Cincinnati Reds outfielder Aristides Aquino has hit 14 home runs in the month of August, which set a MLB record for rookies for most home runs in a single month. The Reds have slipped out of the National League Central race and the wild card chase as well, but the future looks brighter with the likes of Aquino in the lineup.
As for the pennant chase as the calendar turns to September this weekend, the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers are battling for the best record in all of Major League Baseball, which guarantees home field advantage throughout the post-season.
The Yankees took two out of three from the Dodgers in L.A. last weekend, with Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge slamming three home runs in three games (one in each game) to lead the way. The Dodgers continue to run away with the N.L. West as they have an 18-game lead over the second place Arizona Diamondbacks, who are battling for a wild card playoff spot.
The Yankees lead the Tampa Bay Rays by ten full games while the Houston Astros command the A.L. West with a nine game lead over the Oakland A's. The Minnesota Twins lead the A.L. Central by 4 1/2 games as they have won six straight games while the Cleveland Indians have cooled off and are just 5-5 in their last ten games. The Tribe also lost slugger Jose Ramirez for the remainder of the regular season with a broken hand.
In the National League, the Atlanta Braves continue to fend off the sizzling hot Washington Nationals, who swept the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field last weekend. The Braves and Nats both have gone 8-2 in the past ten games. Washington got a walk off 7-6 victory on Friday night against the Miami Marlins as Anthony Rendon delivered a two-run single to win it.
In the N.L. Central, the St. Louis Cardinals have been rolling, winning eight of ten games and are in first place with the surging Chicago Cubs just a game back. The Cubs rebounded after being swept at home last weekend against Washington by sweeping a three-game set from the Mets in New York, which included a rout of the Mets against ace pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who was shelled for nine earned runs in three innings on Wednesday evening.
The Cubs also blasted the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-1 at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon as OF Nick Castellanos blasted two home runs to pace the easy win. The Brewers have fallen six games back in the division chase and are also five games back in the wild card race.
The National League wild card race still has Washington leading the way with the Cubs in the second spot. From there, the Philadelphia Phillies are 3 1/2 games out of the final spot while the Diamondbacks are 4 1/2 games back. The Mets and Brewers are both five games back.
The A.L. wild card spots currently belong to the Cleveland Indians and Oakland A's with the Tampa Bay Rays just one game behind Oakland. The defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox are 5 1/2 games off the pace for the remaining playoff spot.
AL STANDINGS (through August 30) NL STANDINGS (through August 30)
East East
New York 88-48 Atlanta 82-54
Tampa Bay 78-58 Washington 75-58
Boston 73-62 Philadelphia 69-64
Toronto 54-82 New York 68-66
Baltimore 45-89 Miami 48-86
Central Central
Minnesota 83-51 St. Louis 73-59
Cleveland 79-56 Chicago 73-61
Chicago 60-74 Milwaukee 68-66
Kansas City 47-89 Cincinnati 63-70
Detroit 39-93 Pittsburgh 58-77
West West
Houston 88-48 LA Dodgers 88-49
Oakland 78-56 Arizona 69-66
Texas 66-70 San Francisco 66-68
LA Angels 64-72 San Diego 62-72
Seattle 57-79 Colorado 59-77
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