Those three teams are without a doubt the hottest teams going in Major League Baseball.
The Yankees swept the Tampa Bay Rays this past week in The Bronx and have opened up a commanding nine game lead in the American League East division. The Rays at one point this season held a huge lead in the American League Wild Card chase, but now find themselves on the outside looking in as the Indians and Oakland A's have passed them for the two post-season spots.
Both Cleveland and Oakland have gone 8-2 in the last ten games with the Tribe winning six straight games after dropping two of three games last weekend to the A.L. Central leading Minnesota Twins. The Twins have seen their once 10 1/2 game lead at the end of June drop to just a measly three games over the Indians following their 5-3 loss to the A's on Friday night. The Indians blasted Kansas City, 10-5 on Friday and have taken advantage of a softer schedule by beating up on the Royals and Detroit Tigers this week.
In the A.L. West, it has turned into a two-team race as the Houston Astros continue to lead the A's for the division lead by 5 1/2 games. Texas and the Los Angeles Angels are further back and will likely have to look to the wild card race if they want to make the post-season.
Over in the National League, the San Francisco Giants have risen from the dead and are actually a .500 team (49-49) following their second consecutive extra inning victory against the New York Mets, winning 1-0 on Friday night. In fact, the Giants are just two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild card spot in the senior circuit.
The surging Washington Nationals are the top dog in the wild card race and have split the first two games of a huge four-game series in Atlanta against the first place Braves in the N.L. East race. The Braves have a 6 1/2 game edge over the Nats and 7 1/2 games over the Philadelphia Phillies.
In the National League Central, the Chicago Cubs have suddenly caught fire, winning their third straight game on Friday in a 6-5 decision over the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. The Cubbies have gone 8-2 in their last ten games and have a 2 1/2 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals and three games over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Red Birds won a wild road game in Cincinnati on Friday night, rallying from a 7-0 hole to win 12-11. The Cardinals scored ten runs in the sixth inning to help provide the difference in the final outcome. Meanwhile, the Brewers dropped to third in the division race as they lost in Arizona, which snapped their three-game win streak.
Finally, the Baseball Hall-of-Fame in Cooperstown, NY will induct six new members on Sunday afternoon as Mariano Rivera (New York Yankees relief pitcher), the late Roy Halladay (pitcher), Edgar Martinez (Seattle Mariners DH), Mike Mussina (pitcher) and holdovers Harold Baines (OF/DH) and Lee Smith (relief pitcher) will enter. Rivera became the first player ever to receive a unanimous vote for the selection.
The Hall is a MUST visit for any baseball fan and yours truly thoroughly enjoyed my one visit there five years ago in early July.
AL STANDINGS (through July 19) NL STANDINGS (through July 19)
East East
New York 63-33 Atlanta 59-40
Tampa Bay 56-44 Washington 51-45
Boston 53-45 Philadelphia 51-47
Toronto 37-62 New York 44-53
Baltimore 30-66 Miami 36-59
Central Central
Minnesota 59-37 Chicago 53-44
Cleveland 56-40 St. Louis 50-46
Chicago 43-51 Milwaukee 51-48
Kansas City 36-63 Pittsburgh 45-51
Detroit 29-64 Cincinnati 43-52
West West
Houston 62-37 LA Dodgers 65-35
Oakland 56-42 Arizona 50-48
Texas 50-47 San Francisco 49-49
LA Angels 50-49 Colorado 46-51
Seattle 40-60 San Diego 46-51
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