AL East Round-up: Separating the pack edition

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Aug 21, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; The standings listed on the wall of the green monster show the Boston Red Sox in last place in the American League East during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

In this week’s edition of the AL East Roundup, we look at bashing black birds, inspiring northmen, blue fowls in turbulent waters, a Florida uprising, and seeing red next year. Each of the clubs in the American League East have had some success from old faces, new ones, and a hole bunch of home runs.

So, with just a few weeks to go before the end of the season, it’s now time to take stock of what remains for each team, what has become of each squad, and which team has anything left in the tank to reach the finish line.

So, without further ado, let’s start with the current AL East Standings and then move on from there:

Baltimore Orioles – 78-56, –
New York Yankees – 70-64, 8.0 GB
Toronto Blue Jays – 68-67, 10.5 GB
Tampa Bay Rays – 66-70, 13.0 GB
Boston Red Sox – 59-76, 19.5 GB

Aug 27, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) hits a solo home run during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Orioles (78-56)

Manager Buck Showalter has his team gearing up for the postseason with a big cushion to sit back and relax. Being ahead by eight games in the division to start September does that to you. Knowing Showalter’s personality, however, it will not be with a smile as much as a warming heart… that he doesn’t show. To be fair, no good manager would ever take the foot off the gas and not worry about the little things that make his team run smoothly. Although, having a 98% probability, according to MLB.com, of making the postseason in what is supposedly the hardest division in baseball (don’t laugh, it’s been true for years) will make any manager’s life a bit less stressful.

The team went 6-4 for the last 10 days, which is not horrible to be above .500, and traded for Kelly Johnson. With Manny Machado being out for the season with knee surgery, the Orioles were looking to give their infield a bit more depth and experience. It took Johnson just over three years to have officially played for all of the AL East teams. It does not seem that the move will have too much of an impact, as how much can be expected of a player who has been moved so many times in so short a time. However, it does give Showalter another option if needed. Johnson being recently off of the DL will make it interesting how he is utilized.

The team also traded Minor League pitchers Miguel Chalas and Mark Blackmar to the Chicago White Sox for Alejandro De Aza, who is batting .243 with 5 home runs and 15 stolen bases. MLB.com reported Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette saying, “He’s a multi-talented outfielder…He’s good in left, he can play center field, he had two very good years in ’12 and ’13, where he hit for power, and he gives us a veteran outfielder who we can use to supplement our team.”

The other major injury to watch is Steve Pearce. The outfielder recently left the lineup injured. An MRI confirmed a strain in his abdomen, but luckily for the Orioles there was no tear. He is listed as day-to-day. The Baltimore Sun reported Pearce saying, “It’s just what I thought. Wanted to take care of it before it got out of hand. I think right now we’re just working on day-to-day. Hopefully in the next couple of days, it will get better and I can get back to working on baseball activities…I think we got out in front of this where it will be easy to treat and I’ll be able to be day-to-day.” This week, before the injury, Pearce was hitting .300, with 3 home runs and a stolen base. He will be missed, but should take it easy to heal up for an expected long run in the postseason.

A few Orioles have been picking up the slack lately for the injured. Chris Davis crushed a grand slam this week against the Twins to pad his RBI stat at 8 runs; however, his .150 batting average and 6 strikeouts are not helping the cause. He, at least, has increased his on-base percentage at .308 by taking 5 walks this week. Delmon Young also deserves a lot of credit, hitting . 294 with 5 RBIs. Even the recent fill-in third baseman, Jimmy Paredes got in on the action, hitting a home run and 2 RBIs to win against the Twins. The team hit 11 home runs in the last 7 days, which have helped them come back in a number of games when behind.

The pitching staff has not given up many runs, the worst being Bud Norris giving up four runs against the Tampa Bay Rays. If the offence keeps it up, the pitching staff can relax and tune up for October.

Aug 29, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (2) hits a single during the sixth inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees (70-64)

Should it be embarrassing to other teams that the Yankees may finish above them? Their starting rotation on the mound was decimated by injuries and suspensions. Their batting lineup continues to look like an old folks home for past greats of the game, who break a toe every time they move. Yet, they are the Yankees. They do know how to win.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi deserves maybe a purple heart for what he has been able to accomplish so far with so little he’s had to work with. They are likely not going to win the division, being eight games back; however, they are only 3.5 games back of a wildcard spot. To put it in perspective, the Yankees have a 7% chance of making the postseason while the Toronto Blue Jays, the team that was winning the division off and on for most of the year, is now only at a 1% chance of making it. As much as that may anger Jays fans who hate the ‘evil empire’, that is an incredible achievement with all due respect.

The team went 7-3 for the last 10 days, ending in a 2-0 loss to those very Blue Jays. Jacoby Ellsbury, who was hitting .522, with 4 home runs, 9 RBIs, and 3 stolen bases, recently sprained his ankle, according to ESPN. Chris Toman of MLB.com reported that “there won’t be an official diagnosis until Ellsbury is checked out by team doctors once the club heads back to New York.” With the way Ellsbury has been playing for the Yankees, they will want him to heal quickly if they have any chance of catching the wildcard leaders.

Some Yankees are pushing through the hard times. Brian McCann also has been doing anything he can with the bat to help his team win. He hit .250 this week with 6 RBIs. Masahiro Tanaka may be able to come back this September, playing simulated games in his rehab assignment, but that is uncertain from where his condition is at the moment. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that “he had general soreness in his arm and he believes, according to [Brian] Cashman (Yankees general manager), that it’s from a lack of cardiovascular fitness, that he needs to get back in shape a little bit better before he returns to the mound.”

If this team is going to make a run for another World Series championship, they are going to need everyone playing the best that they can. It’s great to spend time celebrating Derek Jeter’s retirement. But when he is only hitting .167 in the two-spot, maybe a few more adjustments need to be made first.

Aug 5, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Aaron Sanchez (41) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Blue Jays (68-67)

Well, at least they are above .500 for the season! Please don’t slap me.

The team went 4-6 for the last 10 days, notwithstanding a Jose Bautista ejection, blown saves, lack of hitting, bullpen malfunctions, starters losing accuracy through fatigue, and a partridge in a pear tree. With being six games back of a wildcard spot, unfortunately for the haters out there, the Blue Jays are not officially out of the playoff hunt. But it is not looking good.

The bright spots have been reported on JaysJournal.com. One aspect has been regarding Bautista hitting four home runs in four games, exciting the home crowd since being ridiculed for the ejection. There are two ways that incident could have went: eat him up inside or prove his worth. The latter is the only thing the Jays need right now, showing leadership in his play, regardless of what you think of his mouth.

Drew Hutchison and Marcus Stroman also had great outings this week. The StroShow even gave manager John Gibbons a lovetap on his posterior before leaving the mound with the game in their favour. Both pitchers won their games against the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, giving hope to the relative hopelessness.

Having said that, the runs cannot happen by solo home runs from one man or pitchers dominating games. You have to hit to have a chance. With the Toronto Sun reporting that Edwin Encarnacion’s lack of production is due to his injury still plaguing him, others will need to step up besides Bautista. In the last seven games, Dioner Navarro and Munenori Kawasaki have the most hits for the team. They have more hits from two players brought in for their defence than the rest of the team. Leadoff shortstop Jose Reyes has only four hits in twenty-nine at-bats. This lack of production will not get it done.

Stick a fork in the Blue Jays, especially in the AL East standings. The postseason is a dream that will not become a reality with those types of numbers. They need hitting to complement the youth movement on the mound and the face of the franchise in right field.

Aug 26, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Evan Longoria (3) hits an rbi double in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles defeated the Rays 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay Rays (66-70)

Who expected the Rays to come out of the basement and have even a distant prayer of making the wildcard spot? Put your hands down, liars!

The team went 5-5 in the last 10 days, led by their all-star third baseman Evan Longoria. He had 9 hits, a double, a home run, 6 RBIs, on a .321 batting average. Longoria may have lost a step or two on defence (which is still better than most of us), but he is a force behind the plate and this rejuvenation in the standings. Brandon Guyer in left field has also looked good by hitting .417 with a .500 OBP and 3 RBIs.

Their troubles stem partly from the fact that they are not getting production from some of their other key hitters. While seven of their players are hitting above .270, Ben Zobrist, Wil Myers, and Matt Joyce are all hitting below .160, which is terrible for the Rays considering those three with Longoria are their impact players in the batter’s box.

It also doesn’t help that Drew Smyly, who is pitching well above his pedigree recently, is their top pitcher. Smyly has a win with a 1.29 ERA in 7.0 innings, giving up only 2 hits and 1 run. Opposing batters are only hitting .087 against him. The rest of the pitching staff did about what you would expect from a team second to last in the division.

It may be too late for the Rays to make it to the postseason. Rays fans should be proud of them, especially this week, for not rolling over and dying in the basement of the division. Their play has shown tenacity and drive.

Aug 26, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox left field Yoenis Cespedes (52) hits a single in the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Red Sox (59-76)

The sea of red in Boston looks more and more like a horror movie.

The team went 3-7 in the last 10 days, capping off with Dustin Pedroia having to be helped off the field with concussion symptoms. He collided with Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe, who was tagging from first base on a flyout to center field and slid into Pedroia trying to make the tag for the out. Forsythe’s “right forearm came up and struck Pedroia in the head,” according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. Manager John Farrell said, “Given where we are with rosters expanding, we don’t necessarily know that this will be a seven-day DL. We’ve got to be sure that every symptom is cleared. This will be a day-to-day situation.”

Considering the Red Sox have no chance of making the playoffs, being 15 games back of the wildcard lead, it would be crazy to see them want to play Pedroia any time soon. He signed a multi-year big contract and plans to be part of any future success with the franchise. Pedroia will, however, be missed now after hitting six RBIs in the last seven days, leading the team in that category.

Run support was not a problem in the losing record recently. The young, talented center fielder Mookie Betts hit 5 RBIs, including 2 home runs for the Red Sox with a .286 batting average. A nice surprise that replaces Ellsbury in the outfield, finally. Yoenis Cespedes and Will Middlebrooks also added to this production train with five RBIs each, making them one of the best teams in terms of runs in the division this week.

What is the problem then, you ask? Ask the starting rotation. Only one starter actually got a win this week. Part of the problem was that the run support was lacking when it was needed. The Red Sox would score a ton of runs in one game and nothing in the next game. Newly-acquired Joe Kelly only gave up two runs, but it was enough to record the loss. Allen Webster’s problem, on the other hand, couldn’t keep people from scoring against him. In two starts, he could only get passed the fourth inning both times, giving up six runs a piece. Hitters looked more like they were doing a conga line around the bases, being cashed at will.

With zero chance that this season will be remembered fondly, the Red Sox should try to forget this week. And last week. And the week before that. And the week before that. Instead, look for some of the veterans to help people like Kelly, Betts, and Brock Holt to continue emerging as big league players so that they are ready to win it all again next season. That and form a Lester-watch in the offseason.

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