Week 22, semifinals: Friday roundup

Martin Prado needed to cool off after his
scorching-hot performance Friday.

Studs: Martin Prado (Rookies) went 5 for 6 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs and a run. Yoenis Cespedes (Misfits) hit a 2-run homer, tripled and scored twice. Addison Russell (CM) hit a 2-run homer and a solo homer and scored 3 runs. Anthony Rizzo (CM) hit a grand slam, singled and scored twice. 

Dud: Yasmani Grandal (CM) went 0 for 4 with 3 Ks and an error.

Note: The Reds and Brewers were rained out.

Transactions: Already Zaun activates 1B/OF Wil Myers (hey, remember him?) from the DL and benches OF/C Kyle Schwarber.

Semifinal scores (second of 2-week cumulative)

Retire 158 (331), Soler Eclipse 123 (269)

Arbitration Losers 133 (349), Misfits 113 (291)

Consolation scores

Already Zaun 116, Bryce is Right 89

Rookies 118, Fresh Fish 97

Pitch You Blockhead 120, Chateau Marmol 112

Week 22, semifinals: Thursday roundup

Carlos Gonzalez has hit 25 homers in his past 50 games, racking up empty stats for a bad MLB team and a bad FBLG team. 

Studs: Carlos Gonzalez (FF) homered twice, doubled, singled, drove in 4 and scored 3 runs. Jordan Zimmermann (Rookies) singled, scored, struck out 5 and allowed 1 run in a 6-inning win. Justin Upton (R21) went 3 for 3 with 2 doubles, 3 runs and an RBI. Nolan Arenado (PYB) was a triple short of a cycle, drove in 2 and scored twice. 

Duds: Matt Wisler (Rookies) got shelled for 7 runs and struck out 1 in a 1.2-inning loss. That's an impressive score of minus-7. Ryan Vogelsong (FF) somehow managed to make the Duds list despite hitting a 2-run homer. On the mound, he allowed 8 runs (7 earned) with 1 strikeout in a 3-inning loss. Matt Duffy (Bryce) went 0 for 4 with an error. 

Transactions: Fresh Fish activate SP Steven Matz from the DL, move the inactive Stephen Strasburg to the bench and send Doug Fister to sleep with the fishes.

Semifinal scores (second of 2-week cumulative)

Retire 132 (305), Soler Eclipse 117 (263)

Arbitration Losers 108 (324), Misfits 95 (273)

Consolation scores

Already Zaun 101, Bryce is Right 67

Rookies 95, Fresh Fish 80

Pitch You Blockhead 104, Chateau Marmol 77

Week 22, semifinals: Wednesday roundup

Yasmani Grandal informs Clayton Kershaw that Kershaw's outing was worth 29 FBLG points. No big deal.

Studs: Clayton Kershaw (R21) singled and allowed 1 run while striking out 15 in a complete-game victory as the Dodgers swept the Giants. Carlos Gonzalez (FF) drove in 7 runs with a grand slam, a 2-run homer and a sac fly. Chris Owings (Bryce) doubled, singled twice, drove in 2, stole a base and scored. Joey Votto (R21) hit a 3-run homer, singled and scored twice. Raisel Iglesias (R21) had an RBI triple, allowed 2 runs and struck out 10 in 7 innings. Aramis Ramirez (SE) homered, doubled and drove in 4. Matt Harvey (SE) allowed 4 runs and struck out 9 in a 6.1-inning win. 

Duds: Aaron Nola (Bryce) allowed 6 runs and fanned 4 in a 4-inning loss. Hector Rondon (Rookies) allowed 3 unearned runs and took the loss in 1 inning. Jung-Ho Kang (R21) went 0 for 4 with an error. Matt Kemp (Misfits) went 0 for 4 with a run and an error. Jeff Locke (PYB) allowed 5 runs and struck out 2 in a 3.2-inning loss. 

Transactions: Already Zaun benches Michael Wacha, who isn't pitching this week, and inserts Carlos Martinez. Arbitration Losers do the same with Noah Syndergaard and Wily Peralta, and PYB follows suit with Lance Lynn and Jeff Locke. The Bryce is Right activates SP Manny Banuelos from the DL and puts OF Yasiel Puig on the DL.

Semifinal scores (second of 2-week cumulative)

Retire 118 (291), Soler Eclipse 98 (244)

Arbitration Losers 93 (309), Misfits 76 (254)

Consolation scores

Already Zaun 99, Bryce is Right 55

Rookies 79, Fresh Fish 67

Pitch You Blockhead 94, Chateau Marmol 75

Week 22, semifinals: Tuesday roundup

It's hard to believe a Padre is 3rd in the NL in RBIs.

Studs: Nolan Arenado (PYB) took advantage of a doubleheader in Coors Field. He had a solo homer and a single in the first game; in the second, he was a triple short of a cycle with 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Matt Kemp (Misfits) was a triple shy of a cycle and drove in 4. Yoenis Cespedes (Misfits) hit a 2-run homer, tripled and scored twice. Kyle Schwarber (AZ) hit a 2-run homer, singled and scored 3 runs. Adam Lind (Rookies) doubled twice, scored twice and drove in a pair. Jimmy Nelson (AZ) fanned 6 and allowed 1 run in a 7-inning win. Zack Greinke (PYB) struck out 5 and allowed 1 run in a 7.1-inning win. 

Duds: Drew Storen (FF) allowed 2 runs in 1 inning, aided by his own error. Gerrit Cole (Bryce) allowed 5 runs in a 4-inning loss. Derek Norris (SE) went 0 for 3 with an error. Matt Carpenter (AZ) scored and erred. 

Semifinal scores (second of 2-week cumulative)

Retire 42 (215), Soler Eclipse 56 (202)

Arbitration Losers 66 (282), Misfits 51 (229)

Consolation scores

Already Zaun 84, Bryce is Right 40

Rookies 60, Fresh Fish 41

Pitch You Blockhead 65, Chateau Marmol 54

Week 22, semifinals: Monday roundup

The A's traded this guy for Jeff Samardzija? Come ON, Billy Beane.

Studs: Tyson Ross (AZ) struck out 7 in 7 shutout innings for the win, adding an RBI single. Charlie Blackmon (AL) was a homer shy of the cycle and stole a base. Addison Russell (CM) homered, doubled and drove in 3.

Duds: None. Good job good hustle, everyone.

Semifinal scores (second of 2-week cumulative)

Retire 15 (188), Soler Eclipse 30 (176)
Arbitration Losers 35 (251), Misfits 23 (201)

Consolation scores

Already Zaun 44, Bryce is Right 23

Rookies 27, Fresh Fish 21

Chateau Marmol 28, Pitch You Blockhead 18

Week 22 (Playoffs, week 4) Transactions and Lineups

If this is A.J. Pierzynski's FBLG swan song, let us just say... farewell, sweet prince.

Players acquired

• Retire 21 sign SP Jake Peavy (August move #2).
• Misfits sign C Miguel Montero (August move #3).
• Pitch You Blockhead sign SP Jeff Locke (August move #1).
• Arbitration Losers steal SS Ian Desmond (August move #3) from Soler Eclipse.
• Already Zaun sign OF Michael Taylor (August move #3).

Players released

• SP Robbie Ray
• OF/IF Kelly Johnson
• C A.J. Pierzynski

Lineup changes

• Rookies: None.
• Retire 21: Bench 3B Cesar Hernandez and SP Charlie Morton; move Jung-Ho Kang from SS to 3B; activate SS Jean Segura and SP Jake Peavy.
• Misfits: Bench 2B Chase Utley and SP Chris Heston; move Daniel Murphy from 1B to 2B; activate C Miguel Montero, 1B Ryan Howard and SP Kyle Hendricks.
• Soler Eclipse: Bench SP Alex Wood; activate SP John Lackey.
• Pitch You Blockhead: Bench 1B Yangervis Solarte and OF Mark Trumbo; activate 1B Yonder Alonso and OF Carlos Gomez.
• The Bryce is Right: Bench SP Matt Garza; place 1B Lucas Duda on DL; activate SP Chad Bettis (from DL).
• Chateau Marmol: Bench SP Max Scherzer and SP Jon Niese; activate SP Brett Anderson and SP Andrew Cashner.
• Arbitration Losers: None.
• Already Zaun: Bench OF Kike Hernandez and SP Carlos Martinez; activate OF Ben Paulsen and SP Tyson Ross.
• Fresh Fish: None.

The Check Swing: Week 21

Pedro Alvarez is the Bryce is Right's spirit animal. 

1. Already Zaun (3,846 points, last week 1): Think the Zaunies would have loved to have just one more start from Jake Arrieta the previous week, when they got bounced from the postseason? Arrieta led the way with 57 points as AZ put up 206 points in the consolation round. Jimmy Nelson followed in fellow Brewer Kyle Lohse's footsteps in sabotaging this team; Nelson posted a minus-1.

2. Retire 21 (3,777 points, last week 2): Ray's team took the early lead in its two-week duel with Soler Eclipse. Travis d'Arnaud's 20 points and Clayton Kershaw's 26 (in 1 outing) helped the Clementes overcome a 6-point week from Jung-Ho Kang, an 8-point week from Starling Marte and a lame 5-points-in-2-starts dud from Charlie Morton. Thanks for the help, Pirates. 

3. Arbitration Losers (3,614 points, last week 3): The Giants' and Nationals' offenses helped Tim's team pull ahead of the Misfits in their playoff battle. Mike Leake, Chris Coghlan and Jhonny Peralta combined for 16 points, but everyone else was in double figures. Brandon Belt, Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Buster Posey did much of the damage. 

4. Pitch You Blockhead (3,565 points, last week 4): Scott's team put up 192 points in the consolation round, fueled by 30 points from Jonathan Lucroy and 20 from Kolten Wong. David Peralta posted a 17 in another strong effort, but Nolan Arenado was nowhere to be found. 

5. Chateau Marmol (3,439 points, last week 5): Matt's team eked out a 2-point win thanks to a 33-point Sunday. There would have been much blame to be tossed around if CM had lost: Brandon Crawford (minus-2), Yasmani Grandal (0) and Addison Russell (3) were weeklong empty spaces.

6. Soler Eclipse (3,388 points, last week 6): Is Adam's team out of gas after surging past Already Zaun in the first round? It sure played like it this week. Only Alex Wood (24) posted a score higher than 14, and 4 players scored fewer than 10. Leading that list was Derek Norris, who has vanished after a strong start to the season. 

7. Rookies (3,333 points, last week 7): A 5-point Sunday allowed Chateau Marmol to race past and claim victory this week. Andrew McCutchen (25), Jay Bruce (21) and Martin Prado (21) did their part, but there wasn't much else to get excited about. 

8. Misfits (3,365 points, last week 8): Reid's team scored 178 points, but that still left a 28-point deficit against Tim's team. The Misfits' Mets did most of the scoring, with Daniel Murphy (25), Yoenis Cespedes (25) and Curtis Granderson (17) piling up the points. Chase Utley (6) and A.J. Pierzynski (4) sure didn't do much, though.

9. The Bryce is Right (3,322 points, last week 9): Well, someone had to be the lowest-scoring team of the week. Whiff-happy Pedro Alvarez (5) and Khris Davis (4) supplied plenty of whiffs but not many points. Matt Garza made the least of his opportunity, posting a minus-1 in his single appearance.

10. Fresh Fish (3,059 points, last week 10): Marlon Byrd scored 27 points to ... aw, whom are we kidding? The Fish's management has been on the golf course for weeks. 

Week 21, semifinals: Sunday roundup

After tossing a no-hitter, Jake from State Farm packed away his khakis and invited his buddies over for a pajama party.

Studs: Jake Arrieta (AZ) became the second pitcher to no-hit the Dodgers in the past 9 days. He struck out 12 and walked one, and he also singled — that's a 37-point day if you're keeping score. Jayson Werth (AL) homered, doubled, drove in 3 and scored twice. Brandon Belt (AL) went 4 for 4 with 3 runs and a steal. Jason Heyward (CM) was a homer short of a cycle, scored twice and drove in 1. James Shields (PYB) singled, scored, struck out 8 and allowed 1 run in a 7-inning win. Marlon Byrd (FF) doubled twice, tripled and drove in 4. 

Duds: Chris Heston (Misfits) allowed 5 runs in a 3.2-inning loss. Julio Teheran (Bryce) served up 3 homers and 8 runs in a 4.1-inning loss. 

Semifinal scores (first of 2-week cumulative)

Retire 173, Soler Eclipse 146

Arbitration Losers 216, Misfits 178

Consolation scores

Already Zaun 206, Fresh Fish 147

Pitch You Blockhead 192, Bryce is Right 136

Chateau Marmol 146, Rookies 144