Pool B: Takes 6 Games to Crown Champ

While seven of our nine opening-round pools quickly produced a 2-0 team that could clinch a berth before all six games were played, we decided to jump next to one of the two pools where every team started 1-1. This one is going the full six games before a winner is crowned. (scroll to bottom for final result and pool champ)

That gives a good example in this blog of how we play out our 3-team pools - with each team playing the others home and away and the champ decided  by record, with tie-breakers being head-to-head, run differential in pool play, then head-to-head and if all still tied then a one-game playoff. You can play your own Statis-Pro game by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/3y8ckrv7.

Pool B may have been the toughest draw of the tournament. It matched the Atlanta Braves, who were the hottest team in baseball when these cards were created, against a Boston Red Sox club that looked like one of the weaker early-season teams but has since played like one of the best in baseball. With only one team advancing from each pool, a quality club was always going home early.

The biggest surprise of the tournament came in the opener when Boston stunned Atlanta 8-1. The Braves recovered with consecutive 4-2 victories over Texas and Boston to climb to 2-1, but that opening loss leaves them with the worst run differential in the pool at minus-3. As a result, Atlanta must beat Texas in the final game to advance.

The last win over the Red Sox was made tougher when Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris III collided and were out for the game, but luckily for the Braves they have about the best backups possible for both with MikeYastrzemski and Maurico Dubon. Yaz ended up breaking the 2-2 tie with an exciting Statis-Pro play. Jurickson Profar is one of the few good Hit and Run players still in baseball, but when Yaz took off he missed the pitch but the chart had Yaz just fast enough to steal the based with his Speed C (D or E would have held the base). Profar then homered to make it 4-2

The pitching matchup favors the Braves, as Spencer Strider (PB 2-7) takes the mound against Jordan Montgomery (PB 2-6). The bigger concern for Atlanta is the bullpen. In their 4-2 win over Texas, the Braves were forced to use their top four relievers plus their best middle reliever. Under our tournament rules, a reliever can pitch only once in the two-game series against each opponent, so Atlanta desperately needs Strider to work deep into the game.

Texas, meanwhile, has a less dominant bullpen overall, but the Rangers enter the finale with an important advantage: Chris Martin was not needed in the first meeting with Atlanta, so their top late-inning reliever is fully available.

What's at Stake?

• Atlanta advances by beating Texas. A loss eliminates the Braves.
• Boston wins the pool if Texas wins by six runs or fewer. If Texas wins by exactly seven runs, Boston and Texas meet in a one-game playoff. If Texas wins by eight or more runs, Boston is eliminated.
• Texas wins the pool by defeating Atlanta by eight or more runs. An seven-run victory earns the Rangers a one-game playoff with Boston. Any win by six or fewer runs—or a loss—eliminates Texas.

Pool B Results

Team	PB	Pitcher	Opponent	Score	Result	Projected ERA
ATL	2'-9	Chris Sale	Boston	1-8	L	3.19
ATL	2'-7	Reynaldo López	Boston	4-2	W	4.06
ATL	2'-7	Spencer Strider	Texas	—	TBD	3.82
ATL	2'-8	Spencer Schwellenbach	Texas	4-2	W	3.65
BOS	2'-7	Ranger Suárez	Atlanta	2-4	L	3.74
BOS	2'-8	Garrett Crochet	Atlanta	8-1	W	3.02
BOS	2'-7	Connelly Early	Texas	2-3	L	3.65
BOS	2'-8	Sonny Gray	Texas	2-1	W	3.69
TEX	2'-8	Nathan Eovaldi	Atlanta	2-4	L	3.65
TEX	2'-6	Jordan Montgomery	Atlanta	—	TBD	4.28
TEX	2'-7	MacKenzie Gore	Boston	3-2	W	3.82
TEX	4'-7	Kumar Rocker	Boston	1-2	L	4.23

One thing is certain: after five games, all three teams still have a mathematical path to advancing. That's exactly what makes Statis-Pro tournament baseball so much fun. Every run in the final game could determine who survives and who goes home.

Here are the two Boston Red Sox vs. Atlanta Braves games in our pool play - the yellow pad from back on this June 7 blog, and the white sheet from tonight.

Update: Strider's start fell apart after he induced a double play grounder but Albies threw it away and what would have been a 1-run 3rd inning was not over until the Rangers had a 4-0 lead and Strider was gone. They added two runs in the 4th to make it 6-0, and at that point the 6-run margin would have resulted in the Rangers and Red Sox in a 1-game playoff for the pool.

The Braves pulled it back to 6-2 after Murphy homered in the 5th and then Kim doubled and scored in the 7th to line up for a Red Sox pool win or a chance for the Braves to rally and win to take the pool.

Then came the wild 9th and both teams pitchers were gone.

Marc Church shut down the Braves in the bottom of the 8th inning and the Rangers line-up jumped on the opportunity in the bottom of the 9th. Seager hit a 2-run homer to put them back in position for a 1-game playoff for the pool title, and Burger homered to make it 9-2, putting the Rangers in position to win the run differential for the title to break the 2-2 record.

However, in the bottom of the 9th Bradford and Leiter could not hold onto the title for the pool. The Braves bottom of the line-up came through again - Murphy singled and Kim homered to clinch the pool title for the Red Sox, and Baldwin added another homer to make the final 9-5.

Boston 2-2 record, 14-9 total runs for a +5 and the title

Texas 2-2 record, 15-13 total runs for a +2

Atlanta 2-2 record, 14-21 for a -7

The Red Sox will advance to one of three semifinal pods as the champion of Pool B. Right now the Dodgers are 2-0 in Pool A and the Mets are 2-0 in Pool C so those are the most likely opponents if you pull up the google sheet of all pools.