Thankfully, our pitching stepped it up enough to compensate for the pathetic performance of our offense. We posted a 2.82 ERA on the chapter, with only 7.2 hits allowed per nine, and held opponents to a league-low .626 OPS.
We currently sit just two games ahead of the Joplin Miners, but trail them by two games on the Pythagorean scale. This is thanks to the fact that we went a remarkable 8-1 in one-run games last chapter. We cannot expect that good fortune to continue forever, so something needs to give.
The Good
Danny Valencia (.407/.414/.815) and Christian Villanueva (.406/.459/1.313) were better than good. They were other-worldly. Although the two only amassed 27 and 32 at-bats, respectively, they contributed 12 homers and over 28 runs created. Put the two of them together, and they were our Chapter One MVP.
Justin Turner (.290/.408/.468) and Andrew Benintendi (.286/.398/.500) performed as well as we expected them to perform, which is a good thing considering they pretty much carried this team throughout the chapter. Evan Gattis (.300/.317/.600 in 40 AB) was also a surprising contributor.
On the hill, it's hard to know where to begin. Trevor Cahill (1.24 ERA in 29 IP), Clay Buchholz (1.33 ERA in 20+ IP), and Mike Montgomery (3.12 ERA in 23 IP) went a combined 9-0, accounting for nearly half our wins. Stephen Strasburg (1-1, 2.08 ERA in 26 IP) was also brilliant in his five starts.
In the bullpen, Ryan Brasier (5 IP, 0.00 ERA), Pedro Strop (17+ IP, 0.52 ERA), Jonathan Holder (15+ IP, 1.15 ERA), and Taylor Rogers (15+ IP, 1.15 ERA) combined to go 7-0 with seven saves.
The Bad
We expected Rich Rodriguez to be our part-time closer heading into this season, but he has proven to be untrustworthy so far. In 14+ innings, he allowed 12 hits, 9 walks, 2 homers, and a 4.30 ERA.
What the hell happened to Jose Ramirez? Expected to be our MVP, he hit just .213/.353/.415 instead. He did draw more walks (19) than strikeouts (10), and stole eight bases in ten attempts, so he wasn't completely useless. Still, he was far from the MVP we expected -- and needed.
On the other hand, we did expect Trea Turner to struggle this season, given the difference in ballpark factors between MLB and BDBL. He met expectations by hitting just .252/.306/.408. Like Ramirez, he made himself useful by contributing eight extra-base hits and seven stolen bases.
The Ugly
Where to begin? Francisco Cervelli (.182), Enrique Hernandez (.161), Hunter Renfroe (.160), Mitch Moreland (.159), Rafael Devers (.158), and Odubel Herrera (.141) each hit below .200 last chapter. I can buy one or two or even three of those guys slumping at the same time, but all six? I suspect voodoo magic is somehow involved.
Anibal Sanchez should be our best starting pitcher. Instead, he did this: 0-2, 7.41 ERA, 17 IP, 19 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 5 BB, 16 K, 5 HR. That last figure is the one that really makes zero sense whatsoever. Sanchez allowed 15 homers in 136+ innings in MLB last year. He's already one-third of the way to that total after only twelve percent of the innings.
Felix Pena (0-2, 7.00 ERA in 9 IP) also was no bueno.
The Really, REALLY, Ugly
Shohei Ohtani deserves his own category. We gave him 25 pinch-hit plate appearances last chapter. Here is what he did with those 25 opportunities: 2 hits, 1 double, 0 runs, 0 RBI's, 2 walks, 6 K's, 0 SB, 1 CS. Guys...what the actual fuck? Seriously.
