Here come the Yankees?
For the Bombers, the season could probably be split into two categories of 70-30: It’s been frustrating 70% of the way and the other 30% has been… well, less frustrating.
But for the Bronx as a whole, things seem to be looking up and as most know, as long as a team can stay afloat for the first four months of the season, anything can happen in the last two. And it definitely looks like New York is on the rise. He is 14-5 in his last 19 games and hasn’t lost a series since dropping four of three games against the Red Sox on July 22-25.
That does not mean that everything is rosy. The victories have not come easily. The Yankees have blown the lead in the eighth inning or later 18 times this year, the most in MLB. There are problems in the bullpen, starting with Zack Britton, who has a 6.94 ERA and 11 walks in 14 appearances since returning from the disabled list.
But the Yankees have been able to gain ground in both fights – by atop the AL East, where they are third, 5.5 games behind the Rays, and by the Wilds, where they are 2.5 games behind the Red Sox for last. ticket.
We also need to pay attention to the Reds, who are 2.5 games behind the Padres for the second NL Wild Card. Cincinnati is 9-5 so far this August.
The biggest jump: Three teams moved up three spots: Los Atléticos (from 10 to 7), Blue Jays (from 14 to 11) and Braves (from 15 to 12). Atlanta has won 10 of its last 12 meetings, scored 72 runs (six per game) and hit 24 home runs in that stretch.
The biggest drop: The Orioles fell three spots, from 27 to 30. After being swept away by Boston, Baltimore’s road trip doesn’t get any easier – they will play a four-game series this week against Tampa Bay.
Top 5 of the Power Rankings
1. Giants (1 last week)
The San Francisco squad, which has the best record in the majors at 76-42, has won 12 of its last 15 games. Monday begins a stretch of 19 consecutive games against contenders: The Mets (6), Athletics (3), Braves (3), Brewers (4) and Dodgers (3). Their next series against a team below .500 will come Sept. 6, when they travel for three games against the Rockies.
The champions, who have the best career differential at +193, have won 10 of 13 matches since July 31, the day after the trade deadline. Max Scherzer has lived up to high expectations, conceding four runs in 16.1 innings (2.20 ERA) to start his stint with the Dodgers.
Tampa Bay let go of the final two games of its series against the Twins, marking the first time they have lost consecutive games since July 27-28 to the Yankees. Still, since then, the Rays have won 11 of 16 and went from 2.5 games behind the Red Sox to a 3.0 lead at the top of the division. No other team has scored more runs than the Rays since the All-Star break (168).
Houston overwhelmed their opponents during their four-game win streak that ended Sunday, outnumbering their opponents 22-4. Pitchers also had a great time – starters allowed three earned runs in 23 innings, while relievers gave up a single earned score in 13 innings. The Astros have a favorable schedule – they will meet the Royals seven times in the next 10 days, plus a three-game series against the Mariners.
Milwaukee has a 98-win pace, which would break the record of 96 it achieved in 2011 (96-66) and 2018 (96-67). The Brewers are 15-2 in their last 17 road games with three remaining on their current road trip. On Tuesday, they kick off a three-game series against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
The rest of the 30
6. White Sox (4 last week)
7. Athletic (10)
8. Parents (7)
9. Yankees (9)
10. Red Sox (8)
11. Tiles (14)
12. Braves (15)
13. Phillies (11)
14. Reds (12)
15. Mets (13)
16. Sailors (16)
17. Cardinals (17)
18. Tigers (19)
19. Angels (20)
20. Indians (18)
21. Twins (22)
22. Marlins (21)
23. Cubs (24)
24. Rockies (25)
25. Nationals (23)
26. Royals (26)
27. Pirates (28)
28. Rangers (29)
29. D-backs (30)
30. Orioles (27)
Voters: Alyson Footer, Anthony Castrovince, Jesse Sánchez, Mark Feinsand, Nathalie Alonso, Mike Petriello, Sarah Langs, Andrew Simon, David Venn
.