Not much was expected from the San Francisco Giants in 2019. Now five years removed from their last World Series title, the most Giants fans were hoping for was that the team not embarrass longtime manager Bruce Bochy in his final season at its helm. The future Hall of Fame manager has guided the Giants to three World Series titles this decade. At the end of July, there is now a chance for a fourth title.
The Giants began July 36-47 and in last place in the NL West 19½ games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers. But after going 19-6 in July, the Giants have leapfrogged over the Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks into second place. While the Giants are still 15 games back of the dominant Dodgers they are now within 2 games of the second NL Wild Card berth.
No one would like a NLDS matchup with the Dodgers more than Giants ace Madison Bumgarner. He hasn't forgotten how Max Muncy told him to go fish the ball out of McCovey Cove after homering off him on June 11th. At that point, the Giants were widely expected to deal Bumgarner at the trade deadline. Now Bumgarner is staying in San Francisco. Although the team congealed in July they started to tread water right after Muncy took Bumgarner deep in the drink in mid-June. The Giants haven't forgotten.
While the Giants had a triumphant July, the same cannot be said of either the San Diego Padres or Colorado Rockies who went 8-16 and 6-19 last month, respectively. The Padres became sellers at the trade deadline dealing power hitting outfielder Franmil Reyes to the Cleveland Indians. After a strong April and hovering around .500 most of the season, it looks like the Friars will have their ninth consecutive losing season even with Manny Machado in the center of their lineup. The Rockies now must be considered the most disappointing team in the NL. They finished July losing 7 of 10 and are now 20½ games back of the Dodgers. No one expected the Rockies who earned NL Wild Card berths in both 2017 and 2018 to regress this severely. The Arizona Diamondbacks still have a shot at the post-season only three games back of the second NL Wild Card berth. However, the dealing of ace Zack Greinke to the Houston Astros certainly gives D'Backs fans snake eyes.
At the All-Star Break, the NL Central was the tightest division in MLB with only 4½ games separating first and last place. When the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds aren't brawling they've been doing a lot of losing. The Bucs have fallen on particularly hard times losing 9 of their last 10 games and are 3-16 since the All-Star Break. It would appear this would be too high obstacle for Pirates manager Clint Hurdle to jump. All of which renders the NL Central a three team race with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals tied for first and the Milwaukee Brewers one game back. Whichever of these two teams doesn't win the NL Central will be vying for a NL Wild Card berth. The Cardinals have momentum on their side going 13-7 since the All-Star Break and playing their best baseball since April.
The Atlanta Braves are holding steady in the NL East with a 6½ and 7 game lead over the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Nats currently hold a NL Wild Card berth with the Phillies only a half game behind. But look out. Here come the New York Mets who have gone 12-3 since the All-Star Break including six straight wins. All of a sudden the Mets are only 4½ games back of the second NL Wild Card berth. At the All-Star Break, the Mets were 7 games back of a NL Wild Card berth. Perhaps Marcus Stroman shouldn't be so upset after all. It could have been worse. He could have ended up with the Miami Marlins who own the worst record in the NL.
The Houston Astros hold an 8 game lead over the Oakland A's in the AL West. That lead must feel twice that size with the acquisition of Zack Greinke from the D'Backs. But the A's are only a half game off the pace for the second AL Wild Card berth. The Los Angeles Angels are fighting valiantly since the sudden passing of Tyler Skaggs at the beginning of July. They are six games back in the AL Wild Card race and any lineup with Mike Trout in it cannot be entirely discounted. The Texas Rangers, however, have taken a significant step back. The Rangers went 18-11 in June and found themselves with the second AL Wild Card berth. However, an 8-16 July has left the Rangers 7 games off the AL Wild Card pace. While the Rangers might have been satisfied with a .500 record at the beginning of the season having a whiff of post-season potential only to have it fall way will be a hard pill to swallow. The Seattle Mariners have won 7 of their last 10 games and are playing their best baseball since their 13-2 start. But these victories are pyrrhic as they sit 23 games back of the Astros and have traded away many of their assets.
The Minnesota Twins still lead the AL Central but their lead is getting smaller and smaller by the day. They began July 8 games ahead of the Tribe. At the All-Star Break the lead had slipped to 5½ games. As of this writing, the Twins lead over the Tribe is now at 3 games. The question is whether adding Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes was worth dispensing with the services of Trevor Bauer. The Chicago White Sox are in third place but have missed Tim Anderson horribly. The Chisox have lost 8 of their last 10 games and are 4-15 since the All-Star Break. The Kansas City Royals are 27½ games back of the Twins, but they have managed to get out of the last place. The Detroit Tigers who went an abysmal 5-20 in July now own MLB's worst record.
Not much has changed in the AL East with the New York Yankees holding a 7½ game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays who have been treading water, but are playing well enough to regain ownership of the second AL Wild Card berth. The Boston Red Sox are 2½ games back of the Rays in the AL Wild Card standings, but Red Sox Nation is impatient the team did not acquire bullpen help before the trade deadline. The Toronto Blue Jays continue to lose games, but now have Bo Bichette in the fold. The Baltimore Orioles actually played .500 ball in July and no longer have the distinction of MLB's worst record - for now.
Where will we be at the end of August? Can the Red Sox overcome the Rays in the AL Wild Card standings? Will the Tribe catch the Twins in the AL Central? Can the Angels get into the AL Wild Card race? Will the Mets sustain their momentum? Does anyone want to win the NL Central? Will the Giants help Bruce Bochy go out in a blaze of glory? Check back me with on Labor Day Weekend.
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