Week 4 Recap -- Javelina v Heat

The Julian Javelina went into their week four match-up with the South Texas Heat reeling to a certain degree. They had lost two of their first three series, both losses coming within the division, and the offense was sputtering. Not only did the Javelina badly need a good showing, but they needed a big win over a projected playoff contender. They got what they needed.

The Javelina streaked out to a big early lead thanks to an extremely balanced attack. It started with an offensive outburst that included hitting .365 for the first two days of the week. As the week progressed, the Javelina pitchers took control. Before the start of play on Friday, Javelina starting pitching had logged 26 innings while allowing only 2 ER and striking out 25. Yovanni Gallardo's seven inning, eleven strike out performance Saturday night allowed the Javelina to lock up all six pitching categories.

The offense, while still something of a work in progress, did an excellent job of holding up its end of the bargain, as well. They hit only .265 for the week, but they managed to pound out nine home runs and drive in 34 runs. While the Javelina managed to win only two offensive categories, they were largely competitive across the board. A poor showing Sunday dragged down some of the totals.

After four weeks of play, the Javelina find themselves #2 in the power rankings thanks. As a team, the Javelina rank in the top five in four of six offensive categories (HR, SB, BB, AVG) and in three pitching categories (W, H, K). They rank in the top half of the league in 10 of 12 categories (all except ERA and WHIP).

The Javelina will take on division rival Encinitas in week five. Having already dropped series to ES and North Texas, Julian must win this week in order to begin climbing back up to the top of the division. While the pitching match-ups seem fairly even on paper, one would have to expect the Javelina to carry most of the offensive categories.

Hits and Misses....

Andrew McCutchen awakened from something of a power drought with three home runs during week four....the team welcomed 3B Ryan Zimmerman back with open arms, and he responded by drilling two homers in his first game back....Adam LaRoche smashed three homers and drove in ten...the team added Eric Young Jr for 2B depth last week, and he will start at that position with Brian Roberts still ailing....with both Bengie Molina and Geovany Soto hitting well, the team will experiment with playing both catchers in week five.