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Sept. 3 -- Here Comes the Tribe
Monday, September 3, 2007
Subject: Sept. 3 -- Here Comes the Tribe
Time: 10:43:00 AM EDT
Author: cu21ti27mi
Winners: It's been two weeks since the last entry, which means there's been twice as much time for teams to make their moves as September rolls around.
Or not.
From top to the bottom, the standings went almost unchanged since August 20. All six first-place teams are still in first (with the quasi-exception of San Diego moving into a tie with Arizona). Same goes for all second-place and third-place teams. The only change was Cincinnati slipping by Houston into fourth in the National League Central, which barely registers as sort-of-significant in Ohio or Texas, and certainly not anywhere else. But that's not to say that there weren't key changes in spacing, or that certain teams didn't step up.
• Cleveland may not have been the best team the past two weeks, but they sure took advantage of a soft schedule and piled up the best record over that span. It started with a series win over Detroit that sent the AL Central rivals spinning of in different directions. The Indians (78-57, 10-3) dropped their next game against Kansas City, then rolled off eight straight wins over KC, Minnesota and Chicago. The streak came to an end yesterday against the White Sox, but the damage might be done. The Tigers were average during the same stretch, going 5-5 and falling five and a half games off the pace. Their saving grace is that all three of the top wild card contenders have struggled of late, but more on that later.
• Four teams won nine games in the last fourteen days, led by St. Louis and San Diego. The Cardinals (67-66, 9-4) continue to win more than they lose, which puts lots of pressure on middling Chicago and Milwaukee, who combined to go 13-12 this week. Three weeks ago, the Redbirds had a chance to actually take first after sweeping the Brewers and heading into a four-game set at Wrigley. They cooled off quickly, losing the first two, then getting washed out in the Sunday matinée. But the salvaged the finale, and have been back on track since, taking series from Florida and Atlanta, dropping one in Houston, but then sweeping Cincinnati.
• The Padres (75-61, 9-4) took a more direct route to applying pressure on first-place Arizona, taking three of four from the first-place Diamondbacks earlier this week. Throw in a 4-2 swing through New York and Philly, and a series win over Los Angeles this weekend, and the Padres put together what is probably the most impressive two weeks of anyone in baseball. It doesn't get any easier, though, with a nine-game road trip to 'Zona, LA and Colorado on deck.
• In the "wait, what?" category this week, we have Texas and Tampa Bay. The unlikely pair rounds out the nine-win club, though both seasons have long been lost causes. The Rangers (63-73, 9-4) were unbeaten in their four series, but the most prominent might have been the only one they didn't win -- they split four games with Seattle, but their wins in the final two games sent the Mariners careening into a losing streak that has the M's on life support. Although you might remember their series with Baltimore, too: they dropped thirty on the hapless Orioles while taking two of three.
• Finally, there's the Devil Rays (56-81, 9-5). They went 4-3 two weeks ago and 5-2 this past week. For perspective, Tampa Bay had put together only two winning weeks all season, and they certainly weren't back to back (5-2 the first full week of June, and 4-3 the last week of April). The nine wins over two weeks in a season-high, and the five losses matched their effort from that first week in June. At one point, it took the Devil Rays six weeks just to win nine games, in the month and a half bracketing the All Star break. But keep in mind the Rays aren't playing awful baseball right now -- their 22-28 record since the break is better than either Milwaukee or Detroit.
Losers: It's hard to believe anybody's having a worse couple weeks than Seattle, which is currently mired in a nine-game slide with its playoff hopes dimming. But the Mariners haven't gone a league-worst 2-11 since Aug. 20, they weren't swept by Tampa Bay of all teams, they weren't no-hit, and they didn't give up 30 runs to Texas. That honor goes to Baltimore, of course, who unofficially had the worst two weeks of anyone in baseball this season. The Orioles (59-76, 2-11) had a nine-game losing streak of their own, which started with the 30-3 abomination in Camden Yards. During those nine games, they were outscored 83-38, and never held opponents to fewer than five runs. And after winning for the first time in ten days Friday, the cherry on top came a day later, when the O's were no-hit by Boston rookie Taylor Buchholz.
• The Mariners (73-62 4-10), on the other hand are in deceptively good shape considering they sport the majors' longest active losing streak. They've virtually knocked themselves out of the AL West race, but are fortunate to be in wild card race that nobody seems to want to win. After all, New York and Detroit both went 6-7 the last two weeks, leaving the M's only two games out if they feel so motivated to start winning again. And besides, it's not like the Mariners are taking any unforgivable losses. They took two of three from Minnesota and split four with Texas before hitting the skids against Los Angeles and Toronto, both teams that are playing well right now. Ultimately, the last two weeks are meaningless compared the upcoming one; their next six games are against the Yankees and Tigers, and will likely make the difference between whether the Mariners will be playing meaningful games in the season's final weeks.
• It seems there is not a more determined team in the league than Chicago; two weeks ago, they made a hard charge to catch Kansas City in the AL Central basement, and started padding the cushion since then, leading the Royals by three and a half games. Now the White Sox (58-79, 4-10) have turned their eye to Tampa Bay, owner of the junior circuit's worst record. The Devil Rays lead the Sox by two games, but having been playing better of late, making it tough to hold off Chicago, which has all the momentum. (And keep in mind, we kid only because we love, and are trying to add a little spice to an otherwise undistinguished second half for Ozzie Guillen's crew, which is 4-18 since Aug. 11.)
• Two teams comprise the nine-loss club this week: Florida (60-77, 4-9, who cares they've been out of the race since July) and Atlanta (68-69, 4-9, thanks for playing and enjoy your October vacation).
Movers: The Angels (80-56, 8-5) played well the past two weeks, but most of the credit for padding their lead by a league-best four and a half games goes to Seattle, who's corresponding drop was somehow only third-worst in baseball. Cleveland did almost as well, upping its lead over Detroit by four games. San Diego erased its four-game deficit to move into a first-place tie with Arizona.
On the flip side, at least Baltimore's six-game dropoff wasn't the worst in baseball. Chicago somehow lost six and a half games on the first-place Indians, slipping to twenty and a half games back.
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Subject: Sept. 3 -- Here Comes the Tribe
Time: 10:43:00 AM EDT
Author: cu21ti27mi
Winners: It's been two weeks since the last entry, which means there's been twice as much time for teams to make their moves as September rolls around.
Or not.
From top to the bottom, the standings went almost unchanged since August 20. All six first-place teams are still in first (with the quasi-exception of San Diego moving into a tie with Arizona). Same goes for all second-place and third-place teams. The only change was Cincinnati slipping by Houston into fourth in the National League Central, which barely registers as sort-of-significant in Ohio or Texas, and certainly not anywhere else. But that's not to say that there weren't key changes in spacing, or that certain teams didn't step up.
• Cleveland may not have been the best team the past two weeks, but they sure took advantage of a soft schedule and piled up the best record over that span. It started with a series win over Detroit that sent the AL Central rivals spinning of in different directions. The Indians (78-57, 10-3) dropped their next game against Kansas City, then rolled off eight straight wins over KC, Minnesota and Chicago. The streak came to an end yesterday against the White Sox, but the damage might be done. The Tigers were average during the same stretch, going 5-5 and falling five and a half games off the pace. Their saving grace is that all three of the top wild card contenders have struggled of late, but more on that later.
• Four teams won nine games in the last fourteen days, led by St. Louis and San Diego. The Cardinals (67-66, 9-4) continue to win more than they lose, which puts lots of pressure on middling Chicago and Milwaukee, who combined to go 13-12 this week. Three weeks ago, the Redbirds had a chance to actually take first after sweeping the Brewers and heading into a four-game set at Wrigley. They cooled off quickly, losing the first two, then getting washed out in the Sunday matinée. But the salvaged the finale, and have been back on track since, taking series from Florida and Atlanta, dropping one in Houston, but then sweeping Cincinnati.
• The Padres (75-61, 9-4) took a more direct route to applying pressure on first-place Arizona, taking three of four from the first-place Diamondbacks earlier this week. Throw in a 4-2 swing through New York and Philly, and a series win over Los Angeles this weekend, and the Padres put together what is probably the most impressive two weeks of anyone in baseball. It doesn't get any easier, though, with a nine-game road trip to 'Zona, LA and Colorado on deck.
• In the "wait, what?" category this week, we have Texas and Tampa Bay. The unlikely pair rounds out the nine-win club, though both seasons have long been lost causes. The Rangers (63-73, 9-4) were unbeaten in their four series, but the most prominent might have been the only one they didn't win -- they split four games with Seattle, but their wins in the final two games sent the Mariners careening into a losing streak that has the M's on life support. Although you might remember their series with Baltimore, too: they dropped thirty on the hapless Orioles while taking two of three.
• Finally, there's the Devil Rays (56-81, 9-5). They went 4-3 two weeks ago and 5-2 this past week. For perspective, Tampa Bay had put together only two winning weeks all season, and they certainly weren't back to back (5-2 the first full week of June, and 4-3 the last week of April). The nine wins over two weeks in a season-high, and the five losses matched their effort from that first week in June. At one point, it took the Devil Rays six weeks just to win nine games, in the month and a half bracketing the All Star break. But keep in mind the Rays aren't playing awful baseball right now -- their 22-28 record since the break is better than either Milwaukee or Detroit.
Losers: It's hard to believe anybody's having a worse couple weeks than Seattle, which is currently mired in a nine-game slide with its playoff hopes dimming. But the Mariners haven't gone a league-worst 2-11 since Aug. 20, they weren't swept by Tampa Bay of all teams, they weren't no-hit, and they didn't give up 30 runs to Texas. That honor goes to Baltimore, of course, who unofficially had the worst two weeks of anyone in baseball this season. The Orioles (59-76, 2-11) had a nine-game losing streak of their own, which started with the 30-3 abomination in Camden Yards. During those nine games, they were outscored 83-38, and never held opponents to fewer than five runs. And after winning for the first time in ten days Friday, the cherry on top came a day later, when the O's were no-hit by Boston rookie Taylor Buchholz.
• The Mariners (73-62 4-10), on the other hand are in deceptively good shape considering they sport the majors' longest active losing streak. They've virtually knocked themselves out of the AL West race, but are fortunate to be in wild card race that nobody seems to want to win. After all, New York and Detroit both went 6-7 the last two weeks, leaving the M's only two games out if they feel so motivated to start winning again. And besides, it's not like the Mariners are taking any unforgivable losses. They took two of three from Minnesota and split four with Texas before hitting the skids against Los Angeles and Toronto, both teams that are playing well right now. Ultimately, the last two weeks are meaningless compared the upcoming one; their next six games are against the Yankees and Tigers, and will likely make the difference between whether the Mariners will be playing meaningful games in the season's final weeks.
• It seems there is not a more determined team in the league than Chicago; two weeks ago, they made a hard charge to catch Kansas City in the AL Central basement, and started padding the cushion since then, leading the Royals by three and a half games. Now the White Sox (58-79, 4-10) have turned their eye to Tampa Bay, owner of the junior circuit's worst record. The Devil Rays lead the Sox by two games, but having been playing better of late, making it tough to hold off Chicago, which has all the momentum. (And keep in mind, we kid only because we love, and are trying to add a little spice to an otherwise undistinguished second half for Ozzie Guillen's crew, which is 4-18 since Aug. 11.)
• Two teams comprise the nine-loss club this week: Florida (60-77, 4-9, who cares they've been out of the race since July) and Atlanta (68-69, 4-9, thanks for playing and enjoy your October vacation).
Movers: The Angels (80-56, 8-5) played well the past two weeks, but most of the credit for padding their lead by a league-best four and a half games goes to Seattle, who's corresponding drop was somehow only third-worst in baseball. Cleveland did almost as well, upping its lead over Detroit by four games. San Diego erased its four-game deficit to move into a first-place tie with Arizona.
On the flip side, at least Baltimore's six-game dropoff wasn't the worst in baseball. Chicago somehow lost six and a half games on the first-place Indians, slipping to twenty and a half games back.
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