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08/18/2024 10:07 PMWhile everyone was glad the rain stopped, most players in the Deep River Horseshoe League seemed to be focused on the upcoming playoffs - who would be the No. 1 seed, what teams were in, and what teams were on the bubble.
For the first time, the season's league champion will be decided in the final week of the season. Mike Zanelli Jr.'s Braves were hoping for a big win, as they entered Week 16 with a one-half game lead over the second place Mets. The Braves faced off against Cody Layton’s Cubs. It was Braves’ Matt Valentin who stepped up and had his season best series of 95 points, as they won three of the first four games but split the last two games.
The Cubs duo of Cody Davis and Jeremy Davis were responsible for the team’s two wins. Jeremy finished with a 119 point series and was the leading scorer for the "B" players. The Braves tossed 76 ringers and were the first team to top 1000 for the season. With the 4-2 win, the Braves ended the night tied with the Mets for first place.
Mets’ Bob Cifaldi returned after two weeks of vacation and faced the Yankees, who were looking to make the playoffs. Cifaldi got off to a hot start. In his first two games, he scored 31 and 36 points to give the Mets two quick wins. Yankees’ Damin Roberts and Deb Scully gave their team a one point win in game three.
Keith Toohey had his best game of the night for the Mets’ third win in game four. Game five ended in a tie, as the Yankees used their handicap to their advantage. After winning the last game, the Mets looked back at the tie game and thought it was where they missed their chance for the title of league champion. With the 4.5-1.5 win, the Mets and Braves ended up in a tie for first place.
The hottest team in the league right now is the White Sox, who played the last place Rangers. The first game was close, as the White Sox won by four, but they overwhelmed the Rangers and pulled off their second sweep in a row. They have only lost one game in three weeks and have vaulted up in the standings during that time, going from fourteenth to seventh place. They have averaged 320 points per night, and each member of the team topped the century mark. Brady Miller scored 104 points, Hunter Beckwith had a season best 114 points, including a season best 45 point game, and Peter Furmonavicius scored 104 points with a season best 40 point game. Beckwith was the second leading "B" scorer, and Peter was the third leading "C" scorer.
Chip Goodrich's Diamondbacks were tied for seventh and wanted to secure their spot in the playoffs, as they took on John Durinick's Orioles who have no worries. This was a back and forth match with lots of scoring. Goodrich started with a 43 point game, but his scoring dwindled in each subsequent game. The teams ended up splitting, and as a result, the Diamondbacks are now in eighth place by one-half game. The Orioles scored 298 points, and the Diamondbacks scored 284 points.
Kris Toohey’s Cardinals were like the Diamondbacks, tied for seventh, as they played John Hutra's Marlins. Toohey had another spectacular scoring night with a personal best 165 point series, which included four games of at least 40 points. He is the first player to achieve that feat this season.
However, the Marlins countered with Howie Fisher, who tied his season best series of 102 points, and Mark Goodale, whose 106 point series was the third leading "B" scorer. Going into the last box of game one, the Cardinals had a two point lead, Fisher was the only one who scored, and the game ended in a tie. The Marlins won 3.5-2.5, and this dropped the Cardinals to ninth place, one half game out of eighth place.
Frank Durinick was a substitute for Dodgers’ Butch Carotenuto, as they faced Mike Zanelli Sr.'s Giants. It was Zanelli and Dodgers’ Dennis Allen who provided all the highlights in this match. Zanelli ended the night with a 140 point series, which included a 44 point game. He had the third highest score for "A" division. Allen equaled his season best series of 126 points, and it included a season best 41 point game. He was the leading "C" scorer. The teams split, and the Dodgers moved up to fourth in the standings.
The Tigers were three games out of a playoff spot entering the night, and the Angels were firmly seeded in third place. Although it looked bleak, sometimes it only takes one little thing to provide the spark. The spark was provided by Andy Turshen, who tossed a double on his first tosses of the night. The Tigers reeled off three straight wins before the Angels could catch their breaths enough to win game four. The Tigers won the last two games for a 5-1 win to keep their playoff hopes alive, and the Angels slipped to fifth place.
Skip Robinson's Pirates were looking to put the last two weeks of season low scores behind them. However, after their slow start in game one, they may have been having flashbacks, but they did manage to recover for a two point win. They went on to win the next two games before the Red Sox managed to win game four by one point, and the teams tied in game five. The Pirates ended the night winning 4.5-1.5.
When the Rockies faced the Reds, Mike Didomizio knew he would have a good game after he tossed his first few shoes, and he didn't feel any issues with his back that has been plaguing him. He ended the night with a season best 152 point series and was the second leading scorer for the "A" division.
The current league standings include:
Braves - 60.0 36.0
Mets - 60.0 36.0
Orioles - 54.5 41.5
Dodgers - 53.5 42.5
Angels - 53.0 43.0
Pirates - 53.0 43.0
White Sox - 51.5 44.5
Diamondbacks - 51.0 45.0
The playoff bubble teams include:
Cardinals - 50.5 45.5
Tigers - 50.0 46.0
Yankees- 49.0 47.0