White Sox and Red Sox surging towards first

AL CENTRAL

The Central division has suddenly become a race with three teams within 1½ games of first place. The Chicago White Sox are in third at the moment, but the team ERA has been 2.56 since being 9½ games back on June 9.

It will be anyone’s division with the White Sox playing the Detroit Tigers 14 more times and the Minnesota Twins 13 more times. Plus, the Tigers and Twins play 10 more times, including finishing up a three game set tonight in a rubber match.

The Tigers are 8-6 since June 15, and they have allowed 75 runs. The Twins are 6-8 in that same stretch, and they have allowed 71 runs. The White Sox are 12-2 during that stretch, and they have only allowed 38 runs.

AL EAST

What happened to the Tampa Bay Rays? They were the best team in baseball by six games. They had an ERA under three. They scored the most runs. They had a five game lead on the Yankees.

Now, they have the best ERA in the American League, and they are fourth in runs scored. Wait … How can they now be three games back and losers of seven of the last 10 games?

One reason, two of the three teams ahead of them in runs scored are the Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the first favorite to pull a winning streak off. Second, the Rays have lost by three runs or fewer in eight of the last nine losses.

AL WEST

The Texas Rangers joined the White Sox with an amazing winning streak, and they moved 3½ games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels. But the West division always has a catch.

The only other team that can win the division is the Angels, and they are not losing, because the Rangers only gained four games in an 11 game win streak. 7-4 is not a bad record to have in 11 games.

The series in Los Angeles this week should be an indicator of things to come. The Angels have already taken the first game, and a series win could put a damper on the Ranger celebration. However, the hitting and pitching has been there for both teams, but Texas has been hitting better.

TOP FIVE AL TEAMS June 7:

1.) New York Yankees - The Yankees are winning, and the teams behind them have injuries and bad luck.

2.) Boston Red Sox – They have scored the second most runs, but the Dustin Pedroia injury will hurt them.

3.) Texas Rangers – The 11 game winning streak was well deserved. They hit and, yes, they also pitch.

4.) Tampa Bay Rays – The slump continues, and they still have the best ERA and score the fourth most runs in the American League.

5.) Minnesota Twins – Struggling, and they may actually be dethroned by the Tigers or, dare I say, the White Sox.

The East is a free-for-all; Rangers, Tigers and White Sox have great weeks

CENTRAL

The Chicago White Sox have suddenly surged to a .500 record with sweeps to the teams they should beat, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals. They have slowly crept only 5 and a half games back of the Minnesota Twins.

How did the White Sox do this with an offense struggling to find consistency? They had their few games of power, and when they didn’t hit they only allowed a run and beat Steven Strasburg (who may be the best rookie pitcher I ever saw) in two games.

The Detroit Tigers also had a big week, but they need to string two or three together before I believe they’ve turned it around. The Twins are still the top team in the division until they are dethroned.

AL EAST

The best division in baseball keeps getting better. The New York Yankees are back on top, but the Boston Red Sox have surged to only one game back.

The struggling Rays are also one game back, but they need to turn their fortunes round soon. The Yankees and Red Sox are built to handle pressure. The Rays have only had to deal with it once.

The Red Sox offense scored 37 runs last week, and their starting pitching is beginning to come around, led by Clay Buchholz. They will be a force in the second half of the season.

Watch out for the Toronto Blue Jays as well. I don’t think they have the weapons to finish on top, they will play spoiler to one or two of the teams ahead of them.

AL WEST

The Texas Rangers have finally showed a little consistency on top of the West. An eight game winning streak will do that. The thing making Texas dangerous is the pitching.

They are still great on offense – third in average (.277) and fourth in runs scored (355) – but they can now pitch – fifth in ERA (3.97). In fact, the Rangers are one of only five teams in the American League with an ERA under four.

The Los Angeles Angels have slowed down a bit, but they are still dangerous. They will win, and the Rangers only gained two games during a long winning streak.

TOP FIVE AL TEAMS June 7:

1.) New York Yankees - The defending champions have pitching and offense, despite Derek Jeter’s slump.

2.) Boston Red Sox – They lead the AL in runs scored, and Buchholz has been dominant.

3.) Tampa Bay Rays – They may be in third place if they don’t snap out of their team slump.

4.) Minnesota Twins – The Twins are still doing well, but they need to watch out for the Tigers and White Sox who are slowly creeping closer.

5.) Texas Rangers – They can hit, and should I dare say it? The Rangers can pitch now? Look out for this team if it continues.

Yankees move back on top; Angels and Twins look good in the future

AL CENTRAL

The American League Central is becoming a little more intriguing, but the Minnesota Twins are clearly the top team at the moment, despite losing two of three from the Atlanta Braves over the weekend. The reason is the record in the division, 17-9.

Why do they win? The answer is the best defense in the major leagues and the emergence of Francisco Liriano who has 35 strikeouts and four walks in his last four starts. In that stretch, he is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA.

The other story this weekend was interleague play with the Chicago White Sox taking two of three from the Chicago Cubs. The final game was a classic with Ted Lilly taking the game into the ninth with a no-hitter. The White Sox nearly pulled off a win, but they struggled with bases loaded and one out.

AL EAST

The New York Yankees are back in first place, and they may stay there a while until the Tampa Bay Rays regain their form from the beginning of the season. The Rays cannot find the consistency of late, and the Yankees have slowly tied them for first, after being five games back not too long ago.

The Rays did, however, push the Toronto Blue Jays back into place. The Blue Jays are now 6½ games back behind three teams. The Red Sox are the other team at four games back.

Since the Yankees were swept by the Rays and lost a series to the New York Mets, they have only lost one series out of six, including two sweeps.

AL WEST

The West wouldn’t be normal if another team from the week before was in first place. The Los Angeles Angels were briefly in first, but the Texas Rangers took back the lead not too long after that.

The Angels, however, are still the team to watch here. They are only a half game back, and they are 15-4 since being 21-26 on May 24. They are playing as a team, and they are scoring more runs than expected.

The Rangers will need to play beter on the road. 12-17 is not going to help the cause, especially since the Angels are not only 16-13 at home, but they are 20-17 on the road. They have also won 11 of their past 14 road games during this stretch.

TOP FIVE AL TEAMS June 7:

1.) New York Yankees - The Yankees have feasted on sub-par competition.

2.) Tampa Bay Rays – Losing two of three to Florida doesn’t help, and their pitching hasn’t been lights out of late.

3.) Minnesota Twins – They are 17-9 in the central, and the question of who is the No. 1 pitcher has been answered with Francisco Liriano.

4.) Los Angeles Angels – Going 15-4 and sweeping the Los Angeleas Dodgers on the road is going to make the teams ahead and behind you sweat a little.

5.) Texas Rangers – They can hit, and they have shown some heart with battling the Angels.

Rays struggling; Angels getting back on top

AL CENTRAL

The Minnesota Twins lost three of four to the Seattle Mariners last week, and they only had to win two of three from the Oakland Athletics to stay three and a half games ahead of the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers had a wild week, which gave us the news of the release of Dontrelle Willis. Armando Galarraga was robbed of a perfect game as well, and the Tigers lost two of three to the Kansas City Royals. The good news for them: The inconsistent pitching staff gets a huge boost from Galarraga. He is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA since moving to the starting role.

AL EAST

The Rays continue with their slump, but they still lead the Yankees by two games and the Blue Jays and Red Sox by four and a half games. The problem is, the other teams chasing them are hitting a hot streak at the moment. They Yankees went 5-2 last week, and the two losses came at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Boston also had a decent week at 4-2. The offense is clicking, as they averaged nine runs a game. If the pitching continues to be better, they are as good as the Rays and the Yankees.

AL WEST

Another week, another first place team. The Rangers are back in first place after going 4-2 for the week. They had two impressive series wins against the White Sox and the Rays. However, the good play wasn’t the story of the division.

The retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. was an amazing story, because he was a great ball player ending his career on the team that gave him his start. He probably should have called it quits a few years ago, but it is right to see him end his hall of fame campaign with the Mariners.

The other news may have snuck up on many fans. The Los Angeles Angels have won five games in a row and eight of ten to pull to with a half game of first place. The reason for the streak is the resurgence of the offense. They scored 47 runs in a 6-1 week, and they allowed 19 runs in the same span. The division needs to watch out for the Angels. Mike Scioscia is a great manager with a lot of postseason experience, and he has his team playing good baseball for the first time all season.

TOP FIVE AL TEAMS June 7:

1.) Tampa Bay Rays - They haven’t been dethroned yet, but they have been allowing a lot of runs lately.

2.) New York Yankees – They are playing well, and the Rays aren’t. They can be in first by the end of the week.

3.) Toronto Blue Jays – They are surprising everyone, and a series win against the Yankees does wonders in the standings.

4.) Minnesota Twins – The Tigers remain inconsistent, and they win enough. The rest of the division doesn’t pose a threat at the moment.

5.) Los Angeles Angels – They are quickly moving back to the top of the West, and they have the look of a team that wants to actually stay there.

American League East heating up; West remains inconsistent

AL CENTRAL

After losing two out of three against the New York Yankees, The Minnesota Twins swept the Texas Rangers to finish 4-2 on the week. The Detroit Tigers didn’t have as much success.

The lack of consistency gets them again. They finished 1-4 on the week, including a two game sweep at the hands of the Seattle Mariners and a series loss to the Oakland Athletics. The worst part of the situation is the third place team made up some ground against them.

The Chicago White Sox won two of three from the Cleveland Indians and had a four game split with the Tampa Bay Rays, the best team in baseball. The impressive wins allowed them to gain two games on the Tigers during the week. Although the race is still the Twins and Tigers, The White Sox can sneak up if they can continue to play well.

AL EAST

The Rays had their first set back of the year. The Boston Red Sox swept them, and they could only manage a split at home against the White Sox. Although, they still hold a big lead. The division race is getting larger.

The Yankees are three and a half games back, and the Toronto Blue Jays, after finishing 4-2 on the week, are four and a half games back. There is now a fourth team in the mix.

The Boston Red Sox are 10-3 since being 19-20, including sweeps against Tampa Bay and Minnesota. The good play is because the pitching finally started to play to its potential. They allowed only 1.8 runs in their 10 wins, and they scored 5.7 runs a game.

AL WEST

The West is at it again. Who doesn’t want to win the division? The Oakland Athletics are now a half game in first place over the Rangers. The worst news for these teams is the Angels working their way into the mix.

They went 4-2 on the week and now stand only two and a half games behind the top teams. With the decent play of the Angels and the lack of consistency from the top teams, the Angels have snuck into the mix. As it stands now, decent is all it will take to win this division.

TOP FIVE AL TEAMS APRIL 26:

1.) Tampa Bay Rays - Despite the tough week, they still hold the best record in baseball.

2.) Minnesota Twins– A sweep of the Rangers and a tough week by the Tigers gives the Twins a nice cushion.

3.) New York Yankees– They better have eyes in the back of their heads. The rest of the division is sneaking up on them.

4.) Toronto Blue Jays – Without Roy Halladay, they continue to surprise with timely hitting and even better pitching.

5.) Boston Red Sox – They have the pitching to make a run, and David Ortiz is finally beginning to hit like an All-star.

Rays looking good; A's finally scoring runs

AL CENTRAL

Nearly a month into the season, the Minnesota Twins have clinched a winning April record, and they show no signs of slowing down. Jim Thome is giving a nice addition of left-handed power, and the Twins continue to show off the intangibles, pitching well and making few errors.

The big story for the week comes from the lowly White Sox, who finally showed some signs of life. The offense came alive in a few come from behind walk-off wins, and they went 4-2 on the week. However, the two losses were by a combined 22-2 score to Tampa Bay.

With the inconsistency from the Tigers and White Sox early on, the Twins are sitting nice at the moment. It will be tough to finish ahead of them this season.

AL EAST

The Tampa Bay Rays are continuing to show their talent level is better than what many critics anticipated. The pitching is stellar, with a 3.38 team ERA and 125 strikeouts. They are not giving opponents a chance to get on base, and it bodes well when they face tough lineups.

The New York Yankees are trailing by just a game, but they ended the week on a down note. The Yanks lost three of four and a series to the Los Angeles Angels.

Boston continues to struggle, and they show no signs of improvement at this time. The week was capped off by a loss to the 3-16 Baltimore Orioles. It may be time for some drastic changes in Bean-town.

AL WEST

Oakland continues to surprise us all, and the one weakness was the lack of run support. Leave it to the Cleveland Indians to cure that ailment. Oakland won 10-0 and 11-0 to win the weekend series. They are in first place ahead of two inconsistent teams.

Los Angeles and Seattle have given us a roller coaster to start the year. Seattle swept Baltimore, but finished the week by getting swept by the White Sox. Los Angeles split a four-game set with Detroit with a lack of run support only to score 19 runs in a series win against the Yankees.

If Oakland can keep their pitching going and actually score runs, they may be a thorn in the side of both the Angels and Mariners.

TOP FIVE AL TEAMS APRIL 26:

1.) Tampa Bay Rays - The pitching remains great, while the team

holds a one game lead over the defending champions.

2.) Minnesota Twins – The pitching and defense has clinched a winning

April.

3.) New York Yankees – The Yankees have consistently played well, but

the series loss to the Angels showed some

pitching weaknesses.

4.) Oakland Athletics – With two ten run games, the offense has

finally joined the pitching.

5.) Los Angeles Angels – The series win over the Yankees was huge,

especially with the increased runs.

Angels will have tough time staying on top of West; Mariners most improved

Los Angeles Angels

2009: 97-65 1st place

Key Players

Torii Hunter- CF .299 22 Hrs 90 RBIs

Erick Aybar- SS .312 5 Hrs 58 RBIs 70 Runs

Howie Kendrick- 2B .291 10 Hrs 61 RBIs

Jered Weaver- SP/RH 211 IPs 16-8 3.75 ERA 174 Ks 66 BBs

Joe Saunders- SP/RH 186 IPs 16-7 4.60 ERA 101 Ks 64 BBs

Key Additions

Fernando Rodney- RP/RH

Hideki Matsui- DH

Matsui is an addition with a lot on his shoulders. He will be expected to fill the void of Vladimir Guerrero, and he will bat clean up. He hit 28 homeruns and had 90 RBIs for the world champion New York Yankees last year. Guerrero had been on a steady decline since he had four straight 100 RBI seasons. The other key addition, Rodney, will be asked to fill a void in the middle of the bullpen. In order to do so, he will need to get his walks down. He walked 41 while striking out 61 last year, but he did save 37 out of 38 games as well. The numbers suggests he either had big leads, or he put himself in trouble and was able to get out of it.

Key Subtractions

Vladimir Guerrero- DH

John Lackey- SP/RH

Chone Figgins- 3B

Guerrero’s absence won’t be felt as much as Figgins. Figgins had 114 runs scored last year, and he is one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. Aybar will need to step his game up to replace him. Also, with Lackey gone, their pitching staff lacks a true ace. He will be missed, especially if they need to break a losing streak.

Stats breakdown

Pitching 4

Offense 3

Defense 4

Overall 11

The Angels lost key pieces, and the other teams in the division have added key pieces. Figgins and Lackey will not be able to be replaced, so the Angels will need several players to try and fill the voids. The division isn’t theirs to win this year. They will need exceptional play and consistent starting pitching all year. The race will be decided in the final weeks, but it doesn’t seem like the Angels have what it takes yet. They may need to make a big midseason acquisition.

Oakland Athletics

2009: 75-87 last place

Key Players

Justin Duchscherer SP/RH 141.2 IPs 10-8 2.54 ERA 95 Ks 34 BBs

Dallas Braden SP/LH 136.2 IPs 8-9 3.89 ERA 81 Ks 42 BBs

Jack Cust DH .240 25 Hrs 70 RBIs

Rajai Davis CF .305 3 Hrs 48 RBIs 41 SBs

Kurt Suzuki C .274 15 Hrs 88 RBIs

Key Additions

Ben Sheets SP/RH

Sheets was picked up to give the Athletics a potential ace. If he stays healthy, he can give 16-17 wins. He will also be able to tutor the other young pitchers on the staff. He is a decent pick up for a young team.

Key Subtractions

Nomar Garciaparra 1B

Adam Kennedy 2B

The Athletics are going to go young this year, but they will miss Kennedy’s production at the top of the order.

Stats breakdown

Pitching 2

Offense 2

Defense 3

Overall 7

The Athletics are at the bottom of the pack in the division. Sheets will give them a boost, and they will compete with the division early. The young players aren’t ready to be in it during September, however. They need to score more runs for their young pitchers, and they do not have the power to do so.

Seattle Mariners

2009: 85-77 3rd place

Key Players

Ichiro Suzuki RF .352 11 Hrs 46 RBIs 88 Runs

Felix Hernandez SP/RH 238.2 IPs 19-5 2.49 ERA 217 Ks 71 BBs

Franklin Gutierrez CF .283 18 Hrs 70 RBIs

Ken Griffey Jr DH .214 19 Hrs 57 RBIs

Ryan Rowland-Smith SP/LH 96.1 IPs 5-4 3.74 ERA 52 Ks 27 BBs

Key Additions

Chone Figgins 3B

Cliff Lee SP/LH

Milton Bradley LF

Figgins is going to make the Mariners’ top of the order one of the best. He joins Suzuki, and the middle of the order will have plenty of opportunities to see inflated RBI numbers. Bradley is one of the fortunate players, but he will need to play and put all of his baggage behind him. The Mariners don’t have anything to really lose by giving him a try. Lee will be a huge addition at the top of the rotation. He will make the Mariners a contender with Hernandez as the ace. Lee was 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in over 40 innings during the postseason last year.

Key Subtractions

Adrian Beltre 3B

Beltre had a down year with injuries last season. The Mariners upgraded with Figgins, but the Beltre power numbers of old was missed last year. If Gutierrez or Bradley have great years, Beltre will be a distant memory.

Stats breakdown

Pitching 4

Offense 4

Defense 5

Overall 13

The Mariners have upgraded considerably, and Lee and Hernandez will be devastating to opponents. The lineup has Figgins and Suzuki at the top, and the middle of the order will see more chances to drive in runs because of them. With the additions, the Mariners will be in the race for the division, and they will be the team to beat down the stretch.

Texas Rangers

2009: 87-75 2nd place

Key Players

Josh Hamilton LF .268 10 Hrs 54 RBIs

Ian Kinsler 2B .253 31 Hrs 86 RBIs 101 Runs

Michael Young 3B .322 22 Hrs 68 RBIs

Scott Feldman SP/RH 189.2 IPs 17-8 4.08 ERA 113 Ks 65 BBs

Tommy Hunter SP/RH 112 IPs 9-6 4.10 ERA 64 Ks 33 BBs

Key Additions

Vladimir Guerrero DH

Rich Harden SP/RH

The Rangers are hoping Guerrero will be good enough to boost Hamilton’s numbers. Guerrero’s production dipped the last few years with the Angels, and the Rangers will need him to be the RBI machine he was four years ago. Harden is a nice addition to the pitching staff. He had 171 strikeouts for the Chicago Cubs last year, which fits in well with the Rangers.

Key Subtractions

Kevin Millwood SP/RH

Ivan Rodriguez RP/RH

The Rangers lose their ace of last season, and they lose out on their veteran catcher. The young staff will miss his game calling skills. The pitching may be worse off because of the subtractions.

Stats breakdown

Pitching 3

Offense 3

Defense 3

Overall 9

The Rangers had a very good year last season, exceeding everyone’s expectations. However, they lost their ace, and they have decided to rebuild with some young talent. They still have a decent offense, and they will be able to compete with the Angels and Mariners, especially if the new owners splurge by the trade deadline. The problem will lie with the consistency. The Rangers staff just isn’t as good as the Angels or Mariners to win the division.

Final AL West beakdown

Champion: Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have many upgrades, and the Angels lost some key pieces. It won’t be easy, but the Mariners will have the better pitching down the stretch, and the offense will start to score runs in bunches with Figgins and Suzuki reaching base for the middle of the order. The Angels will miss a true ace, and the Rangers will need to upgrade at several positions. If the Mariners can have a winning record within their division, they will easily take the crown and knock the Angels from the top of the pedestal. Don’t think Mike Scioscia will have the Angels lying down, however.