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 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.

MLB 2019 Week 2 Recap (4/1/19 - 4/7/19)

First pitch (1st Inning)
Hello readers! The 2nd week of the 2019 Major League Baseball season is past us. With it harrowing baseball, with slugfests, pitching duels, and home openers for the teams that haven't had the chance to play at home for Opening Day.
The column is a little different this week as each segment will have a particular inning associated with it. The 1st inning will be a sort of introduction into the week's column and then the 2nd through 7th innings will have a recap of all 30 teams this week. The 8th inning will be for League Leaders and Notes. Finally, the 9th inning will have a sort of final out to it, like a sort of "goodbye" to it.

American League

American League East (2nd Inning):

Baltimore Orioles (3rd in AL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 4-5; Week Runs Scored 22):
The Orioles took 2 of 3 against Toronto and got swept in a 3-game set against the Yankees at home. The Orioles had a promising start when they took 2 of 3 against New York. Trey Mancini is off to a great start with four home runs so far this season. Not also to mention he has 9 RBI's. That 15-3 drubbing on Sunday doesn't help with morale.
This week: 4 games vs Oakland; 3 Games @ Boston

Boston Red Sox (4th in AL East; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 3-8; Week Runs Scored: 21):
The defending champs took 1 out of 4 against Oakland and took 1 of 3 against Arizona this week. The starting pitching struggles continues for the Red Sox as they couldn't keep the opposing bats in check. The offense couldn't get a lot going during most of the week, especially the back-to-back shutouts on Monday and Tuesday. On Sunday the Red Sox did get a 1-0 win to finish off a rough road trip. The hangover is certainly real in Beantown.
This week: 2 games vs Toronto; 4 games vs Baltimore

New York Yankees (2nd in AL East; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 5-4; Week Runs Scored: 34):
The Yankees took 1 out of 3 against Detroit and swept the Orioles on the road. The Yankees on offense struggled against an average team in the Tigers but the Yankees would rebound on Friday with a 8-4 win, scoring 8 unanswered runs. The Yankees on offense are a formidable force with Luke Voit's 8 RBIs and DJ LeMahieu's .458 batting average so far this season.
This week: 3 games @ Houston; 3 games vs Chicago (AL)

Tampa Bay Rays (1st in AL East; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 7-3; Week Runs Scored: 23):
The Rays took 2 of 3 against Colorado and took another 2 of 3 against San Francisco. The nicer stories so far this season is the team in Tampa. The Rays are hitting it off nicely with all facets in the game playing to their potential and beyond. Tyler Glasnow is so far 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA and an offense that is top to bottom competing for runs. Such bats like Kevin Kiermeier, Austin Meadows and Ji-Man Choi. Time will tell how well this team does come August and September but you gotta feel good if you're a Rays fan.
This week: 3 games @ Chicago (AL); 3 games @ Toronto

Toronto Blue Jays (5th in AL East; Week Record: 1-6; Overall Record: 3-8; Week Runs Scored 17):
The Blue Jays took 1 of 3 against Baltimore and got swept in 4 games against the Indians. The Blue Jays were mostly picked to finish last in the division and they certainly appear to be heading that way. Bar some continuous shitting the bed with Boston. The team has a bright spot with Matt Shoemaker who has two wins and a 0.00 ERA so far this year. Richard Urena and Freddy Galvis has a batting average above .300 and the rest are below .250, certainly their hitting needs to be improved as well.
This week: 2 games @ Boston; 3 games vs Tampa Bay

American League Central (3rd Inning)

Chicago White Sox (4th in AL Central; Week Record: 2-2; Overall Record: 3-5; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The White Sox took a split against the Indians in 2 games and lost 1 of 3 (the April 4th game was postponed) to the Mariners. The White Sox on offense can either have a good day or a bad one. Score 10 runs one day, and then 2 the next. The team on pitching still has a lot of question marks. Still a ripe division for the taking for the Sox, should they take the opportunity.
This week: 3 games vs Tampa Bay; 3 games @ New York (AL)

Cleveland Indians (2nd in AL Central; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 6-3; Week Runs Scored: 25):
The Indians took a split against the White Sox and they swept the Blue Jays in 4 games. The better teams to finish the week was Cleveland. The offense was back to normalcy and the pitching outside of Kluber is doing well. Jon Edwards has two wins in relief and Carlos Santana putting up a .444 batting average with 7 RBI's so far this season. They did play some weak competition but if they play this well against other top teams they have the tools to do well.
This week: 3 games @ Detroit; 3 games @ Kansas City

Detroit Tigers (1st in AL Central; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 7-3; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Tigers took 2 of 3 against New York and swept the Royals in 3 games. The team's success seems to be their pitching holding down the fort against some really tough offenses like New York. Their MVP right now is Shane Greene who has 7 saves in 7 opportunities. Insane stuff! Christin Stewart is a nice story as well with a grand slam on Saturday. The Tigers need him to stay on top of offense with his bat for sure.
This week: 3 games vs Cleveland; 3 games @ Minnesota

Kansas City Royals (5th in AL Central; Week Record: 0-5; Overall Record: 2-6; Week Runs Scored: 19):
The Royals were swept in a 2-game series vs Minnesota and then swept against Detroit. The one of two teams this week to not post a win. The offense couldn't quite put up enough runs to give their starters a chance and vice versa to their pitching. Their lone bright spot has been Alex Gordon who has put up 6 RBI's this week (7 in total this season).
This week: 4 games vs Seattle; 3 games vs Cleveland

Minnesota Twins (3rd in AL Central; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 5-3; Week Runs Scored: 23):
The Twins swept the Royals in a 2-game series and took 1 of 3 against the Phillies. The Twins on offense has been great with Nelson Cruz's 6 RBI's and Michael Pineda's 2.00 ERA. The team's ERA is a bit high for most folks but you somewhat forgot they went toe to toe against a good Phillies team this past week.
This week: 2 games @ New York (NL); 3 games vs Detroit

American League West (4th inning)

Houston Astros (3rd in AL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 5-5; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Astros took 1 of 3 against rival Texas and swept the Athletics in a 3 game series. The week started off weak for the Astros but finished strong. The offense is being led with George Springer's 7 RBI's and Michael Brantley's 6. The pitching is still a question mark but they are showing improvements especially against a good offense like Oakland's.
This week: 3 games vs New York (AL); 3 games @ Seattle

Los Angeles Angels (5th in AL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 4-6; Week Runs Scored: 23):
The Angels were swept against the Mariners and took 3 of 4 against the Rangers. The story this week for LA is Mike Trout. The man has 10 RBI's so far this season and the closest guy is Kole Calhoun with 4. Certainly Trout can will his team to victory but can doom it if he goes 0-for-4. They need better performances from their offense. Justin Anderson has certainly showed some flash on the mound in relief. He has two wins so far this season.
This week: 3 games vs Milwaukee; 3 games @ Chicago (NL)

Oakland Athletics (4th in AL West; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 6-7; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Athletics took 3 of 4 against the Red Sox and would get swept by the Astros in 3 games. The week started good for the A's but would finish in tremble. The A's on pitching were dominant against a juggernaut in the Red Sox but would have no answer for the Astros, same story for the offense. Still Stephen Piscotty and Khris Davis are having great starts to the season so far and Mike Fiers and Brett Anderson both have 2 wins each and a manageable ERA.
This week: 4 games @ Baltimore; 3 games @ Texas

Seattle Mariners (1st in AL West; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 9-2; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Mariners swept the Angels in 2 games and took 2 out of 3 (the April 4th game would be postponed) against the White Sox. The league's best offensive team has to certainly be the Mariners so far this year. Four players have 10+ RBI's so far this season. Insane stuff. Certainly Marco Gonzales is happy with the production as he has 2 wins so far this season. Time will tell if this team has the stuff to stay on top.
This week: 4 games @ Kansas City; 3 games @ Houston

Texas Rangers (2nd in AL West; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 5-5; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Rangers took 2 of 3 against the Astros and took 1 out of 4 against the Angels. The strength for the Rangers this week has been their bats, at least when they had a 3-game winning streak. The bats were shutdown in the series against the Angels. Shawn Kelley has two wins in relief so far this season. Not bad. Joey Gallo has 9 RBI's so far. Hard to say how well this team can do with such offense.
This week: 2 games @ Arizona; 3 games vs Oakland

National League

National League East (5th inning)

Atlanta Braves (3rd in AL NL East; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 5-4; Week Runs Scored: 33):
The Braves swept the Cubs in a 3-game series and took 2 of 3 against the Marlins. The Braves rebounded quickly after getting hammered against the Phillies last week. Their offense was a big factor. One of the driving forces was Dansby Swanson's 5 RBI's this week (7 in total). Their pitching put up two shutouts. That helps as well.
This week: 3 games @ Colorado; 4 games vs New York (NL)

Miami Marlins (5th in NL West; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 3-7; Week Runs Scored: 19):
The Marlins got swept by the Mets and took 1 of 3 against the Braves. The Marlins on offense were in general inept but it was the pitching that couldn't give their offense a chance to get them a win. Martin Prado has 9 hits on the year but no Marlin batsmen has more than 7 RBI's as Jorge Alfaro has 6. It's a long season.
This week: 3 games @ Cincinnati; 3 games vs Philadelphia

New York Mets (Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 6-3; Week Runs Scored: 34):
The Mets swept the Marlins in 3 games and took 1 out of 3 against Washington. The Mets on pitching has been stellar with Jacob DeGrom posting a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA along with 24 strikeouts. The offense has been off the charts as well as Peter Alonso's 8 RBI's. Need to do well in your division games though.
This week: 2 games vs Minnesota; 4 games @ Atlanta

Philadelphia Phillies (1st in NL East; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 6-2; Week Runs Scored: 30):
The Phillies split a 2-game set against the Nationals and they took 2 of 3 against the Twins. The Bryce Harper return to Washington was somewhat of a success as it seemed to be the start of a long time of Harper coming to the Capital (at least 200+ games worth). The offense outside of Harper has been doing well as Maikel Franco has 10 RBI's and Rhys Hoskins has 11. The pitching is a bit of a question mark as Jake Arrieta has a 1-1 record with a 2.77 ERA with 9 walks. Aaron Nola has an ERA of 7.00 with a 1-0 record so far.
This week: 3 games vs Washington; 3 games @ Miami

Washington Nationals (4th in NL East; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 4-4; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Nationals split a 2-game series against the Phillies and took 2 of 3 against the Mets. The Nationals took it to heart when their former star Bryce Harper came to town. They gave him an earful of boos. The pitching this week has been a bit off but Max Scherzer did get his first win on the year on Sunday in a 12-9 win. The offense has been doing very well as Ryan Zimmerman got 4 RBI's this week. The loss of Trea Turner could be a factor as he was placed in the 10-day Injury List.
This week: 3 games @ Philadelphia; 3 games vs Pittsburgh

National League Central (6th inning)

Chicago Cubs (4th in the NL Central; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 2-7; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Cubs got swept against the Braves in 3 games and took 1 of 3 against the Brewers. The Cubs are certainly a shocker to some people's eyes. The pitching has been dismal while the offense has been doing well enough to keep them in competitive games. When you have Jason Heyward on your team and have 8 RBI's so far this season, you won't get shutout a lot.
This week: 3 games vs Pittsburgh; 3 games vs Los Angeles (AL)

Cincinnati Reds (5th in the NL Central; Week Record: 0-7; Overall Record: 1-8; Week Runs Scored: 16):
The Reds would get swept in 3 games vs the Brewers and then by the Pirates in 4 games. The team in general needs help after looking promising to start the week, the team would get shutout for 3 straight games. Their pitching can keep them in games but you can't possibly think you can scrap by with the lineup you have. Having a Team Batting Average of .165 isn't good.
This week: 3 games vs Miami; 2 games vs St. Louis

Milwaukee Brewers (1st in NL Central; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 8-2; Week Runs Scored: 34):
The Brewers swept the Reds in 3 games and would take 2 of 3 against the Cubbies. The Brewers continue their success this week. Their bread and butter has been their bullpen with Josh Hader having 5 saves so far this season even Alex Wilson would get some love with a save for himself. The NL MVP Christian Yelich continues to have a hot start with his 10 RBI's and 4 homers.
This week: 3 games @ Los Angeles (AL); 3 games @ Los Angeles (NL)

Pittsburgh Pirates (2nd in NL Central; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 5-3; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Pirates got swept by the Cardinals in 2 games and would sweep the Reds in 4 games. The pitching got two shutouts against the Reds (Yes its against the Reds but still) and would get some timely hitting from Josh Bell's 5 RBI's this week. Not too impressed but the Pirates have a winning record right now.
This week: 3 games @ Chicago (NL); 3 games @ Washington

St. Louis Cardinals (3rd in NL Central; Week Record: 3-2; Overall Record: 4-5; Week Runs Scored: 21):
The Cardinals swept the Pirates in a 2-game series and would take 1 out of 3 (the April 4th game was postponed) against the Padres. The Cardinals looked good against the Pirates on offense but came up limping against a Padres team that was on the verge of becoming good in a few years. Certainly Paul Goldschmidt hasn't been a disappointment with his 9 RBI's and five home runs, despite posting a .219 batting average.
This week: 4 games vs Los Angeles (NL); 2 games @ Cincinnati

National League West (7th inning)

Arizona Diamondbacks (3rd in NL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 5-5; Week Runs Scored: 39):
The Diamondbacks took 2 of 3 against the Padres and 2 of 3 against the Red Sox. The Diamondbacks looked really good against two offensive teams. Adam Jones, the one free agent that no one wanted has been putting up numbers in Arizona with his 6 RBI's, 16 hits, and .400 batting average. It certainly helps when you have that and an offense that puts up 5+ runs a game. They are 28th in ERA though.
This week: 2 games vs Texas; 4 games vs San Diego

Colorado Rockies (5th in NL West; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 3-7; Week Runs Scored: 16):
The Rockies took 1 of 3 against the Rays and got swept by the Dodgers in 3 games. The Rockies looked to be a division winner on paper but on the field, not so much. I feel its more on the pitching staff of the Rockies than the batting. Certainly the batting could be better but pitching matters in baseball. Though a Team batting average of .207 is not going to get you a lot of wins, an era of 4.56 certainly has to be improved. David Dahl is a nice piece of hitting though.
This week: 3 games vs Atlanta; 4 games @ San Francisco

Los Angeles Dodgers (1st in NL West; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 7-2; Week Runs Scored: 42):
The Dodgers took 2 of 3 against the Giants and swept the Rockies in 3 games. The story for the Dodgers this week is pretty much their consecutive home-run streak. As well as Cody Bellinger's hot streak. One could certainly say that they're the best team in baseball right now. Pitching is doing well, their offense is putting up runs, their fielding is holding steady. All this without Clayton Kershaw. I was certainly shocked by how well the Dodgers are playing right now. Of course baseball always changes, and you can't crown yourself a champion this early in April.
This week: 4 games @ St. Louis; 3 games vs Milwaukee

San Diego Padres (2nd in NL West; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 6-4; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Padres took 1 of 3 against the Diamondbacks and 2 of 3 against the Cardinals (the April 4th game was postponed). The offense has been shown as promised, a good offense. The pitching is promising as well. Joey Lucchesi record of 2-0, and an ERA of 0.00 is noteworthy. He also has 13 strikeouts too. Decent week for the Padres, but I can't imagine them to take the league by storm. at least not yet.
This week: 3 games @ San Francisco; 4 games @ Arizona

San Francisco Giants (4th in NL West; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 3-7; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Giants took 1 of 3 against the Dodgers and then 1 of 3 against the Rays. Brandon Belt has been an offensive force for the Giants with his 8 RBI's and 8 hits. The brighter side is that the pitching has improved in terms of ERA even though the staff haven't had a lot of success in terms of wins. For example Madison Bumgarner who has a 0-2 record but a 1.38 ERA (harkoning back to the 2014 World Series with an ERA like that). The Giants on offense is just meh compared to their championship teams earlier in the decade.
This week: 3 games vs San Diego; 4 games vs Colorado

League Leaders & Notes (8th Inning)

Now it is time for some leaders and notes. This is where each category is lead by which player on which team. I will feature both offensive and pitching stats.

 Leading the majors in offensive categories are: Tim Anderson (White Sox) in batting average of .560, Cody Bellinger (Dodgers) leads the majors in runs, Home Runs, and RBI's (17, 7, and 18 respectively) and Dee Gordon (Marlins) leading with 5 stolen bases.

Leading the majors in pitching: Marco Gonzales (Mariners) leads in wins with 3, Shane Greene leads the majors in saves with 7, 6 pitchers lead in ERA with 0.00 (Not gonna tell you who but you can read them on this column), and Max Scherzer (Nationals) leads the majors in strikeouts with 28.

In the notes segment I'll talk about news and notable things that happened in the majors this week. This would include historical milestones, suspensions, etc. Or anything out of the ordinary in the world of baseball.

In Sunday's Reds-Pirates game, 5 players were ejected after a brawl that involved players from both benches. The brawl started after a thrown pitch by Pirates starter Chris Archer towards Reds batter Derek Dietrich. Dietrich who had hit a home run ball earlier in the game took a while to get around the base paths and thus the Pirates retaliated. Hard to say if there's gonna be fines or suspensions but certainly there has to be some disciplinary action from the league office.

During the 5th inning of the Rangers-Angels game on Sunday, there was a delay due to the fact that bees invaded the bullpens of both teams. You could say it was quite a buzzkill to the game at hand. I'll stop.

The Final Out (9th inning)

To close out the week's column, I though I'd share a player that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. A player who started up with the Dodgers organization in 1998 and finished his career with the Rangers in 2018. He has put a remarkable resume of a lifetime batting average of .286, 3,166 hits, 477 home runs, and 1,707 RBI's. Did I also mention that he has a birthday today (April 7th)? Cheers to the birthday boy and welcome to 40!

See you guys next week!
Tom

MLB 2019 Week 1 (3/20/19 - 3/31-19)

Hello readers! The first week of the Major League Baseball season has come to an end. Technically speaking its been only four days for most teams but it would be more for two teams. This week will include the 2-game series between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics in Japan that was technically "meaningful." As well as the United States opening day on March 28th. This column will have the recap of all 30 teams in MLB as well as a look ahead into this week. It'll be a longer week for week 2. Let's get to work!

American League

American League East:

Baltimore Orioles (Week Record: 2-1; Overall Record: 2-1; Week Runs Scored: 14):

You take 2 of 3 against the Yankees on the road. Not bad. The batting lineup top to bottom looked really
good and the bullpen was solid bailing out Baltimore's starting pitching.

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

Boston Red Sox (Week Record: 1-3; Overall Record: 1-3; Week Runs Scored: 24):

The defending champs scored 24 runs in 4 games this week but still only managed to get 1 win out of
four games against a Seattle team that is more than likely rebuilding. The starting pitching stunk it up
but the bright side is that Matt Barnes can be a possible good closer if they can get to him.

This week: 4 games @ Oakland; 3 games @ Arizona

New York Yankees (Week Record: 1-2; Overall Record: 1-2; Week Runs Scored: 15):

The Yankees could only muster one win out of a three-game set against the Orioles. Still getting your
first win in game #1 is good to see. The batting lineup was solid against the Orioles starting pitching but
was lackluster against their bullpen.

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

Tampa Bay Rays (Week Record: 3-1; Overall Record: 3-1; Week Runs Scored: 11):

The Rays take 3 of 4 against the Astros. They did it with their stellar starting pitching and solid hitting.
Yandy Diaz got five hits in the series and Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow got wins in the series. So
far so good.

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

Toronto Blue Jays (Week Record: 2-2; Overall Record: 2-2; Week Runs Scored: 12):

The Blue Jays took a split in a series against Detroit between two teams that are in a rebuilding phase.
The pitching staff back-to-back shutouts on Friday and Saturday. Toronto's offense got some help with
Justin Smoak's 3 hits, 1 home run, and 4 RBI's. Matt Shoemaker and Anibal Sanchez got the two wins
in the series for the team up north.

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

American League Central

Chicago White Sox (Week Record: 1-2; Overall Record: 1-2; Week Runs Scored: 15):

The White Sox offense could only get 1 win out of 3 games in Kansas City. The offense didn't get a lot
going during the series which is a credit to Kansas City. The starting pitching wasn't great either and
their defense gave up 4 errors in the first two games. Sunday's game featured some offense with the
bat of Yonder Alonso and Lucas Giolito's 6 2/3 inning performance in a win.

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

Cleveland Indians (Week Record: 1-2; Overall Record: 1-2; Week Runs Scored: 5):

The Indians offense was off despite getting a 2-1 victory against the Twins on Saturday. The defense
could've been better with 2 errors. Trevor Bauer had a solid outing allowing one run on two hits. It's still
early in the season but the Indians offense needs to get going.

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

Detroit Tigers (Week Record: 2-2; Overall Record: 2-2; Week Runs Scored: 6):

The Tigers had a split against the Blue Jays. Despite getting shut out two times in the series they did
alright on offense and Detroit had a shutout on Opening Day in a 2-0 victory. Christin Stewart got two
RBI's in the game and Jeimer Candelario had a field day with 5 hits on Sunday.

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

Kansas City Royals (Week Record: 2-1; Overall Record: 2-1; Week Runs Scored: 16):

The Royals starting pitching was outstanding in a series victory against Chicago. Jorge Soler did a lot of
damage with 5 RBI's in the series. Brad Keller threw 7 innings of work on Opening Day, compiling 5
strikeouts and a walk.

This week: 2 games vs Minnesota; 3 games @ Detroit

Minnesota Twins (Week Record: 2-1; Overall Record: 2-1; Week Runs Scored: 12):

The Twins started off the season with a 2-0 shutout against Cleveland. Jose Berrios outpitched Corey
Kluber with Berrios' 10 strikeouts and one walk. The Twins didn't get a lot of offense on Saturday
against Trevor Bauer but the bats would come back on Sunday in a 9-3 win. Michael Pineda had a
decent outing but got a no-decision in that game. The Twinkies look good so far.

This week: 2 games @ Kansas City; 3 games @ Philadelphia

American League West

Houston Astros (Week Record: 1-3; Overall Record: 1-3; Week Runs Scored: 9):

The Astros offense looked good on the first day of the new season but fell a bit flat in the last three
games. The starting pitching looked alright but without a lot of offense, they couldn't stop the Rays from
piling runs. Hopefully, things can look better later in the season.

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

Los Angeles Angels (Week Record: 1-3; Overall Record: 1-3; Week Runs Scored: 9):

The Angels offense was swinging in a 6-2 win on Friday but was shutout on Thursday, creating 2 runs
on Saturday, one run on Sunday. Mike Trout got 4 hits with 3 RBI's and a stolen base in the series. The
starting pitching looks promising but the offense is going to need to carry the load for this team until they
find a solid starter.

This week: 2 games @ Seattle; 4 games vs Texas

Oakland Athletics (Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 3-3; Week Runs Scored: 23):

The A's started off with a rough start losing the two games to the Mariners in Japan but would get 3
out of 4 against the Angels. The pitching of the A's looks good and their offense kept the Angels
starters out early despite a 6-2 loss on Friday. Matt Chapman doing damage with 8 hits, one home
run, and 4 RBI's in the series.

This week: 4 games vs Boston; 3 games @ Houston

Seattle Mariners (Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 5-1; Week Runs Scored: 48):

The biggest surprise out of all the teams so far this season is the Mariners. The M's swept the
Athletics in Japan while getting 3 out of 4 against Boston this week. Despite a hiccup in a 7-6 loss
on Friday the Mariners offense has outslugged two playoff teams. Domingo Santana was a huge part
of the Mariners success on offense with his 10 RBI's and 8 hits.

This week: 2 games vs Los Angeles (AL); 3 games @ Chicago (AL)

Texas Rangers (Week Record: 2-1; Overall Record: 2-1; Week Runs Scored: 23):

The Rangers took 2 of 3 against the Cubs including a wild 11-10 victory on Sunday off of a wild pitch. The Rangers pitching was not that great but their offense bailed them out in a number of games. Asdrubal Cabrera and Delino DeShields look to be good pieces on offense. Can't rely on your offense to get you wins but might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

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

National League

National League East

Atlanta Braves (Week Record: 0-3; Overall Record: 0-3; Week Runs Scored: 11):

The Braves started off the year off to a rocky start when they took on the Phillies. The pitching
couldn't shut down the bats of the Phillies and the bats didn't give them enough to help their pitching
and defense. The Braves are the only team left without a win in the season. The walks didn't help
their cause either.

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

Miami Marlins (Week Record: 2-2; Overall Record: 2-2; Week Runs Scored: 14):

The Marlins split a series against the Rockies at home. They looked rough the first two games but the
next two looked very well. Including a 3-0 shutout on Sunday. Miguel Rojas had a stellar game on
Saturday going 3-5 with 3 RBI's in a 7-3 win. The Marlins have a potential ace with Sandy Alcantara
who threw 8 innings of shutout ball in that 3-0 game on Sunday.

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

New York Mets (Week Record: 2-1; Overall Record: 2-1; Week Runs Scored: 18):

The Mets took a series victory in Washington winning 2 of 3. The Mets starting pitching returned to form with Jacob deGrom throwing a 2-0 shutout. The Mets offense improved much with an 11-8 victory on Saturday as their lineup top to bottom provided offense. The Nationals took the rubber match 6-5 but the Mets look promising so far.

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

Philadelphia Phillies (Week Record: 3-0; Overall Record: 3-0; Week Runs Scored: 23):

Nothing like a sweep to start off the year. The offense put on a show during their series against Atlanta. The starting pitching kept the Braves at-bats at bay on Sunday with a 5-1 win. The only team with an undefeated record.

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

Washington Nationals (Week Record: 1-2; Overall Record: 1-2; Week Runs Scored: 14):

The Nats start their Post-Bryce Harper era with a lackluster effort at home against New York.
The Nationals got shutout at home 2-0, got 8 runs on a 11-8 loss Saturday but would walk off with a
6-5 win on Sunday. The starting pitching was not good but their offense has potential to be good
despite not having Harper.

This week: 2 games vs Philadelphia; 3 games @ New York (NL)

National League Central

Chicago Cubs (Week Record: 1-2; Overall Record: 1-2; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Cubbies took 1 out of 3 in Texas. The offense took off on Opening Day and on Sunday. The
starting pitching outside of Opening Day couldn't keep the Texas bats at bay but their offense made up
for it. Hopefully they can figure themselves out in a tough division.

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

Cincinnati Reds (Week Record: 1-1; Overall Record: 1-1; Week Runs Scored: 5):
The Reds could only get two games in a home series against the Pirates. The Reds took a 5-3 victory
on Opening Day but would get shutout 5-0 on Sunday. Derek Dietrich provided 3 RBI's as a pinch
hitter on Thursday. Sonny Gray look a bit off on Sunday. The 3rd game will be on a makeup on May
27th.

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

Milwaukee Brewers (Week Record: 3-1; Overall Record: 3-1; Week Runs Scored: 19):
The Brew Crew took 3 out of 4 against the Cardinals and looked to be a good team heading into April.
Milwaukee's bullpen really was stellar in the series with Josh Hader getting two saves in the series.
Christian Yelich looked to continue off his 2018 success with 4 home runs and 8 RBI's so far this
season.

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

Pittsburgh Pirates (Week Record: 1-1; Overall Record: 1-1; Week Runs Scored: 8):
The Pirates would only play two games out of three against the Reds but would get a shutout victory
on Sunday based off of Trevor Williams throwing 8 innings of work and getting two RBI's of offense.
Saturday's game will be made up on May 27th.

This week: 2 games vs St. Louis; 4 games vs Cincinnati

St. Louis Cardinals (Week Record: 1-3; Overall Record: 1-3; Week Runs Scored: 19):
The Cardinals offense provided offense but their starting pitching was a bit lackluster at times during
their series against the Brewers. Miles Mikolas had a rough start giving up 5 hits on 5 runs with five
innings of work. Still early to call their season done.

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

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks (Week Record: 1-3; Overall Record: 1-3; Week Runs Scored: 22):
The Dbacks would take 1 out of 4 games against the Dodgers. Zach Greinke had a rough start on
Opening Day with a 12-5 loss. The biggest promise for this team is Christian Walker who has
5 RBI's, 2 home runs, and 4 hits. Let the rebuilding begin in earnest.

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

Colorado Rockies (Week Record: 2-2; Overall Record: 2-2; Week Runs Scored: 15):
The Rockies looked to be a team to compete for a playoff spot in the first two games in the series
against Miami and not so much in the last 2. The Rockies on offense was well rounded from top to
bottom as Charlie Blackmon has so far 6 hits on 3 RBI's. The pitching was superb as Kyle Freeland
and German Marquez got wins, with the former getting a win on Opening Day.

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

Los Angeles Dodgers (Week Record: 3-1; Overall Record: 3-1; Week Runs Scored: 42):
The Dodgers offense continued its onslaught on the competition with 12 runs on Opening Day and
18 runs scored on Saturday. The Diamondbacks really had no answers for them other than a 5-4 loss
on Friday. The loss of Clayton Kershaw hasn't seemed to affect them at all. Not when your offense
scores nearly 10+ runs in a series.

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

San Diego Padres (Week Record: 3-1; Overall Record: 3-1; Week Runs Scored: 11):
The Padres took 3 of 4 against the Giants. Other than a hiccup on Saturday with a 3-2 loss, the
Padres pitching and defense kept the Giants offense from really getting anything going, especially on
a 2-0 shutout on Opening Day. Manny Machado has only 1 RBI so far this season on 3 hits but surely
he will start to pick up as the season gets going. Good series victory though.

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

San Francisco Giants (Week Record: 1-3; Overall Record: 1-3; Week Runs Scored: 5):
The Giants would only put up 5 runs of offense in a drubbing against the Padres. Losing 3 of 4 games
to their division rival. Evan Longoria has been a bright spot on the Giants batting lineup with 4 hits
on 2 RBI's but other than that the Giants offense hasn't been stellar. The Giants pitching outside of
Madison Bumgartner wasn't superb either. Could be a rough year in the Bay City.

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

Best of luck to your favorite team this week and expect the week 2 column to come out around the
same time as this week on Sunday/Monday after the Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN. See you
next Sunday!

-Tom