Minor League Monday: Season 2, Week 7

Season Standings
#1: Nashville Sounds (101 Points)
#2: Oklahoma City Dodgers (99 Points)
#3: Akron Rubber Ducks (84 Points)
#4: Worcester Red Sox (83 Points)
#5: Tennessee Smokies (73 Points)
#6: Durham Bulls (72 Points)
#7: Chattanooga Lookouts (60 Points)
#8: Memphis Redbirds (50 Points)
#9: Greenville Drive (46 Points)
#10: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (37 Points)
#T11: Down East Wood Ducks (33 Points)
#T11: Winston-Salem Dash (33 Points)
#13: Greensboro Grasshoppers (30 Points)
#14: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (23 Points)
#15: Asheville Tourists (16 Points)

#1 (n/a): Nashville Sounds (29-12 | 7-0-0)
Week 7 Opponent: Louisville (5-1 | +17)

There is not much to say about Nashville at this point. Plain and simple, they keep winning. Therefore, they'll continue to be the #1 team. The Louisville Bats did not get swept thanks to a game three win when they beat Nashville by just two points.

This week, Nashville will travel to take on the Toledo Mud Hens. This week's series will be the first time the two teams have met this season. Toledo defeated the Worcester Red Sox in week 5, four games to two. 

#2 (n/a): Oklahoma City Dodgers (24-15 | 5-0-3)
Week 7 Opponents: El Paso (2-1 | +1) & Sugar Land (2-1 | +2)

Oklahoma City had a double whammy this week against familiar opponents, El Paso and Sugar Land. Despite playing two different teams, the Dodgers defeated both and continue to be one of two undefeated teams in series play. 

This upcoming week the Dodgers will host the Reno Aces, their first appearance against a Minor League Monday team.

#3 (+1): Akron RubberDucks (23-16 | 4-2-1)
Week 7 Opponent: Binghamton (5-1 | +21)

Akron continues to impress, and I know I say this about many teams, but they're sneaky good. They've been floating around or in the Top-5 for the entirety of the season, and they've suddenly cracked into the Top-3. The last time the RubberDucks lost a series was in week three against the Bowie Baysox. 

This week Akron will host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in their first appearance of the season with hopes of taking over that #1 spot. 

#4 (+1): Durham Bulls (21-21 | 3-3-1)
Week 7 Opponent: Jacksonville (4-2 | +9)

The Durham Bulls have come out on top for three weeks in a row! With another good week and hopes of one of the Top-3 teams falling this week, the Durham Bulls could soon find themselves competing for the #1 spot. Durham allowed the Jumbo Shrimp to get the best of them in games three and five by a combined total of six points, but other than that, it was nearly a perfect week. 

This week the Bulls will host their in-state rival, the Charlotte Knights, in their first matchup of the year.

#5 (+1): Chattanooga Lookouts (21-18 | 4-2-1)
Week 7 Opponent: Tennessee Smokies (4-2 | -5)

Chattanooga proves once again to be the superior team in Eastern Tennessee. They now lead the series 2-0-1 against the Tennessee Smokies and will look to make it 3-0-1 in June. For now, the Lookouts will square off against the Birmingham Barons. 

#6 (-3): Tennessee Smokies (23-16 | 4-2-1)
Week 7 Opponent: Chattanooga (2-4 | +5)

If the Tennessee Smokies look up "Kryptonite" in the dictionary, the Chattanooga Lookouts logo appears. Luckily, the Smokies will have a few more opportunities this season to redeem themselves but will have to wait until the week of June 21 to do so. 

For now, the Smokies can look forward to a series against the Rocket City Trash Pandas in their second meeting of the season. The last time the two met, Tennessee and Rocket City split the series 3-3.

#7 (+1): Worcester Red Sox (19-23 | 3-3-1)
Week 7 Opponent: Scranton (4-2 | +5)

After five weeks of waiting, the Worcester Red Sox are finally back in the winning column. Of course, I still regret having them above where they are for most of the season, but I'm human, and even I can be manipulated into thinking something is suitable from time to time (ask any of my exes who took full advantage of this). 

This week Worcester will travel to take on the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs in their second meeting of the season. The last time Worcester won a series was against the Iron Pigs. 

#8 (-1): Memphis Redbirds (21-21 | 2-2-3)
Week 7 Opponent: Gwinnett (2-4 | +7)

Memphis has been one of the most, if not the most back and forth team this season. In weeks 1-3, they tied every series. Then, starting in week four, they would win a series, lose a series, win a series, lose a series. That being said, this week, the algorithm says they should win their series against the Iowa Cubs, the first time they have made an appearance this year. 

#9 (+1): Down East Wood Ducks (16-23 | 1-3-2)
Week 7 Opponent: Carolina (2-4 | -12)

The Down East Wood Ducks will move up from #10 to #9 this week thanks to the Cannon Ballers being swept. This upcoming week will be challenging since they are hosting a Fayetteville team that is hot, and they are not. Its been since week three since the Wood Ducks won a series, and we are still looking for that team that received an automatic bid into this year's competition. 

#10 (+2): Fayetteville Woodpeckers (18-21 | 1-3-3)
Week 7 Opponent: Kannapolis (6-0 | +22)

This is the third time one of the Minor League Monday teams has swept another team this season, but this one is a little sweeter. The Cannon Ballers came out hot in week one and swept the Woodpeckers. This week, the Woodpeckers showed Kannapolis who is boss in a six-game series instead of a three-game series. 

This week the Woodpeckers will compete in a #9 vs. #10 showdown against the Down East Wood Ducks. 

#11 (n/a): Winston-Salem Dash (18-19 | 2-2-3) 
Week 7 Opponent: Asheville (3-3 | -5)

If the Dash were one of the seven dwarfs, they would be Dopey. Do we ever really know what is going on with Winston-Salem? Sometimes they're good, others they're not, and others you just question how? This is one of those weeks. Unfortunately, the inconsistency is not working in the Dash's favor as they sit in the bottom-5.

This week they will travel to Hickory to take on the Crawdads in their third series against one another. The Crawdads currently lead the series with one win and one tie. 

#12 (-3): Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (17-23 | 2-2-3)
Week 7 Opponent: Fayetteville (0-7 | -22)

Things looked up for the Cannon Ballers this season, but after being one of the few teams that have been swept, it's only right they sit at the bottom-3. At least for a little bit. Fayetteville knows what to do against Kannapolis after being severely defeated in week one. But, for now, the Cannon Ballers will have to wait until the week of June 14 to see the Woodpeckers again. 

This week Kannapolis will travel to take on the Carolina Mudcats. 

#13 (+1): Asheville Tourists (14-24 | 1-5-1)
Week 7 Opponent: Winston-Salem Dash (3-3 | +5)

For the second time this season, Asheville doesn't lose a six-game series. By winning games two through four, they secured that. The last two week's have been Asheville's best and is why they are now sitting at #13. First, they nearly swept a Greenville Drive team sitting comfortably at #8, and now they tie with the Dash. Things might be looking up for the Tourist, and this week's performance against the Greensboro Grasshoppers will be telling. 
 
#14 (-1): Greensboro Grasshoppers (17-21 | 1-3-3)
Week 7 Opponent: Bowling Green (3-3 | -13)

The Greensboro Grasshoppers have had less than an optimal start to the season, like the series against Bowling Green. The series started with the Hoppers going down 1-3, but like Lebron in the 2016 finals, they rallied in the final games, securing a tie. 

This week against the Asheville Tourist will be telling on the direction the rest of Greensboro's season will go. 

#15 (n/a): Greenville Drive (15-24 | 2-5-0)
Week 7 Opponent: Hickory (1-5 | -12)

Greenville is deservedly the #15 team this week. This is the second week in a row that they have finished a series 1-5. If there's one thing that the Drive can be happy about, it's that last week they lost with a -23 point differential, and they nearly cut that differential in half against Hickory. 

This week the Drive will visit to play Jersey Shore. 
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Series to Watch
#9 Down East Wood Ducks vs. #10 Fayetteville Woodpeckers
#14 Greenboro Grasshoppers vs. #13 Asheville Tourists