The Indians won their second straight game over the Minnesota Twins, 6-2 on Friday night in a four game series this weekend to pull even for first place in the American League Central division race. The Indians have the best record in baseball since June 1 and have a four game win streak while the Twins have lost four in a row and had to put slugger Nelson Cruz on the injury list with a bad wrist.
Meanwhile, the Mets have won 14 of their last 15 games, including seven in a row after rallying with four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday to beat the Washington Nationals, 7-6 and get within half a game of the second National League Wild Card spot. Todd Frazier slammed a three-rum home run to tie the game and Michael Conforto delivered the game winning single.
The National League Central is still a tight three team race, but the Chicago Cubs had opened a little breathing room prior to yesterday's 5-2 loss in Cincinnati. The Milwaukee Brewers beat the visiting Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals did likewise at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates to gain on the Cubs. The Cubs swept Milwaukee last weekend at Wrigley Field to get their lead on both the Cardinals and Brewers up to over three games heading into this weekend's action.
Only the two Central division races are competitive, otherwise it is the wild card races that peak interest for the dramatic in Major League Baseball.
In the American League, the Indians, Twins, Oakland A's and Tampa Bay Rays are all battling it out right now. Boston and Texas are within shouting distance, but have fallen off recently. The National League is a real log jam as Washington holds the top wild card spot with St. Louis, New York, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks within two games of the playoff spot.
As far as teams playing on cruise control at this point, the Houston Astros (10 game lead in A.L. West) and New York Yankees (9 1/2 game lead in A.L. East) continue to dominate in the American League while the Los Angeles Dodgers (17 game lead in N.L. West) and Atlanta Braves (6 1/2 game lead in N.L. East) both have comfortable leads in their divisions in the senior circuit.
AL STANDINGS (through August 9) NL STANDINGS (through August 9)
East East
New York 76-40 Atlanta 69-49
Tampa Bay 67-50 Washington 61-54
Boston 62-56 New York 60-56
Toronto 48-71 Philadelphia 60-56
Baltimore 38-77 Miami 43-72
Central Central
Cleveland 70-46 Chicago 63-53
Minnesota 70-46 Milwaukee 61-56
Chicago 51-63 St. Louis 59-55
Kansas City 41-76 Cincinnati 55-59
Detroit 35-78 Pittsburgh 48-67
West West
Houston 76-40 LA Dodgers 77-41
Oakland 66-50 Arizona 59-57
Texas 58-57 San Francisco 57-60
LA Angels 56-61 San Diego 54-61
Seattle 48-69 Colorado 52-64
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