More With Less: An EFL Cookbook

EFL Standings for 2016

Old Detroit: W 0, L (-1); (-4) – (-5). (.250, .286, .600; 7 ip, 5 er).  So how did the Wolverines conveniently shed a game (and part of the small crop of replacements they’d been growing)? The problem occurred yesterday when I accidentally gave the Orioles two extra games.  I caught the error today, meaning I had to deduct a game from the Orioles’ total, and thus from the Wolverines’. I know it looks shady, but I assure you it was totally an accident.

Haviland: W, 15 – 6. (.542, .571, .917; 2 ip, 0 er).  If I was shady I’d figure out a way to leave the Dragons’ big day at the plate out of the stats.  Matt Joyce went 0 for 1. Jake Lamb went 1 for 4.  Everyone else (5 Dragon hitters) OPSed at least 1.417.

Portland: L, 4 – 5. (.279, .354, .395; no pitching) So the Rosebuds and the Dragons keep swapping places, spinning rapidly like one of those giant fans in action movies the hero inexplicably has to get through to save the day. This is apparently working to keep the Alleghenys at bay, so I am not going to second guess it too much.

Pittsburgh:  W, 5 – 5. (.125, .300, .500;  0.3 ip, 0 er). The Allehenys went nowhere because they only produced 8 plate appearances, getting one hit (a homer).  And they only pitched long enough to get one out.  So maybe the Dragon/Rosebud whirling buzz saw isn’t what stopped the Alleghenys this time.

Canberra: W 2, L (-1); 9 – 1. (.278, .440, .556;  13.3 ip, 2 er).   Bryce Harper, absent for much of Canberra’s recent blazing run, started yesterday for the first time in a while.  And went 3 for 3 with two doubles and two walks.  If you were puzzled by my cooking metaphor, wondering where all the heat would come from to roast a roast still locked in a freezer, look no further.  The Kangaroos are plenty hot enough for that task and much, much more.

Peshastin: L, (-2) – 10. (.111, .179, .194;  10 ip, 10 er).  Ouch.  Peshastin was trying to hang on to the Kangaroos as they raced past toward the top of the standings, but the P’s got bounced off the ride yesterday thanks to terrible hitting and horrendous pitching.  10 innings of 9.00 ERA has to leave bruises or worse.  So the Pears have fallen more than 10 games back again, dealing a dire blow to their pennant race hopes.

Flint Hill:W 0, L (-1); (-3) – (- 5).  (.273, .333, .364;  5 ip, 1 er).  The Tornados got to ride along with the Wolverines as they backtracked a game, since they are both in the AL East.  And it was even better for the T’s than it was for the W’s.

Cottage: W, 0 – (-4). (.389, .389 .389; 7 ip, 1 er). The Cheese scrambled back into 8th place with 7 singles in 18 plate appearances, and a strong outing from Drew Smyly.  Whether they can keep it up we’ll have to wait and see.

Kaline: “W”, 5 – 6. (.222, .300, .278;  8 ip  4 er)  This is a stumble by anyone’s standards, but not a big one. It may look worse in Coupeville just because it comes in the middle of the amazing month the Drive have been having.  Only six Drives came to bat, and only Mike Zunino (2 for 4)  and Chris Owings (2 for 5 with a double) did anything at the plate.

DC: W 5 – (-2). (.292, .379, .500;  13.7 ip, 3 er).  The Wolverines would have LOVED to have a day like this yesterday.  But to do so, the W’s would have to show the kind of intense motivation the Balk have as they try not to be left in the dust by the Atlanta Braves. That would be humiliating, even though no one would think the worse of the expansion Balk if they came in dead last.