Batavia on five-game skid
| BataviasBest.org
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Batavia has struggled mightily as of late and will head into their series finale with Williamsport holding a 7-13 record during this month. Despite all the tough luck the ‘Dogs have had to endure throughout July, however, they remain in good position in the Wild Card race, as they trail Staten Island by just a one and a half games.
Here are the complete NY Penn League standings as of today:
Here are the Wild Card standings as of today:
Just over a month and a half remains in the Muckdogs season, which gives them plenty of time to return to their early-season form and regain their spot atop the standings. Following a torrid 16-8 start, which earned the ‘Dogs first place early on, Batavia has gone 2-11 over their next thirteen games and now find themselves in the midst of a five-game slide, chasing Staten Island and State College for the top spot in the Wild Card and the division respectively.
In order to reproduce the success they had early on, the Muckdogs offense is in need of a major wake-up call.
The ‘Dogs have really struggled at the plate as a team this season, as only two members of their offense have batted over .280 during 2014 (minimum thirty at bats). With a team batting average of just .234 Batavia ranks 12th overall in their league, ahead of only Auburn and Aberdeen. Digging deeper into their offensive struggles, Batavia’s inability to get extra base hits has also plagued them throughout the first half; specifically, their league-low eleven home runs. If they are to contend for a playoff spot down the stretch in late August, the Muckdogs simply need to start hitting.
Equally as sub-par as their offense, ‘Dogs pitching staff has left plenty to be desired during this year.
From the hill, Batavia has posted a team ERA of 4.59 through the mid-point of the season, which ranks 13th in the league, while allowing 343 hits over 319.2 innings pitched. To make matters worse, Muckdogs pitchers have walked 136 batters which is the second-highest team total in the league.
All in all, despite their inefficiencies on both defense and offense, Batavia is right in the thick of things when it comes to the playoff race. With their best baseball undoubtedly ahead of them, look for this team to make a push down the home stretch.
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