Kernel of Truth 63.52—Four series left and a game behind the Krill

[JRamirez]

"Four series left and a game behind the Krill," asst GM Esteban Costa considers. "I like our chances."

We're at the point in the season, again, where the DMO is caught between going "all in" for the playoffs and trying some new lineups. And although the front office here doesn't share Mr Ron Collins' mindset that the utmost duty of every GM is to get into the playoffs , nevertheless Costa and his jefe (boss) JR can't help trying. The only time JR didn't try 100% was his inaugural season as GM—2059— and the Kernels placed a game back to the same Collins' Krill.

DM faces YS9 (5-5 W-L this season) and Louisville (5-5) on the road and at home she will face Chicago (6-4) and, hopefully, the still Cruzless Madison (7-3). "If I was Madison I would keep that hombre on the bench the rest of 2063," Costa said. "Or hell, the rest of the 60s and 70s too."

"But if we can't play better than .500 against second-division teams, we don't belong in the playoffs." In fact, the DMO swore off the playoffs as early as free agent signing time when JR thought that he could save money by not making the playoffs and not paying Max Shepperson $20M-plus to sit out 3/4s of the season on the IL.

Bikini travels to Vancouver and Hawaii, and plays Long Beach and Portland at the Atoll. Two sets of pundits (Stats+ and the game) give Bikini the edge in the contest for the last wild card spot in the FL.

The Kernels are contemplating whether to start 37-y.o. retread José Martínez (5/5/7) down the stretch, yet it is against Madison and Louisville that he has a 1.15 WHIP in his two starts this season. DM will send out southpaws Tabb and Hilliard against YS9, who are 7-25 against non-righties this year. It could come down to the ex-Kernel Tommy Akers, who has won two and lost one against DM since signing that $42M contract with the so-called Sluggers. Mr Akers defeated Des Moines twice in the Hawkeye State (2-0 1.23) and lost in May amongst the blue grass of Kentucky in a 16-3 pounding of Louisville.