July 26
The Detroit Tigers, in first place in the American League Central Division, are having success both at home (33-17) and away from home (35-16). Last season this team was 28 games out of first place. What a change for the Tigers this season. The Tigers are on the positive side in one-run games at 17-10. The Tigers are on a nine-game road trip.
The New York Mets, in first place in the National League East, are winning both at home (30-21) and away from home (30-20). The Mets have a 12-game lead. This is the biggest advantage in Major League Baseball. Last season the Mets were in third place seven games out of first place with a record of 83-79. The Mets have had success in one-run games going 22-10. Does this team have the talent in both hitting and pitching to get into the World Series?
The Atlanta Braves, in second place in the National League East, have a losing record both at home (22-24) and away from home (26-28). The Braves are 12 games out of first place. Last season, the Braves held the number one spot in the NL East with a 90-72 record. The Braves’ chance of making the playoffs this season is probably like a wild card and they trail several teams for that spot. The longest winning streak this season for the Braves is seven games and the longest losing streak is 10 games. The Braves are 8-3 in their last 11 games.
The Philadelphia Phillies appear to be out of contention for the number one spot in the NL East. They are losing both at home (23-29) and away (22-24). Last season, the Phillies were in second place two games out of first place with a record of 88-74. The longest winning streak this season for the Phillies is nine games and the longest losing streak is six games. The Phillies are 5-6 in their last 11 games. It’s going to be a challenge for this team to make the playoffs.
The Cincinnati Reds, 5.5 games out of first place in the NL Central, are on the positive side both at home (27-25) and away (26-23). The Reds are playing a different game than they were last season, as they were 27 games out of first place. What a change for the Reds. The Reds are on the positive side in one-run games at 19-10. The Reds are 8-4 in their last 12 games. Will this team get the top spot in the NL Central?