Semifinals Week 2: Thursday Roundup

The late Burt Reynolds never starred in a baseball movie, but we're certain that he'd have worn this hat in such a film.

STUD: Paul Goldschmidt (CB) was a triple short of a cycle and scored 3 runs.

DUD: Brad Boxberger (SG) recorded 2 outs and struck out 1, but he allowed 1 run and took the loss.

Semifinals Week 2: Wednesday Roundup

We're not always fans of the new "dingers and whiffs" version of baseball... but that's a damn fine dinger.

STUDS: Trevor Story (M) continued his MVP-type season, swatting 3 solo homers - including a 505-footer, the longest in baseball's Statcast era.. Jose Quintana (CB) earned the win, striking out 5 and allowing 2 runs in 6.2 innings.

DUDS: Yasmani Grandal (PYB) went 0-fer with an error. Johan Camargo (FDD) singled, walked and erred. Tanner Roark (SG) took the loss, allowing 6 runs and striking out 4 in 5 innings.

Semifinals Week 2: Tuesday Roundup

You may not have noticed, but German Marquez has been one of the game's best pitchers since the end of June.

BOOM right in the Hall of Fame.

STUDS: Yadier Molina (M) - the hardest name for us to put on the Studs list - homered, singled, walked, scored twice and drove in 4. Gregory Polanco (M) had a double, 2 singles, a steal, a run and 2 RBIs. Joe Musgrove (M) struck out 8 and allowed 2 runs in a 6.1-inning win. Asdrubal Cabrera (PYB) homered, doubled, walked and drove in 3. Rich Hill (PYB) struck out 8 and allowed 4 runs in a 6-inning win. German Marquez (PYB) struck out 11 and allowed 2 runs in a 6.2-inning no-decision. Jake Arrieta (BM) struck out 11 and allowed 4 runs in a 7.1-inning win. Robbie Ray (BM) - that two-timing bum - struck out 10 in 6.1 shutout innings to earn the win. JT Realmuto (AL) had 2 solo homers and 2 walks. Scooter Gennett (FF) and Marcell Ozuna (PM) each hit 2 solo homers. Cesar Hernandez (CB) tripled, singled, walked twice and drove in 3.

DUDS: None.

Semifinals Week 2: Monday Roundup

Hit a couple bombs off Madison Bumgarner, get your picture on the blog. It's a simple formula, really.

STUDS: Trevor Story (M) homered twice, drove in 5 runs and stole a base. Max Scherzer (FF) struck out 11 and allowed 3 runs in a 7-inning no-decision. Trevor Williams (R) struck out 4 in 6.2 shutout innings to beat the Reds.

DUDS: Oh, hello again, Bud Norris (AL). For the second day in a row, Bud the Dud blew it, this time allowing a game-tying 2-run homer and blowing the save. Kenta Maeda (FF) was similar, only it was a 3-run homer and the game was already tied. So just a loss and no blown save, hooray! Freddie Freeman (R) singled, walked and erred.

Semifinals Week 1: The Check Swing

Remember to celebrate your successes The Right Way.

In lieu of a mid-matchup Check Swing, we'll do a quick score update. First, the semifinals:

• No. 4 The Misfits 237.7, No. 8 Pitch You Blockhead 198.8
• No. 7 BodySuit Man 206.5, No. 3 Arbitration Losers 183.3

And the overall points race. PYB has jumped into third place and the Misfits went from 7th to 5th. FDD's overall lead remains right around 100 points, and they're the first ones over the 4,000-point mark.

The scoreboard

1. Fasano Don't Dance (4013.5 points, last week 1)

2. Project Mayhem (3910.7 points, last week 2)

3. Pitch You Blockhead (3818.8 points, last week 4)

4. Stable Geniuses (3798 points, last week 3)

5. The Misfits (3794.7 points, last week 7)

6. Arbitration Losers (3793.5 points, last week 6)

7. Fresh Fish (3774.9 points, last week 5)

8. BodySuit Man (3544.7 points, last week T9)

9. The Rookies (3534.1 points, last week 8)

10. Clemente's Bucs (3513.9 points, last week T9)

Hitting leaders after Week 21

1. Christian Yelich (M) 440.5
2. Javier Baez (FF) 423.5
3. Freddie Freeman (R) 417
4. Paul Goldschmidt (CB) 415.5
5. Trevor Story (M) 414.5

Pitching leaders after Week 21

1. Max Scherzer (FF) 466.7
2. Jacob deGrom (FDD) 399
3. Aaron Nola (PM) 387.7
4. Patrick Corbin (FF) 363.7
5. Zack Greinke (R) 332

Semifinals Week 1: Sunday Roundup

We only recently discovered Bud Norris was a terrible person, but we always knew he was a terrible pitcher. 

STUDS: Javier Baez (FF) homered, tripled and scored twice. Ronald Acuña (FDD) was a triple short of a cycle and scored twice. Noah Syndergaard (BM) allowed 1 run and fanned 11 in a complete-game win against the Giants. Jon Lester (AL) struck out 7 and got the win in 6 shutout innings. Anthony Rizzo (PYB) homered, singled, walked twice, drove in 2 and scored 3 runs. Christian Yelich (M) homered, singled, drove in 4, scored twice and walked twice.

DUDS: Brad Boxberger (SG) allowed 2 runs, recorded 1 out and took the loss. Bud Norris (AL) struck out 1 and allowed 3 runs in a 0.2-inning loss.

Semifinals Week 1: Saturday Roundup

There's -8.7 points worth of Dudliness in this photo.

STUD: Luis Castillo (CB) struck out 11 Cardinals and got the win in 6.1 shutout innings.

DUDS: Keone Kela (FF) did it all in a disastrous outing for the Pirates. Kela struck out 1 batter, but he allowed 4 runs, blew the save and took the loss. Asdrubal Cabrera (PYB) and Charlie Culberson (R) both went 0-fer with an error. Francisco Cervelli (PM) went 0-fer and was caught stealing.

Semifinals Week 1: Friday Roundup

Since the all-star break, Zack Wheeler is 6-1 with a 1.19 ERA in 8 starts. 

We all know how this will end, Maikel.

STUDS: Jhoulys Chacin (R) struck out 6 and allowed 1 run in a 6.1-inning win. Zack Wheeler (PM) didn't technically earn enough points to make this list, but we'll cut him some slack because he pitches for the Mets. Wheeler struck out 9 and allowed 1 earned run in 7 innings but took the loss because the Mets were shut out by Andrew Suarez, Tony Watson and Ty Blach. Naturally, the Mets bullpen allowed 6 runs in 2 innings to ensure that Wheeler took the loss.

DUDS: Maikel Franco (FF) came off the bench and went 0 for 1 with an error. Freddie Freeman (R) and Ozzie Albies (R) both went 0 for 4 with an error.

SEMIFINAL SCORES

• No. 4 The Misfits 126.3, No. 8 Pitch You Blockhead 121.5
• No. 7 BodySuit Man 124.8, No 3. Arbitration Losers 99.5

Semifinals Week 1: Thursday Roundup

We don't know either, Wil.

The "Pedro Alvarez error" Google Image search is really rewarding.

STUDS: German Marquez (PYB) continued his inexplicable hot streak, striking out 13 and allowing 2 runs in an 8-inning no-decision. Freddie Freeman (R) tripled, singled, scored and drove in 3.

DUDS: Ozzie Albies (R) singled and erred. Eric Hosmer (M) walked and made an error. Nolan Arenado (PM) did the same. Will Myers (FF) said, "Oh yeah? Hold my glove (cuz I won't be using it)" and proceeded to make three errors. THREE! Somewhere, Pedro Alvarez is nodding proudly.

SEMIFINAL SCORES

• No. 8 Pitch You Blockhead 112.5, No. 4 The Misfits 96
• No. 7 BodySuit Man 104.3, No 3. Arbitration Losers 82

Semifinals Week 1: Wednesday Roundup

6-for-6 including hitting for the cycle. That's a pretty nice day.

Johan Camargo had a good day, and even he is looking up at Yelich.

STUDS: You want your studs to step up during the playoffs, and that's exactly what Reid got out of star Christian Yelich. All Yelich did was hit for the cycle, add a couple extra singles, score twice and drive in 3. With the Cycle Bonus, that's a 25-point day. And FBLG's first bonus (no-hitter, perfect game, cycle) of the year! Fellow Misfit Brewer Lorenzo Cain singled twice, doubled, drove in a run and scored 3 times. Billy Hamilton (PYB) homered, singled three 3 times, scored 3 runs and was caught stealing. Hitting homers and getting caught stealing... Billy, you were our last holdout from the lures of the dinger. Say it ain't so. Mike Moustakas (BM) homered, singled 3 times and drove in 3. Johan Camargo (FDD) homered, singled twice, walked, scored twice and drove in 3. Tucker Barnhart (R) homered, doubled, walked twice and scored 3 runs. Trevor Williams (R) was dominant, allowing 0 runs and striking out 8 in a 6-inning win.

DUDS: Josh Hader (BM) allowed 4 runs in 0.2 innings, but at least he managed to stay off Twitter. Chris Taylor (FDD) did not enjoy his birthday, going 0-fer with an error. Brandon Crawford (PM) made another error - he's on this list an awful lot for a supposedly good defender. The good news is that he didn't have a chance to name any other children yesterday. Raisel Iglesias (PM) took the loss, allowing a run and striking out 2 in an inning.

SEMIFINAL SCORES

• No. 8 Pitch You Blockhead 79.5, No. 4 The Misfits 79.5
• No. 7 BodySuit Man 80.8, No 3. Arbitration Losers 77