehunes, High Cheese, and Give it a Yankee are deadlocked for the final playoff spot while the Vicious Fishes have jumped out of the cellar making Home Run 101 the new favorite for the Wooden Spoon. This is all the result of a wild finish to Week 16.

High Cheese stormed back into the playoff picture by virtue of the week's biggest upset, a 7-3-2 victory over Scully's Slammers. At the same time, Give it a Yankee and the Menehunes were losing. Now, with seven weeks remaining in the season, there are seven teams battling for the final three playoff spots.

The Menehunes have lost two of their past three series and find themselves in a playoff dogfight. Give it a Yankee was upset by HUMA and is in the middle of the same playoff battle. Now they meet in an important Week 17 series that will determine the playoff chances for both teams. These teams have split two meetings the last two years with both being close. The Menehunes won last year's Week 15 series 6-3-3 while Give it a Yankee won the 2010 meeting 5-4-3. Second baseman Brandon Phillips enters this series as the hottest hitter for Give it a Yankee. In his last 13 games, Phillips has a .412 OBP, two home runs, three stolen bases, 12 RBI, and nine runs scored. Billy Butler is leading the Menehunes. Over his last 53 at bats, Butler has four home runs, 12 RBI, and a .450 OBP. Give it a Yankee will play the series with a short-handed pitching staff. Reliever Jordan Walden is hurt and starter Drew Smyly has been optioned to the minor leagues. The Menehunes will try to take advantage tonight when Clay Buchholz and Max Scherzer make the first of their two starts in this series. Final Prediction: Marin Menehunes 6, Give it a Yankee 6.

What a week for both of these teams. High Cheese stunned the Slammers while Twinkle Toes rose to the occasion to defeat the Menehunes in a playoff-caliber series. The Toes had 11 quality starts last week and will bring a hot pitching staff into the series. Over the last three weeks, Ian Kenndy, Ryan Vogelsong, Jeremy Hellickson, and Madison Bumgarner are 11 for 11 in quality start attempts. For High Cheese, Hanley Ramirez and David Freese are both swinging hot bats while Tom Wilhelmsen has been solid at the back end of the bullpen. Wilhlemsen has seven saves in his last eight games while Freese has an incredible .667 OBP over his last 32 at bats and Ramirez has three home runs, three stolen bases, and 11 RBI the last two weeks.High Cheese has won two of the three previous meetings with the Toes. The Toes won last year's Week 17 series, 8-4. The teams split two meetings in 2010, with High Cheese winning 8-3-1 in Week 19 and Twinkle Toes winning 7-5 in Week 4. Final Prediction: High Cheese 9, Twinkle Toes 2.

A complete pitching meltdown led to a shocking upset loss for the Slammers last week.  Zack Greinke and Kyle Lohse were the only pitchers to earn quality starts. Luckily, the series loss didn't hurt the Slammers in the East Division standings as their main competition, the Machine, has suffered some major injuries. Still, that's two straight series losses for the team and they haven't scored more than four points the last two weeks. Now they face a Lower Haighters team that has lost just one series over the past nine weeks. Shortstop Jose Reyes and free-agent pitcher Doug Fister have led the charge. Reyes has a .407 OBP, four homers, four stolen bases, and 10 runs scored over the last 13 games. Fister is 3 for 3 in quality start attempts the last two weeks, striking out 23 batters over 23 innings. Matt Holliday and Edwin Encarnacion continue to power the Slammers offense. They've combined for seven home runs and 20 RBI the over the last two weeks. The Slammers have never beaten the Lower Haighters in two meetings, losing 2-8-2 in Week 9 last year and 5-7 in Week 10 in 2010. Final Prediction: Lower Haighters 8, Scully's Slammers 4.

 With the heart of its lineup on the DL, the Machine is just trying to maintain its playoff position. It's beginning to get tenuous. They were hammered 9-2 last week by the Mirrors and have now lost two straight series. Things aren't much better for Bomba, which hasn't won a series in three weeks. Pitching is the problem, the team has had just two quality starts the last two weeks. Bomba doesn't have a problem at the plate, where Miguel Cabrera is on fire. He has five homers and 10 RBI over his last 13 games. For the Machine, Cuban rookie Yoenis Cespedes has carried the offense the last two weeks. He has three homers, 12 RBI, and 10 runs scored in his last 47 at bats. The Machine has beaten Bomba in two of their three meetings. The Machine won a critical Week 12 meeting last year, 7-4-1. The teams split a pair of 2010 meetings with Bomba winning big, 11-1, in Week 20 while the Machine won 7-4-1 in Week 5. Final Prediction: The Machine 7, Los Coche Bomba 5.

The Bulls are coming off a hard-fought 5-4-3 victory over the league's best team, Los Coche Bomba. They've now won four straight series and are the hottest team in the league. They've also opened an 8.5-game lead over Give it a Yankee in the North Division pennant race. HUMA has jumped back into the playoff picture by virtue of a 6-5-1 victory over Give it a Yankee. HUMA hasn't lost in three weeks and has been powered by the pitching of Jordan Zimmerman, the legs of Ben Revere, and the hot bat of Jason Kubel.  Zimmerman is 3 for 3 in quality start attempts, allowing just one earned run over his past 18 innings. Revere has six stolen bases in his last 12 games while Kubel has seven home runs and 12 RBI in his last 49 at bats. For the Bulls, Phil Hughes has emerged as a leader on the mound. He is 3 for 3 in quality start attempts with an 0.88 WHIP over his last 21 innings pitched. The Bulls were active in the free-agent market this week, adding rookie pitcher Matt Moore and slugging first baseman Ike Davis. These teams have met twice, with the Bulls winning once and the other ending in a draw. The Bulls had a huge upset victory in Week 11 last year, 6-3-3. In 2010, with both teams struggling, a Week 14 meeting ended in a 6-6 draw. Final Prediction: The Bulls 6, HUMA 5.

Home Run 101 suffered one of its worst losses of the season last week, a 2-9-1 drubbing at the hands of the Jersey Boys. The team has now lost three of its past four series and will face a Mirrors team coming off its biggest victory of the year, a 9-2-1 win over the Machine. The Mirrors have won three of their past four series while Home Run 101 has dropped back into the cellar and is in danger of winning its second Wooden Spoon. Home Run 101 has one of the league's best bullpens thanks to setup man Vinnie Pestano. He's had five holds over his last six innings without giving up a run and striking out eight batters. Rookie Anthony Rizzo has emerged as a dependable source of power, hitting three homers in his last 12 games. Outfielders Drew Stubbs and Denard Span have been hot for the Mirrors. They've combined to steal six bases and score 23 runs over their last 13 games. Home Run 101 has managed to split a pair of series with the Mirrors. Last year in Week 12, Home Run 101 upset the Mirrors 6-5-1. In 2010, the Mirrors squeaked out a 7-5 win in Week 8. Final Prediction: A-Rod's Mirrors 8, Home Run 101 4.

 The Fishes snapped an 11-week winless streak in style with a 9-2 hammering of Bacon at Mile 11 last week. Not only did it give the team a much-needed series win, but it lifted it above Bacon and Home Run 101 in the race to avoid the Wooden Spoon. Now they face a Jersey Boys team that mauled Home Run 101, 9-2-1, snapping their own four-week winless streak. Hiroki Kuroda has led the Jersey Boys on the mound of late, going 3 for 3 in quality start attempts while allowing just three earned runs over his past 22 innings. Kuroda will need to be on his game as Joe Blanton and David Price have been excellent for the Fishes the past two weeks. They are a combined 5 for 5 in quality start attempts, allowing eight earned runs over their past 37 innings. Veteran slugger Paul Konerko is also hot for the Fishes, slugging three homers in his last 13 games. The Fishes have never beaten the Jersey Boys. Last year, in Week 12, the Fishes were humiliated by the Jersey Boys, 3-9. It was worse in 2010, when the Jersey Boys won 8-1-3 in Week 11. Final Prediction: Vicious Fishes 7, Jersey Boys 5.

Bacon is building for 2013 while the Cys are engaged in a heated South Division pennant race. Bacon has won just one series over the past six weeks and is now just one game out of the cellar. They are a serious contender for this year's Wooden Spoon. The Cys are sputtering when they should be making up ground on Bomba. They've won just one series over the past four weeks. Bacon is hoping outfielders Mike Trout and Justin Upton return to the lineup soon. Both players have been hot the past two weeks but are nursing nagging injuries. Despite the team's poor record, Ryan Zimmerman has stepped up to carry the offense. He has six home runs over his past 15 games and has been the league's best player the last two weeks. Aroldis Chapman has been sensational for the Cys the last two weeks. He has eight saves in his last eight appearances. He hasn't given up a run in his last 7.1 innings while striking out an amazing 15 batters. Bacon has won two of the three meetings between these teams, including a pair of victories in 2010. The Cys broke through last year in Week 11, with a narrow 6-5-1 victory. Final Prediction: The Cys 6, Bacon at Mile 11 6.

The Cys storm past the Lower Haighters behind Jackson, Burnett

Edwin Jackson and A.J. Burnett combined to strikeout nine batters and allow just two runs over 14.1 innings as the Cys came storming back to take the lead over the Lower Haighters in a pivotal Week 16 series.

The Cys are in position to gain ground in the South Division pennant race as Los Coche Bomba trails the Bulls 6-3 entering the final three days of play. The Lower Haighters need to score as many points as possible to remain in the West Division pennant hunt as A-Rod's Mirrors are battering a limping Machine 10-2.

Thursday's Hitting Stats

 

Chris Davis broke out of a big-time slump Thursday, going 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBI as Give it a Yankee continued to pile up the offensive stats against HUMA...The Slammers are getting punked by High Cheese in what is shaping up as the week's biggest upset but Edwin Encarnacion helped the East Division leaders move closer in several key offensive categories Thursday. Encarnacion went 2 for 4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored...Matt Holliday also jumped into the fray for the Slammers, hitting a home run and scoring twice...The Marin Menehunes led the league in home runs and RBI Thursday and have now tightened their series with the Toes. Kelly Johnson was in the middle of everything, hitting a home run, scoring twice, and driving in two runs...Bacon at Mile 11 is inching closer to Wooden Spoon status after losing another point Thursday, this time in the strikeout category. The team led the league in fans, whiffing 11 times. Five of the team's seven players to get at bats Thursday struck out twice apiece. Bacon had 11 strikeouts in 21 at bats.

Thursday's Pitching Stats

 

The Bulls and Bomba have not had a model week when it comes to pitching but Thursday night Jason Vargas came up big for the North Division leaders. Vargas gave up just one run over eight innings, allowing just one hit and walking three...Jake Westbrook did just enough to earn a quality start for the Mirrors Thursday. The veteran hurler gave up three earned runs over seven innings while striking out six batters as the Mirrors continued to pile up stats on the Machine...Bomba earned its first save of the week Thursday as the ever reliable Jason Motte struck out the side in the ninth inning...The Bulls earned two of their four quality starts Thursday as Zack McAllister pitched 6.1 innings, allowing just two runs and striking out seven.

Updated Weekly Stats

The Cys have built a pennant-contending team around its starting pitching staff. Through four games this week, the team leads the league in ERA, is sixth in WHIP, sixth in strikeouts, and is tied for second in quality starts...When assessing the strength of a bullpen it's advisable to add a team's saves and holds. This week, five is the magic number, as five teams have totaled a combination of five holds/saves...Bomba has been the strongest team in the league this year but the team will need to improve its pitching if it is going to win a championship. The 7.08 ERA is the second worst mark in the league this week, the 18 strikeouts is third worst, and the 1.43 WHIP is fourth worst.

Today's Projected Starters

Yu Darvish has a golden opportunity to put up some big strikeout numbers as no current White Sox batter has faced him in the regular season...Rookie Mike Fiers is facing the Nationals for the first time...Bronson Arroyo's start in Colorado will be a big test for Twinkle Toes, who are on a 7 for 7 run on quality starts. Arroyo has faced current Rockies 63 times and they are hitting .270. Carlos Gonazelz is 5 for 11 off Arroyo...Bryan LaHair is 4 for 7 with a home run off Lance Lynn but the Cubs are hitting just .230 off the rookie pitcher. Alfonso Soriano is 3 for 10 but he's struck out four times...This will be the second meeting between the Angels and rookie Alex Cobb. Mark Trumbo and Howie Kendrick both doubled off Cobb in their first encounter...Drew Pomeranz has faced four members of the Reds, holding them hitless in six at bats...Current Tigers have faced Carlos Villanueva 19 times with good success. They are hitting .368 with Austin Jackson a perfect 2 for 2 with a double...Dan Uggla, Brian McCann, and Chipper Jones have each homered twice off Cole Hamels but the Braves as a team are hitting .246 with 26 extra base hits in 268 at bats...The Machine has struggled all week with pitching so Matt Cain's start is huge. Matt Kemp is the only current Dodger to hit a home run off Cain in 213 at bats. Andre Ethier is 22 for 47 with three RBI off Cain but Mark Ellis is 2 for 9 with two strikeouts...Rookie Jarrod Parker has never faced the Orioles...Carlos Quentin is 2 for 5 with a home run and four RBI off Carlos Zambrano and the Padres are hitting .275 as a team in 51 at bats...The Rays have 119 at bats against Dan Haren but are hitting just .218. B.J. Upton has four home runs and Carlos Peña three against him...This will be the second time Chris Sale has faced the Rangers and he dominated them in the first meeting, holding the hard-hitting Rangers to a .194 average. Michael Young and Elvis Andrus were held hitless but Adrian Beltre was 2 for 5...Rickie Weeks, Cody Ransom, and Aramis Ramirez are the only Brewers with more than three at bats against Ross Detwiler...The Red Sox are hitting .280 off Phil Hughes in 82 at bats. Jacoby Ellsbury is 4 for 9 with two doubles and Adrian Gonzalez is 4 for 8 with a double. Carl Crawford is just 3 for 18 with two strikeouts...The Indians are hitting .278 with six extra base hits in 54 at bats against Scott Diamond. Michael Brantley is 3 for 6 with a double while Carlos Santana is 1 for 6...The Mets have raked Josh Collment in 25 at bats, hitting .360 with a 1.029 OPS. David Wright is 1 for 4 off Collmenter but the hit went over the fence...In 31 at bats, current Diamondback hitters have a .290 average and three extra base hits off Jonathon Niese. Justin Upton is 4 for 8 while Chris Young has a home run.

Coo coo for Coco...

Outfielder Coco Crisp led an offensive barrage by the Lower Haighters Wednesday that helped them build a 9-2 lead over the Cys midway through Week 16. Crisp was 3 for 6 with two home run and three runs scored as the Haighters hit five home runs, scored eight times, and drove in seven RBI. The team also had a league-leading .538 OBP.

Every hit and run will be needed as the team limps towards the weekend. Third baseman Trevor Plouffe has missed the entire week and could land on the DL with a sore thumb. Kevin Youkilis has a sprained ankle and left Wednesday's game while Albert Pujols didn't play yesterday after getting beaned in the elbow with a fastball Tuesday night. Given the mounting injuries, the lead doesn't look so big.

Wednesday's Hitting Stats

Crisp wasn't the only hitter with a hot bat Wednesday. Rickie Weeks went 4 for 4 with a home run and a stolen base as the Jersey Boys posted an impressive .472 OBP...Home Run 101 knocked in seven RBI Wednesday, training only the Mirrors. A big reason was outfielder Dayan Viciedo, who went 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBI...Mike Trout was at it again yesterday, going 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored. While Bacon at Mile 11 is in full-on "sell" mode to build for 2013, they've made it clear the dynamic Trout is going nowhere...Wednesday was a typical Ryan Braun day. Braun was 3 for 4 with two walks, a home run, and two RBI.

Thursday's Pitching Stats

The Mirrors are leading the West Division because they have the league's premier pitching staff, which was on display again Wednesday. Stephen Strasburg allowed just four hits over seven innings and only one run while striking out 11 batters. Rookie A.J. Griffin was just as impressive, throwing six scoreless innings while striking out nine Blue Jays. The Mirrors are poised to gain major points in the pennant race this week...The Vicious Fishes have opened up a lead on Bacon at Mile 11 and could end their winless streak this week. Ace David Price helped the cause yesterday, striking out 10 over seven innings while allowing just one run...The Jersey Boys needed a good start from Aaron Harang yesterday and he delivered, striking out eight over 7.1 innings while allowing just two runs...The Bulls are putting together an upset of Bomba and Bud Norris delivered a quality start Wednesday. Norris struck out seven over seven innings while allowing just one run. Given his up-and-down season, this was a huge start for Norris.

Updated Weekly Statistics

Ryan Braun is a big reason the Lower Haighters lead the league in home runs, OBP, are second in RBI, and tied for the lead league in runs scored. Braun is 7 for 12 with two homers, a stolen base, four RBI, and four runs scored in three games this week...The Fishes desperately need a series victory and Paul Konerko is doing his part at the plate to help. He is now 8 for 11 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored. He has yet to strikeout this week...Outfielder Drew Stubbs has helped A-Rod's Mirrors pile it on the Machine this week. Stubbs is 7 for 15 with a home run, two stolen bases, five RBI, and five runs scored...Home Run 101 leads the league in WHIP after three days thanks to a stout bullpen and Josh Johnson's excellent start. Johnson allowed just one hit and didn't walk a batter in six innings.

Thursday's Projected Starters

Current Brewers are 26 for 85 for a .306 average and 1.035 OPS against Edwin Jackson. Cory Hart is 6 for 13 with three home runs...The Astros are hitting just .239 with a .664 OPS against A.J. Burnett. They have four extra base hits in 46 at bats...Justin Verlander has not dominated the Indians like he has some teams. Michael Brantley is 9 for 19 off Verlander but teammate Shin-Soo Choo is 9 for 42 with 17 strikeouts while Asdrubal Cabrera is 6 for 40 with 18 strikeouts...This will be the second time rookie Wade Miley has faced the Mets. David Wright saw Miley well in their first encounter, going 1 for 1 with two walks...Rookie Tommy Milone has never faced the Blue Jays...It's safe to say Jake Westbrook and the Dodgers know each other well. Current Dodgers have 134 at bats against Westbrook but have just a .187 average. Mark Ellis is just 5 for 24 against him...The Nationals have hit Yovani Gallardo hard, including five homers and a .313 average in 48 at bats. Adam LaRoche, Mike Morse, and Ryan Zimmerman have all taken Gallardo deep...Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters have both gone yard twice on James Shields. Adam Jones is 12 for 34 with a home run, a triple, and five doubles off Shields...Current members of the Cardinals have had good success against Chris Capuano, going 32 for 102 for a .314 average. Matt Holliday is 8 for 23 with a homer and Rafael Furcal is 8 for 22 with a long ball...The Royals don't hit a lot of pitchers hard but they do Jason Vargas. Billy Butler is 5 for 11 with two home runs...Rookie Zach McAllister has faced the Tigers once and he held his own. Current Tigers are hitting just .250 off him.

Twinkle Toes 7 for 7 in quality starts

Twinkle Toes has started the week 7 for 7 in quality starts, including an unbelievable night on Tuesday where five starting pitchers all went at least six innings while giving up three or fewer runs. Last night's stat line was amazing - 35.1 innings pitched, 29 strikeouts, a 1.78 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and the five quality starts.

This type of performance has ramifications on the pennant race. It has effectively won the Strikeout and Quality Start categories for Twinkle Toes in the first two days of an important series with the Menehunes. It also gives the Toes an opportunity for a big week when both the Slammers and the Machine are struggling.

Tuesday's Hitting Stats

Chris Young is scorching hot and he's carrying High Cheese. He was 2 for 2 with a home run, two runs scored, two RBI, and a stolen base Tuesday...Josh Willingham is keeping the Menehunes alive in their series with the Toes. Last night, Willingham smashed two home runs and drove in four RBI...Ryan Braun looks like a league MVP. Tuesday's stat line was not unusual - 3 for 4 with a home run, three runs scored, and an RBI...The Adam Dunn trade is paying big dividends for the Cys. Dunn was 3 for 5 Tuesday with a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored. More importantly, he struck out just twice...Michael Cuddyer carried the Toes offensively Tuesday. He matched Willingham's two homers with two of his own...Lorenzo Cain is beginning to live up to his preseason billing. He had a homer and a stolen base for Bacon last night.

Tuesday's Pitching Stats

The night's top pitching performance belonged to free-agent Paul Maholm, who tossed eight innings of one-run ball while striking out seven batters...Joe Saunders had another good performance on the mound Tuesday. He gave up two runs over seven innings while striking out nine...The Slammers had to be relieved to see ace Zack Greinke step up. He gave up just three hits over seven innings, allowing one run...Gio Gonzalez allowed two hits and walked two over seven scoreless innings while striking out four for High Cheese...On a night when Twinkle Toes dominated the pitching categories, no bigger surprise emerged than Travis Blackley. The journeyman hurler gave up just one run over seven innings while striking out eight.

Updated Weekly Stats

Every team has at least one home run after the first two days of Week 16 with High Cheese and Give it a Yankee leading the way with four...The Cys and Vicious Fishes lead the league in RBI while the Cys also lead the league in runs scored. Adam Dunn has six RBI in nine at bats this week...One of the week's worst performances so far belongs to Chris Davis of Give it a Yankee. He's struck out in all six of his at bats this week...Catcher Matt Wieters isn't far behind for the Machine, striking out in four of his eight at bats.

Wednesday's Probable Starters

Ivan Nova has faced seven current Mariners who are hitting a combined .150 against the Yankee hurler...Reds hitters have just four extra base hits off Bud Norris in 64 at bats. Jay Bruce is 2 for 8 with a double and three strikeouts against him...Adrian Beltre has struggled against Josh Beckett, going 5 for 26 with 10 strikeouts. Mike Napoli has six hits in 22 at bats against Beckett with four going for homers...Historically, Luke Hochevar has been crushed by the Angels. Current Angels are hitting .361 against the Kansas City hurler, with Howie Kendrick going 5 for 10 with two doubles and three RBI...Michael Cuddyer is 1 for 11 against Trevor Cahill and current Rockies are just .182 against him...The Phillies have just 14 at bats against Marco Estrada but Ryan Howard has taken him deep...Adrian Gonzalez is just 1 for 9 with three strikeouts against Derek Holland and the Rangers are hitting a paltry .191 against him...The Cardinals have 11 home runs, 27 RBI and a .283 average against Aaron Harang. Lance Berkman has seven homers in 58 at bats against Harang...Six different Pirates have home runs off Ryan Dempster. Neil Walker is 8 for 19 with five RBI...Tim Lincecum has been a strikeout machine against the Padres. Chase Headley and Will Venable have each struck out 10 times against him...Max Scherzer has been hit hard by the Indians but he's also struck out a fair number of Cleveland batters. Asdrubal Cabrera has taken Scherzer deep but he's also struck out eight times in 20 at bats...Vance Worley has faced the Brewers once in his career and it was one time too many. The Brewers hit .450 against him, including six extra base hits in nine...The Royals have struck out 29 times in 119 at bats against Jered Weaver and are hitting just .218. Alex Gordon is 4 for 18 with seven Ks...Current Astros have just nine hits in 43 at bats against Homer Bailey. J.D. Martinez and Chris Snyder have taken Bailey deep...The slumping Mets do not need to see Stephen Strasburg. They've hit just .209 against the Nat's ace with just two extra base hits...No current Blue Jay has faced rookie A.J. Griffin...Brian McCann has hit Ricky Nolasco hard. McCann has six homers and 20 RBI in 49 at bats...Josh Willingham has never had a hit in 10 at bats against Jake Peavy...Mark Reynolds has two hits in 17 at bats against David Price and they've both gone over the wall...Carlos Lee is 6 for 14 against Tommy Hanson while Jose Reyes is 5 for 13 with a pair of doubles...Miguel Cabrera is just 5 for 26 against Derek Lowe but two of those hits have gone over the fences...The Dodgers have hit Kyle Lohse well, batting .284 against him. Matt Kemp and Mark Ellis both have home runs off him.

Twinkle Toes charges out of the gate hunting playoff spot

Twinkle Toes was one of four teams to reach double-digits in hits on Monday, led the league with a .560 OBP, led the league in pitcher strikeouts, quality starts, and tied for the league lead in runs scored. No wonder they opened a commanding 10-2 lead over the Menehunes in a series that is crucial for both team's playoff hopes.

Monday's Hitting Stats

Buster Posey was 3 for 4 with a homer and four RBI to lead the Toes. Posey is currently one of the hottest hitters in the league. The Toes were amazing at the plate Monday, striking out just two times...The Vicious Fished led the league in hits and RBI Monday thanks to Paul Konerko and Ryan Howard. Konerko was 3 for 4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored while Howard was 3 for 5 with a homer and three RBI...Give it a Yankee continued its power surge with four homers and eight RBI and they could have had a fifth homer had Chase Utley been in the lineup. David Wright, Alexis Rios, Mike Napoli and Mike Morse all went deep for the team. The only blemish on the night was the league-leading 13 strikeouts. Napoli, Morse, and Chris Davis each struck out three times...The Jersey Boys and Home Run 101 both struggled to reach base Monday. The Jersey Boys had just three hits in 25 at bats and struck out 10 times. Curtis Granderson was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. Home Run 101 had just four hits and a league-worst .179 OBP. Anthony Rizzo and Carl Crawford combined to go 0 for 8 with five strikeouts.

Monday's Pitching Stats

As good at the Toes were at the plate, they might have been better on the mound. Ian Kennedy and Ryan Vogelsong each earned quality starts as the team led the league in the category. The Toes also tied HUMA with 13 strikeouts...Josh Johnson was superb for Home Run 101 before exiting the game with a blister. Johnson struck out nine over six scoreless innings...Jeff Samardzija saved the Lower Haighters' ERA and WHIP as he tossed a one-hit shutout over eight innings, striking out five...David Robertson and John Axford were excellent for High Cheese in the bullpen. Both relievers earned holds without giving up a run...Bomba continued to struggle on the mound Monday as reliever Greg Holland allowed three runs to score while recording just two outs and starter Bruce Chen couldn't complete six innings...Francisco Liriano imploded on Give it a Yankee, allowing seven runs in 2.2 innings...The Bulls started the week 0 for 2 in quality start attempts as Roy Halladay and Felix Doubront each gave up six runs.

Updated Weekly Stats

Today's Projected Starters

Mark Teixeira has had no problems figuring out Felix Hernandez over the course of 56 at bats. He's hitting .339 with five homers and four doubles...Carlos Santana is just 1 for 14 with four strikeouts against Doug Fister but Shin-Soo Choo is 8 for 19 with two homers and a 1.211 OPS...No current member of the Giants has an extra base hit off of Edinson Volquez...Cameron Maybin and Chase Headley have both hit home runs off of Madison Bumgarner but Maybin is just 4 for 17 with six strikeouts...The Tigers have hit Ubaldo Jimenez hard, with Delmon Young going 9 for 20 with a home run and two doubles...Current Orioles are hitting just .220 off of Jeremy Hellickson but Nick Markakis and Adam Jones each have a pair of home runs off Hellickson...Carlos Lee is 12 for 32 with a home run, a double, and 10 RBI off of Tim Hudson. Logan Morrison and Jose Reyes both have a pair of homers off Hudson...Edwin Encarnacion is the only active Blue Jay who has faced Travis Blackley...Ryan Zimmerman is the only member of the Nationals to hit a home run off of R.A. Dickey. Adam LaRoche is just 2 for 13 against the knuckleballer...Current Brewers are hitting .197 over 71 at bats against Cliff Lee with just five extra base hits. Aramis Ramirez has taken Lee deep once...Drew Pomeranz was drilled by the Diamondbacks in his only start against them. Chris Young had a home run and three RBI...Clay Buchholz has struggled against current Rangers, allowing a .318 average and 1.014 OPS. Ian Kinsler has two homers off the Boston hurler...Ike Davis and David Wright have combined to hit two homers in just three at bats against Gio Gonzalez...Carlos Gonzalez and Willin Rosario each have two home runs off Joe Saunders but Dexter Fowler is just 3 for 22...Chris Johnson has three hits off Mike Leake and two are homers...Placido Polanco is the only current member of the Phillies with a home run off of Zack Greinke...Martin Prado has a home run and two doubles off Mark Buehrle but Jason Heyward is just 1 for 8 with three strikeouts against the veteran...Geovany Soto is the only Cub with an extra base hit against James McDonald. It was a home run...This will be the second time the Rays have faced Wei-Yin Chen. Hideki Matsui has a home run off Chen...No current member of the Twins has ever faced Jose Quintana in a regular season game...Current Cardinals are hitting just .216 against Clayton Kershaw with just five extra base hits in 116 at bats. Matt Holliday and Allen Craig have each hit a homer off Kershaw...This will be the first time rookie Garrett Richards has faced the Royals.

Top teams look to rebound in Week 16

Some of the league's best teams struggled last week. Los Coche Bomba, the league's best team, is coming off a rare series loss as is Scully's Slammers, the team with the second best winning percentage. Four of the league's top six teams fell victim to upsets.

One of the best stories developing is the quest for the Marin Menehunes to earn their first playoff berth. They are clinging to the eighth spot in the overall standings and will face a struggling Twinkle Toes team this week. Another series victory would be huge as the Menehunes face the Vicious Fishes in three of the final six weeks.

Both teams enter this pivotal Week 16 series coming off losses. The Mirrors are clinging to a narrow 5.5-game lead in the West Division while the Machine sits second in the East Division, 7-games behind Scully's Slammers. The Machine does have a better overall record than the Mirrors but the Mirrors have defeated the Machine in their previous two meetings, including a narrow 6-5-1 victory in Week 17 last year. The Machine is missing the heart of their lineup for the second consecutive series as Jose Bautista and David Ortiz remain on the DL. The Mirrors have benched Alex Rodriguez in favor of the hot-hitting Pedro Alvarez and the team will start Mark Ellis over Dustin Pedroia at second base. Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is coming of a sensational series for the Machine. The Cuban rookie was 18 for 36 with four homers, nine RBI, and a stolen base. The Mirrors will own an advantage at the back end of the bullpen thanks to the game's best closer, Craig Kimbrel. Kimbrel had three saves last week, allowing just one run over five innings. Final Prediction: A-Rod's Mirrors 7, The Machine 5.

The Bulls will need the offense to step up if they are going to make this a series. Bomba has the league's top-rated offense led by Miguel Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen, Robinson Cano, and Michael Bourn. Cabrera enters this series on a tear at the plate. The giant third baseman had five home runs, scored twelve times, and had a .455 OBP last week. Despite the high-octane offense, Bomba hasn't won a series in two weeks and have just two series victories over the past five weeks. They own the league's best record but lead the Cys by just 7.5-games in the South Division pennant race. The Bulls lead the North Division pennant race by 7.5-games over Give it a Yankee and have now won three consecutive series. Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who will be playing his last series with the Bulls this week after being traded to Bacon at Mile 11, is coming off a monster week that saw him hit two home runs, steal three bases, and drive in eight runs. He'll need to replicate that effort if the Bulls hope to win this series. Final Prediction: Los Coche Bomba 8, The Bulls 4.

With the Bulls facing Bomba, this is a golden opportunity for Give it a Yankee to gain ground in the North Division pennant race. They currently trail the Bulls by 7.5-games. Give it a Yankee has won three of their past four series and hold a 2-1-1 advantage over HUMA in their previous head-to-head matchups. Last year, Give it a Yankee beat HUMA 7-2-3 in Week 16. HUMA has just one series win over the past four weeks but has only lost once during that period. They playing everyone tough despite the absence of young slugger Joey Votto, who is on the DL with a knee injury. Outfielder Jason Kubel has picked up the slack in Votto's absence, hitting six home runs last week while driving in 11 runs. HUMA also has an advantage in the bullpen where Kenley Janson, Sean Marshall, and Vicente Padilla have been strong. Give it a Yankee first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has started hitting for power. He had three homers and 13 RBI last week. The emergence of Francisco Liriano has added another power arm to the team's already strong starting rotation. Final Prediction: Give it a Yankee 7, HUMA 5.

The Menehunes continue their quest for the team's first-ever playoff berth. They are coming off a huge 7-5 upset of the Machine and have now won three of their past four series. They are gaining momentum at the right time. Now they face a team they crushed 8-3-1 in Week Seven last year. This is also a big series for Twinkle Toes. The 2010 champions are on the outside looking in at the final playoff berth. They trail the Menehunes by three games for that eighth and final spot. They also broke their three-week losing streak with a 6-6 tie with HUMA last week. Now they need to find some offense. Cliff Pennington and Hector Sanchez are both hurt and the team is not getting a lot of opportunities at the plate. Joaquin Arias had just 12 at bats last week. The Menehunes are hoping Tim Lincecum has finally found his groove. He was 2 for 2 in quality start attempts last week, giving up just two earned runs over 15 innings while striking out 17 batters. Final Prediction: Marin Menehunes 6, Twinkle Toes 6.

This is an old-fashioned blockbuster. The Cys have won three of their past five series and have lost just once during that period. They trail Bomba by just 7.5-games and have the league's third best winning percentage. The Lower Haighters are just 5.5-games behind A-Rod's Mirrors in the West Division pennant race and have lost just once in the last nine weeks. Two points of interest add intrigue to this series: The Cys have never beaten the Lower Haighters in two previous meetings and these two teams were involved in a major trade earlier this year that sent Adam Dunn to the Cys and C.C. Sabathia to the Lower Haighters. The addition of Sabathia and free-agent Doug Fister has resurrected the starting staff for the Haighters. The team was 8 for 11 in quality start attempts last week. At the same time, Adam Dunn led the Cys in home runs and he gives the team a power threat in the lineup. Final Prediction: Lower Haighters 11, The Cys 0.

Home Run 101 has an opportunity to remove themselves from the Wooden Spoon discussion and push the Jersey Boys into that conversation with a series win this week. The Jersey Boys have won two of the past three meetings between these teams but Home Run 101 won the most recent encounter, a 6-4-2 victory in Week 19 last year. Home Run 101 is also entering this series with momentum, breaking an eight-week winless streak with a 7-5 victory over the Vicious Fishes last week. The Jersey Boys haven't won a series for the past month but did end a three-week losing streak with a 6-6 tie last week. This will be a matchup of two of the top bullpens in the league. The Jersey Boys have the best set of closers while Home Run 101 has elite setup men. Offensively, young first baseman Freddie Freeman is hot for the Jersey Boys, hitting two home runs and driving in nine runs in his last 10 games. Home Run 101 will be without the league's top shortstop, Ian Desmond, who has landed on the DL with a torn oblique muscle. Final Prediction: Jersey Boys 6, Home Run 101 5.

The race for the Wooden Spoon resumes. The Vicious Fishes lost to 15th-place Home Run 101 last week and now faces 14th-place Bacon at Mile 11. The Fishes would love nothing more than to snap their 11-week winless streak and find a way to crawl out of the cellar. Bacon snapped a four-week losing streak with a 6-5 victory over High Cheese last week. The team is also wheeling-and-dealing, negotiating two major trades that landed the team Carlos Gonzalez and Felix Hernandez. Going the other way were Cliff Lee, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla, J.J. Putz, and Jason Heyward. One player that is untouchable for Bacon is outfielder Mike Trout. Over his last 10 games, Trout has three homers, five stolen bases, 13 runs scored, and seven RBI. If the Fishes want to avoid their second consecutive Wooden Spoon, Tommy Hanson is going to have to snap out of his funk. Hanson gave up 14 runs in his last two starts. Final Prediction: Bacon at Mile 11 6, Vicious Fishes 6.

This is a dangerous situation for High Cheese. They've won just one series over the past six weeks and are in danger of being added to the Wooden Spoon conversation. Now they face a Slammers team that has won eight of its past 10 series. On paper, this looks like a blowout and if that happens, High Cheese will be staring at the possibility of earning the first Wooden Spoon in team history. The team still has to play Bomba and the Cys in four of the last seven weeks. The Slammers let an opportunity to build on its 7-game lead in the East Division but lost to the Cys last week. Part of the problem was starting pitching. Zack Greinke, James Shields, and James McDonald were just 1 for 5 in quality start conversions. The team hasn't had a problem at the plate, where Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Teixeira combined to hit seven homers last week. High Cheese could make this a competitive series if Chris Young continues his improved play. He has a .419 OBP, two homers, and two steals in his last eight games. Final Prediction: Scully's Slammers 10, High Cheese 2.

David Wright propels Give it a Yankee to a huge day

It was an amazing Thursday for Give it a Yankee at the plate. The team led the league in home runs with an astounding six long balls. That led to a league-leading nine runs scored and an amazing 18 RBI. Two teams, Bacon at Mile 11 and the Machine, have just 20 RBI for the week.

The huge offensive output was sparked by David Wright and Brandon Phillips. Wright was 2 for 4 with both hits clearing the fences. He drove in five runs and scored twice. Phillips was also 2 for 4 with a home run and five RBI. The 10 RBI from Wright and Phillips not only exceeded the total of every team in the league Thursday but more than DOUBLED the totals.

It was literally a series-defining day for Give it a Yankee.

Thursday's hitting performance by Give it a Yankee was a thing of legend. While Wright and Phillips led the way, they weren't alone. Chris Davis, Nick Swisher, and Alex Avila all went deep with Swisher, Avila, and Mike Morse each driving in two runs. Rookie catcher Jesus Montero has been disappointing for the Lower Haighters this year but he's showing signs of breaking out. He went 3 for 4 with four RBI yesterday. Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBI for the Machine. Cespedes is living up to his preseason hype.

Thursday's Pitching Stats

Edinson Volquez was sensational for the Cys Thursday, tossing a one-hit, complete game shutout. David Price wasn't far behind, allowing just two hits over seven shutout innings for the Vicious Fishes. The Menehunes led all teams in strikeouts and Max Scherzer was a big reason why. Scherzer struck out nine over seven innings, allowing just one run. Twinkle Toes and the Menehunes led the league in quality starts with two each. Madison Bumgarner was the star for Twinkle Toes, striking out eight over seven innings.

Updated Weekly Statistics

A pair of Lower Haighter pitchers and Mike Trout continue to stand atop of the MVP standings after seven days in Week 15. Trout now has two homers and four stolen bases for Give it a Yankee to go along with nine runs scored and five RBI. Felix Hernandez has now thrown two quality starts this week, giving up just one run over 17 innings while striking out 15 batters. Josh Willingham has now passed Andrew McCutchen to take fourth in the MVP standings. Willingham has four homers, seven RBI, and seven runs scored.

Today's Projected Starters

No current member of the A's has more than one hit against Ivan Nova. They are 3 for 23 with a .130 batting average, .160 OBP, and three strikeouts. Seth Smith is 1 for 6 with two strikeouts...The Angels have seen plenty of division rival Derek Holland and they've had good success against him, hitting .291 with an .806 OPS. Torii Hunter is 6 for 21 with five walks, two home runs, and four RBI...Justin Verlander has been very successful against the White Sox, striking out 68 batters in 285 at bats while limiting the team to a .228 average. The one exception is catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who has 19 hits off Verlander including three homers and 12 RBI...This is a dangerous start for Aaron Harang, who has been massacred by this Mets lineup. They are hitting .359 with a 1.079 OPS. David Wright is 11 for 20 against Harang with four doubles, a home run, and six RBI...Lance Berkman has seen plenty of Ryan Dempster and he likes what he sees. He has six homers and 16 RBI in 65 at bats. Rafael Furcal hasn't seen Dempster well, going 6 for 42 with 12 strikeouts...Only three members of the current Astros lineup have ever faced Trevor Cahill which should mean a big night for Arizona's pitcher...Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips have owned Marco Estrada. Bruce has three home runs in 11 at bats and Phillips is 6 for 12 with a big fly...Historically, Tim Lincecum has performed well against this Phillies lineup. They are hitting just .217 with a .634 OPS. Ryan Howard is 7 for 32 with 16 strikeouts and Hunter Pence is 5 for 29 with eight strikeouts...Rookie Drew Pomeranz faced the Padres earlier this year and was successful. Yonder Alonso was the only player with two hits off Pomeranz and the Padres were held to a .172 average...Ironically, the only San Francisco player to hit a home run off Vance Worley is reserve catcher Eli Whiteside, who was just called up...Jered Weaver will need to work to negotiate a Rangers lineup that has had success against him. Michael Young and Ian Kinlser both have two home runs off Weaver while Elvis Andrus is 21 for 49 with four doubles, a triple, a home run, and four RBI...Homer Bailey has been hit hard by the Brewers over his career. The current roster is hitting .309 off Bailey with an .853 OPS. Rickie Weeks is 11 for 21 with two home runs while Ryan Braun is 7 for 22 with four doubles and a homer...Can rookie Tommy Milone negotiate the powerful Yankee lineup? The Yankees have only seen him once but Mark Teixeira had two doubles off Milone and Andrew Jones had a big fly...Stephen Strasburg throws heat but the Braves feast on fastballs. The Braves are hitting .293 against Strasburg with Dan Uggla going 7 for 13 with two doubles, two home runs, and eight RBI...The Pirates are normally a good matchup for Ricky Nolasco. They are hitting just .214 against the Marlins pitcher with no homers in 70 at bats. Neil Walker is just 1 for 9 with five strikeouts...Current Tigers have just five home runs off Jake Peavy in 154 at bats. Miguel Cabrera is 8 for 35 with 13 strikeouts but Prince Fielder has had some success, going 8 for 24 with four doubles...Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche, and Mike Morse - the heart of the Nats lineup - has struggled against Tommy Hanson. The three sluggers have just six hits in 44 at bats against the Atlanta pitcher...Derek Lowe will need to be careful with the Orioles. The lineup has hit him at a .304 average and .879 OPS. Jim Thome, Matt Wieters, and Mark Reynolds have all taken Lowe deep..The light-hitting Mariners have hit James Shields hard. They have seven home runs off Shields in 135 at bats and a .900 OPS. Kyle Seager is 4 for 6 with two home runs...Don't be surprised if Alfonso Soriano takes Kyle Lohse deep. Soriano is 18 for 50 with four doubles and three home runs against Lohse...The Diamondbacks have seven extra base hits in 56 at bats against Bud Norris and have a monstrous 1.202 OPS. Justin Upton has faced Norris three times, getting three hits, including a home run...Adam Lind is the only current Blue Jay to hit a home run off Josh Beckett. Yunel Escobar has 11 at bats against Beckett with one hit and three strikeouts...Facing the Twins is a tough assignment for Luke Hochevar. They are hitting .313 with a .928 OPS against him. Joe Mauer is 11 for 23 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run off Hochevar.

It was a scrappy Wednesday

It was a tough day at the plate for the majority of teams in the SFRRC Fantasy Baseball League Wednesday. Nine of the 16 teams posted an OBP south of .300. Los Coche Bomba, arguably the best offensive team in the league, had just four hits in 33 at bats, a .194 OBP, and 11 strikeouts. The team's offensive ineptitude can be summed up by Michael Bourn, who had one hit in six at bats and struck out three times.

Wednesday's Hitting Stats

Billy Butler had the day's best hitting performance, going 3 for 3, walking twice, hitting a home run, and scoring three times. He was a big reason the Menehunes led the league in OBP Wednesday. The offense is now humming for the Vicious Fishes. Alex Gordon was 3 for 5 with two RBI, Dexter Fowler had a home run, while Derek Jeter and Mike Moustakas both had two hits...The Cys led the league in home runs, runs scored, and RBI Wednesday. Carlos Santana, Melky Cabrera, and Starlin Castro all hit home runs while Santana, Cabrera and Jason Kipnis all scored twice. Santana also had four RBI.

Wednesday's Pitching Stats

Ian Kennedy, Ryan Vogelsong, and Jeremy Hellickson all had quality starts Wednesday as Twinkle Toes led the category. Kennedy was particularly impressive, allowing just one run over eight innings while striking out seven...The top pitching performance of the day belonged to Doug Fister. He earned his second quality start of the week, allowing just one run and two hits over eight innings while striking out 10 batters...Adam Wainwright had a strong outing, striking out nine batters over seven innings while allowing just one run...Give it a Yankee had two quality starts and the best performance was turned in by Clayton Kershaw, who allowed just one run over eight innings while striking out seven...The Jersey Boys got an important quality start from Hiroki Kuroda when he tossed seven shutout innings Wednesday...Joel Hanrahan had a dominating relief performance for the Jersey Boys, striking out two without allowing a baserunner over an inning while striking out two batters.

Updated Weekly Statistics

Doug Fister has now passed Andrew McCutchen as this week's MVP. Fister has two quality starts, allowing just two runs over 15 innings while striking out 18 batters. Fister has helped the Lower Haighters move into third in Strikeouts this week...The Slammers are tied for the lead in Home Runs thanks to Mark Teixeira. He has four home runs in 18 at bats this week...Francisco Liriano now has two quality starts this week as Give it a Yankee has tied the Bulls with seven quality starts in the series. Liriano has 25 strikeouts in 14 innings...Vinnie Pestano has established himself as one of the league's best setup men. He has three holds this week and Home Run 101 is dominating the category...Adrian Gonzalez has finally caught fire for Give it a Yankee. He has 10 RBI in four games this week.

Today's Projected Starters

Wei-Yin Chen should have the advantage over current Minnesota players as they have never faced him in a regular season game...Ichiro Suzuki is the only Mariner to have success against Luke Hochevar. Suzuki is 5 for 12 with two home runs. As a team, the Mariners are 9 for 44 all-time against Hochevar...Edinson Volquez should have a good day against the Astros. Chris Johnson is the only current Astro to get a hit off of Volquez. Combined, they are 3 for 32 against Volquez...Can Jose Quintana sneak up on the Red Sox? No player on Boston's roster has faced the rookie in a regular season game...For most members of the Mets, this will be the second time they've seen Gio Gonzalez. They are a combined 4 for 31 with 12 strikeouts...Alfonso Soriano has two home runs against Mark Buehrle but is just 7 for 40. Current Cubs are hitting .222 combined against Buehrle...Atlanta's Brian McCann, Jason Heyward, and Freddie Freeman have historically terrorized Madison Bumgarner. They are a combined 8 for 21 with five RBI. McCann has two home runs off Bumgarner...Current Rays are hitting just .170 with a .204 OBP off Ubaldo Jimenez. The one player that has done some damage is Luke Scott, who is a perfect 2 for 2 with a home run...Angel Pagan and Buster Posey see Tim Hudson well while Ryan Theriot and Pablo Sandoval don't. Pagan is 11 for 28 with a home run and five RBI while Posey is 3 for 4. Theriot and Sandoval are a combined 2 for 23...Current Nationals have racked up 134 at bats against division rival R.A. Dickey but they've had little success. They are hitting just .224 with a .269 OBP. Mike Morse is 5 for 18 with a double and three RBI...Arizona's Stephen Drew and Justin Upton have had good success against Mike Leake. Drew if 4 for 6 with a double and three RBI while Upton is 2 for 5...Current Royal have struck out 15 times in 45 at bats against Felix Hernandez. Alex Gordon is 3 for 12 with five strikeouts but Billy Butler is 4 for 14 with a double and three RBI...Only one of the five Angels to have faced Max Scherzer has an extra base hit and that's a double off the bat of Albert Pujols. The Angels have drawn more walks than strikeouts against the Tiger pitcher in 22 plate appearances...Clay Buccholz wants nothing to do with Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski. The two White Sox sluggers are 9 for 17 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI between them when facing the Red Sox hurler...The nine Cleveland hitters that have faced David Price have struck out 19 times in 65 at bats and have a woeful .154 average and .203 OBP. Shin-Soo Choo has four strikeouts in 10 at bats and Asdrubal Cabrera has been punched out three times in 10 at bats by Price.

Ryan Braun, Matt Holliday, and Hector Sanchez join the ranks of the walking wounded

Players are dropping like flies. Yesterday, Ryan Braun, Matt Holliday and Hector Sanchez joined the ranks of injured players that could form an All-Star team. Braun's thigh injury is considered minor. Holliday was beaned on the knee by a pitch and removed from the game the following inning. Sanchez sprained a knee running the bases and will have an MRI today. 

The lengthy injury list at this time of the season is not unusual. Players are worn down. Keep a close eye on your roster and make the needed adjustments. Every team will have injuries. The fantasy managers that keep healthy players in their lineup will be rewarded.

Tuesday's Hitting Stats

No team had more hits on Tuesday than the Vicious Fishes. Dustin Ackley, Alex Gordon, Paul Konerko, Dexter Fowler, Derek Jeter, and Yasmani Grandal each had two hits. The team's .477 OBP was second only to the Bulls...Hanley Ramirez, Mark Trumbo, and Adam Jones all hit home runs as High Cheese led the category. Trumbo and Jones combined for six of the team's league-leading nine RBI...The Lower Haighters tied High Cheese for the second most hits on the day with 14 and the team's OBP of .467 was third overall. No team scored more runs, 11, than the Haighters with Albert Pujols, Jesus Montero, and Kevin Youkilis combining to score seven...HUMA had an interesting night at the plate. The team had just four hits in 32 at bats, the lowest number of hits for any team Tuesday, but two of those hits went over the fence. The team's OBP of .216 was far and away the lowest...Bacon at Mile 11 led the league in strikeouts with 13. Jim Thome, Brendan Ryan, Jason Heyward, Eric Hosmer, and Ryan Zimmerman all whiffed twice.

Tuesday's Pitching Stats

Jonathon Niese and Garrett Richards were excellent Tuesday as Give it a Yankee led the league in quality starts. Richards pitched seven innings of shutout ball while Niese gave up just one run over seven innings... Anibal Sanchez struck out seven and Trevor Bauer added four more as Bacon at Mile 11 led the league in strikeouts with 13...The bullpen for the Jersey Boys was excellent, earning two saves and a hold without giving up a run. Setup man Glen Perkins also struck out three...Josh Lindblom and Boone Logan both had holds for the Mirrors without giving up any runs while Rafael Soriano earned another save. Four relievers combined to pitch four shutout innings for the Mirrors...The Lower Haighters and Home Run 101 had the longest streak of scoreless innings at eight. For the Haighters, C.C. Sabathia pitches six shutout innings while Johnny Cueto did the same for Home Run 101.

Updated Weekly Stats

Nobody has played better this week than Andrew McCutchen and it's the reason Bomba is second in runs scored, tied for the lead in home runs, and leading the league in OBP. McCutchen is 11 for 20 with four homers in five days...Bomba also leads the league in ERA and WHIP. Matt Garza and Derek Holland both pitched seven innings of shutout ball..The Bulls are now 6 for 7 in quality start attempts and could have been a perfect 7 for 7 but Roy Halladay was lifted after five innings...The Mirrors have seven saves in five days with Rafael Soriano earning four without giving up a run...Bacon leads the league in stolen bases thanks to Mike Trout, who has half of the team's total...Home Run 101 has nine holds with Vinnie Pestano, Sergio Romo, and Randy Choate each earning two.

Today's Projected Starters

Current members of the White Sox are hitting .250 against Felix Doubront but are reaching base at a .375 clip. Dayan Viciedo is 2 for 3 with a home run...Clayton Kershaw has held the Phillies to a .217 average and .319 OBP over his career. Hunter Pence is just 1 for 15 against Kershaw. Shane Victorino is only 4 for 19 against Kershaw but has two home runs...The Padres have just one home run in 49 at bats against Wandy Rodriguez and that's by pitcher Jason Marquis...Adam Jones is 3 for 9 with two homers against Francisco Liriano...Cliff Lee has owned the Dodgers, holding them to a .190 average and .216 OBP. Juan Rivera does have three home runs off Lee but Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are a combined 1 for 24...Darwin Barney is a perfect 3 for 3 against Josh Johnson and Starlin Castro is 2 for 3. Alfonso Soriano is just 2 for 16 with four strikeouts...Jemile Weeks and Cliff Pennington have both homered off Colby Lewis but the A's are hitting just .236 against the Texas pitcher...No current member of the Mariners has homered off Bruce Chen and the team has a .289 OBP against the soft-tossing Royal...The Tigers own a healthy .296 average against C.J. Wilson and the hot-hitting Delmon Young has two homers against him...David Wright, Daniel Murphy, and Ike Davis have all hit home runs off Jordan Zimmerman and Murphy is a sizzling 6 for 14 against him..Aaron Hill is just 1 for 6 against Mat Latos and he's struck out Miguel Montero three times in 11 at bats...Aramis Ramirez, Corey Hart, and Ryan Braun have combined to hit seven home runs and 17 RBI off of Adam Wainwright...James McDonald has held current members of the Rockies to a .167 average and .246 OBP. Carlos Gonzalez is 1 for 6 with three strikeouts against McDonald...No member of the current Reds has hit a home run off of Ian Kennedy. Brandon Phillips is 0 for 6...Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo have gone long against Jeremy Hellickson but current Indians have a dismal .189 average against the Rays pitcher...Current members of the Braves have only faced Ryan Vogelsong 13 times with two hits...The Rangers have owned Travis Blackley, hitting a robust .319 against the A's starter. Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler are a combined 5 for 11 but no Ranger has taken Blackley deep...Hiroki Kuroda has not fared well against the Blue Jays, giving up 21 hits in 70 at bats. Kelly Johnson and Edwin Encarnacion both have home runs off Kuroda...Clayton Richard has allowed just seven hits in 44 at bats against current Astros. Chris Johnson is 1 for 4 with a double...Current Angels have eight doubles and three home runs against Doug Fister with a healthy .297 average and .803 OPS. Howie Kendick has a home run and four RBI while Kendrys Morales has a homer...Jeff Samardzija has been absolutely hammered by the Marlins. Hanley Ramirez is 5 for 9 and Carlos Lee is 4 for 9 with a home run. Jose Reyes is the lone exception, 0 for 6 with two strikeouts.