MLB 2019 Week 9 Recap (5/20/19 - 5/26/19)

First pitch (1st Inning)
Hello readers! Another week of Major League Baseball has passed us by like a 100 mile per hour fastball right down the middle. The week brought us some deep home runs, some great offensive showcases and some injuries. I'll break down the week that was for all 30 teams and a "The Final Out" that you have to see to believe.

American League

American League East (2nd Inning):

Baltimore Orioles (5th in AL East; Week Record: 1-6; Overall Record: 16-37; Week Runs Scored: 43):
The Orioles got swept against the Yankees in 4 games and 1 of 3 against the Rockies. The good news is that you won't have to face the Yankees again until August. The bad news is that you're still on track to give up the most home runs ever. You had a lot of offense, just couldn't stop anyone from getting more runs than you did. At least you're not the Marl... oh wait.

This week: 3 games vs Detroit; 3 games vs San Francisco

Boston Red Sox (3rd in AL East; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 28-25; Week Runs Scored: 39):
The Red Sox took 3 of 4 against the Blue Jays and 1 of 3 against the Astros. The bullpen is still an issue for a team that is trying to get back into the race as the Yankees look to run away with the division and the Rays still licking their wounds looking to lock up that Wild Card spot. Hopefully David Price is alright after leaving Saturday's game with flu-like symptoms. Boston has a huge series against New York next weekend.

This week: 3 games vs Cleveland; 4 games @ New York (AL)

New York Yankees (1st in AL East; Week Record: 6-1; Overall Record: 34-18; Week Runs Scored: 54):
The Yankees took 4 of 4 against the Orioles and 2 of 3 against the Royals. Aaron Judge is starting to pick up the bat and swinging, once he returns it will be hard for those trying to get back into the division race. With Gary Sanchez and Gleybar Torres picking up the slack, this team is going to be deadly for quite a while.

This week: 3 games vs San Diego; 4 games vs Boston

Tampa Bay Rays (2nd in AL East; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 31-19; Week Runs Scored: 31):
The Rays took 1 of 2 against the Dodgers and took 3 of 4 against the Indians. A lot of the Rays playoff hopes rest on how quick Tyler Glasnow can get back. He is their ace and leader. Glasnow won't likely return until Mid-July.  Tampa will have to ride the storm and hopefully still be in the race and possibly become buyers for a bat or two. The 4 game series against the Twins will be huge for them to get into that playoff consideration.

This week: 3 games vs Toronto; 4 games vs Minnesota

Toronto Blue Jays (4th in AL East; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 21-32; Week Runs Scored: 33):
The Blue Jays took 1 of 4 against the Red Sox and took 1 of 3 against the Padres. Another prospect rose to the Major League ranks with Cavan Biggio getting a hit and a home run on Sunday. Definitely needed offense for the Blue Jays indeed. Unfortunately their pitching took a beating during their series against the Padres. Could be fun to watch this team possibly next year or 2021.

This week: 3 games @ Tampa Bay; 3 games @ Colorado

American League Central (3rd Inning)

Chicago White Sox (3rd in AL Central; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 23-29; Week Runs Scored: 17):
The White Sox took 2 of 4 against the Astros and took 0 of 3 against the Twins. Chicago's offense is still a problem as they either get 0 runs or not enough runs to get wins. They did shutout the Astros though.

This week: 3 games vs Kansas City; 4 games vs Cleveland

Cleveland Indians (2nd in AL Central; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 26-26; Week Runs Scored: 16):
The Indians got swept in a 3-game series against the Athletics and took 1 of 3 against the Rays. Carlos Gonzalez was released on Wednesday, perhaps putting a nail on the coffin for the 2019 Cleveland Indians postseason hopes, let alone division hopes. They just didn't do a lot to replace their cornerstone outfielders like Lonnie Chisenhall during the winter and their pitching is just as bad, a lot of it hit with the injury bug. Perhaps dare I say, that the Indians are sellers.

This week: 3 games @ Boston; 4 games vs Chicago (AL)

Detroit Tigers (4th in AL Central; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 19-31; Week Runs Scored: 25):
The Tigers got swept in 3 games against the Marlins and took 1 of 3 against the Mets. It wasn't a fun week to be a Tigers fan for sure, getting swept by a terrible Marlins team. The wonder that is Shane Greene blew a save opportunity on Thursday (granted his team gave him a 2-1 lead to work with). I feel they're probably sellers at this point on the season but they don't have a lot to give other than Greene and some prospects.

This week: 3 games @ Baltimore; 3 games @ Atlanta

Kansas City Royals (5th in AL Central; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 18-34; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The Royals took 1 of 2 against the Cardinals and took 1 of 3 against the Yankees. In terms of seasons in KC, this would rank certainly the lower of the lows but that walk-off win on Sunday against the Yankees has to give the Royals fans something to cheer about.

This week: 3 games @ Chicago (NL); 4 games @ Texas

Minnesota Twins (1st in AL Central; Week Record: 6-0; Overall Record: 36-16; Week Runs Scored: 53):
The Twins swept the Angels in 3 games and swept the White Sox in 3 games. If you were to ask me how well the Twins would do this year, i'd say competing but not 20 games above .500, let alone 10-game lead in the AL Central. The Twinkies deserve quite a bit of respect and praise but until they take the Yankees in a regular season series or the playoffs, I can't trust them to win a title.

This week:
American League West (4th inning)

Houston Astros (1st in AL West; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 35-19; Week Runs Scored: 21):
The Astros took 2 of 4 against the White Sox and took 1 of 3 against the Red Sox. Houston's injuries have been piling up but fortunately for them it was a short spell. All that changed when George Springer would be hit with a forearm injury that will keep him out until late-June. They do have their work cut out for them as they do hold a sizable lead in the division

This week: 3 games vs Chicago (NL); 3 games @ Oakland

Los Angeles Angels (4th in AL West; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 24-28; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Angels took 0 of 3 against the Twins and took 2 of 3 against the Rangers. Really essentially the same story for the Angels, the offense is there in games, pitching can't keep players off base, and Mike Trout has to bail them out. Not quite the formula for success but you do you, Angels.

This week: 3 games @ Oakland; 3 games @ Seattle

Oakland Athletics (2nd in AL West; Week Record: 6-0; Overall Record: 28-25; Week Runs Scored: 36):
The Athletics swept the Indians in a 3-game series and swept the Mariners in a 3-game series as well. It was a dire week for the Athletics, to keep pace with the Wild-Card spot they had to have a great week and then some. Their pitching was perfect, their bullpen was perfect, and their offense is back to form.

This week: 3 games vs Los Angeles (AL); 3 games vs Houston

Seattle Mariners (5th in AL West; Week Record: 0-6; Overall Record: 23-32; Week Runs Scored: 21):
The Mariners were swept in 3 games against the Rangers and again in 3 games against the Athletics. Oh how far the mighty have fallen. At one point this offense was one of the best in the majors, with Domingo Santana putting up numbers like crazy, with a pitching staff to match. Nowadays they seem to either put up enough offense to lose and then pitch well to lose games by a 2-1 or 3-2 window.

This week: 3 games vs Texas; 4 games vs Los Angeles (AL)

Texas Rangers (3rd in AL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 25-25; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The Rangers swept the Mariners in 3 games and took 1 of 3 against the Angels. Texas is still a ways away from being a solid contender but you have to feel good about how well they're playing these past two weeks. If they're offense is getting runs, the pitching is sometimes lax, if the pitching is keeping runs off the board, then the bats are quiet. There should be a problem there but if you get the win, that's all that matters.

This week: 3 games @ Seattle; 4 games @ Kansas City

National League

National League East (5th inning)

Atlanta Braves (2nd in NL East; Week Record: 5-2; Overall Record: 30-24; Week Runs Scored: 33):
The Braves took 3 of 4 against the Giants and took 2 of 3 against the Cardinals. The bullpen had a better week, at least when the team can put up a cushion to give them a lead. Max Fried is 7-2 on the year, getting victories while getting good run support. It'll probably be the Braves and Phillies battling out for 1st in the division.

This week: 2 games vs Washington; 3 games vs Detroit

Miami Marlins (5th in NL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 16-34; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Marlins took 3 of 3 against the Tigers and 0 of 3 against the Nationals. You had a good start to the week beating up a team on your level in the Tigers but then reality set back in and you're back to square one.

This week: 1 game @ Washington; 3 games vs San Francisco; 3 games @ San Diego

New York Mets (3rd in NL East; Week Record: 6-1; Overall Record: 26-26; Week Runs Scored: 40):
The Mets took 4 of 4 against the Nationals and took 2 of 3 against the Tigers. It was a sunshine week for the Mets this week after a horrifying week getting swept by the Marlins (sorry Mets fans). The loss of Yoenis Cespedes for the season will be a factor for them to get a postseason spot but I think the Mets are far from it at the moment.

This week: 4 games @ Los Angeles (NL); 3 games @ Arizona

Philadelphia Phillies (1st in NL East; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 31-22; Week Runs Scored: 34):
The Phillies took 2 of 4 against the Cubs and took 2 of 3 against the Brewers. Bryce Harper still hasn't shown the numbers that he had in Washington but you have to remember that he had these king of numbers last year. When it gets warmer, he'll get warmer and move that .230 batting average up a bit. Other than him, the Phillies are pretty much in cruise control as they will have to contend with the Braves for that division lead but the other 3 teams in their division aren't that good.

This week: 3 games vs St. Louis; 3 games @ Los Angeles (NL)

Washington Nationals (4th in NL East; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 22-31; Week Runs Scored: 44):
The Nationals took 0 of 4 against the Mets and took 3 of 3 against the Marlins. The battle for the worst team in the NL East took place and fortunately for Nationals fans, it was their team that came out on top. Sure your offense is inept at most times and your bullpen is quite entertaining to watch (for the bad reasons), you still have to feel good about this team being better than the Marlins.

This week: 1 game vs Miami; 2 games @ Atlanta; 3 games @ Cincinnati

National League Central (6th inning)

Chicago Cubs (1st in NL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 30-21; Week Runs Scored: 38):
The Cubs took 2 of 4 against the Phillies and took 1 of 3 against the Reds. Injuries to the Cubs bullpen was the main story this week as the Northsiders lost 3 relievers to injury. The injury to Kris Bryant could be costly as well as this team looked to be having a great season and get back into the World Series contention.

This week: 3 games @ Houston; 3 games @ St. Louis

Cincinnati Reds (5th in NL Central; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 24-28; Week Runs Scored: 34):
The Reds took 1 of 2 against the Brewers and took 2 of 3 against the Cubs. Cincinnati only played 5 games this week but they still did have a winning record on the week. They did well against two teams fighting for the division and a playoff spot. It won't happen often but Reds fans have to feel good about this team this past week.

This week: 4 games vs Pittsburgh; 3 games vs Washington

Milwaukee Brewers (2nd in NL Central; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 30-24; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Brewers took 1 of 2 against the Reds and took 1 of 3 against the Phillies. Christian Yelich continues to hammer out dingers as he hit his 21st home run on the year on Sunday. Joining him on that slugfest was Ben Gamel who also hit two home runs on Sunday. The good news ends there as their offense was shutout against a Reds team and their pitching couldn't keep the Phillies bats quiet.

This week: 2 games @ Minnesota; 4 games @ Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Pirates (4th in NL Central; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 25-25; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Pirates took 1 of 3 against the Rockies and took 0 of 3 against the Dodgers. Pitching was definitely not on the Pirates side this week, giving up 48 runs. The losses of Lonnie Chisenhall and Francisco Cervelli for 1-2 weeks to injury will hurt but it's not like they are out of the division race. Any team on a good week can go from 4th to 1st in a heartbeat.

This week:

St. Louis Cardinals (3rd in NL Central; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 26-26; Week Runs Scored: 23):
The Cardinals took 1 of 2 against the Royals and took 1 of 3 against the Braves. It's still a strange thing how off the Cardinals are. Their bullpen blew a game on Sunday night on National Television. Their offense can only put up not as many runs that you'd expect them to.

This week: 3 games @ Philadelphia; 3 games vs Chicago (NL)

National League West (7th inning)

Arizona Diamondbacks (2nd in NL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 28-25; Week Runs Scored: 39):
The Diamondbacks got swept in 3 games against the Padres and took 3 of 3 against the Giants. Their bats were really quiet during the San Diego series only getting 5 runs in five games They did get it going against the Giants which granted shouldn't be much of a surprise. The Giants pitching isn't a slouch so getting 34 runs during that 3-game series is something substantial. I guess.

This week: 4 games @ Colorado; 3 games vs New York (NL)

Colorado Rockies (4th in NL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 24-27; Week Runs Scored: 42):
The Rockies took 2 of 3 against the Pirates and took 2 of 3 against the Orioles. A good week for the Rockies indeed. The Rox need more good weeks as they are just not consistent. That 5-0 shutout against the Pirates is promising as German Marquez was very well tossing the rubber. Hopefully they get back to +.500 baseball as I did pick them to win the NL West this year. I don't want to look bad.

This week: 4 games vs Arizona; 3 games vs Toronto

Los Angeles Dodgers (1st in NL West; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 35-18; Week Runs Scored: 36):
The Dodgers took 1 of 2 against the Rays and took 3 of 3 against the Pirates. Clayton Kershaw is still undefeated this season and Cody Bellinger is still hammering the ball. Bellinger is below .400 but that was somewhat to be expected.

This week: 4 games vs New York (NL); 3 games vs Philadelphia

San Diego Padres (2nd in NL West; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 28-24; Week Runs Scored: 36):
The Padres took 3 of 3 against the Diamondbacks and took 2 of 3 against the Blue Jays. It was a rebound week for the Padres as they took their bats to work cranking out runs, including 19 on a 19-4 win on Saturday. The team is certainly on schedule to get to where they want to go but they're still not there yet. Give it a year.

This week: 3 games @ New York (AL); 3 games vs Miami

San Francisco Giants (5th in NL West; Week Record: 1-6; Overall Record: 21-31; Week Runs Scored: 19):

The Giants took 1 of 4 against the Braves and got swept against the Diamondbacks in 3 games. Sunshine and pleasant weather was certainly in the forecast in the Bay City but its cloudy for their baseball team. They couldn't get runs on the board and eventually even their pitching couldn't stop opposing bats from getting runs. Perhaps that 28-year old Mike Yastremski guy can be a help.

This week: 3 games @ Miami; 3 games @ Baltimore

League Leaders & Notes(8th Inning):

On Friday, Cavan Biggio, son of Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio, made his Major League debut. He was hitless during his first two games before getting a home-run on Sunday. The Blue Jays are the first team in history to have two sons of Hall-of-Famers on the 25-man roster. The other player is Vladimir Guerrero Jr, son of Vladimir Guerrero.  Let's just hope for a successful career for him.

Your American League leaders in batting are: Tim Anderson (White Sox) with .336 batting average, George Springer (Astros) with 17 home runs, Eddie Rosario (Twins) with 45 RBI's. The pitching leaders are: Domingo German (Yankees) with 9 wins, Jake Ordorizzi (Twins) with a 2.16 ERA, and Shane Greene (Tigers) with 16 saves.

Your National League leaders in batting are: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers) with a .386 batting average and 48 RBI's, and Christian Yelich (Brewers) with 21 home runs. The pitching leaders are: Brandon Woodruff (Brewers) with 7 wins, Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers) with 1.65 ERA, and Kirby Yates (Padres) with 20 saves.

The Final Out (9th inning):

One of the more fascinating things about baseball is that there is no clock, your team is still in the game, and you still have a chance to win if you're down (at least until the final out is recorded). This week's Final Out comes from the wonderous world of College Baseball. Granted I haven't talked about NCAA baseball at all this season. The video is from earlier this week from an Auburn-LSU elimination game during the SEC Tournament. Down 3-2 in the 9th inning, the LSU Tigers needed a miracle...

I'll see you all next week as I break down another week of Major League Baseball action. Have a great Memorial Day!

P.S. Sorry for the late post, I got sidetracked and didn't finish writing this past 12 pm Central time.

MLB 2019 Week 8 Recap (5/13/19 - 5/19/19)

First pitch (1st Inning)

Hello readers! Another week of Major League Baseball action is in the books! With the week's passing more teams start to look legit, others not so much, and for the rest well, the end of the season can't come sooner. In this week's column, I'll talk about the state of baseball at the moment, a recap of all 30 teams this past week, and a great pitching performance in the "Final Out." Let's get started.

The state of baseball right now is at a crossroads. On one side, you have the owners that are more than willing to change the game, like putting in a pitch clock, limiting commercial breaks between innings, and limit how many batters a pitcher has to face. On the other, you have the players that aren't willing to take that change to heart.

This battle between owners and players is nothing new to baseball. In an era when the owners were more conservative and the players more progressive, you had playeres wanting to end the Reserve Clause, end segregation in the game (although Branch Rickey was the one that was more progressive in getting Jackie Robinson to the Major leagues), and give the players more money.

Back to today, the game is much more slower, with managers going more to their bullpens often, frequently changing their pitchers to only face one batter for matchup purposes, batters often battling against the pitcher to get the right pitch they want,  less balls in play, and more home runs (though I can definitely say that I like home runs). I hope the game becomes faster as its games often run a lot longer than the 2 1/2 time window for a game. It won't matter unless both sides come together on an agreement, forcing these new rules won't help much. Often times the players are the game's worst enemies when  it comes to change. If it means shortening the schedule, so be it.

American League

American League East (2nd Inning):

Baltimore Orioles (5th in AL East; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 15-31; Week Runs Scored: 17):
The Orioles took 0 out of 2 (2nd game of series was postponed; make-up date for 8/12) against the Yankees and took 1 of 4 against the Indians. Baltimore had another rough week and they took on some tough competition. At least you're not the Marlins, though you're pretty much the American League's version of the Marlins. Sorry Baltimore.

This week: 4 games vs New York (AL); 3 games @ Colorado

Boston Red Sox (3rd in AL East; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 24-22; Week Runs Scored: 18):
The Red Sox took 1 of 2 against the Rockies and took 1 of 3 against the Astros. The team still can't consistently win strings of games. Earlier in the season its the starting pitching, now its the bullpen causing many Red Sox fans headaches. Offense is still doing well in getting runs but its hard to get enough runs when your pitchers give up so many. The team will get better but this is something that needs to be addressed now.

This week: 4 games @ Toronto; 3 games @ Houston

New York Yankees (1st in AL East; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 28-17; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Yankees took 2 of 2(2nd game of series was postponed; make-up date for 8/12) against the Orioles and took 2 of 3 against the Rays. Up and down week between the Rays and Yankees for 1st and 2nd place in the division with the Yankees taking sole possession of first place. The Bombers are at a good spot right now with some of their key players coming back like James Paxton and Troy Tulowitski later in the week. I still feel that this battle for first will rage on until possibly July. Definitely not over.

This week: 4 games @ Baltimore; 3 games @ Kansas City

Tampa Bay Rays (2nd in AL East; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 27-17; Week Runs Scored: 15):
The Rays took 2 of 2 against the Marlins and took 1 of 3 against the Yankees. The Rays have been a nice surprise on the year with dominant pitching but would ran into a hungry, damaged Yankees team. Tampa gave the Bombers somewhat of a fight but would ultimately lose. I feel if the Rays can get a bat or two prior to the deadline they can get a postseason berth.

This week: 2 games vs Los Angeles (NL); 4 games @ Cleveland

Toronto Blue Jays (4th in AL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 19-27; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Blue Jays took 1 of 2 against the Giants and took 2 of 4 against the White Sox. It was a better week for Vlad Guerro Jr as he keeps on getting homers and solid defense, which the Blue Jays sorely needed. I don't see Toronto getting back into the division race but if Vlad Jr keeps giving the fans a show, they'll keep coming back. He can be someone that this team can build around.

This week: 4 games vs Boston; 3 games vs San Diego

American League Central (3rd Inning)

Chicago White Sox (3rd in AL Central; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 21-24; Week Runs Scored: 17):
The White Sox took 1 of 2 against the Indians and took 2 of 4 against the Blue Jays. It was an average week for the Southsiders. They have a great team batting average but they don't get runs and they can't keep opposing bats from getting runs. It's a hot mess.

This week: 4 games @ Houston; 3 games @ Minnesota

Cleveland Indians (2nd in AL Central; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 25-20; Week Runs Scored: 40):
The Indians took 1 of 2 against the White Sox and took 3 of 4 against the Orioles. Shane Bieber had a great start on Sunday throwing the rubber for the Wahoo's, striking out 15 batters. Granted it was the Orioles. The Indians offense, quiet before the week, got into a slugfest this week putting up 40 runs, helping out their pitching. It was badly needed.

This week: 3 games vs Oakland; 4 games vs Tampa Bay

Detroit Tigers (4th in AL Central; Week Record: 0-6; Overall Record: 18-26; Week Runs Scored: 12):
The Tigers took 0 of 3 against the Astros and took 0 of 3 (4th game was suspended; to be completed on September 6th) against the Athletics. Getting hits is a part of offense, leaving men on base isn't. The Tigers offense is in dire straits and I don't think its improving until later in the future. The loss of Tyson Ross will be a factor as he is hit with an arm injury in the week.  No saves for Shane Greene, obviously.

This week: 3 games vs Miami; 3 games @ New York (NL)

Kansas City Royals (5th in AL Central; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 16-31; Week Runs Scored: 23):
The Royals took 1 of 3 against the Rangers and took 1 of 3 against the Angels. Danny Duffy got the only two wins that the Royals got this week. Outside of him, their rotation is not that great. Their offense is better than the Orioles but not by much since the Royals have one more game than the O's.

This week: 2 games @ St. Louis; 3 games vs New York (AL)

Minnesota Twins (1st in AL Central; Week Record: 5-2; Overall Record: 31-16; Week Runs Scored: 52):
The Twins took 2 of 3 against the Angels and took 3 of 4 against the Mariners. Nelson Cruz gets hit with an injury of the wrist and will spend time on the injury list. Their offense in runs scored is astonishingly good. Just about as good is their pitching who can get quality starts which means more healthy bullpen.

This week: 3 games @ Los Angeles (AL); 3 games vs Chicago (AL)

American League West (4th inning)

Houston Astros (1st in AL West; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 31-16; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Astros took 3 of 3 against the Tigers and took 2 of 3 against the Red Sox. Houston continued its win streak into this week until they lost to Boston on Sunday. The loss of George Springer could be huge but it was only a lower back injury that will put him out until Tuesday. This team looks really good and only bad luck could derail this team from reaching back to the World Series.

This week: 4 games vs Chicago (AL); 3 games vs Boston

Los Angeles Angels (2nd in AL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 22-24; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The Angels took 1 of 3 against the Twins and took 2 of 3 against the Royals. Mike Trout hit his 250th home run of his career before turning 28. Matt Harvey could become a bright spot on the Angels rotation as he picked up his 2nd win of the season. If he becomes even a sliver of the stuff that he had during the glory days as a Met, the Angels hit a bargain with him as he is what the Angels desperately need, starting pitching!

This week: 3 games vs Minnesota; 3 games vs Texas

Oakland Athletics (5rd in AL West; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 22-25; Week Runs Scored: 36):
The Athletics took 0 of 2 against the Mariners and took 3 of 3 (4th game was suspended; to be completed on September 6th) against the Tigers. Good to see Khris Davis back to the A's lineup after suffering a sore hip. The Athletics had a better week putting up offense against some weaker clubs but if you want to get back to the postseason you need to get series victories against these teams.

This week: 3 games @ Cleveland; 3 games vs Seattle

Seattle Mariners (4th in AL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 23-26; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Mariners took 2 of 2 against the Athletics and took 1 of 4 against the Twins. The Mariners have fallen off quite a bit since their hot start back in April. They're supposed to be getting some fresh talent in Tommy Milone who has posted a 4-2 record in their Triple-A affliate to start on Tuesday. Unfortunately I don't see them making a Wild Card berth.

This week: 3 games @ Texas; 3 games @ Oakland

Texas Rangers (3rd in AL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 21-23; Week Runs Scored: 41):
The Rangers took 2 of 3 against the Royals and took 2 of 3 against the Cardinals. Their offense won't give up until the last out. They have played some tight baseball so far this year. The rough part is their division is the Astros and mostly non-contenders.

This week: 3 games vs Seattle; 3 games @ Los Angeles (AL)

National League

National League East (5th inning)

Atlanta Braves (2nd in NL East; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 25-22; Week Runs Scored: 35):
The Braves took 2 of 3 against the Cardinals and took 2 of 3 against the Brewers. Atlanta took on some top contenders in the Brewers and Cardinals this week and they stepped up for the opportunity. They did lose Jacob Lindgren from the bullpen due to an elbow injury but will return on the 24th. Freddie Freeman is a workhorse carrying his team throughout the season. He leads the team in batting average, home runs and runs scored. He has also hit a home run consecutively for 4 games.

This week: 4 games @ San Francisco; 3 games @ St. Louis

Miami Marlins (5th in NL East; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 13-31; Week Runs Scored: 13):
The Marlins took 0 of 2 against the Rays and took 3 of 3 against the Mets. You actually read that right, folks! The Marlins swept a team. They still have the potential to have a 100+ loss season but they might as well have fun and get wins. Should be noted that the Marlins posted two shutouts during that series. Good job Miami, you actually had a good week out of mostly bad weeks so far.

This week: 3 games @ Detroit; 3 games @ Washington

New York Mets (3rd in NL East; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 20-25; Week Runs Scored: 19):
The Mets took 1 of 3 against the Nationals and took 0 of 3 against the Marlins. You read that right, the Mighty Mets got swept by the Marlins! Their offense is so quiet and can't get anything right. First the New York Jets GM gets fired and then the Mets get swept by the worst team in the majors. Poor New Yorkers.

This week: 4 games vs Washington; 3 games vs Detroit

Philadelphia Phillies (1st in NL East; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 27-19; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The Phillies took 1 of 4 against the Brewers and took 3 of 3 against the Rockies. Philadelphia had a week of ups and downs dropping a series victory against the Brewers but would take down a below average Rockies team, sweeping them in style. Bryce Harper still hasn't gotten his batting average above .240 but did have hits in the last 4 games which should help his confidence.

This week: 4 games vs Chicago (NL); 3 games @ Milwaukee

Washington Nationals (4th in NL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 19-27; Week Runs Scored: 30):
The Nationals took 2 of 3 against the Mets and took 1 of 3 against the Cubs. The distance between them and the Marlins is about 6 wins which is to most a safe distance. A lot of pundits had them winning the division and their predictions so far have backfired, Brian Dozier is not the same player that he was when he was a Twin and their bullpen combusts faster than a wildfire.

This week: 4 games @ New York (NL); 3 games vs Miami

National League Central (6th inning)

Chicago Cubs (1st in NL Central; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 27-17; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Cubs took 1 of 3 against the Reds and took 2 of 3 against the Nationals. It was an average week for the Cubbies. They would certainly be the best team in baseball but I somewhat question that. They got beat by a cellar team in the Reds and they took down a rather below average Nationals team. They did beat some quality competition earlier this month but I question how good they can be.

This week: 4 games vs Philadelphia; 3 games vs Cincinnati

Cincinnati Reds (5th in NL Central; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 21-26; Week Runs Scored: 18):
The Reds took 2 of 3 against the Cubs and took 1 of 3 against the Dodgers. Cincinnati breathed a breath of relief after Yasiel Puig getting injured during Sunday's game and will be back on Tuesday. It was a meh week taking on the class of the division and getting a series victory to show for it. Unfortunately they ran into the best team in the league and got clobbered.

This week: 2 games @ Milwaukee; 3 games @ Chicago (NL)

Milwaukee Brewers (2nd in NL Central; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 0-0; Week Runs Scored: 0):
The Brewers took 3 of 4 against the Phillies and took 1 of 3 against the Braves. Christian Yelich having a great season would be an understatement. Yelich hit his 19th home run on the season, and its past mid-May! The unsolved mystery remains whether or not the Brew Crew can get a solid starter to help them get quality starts come October.

This week: 2 games vs Cincinnati; 3 games vs Philadelphia

Pittsburgh Pirates (3rd in NL Central; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 0-0; Week Runs Scored: 31):
The Pirates took 1 of 3 against the Diamondbacks and took 3 of 4 against the Padres. The team is very strange. They can take it to the Cardinals and Padres but would lose to the Diamondbacks. I feel that their pitching is one of the better in the division and can get them far when their offense is hitting it off. Credit to Starling Marte to getting two stolen bases.

This week: 3 games vs Colorado; 3 games vs Los Angeles (NL)

St. Louis Cardinals (4th in NL Central; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 24-23; Week Runs Scored: 31):
The Cardinals took 1 of 3 against the Braves and 1 of 3 against the Rangers. In the month of May, the Cardinals are 5-13. Pretty bad record. The offense is there to help them out its more on the bullpen to close out when they need it. Hopefully maybe this week they can get back to a winning track.

This week: 2 games vs Kansas City; 3 games vs Atlanta

National League West (7th inning)

Arizona Diamondbacks (2nd in NL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 25-22; Week Runs Scored: 36):
The Diamondbacks took 2 of 3 against the Pirates and took 1 of 3 against the Giants. Eduardo Escobar is having quite a season in Arizona and he has been a big component to an offense that had lost quite a few quality position players in the offseason. It was an average week for the Dbacks who could use some help in the pitching department. Their offense is fun to watch.

This week: 3 games @ San Diego; 3 games @ San Francisco

Colorado Rockies (T-4th in NL West; Week Record: 1-4; Overall Record: 20-25; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Rockies took 1 of 2 against the Red Sox and took 0 of 3 against the Phillies. Colorado held off the onslaught that Chris Sale gave them and eked out a victory in Boston and then their week was awful after that. Trevor Story has been struggling and their pitching that should've been good just hasn't been getting it done. I'm starting to regret picking them to win the division. They're just not there.

This week: 3 games @ Pittsburgh; 3 games vs Baltimore

Los Angeles Dodgers (1st in NL West; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 31-17; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Dodgers took 2 of 2 against the Padres and took 2 of 3 against the Reds. The class of the league had another great week as they kept pulling off wins on their pitchers arms and the bats of their position players. Cody Bellinger having a good year as well.

This week: 2 games @ Tampa Bay; 3 games @ Pittsburgh

San Diego Padres (3rd in NL West; Week Record: 1-4; Overall Record: 23-24; Week Runs Scored: 12):
The Padres took 0 of 2 against the Dodgers and took 1 of 3 against the Pirates. The team is getting there but not at the cusp of a postseason contender, yet. The offense needs to show up and get them runs on the board. Their pitching will be there to get outs but Manny Machado can only do so much and baseball is a team game despite all the talk of individual numbers.

This week: 3 games vs Arizona; 3 games @ Toronto

San Francisco Giants (T-4th in NL West; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 20-25; Week Runs Scored: 18):
The Giants took 1 of 2 against Toronto and took 2 of 3 against the Diamondbacks. It was a good week for the Giants on offense, not great but not the awful expectation that we normally see from them so far this year. If they can get enough runs on the board, they're pitching can take care of the rest as they have one of the better rotations in the league.  Cool to see Bruce Bochy at a San Jose Sharks game.

This week: 4 games vs Atlanta; 3 games vs Arizona

League Leaders & Notes(8th Inning):

In honor of Armed Forces Day, Major League Baseball wore specialized caps in honor of the event.

In the American League, your batting leaders are: Michael Brantley (Astros) with a .331 batting average, George Springer (Astros) with 17 home runs and 42 RBI's. Their pitching leaders are: Domingo German (Yankees) with 8 wins, Tyler Glasnow (Rays) with 1.86 ERA, and Shane Green with 15 saves.

In the National League your batting leaders are: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers) with .409 batting average, Christian Yelich (Brewers) with 19 home runs, Josh Bell (Pirates) with 43 RBI's. The pitching leaders are: Brandon Woodruff (Brewers) and Zach Greinke (Diamondbacks) with 6 wins, Zach Davies (Brewers) with 1.54 ERA, and Kirby Yates (Padres) with 17 saves


The Final Out (9th inning):

In an era where the home run and offense is the name of the game, its often overlooked when you see a great pitching performance by a starter or by the bullpen. On Tuesday night last week, Chris Sale had a great night throwing the rubber striking out 17 Rockies in 7 innings. While Sale would get a no­-decision in the game its still fun to watch. That and I'm a Red Sox fan and I couldn't think of anything worthy for a video other than this. I'll see you all next week for another recap!

MLB 2019 Week 7 (5/6/19 - 5/12/19)

First pitch (1st Inning)
Hello readers! Another week of Major League Baseball action is in the books. The week that was full of great offense, dominating pitching, no hitters and walk offs. In this week's column I'll talk about the week that was for all 30 teams week, and a video dedicated to the greatest fans of them all. Let's get to work!

American League 

American League East (2nd Inning):

Baltimore Orioles (5th in AL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 14-26; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Orioles took 1 of 3 against the Red Sox and took 1 of 3 against the Angels. Offense had a good week compared to most weeks (especially the runs scored that the Blue Jays had this week). Their pitching wasn't that much better either but showed promise in the two wins but you're still rebuilding. I'd be surprised if the Orioles get out of the basement this week.

This week: 3 games @ New York (AL); 4 games @ Cleveland

Boston Red Sox (3rd in AL East; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 22-19; Week Runs Scored: 45):
The Red Sox took 2 of 3 against the Orioles and took 3 of 3 against the Mariners. Boston finally got out of the losing record mark earlier in the week and their offense is swinging really well and their pitching staff has finally lived up to its potential. The series against Seattle this week was a complete 360 when it came to their first series back in late March. Huge series against Houston next weekend.

This week: 2 games vs Colorado; 3 games vs Houston

New York Yankees (2nd in AL East; Week Record: 5-2; Overall Record: 24-16; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The Yankees took 3 of 4 against the Mariners and took 2 of 3 against the Rays. As much as I hate to say it, the Yankees are winning games despite all the players down on injury, most of them are starters. They took on a really good Tampa team and got a series victory there. Sky's the limit with them.

This week: 3 games vs Baltimore; 3 games vs Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Rays (1st in AL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 24-15; Week Runs Scored: 31):
The Rays took 2 of 3 against the Diamondbacks and took 1 of 3 against the Yankees. It was a series that we would learn a lot about the Rays and I think we did learn a bit about the Rays against their series against New York. What I learned is that the Rays are a capable team that can fight with the bigger clubs but I feel at best right now they're a possible wild card team despite still holding 1st place in the division. Tampa needs a good week to get back into it but they have to go to New York next weekend.

This week: 2 games @ Miami; 3 games @ New York (AL)

Toronto Blue Jays (4th in AL East; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 16-24; Week Runs Scored 7):
The Blue Jays took 0 of 3 against the Twins and took 1 of 3 against the White Sox. Ugly was the word that definitely would be used to describe the Blue Jays this week. Getting shutout back-to-back times does not neither help your offense nor your pitching. Only getting 7 runs this week is pretty bad. I didn't think that the offense would be this bad.

This week: 2 games @ San Francisco; 4 games @ Chicago (AL)

American League Central (3rd Inning)

Chicago White Sox (4th in AL Central; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 18-21; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The White Sox took 2 of 4 against the Indians and took 2 of 3 against the Blue Jays. It was mildly interesting for the White Sox this week. They can get 9 runs on the board one day and then 2 the next. Their pitching did have a better week, specifically their starting pitching.

This week: 2 games vs Cleveland; 4 games vs Toronto

Cleveland Indians (2nd in AL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 21-18; Week Runs Scored: 21):
The Indians took 2 of 4 against the White Sox and took 1 of 3 against the Athletics. Offense saw a bit better production and Roberto Perez has given his team offense when needed. The pitching is still there other than the walkoff that they gave up to Matt Chapman. It will be an interesting race for 1st in the AL Central with the Twins and Indians.

This week: 2 games @ Chicago (AL); 4 games vs Baltimore

Detroit Tigers (3rd in AL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 18-20; Week Runs Scored: 25):
The Tigers took 1 of 3 against the Angels and took 2 of 4 against the Twins. Same story for the Tigers, bad offense and good pitching. The Tigers got shutout twice this week and their pitching couldn't stop bats from getting hits and runs. Not a good formula to get wins. Shane Greene got two saves this week though.

This week: 3 games vs Houston; 4 games vs Oakland

Kansas City Royals (5th in AL Central; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 14-27; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Royals took 1 of 3 against the Astros and took 1 of 3 against the Phillies. Kansas City's problems still continue as they have had a rough week yet again. If their pitching can hold down opposing bats and their offense can get runs on the board they can get wins. For example they got a 12-2 win against Houston and a 5-1 win against the Phillies, two teams known for good offense. Rebuilding is still a word I'd use for them.

This week: 3 games vs Texas, 3 games @ Los Angeles (AL)

Minnesota Twins (1st in AL Central; Week Record: 5-2; Overall Record: 25-14; Week Runs Scored: 40):
The Twins took 3 of 3 against the Blue Jays and took 2 of 4 against the Tigers. Shutouts were the name of the game for the Twins this week as they notched two of them against Toronto and one against Detroit. Granted they didn't look as solid as they did during the Detroit series compared to Toronto, you have to feel good if you're a Twinkies fan.

This week: 3 games vs Los Angeles (AL); 4 games @ Seattle

American League West (4th inning)

Houston Astros (1st in AL West; Week Record: 6-1; Overall Record: 26-15; Week Runs Scored: 50):
The Astros took 2 of 3 against the Royals and took 4 of 4 against the Rangers. Offense was very dominant this week. Pretty much to the point where their pitching was very relaxed and could perform the way they want to. Roberto Osuna got 3 saves this week and Justin Verlander got his sixth win of the year. This team looks really good.

This week: 3 games @ Detroit; 3 games @ Boston

Los Angeles Angels (2nd in AL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 19-21; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Angels took 2 of 3 against the Tigers and took 2 of 3 against the Orioles. Offense was hitting it off this week while getting some great pitching performances from Trevor Cahill and Felix Pena. The Angels pitching still needs work but you have to feel good against some pretty bad offensive teams in the Tigers and Orioles.

This week: 3 games @ Minnesota; 3 games vs Kansas City

Oakland Athletics (4th in AL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 19-23; Week Runs Scored: 17):
The Athletics took 2 of 3 against the Reds and took 2 of 3 against the Indians. Mike Fiers got a no hitter late in the week. It was his 2nd no-no in his career. Granted it was against the Reds, who themselves have had a bad time on offense. The week was a better week for the A's but I still question how well they can get runs on the board. Has to be somewhat of a confidence boost to beat a playoff team in the Indians.

This week: 2 games @ Seattle; 4 games @ Detroit

Seattle Mariners (3rd in AL West; Week Record: 1-6; Overall Record: 20-23; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The Mariners took 1 of 4 against the Yankees and got swept in 3 games against the Red Sox. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Or at least how the old saying goes. In all seriousness, the Mariners on both offense and pitching just have fallen off the earth. Ever since they got swept in 3 games against the Astros they just haven't looked the same. That was back in April.

This week: 2 games vs Oakland; 4 games vs Minnesota

Texas Rangers (5th in AL West; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 17-21; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Rangers took 1 of 2 against the Pirates and got swept in 4 games against the Astros. The last few weeks the word was that the Rangers offense was swinging and getting runs, and this week it was somewhat of an opposite. Their pitching still hasn't given them outs when they need it.

This week: 3 games @ Kansas City; 3 games vs St. Louis

National League

National League East (5th inning)

Atlanta Braves (2nd in NL East; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 21-20; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Braves got swept in 3 games against the Dodgers and took 3 of 4 against the Diamondbacks. Atlanta is still floating along with a good offense and a pitching staff that hasn't yet hit its stride to keep runs off the board.

This week: 3 games vs St. Louis; 3 games vs Milwaukee

Miami Marlins (5th in NL East; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 10-29; Week Runs Scored: 14):
The Marlins took 1 of 4 against the Cubs and took 0 of 2 (3rd game was postponed; make-up date on 8/5) against the Mets. Miami reached the double digit in wins on Monday but would ultimately get 5 straight losses. There's not much else to say that they are nearly 30th in the majors in team batting average, runs scored, home runs, and ERA. I'd say more but their fans are probably nowhere to be found.

This week: 2 games vs Tampa Bay; 3 games vs New York (NL)

New York Mets (3rd in NL East; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 19-20; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Mets took 1 of 3 against the Padres and took 2 of 2 (3rd game was postponed; make-up day will be on 8/5) against the Marlins. Edwin Diaz got a couple of saves for the Mets this week. They had a better week despite playing poorly on offense against the Padres only getting 9 runs in that series. They did beat up on Miami (which shouldn't be much of a shock) during the weekend and certainly they should feel good about getting wins. Can't be too impressed though.

This week: 3 games @ Washington; 3 games @ Miami

Philadelphia Phillies (1st in NL East; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 23-16; Week Runs Scored: 30):
The Phillies took 2 of 3 against the Cardinals and took 2 of 3 against the Royals. Bryce Harper has been getting hits to bump up the average a bit and some RBI's during the Cardinals series. Philadelphia got some great offensive performance and got great pitching from their starting pitching and bullpen. Hopefully with less booing from the home crowd too.

This week: 4 games vs Milwaukee; 3 games vs Colorado

Washington Nationals (4th in NL East; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 16-24; Week Runs Scored: 17):
The Nationals got swept in 3 games against the Brewers and took 2 of 4 against the Dodgers. Injuries still plague the Nationals but is it too little too late to get back into contention? Perhaps, but I would give them at least another few weeks to throw in the towel and sell off pieces to teams. At least Max Scherzer got his 2nd win of the season.

This week: 3 games vs New York (NL); 3 games vs Chicago (NL)

National League Central (6th inning)

Chicago Cubs (1st in NL Central; Week Record: 5-2; Overall Record: 23-14; Week Runs Scored: 23):
The Cubs took 3 of 4 against the Marlins and took 2 of 3 against the Brewers. The Cubs just keep winning and they win it in usual walk off style, like on Saturday's game. They're the hottest team in baseball right now. This team's facets on offense, pitching, bullpen and defense are on their game and they somehow demolished a team that was a playoff team last year.

This week: 3 games @ Cincinnati; 3 games @ Washington

Cincinnati Reds (5th in NL Central; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 18-23; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Reds  won a game on Monday against the Giants, took 1 of 3 against the Athletics and took 2 of 3 against the Giants. Offense was stagnant at times and sometimes not at all. They got no-hit against Mike Fiers and the Athletics. Cincinnati did have a better week on offense for the rest of the week getting a series victory on the road against San Francisco.

This week: 3 games vs Chicago (NL); 3 games vs Los Angeles (NL)

Milwaukee Brewers (2nd in NL Central; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 24-17; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Brewers swept the Nationals in 3 games and took 1 of 3 against the Cubs. Milwaukee is having good vibes this week as the Bucks are in the Conference Finals in the NBA and the Brewers had a good week despite getting hit with a series loss against division rival Chicago. As long as Christian Yelich continues to keep getting numbers, the Brew Crew will be right there with Chicago. I mean they did last season.

This week: 4 games @ Philadelphia; 3 games @ Atlanta

Pittsburgh Pirates (3rd in NL Central; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 20-17; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The Pirates took 1 of 2 against the Rangers and took 3 of 4 against the Cardinals. It was a sort of productive week for the Buccos. Let alone beating up on the Cardinals on the road. It was rather shocking to be honest. Other than the 17-4 drubbing on Thursday they put up a run composite of 14-8 in the 3 games.

This week: 3 games @ Arizona; 4 games @ San Diego

St. Louis Cardinals (4th in NL Central; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 22-19; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Cardinals took 1 of 3 against the Phillies and took 1 of 4 against the Pirates. The surprising team this week was the Cardinals. They looked pretty good last week and then the wheels fell off and I don't know how they did. They ran into a buzzsaw of a team in the Phillies but to lose a series to the Pirates was somewhat surprising. The offense certainly has to be blamed for it. Maybe a better week can happen for the Redbirds.

This week: 3 games @ Atlanta; 3 games @ Texas

National League West (7th inning)

Arizona Diamondbacks (2nd in NL West; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 22-18; Week Runs Scored: 18):
The Diamondbacks took 1 of 3 against the Rays and took 1 of 4 against the Braves. The many weeks of praise that I have given to this team has fallen short this week. The offense just couldn't get anything going and their pitching let up quite a bit of runs on Monday in a 12-1 loss against Tampa. Still they're somewhat in striking distance against the Dodgers but better baseball has to be in their mindset.

This week: 3 games vs Pittsburgh; 3 games vs San Francisco

Colorado Rockies (4th in NL West; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 19-21; Week Runs Scored: 41):
The Rockies took 1 of 2 (3rd game was postponed; make-up date planned for 7/15) against the Giants and took 2 of 3 against the Padres. It was a deciding week in Colorado on if this team was a pretender or a contender. There's still questions on their pitching (which would've been better this year) is but their offense bailed them out a lot this week. If their offense can be productive and their pitching can get a few more outs then the team that most expected them to be will come to fruitition.

This week: 2 games @ Boston; 3 games @ Philadelphia

Los Angeles Dodgers (1st in NL West; Week Record: 5-2; Overall Record: 27-16; Week Runs Scored: 30):
The Dodgers swept the Braves in 3 games and took 2 of 4 against the Nationals. Cody Bellinger still hasn't lost a step so far into the season as he continues to put up numbers. Splitting a series against the lowly Washington Nationals would be a bit of a concern but hey you can't win them all. Clayton Kershaw hasn't lost a step either so far into his season.

This week: 2 games vs San Diego; 3 games @ Cincinnati

San Diego Padres (3rd in NL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 22-19; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Padres took 2 of 3 against the Mets and took 1 of 3 against the Rockies. It was an up and down week for the Padres. Kirby Yates got two saves to increase his total to 16 and their offense was productive. Still impressive that this team is at where its at and still in a "rebuilding" phase.

This week: 2 games @ Los Angeles (NL); 4 games vs Pittsburgh

San Francisco Giants (5th in NL West; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 17-23; Week Runs Scored: 35):
The Giants lost a game on Monday against the Reds, took 1 of 2 (3rd game was postponed; make up date on 7/15) against the Rockies and took 1 of 3 against the Reds. Run production was better than some weeks but it depended on which day as it was somewhat inconsistent. Take the wins in stride San Fran, you're still rebuilding.

This week: 2 games vs Toronto; 3 games @ Arizona

League Leaders & Notes(8th Inning):

If there was any reason to have a new stadium in Tampa Bay, there would be one. During Sunday's game against the Yankees and the Rays, there was a "partial power outage" that occured during the game, which would end up being a 7-1 win for the Yankees.

With Mike Fiers no-hitter on Tuesday, it was Major League Baseball's 300th no-hitter all-time.

In the American League, your batting leaders are: MIchael Brantley (Astros) with .340 batting average, George Springer (Astros) and Eddie Rosario (Twins) with 13 home runs, and Domingo Santana (Mariners) with 36 RBI's. Your pitching leaders are: Domingo Germain (Yankees) with 7 wins, Tyler Glasnow (Rays) with 1.86 ERA, and Shane Greene (Tigers) with 14 saves.

In the National League, your batting leaders are: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers) with .390 batting average and 38 RBI's, and Christian Yelich (Brewers) with 16 home runs. Your pitching leaders are: Brandon Woodruff (Brewers) and Zach Greinke (Diamondbacks) with 5 wins, Zach Davies (Brewers) with 1.54 ERA, and Kirby Yates (Padres) with 16 saves

The Final Out (9th inning): 

The Final Out this week is a video dedicated to the biggest fans of them all. The fans that were there since day one, the fans that helped travel players from the little league field to the majors. I am, of course, talking about the mothers. On Sunday, Major League Baseball dedicated Mothers Day to have all equipment be pink in honor of Breast Cancer Research. It is a noble cause to fight the disease that diagnoses 1 out of 8 women in their lifetime. The proceeds to the sales of Mothers Day apparel will go to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. So in honor to the greatest fans of them all, here's a video of Mother's Day moments. I'll see you guys next week for another recap! Bye!

MLB 2019 Week 6 (4/29/19 - 5/5/19)

First pitch (1st Inning)

Hello readers! Another week of Major League Baseball action has finished. The first full month of the season is done, for some teams it meant great joy and for some great horror. As the months get warmer, teams will start to get hotter as they will find their stride on both the mound and at the batters box.

May is usually the month when you start to see some of the bottom of the pack fall back to obscurity while most of the teams will stay within the pack. It also brings the time when the first All-Star Ballots come out and the votes start pouring in.

In this column I'll break down the 30 clubs recap, who got the monthly awards for April and a Final Out recapping the month that was April for the best plays of the month. We're a full month and change into the season and we still have five months left to go, let's get to work!

American League

American League East (2nd Inning):

Baltimore Orioles (5th in AL East; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 12-22; Week Runs Scored: 17):
The Orioles took 1 of 3 (4th game was postponed) against the White Sox and took 1 of 2 (3rd game was also postponed) against the Rays. The offense this week was meager but the pitching and bullpen really got them those two wins this week. This team isn't expected to do much but nice to see at least some wins in Baltimore.

This week: 3 games vs Boston; 3 games vs Los Angeles (AL)

Boston Red Sox (3rd in AL East; Week Record: 6-1; Overall Record: 16-18; Week Runs Scored: 55):
The Red Sox swept the Athletics in 3 games and took 3 of 4 against the White Sox. The Red Sox had been lax so far on the season but certainly this week has changed some heads. When your offense scores a lot of runs in a game and you're a quality pitcher like Eduardo Rodriguez or Chris Sale you have to feel good. Has to be nice to see Chris Sale throwing the ball like he used to.

This week: 3 games @ Baltimore; 3 games vs Seattle

New York Yankees (2nd in AL East; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 19-14; Week Runs Scored: 16):
The Yankees got swept in 2 games against the Diamondbacks and took 2 of 3 against the Twins. New York's offense was a bit off this week as they didn't really get going against a supposedly meager Arizona team and got swept against them. Sure they don't have the necessary people to make a run at the championship yet but you have to play with what you have.

This week: 4 games vs Seattle; 3 games @ Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Rays (1st in AL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 21-12; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Rays took 2 of 4 against the Royals and took 1 of 2 (3rd game was postponed as well) against the Orioles. You could see that outside of Glasnow that the Rays starting rotation had a rough week and their offense putting up good run numbers but still to go .500 on the week is a bit troublesome. We will learn a lot about the Rays when they play a weekend series at home against the Yankees.

This week: 3 games vs Arizona; 3 games vs New York (AL)

Toronto Blue Jays (4th in AL East; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 15-18; Week Runs Scored: 16):
The Blue Jays got swept in 3 games against the Angels and took 1 of 3 against the Rangers. The pitching has been good, even holding the Rangers to 0 runs in a 1-0 game on Friday (in 12 innings by the way). It also shows how bad the Blue Jays have been in scoring runs. Both need to coexist well to win ballgames.

This week: 3 games vs Minnesota; 3 games vs Chicago (AL)

American League Central (3rd Inning)

Chicago White Sox (Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 14-17; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The White Sox took 2 of 3 (4th game was postponed) against the Orioles and took 1 of 4 against the Red Sox. Same story for the team on the Southside of Chicago. That 15-2 drubbing by the Red Sox had to be a confidence killer for their pitching staff which has had a rough go of it, still your offense can still put up numbers. Tim Anderson is going to be a stud for a while.

This week: 4 games @ Cleveland; 3 games @ Toronto

Cleveland Indians (2nd in AL Central; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 18-14; Week Runs Scored: 16):
The Indians took 1 of 2 against the Marlins and took 2 of 3 against the Mariners. Offense is still struggling for the Tribe but when you have Brad Hand as your closer getting you saves you have to feel better. Perhaps if you're still in the playoff race come July you could trade your assets to get a complementary bat to help your offense.

This week: 4 games vs Chicago (AL); 3 games @ Oakland

Detroit Tigers (3rd in AL Central; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 15-16; Week Runs Scored: 18):
The Tigers took 1 of 2 against the Phillies and took 2 of 3 against the Royals. Detroit's pitching has come up huge for them as they really need a great pitching staff along with a great closer in Shane Greene (who notched two saves this week) otherwise this team would be last in the division as the offense just doesn't get a lot of runs and sometimes that's enough to give them an edge in a game.

This week: 3 games vs Los Angeles (AL); 4 games @ Minnesota

Kansas City Royals (5th in AL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 12-23; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Royals took 2 of 4 against the Rays and took 1 of 3 against the Tigers. Somehow in baseball that the Royals offense could outduel the strong pitching of the Rays in 2 of 4 games. You never pictured them to score 15 runs against Detroit's pitching staff in a game. Their offense was good for better part of the week but we're not kidding when they are still rebuilding.

This week: 3 games @ Houston; 3 games vs Philadelphia

Minnesota Twins (1st in AL Central; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 20-12; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Twins took 3 of 4 against the Astros and took 1 of 3 against the Yankees. Minnesota looked pretty good against a great Astros team (other than that 11-0 drubbing but we forget that) and then looked meager against an old bully. The Twins pitching has been good so far this season and their offense has given them chances to win as well. They just ran into a buzzsaw of a Yankees team that has a chip on its shoulder. Should be an easier week for the Twinkies though.

This week: 3 games @ Toronto; 4 games vs Detroit

American League West (4th inning)

Houston Astros (1st in AL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 19-14; Week Runs Scored: 39):
The Astros took 1 of 4 against the Twins and took 2 of 2 against the Angels. Houston had an off week this week. Their back end of the rotation took losses as well as Justin Verlander though his start on Monday was a 1-0 loss. The offense has to get some flack this week for their inept to score runs but they did get them during their short series against the Angels at Mexico.

This week: 3 games vs Kansas City; 4 games vs Texas

Los Angeles Angels (4th in AL West; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 15-18; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Angels swept the Blue Jays in 3 games and got swept in 2 games against Astros. It had been a solid week for the Halos on pitching and hitting then reality set back to them when they got their teeth kicked in against the Astros. Ohtani's return will definitely be a day to look forward to.

This week: 3 games @ Detroit; 3 games @ Baltimore

Oakland Athletics (5th in AL West; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 15-21; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Athletics got swept in 3 games against the Red Sox and took 1 of 3 against the Pirates. It would seem strange that this team was hammering the Red Sox earlier back in April then come unhinged when they travel to Boston. Sure they are hit with injuries to Khris Davis who will miss a few days due to a hip injury but the wheels sure do come off quick.

This week: 3 games vs Cincinnati; 3 games vs Cleveland

Seattle Mariners (2nd in AL West; Week Record: 1-4; Overall Record: 19-17; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Mariners got swept in 2 games against the Cubs and took 1 of 3 against the Indians. Seattle is 3-7 in their last 10 games. The offense that had gotten them off to such a fast start has been lax and their pitching has given up a lot of runs, including a 11-0 loss on Wednesday. Just proves that slow and steady wins the race and fast and hot won't. Not saying that they can't recover from this but its a long stretch of the schedule and they have to play in some tough series for the next week.

This week: 4 games @ New York (AL); 3 games @ Boston

Texas Rangers (3rd in AL West; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 15-16; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The Rangers got swept in 2 games against the Pirates and took 2 of 3 against the Blue Jays. Things are bigger in Texas, or at least with the Rangers on offense. Joey Gallo and Isiah Finer-Falefa has given the Rangers some hits and RBI's to help their offense and Lance Lynn has been a good starter for them with his 4-2 record on the year. The ERA is still quite a bit high for my liking.

This week: 2 games @ Pittsburgh; 4 games @ Houston

National League

National League East (5th inning)

Atlanta Braves (2nd in NL East; Week Record: 5-2; Overall Record: 18-16; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Braves took 2 of 4 against the Padres and took 3 of 3 against the Marlins. The pitching stepped up big this week and the offense as well whigh scored a lot of runs in the week. Dansby Swanson and Brian McCann proved a lot of spark to their run production and wins. Still you played against the Marlins who you had to beat and did. Still hoping for the same against some good teams in the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.

This week: 3 games @ Los Angeles (NL); 4 games @ Arizona

Miami Marlins (5th in NL East; Week Record: 1-4; Overall Record: 9-24; Week Runs Scored: 13):
The Marlins took 1 of 2 against the Indians and got swept in 3 games against the Braves. Derek Jeter vented at his frustrations on the team's performance this past week. You can't necessarily blame the guy but you can certainly give him majority of the problem as you practically gave away most of your talent to other teams with very little production in return. This team is going to be bad come the end of the season, just how bad is the question. A projected number of 45 wins is possible, beating the loss record of the 2003 Tigers by a few games. Just sad.

This week: 4 games @ Chicago (NL); 3 games @ New York (NL)

New York Mets (3rd in the NL East; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 16-18; Week Runs Scored: 15):
The Mets took 2 of 4 against the Reds and got swept in 3 games against the Brewers. In a New York minute you can go from looking like a great pitching and solid hitting club to bottoming out. Jason Vargas and Steven Matz got hit with an injury and will miss a week. Last week was such a formality with this team that they just can't score runs.

This week: 3 games @ San Diego; 3 games vs Miami

Philadelphia Phillies (1st in NL East; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 19-14; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The Phillies took 1 of 2 against the Tigers and took 2 of 3 against the Nationals. Bryce Harper has been struggling as of late which shouldn't come to any surprise. Nor should the idea that Philadelphia fans wouldn't boo him, which is to their custom to do. Even their manager has criticised the struggling Harper. Despite the struggles for him Seranthony Dominguez got two wins this week coming in from the bullpen.

This week: 3 games @ St. Louis; 3 games @ Kansas City

Washington Nationals (4th in NL East; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 14-19; Week Runs Scored: 21):
The Nationals took 1 of 4 against the Cardinals and took 1 of 3 against the Phillies. Washington got rid of their pitching coach on Friday which wouldn't come to a surprise as their team's ERA is way too high for the amount of talent that they have. Their bullpen has been pretty bad but it shouldn't be discounted for the fact that Anibal Sanchez has yet to record a victory this year as he is 0-5. Injuries have been plaguing them so far as well. Still, you're not the Miami Marlins.

This week: 3 games @ Milwaukee; 4 games @ Los Angeles (NL)

National League Central (6th inning)

Chicago Cubs (1st in NL Central; Week Record: 5-0; Overall Record: 19-12; Week Runs Scored: 40):
The Cubs swept the Mariners in 2 games and swept the Cardinals in 3 games. Their pitching staff posted 2 shutouts during the week and their offense was great this week. They seemed to have recovered well this week.

This week: 4 games vs Miami; 3 games vs Milwaukee

Cincinnati Reds (5th in NL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 14-20; Week Runs Scored: 34):
The Reds took 2 of 4 against the Mets and 1 of 3 against the Giants. Derek Dietrich is having a great week hitting four home runs and an OPS of 1.020, extraordinary numbers for the player. Their batting average is still awful but man they can score runs and can get guys out with their pitching staff.

This week: 1 game vs San Francisco; 3 games @ Oakland; 3 games @ San Francisco

Milwaukee Brewers (3rd in NL Central; Week Record: 5-2; Overall Record: 20-16; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The Brewers took 2 of 4 against the Rockies and swept the Mets in 3 games. The Brewers didn't have Christian Yelich for most of the week but that didn't really stop them this week. After his brief stint with an injury, Yelich still hit a home run. The offense and bullpen formula for winning is still proving to be successful for them as they win. Josh Hader has 9 saves on the year for the Brew Crew.

This week: 3 games vs Washington; 3 games @ Chicago (NL)

Pittsburgh Pirates (4th in NL Central; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 16-15; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Pirates took 2 of 2 against the Rangers and took 2 of 3 against the Athletics. It was a good week for the Buccos as they are back above .500 at the end of the week. They have been hit with injuries to their rotation and position players. Chris Archer, Jacob Stallings and Lonnie Chisenhall have been plagued with injury. They still manage to find ways to win including a walk off win on Sunday. Huge series against St. Louis next weekend.

This week; 2 games vs Texas; 4 games @ St. Louis

St. Louis Cardinals (2nd in NL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 20-14; Week Runs Scored: 25):
The Cardinals took 3 of 4 against the Nationals and got swept by the Cubs in 3 games. It was a streak of sorts for the Redbirds. They got a 3 game winning streak and then had a 4 game losing streak. They ran into a tough Cubs team that was playing on momentum and I think their team wasn't prepared for it. Their pitching wasn't great for their games on Saturday and Sunday and their offense couldn't produce runs on Friday. I think they'll be fine but this has to be a wake up call for them.

This week: 3 games vs Philadelphia; 4 games vs Pittsburgh

National League West (7th inning)

Arizona Diamondbacks (2nd in NL West; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 20-13; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Diamondbacks swept the Yankees in 2 games and took 2 of 3 against the Rockies. It still baffles me how well this offense is putting up numbers as well as they have. David Peralta and Ketel Marte have been stellar for the Diamonbacks both posting 20+ RBI's on the year. I guess they really don't miss Paul Goldschmidt. Greg Holland has 8 saves on the year too.

This week: 3 games @ Tampa Bay; 4 games vs Atlanta

Colorado Rockies (4th in NL West; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 15-19; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Rockies split a 4 game series against the Brewers and took 1 of 3 against the Diamondbacks. Colorado just hasn't shown any consistency so far on the year. They had a good week last week but now they just seem to revert back to their ineptitude of not hitting well, driving in runs, and getting guys out. Just ugly.

This week: 3 games vs San Francisco; 3 games vs San Diego

Los Angeles Dodgers (1st in NL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 22-13; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The Dodgers took 1 of 3 against the Giants and took 2 of 3 against the Padres. Cody Bellinger is still putting up numbers for them. Kenley Jansen is getting them saves in close ballgames. They can look stellar in week in and week out then you give the Giants two wins in a series. Still they look good.

This week: 3 games vs Atlanta; 4 games vs Washington

San Diego Padres (3rd in NL West; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 19-16; Week Runs Scored: 34):
The Padres took 2 of 4 against the Braves and took 1 of 3 against the Dodgers. San Diego had an alright week with ups and downs. The Dodgers got to Kirby Yates who had looked unstoppable. The offense was good this week as Hunter Renfroe hit a walk-off home run on Sunday. Still astonishing that this team is supposed to be still rebuilding.

This week: 3 games vs New York; 3 games @ Colorado

San Francisco Giants (5th in NL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 15-19; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Giants took 2 of 3 against the Dodgers and took 2 of 3 against the Reds. Buster Posey showed some flash of his old self on Sunday a three-run home run then got a double and scored on a Brandon Crawford home run. The pitching has kept them in games as well and Will Smith got the Giants 3 saves on the week.

This week: 1 game @ Cincinnati; 3 games @ Colorado; 3 games vs Cincinnati

League Leaders & Notes(8th Inning):

This past Wednesday, Major League Baseball released their monthly awards for batter of the month, pitcher of the month and rookie of the month for both leagues. Your batters of the month were Tim Anderson of the White Sox and Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers (well deserved too). Your pitchers of the month were Tyler Glasnow of the Rays and Luis Castillo of the Reds (no surprises there). Then your Rookies of the Month were Brandon Lowe of the Rays and Pete Alonso of the Mets. Congratulations to all the winners.

In the American League your batting leaders are: Hunter Dozier (Royals) with a .346 batting average, Gary Sanchez (Yankees) with 11 home runs, and Jose Abreu (White Sox) with 32 RBI's. The pitching leaders are Tyler Glasnow (Rays) with 6 wins and a 1.47 ERA, Shane Greene (Tigers) with 13 saves. Tim Anderson (White Sox) dropped down to .336 in batting average and Domingo Santana (Mariners) still has 30 RBI's.

In the National League, your batting leaders are: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers) who has a .415 batting average, 14 home runs, and 38 RBI's. Certainly if the season ended today Bellinger would have the Triple Crown in Batting. The National League's pitching leaders are: Zach Greinke (Diamondbacks) with 5 wins, Luis Castillo (Reds) with 1.45 ERA and Kirby Yates (Padres) with 14 saves.

The Final Out (9th inning):
The month of April has ended, wrapping up the first full month of the season. It has brought some remarkable plays, remarkable home runs, and some drama. We will have to see what May brings forth to all the 30 ballclubs but here'ss a video of the best plays of April. I'll see you guys as usual next week. Enjoy the baseball!