League Recap

Since I missed last week's blog entry, I decided to switch things up for this week's blog. I'll just give a quick recap of what has happened in the last two weeks and then give a quick run-down of the playoff races as we come to the last full week of baseball in May.

After 7 weeks of baseball, the ADBL Division leaders are the Red Sox (6-0-1) in the AL East, the Tigers and Angels are tied (4-3) atop the AL West, the Phillies remain undefeated (7-0) out in the NL East, and the Dodgers and Giants find themselves deadlocked atop the NL West (3-4). Last week, the Angels knocked off the Yankees, the Reds beat the Giants, the Braves continued to roll defeating the D-Backs, Phillies knocked off the Rockies, the Mets fell to the Dodgers, and the Rays and Red Sox were victorious. This week, we saw the Reds fall to the Dodgers, the Yankees topped the Rangers, the Giants took care of business against the Mets, the Rockies snapped their skid against the Braves, the Phillies remained perfect against the D-Backs, the White Sox finally got their second win of the season against the Royals, the Angels continued their hot streak beating the Rays, and the Red Sox took care of business against the Tigers.

The playoff race in the AL and NL look like this:

1.) Boston Red Sox (5-0-1) [AL East Leader]
2.) Detroit Tigers (4-3) [AL West Leader]
3.) New York Yankees (4-2-1) [First Wild Card]
4.) Los Angeles Angels (4-3) [Second Wild Card/Tied for AL West Lead]
-------------------------------------------------------------
4.) Tampa Bay Rays (4-3)
6.) Texas Rangers (2-5)
6.) Chicago White Sox (2-5)
8.) Kansas City Royals (1-6)

The Red Sox hold on to the best record in the American League, and have a comfortable lead over the rest of the League when it comes to the race for the best record. However, the rest of the pack remains very bunched together. At this point, the Red Sox and Yankees are the only teams in the AL that are multiple games over .500. The rest of the playoff picture is extremely unsettled. The Tigers and Angels are deadlocked atop the AL West at 4-3, but I have the Tigers ahead of them in the standings because the Tigers have beat them in their only meeting this year. The Rays also find themselves at 4-3 after 7 weeks and deadlocked with the Angels/Tigers for the final playoff spot. Outside the playoff picture right now are the Rangers, White Sox, and Royals who have a ton of ground to make up.

1.) Philadelphia Phillies (7-0) [NL East Leader]
2.) San Francisco Giants (3-4) [NL West]
3.) Atlanta Braves (5-2) [First NL Wild Card]
4.) Cincinnati Reds (4-3) [Second NL Wild Card]
-------------------------------------------------------------
5.) Los Angeles Dodgers (3-4)
6.) Colorado Rockies (2-4-1)
6.) Arizona Diamondbacks (2-4-1)
8.) New York Mets (1-6)

The NL is home to the team with the best record, the Philadelphia Phillies, who remain undefeated through 7. The Dodgers and Giants are tied atop the NL West despite both teams being under .500. Rounding out the top 4 in the NL are a pair of NL East teams, the Braves and Reds. It's going to be tough for the teams outside the top 4 to catch these guys, because they're so far ahead of the pack at this point. You've got to think that the only way an NL West team is making the playoffs at this point is with a division title. Right now the NL West is looking a lot like the NFC West.

News and Notes from Around the League:

• Half the league is at or above .500 through 7 weeks, and 14 of the 16 teams have multiple wins.
• The NL West has 4 teams under .500, but any one of the 4 can take the division. 
• A couple of trades went down since the last blog post. One involved the Red Sox/Rangers and the other Tigers/Angels.
• The Rangers/Red Sox deal featured the teams swapping a pair of high profile Outfielders and some draft picks. The Rangers sent Nelson Cruz, Alexei Ogando, minor leaguer Nick Franklin, and pick 17 to the Red Sox for Shin-Soo Choo, Aramis Ramirez, and Pick 61. Definitely an interesting trade here. The Red Sox get a big bopper in Cruz and a guy with a live arm in Ogando. Plus they get a nice minor league SS in Franklin, along with the first pick in the 2nd Round. The Rangers get a good hitter in Choo and address their 3B need with A-Ram. They also pick up a draft pick. Both teams address needs, but I like the Red Sox side of this trade a little more. I really don't think there is that much of a difference between Cruz and Choo, especially with the injury history of Cruz, but what tips the deal in the Red Sox favor is the inclusion of the promising Franklin and a really high draft pick.
• The second trade had the Angels receiving a pair of MiLB players in LHP Mike Montgomery and 3B Jedd Gyorko, along with 31st and 46th picks in the draft, while the Angels get Gordon Beckham and the 59th and 75th picks in the draft. The Tigers get Beckham, who they can insert into the starting line-up to replace the injured Brian Roberts. Meanwhile, the Angels stockpile draft picks and get a couple of top level prospects in the process. Good trade for both teams.
• After one go-around of the East/West showdown, the East took the crown in both leagues. In both leagues, the East went 11-5 during the 4 week showdown.

ADBL Week 5 Review

Baseball in the ADBL is in full swing as we just finished our first week of match-ups in the month of May. Division races have taken shapes and contenders are starting to pull ahead of the pack. After 5 weeks, the Phillies remain the lone 'true' undefeated left, but Boston has yet to register a loss at 4-0-1. The league has been extremely competitive once again, as every team has picked up a win through 5 weeks. After 5 weeks the division leaders are Boston (AL East), Detroit (AL West), Arizona (NL West), and Philadelphia (NL East).

Arizona Diamondbacks (2-2-1) @ Cincinnati Reds (3-2): 4-9-1

The Reds continue to charge back from a tough start picking up their second straight victory with a win over the NL West leading Diamondbacks. The Reds were dominant on offense, outperforming the D-Backs in most of the categories. Cincy also held their own on the pitching front, pulling out the close victory. Despite the win, the Reds don't make up any ground in the tough NL East, remaining 2 games back of the Phillies. However, the Reds hold on to the final NL Wild Card spot. Arizona remains in first in the NL West. 

MVP: Justin Verlander had a week to remember for the Reds. The hard throwing righty managed to pick up the 2nd no-hitter of his career and 2 QS. He struck out 12 batters in 15 innings, posting a 1.80 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP.

Goat: Tough week for Starlin Castro. The young shortstop hit a putrid .095 with a .190 OPS, failing to score or drive in a run. He had just 2 hits in 21 ABs, and watched his average fall to a shade over .300 for the season. After a sizzling start to the season, Castro has cooled down considerably.

Colorado Rockies (1-3-1) @ New York Mets (1-4): 5-6-3

The Mets finally got a win and it couldn't have come any sooner. Unfortunately for the Rockies, the defending champs fall again, and have dropped two in a row. Despite the win, the Mets remain in the basement of the very tough NL East. The Rockies are in 3rd place in a shaken up NL West. Their start to the season has to be one of the bigger surprises this season.

MVP: Ryan Dempster bounced back from an atrocious week last week to pitch a pair of gems this week for the Mets. In 14 innings, the veteran righty allowed just 3 runs striking out 9 and picking up a pair of quality starts. He posted a 1.93 ERA with an equally minuscule 0.93 WHIP. 

Goat: The Rockies desperately need their offense to wake-up and Prince Fielder's terrible offensive showing this week did not help their cause. Fielder had just 2 hits in in 24 ABs, good for a .083 average and a .362 OPS. Despite hitting a home run, Fielder's showing this week hurt the Rockies more than it helped them.

Philadelphia Phillies (5-0) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (1-4): 9-3-2

The Phillies roll again and keep the perfect streak intact with a route of the LA Dodgers, who continue to struggle mightily this season. The Dodgers have lost 4 in a row, as these 2 teams are heading in completely opposite directions. With the win, the Phillies maintain a slim one game lead over the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers, on the other hand, remain in the cellar out West.

MVP: Cole Hamels continues to impose his will out there on the mound. The Phillies southpaw tossed two gems this past week racking up 14 K's in 14.2 IP. ****

Goat: Ryan Raburn had a tough week for the Dodgers, hitting just .105 with 2 hits in 19 ABs. Despite scoring 3 runs, Raburn did little else to help the Dodgers offensively.

Atlanta Braves (4-1) @ San Francisco Giants (2-3): 11-2-1

The Braves continue their hot start to the season with a dominant showing against the San Francisco Giants. Atlanta keeps pace with the undefeated Phillies out East, while the Giants fall to second in the wild West. The balanced Braves effort proved to be too much for the Giants, as they rolled in most of the categories this week.

MVP: The Braves rotation led by Halladay, Lee, Gallardo, Hudson, and Lowe dominated on the mound for the Braves. It's hard to believe they have all these guys on one team, but the Braves managed to do it. The starting staff racked up the K's, kept the ERA's and WHIP's down, and managed to dominate the opposition.

Goat: Tough week for the youngster Buster Posey. He managed just 2 hits in 21 ABs hitting under .100 for the week and posting an OPS under .400. The Giants catcher has had an off sophomore campaign to start the season, but hopefully he turns things around as the weather gets warmer. 

New York Yankees (3-1-1) @ Detroit Tigers (3-2): 8-3-3

After an undefeated start to the season, the Tigers have dropped two straight, as the Yankees come into town and take care of business. The Yankees make it 3 in a row in the win column, picking up solid contributions from the offense and pitching staffs. Despite the loss, the Tigers remain in first place in the AL West, while the Yankees remain in 2nd place out in the East.

MVP: The trio of Shields, Billingsley, and Wandy continued to hold down the fort while the Yankees get all their pitchers back. With Greinke back in the fold now, the pitching staff has gotten a shot in the arm. The trio all pitched into the 7th and posted low ERAs and WHIPs, combining for 3 QS and 2 W's.

Goat: Michael Bourn had a terrible week, managing just 1 hit in 17 ABs. He failed to swipe a base, but scored 3 runs. However, the .059 AVG and .217 OPS were enough to earn him the dubious honor of the Goat of the Week in this match-up.

Kansas City Royals (1-4) @ Tampa Bay Rays (3-2): 1-13-0

Tampa continues to play solid ball this season, laying an absolute beating on the Kansas City Royals. Despite only hitting one home run all week, Tampa Bay took care of business in all the other categories. The Royals have now dropped 3 in a row and find themselves in the cellar of the AL West, while the Rays have now won 2 straight and find themselves in a position to make some noise as we enter the heart of the season.

MVP: Huge week for the young lefty Madison Bumgarner. Despite not picking up a win, Bumgarner had 2 QS, giving up just 1 ER in 13 innings of work. The southpaw whiffed 12 batters, walking just 3, adding up to a 0.69 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. The Rays are hoping this version of Bumgarner is here to stay.

Goat: Livan Hernandez had a week to forget for the Royals. The veteran right hander had a 7.94 ERA and a ugly WHIP of 2.12. He allowed 10 runs and 18 hits in 11.1 IP. He also had 6 BBs, while striking out just 5. His pair of outings certainly did not help the Royals this past week.

Texas Rangers (2-3) @ Boston Red Sox (4-0-1): 3-10-1

The Red Sox continue their resurgence this season after a down year last year. They pounded the Texas Rangers for their third straight win, while setting the league record for staff ERA this past week. Boston has yet to lose a game, and remain one of only two teams remaining without a registered loss in the ADBL. After a win last week, Texas falls one game under .500 with the loss, but remain in striking distance of the Detroit Tigers for first out West.

MVP: This award has to go collectively to all the Red Sox pitchers. Whenever you have a historic week in the league as a team, it is hard to give the MVP award to any one individual. As a staff, no Red Sox pitcher allowed more than 2 ERs. Also, only one pitcher had a WHIP over 1.33. 

Goat: Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy had a tough week, collecting just 2 hits in 17 ABs with just 1 RBI. For the week, Lucroy hit .118 with an OPS of .229. It's tough to win many games when you're basically playing one man down, if one of your starters doesn't produce. 

Chicago White Sox (1-4) @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2-3): 6-7-1

The Angels get back on the winning track and keep themselves from falling too far out of the playoff chase here early on. On the flip side of things, the White Sox find themselves in a similar position as they were in this time last year. Chicago started off slow last year, but finished the year on a massive winning streak to sneak into the playoffs. The White Sox have to hope this year brings similar things. This past week, the Angels took advantage of an underachieving team, and came away with a win.

MVP: Great week for the Angels' young third baseman Danny Valencia. Valencia hit .333 for the week posting an OPS of 1.035. He provided an extremely balanced effort for the Angels hitting a home run, driving in 5, scoring 3, and even swiping a bag. 

Goat: Hisanori Takahashi was terrible for the White Sox out of the pen. In 2.2 innings of work, he gave up 5 runs, 6 hits, and a walk. When all was said and done, the Japanese southpaw posted an ugly 16.88 ERA and a WHIP of 2.63.

News and Notes from Around the League:

• After 5 Weeks, the ADBL Power Rankings has the Phillies, Red Sox, Braves, Yankees, and Tigers in the Top 5.
• Every team in the ADBL has now registered at least one win, and almost 75% of the league has multiple wins.
• This past week the Boston Red Sox shattered the Team ERA record for a week, posting a staff ERA of 1.246. The previous record was held by the 2010 Phillies (1.508).
• The Rays made a pair of interesting moves this past week. Here's a breakdown of both.
• In the first trade, the Rays sent ace Josh Johnson and the 30th pick in the draft to the Rockies for a boatload of outfielders (Julio Borbon, Dexter Fowler, Travis Snider), C Nick Hundley, and the 53rd pick in the draft.
• In the 2nd trade, the Rays sent struggling OF Carl Crawford to the Tigers for a pair of relievers, Kameron Loe and Leo Nunez. 
• At first glance, you'd probably think the Rays are crazy for trading two All-Star caliber players and getting a bunch of mid-tier talent in return. But to properly assess these trades, I think they must be looked at side-by-side. A glaring weakness for the Rays this season was their lack of bullpen depth. A big strength for the Rays is their abundance of starting pitching. Also, the Rays had a surplus of OF talent with Kemp, Markakis, Crawford, and Joyce. With Crawford struggling, it probably wasn't the best time to trade him. Especially, not for a pair of relievers that aren't even in the top 10 amongst closers. However, with the Johnson deal, the Rays got 3 OF's, 2 of which (Fowler and Borbon), who provide similar statistical contributions as Crawford. The Rays must be banking on Fowler and Borbon to collectively contribute like Crawford. I don't quite understand trading Josh Johnson for relievers, but his salary is ridiculously high at this point, so maybe salary was a factor. But if he was going to trade a starter for a reliever why not trade one of your lesser ones. I'm not knocking the Rays, I just think he could've got a lot more for two All-Star caliber players. 
• The Eastern divisions have dominated play thus far against their competitors from the West. This past week the AL East won 3 of the 4 match-ups, while the NL East won all 4 match-ups against their Western counterparts. Overall, the East is 13-3 against the West this season.

ADBL Week 4 Review

Well, the first month of the baseball season has come to a close here in the ADBL. I just wanted to start off by saying thank you to all of the guys over in the ADBL for reading my blog and giving me positive feedback. If there's anything else you guys want to see in the blog, feel free to let me know. I look forward to another great year in the league. After one month we definitely had our fair share of surprises. Here's a look at how each team finished April.

Tampa Bay Rays (2-2) @ Detroit Tigers (3-1): 8-5-1
Tampa Bay finishes April with a huge win over the Detroit Tigers, who entered the week undefeated. After breezing through the AL West, Detroit falls to one of the AL powerhouses. Tampa dominated the offensive categories, sneaking in a lead in the Holds category to pull the upset over the Tigers. Despite the loss, the Tigers hold on to division lead as April closes. With the win, Tampa ends the month in 3rd place in an extremely tight AL East.
MVP: Matt Joyce had a huge week for the Rays. He hit .526 posting an OPS of 1.486. On top of the ridiculous peripheral numbers, Joyce drilled 2 HRs knocking in 6 and scoring 7 runs.
Goat: It was a rough week for Adrian Beltre, who had just 6 hits in 27 ABs. That's good for a .222 AVG. He didn't homer for the week and drove in just 2 runs. Tough week for the former All-Star.

Kansas City Royals (1-3) @ New York Yankees (2-1-1): 5-8-1
Yankees make it two in a row after starting the year with a loss. They managed to get a balanced effort from their offense and pitching in route to a close victory over the Royals. Kansas City's pitching really failed them this week, as they were neck and neck with the Bronx Bombers in the offensive categories. If they had gotten better pitching, they might have been able to win this week.
MVP: What a week for Lance Berkman. The Yankees recently picked him up via Free Agency and he paid immediate dividends with a vintage performance. Collecting 11 Hits in 24 ABs, posting a .453 BA along with a 1.313 OPS, Berkman hit 2 round trippers, while knocking in 8 and collecting 20 TBs.
Goat: It was a week to forget for Jose Tabata, who just collected one hit for the whole week in 18 ABs. He also had just one run scored and one RBI. Tabata also pulled a hammy this week and his status is a little iffy at this point. The Royals can ill-afford to lose the talented Tabata for an extended period of time. Hopefully, he can avoid a DL-stint.

Boston Red Sox (3-0-1) @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (1-3): 8-6-0
The Red Sox are technically one of the last undefeated teams left in the league after Detroit fell to Tampa. The Red Sox took care of business despite a sub-par performance across the board. The Angels were extremely strong on the pitching front, but couldn't overcome an anemic offensive effort, allowing Boston to sneak by with a win.
MVP: Justin Masterson continues to pitch well this season, surprising many with his break-out performance. This week was no exception, as the righty tossed 13.2 innings, allowing just 5 runs and striking out 14. When all was said, he posted a 3.29 ERA and a very respectable 1.17 WHIP.
Goat: Second baseman Kelly Johnsons had a dismal showing for the Angels this week. He had just 3 hits in 22 at-bats. That's a .136 average and an equally unimpressive .406 OPS. He did swipe 2 bags and score 3 runs, but had just 3 total bases, and did little else for the Angels. His struggles at the plate continue this season, after a nice break-out year last season.

Texas Rangers (2-2) @ Chicago White Sox (1-3): 9-4-1
The Rangers have posted back to back wins after starting the week 0-2. They manage to get back to .500 with a nice win over the White Sox, who lost their second straight game and remain in the basement of the AL East. With the win, the Rangers find themselves back in the thick of things out West, just one game back of the Detroit Tigers.
MVP: Matt Holliday was red-hot all week for the Rangers, hitting over .450 and posting an OPS of 1.244. He collected 17 TBs with one home run, 7 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Holliday's balanced effort helped power the Rangers to a much-needed victory over the White Sox.
Goat: Bobby Jenks and Matt Thornton were utterly atrocious for the White Sox this week. The two combined for 3 IP, 6 ER, 7 hits allowed, and 6 walks. They definitely didn't help the White Sox cause this week.

Colorado Rockies (1-2-1) @ Cincinnati Reds (2-2): 5-8-1
The Reds get back to .500 this week with a nice win over the defending Champs who fall below .500 for the second time this year. The Rockies offense continues to sputter out of the gates, and the Reds capitalized on this. The Rockies pitching also posted uncharacteristically high ERAs and WHIPs for the week. The Rockies have dug themselves an early hole to dig out of this year. It will be interesting to see how the NL West race shapes up as the year goes on.
MVP: Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips showed again this week why he ranks among the league's best at his position. He hit .375 for the week and posted an OPS of 1.173 with a pair of home runs. He also drove in 7 runs and scored 5 runs. Good week for the Reds second baseman.
Goat: After a hot start to the year, Sam Fuld came back down to earth this week. He had just 1 hit in 19 ABs, good for a .053 average and a .355 OPS. Somehow, he scored 4 runs. Still, it was a terrible week for Fuld and the Rockies offense on the whole.

New York Mets (0-4) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (2-1-1): 2-10-2
Two teams heading in completely different directions this season met this week. The Mets' struggles continued this week, as they remain the only team in the league without a victory. The Diamondbacks on the other hand, continue their resurgence with a convincing win. With this victory, the Diamondbacks find themselves back in first place out in the NL West going into May.
MVP: Dustin Moseley and Dan Haren had almost indentical stat lines this week for the Diamondbacks. They each threw 7 shutout innings for the D-Backs, and helped offset some sub-par performances from their teammates. The duo also 11 K's and 2 QS, while giving up just 6 hits and 4 walks in 14 IP.
Goat: Can a pitching line get any worse than Ryan Dempster's this past week? He gave up 7 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks, only managing to record one out. That adds up to an ugly ERA of 189.00 and a WHIP of 24.00. Yikes.

San Francisco Giants (2-2) @ Philadelphia Phillies (4-0): 5-7-2
The Phillies remain the only team in the ADBL to win every game this year. The Fightin' Phils finish a perfect April with a close win over a tough NL West opponent, the San Francisco Giants. The Phillies offense was on fire for much of the week posting absurd totals, and the pitching was equally as effective. If the Phillies continue to play like this, they will be very tough to beat. They have to be the early favorite to win the league at this point.
MVP: Like much of the offense, Adam Lind was on an absolute tear this week for the Phillies. The slugger hit .429 for the week and hit 4 HRs while driving in 10. Throw in 24 TBs and 7 runs scored, and the 1B/DH reminded everyone why he was one of the most feared hitters in baseball just 2 seasons ago.
Goat: Tough week for rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman. The promising young gun mustered only 1 hit in 15 ABs this past week, good for only 2 TBs and 2 runs scored. The .067 avg sure didn't help the Giants keep pace with the Phillies juggernaut this past week.

Los Angeles Dodgers (1-3) @ Atlanta Braves (3-1): 4-9-1
The Braves continue their hot start to the season, handing the struggling Dodgers their third straight loss. The Braves got an extremely balanced effort from their offense and pitching, and have quietly cruised to one of the best records in the ADBL.
MVP: Ben Zobrist might have had one of the best single-day fantasy performances in recent history, even if he played in a double header. That day he knocked in 10 runs, giving him 13 for the week and 2 HRs. He hit .440 for the week and posted a blistering 1.404 OPS. All in a days work for the Rays super-utility man.
Goat: Carlos Gonzalez's rough season continued this past week. The Dodgers outfielder managed just 4 hits in 16 ABs, failing to hit a HR, and drove in just 1 run all week. The Dodgers are going to need CarGo to produce if they want to turn their season around.

News & Notes from Around the League:

• With April coming to a close, the 4 division leaders are the Philadelphia Phillies (NL East), Arizona Diamondbacks (NL West), Detroit Tigers (AL West), and Boston Red Sox (AL East).
• Philadelphia is the lone undefeated team remaining, although the Red Sox have yet to register a loss this year (one tie).
• The Weekly Power Rankings have the Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers, Braves, and D-Backs in the Top 5.
• Another trade just went down today involving the Rockies and Tigers. The Rockies sent Jonny Venters and the 31st pick in the draft to the Giants in return for highly touted prospect Zack Wheeler and the 16th pick in the draft.
• Overall, this trade is pretty balanced. The Giants address some bullpen problems by bringing in Venters and moved down 15 spots in the draft. The Rockies continue to build through the farm and draft, getting another top pitching prospect and another first rounder. Can't argue with this trade for either team. Both managers take care of things they consider to be priorities.
• AL Player of the Month -Ryan Braun (BOS) is off to an absolutely torrid start to the season. The Red Sox Outfielder posted absurd numbers in the month of April collecting 10 Homers, 23 RBIs, and scoring 24 runs, all while hitting a scalding .356. Braun is a big reason why the Red Sox have the best record in the AL and lead the AL East through the first month of the season.
• AL Pitcher of the Month - Josh Johnson (TB) posted video game like numbers here in April. The big righty posted a miniscule 0.88 ERA and an equally impressive 0.71 WHIP. He picked up 3 wins along the way and fanned 39 batters in 41 innings of work. Johnson gave up just 4 ER in the month of April, 2 came in his first start. He's been an absolute beast.
• NL Player of the Month - Jose Bautista (PHI) is proving his 2010 campaign was no fluke. The Phillies outfielder hit a robust .357 for the month of April, scoring 25 runs, hitting 9 round-trippers, and knocking  in 16 runs. He even stole 4 bases. Is there anything he can't do? If Bautista and the Phils can keep their seasons up, he will definitely be garnering some league MVP votes.
• NL Pitcher of the Month - Jered Weaver (LAD) had one of the most dominating starts to the season in recent history. After a breakout year last season, Weaver has picked up where he left off, collecting 6 wins, while posting 1.39 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP. Weaver is striking out more than a batter an inning with 55 K's in 51.2 IP. Weaver had not given up more than 2 ERs in any start before his last start today, where he gave up 3 after a bout with the stomach virus.