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 4 Recap (4/15/19 - 4/21/19)

First pitch (1st Inning)
Hello readers! Another week of Major League Baseball action has come to an end. High scoring games, low scoring games, pitching duels, and hitting displays galore, we have it all this week's column. In this week's column, I'll talk about all 30 teams week that were, injuries, news and notes, and a remarkable "Final Out" that you have to see. Let's get to work!
American League

American League East (2nd Inning):

Baltimore Orioles (5th in AL East; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 8-15; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Orioles would take a split in a 4-game series with Boston, take 1 of 3 against Tampa Bay, and get swept by Minnesota in 3 games. The long hitless streak from Chris Davis is finally over but the injuries for the O's piled up during their weekend series against the Twins. Seems that first week of the season drifted away like a dream. Should be noted that I only took Monday's game of their series against Boston into account for this week.

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

Boston Red Sox (4th in AL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 9-13; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Red Sox would take a split against the Orioles in 4 games, get swept by the Yankees in 2 games, and sweep the Rays in 3 games. The offense and starting pitching has still yet to figure its groove but certainly a sweep against the division leading Tampa Bay Rays has to give them some confidence. Chris Sale needs to improve as well. The loss of Dustin Pedroia yet again is hard to swallow as well. Might be time for him to retire.

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

New York Yankees (2nd in AL East; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 11-10; Week Runs Scored: 36):
The Yankees swept the Red Sox in 2 games and took 3 of 4 against the Royals. The Yankees still keep rolling along despite hovering above .500 for this season. The injuries to Aaron Judge on Saturday could be impactful if this team wants to get to the playoffs again. Yet again they seem to be doing just fine with their offense. Pitching has stepped up big time for the Bombers.

This week: 4 games @ Los Angeles (AL); 3 games @ San Francisco

Tampa Bay Rays (1st in AL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 14-8; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The Rays took 2 of 3 against the Orioles and got swept by the Red Sox in 3 games. The division leading Rays took a bit of a detour this week as their pitching went south. Tyler Glasnow has looked a bit more vulnerable now and Blake Snell was hit with an injury but will be back later in the week. Hard to say that this is the Rays team that we expected but they need to get back to their bread and butter with pitching. At least their offense somewhat kept them in games.

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

Toronto Blue Jays (3rd in AL East; Week Record: 6-1; Overall Record: 10-12; Week Runs Scored: 39):
The Blue Jays took 3 of 4 against the Twins and swept the Athletics in 3 games. The Blue Jays were one of the better teams this week. Taking on some quality teams and running them over. Their offense needed it too. I mean to put up 39 runs. The loss of Matt Shoemaker for 2 weeks will be tough to manage. Aaron Sanchez would get hit with the injury bug too but will be out for at least a week.

This week: 2 games vs San Francisco; 3 games vs Oakland

American League Central (3rd Inning)

Chicago White Sox (4th in AL Central; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 8-12; Week Runs Scored: 30):
The White Sox took 2 of 3 against the Royals and took 1 of 3 (possible 4 but the April 20th game will be played on August 6th) against the Tigers. The Southsiders were .500 for the week and certainly it can be said for their season so far. Their offense looks good to keep them in games but their pitching has still hasn't come to bat. The loss of Lucas Giolito for a week will be hard but they can't do worse than lose every game.

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

Cleveland Indians (2nd in AL Central; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 12-9; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Indians took 3 of 3 against the Mariners and took 1 of 3 against the Braves. Cleveland is an interesting team, they can have a good day on hitting, then a bad one, likewise for pitching. They can score 6 runs in one game and then 1 run the next. Fortunately that 1 run was a 1-0 shutout. They really took it to the Mariners and then look awful against a Braves team with bullpen issues. I don't know what to think of this team.

This week: 2 games vs Miami; 3 games @ Houston

Detroit Tigers (3rd in AL Central; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 10-10; Week Runs Scored: 19):
The Tigers were swept in 2 games against the Pirates and took 2 of 3 (possible 4th was postponed and was rescheduled for August 6th) against the White Sox. Getting enough runs and innings enough to get to Shane Greene is a sound strategy for the Tigers. Greene got two saves this week increasing his season total to 10. Christin Stewart will miss a week due to injury but its the Tigers batting that can't seem to get them wins.

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

Kansas City Royals (5th in AL Central; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 7-15; Week Runs Scored: 25):
The Royals took 1 of 3 against the White Sox and took 1 of 4 against the Yankees. Kansas City has a lot of problems, their offense doesn't score enough runs, their pitching can't stop no one and a bullpen to close down opponents. The loss of Danny Duffy to injury will be less than a week but their injury list of pitchers is one too many problems that KC can handle. The basement in the division is nice and cool.

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

Minnesota Twins (1st in AL Central; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 12-7; Week Runs Scored: 42):
The Twins took 1 of 4 against the Blue Jays and swept the Orioles in 3 games. A whopping 42 runs were scored by the Twins this week. They score 16 on Saturday against the Orioles. Still its the Orioles who have not a lot of pitching depth. The Twins have the best batting average in the majors with .275, not too shabby. Their pitching can always improve too.

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

American League West (4th inning)

Houston Astros (2nd in AL West; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 13-8; Week Runs Scored: 31):
The Astros took a 2-game split against the Athletics and took 1 of 3 against the Rangers. The Astros had a meh week. Average would be more like it to them. Gerritt Cole has certainly been questionable with his 1-3 record and an ERA over 5. They should be fine but certainly your division games are important, especially against an in-state rival. Michael Brantley has a 13-game hitting streak though.

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

Los Angeles Angels (5th in AL West; Week Record: 1-6; Overall Record: 9-13; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Angels got swept against the Rangers in 3 games and took 1 out of 4 against the Mariners. Their offense can get them runs but their pitching has done jack for them. Same story, same old Angels.

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

Oakland Athletics (4th in AL West; Week Record: 1-4; Overall Record: 11-13; Week Runs Scored: 9):
The A's took 1 of 2 against the Astros and took 0 of 3 against the Blue Jays. A whopping 9 runs of offense. The most they would get was 4 in a 5-4 loss against the Blue Jays. Their offense took a week off this week certainly. Still, Ramon Laurenado is quite a spectacle on defense.

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

Seattle Mariners (1st in AL West; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 16-9; Week Runs Scored: 34):
The Mariners got swept in 3 games against the Indians and took 3 of 4 against the Angels. The Mariners are still a pretty solid club who was laxed on offense earlier in the week and then took advantage of not good Angels pitching. Need to get better to keep off the surging Astros though.

This week: 2 games @ San Diego; 4 games vs Texas

Texas Rangers (3rd in AL West; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 12-8; Week Runs Scored: 44):
The Rangers swept the Angels in 3 games and took 2 of 3 against the Astros. Certainly the bigger surprise this week was the Rangers who took it to the defending division champs at home. Their offense really took off and certainly their pitching has done well too. Kudos to Texas.
This week: 3 games @ Oakland; 4 games @ Seattle

National League

National League East (5th inning)

Atlanta Braves (2nd in NL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 11-10; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Braves got swept against the Diamondbacks and took 2 of 3 against the Indians. Bullpen issues still plague the Braves as Arodys Vizcaino was hit with injury and his season was over. Not looking promising for Atlanta but you did look good against a solid Indians team on the road.

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

Miami Marlins (5th in NL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 6-16; Week Runs Scored: 14):
The Marlins got swept against the Cubs in 3 games and took 2 of 3 against the Nationals. The worst team in the majors had a bright spot in taking 2 of 3 against a good Nationals team. Other than that their offense is non-existent and their pitching can't keep offenses off base. Its a long season yet.

This week: 2 games @ Cleveland; 4 games @ Philadelphia

New York Mets (3rd in NL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 11-10; Week Runs Scored: 23):
The Mets took 1 of 3 against the Phillies and 1 of 3 against the Cardinals. Mets took a hit for pitching as Jacob DeGrom was diagnosed with an elbow injury that will last for a week. Their pitching hasn't kept offenses off the bases. Still if you can get through to the 9th with a lead, Edwin Diaz can get them a save if its possible.

This week: 3 games vs Philadelphia; 3 games vs Milwaukee

Philadelphia Phillies (1st in NL East; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 12-9; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Phillies took 2 of 3 against the Mets and took 1 of 4 against the Rockies. The offense is still quite good if only the pitching can stop giving up home runs. Bryce Harper is quite fun to watch.

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

Washington Nationals (4th in NL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 10-10; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Nationals took 2 of 3 against the Giants and took 1 of 3 against the Marlins. Max Scherzer was hit with a rib injury but it will be a short injury stint. The Nationals offense was a bit lax and a bit up and down during the week. Didn't quite gain any ground on teams in their division.

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

National League Central (6th inning)

Chicago Cubs (4th in NL Central; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 10-10; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Cubs swept the Marlins in 3 games and took 2 of 3 against the Diamondbacks. On the Northside this week the Cubs improved greatly this week. They had good pitching performances like Tyler Chatwood (who would get a no decision) and Cole Hamels. Hamels is sporting a 3-0 record so far this season. Offense is efficient as well.

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

Cincinnati Reds (5th in NL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 8-13; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Reds got swept in 3 games against the Dodgers and took 3 of 4 against the Padres. The Reds are certainly a team in rebuilding and a 3-4 record this week and only 20 runs scored. The offense could do better but no one on bat stands out as a powerhouse that can put up numbers. Pitching as well.

This week: 3 games vs Atlanta; 3 games @ St. Louis

Milwaukee Brewers (3rd in NL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 13-10; Week Runs Scored: 30):
The Brewers took 2 of 3 against St. Louis and took 1 of 4 against the Dodgers. Christian Yelich is probably best thing the Brew Crew have had a long time. Their offense and bullpen are playing well but its their starting pitching that still proves to give them hiccups.

This week: 3 games @ St. Louis; 3 games @ New York (NL)

Pittsburgh Pirates (1st in NL Central; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 12-7; Week Runs Scored: 17):
The Pirates took a 2-game sweep against the Tigers and took 2 of 3 against the Giants. Pittsburgh's pitching did really well against some decent hitting teams in the Tigers and the Giants.
This week: 4 games vs Arizona; 3 games @ Los Angeles (NL)

St. Louis Cardinals (2nd in NL Central; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 12-9; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Cardinals took 1 of 3 against the Brewers and took 2 of 3 against the Mets. St. Louis' offense has shown to get 10+ run games while not always the case as they can win games with lesser run amounts, the pitching should be called into questioning during their series against the Brewers. It needs to get better against a team like the Brewers if they want to get to bigger and better things.

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

National League West (7th inning)

Arizona Diamondbacks (3rd in NL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 11-11; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Diamondbacks swept the Braves in 3 games and took 1 of 3 against the Cubs. It's quite preposterous how well the Diamondbacks are at .500 this week. All their facets to the game they do well at. The record could've been easily 5-1 had they not lose a game in a walk-off fashion on Sunday at Wrigley Field. You don't quite know what you're going to get with this team.

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

Colorado Rockies (4th in NL West; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 9-13; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Rockies swept the Padres in 2 games and took 3 of 4 against the Phillies. Colorado needed this week to get back into the division race and boy did they answer. The Rockies got a good week from Jon Gray who got 2 wins during the week. Offense too is starting to wake up after a early slump.

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

Los Angeles Dodgers (1st in NL West; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 15-9; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Dodgers swept the Reds in 3 games and then took 3 of 4 against the Brewers. Kenley Jansen got 3 saves this week increasing his total to 7. The Dodgers had a better week than last week in terms of record and certainly you have to give the credit to their pitching while their hitting has given them enough runs to close games out.

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

San Diego Padres (2nd in NL West; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 12-11; Week Runs Scored: 13):
The Padres got swept against the Rockies in a 2-game set and took 1 of 4 against the Reds. I certainly thought the Padres would fall back down to earth eventually but certainly not against a Reds team. I felt the Padres offense was better. Baseball is a finicky sport. Still Kirby Yates got his 10th save on Sunday.

This week: 2 games vs Seattle; 3 games @ Washington

San Francisco Giants (5th in NL West; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 9-14; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Giants took 1 of 3 against the Nationals and took 1 of 3 against the Pirates. The Giants still are struggling on offense, this has been most of the case so far this year. While their pitching can do so much to help the team.

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

League Leaders and Notes (8th Inning)

Your American League leaders in batting are: Tim Anderson (White Sox) with .422 batting average, Khris Davis (Athletics) 9 home runs, Domingo Santana (Mariners) with 25 RBI's. In pitching your leaders are: Tyler Glasnow (Rays) and Marco Gonzales (Mariners) tied with 4 wins, Tyler Glasnow with a 1.13 ERA, and Shane Greene (Tigers) with 9 saves.

Your National League leaders in batting are: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers) with .407 batting average and Christian Yelich (Brewers) with 13 home runs and 31 RBI's. In pitching Zach Greinke is tied with 4 other pitchers with 3 wins, Joe Musgrove (Pirates) with a .081 ERA, and Kirby Yates with 10 saves.

In injury news, Aaron Judge will be out until May 28th with an Oblique injury that was suffered during a Saturday game against the Royals. Matt Shoemaker of the Blue Jays was put on the 10-day Injury List with a left knee injury he suffered during a rundown. Rich Hill of the Dodgers is expected to throw during a spring game before returning to the club to start next Sunday against the Pirates.

The Final Out (9th inning):

If in case you haven't learned about Ramon Laureanado of the Athletics, you've either been living in a cave or you try not to remember him because he's not on your team. On Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, he made a play that has to be considered play of the year. I'll be back next week to recap the week that was in baseball, until then, enjoy the video and have a good week.

MLB 2019 Week 3 Recap (4/8/19 - 4/14/19)

First pitch/Hello (1st Inning)

Hello readers! Another week of the Major League Baseball season has come to a close. April has brought some good vibes to some teams while some have had bad. In this week's column I'll talk about the week that was for all 30 teams as well as injury news and stats leaders. Let's get to work!

American League

American League East (2nd Inning):

Baltimore Orioles (T-3rd in AL East; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 6-10; Week Runs Scored: 35):
The Orioles took 1 of 4 against the Athletics and currently have taken 1 of 3 (4th game of the series will be on Monday but that game will on next week's column) against the Red Sox. The Orioles offense has been active but not a lot of wins to show for it. Chris Davis finally got his first hit out of 55 at-bats. Maybe his funk can be figured out.

Next week: 1 game @ Boston, 3 games @ Tampa Bay; 3 games vs Minnesota

Boston Red Sox (T-3rd in AL East; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 6-10; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The defending champs had a better week in the win column for most of the week. They split a 2-game series against the Blue Jays and have taken 2 of 3 (4th game will be played on Monday but that will be on next week's column). The bright spot has been Mitch Moreland who has gotten the Red Sox out of jams and is certainly the reason why they have six wins. Then you have to go on another road trip after Monday's Patriots Day game.

Next week: 1 game vs Orioles, 2 games @ New York (AL), 3 games @ Tampa Bay

New York Yankees (2nd in AL East; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 6-9; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Yankees got swept against the Astros in 3 games and took 1 of 3 against the White Sox. The Yankees this week ran into a buzzsaw in the Astros who haven't had a great start to the season either. The pitching has kept them in ballgames and certainly you could say the same for their offense but in order to win games you need to have solid pitching and great hitting and a little luck. The Yankees don't seem to have that at the moment. Still Domingo German has 3 wins on the young season.

Next week: 2 games vs Boston; 4 games vs Kansas City.

Tampa Bay Rays (1st in AL East; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 11-4; Week Runs Scored: 44):
The Rays swept the White Sox in 3 games and took 2 of 3 against the Blue Jays. One of the crazier stats is that they have the best team ERA in the majors but in general their pitching staff isn't loaded with Cy Young caliber players. Jose Alvarado is a save machine, Tyler Glasnow and Charlie Morton both have 6 wins and 42 strikeouts combined. Its preposterous how good the Rays are playing right now.

Next week: 4 games vs Baltimore; 3 games vs Boston

Toronto Blue Jays (5th in AL East; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 5-11; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The Blue Jays split a 2-game series against the Red Sox and took 1 of 3 against the Rays. Their offense had a better week this week compared to last week, just not a lot of wins to show for it. Matt Shoemaker is a bright spot on the Blue Jays starting rotation. Their offense has abysmal numbers with their offense batting .201 and scoring 52 runs (28th and 23rd in the majors respectively). Still Vlad Jr is possibly coming up.

Next week: 4 games @ Minnesota; 3 games @ Oakland

American League Central (3rd Inning)

Chicago White Sox (4th in AL Central; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 5-9; Week Runs Scored: 21):
The White Sox got swept by the Rays in 3 games and took 2 of 3 against the Yankees. Tim Anderson is still having a great year along with productive offense from his fellow teammates. The White Sox still have a problem with their team's ERA which is currently dead last with 5.56, can't win games with that high of an ERA. Still to take a series victory in New York has to say a lot.

This week: 3 games vs Kansas City; 4 games @ Detroit

Cleveland Indians (2nd in AL Central; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 8-7; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Indians took 2 of 3 against the Tigers and get swept by the Royals in 3 games. The Indians this week looked good to start the week and then ended bad at the end of the week. Their offense took a nap during the two games of the Royals series before scoring 8 on Sunday. Even that was not enough. Doesn't help that their team's batting average is .185 which is 30th in the majors. Not looking promising for the Chief Wahoo Crew.

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

Detroit Tigers (T-2nd in AL Central; Week Record: 1-4; Overall Record: 8-6; Week Runs Scored: 13):
The Tigers took 1 of 3 against the Indians and got swept in 2 games (the 3rd game will be made up on May 11th) against the Twins. The Tigers on offense showed some fight more in the Twins series than the Indians series but they need to get more runs as they are dead last in runs scored. Their pitching is doing well enough as Shane Greene has 8 saves in the season. Certainly if the Tigers can get to the 9th inning with a lead they can get a win. That's a big if unto itself there.

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

Kansas City Royals (5th in AL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 5-10; Week Runs Scored: 39):
The Royals got swept in 4 games against the Mariners and swept the Indians in 3 games. The brooms were the story for the Royals this week. They were the victim of the sweeping and they returned the favor. Their offense has picked up a bit since last week and a pitching staff to match. Alex Gordon has 13 RBI's on the year and Jorge Soler and Adalberto Mondesi has 12 RBI's and 11 RBI's respectively. The pitching's ERA can get better.

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

Minnesota Twins (1st in AL Central; Week Record: 3-1; Overall Record: 7-4; Week Runs Scored: 30):
The Twins took a split against the Mets and swept the Tigers in 2 games (the 3rd game will be made up on May 11th). The Twins are doing well on both pitching and batting. Good performances by Michael Pineda and Jose Berrios show that the Twins have one of the best rotations in baseball and an offense that can get them wins. The sky is the limit for them.

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

American League West (4th inning)

Houston Astros (2nd in AL West; Week Record: 6-0; Overall Record: 11-5; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Astros swept the Yankees in 3 games and swept the Mariners in 3 games as well. The only team that posted a perfect record on the week. After a slow start for the Astros they proved to be what most people expected them to be, solid pitching, great offense and solid bullpen play. Exhibit A for bullpen: Roberto Osuna with 7 saves.

This week: 2 games @ Oakland; 3 games @ Texas

Los Angeles Angels (3rd in AL West; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 8-7; Week Runs Scored: 27):
The Angels swept the Brewers in 3 games and took a 2-game split (3rd game was postponed due to inclement weather, no makeup date planned yet) against the Cubs. The Angels offense did very well despite the loss of Mike Trout on the injury front. Their pitching had a great week as well holding opponents to 22 runs for the week.

This week: 3 games @ Texas, 4 games vs Seattle

Oakland Athletics (4th in AL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 10-9; Week Runs Scored: 50):
The Athletics took 3 of 4 against the Orioles and took 1 of 2 (3rd game of the series will be played on June 8th) against the Rangers. The Athletics on offense features a great offense and a solid defense with Ramon Laureanado. You need to see highlights of him! Shoutout to Blake Treinen getting saves.
This week: 2 games vs Houston; 3 games vs Toronto
Seattle Mariners (1st in AL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 13-5; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Mariners swept the Royals in 3 games and got swept by the Astros in 3 games. The Mariners did some sweeping and were victims of the sweeping. The offense is still having a field day going yard in 18 straight games. Unfortunately their offense outside of home runs has been lacking. Still they have the best record in the majors right now.

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

Texas Rangers (Week Record: 2-2; Overall Record: 7-7; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Rangers split a 2-game series with the Diamondbacks and took 1 of 2 (3rd game of the series will be played on June 8th) against the Athletics. The Rangers are nearly at the bottom third in pitching and offensive rankings but they are still at .500 at the end of this week. Joey Gallo still continues to do damage at a low batting average.

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

National League

National League East (5th inning)

Atlanta Braves (3rd in NL East; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 9-6; Week Runs Scored: 38):
The Braves took 2 out of a possible 3 (3rd game will be played on August 26th) against the Rockies and took 2 of 4 against the Mets. The Braves offense had a good week and certainly you can say their pitching has done well too. They had good offensive performances by Nick Markakis and Dansby Swanson their mainstay players. Shoutout to Josh Donaldson who has hit in 7 straight games.

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

Miami Marlins (5th in NL East; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 4-12; Week Runs Scored: 13):
The Marlins got swept by the Reds in 3 games and took 1 of 3 against the Phillies. The Marlins this week were terrible to say the least. The Marlins continued the week with a 5-game losing streak before breaking out in a 10-3 victory against Philadelphia on Saturday. The pitching can keep them in games. The offense needs to show up when the Marlins got shut out twice against the lowly Reds. Need more than 13 runs for sure.

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

New York Mets (T-1st in NL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 9-5; Week Runs Scored: 36):
The Mets took a 2-game split against the Twins and took 2 of 4 against the Braves. The Mets have been doing well on offense and their pitching has well not done so well. Jacob DeGrom has fallen back to earth going 2-0 with his 0.82 ERA last week, he is now at 3.18 ERA to end the week. Still a good week staying with the Phillies for that first place mark.

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

Philadelphia Phillies (T-1st in NL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 9-5; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Phillies took 1 of 3 against the Nationals and took 2 of 3 against the Marlins. The pitching took a beating in a 15-1 loss against the Nationals on Wednesday but would still hold steady at the offensive game. Its more on the bat of Rhys Hoskins and not of Bryce Harper so far this season for the Phillies.

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

Washington Nationals (4th in NL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 7-7; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Nationals took 2 of 3 against the Phillies and took 1 of 3 against the Pirates. The Nationals on offense was stellar posting two 10+ run games against the Phillies. Their offense took a nap a bit against the Pirates but the pitching needs to improve on ERA as they have a team ERA over 5.00, not a good mark.

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

National League Central (6th inning)

Chicago Cubs (T-4th in NL Central; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 5-9; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Cubs took 2 of 3 against the Pirates and split a series against the Angels (the 3rd game was postponed due to inclement weather, no plans have been made to make it up). The Cubs offense took off with a 10-0 victory against Pittsburgh on Monday. The pitching too was improved as they posted another shutout and a 1-run game. They needed a better week and it showed.

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

Cincinnati Reds (T-4th in NL Central; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 5-9; Week Runs Scored: 31):
The Reds swept the Marlins in 3 games and split a 2-game series against the Cardinals. Another team that did well this week. The Reds offense scored 14 runs on the Marlins. You could say that the Bengals scored two touchdowns on the Dolphins in this one. Their pitching has been their go to for victories but their offense has done enough to give them W's.

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

Milwaukee Brewers (1st in NL Central; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 10-6; Week Runs Scored: 25):
The Brewers got swept by the Angels in 3 games and took 2 of 3 against the Dodgers. The Crew didn't get to Josh Hader this week but still managed to play average. The offense has been damaging but their achilles heel has certainly been their starting pitching. Christian Yelich has cooled off this week as well.

This week: 3 games vs St. Louis; 4 games vs Los Angeles (NL)

Pittsburgh Pirates (T-2nd in NL Central; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 8-6; Week Runs Scored: 17):
The Pirates took 1 of 3 against the Cubs and took 2 of 3 against the Nationals. The week was an up and down one for the Pirates. They win a game, they would lose a game, and so forth. The Pirates were shutout twice in their series against the Cubs so certainly their offense needs to step up better as their pitching is doing their job well.

This week: 2 games @ Detroit; 3 games vs San Francisco

St. Louis Cardinals (2nd in NL Central; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 9-6; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Cardinals swept the Dodgers in 4 games and split a 2-game series against the Reds. The Cardinals this week played really well against my self-proclaimed "best team in baseball right now" team in the Dodgers. Their offense has had a slow start but they have been picking it up this week and their pitching as well has improved.

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

National League West (7th inning)

Arizona Diamondbacks (3rd in NL West; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 7-9; Week Runs Scored: 25):
The Diamondbacks split a 2-game series against the Rangers and took 1 of 4 against the Padres. The offense has been better than expected when they lost two of their position players in the offseason. The pitching has been laxing a bit, near the bottom third of home runs given up and ERA. Rough season in Arizona.

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

Colorado Rockies (5th in NL West; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 4-12; Week Runs Scored: 15):
The Rockies got swept in 2 games (3rd game will be made up on August 26th) against the Braves and took 1 of 4 against the Giants. Their offense still continues to haunt them but their pitching has been up to par so far this season. Hopefully when the weather gets warmer the Rockies bats can get going but if there was a chance to get started, now would be good.

This week: 2 games @ San Diego; 4 games vs Philadelphia

Los Angeles Dodgers (2nd in NL West; Week Record: 1-6; Overall Record: 9-8; Week Runs Scored: 25):
The Dodgers got swept by the Cardinals and took 1 of 3 against the Brewers. I give them a great compliment last week and they shit the bed the next week. Their offense didn't get the job done and their pitching laxed a lot. Still Cody Bellinger is one heck of a baseball player.

This week: 3 games vs Cincinnati; 4 games @ Milwaukee

San Diego Padres (1st in NL West; Week Record: 5-2; Overall Record: 11-6; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The Padres took 2 of 3 against the Giants and 3 of 4 against the Diamondbacks. The nicer stories of the year is out in San Diego where the Padres have taken sole possession of 1st place in the NL West. I can't say that Machado has been a factor but it is nice to have him as a player for them. Kirby Yates has 9 saves with a 0.90 ERA, not too bad.

This week: 2 games vs Colorado; 4 games vs Cincinnati

San Francisco Giants (4th in NL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 7-10; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Giants took 1 of 3 against the Padres and took 3 of 4 against the Rockies. Offense still hasn't shown signs of improvement but their pitching enough has gotten them wins. Not much to really say else.

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

League Leaders & Notes (8th Inning)

In the American League your batting leaders are: Tim Anderson with .444 batting average, Khris Davis with 10 home runs, Domingo Santana with 22 RBI's. Your American League leaders in pitching are: Marco Gonzales with 4 wins, Tyler Glasnow with 0.53 ERA, and Shane Greene with 8 saves.

In the National League your batting leaders are: Cody Bellinger with .422 batting average, Bellinger with 9 home runs, and Bellinger with 22 RBI's, certainly he is having a good season so far. The National League leaders in pitching are: Sean Doolittle with 3 wins, Joe Musgrove with 0.00 ERA, and Kirby Yates with 9 saves.

The week that was brought some injuries to some key players. Gary Sanchez was injured with a left calf strain earlier this week that will be a 10-day stint in the Injury List, should be back later this month. Mike Trout is day-to-day with a right groin strain and he should be back to the lineup any day. Rougned Odor was injured on Saturday with a right knee sprain with no possible return date planned yet.

German Marquez had a possible no-hitter going into his start on Sunday. Evan Longoria ended any hope for the Rockies pitcher to get one in the 8th inning off a 0-2 pitch. The Rockies would still get a 4-0 shutout victory, ending their 8-game losing streak.

The Final Out (9th inning)

Baseball will be celebrating an anniversary on Monday, April 15th. The date marks the first game that Jackie Robinson would play as a major league player. Since that day 72 years ago in 1947, the game of baseball and certainly civil rights in the United States would not be the same. The coaches and players of all 30 clubs will wear Jackie Robinson's number, 42, in rememberance of the event. Here's a little video one of Robinson's famous moments as a player, The Steal Home. Enjoy and I'll see you guys next week for another recap.