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Getaway Day: League leaders falter allowing new teams to surge ahead
Texas Rangers center fielder Jared Hoying is doused with Powerade after the win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Globe Life Park in Arlington on May 17, 2017. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Getaway Day: League leaders falter allowing new teams to surge ahead

As the second month of the MLB season rolls towards its conclusion, the picture should becoming increasingly clear which teams are calling the shots in baseball this summer... right? Recent returns indicate anything but clarity as there is an increasingly aggressive middle class of teams charging up the standings. Whether it be the Texas Rangers going streaking over 11 games, the Milwaukee Brewers underrated takeover of the NL Central hierarchy or the insistent presence of the Minnesota Twins, there is a fair amount of parity around the league so far this season.

And as the new week dawns, even the established pacesetters will have to answer a few questions. The Houston Astros will have to adjust to life without an ace, the Dodgers and Cardinals will go to war while still chasing a pair of clubs within a fingertip's reach of first place, and the Orioles and Yankees will continue their battle for the AL East.

As May ends, the league is heating up just in time for summer.

American League

Baltimore Orioles: For yet another week, the Orioles continue to linger at the top of the AL East, although they have done so in a less than dominant fashion. Entering Sunday, it had been since May 8 that an O’s starter was credited with a victory. Over the last week, they had dropped consecutive series to the Royals and the beat-up Tigers as well. Still, they have stayed steady in the standings, and winning ugly is better than not winning at all. But with the Twins and Astros awaiting in the week ahead, Buck Showalter’s boys better recapture their better form. 

Boston Red Sox: After fighting for a pair of impressive wins over the St. Louis Cardinals to start the week, they immediately dropped two in a row against the Oakland A’s over the weekend. The Sox look better than their bottom line does, and appear to be a team that is on the verge of breaking out if they can find any consistancy. Chris Sale continues to mow through opposing lineups, having tied his MLB record for consecutive double-digit strikeout games, while David Price could be one more rehab outing away from finally joining the BoSox as well. A boost in the rotation could be the final piece that is eluding them.

Chicago White Sox: The frustrating times for the Sox continued in the new week, as they followed up the consecutive wins that broke a season-worst six-game losing streak with another four-game skid to start the week. Perhaps their massive 16-1 victory on Saturday over the Mariners can kickstart the club, but the biggest victory of the week for the Sox was winning the bidding for prized 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Luis Robert, who is poised to immediately become yet another top 100 prospect in their growing in-house collection.


Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Minute Maid Park on May 20, 2017. Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Indians: Despite continuing to be without ace Corey Kluber, the Indians pitching has again become the driving force for the team. Mike Clevinger has won two of his three starts, allowing three runs and six hits over three starts. Closer Cody Allen is a perfect 12-for-12 in save opportunities and Andrew Miller is, well, Andrew Miller. He has scattered 10 hits over 21 innings and owns an 0.43 ERA. It was this staff that held the juggernaut Astros to only three runs over the first two games of their weekend series, a pair of games in which the sealed a series win and avenged an early season series loss against the league’s best club thus far. 

Detroit Tigers: The return of J.D. Martinez has propelled the Tigers to playing on par with the best – and hottest – teams in the American League. Martinez is hitting over .450 with eight home runs over his first nine games back. Meanwhile, the Tigers have taken a series from the Orioles, while also bringing the Texas Rangers’ 11-game win streak to a close.

Houston Astros: The Houston start to the year has been potent enough that they were able to stand up the Rangers’ 11-game winning streak and still hold onto a six-game lead in the AL West. They stand to have their resolved tested even further, as they lost arguably the top starter in the game so far this year with Dallas Keuchel out due to a nerve injury. While this is far from a death sentence, it does test their resolve: the Astros have carried the AL’s top ERA thus far in the year, but without Keuchel’s MLB-best 1.84 mark and seven wins, they are a undeniably a different team. 

Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer’s torrid May run has continued, as he has rebounded from a horrible start to carry the second highest average in the AL on the month. Following the suit, the Royals have become more consistent of late, picking up wins against both the Yankees and Twins. The new week will prove to be the ultimate test for the AL’s worst road team though, with a four-game set to the Bronx ahead, followed by trip to see the Cleveland Indians. KC’s season could hinge on the week to come.

Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout’s incredible surge has continued as his 2017 home run total is up to 14. After a three-run shot on Sunday afternoon, his total for the month is now up to seven, making it the second May in a row he has hit as many in. But unlike last year, the Halos are not wasting his best efforts this year: they won five of the last six games he has gone deep in.


Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Ervin Santana  gets ready to pitch before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Target Field on May 18, 2017. Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Twins: Is it time to become believers in the Twins? As the second month of the season ends, they are still hanging in the mix atop the AL Central. The fact that they carry a negative plus/minus mark on the year is a red flag that they could still be a bit fluky, but they are winning when it matters and proving to be slump proof, as they have answered each brief string of consecutive losses with as many wins on the other side each time this year. Their mettle will be tested this upcoming week, as they will face a pair of tough, resilient clubs in the Orioles and Rays. 

New York Yankees:The Yanks are amid their most prolonged struggles of the year, having dropped seven of 10 over the past week and a half. Their starting pitching takes much of the blame, as Masahiro Tanaka has managed only 4.2 innings over his last two outings, while allowing 14 runs. And with Aroldis Chapman currently out of action, a shorthanded pitching staff can’t afford this type of fall off from its top gun. On the bright side, Gary Sanchez has been busy making up for lost time, carrying a 1.322 OPS and a batting average near .500. Along with the continued breakout of Aaron Judge, it won’t be long before the Yankees continue along the path they have stayed on thus far this spring.

Oakland Athletics: The ever-unpredictable A’s continue to live up to that billing. After breaking a four-game losing skid early in the week, they broke off two straight wins against the Boston Red Sox over the weekend. Who knows with this team. They are just as likely in the new week to lose a pair of games against the lowly Miami Marlins, and then follow it up with a sweep over the much better Yankees (at Yankee Stadium, no less) over the next weekend.

Seattle Mariners: Not only does the disabled list continue to grow for the Mariners, it continues to take on the club’s most significant parts. Robinson Cano became the most recent major casualty for the club, as he hit the DL due a strained quad. Not only is the team’s top star out of action, it now only has one member of its opening day rotation active as well. So, it is understandable (and perhaps commendable) that they could both win a series during the week while also suffering a 15-run loss as well. 

Tampa Bay Rays: Apart from the Texas Rangers, no mid-tier team played better over the last week than the Rays, as they continued to ride the hot hand of their resurgent pitching staff to some impressive wins. After opening the week by taking two of three from the Indians, they put a stamp on their big week by taking two out of three from the New York Yankees. They have now passed the Boston Red Sox, as their gradual climb up the standings continues in the AL East.


Texas Rangers Ryan Rua celebrates his three-run homer with teammates Rougned Odor, center, and Robinson Chirinos during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, May 18, 2017.  AP Photo/LM Otero

Texas Rangers: Texas enters the new week on the heels of the best two-week run any team has put together this season. They built up an 11-game win streak before finally falling to the Tigers on Saturday afternoon, which pulled them within the top three in the AL Wild Card race. After looking to be in disarray early in the year, without All-Star Adrian Beltre available, ace Cole Hamels out of action and a bullpen in disarray, the Rangers are finally beginning to show the stuff that made them a 95-win team a year ago.

Toronto Blue Jays: It was a disappointing week on multiple levels for the Jays. Their time in the spotlight was framed by another bat flip battle sparked by Jose Bautista, as well as Kevin Pillar having to back down from in-game homophobic slurs said against the Braves. The timing for these setbacks, as it killed the turnaround campaign they were on: a week after winning six of seven games, they drop (five) of seven and remain firmly in the AL East cellar.

National League

Arizona Diamondbacks: The week started off rough for the D-Backs, as they lost all-important outfielder A.J. Pollock to the disabled list, where he will be for the foreseeable future with a groin injury. So it was a fine time for them to have a pair of peaches on the schedule, in the New York Mets and San Diego Padres, whom they beat in expected fashion. 


Atlanta Braves' Matt Adams runs onto the field before the start of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Atlanta, Sunday, May 21, 2017. Adams joined the Braves Sunday for the first time since being acquired over the weekend from St. Louis, hoping he can help fill the void at first base left by injured star Freddie Freeman. AP Photo/David Goldman

Atlanta Braves: The season grew bleak for Atlanta this week as the heart and soul of the Braves, Freddie Freeman, was lost for 10 weeks with a broken wrist suffered from being hit by a pitch. It came amid a series where they traded beanballs (and a few fists) with the Toronto Blue Jays. They responded by trading for first baseman Matt Adams from the St. Louis Cardinals, but there is no right time to lose the NL home run and WAR leader, especially for a team that had recently rallied from the bottom of the NL East up to a distant second place. This could be the death blow to the 2017 aspirations for the Braves.

Chicago Cubs: Maybe enough finally was enough for the Cubs, who opened the week finding themselves on the wrong half of the NL Central. They broke off a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds, where they scored 25 runs and looked to be more of who they were expected to be coming into the year. After splitting pair of contests with the NL Central-leading Brewers (built around the oddest "rainout" in recent memory), maybe the Cubs are preparing to begin to realize expectations as the summer begins to set in.

Cincinnati Reds:The Reds were finally able to put a pause on being beat around of late on Saturday, as they took a seven-game losing streak on the chin over the last week. As most teams in the NL Central continue to define themselves and find some regularity, the Reds have a shot to hang in the race, but an upcoming date with the in-state rival Indians this week could potentially prolong their recent headaches. 

Colorado Rockies: We sung the Rockies praises here earlier in the week, and for good reason. They open the new week with the NL’s top winning percentage, although it is needed in the league’s most hotly competed division. The NL West is the only division in the game with three teams who have won at least 25 games throughout the first 40 of the year, and the Rockies, who shockingly own the league’s top road record after taking three from the Twins and Reds last week, sit atop it.


Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez runs after an at bat in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium on May 21, 2017. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers: The ‘Game of Thrones’ in the NL West has been propelled by the recent push of the Dodgers, who were slowed some by the rise of another in-division competitor in the Giants, who took two of three from LA to open the week. Dave Roberts’ club bounced back to win three consecutive mid-week games and sit just a game behind the Rockies entering the new week. They will have to continue their chase without the National League’s leading bat in Justin Turner, who took his .379 average to the disabled list, as well as outfielder Andrew Toles, who tore his ACL in the last week. 

Miami Marlins:The already-struggling Marlins were met by beast of a scheduling monster in the last week, as they were faced with back-to-back pairings against the Astros and Dodgers. Things went as expected, as they dropped five of the first the first six contests against the two superior clubs, being shut out once and being unable to post more than two runs in the four other contests. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find much positivity around the Marlins, but hey, at least Giancarlo Stanton is still healthy and slugging, right? 

Milwaukee Brewers:It is time to declare the Brewers as a legitimate threat in the National League picture this year. Honestly, it is beyond time to give them their due: since May 7, they have lost only twice and have risen to the top of the NL Central. What’s more, they have gone on this run without Ryan Braun, who returned to the club for the final game of the finale of the weekend series against the Cubs. 

New York Mets:Until stringing together a pair of wins over the Angels this weekend, the recent skid for the Mets had reached a season-worst seven games. It was the second time they had gone through a losing streak of greater than five games on the year, as they had lost 10 of 11 in mid-April. The bright side is that they are still in the middle of the pack in the excruciating bad NL East, where both the Marlins and Phillies carry worse marks on the year. And with the Braves preparing for 2.5 months of life without Freddie Freeman, the Mets could be in position to have a lot of games against foes that are worse off than them. A timely return of Yoenis Cespedes could help alleviate this issue, as he looks to return late in the week from his most recent hamstring troubles. 

Philadelphia Phillies:Their victory over the Pirates on Friday marked the first time in two weeks that the Phils had won by more than one-run, going all the way back to a 10-2 victory over the Nationals on May 1 (yes, you read that right). The second month of the year has been brutal, and their troubles could be preparing to be accelerated, as they will welcome the NL-best Rockies to town for a four-game set this week.


Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Tony Watson and Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli shake hands after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on May 20, 2017. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Pirates: Let’s give the Pirates some credit, as they had some much overdue success over the past week. They strung together a handful of victories, including a shocking series win over the Washington Nationals. It marked the first time they had taken a series outright since going over against the Brewers on May 6 and 7. All in all, they won five of seven against the D-Backs, Nats and Phillies over the past week. Hopes of extending that momentum will be difficult, as outfielder Gregory Polanco became the most recent in a string of crucial Bucs to head to the DL, nursing a hamstring strain.

San Diego Padres: A week that features seven games against the Brewers and Diamondbacks  – a pair of top three offenses in the NL – is a rough proposition for most any team. However, for the Padres, who have allowed nearly 20 more runs than any other team in baseball, it is a recipe for disaster. And that calamity manifest itself in the form of a five-game losing streak, highlighted by consecutive 10-1 and 9-1 losses at the hands of Arizona. Maybe a trip to New York in the new week can offer some sanctuary for the NL’s worst team. 

San Francisco Giants: Perhaps the death of the Giants was greatly exaggerated. By winning a weekend series over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Giants enter the new week as winners of their last three series. The Giants will have to keep up this torrid pace of play in a relentless fashion to make up for the wide gap between themselves and upper rung of baseball’s strongest division thus far. 

St. Louis Cardinals:The Cardinals entered the new week as baseball’s hottest team over the last month. Yet they failed to cash in on the momentum that could have come from a weekend series win over the Cubs, as they dropped four in a row against the Red Sox and Giants. This included wasting nine scoreless innings from Carlos Martinez on Saturday night. Regardless, they are still well within range of regaining their lost ground in the wide-open NL Central, but will need to avoid a potentially devastating west coast road trip, with the Dodgers and Rockies waiting in the new week.

Washington Nationals: A month ago, it seemed unlikely that the Nats could lose four games in a row at any point, let alone to the Pirates and Braves. Yet here we stand: the mighty Nationals took four Ls on the chin against a pair of teams that it seemed they would decimate with minimal effort. However, the damage was minimal, as the type of lead they have built up in the NL East allows for such brief dips to be allowable. With the struggling Mariners and Padres ahead over the next week, it is fair to say that it is far from time to second guess the Nats’ place in the MLB hierarchy this year.

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