DOTHRAKIS (9-3) vs. DYNASTY (10-2)
The Venue: Cantiague D @ 8:30am
One of the big matchups we circled at the start of the season is finally here. Dynasty currently sits as the second seed at 10-2. Dothrakis are right behind them in third with a record of 9-3. This matchup will go a long way to determine seeds by the end of the season. Both teams are coming off of big sweeps last week and are ready to take each other on.
More than just seeding, this will be a matchup where both teams will really know how they stack up against the elites of the division. Both teams are jockeying for the top of the standings with The North 1 game ahead of them. Both teams have elite players all overt the diamond and let’s break down their matchup.
How They Got Here
Dothrakis:
Preseason, Dothrakis came in as the second best team according to our Power Rankings. Our SASL experts predicted they would be in the Finals when it is all said and done. Captains Pavy Badwal and Sunny Naveed constructed a team with SASL All Time First Teamer Hashim Naveed and 3 impressive rookies in Andy Sanchez, Pablo Sanchez and Justin Sevilla. Sprinkle in capable veterans in David Rodriguez, Pervez Khan, Gage Nestor, etc and you have a team that is not only talented but very deep.
Dothrakis started their rookie season off with a bang with 6 straight wins before Troopers gave them their first loss. The very next weekend, to many pundits surprise, they got swept in two heated games against Black Mambas. Some teams may have felt a lot of pressure by going 1-3 in their past 4 games. At 7-3, they faced one of the top teams in the league in Hit Squad who were also 7-3. Dothrakis suffocating defense held their own and they swept both games to move to 9-3 and in this weeks Game of the Week.
Dynasty:
Dynasty has appeared in previous Game of the Week articles. So we know the drill. The core of the team remained the same for a couple of seasons now and they added some important pieces to surround them with support. Yamin, Mike, Omar are a three headed monster. Amit is still doing his thing and they have great support from Ariel, Ali, Kunal, Adrian etc. The top 10 of this squad is as good as any teams. Recruiting for captains Sajid and Sonu must be easy when you have a core like that.
Dynasty were the last team to remain undefeated in the SASL this year. 8-0 start thru 4 weeks and they defeated some tough opponents in those 4 weeks: TSFE, Black Mambas and Troopers. However, they got swept in week 5 by their biggest rival and nemesis in Hit Squad. Dynasty bounced back big time by sweeping MonStars in 2 close games. Dynasty still boasts the best defense in the league if you go by runs allowed. They have given up about 7 runs a game to their opponents.
On Field Matchups
Pitching/Catching:
At pitcher Dothrakis have Freddy Maldonado. Freddy is a passable pitcher but he has a tendency to be wild. So if you are patient with him, he may walk a few. Gage usually is a very solid catcher but he is hitting under .400. For Dynasty the battery mate of Ali Ghumman and Ariel Arvelo is the best in the league. Ali is one of the best pitchers and Ariel is a All Star type hitter.
Advantage: Dynasty
Infield:
Dothrakis have a very good infield led by Justin Sevilla at SS. It is very weird seeing Hashim at SS but he is working his way back from an injury. Pervez at 2b is very solid as well although his batting has taken a big hit lately. Hashim is still batting .700+ and occupying the third hole. Justin is using his speed at the top of the lineup and setting up the table for the middle of the order. At 1B they have a big hole. Sometimes we see Mike Wang there and other times it’s Jig Patel. Whoever is there, they haven’t gotten much production from.
Dynasty infield up the middle is very solid in Amit Bhasin and Adrian Polanco. Both can be flashy but both are prone to many errors under pressure. Amit is one of the better hitters in the league and Adrian is the reigning ROY. At 3b, Dynasty usually goes with the light hitting Milan Patel. While he may not hit for power, don’t be fooled as he gets on base at a .600 clip. At 1b we have Sonu Bhasin. Sonu will provide adequate leather but a weak bat.
Advantage: Dothrakis
Outfield:
David Rodriguez at LF has been often spectacular but can also have the occasional hiccup on the field due to lack of concentration. At the plate he has been slightly above average but offers plenty of speed on the base paths. Andy Sanchez at LCF is as good as it gets. His arm maybe the best in the league and he offers a lethal bat as well. At RCF, we have Pablo Sanchez who is a clone of Andy with slightly less power. He can sling it as well as Dothrakis have probably the best collective arms in the outfield. Rounding out in RF is Sunny Naveed who is finally finding his footing at the plate after a slow start.
As far as pure defense, the left side of Omar Hernandez (Lf”F) and Mike Liang (LCF) for Dynasty maybe the top defense duo in the league. They are also doing damage back to back at the top of the lineup batting 1-2 and seem to score almost every time they get on. RCF Kunal Oak has been a revelation so far. His defense has improved incrementally every year, and his bat is now lethal with an OPS north of 1.7. Yamin Patel will probably be patrolling RF. His bat is a pure middle of the order bat once again but he has limited defensive capability and limited range in the OF.
Advantage: Push
Keys To Winning:
Dothrakis:
1. An Ace In Place: If Freddy can’t throw strikes, the games may be over before it starts. Dynasty is too good defensively to give up extra runners.
2. Hold The Forces: Dynasty top with Omar and Mike puts a lot of pressure on the opposition. But Dothrakis have the arms to negate that.
3. Don’t Let Ali Dictate the Pace: Ali can get into hitters heads with his variation of quick pitches and long pauses. It’s ok to call for time!
Dynasty:
1. Who Will Be The X-Factor?: The bottom of lineup MUST get on base and turn lineup over. Can Sajid, Sonu, Milan, David, Ali get that done?
2. Home Field Advantage: Dynasty has already played at Cantiague D and are able to adjust to the short fences. Use that to your advantage!
3. Continue Their Defensive Porwess: From Mike and Omar getting to all fly balls. To Amit and Adrian turning two. And mainly Ali pitching to the hitters weakness.
Our Prediction:
This will be an intense battle. Dynasty tends to lose to Uber-elite teams And Dothrakis are just that. We are going with a Dothraki SWEEP on Sunday!
