BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
9 September 2317
NCA Playoffs Preview - Association Semifinals Round
#4 The Slog Ghouls (71-59) vs #1 Easy Town Assaultrons (81-49)
Season Series: The Slog 6, Easy Town 4
April 11-12 @ET: ET 6-5, Slog 5-4
May 4-6 @Slog: Slog 8-2, Slog 9-3, Slog 7-5
July 17-19 @ET: Slog 5-3, ET 5-4(10), Slog 4-3
August 4-6 @Slog: ET 6-4, ET 7-6(10)
Analysis
A year ago, these two teams met in the Wildcard Round with the The Slog Ghouls as the #6 seed and the Easy Town Assaultrons as the #3 seed. The Assaultrons won that series and then advanced all the way to the Sole Survivor Series before falling to Quincy.
In all, this is the Ghouls' seventh playoff trip and the Assaultrons' eighth trip. This is only the third time both teams are in the playoffs (2300, 2316, 2317). The teams did not meet in 2300, marking 2316 as their first and only playoff matchup.
In the regular season, The Slog got the best of Easy Town, winning the season series 6-4. However, the Trons won the last two and three of the last four. The Ghouls and Salem were the only two teams in the NCA with winning records against Easy Town. This may mean that the Ghouls have the best chance of stopping the Trons.
The Assaultrons were great on offense, leading in every category but home runs (9th at 130). Their runs scored (769) was not only tops in the NCA but it placed 2nd all-time behind Nordhagen Beach's 772 in 2312. Vault 81 set the record of 817 in 2313. All four of LF J.J. Gray (.298/23/104), CF Eden Babz (.317/21/90), 3B Halep Gutteridge (.335/16/88), and SS Stormin' Normin MacDonald (.312/10/85) were RBI machines, Babz set the stolen bases record (93).
Pitching was not as keen, finishing 5th in runs allowed (608) mostly thanks to the efforts of the bullpen (4th in ERA at 3.95). The starters were 10th with a 4.80 ERA. None of the three playoffs starters were good at keeping the opponents' run counts down with Lonely Gale (16-10, 4.52) having the best ERA. CL Tut Cadillac (31 SV, 3.52) was OK as a closer.
Prediction
The Slog is a good team, but Easy Town earned its 2nd-best record in the CBO for the 2317 season. While the Ghouls won the regular season series, they will just have to hold too many Trons bats down to win the series. We're going to take the Assaultrons in four. Easy Town 3, The Slog 1
#3 Malden Grognaks (71-59) vs #2 Lexington Synths (74-56)
Season Series: Malden 4, Lexington 0
April 26-27 @Lex: Mal 4-1, Mal 5-3(11)
July 7-8 @Mal: Mal 4-3, Mal 4-0
Analysis
Regardless of how many ways we look at this series, we feel that both teams have been just too . . . quiet. A year ago, Malden entered the playoffs as the #1 seed but fell just short in their first trip to the NCA Championship Series, falling in seven to Easy Town. Lexington was not even in the playoffs. This year, these are the #3 and #2 seeds, respectively.
Needless to say, these teams have no playoff history together. Well, maybe needless, but we will say it. The Grognaks are in their third-straight and third overall appearance in the playoffs. Lexington is making their fourth playoff appearance, all within the last five seasons. In 2315, the Synths were the #1 seed. This is a chance for the last two #1 seeds to finally settle something in the playoffs. This playoff series may be noisier than the regular season was.
In the regular season, it was all Malden. The Grognaks won all four matchups, with the closest coming in Game 2 when the teams went to extra innings. There, Jack of Diamonds Cordero hit a two-RBI double in the top of the 11th to secure another Grognaks win. Malden pitching held the Synths to seven total runs in the four games, including a shutout in their last meeting on July 8.
For Lexington, pitching gives them the best chance to win a championship. The Synths were 1st in runs allowed (545), including 2nd in Starters ERA (3.63) and 5th in Bullpen ERA (4.19). Both Aaron Noluh (11-6, 2.89) and Deedee Martinson (16-11, 2.79) were amazing all season. CL Hunter Kim (26 SV, 2.82) is one of the best in the CBO.
On offense, what is a talented group struggled. The Synths were 9th in runs scored (614) with some really bad numbers in some areas, including being 13th in OBP (.330) and home runs (112). CF Packs Ton Kling (.261/19/56) was the teams leader in home runs. Only World B. Free (.325/12/74) and Campy Madrid (.311/5/37) hit over .300. However, the Synths were 2nd in stolen bases (163), including 65 from Kling.
Prediction
This one is not that tough to predict. When I came up with my rankings of the CBO teams, I ranked the Grognaks third behind only Jamaica Plain and Easy Town. The Synths had a great season, but the offense is closer to its 2316 form than its 2315 form, and that is a scary prospect for their championship chances. We do not see a sweep, but a good series. Still, we think the Naks are here. Malden 3, Lexington 2