BLA 2010 results for Period Nine

[LKAjimmy]

Gents,

Place your Period 9 results here ...

[LKAjimmy]

LKA posts a 3-2 record on its latest road trip. Results attached. Recaps below ...


at LAG series
LAG, 6-3: Former 'Shark Angel Pagan hits a 2-run triple in his first plate appearance against his former team following a mid-season trade. Juan Uribe adds a 2-run HR.
LKA, 8-5: David Murphy's 3-run HR caps a 6-run fifth inning to help LKA rally from an early 4-0 deficit. Howie Kendrick goes 3-for-4 with a HR and 2 RBI.
LKA, 4-3: The Sharks rally for 3 runs in the the seventh, aided by doubles from Geoff Blum and Nick Swisher as well as a timely wild pitch from Ted Lilly. But the most memorable moment comes in the top of the first, when Howie Kendrick charges the mound after being hit by Lilly, triggering a brawl and Kendrick's ejection.


at WRK series
LKA, 6-5: Randy Ruiz's pinch-hit, 3-run HR helps LKA build a 6-0 lead, which the bullpen almost squanders after Brad Penny leaves the game. Mariano Rivera ranks among the strugglers but eventually coaxes the final out to record an acrobatic save.
WRK, 9-3: Casey Blake goes 4-for-4, including a HR. He scores 3 runs and drives in 2 others as the Cosmos score an early knockout on Ross Ohlendorf.

[MANjd]

Literally an adjustment period for the Motor Kings...

vs. MAD - lost all 3

vs. Trinity - Won both

Getting a rude awakening about the usage rules and learning how to plan accordingly. The front office is burning the midnight oil in Mansfield. We might make a trip to the Neighborhood Wal-Mart - they have peaches on sale! Time to make a few changes!

[czar]

J.D.:

Our usage rules define our league, in a lot of ways. Broadly stated, the goal of our usage rules is encouraging realistic replication of how players were used in the real MLB season. We don't want Ryan Howard, for example, becoming a platoon first baseman just because he batted only .203 against lefties. We also don't want a bench player with good slugging numbers leading the league in home runs.

All of our usage rules, therefore, are designed to do one of two things -- either to impose playing time limits on players, or to mandate certain usage minimums so that a player doesn't bat solely against his "good side."
The 60% minimum rule takes some getting used to, but most of our managers are thoroughly familiar with it by now. They know, for example, that drafting two shortstops who had 650 at-bats in real life is going to cause usage-minimum troubles in the BLA. Substitutes in the BLA usually were substitutes in real life.
You want to make sure you have enough plate appearances at each position -- but not so much that you can't get your starting player and his backup both playoff-eligible.

As each BLA season passes, our managers are more and more balancing their players' usage. They start substituting from Period One on. The last thing you want to do is have to bench a key player who has reached his 110% with two playing periods still to go. Yet, it's happened.

Let us know if you have any questions about the usage rules. They've become second-nature to most of our managers, yet not so confining that they've distorted our accurate results.

[CHRjeff]

Chiefs go 3-2, losing a game in each series.

[MEManthony]

The Mafia are fully embracing the spoiler's role, posting the first 5-0 period in franchise history.
We beat Cowtown 3-0, and fortunately didn't have to face its No. 5 pitcher Zack Greinke.
We then took a pair from the Chimps.
The wins are costing us in the draft, but once my pitching is torched, that shouldn't be an issue.

[WAXmichael]

WAX goes 2-3

WAX 10, CHR 4: Wombats score 9 in first two innings.
CHR 3, WAX 2: Garko's 3-run HR in fifth is all the Chiefs need.
CHR 5, WAX 4 (11): Hanley drives in Paulino for the win.

ARL 9, WAX 3: Pedro gives up 6 runs in four innings in his first start of the season.
WAX 5, ARL 3: Wombats finally hit Jurrjens in the sixth (4 runs) after being held to one hit in the first five.

[MSQscott]

MSQ 4, CHT 2: Chattanooga's Eric Hinske hit a pinch-hit home run off Rafael Betancourt to tie it in the eighth inning, but the O's answered back in the ninth with back-to-back homers by Todd Helton and Justin Upton off Leo Nunez.

MSQ 4, CHT 0: In his first start of the season, Phil Hughes pitched a complete game, two-hitter. Chad Gaudin was almost as dominant, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out 11 over seven innings.

CHT 7, MSQ 4: The O's got off to a good start, leading 4-0 heading into the bottom of the third but spot starter D.J. Carrasco imploded by allowing five hits -- including an improbable infield single by Carlos Lee. All five went on to score.

COW 3, MSQ 2: Kyle Davies did his best to hang in there against dominant fifth starter Zack Greinke. Vladimir Guerrero's two-run homer in the eighth inning proved the difference. Newcomer Curtis Granderson drove in both runs for the O's after entering the game in the seventh inning.

MSQ 6, COW 0: Justin Upton homered twice off left-hander Pat Misch. Ubaldo Jimenez went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, equaling the number of hits the YellaDawgs had in this one.

[WEAcody]

WEA 10, LBK 3: Gary Mathews Jr. 4-5, 2B, SB in debut for the Wood. Fielder HR (38); Anderson walks in a run in the 1st, balks ina run in the 2nd.
WEA 5, LBK 2: Gonzalez allows 4 in 8th; Kotsay's PH single drives in two
LBK 5, WEA 3: O. Hudson 2-4, 3B and 2B, 2 RBI; Ibanez HR (20)

WEA 13, GBY 7: Papelbon gives up 3 in 9th, but Jepson 3 inn of shutout relief; Wood gets 6 in 13th
WEA 5, GBY 4: Papelbon blows another save, but Lee's SF in 10th is the winner; Lee HR (30); W Harris HR (9)

[LAGalan]

7-31-10
LAG 4, ESD 1
Halladay and Scherzer duel early and both leave with the game tied at 1 in the 8th.

Macier Izturis delivers a pinch infield single with the bases loaded in that inning for a 2-1 lead. In the top of the 9th Yadier Molina finally shakes out of his slump against LHPs by taking Ron Mahay deep for an insurance run.

8-1-10
ESD 7, LAG 5
Wandy Rodriguez is crushed by Callaspo's leadoff single and a Juan Rivera homer. SP Micah Owings gets into the act with an RBI double as ESD jumps out to a 4-0 lead.

Then in the 4th Clete Thomas (who is probably the best FA pickup in LAG franchise history) ties it with his 1st homer as a Rascal.

Ownings kills LAG at the plate, doubling and scoring in the 5th.

ESD goes up 7-4 in the 8th when Dukes beats out an infield hit with the infield in.

The Driveby pen is shaky in the 9th as Motte and Perez combine to load the bases with two outs. Markakis plates a run with a hard single to RF. But Overbay whiffs to end it.

8-2-10
LAG 8, ESD 4
Anibal Sanchez must hate the Rascals. He gives up a triple, two walks a double and and two singles before he gets an out. Brian Buscher (another outstanding FA pickup so far) obliges with a double play ball. Then Sanchez walks Carlos Villanueva and gets yanked.

Garrett Olson calms the LAG bats and starts a four run uprising in the 3rd with a single. Ryan and Sandoval have RBI hits before Loney plates two with a single.

The Rascals go back up 7-4 in the 5th when Pagan singles in a run and moves to 2nd on a throwing error by Bourn. He scores on a Molina bouncer into CF.

8-3-10
LAG 4, LKA 2
Rascals defy all the odds known to Vegas and don't touch Harang in the 1st, despite sending up a trio of dangerous lefties (Harang vs LHBs: .304, .362, .591 in BLA this yr).

Then wonderkid Elvis Andrus doubles off Ted Lilly to start the LKA 1st. He scores on an infield groundout. But two out doubles by Rolen and Swisher make it 2-0.

Pennington's double in the 4th plates Markakis and Utley to tie the game.

Utley dumps a two out single into short center to drive in the go-ahead run in the 5th.

8-4-10
LAG 13, LKA 10
For the 2nd time on the trip, the Rascals bat around in the 1st inning. This time the victim is Chad Billingsley (who I own in my other modern league). Eleven LAG batters come to the plate and stake Joe Saunders to a seven run lead.

Saunders gives three runs back immediately, one on a terrible error. Reliever Jeff Karstens takes Saunders deep In the 2nd to cut it to 7-4.

Markakis' three run homer in the 3rd gives Saunders more rope. He gives up a run in each of the first 4 innings and clings to a 13-7 lead into the bottom of the 5th.

Nobody can pitch here today and LAG needs more Aceves (don't we all) to escape the 6th with a 13-10 edge. Amazingly nobody scores again and Matt Herges nails down his 1st save of the year.

[DCBjohnny]

DCB stats for Period 9 are attached.

[czar]

Arlington Daily Gnus' results from a 2-3 road trip. WAX Wombats took 2 of 3 and Gnus split a pair with BOS Green Monsters.

WAX Wombats 6, ARL Daily Gnus 4 -- Ryan Howard hits 3 homers for Wombats on a night when six balls leave the &*%$! Metrodome. Heath Bell gets his 26th save for the winners.

ARL Daily Gnus 5, WAX Wombats 2 -- Three-run HR by Mike Sweeney provides ARL margin. Four Gnus relievers help the Wombats strand 13.

WAX Wombats 4, ARL Daily Gnus 3 -- Solo homer by Luis Valbuena in bottom of 8th wins it for WAX.


ARL Daily Gnus 3, BOS Green Monsters 1 -- Pitchers duel between Jorge de la Rosa and Kevin Millwood. Winning run scores on error by BOS shortstop Brendan Harris.

BOS Green Monsters 3, ARL Daily Gnus 2 -- John Lackey goes 7 innings, allows 4 hits, and Edwin Encarnacion's 3-run HR holds up.

[LBKjosh]

Lubbock's results going 3-2 on the road trip but the pen was tested as 3 of the 5 games went to extra innings.

@WTX
W 8-5
L 6-7
W 7-3

@WEA
L 3-6
W 8-2

[WTXscooter]

WTX goes 2 and 3 on this trip taking one in each series.
@ GBY
Game 1 GBY 7 WTX 2 UHaulers implode in the final 3 innings.
Game 2 GBY 7 WTX 0 Tied at 0 until WTX gives up 7 in the 6th. Constantly told by the announcer that my outfielders were asleep.
Game 3 WTX 8 GBY 4 Homer Bailey gets the complete game.
@ LBK
Game 1 WTX 5 LBK 4 Amazingly the UHaulers hold on.
Game 2 LBK 3 WTX 2 In a game of aces the WTX bullpen blows it in the 9th.

[COWchris]

In its best road trip of the season, COW sweeps the O's and Mafia. Greinke preserves the sweep in the last game of road trip by pitching 8 1/3 innings of 1-run ball. Trevor Hoffman, fresh off the DL, picks up his 2nd save on the road trip against hard luck loser Javier Vazquez. COW wins game 2-1.

at Mesquite

COW 4, MSQ 2
COW 3, MSQ 2
COW 8, MSQ 4

at Memphis
COW 4, MEM 1
COW 2, MEM 1

[MADeric]

MAD takes 1 of 3 from Wizzards
MAN takes both games

[GBYaj]

Granbury finds some renewed energy and manages to post a 3-2 record.

[FWWlarry]

FWW results.

And pardon me while I vent. If you have eyes sensitive to profanity, I cannot promise you won't be offended. Right now even *I* have no idea how I"m going to vent, but I'm gonna. You have been warned.

I like baseball. I like games. Stands to reason I should enjoy a game about baseball. But of all my years of playing various incarnations of DMB/PTP, I guess I'm just dumb as a bag of hammers. I realize my weaknesses and seek different approaches to this game, using the axiom that doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity (or at least irrationality), none of my approaches are working.

So lately, I let the computer manager play the first 5 innings and I play the rest. This particular period I might have had one pitcher out of the five last long enough for me to actually make some choices for him. I can go through my roster and look at the statistics, and while there are a few underperforming there are at least as many overperforming. So there's nothing too overt to complain about.

But I have had it. I have had it with watching the now all too familiar series of wild pitch/passed ball/walk/a guy even *I* could outrun stealing a base/and OH MY GOD MY STAR PLAYER CAN'T CATCH A FUCKING POP-UP which winds up turning into a couple of runs for the home team. Earned runs or not, this often gets my starter replaced before I have a chance at him and ultimately clip-feeding my bullpen into uselessness in about another period. I was even entertained with something this period I don't think I've encountered before in this league, where my starting pitcher got hisself ejected. This period I had a game where the opposing pitcher went 4-4. Go figure. DMB was even nice enough in its commentary to let me know he earned a standing ovation for coming up for his fourth at bat. Well bully for him. I'm glad we could make it nice.

And before you get the scent in your noses, gentlemen, no. I'm not trading anyone now. You can ask, even better you can offer. But to be blunt, blow my fucking doors off with an offer and maybe I'll consider it.

Maybe.

Otherwise, I'm now here to spoil your draft picks next year. And likely the year after that. I'll wind up with some pretty decent players (pour souls) who I'm sure will post very decent statistics for a team that can look up and .500 looks like the top from where we are.

If your team is in contention, pray that you play me. I'll do you some good. Because whether I want to or not, I can almost guarantee we're gonna suck. One way or another, DMB will see to that.

@ Trinity
Correia vs Wells 0-2 (Correia got ejected before the 5th inning)
Hammel vs Moehler 6 -12 (We felt sorry for Moehler apparently)
Guthrie vs Outman 4-1 (even good teams make mistakes, I'm sure I didn't mean to win)

@Madison
Rowland-Smith vs. Zambrano 1-4 (Zambrano went 4 - 4 at the plate. I'm sure he save a few thousand orphans from a burning building or two in between innings)
Lee vs Marquis 1-6 (I made Lee pitch all 115 pitches of the damn game. Serves him right.)

[MANjd]

WOW

[chtdanny]

Chimps go 3-2...2 of 3 at Memphis and a split at Mesquite.

[TRNspencer]

The Rats go 2-3, dropping two to Mansfield and splitting with Fort Worth.

Of note, the Motor Kings won a slugfest for the ages in Game 3, 19-14. Starting pitchers Outman and Moyer combined for two-thirds of an inning, allowing 12 runs. Jose Bautista -- would-be home-run king in real life, but a spare for the Rats -- hit two of the game's nine home runs.

Also, Cliff Lee and Jered Weaver faced off in the road trip's finale. Kind of like real life. Lee got the best of the matchup, with the Wizards winning 8-4.

[BOSjohn]

Bos took two of three from the Chiefs then lost both of its games to the Daily Gnus.

[ NOTE: File has been removed because of a problem. We'll get it resolved soon. ]

[MANjd]

Are the BOS results downloading for you guys?

[czar]

Are the BOS results downloading for you guys?

JD, you are correct. There is a problem with the Green Monsters games.
John has been alerted, and we'll get it resolved.

Thanks for the heads-up. I didn't catch it at first.

[ESDricky]

ESD In.

[LAGalan]

Excuse me. I am signing an exclusive contract to play Charles' games for him from now on.

Under my expert guidance (I set the lineups and pushed "Quickplay until game is over" 5 times) the Cosmos go 4-1.

win 3-2 (11)
8-4 (six runs in the 9th)
5-4 in LKA

lose 4-3
win 9-2 in ESD (7 runs after the 7th inning)

[BOSjohn]

Here are the correct game for BOS, losing all five games.

[LKAjimmy]

WTA requested to have its games autoplayed and endured a very long road trip. The Springs went 0-5 ...

Scores:

DCB, 9-6
DCB, 6-2
DCB, 12-2
HWY, 10-6
HWY, 3-2

[POMklee]

Pompano goes 5-0, 3-0 vs. Hideway, 2-0 vs. DeCordova Bend

The real excitement came in Game 2 against the Hideaways, where Edwin Jackson was perfect through 8 2/3, then gave up a walk, then gave up a hit, then gave up another hit and a run. THISCLOSE!

[czar]

Hideaway Hernandos results are attached.