This recap covers in-game and off-field action from August 10-16.
AL West Hot: George Kirby stands out Everyone knows that Seattle’s rotation is scary-good, so it can be easy to take their starters for granted. Kirby added another sensational pitching performance to the books this year, limiting the Orioles to three hits through seven frames while striking out seven. His 8-5 record, 3.71 ERA, and 1.07 WHIP don’t make him the best pitcher in the rotation, but that should say enough about how deep and talented
the Mariners starters are.
Not: Astros lose a critical reliever
Houston got bad news on August 14 when Josh Hader was diagnosed with a left shoulder capsule sprain, which will keep him sidelined for at least three weeks. If Hader requires surgery, he will be out for the rest of the season and likely through the first half of next year. Although the Astros bullpen is strong enough to get by without Hader, the veteran’s 2.05 ERA and 97% save percentage will be sorely issued as the club maintains a slim lead on the Mariners in the AL West.
AL Central
Hot: Tigers rely on their bullpen to regain momentum
Detroit shook off its shaky July and is back to padding its division lead. The Tigers won five of their six games last week thanks to their bullpen’s 2.45 ERA and two saves. Kyle Finnegan and Rafael Montero, who were additions at the trade deadline, earned two wins, and Finnegan hasn’t allowed a run since he began pitching for Detroit. Though the margins have been slim, a win is a win at the end of the day.
Not: Twins succumb to August slump
Minnesota fell victim to the classic August hitting slump. The Twins hit .143/.219/.270, resulting in a -1.2 WAR and -15 run differential. They also led all teams with 58 strikeouts in seven games. At that rate, Minnesota’s just lucky they came out with two wins.
AL East
Hot: Baltimore’s rotation marches on
Although this year is long over for Baltimore, the rotation hasn’t given up. The Orioles starters spread four runs across four games. Dean Kremer and Trevor Rogers racked up 12 strikeouts in 15 strong innings, and Tomoyuki Sugano earned his 10th win in just 126 innings to lead Baltimore’s starters. Things certainly haven’t gone their way, but the Orioles at least have a baseline of starters to work with next year.
Not: Jarren Duran loses his swing
Boston’s center fielder has cooled off significantly since last year, and his recent games are evident of this. Duran .125 batting average did little to help the Red Sox’s fluctuating offense. Though he at least drew four walks and contributed two runs, his slug has certainly tapered.
NL West
Hot: San Diego’s rotation dominates
The Padres have been on a roll lately, and much of the credit should go toward the starters. San Diego’s starters have held a 1.82 ERA and have limited the Red Sox, Giants, and Dodgers to five runs in five games. Yu Darvish, Nestor Cortes, and Nick Pivetta were in sync during the series against San Francisco, as each earned a quality start and combined for 17 strikeouts. With much help from their elite rotation, the Padres are fighting for the division with the Dodgers.
Not: Giants skid hard
San Francisco has been on the outskirts of the playoff hunt for a bit now, but their seven-game losing streak has certainly put them well out of contention. Justin Verlander pitched his worst game this year in the Giants’ 8-0 loss to the Nats, allowing five runs and a home run in five innings. San Fran then got outscored 16-2 in their series against the Padres, as Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and rookie Kai-Wei Teng imploded on the mound. Even with one of the most complete rotations in MLB, the starters let the team down.
NL Central
Hot: Hunter Greene dazzles in return
After missing over two months with a groin strain, Greene didn’t disappoint in his return: In his first game back since June 3, Greene shut the Phillies out, holding the hot lineup to three hits while striking out six. His presence on the field comes at the perfect time, as the Reds moved within half a game of the Mets for the final Wild Card spot in the NL.
Not: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s spark dies
It’s about time the Cubs’ hottest hitter hit a wall. PCA has had a slow August, but he was even colder last week, going 1-for-15 with a stolen base and walk outside of his one decent hitting performance against the Pirates. While he’s only struck out three times, it doesn’t make up for his inability to get on base. As fun as it is to beat a dead horse when said dead horse is the Cubs, let’s leave it at that.
NL East
Hot: Pete Alonso becomes franchise HR leader
MLB’s infamous slugger broke Mets history on August 12 against Atlanta, smashing his 253rd career home run off Atlanta’s Spencer Strider to pass Darryl Strawberry’s record and become the all-time home run leader in Queens. Alonso’s second home run later that evening sealed the deal. Polar Pete broke Strawberry’s record in just 965 games and has hit the third-most home runs in MLB this year.
Not: Philly pitchers start dropping
Now’s not the time for Philadelphia’s pitchers to get injured. On August 16, Zack Wheeler was put on the 15-day IL with a blood clot in his right shoulder, a devastating blow that hopefully doesn’t spill into October. Another close call came on August 15, after Jhoan Duran took a line drive off of his right ankle and left the game in a bullpen cart. Fortunately, Duran’s X-rays came back negative and the elite closer claimed to feel 100% the next day. Philadelphia will continue evaluating Duran, but in the meantime it’s safe to say that he’ll miss a couple games until given medical clearance to play. Losing either pitcher for significant time would be a devastating blow.
