BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
6 September 2316
SCA Playoffs Preview - Wildcard Round
#5 Diamond City Swatters (71-59) vs #4 Glowing Sea Radscorpions (73-57)
Season Series: Glowing Sea 9, Diamond City 1
May 19-21 @GS: DC 10-2, GS 2-1, GS 1-0 (12)
July 3-4 @DC: GS 4-0, GS 4-3
August 25-27 @DC: GS 4-3, GS 4-0, GS 6-2
August 31-September 1 @GS: GS 6-4, GS 6-1
Analysis
It's been a long time since we remember a playoff series between league opponents that was this lopsided in the regular season. With a 9-1 advantage over Diamond City, Glowing Sea's success against Diamond City accounted for a full 12% of their 2316 wins and put the Radscorpions in position to earn a higher seed than the Swatters.
Historically, Diamond City has been good in bunches, making the playoffs each season from 2298-2304, including two championships (2299, 2300), and again from 2313-2316. That makes this season the 11th apperance for the Swatters This marks the third time in four seasons that the Swatters and Radscorpions meet in the #4 vs #5 game. Diamond City won both in 2313 and 2315.
For Glowing Sea, they have existed seven seasons and now have made their third playoff appearance. As mentioned, the Scorpions have never won a playoff series, losing to the Swatters as the #4 seed in 2313 and #5 seed in 2315.
On the season, the Swatters were OK on offense but good enough for their team's build as a pitching factory. The team finished 8th in runs scored (497) mostly due to star 2B Alex Bragman's play, hitting .276 with 20 home runs and 82 RBI. 1B I.C. Reader was second on the team with 10 home runs in a down season for power hitting.
The pitching was great for Diamond City, finishing 2nd in runs allowed (435), including 1st in Starters ERA (2.83). All three playoff starters have a sub-3.00 ERA: Macho Lopez, Beachboy Nut, and Heaven Fontenot. That typically means lots of wins in the playoffs. Elastic Man Haley was not OK at closer with 16 saves and a 4,16 ERA, so he will not fulfill that role ion the playoffs.
Glowing Sea, statistically speaking, should not be the #4 seed, especially due to their offensive output in 2316. The Radscorpions were 13th in runs scored (472) with every offensive category finishing in the bottom half of the SCA. Typical sluggers, Enigma Montgomery and Naga Arakaki had down seasons, though Arakaki did produce 75 RBI.
The Scorpions were also not quite as good as Diamond City in pitching, finishing 3rd in runs scored (454) and Starters ERA (3.03). Still, the top two pitchers, Alex Language and Hot Lips Houlihan, have been dominant even without good run support. CL Mar Gotfenning (35 SV, 4.59) has not bee that good, despite finishing second in the CBO in saves to Oberland rookie Wunmore Tomorrow (39).
Prediction
Glowing Sea has dominated the series in 2316, including winning five in the last week of the regular season. It appears that the Radscorpions have every advantage. What the Swatters have going for them over the Radscorpions is playoff success, including the last three seasons where the Swatters won the series over the Scorpions. With factors of hitting vs pitching, though, one team seems built better for winning in the postseason. Diamond City 2, Glowing Sea 1
#6 Quincy Gunners (68-62) vs #3 Oberland T-51s (74-56)
Season Series: Oberland 2, Quincy 2
April 27-28 @Obe: Qui 5-3, Obe 6-0
July 8-9 @Qui: Qui 6-2, Obe 3-1
Analysis
This season marks only the fourth time both Quincy and Oberland are in the playoffs in the same season. The previous seasons were 2309, 2310, and 2314. In that span, they met once: the 2310 SCA Championship Series where the T-51s won the series 4-1 to move on to the Sole Survivor Series.
The Gunners are making their sixth overall apperance in their franchise-record third-straight. In 2314, they reached their only Sole Survivor Series. For Oberland, they are making their 10th appearance. After making eight straight appearances from 2307-2314, the T-51s missed the playoffs in 2315. They were also good the two seasons before the CBO, finishing as the #1 overall seed in 2296 and 2297, including winning the second unofficial Sole Survivor Series in 2297.
On offense, Quincy was OK, finishing 6th in runs scored (514), including the third-best home run output (98). Nuka-Hitter Award candidate 2B Will Hell (.320/29/84) was in contention for the Triple Crown (he did win the Quincy team Triple Crown) and led the CBO in homers. CF Duff Fee saw his average drop but contributed 17 home runs.
The pitching finished 4th in runs scored (477) thanks to the 4th-best Starters ERA (3.08) and best Bullpen ERA (3.03). The top two starters had sub-3.00 ERAs in Make Money and College Luckyman. CL Professor Harriel (29 SV, 1.12) was his usual dominant self.
The T-51s were more of an offensive threat, including finishing 2nd in runs scored (572) and 1st in stolen bases (180). From the leadoff spot, 2B Odd Todd Walker (.273/13/56/64 SB) was among the best. LF Foo Fieterz and 1B Dexion Evicus made the middle of the lineup dangerous.
On the mound, Oberland finished 6th in runs allowed (517) thanks in part to poor starting pitching, finishing 11th in ERA (3.86). Ace Sarthis Idren (17-6, 2.35) was great, but veteran Lannie Tykeson (11-13, 5.60) struggled a lot. He moves to the bullpen for the playoffs and may get in a pinch hit or two. Rooke Tomorrow led the CBO in saves, tying for the 7th-best single-season effort with 39. The record is 41.
Prediction
Both of these teams have considerable strengths and weaknesses that both give them a chance to be champions and an almost equal chance to get blown out in a series. Looking at this season, the matchups between the two have been even. If we had to guess what the advantages are in this series, it would be that the T-51s were among the hottest teams in the last month of the season (20-10 in August and September) and have the home-field edge. Oberland 2, Quincy 1