Rockies rise to 2019 NL traveling title

The Colorado Rockies secured a berth in the 2021 Super League by winning the 2019 National League traveling championship on criteria.

Trying to work out the best way of determining the best lineal championship performance at the end of a sports season has proved, not surprisingly, to be a continuous process. Difficulties lie in many folds, for there are many ways to value these performances.

So, we'll keep tweaking until we think we have it right, or close enough to it. For the league-wide lineal baseball championships in 2019, we decided to make a slight adjustment, not in the criteria for determining the year's champion, but in the criteria for deciding which teams get to be considered.

For 2018, the first year, the requirement was at least two championships and at least three defenses, or one championship with six defenses. Second thoughts have ensued, complaining that the criteria under-valued championship defenses, which amounted to over-valuing championships (relative to defenses). Ideally, we want criteria that equally values challenging for the championship successfully, defending the championship successfully and competing successfully against the top contenders.

Anyway, the decision was made now to reduce the number of necessary defenses for a team with one championship down from six to four. So, two championships and three defenses comes to the same as one championship and four defenses. Either way, it's five series wins for the championship.

Along the same lines, then, we'll put the other qualifying levels at three championships with two defenses, four championships and one defense, and five championships with no defenses. In addition, however, any team that has won at least one championship will have its number of required defenses reduced by one if it has never failed a championship challenge. In other words, a team that only had one chance to challenge for the championship and succeeded needs only three defenses to qualify. A team with one title in two challenges still would need four defenses.

Tedious, we know, but it needs to be on the record. Going forward, that's how we'll run the lineal championships in baseball. We already have, however, published the inter-league championship for 2019, so we did that one the old way, but it would not have changed the outcome. In the National League, though, it amounted to two teams qualifying for the 2019 stat-off that would not have made it otherwise, and it made a difference.

Take a look again, if you'd like, at the standings and results from the National League in 2019, or any league in any year, and ask yourself which team should be named the champion. It's usually not obvious. We used to just eyeball it, but now we need a defensible decision method so we can have a more defensible decision, as the result of that decision determines a Super League berth for the next year.

First, as we've explained before, we have to decide which teams go into the criteria mix, in effect, becoming the finalists for the annual lineal championship. By the criteria we have just laid out, we get four clubs -- the Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals.

Now, we set out the criteria. All four teams are considered by each criterion. The best team gets the full point for the criterion. If two or more teams finish tied at the top in some category, they split the point evenly. We have seven criteria. The team with the most criteria points wins. If it's tied, then we go to head-to-team among the teams that are tied. If it's still tied after that, we declare co-champions and the Elite Division berth goes to the team that has gone longest since being in the Elite Division. If it's still tied after that, then we declare a co-champion and no team goes to the Elite Division.

Next, we lay out the criteria and list the team that won, with the winning total, or average, if that's what it is:

1. Most championships. (Colorado, 4).

2. Most title defenses per championship. (Washington, Milwaukee, four each).

3. Best winning percentage in traveling championship games. (Atlanta, .641).

4. Most victories per time playing for the championship. (Milwaukee, 2.375).

5. Most games as champion per time playing for the championship. (Washington, 2.43).

6. Fewest failed challenges. (Colorado, 0).

7. Head-to-head record in traveling championship games (Colorado, 10-4. Others were Atlanta 7-8, Washington 4-5 and Milwaukee 3-7).

Add it all up and the Rockies won three categories of the seven, Milwaukee and Washington each won 1.5 and Atlanta won one. 

Thus, the Rockies win the championship for the season, and the Elite Division berth, which they needed, as they didn't qualify in the pyramid.

We like the criteria system because if you ask the criteria why the Rockies won the championship, the criteria gives you a straight answer: Because the Rockies won the most titles, they won the title every time they challenged for it, they demolished the other contenders head-to-head for the title and no other team can make an equivalent case. All of that is right there in the information provided by the standings and results, but we need criteria to put that information through relevant questioning.

The Rockies did most of their work in April, taking the prize from the San Diego Padres on the road, then defending the championship four times. It would be the only four title defenses the Rockies would register all season, but three of them were against Atlanta, Milwaukee and Washington, saddling each with a failed challenge. That would loom huge on Criterion No. 6, which Colorado won almost entirely through that run of games.

The Rockies held on for 17 games of defense before losing it to the Arizona Diamondbacks in May. The Braves immediately snatched the prize from Arizona and tore out four defenses amounting to 15 games of title defense, pulling nearly even with the Rockies.

However, the Washington Nationals who took the championship with a two-game sweep from Atlanta May 28-29, then mounted a 17-game defense before the Braves took it back by winning two of three in Washington June 21-23. With the victory, the Braves not only stopped Washington at 17, but they also picked up the four games of defense, bringing themselves to the  lead at 19, when they immediately split four with the Chicago Cubs, who took the tiebreaker.

Colorado returned to the fray in July rather fortunately. After winning the prize from the Reds, the Rockies immediately lost four straight to the San Francisco Giants. So, they get dinged for failing to defend, but they still claimed four games of defense, launching ahead of the Braves with 21.

Another victory in late August added seven games for the Braves, bringing their total to 26 before they visited Colorado on Aug. 26 to make up a game postponed by weather in April. By simply winning that game, 3-1, on a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth, the Rockies also added four games of defense despite being immediately swept four games by the Pittsburgh Pirates, so now they were up to 25, needing one more to tie the Braves. In addition, the Rockies stopped the Braves from accumulating more numbers.

Within a week, the Milwaukee Brewers won the title with a four-game sweep of the Florida Marlins, starting a torrid 15-2 title run with four title defenses that took them all the way from nowhere to the criteria leader before they visited Colorado for the final series of the regular season, Sept. 27-29.

The stakes were clear. The winner of the series would win the lineal title for the year. After the Rockies claimed an 11-7 win in the opener, they clinched the next day with a 3-2 win on Trevor Story's tenth-inning homer against Matt Albers.

Yankees take North League traveling title for 2019

The fight for the North League lineal championship began between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, but it really ended with the New York Yankees, who put themselves way ahead with two titles and seven defenses in the middle of the summer.

The New York Yankees fell short of their usual aspirations in 2019, bowing out with a six-game loss to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).

By the light of the championships chronicled on these pages, though, no one was better in 2019 than the Yankees.

In the two highest level competitions, the First Division and the Super League, the Yankees won the championships. The Yankees also finished a strong second place in the American League and interleague lineal championships.

Then, we have the four-by-four, which places each club in six distinct but related competitions. In future years, we'll say that any team winning three of these will qualify for the next year's Super League, if that club hasn't already qualified through the pyramid or the league-wide lineals. In 2019, the Yankees won four. 

Those would be the North League East Division, the East League North Division, the Eastern lineal and, here, the Northern lineal. The Cleveland Indians won the other two titles in the Northeast -- the Northeast Conference and the Northeast lineal.

Opening these traveling titles in the cardinal regions (north, south, east, west) presented a small challenge, as there is no such thing as a standing champion from established competitions to be the obvious caretakers. So, we tried to be fair and balanced about it, and we all know how that goes. 

The Boston Red Sox won the 2018 World Series, so we gave them dibs here started them as the East Champion. The Los Angeles Dodgers, as the National League pennant winners in 2018, were the clear choice as the caretaking West champion.

What about North and South? It's fair to start one in the American League and the other in the National League. The Houston Astros, with 103 wins in 2018, were the obvious choice in the South. So, we're going National League in the North. It happens that the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers each won 95, tied for the league's Central Division championship with the best record in the NL. The Major Leagues decided it with a playoff game, won by Brewers.

We decided to do it a different way. Fortunately, the Cubs and Brewers were to start the 2019 season against each other. So, instead of deciding to name one or let the playoff decision from a year earlier stand, we just put the North lineal on the line in that series without picking a caretaker beforehand. Just this once. Because it made the most sense.

The Brewers won that series to open 2019, as well, and defended it once to kick off this championship. In the end, the Brewers were better than most teams in the North, winning two titles for a total of 14 games in the championship.

But that's not the Yankees. Somehow, we didn't pick the Yankees as one of the four clubs to caretaker a lineal in a cardinal region, despite their winning 100 games in 2018 before being bounced from the playoffs by the eventual world champs. The Yankees didn't care about that, of course. They simply went out and won their two cardinals, the East and the North.

In the North, they finished with 29 games of championship. The Yankees did their big damage by winning the championship in mid-June and hanging on through six defenses until the last week of July.

Dodgers drop Cubs at NL traveler finish

The Chicago Cubs stormed through September so fiercely that they went to October with a chance to for Team of the Year in the National League traveling championship. But the Dodgers put a stop to that in the National League Championship Series.

The Chicago Cubs turned a season nowhere near the 2017 National League (NL) traveling championship into a photo finish at the end. But they fell short in their bid to wrest the season title from the Dodgers during the NL Championship Series (NLCS).

The final numbers show the Cubs with 27 games of title defense, compared with 23 for the Dodgers. That puts the Cubs on top of the final standings, but does it make them Team of the Year?

The Cubs won the title twice and defended it five times in seven tries. But the Dodgers won four championships, even though they managed only four defenses in seven tries. The Dodgers played for the title 12 times, fashioning a 27-13 record in those games, while the Cubs were 22-17 in their 11 tries for the championship.

Most of all, though, in the end, when season honors were on the line, the Dodgers thumped the Cubs in a five-game NLCS. So, even though the Cubs are on top of the standings, the Dodgers have most else in their favor, including the prize at the end of the season. The Dodgers are Team of the Year.

But the Cubs were the better story. As the Cubs began a three-game series at Wrigley Field against the New York Mets on Sept. 12, they were a sorry 4-8 in games for the NL traveler, including one title with no defenses, as well as two other failed attempts at the crown.

The Cubs then went streaking, sweeping the Mets, then the St. Louis Cardinals at home, winning three out of four on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers, then winning three of four in St. Louis. Back home to end the regular season, the Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds two out of three.

Coincidentally, the Cubs held a mere two-game lead in the NL Central as the Sept. 12 games began, so their rally to the end conferred the additional benefit of a division title, which they won by six games. From Sept. 12 to the end of the regular season, the Cubs were 14-3 with five series victories.  

The Cubs took the prize through the NL Division Series (NLDS), defeating the Washington Nationals in five games. But the Dodgers, taking the Cubs down so decisively with four wins in a five-game NLCS, rightly claimed the title at the end.

Offense dies as Dodgers drop NL traveling title

The Dodgers lost the National League traveling championship by losing two of three at home against the Washington Nationals this week, continuing an offensive slump that now has lasted for longer than a week.

Max Scherzer struck out 14 for the Washington Nationals in a 2-1 win against the Dodgers on June 6 (Keith Allison/Creative Commons 2.0 Generic license).

An offensive surge took the Dodgers to the National League traveling championship last week, and now an offensive slump has taken it away.

Losing two of three games this week against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers lost the traveling championship to the visiting club. The Dodgers scored four runs in the three games.

The Dodgers remain on top of the traveling standings with two titles and 13 games of defense. But the Nationals have the league traveler for the first time this season and become the eighth club this year to claim the title.

The downfall for the Dodgers is a batting order that is prone to strikeouts and double plays, but is not as likely as most other clubs to hit the ball out of the park. Strikeouts are everywhere throughout the game now, but so are home runs. Except that's not how it works with the Dodgers, who entered games of June 9 with the fifth most strikeouts (541), but tied for 21st in home runs (66).

In their eight games from May 31 through June 7, the Dodgers scored only 18 runs – 10 of them in a 10-8 win on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 3. In those eight games, the Dodgers hit four homers and struck out 91 times – 11.38 strikeouts per game. In those games, the Dodgers batted .166.

Somehow, the Dodgers won three of those games. The outburst against Milwaukee was one, Clayton Kershaw's 2-1 win against Washington's Stephen Strasburg on June 7 was another, and a 2-1 win against the Brewers on June 2, when Kershaw out-dueled Jimmy Nelson.

If it seems that the Dodgers can't win a game unless Kershaw pitches or the other team can't pitch, that's right. At least for the last eight games.

Race is on, to the top and from the bottom

The Second Division is shaping up as a tight race to the top and away from the bottom in the final few weeks of the season. The Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers are the top clubs bucking for promotion right now, with the Cincinnati Reds in the best position to overtake one of them before it all ends.

Can Joey Votto lead the Cincinnati Reds to a First Division promotion? (BubbaFan/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

Of all the competitions across this ersatz universe we're cooking up here, none is tighter than the race for promotion to the First Division for 2016.

Right now, the front runners for those coveted top two spots in the Second Division are the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals. The Rangers have the top percentage at .600 (12-8), but the Royals (27-20, .574) lead in the games column by 1½. The top two clubs by percentage are promoted, unless one team wins by percentage and a different club wins by games, in which case those are the clubs promoted.

Sometimes, the rules will bite a team, like the Angels in 2012, but the Angels bounced back and other clubs can do that, too.

It remains that anything can happen in the Second Division, in which the eight clubs are separated by five games. Additionally, most of the clubs still have around 20 games remaining, so there's much left to shake.

Of the clubs looking to gun up and overtake the Rangers or Royals, the Cincinnati Reds are in the best position. The Reds are 17-17 (.500), with the New York Yankees (12-11, .522) right ahead of them. But the Yankees have only four games remaining in this tier, a set at home against the Cleveland Indians later this month. The Reds have 18 games left.

The Yankees almost have to sweep their remaining games against the Indians for any chance at promotion. If the Reds can win two-thirds of their remaining games, they would finish 29-23 (.558), while the Yankees would be 15-12 (.556) if they win only three of their remaining four against Cleveland.

In those events, the Reds still would need the Rangers or Royals to drop a bit, and they would need the clubs beneath them to stay cool.

All the Rangers have remaining is seven games against Detroit. If the Rangers win only three of those, they would finish 15-12 (.556). Then, we have the Royals, who, at this moment, are .602 across their Major League schedule and .574 in the Second Division. The Royals have 15 games left in the Second Division. If the Royals win eight of them, they finish .565, but if they win only seven, they come in .548.

So, the Reds have some wood to chop, and they also need the clubs in front of them to be a little less than even down the stretch. At the same time, the Reds are in clear danger of demotion. That's the fate of the bottom two clubs in the Second Division, which both fall to the Third Division in 2016.

Right now, the Tigers, Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers all are at or within a half-game of the demotion zone, but the Reds are only a game better than that.

Taking the bottom club in this group, the Brewers, they would have to win two-thirds of their remaining 18 games to finish 26-23 (.531). That probably wouldn't make them promotion material, but it would keep them safely in the Second Division for another year.

In short runs of games, though, wild fluctuations are always in play. During the course of 162 games, no one is going to win three out of four. Over the course of 18 games, it happens all the time.

So, buckle up. We won't be hearing much from any of these clubs, except for the Royals and the Pirates, in the Major League playoff scrum. But in the Second Division, they've all got a lot still on the line.

Second Division standings (through August 12)

	W	L	Pct.	GB
Texas	10	6	.600	1½
Kansas City	27	20	.574	—
New York (AL)	12	11	.522	3
Cincinnati	17	17	.500	3½
Detroit	21	23	.477	4½
Cleveland	20	23	.465	5
Pittsburgh	17	20	.459	5
Milwaukee	14	17	.452	5

Remaining games

Cincinnati (18 games): August 18-19, two at home against Kansas City; August 24, one at home against Detroit; Augut 28-30, three at Milwaukee; September 4-6, three at home against Milwaukee; September 7-9, three at home against Pittsburgh; September 18-20, three at Milwaukee; October 2-4, three at Pittsburgh.

Cleveland (20 games): August 20-23, four at New York (AL); August 25-26, two at home against Milwaukee; September 4-6, three at Detroit; September 10-13, four at home against Detroit; September 14-17, three at home against Kansas City; September 25-27, three at Kansas City.

Detroit (21 games): August 20-23, four at Texas; August 24, one at Cincinnati; September 1-3, three at Kansas City; September4-6, three at home against Cleveland; September 10-13, four at Cleveland; September 18-20, three at Kansas City; September 28-30, three at Texas.

Kansas City (15 games): August 18-19, two at Cincinnati; September 1-3, three at Detroit; September 14-17, four at Cleveland; September 18-20, three at Detroit; September 25-27, three at home against Cleveland.

Milwaukee (18 games): August 25-26, two at Cleveland; August 28-30, three at home against Cincinnati; September 1-3, three at home against Pittsburgh; September 4-6, three at Cincinnati; September 10-13, four at Pittsburgh; September 18-20, three at Cincinnati.

New York (AL) (four games): August 20-23, four at home against Cleveland.

Pittsburgh (13 games): September 1-3, three at Milwaukee; September 7-9, three at Cincinnati; September 10-13, four at home against Milwaukee; October 2-4, three at home against Cincinnati.

Texas (seven games): August 20-23, four at Detroit; September 28-30, three at home against Detroit.

Astros improve lineup, but stop scoring

The Houston Astros improved their starting rotation and their everyday lineup at the trade deadline, then started losing. In a flash, they lost a substantial West League lead and now have been overtaken on the top of those standings by the Dodgers.

The Houston Astros have replaced light-hitting Jake Marisnick, left, with big-hitting Carlos Gomez, right, but the offense has since then sputtered (Marisnick photo: EricEnfermero/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Gomez photo: slgckgc/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license).


By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

At the July 31 trading deadline, the top contenders stock up on a market for high priced talent to add the extra piece or two that should make themselves that much better.

Should.

So, the Houston Astros, sudden contenders in 2015, went to the market and picked up a lot of good stuff. A week before the deadline, they sent minor leagues Daniel Mengden and Jacob Nottingham to the Oakland Athletics for Scott Kazmir, an accomplished big league left-hander from the Houston area. On the day of the deadline, they moved minor leaguers Josh Hader, Adrian Houser and Brett Phillips, along with rookie right fielder Domingo Santana, to the Milwaukee Brewers for right-hander Mike Fiers and one of the best players in the game, center fielder Carlos Gomez. The Astros even picked up some cash in the deal to help with those contracts.

The Astros made themselves much better. They could replace light-hitting center fielder Jack Marisnick with Gomez, a Gold Glover who has averaged 24 homers and 37 steals in the last two full seasons, a 128 OPS-plus guy.

Suddenly, the pitching rotation includes Kazmir, who won 15 games in an All-Star 2014 and was even better this year, a 2.38 ERA in 18 starts for the Athletics. They also could include Fiers, who isn't terrible and has even been good, throwing a 2.13 ERA in 72 innings for the Brewers last season. That meant they could be a little cautious with young starters like Lance McCullers while lopping off mediocre veterans Roberto Hernandez and Dan Straily. By the way, the Astros also recently brought veteran Scott Feldman back from the disabled list.

So, as they've often said in Houston, all systems are go, right?

Last week, the first full week after the trade deadline, the Astros lost six of their seven games to the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics, neither of which are winners (though the Rangers, partly due to sweeping three from the Astros, are up to .500). They lost again Tuesday night to the San Francisco Giants. It's true that all those games were on the road, as is their game Wednesday against the Giants.

But this isn't the plan.

Through July 30, the Astros built their lead in the American League West by two over the Angels by sweeping them three in Houston. In addition, not incidentally, the Astros were 35-18 in the West League, holding a 3 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers.

All of that is gone now. The Dodgers, whose only West League action since July 30 is a three-game sweep of the Angels at Dodger Stadium last weekend, now have taken a one-half game lead over the Astros in the West League. And the Angels have cut their deficit to one game in the AL West despite a 4-6 August.

So, the Astros laid some good plans, but they aren't working immediately.

Kazmir, for his part, has been sensational for the Astros, allowing one earned run in his first three starts (20 1/3 innings) for them. Fiers took his first start for the Astros Sunday in Oakland and allowed only a run in 6 2/3 innings. The Astros wound up losing, 5-4. Not his fault.

In fact, the Astros pitching for the last 11 days has been about the same as the rest of the season, an ERA right around 3.50 (the American League average was 3.92).

But their hitting seems to have taken a respite. Right off the trade deadline, the Astros had a couple games in which they scored nine runs. One of those games, they actually lost, a 12-9 decision to the Rangers on Aug. 3. In their next seven games, the Astros fashioned a team batting average of .188, along with an on-base percentage of .263. The Astros scored a total of 18 runs in those games, even though they hit five homers.

Has Gomez been an upgrade on Marisnick? Entering Wednesday's games, Marisnick put up an OPS of .611 (68 OPS-plus). In his first 11 games for the Astros, entering Wednesday, Gomez has a .619 OPS and a 71 OPS-plus. In the short term, then, Gomez is no upgrade on Marisnick offensively. Of course, one figures .611 is about what Marisnick will do, while Gomez figures to become a lot better.

And the Astros do need that. The Astros entered Wednesday's games with 500 runs, fourth in the Major Leagues, 4.05 runs per game. In the last week, though, they've averaged fewer than three runs per game.

They're not going to win that way. And if they don't win, then those acquisitions were for naught.

Second Division: Reds remain in running

By nearly every measure, the Cincinnati Reds are having a difficult season. But they remain strong in the running for promotion to the First Division in 2016 after a walk-off win in the 13th inning Wednesday night against the Detroit Tigers.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier says he belongs in the All-Star Game, and it's hard to argue with him (NewJack984/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license).

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The last year hasn't been an especially gratifying experience for fans of the Cincinnati Reds, who have seen their favorites fall from contender at the 2014 All-Star break to dismal also-ran under the leadership of manager Bryan Price.

Price has supplied most of the drama for the Reds this year through meltdowns, which have included a profane tirade born of complete ignorance concerning the beat reporter's responsibilities, wandered through a bizarre episode in which the umpires threw him out one day during the exchange of lineups, and stumbled here and there through odd decisions about player utilization.

Only the All-Star performance of third baseman Todd Frazier and the jaw-dropping inadequacy of the Milwaukee Brewers have saved the Reds from the National League Central basement. 

At the All-Star break last season, the Reds were 51-44, 1½ games out of first place in the NL Central. And they had injuries, sure, but they also rolled over in the second half, going 25-42 for the balance of the season. That dive earned the Reds a demotion from the First Division to the Second Division for 2015. When a team rolls over like that, you have to look at the manager.

But the Reds didn't, and now they're 30-35, 13 games out of first place in the NL Central division, and that's after a dramatic, 8-4 win in 13 innings at home against the Detroit Tigers Wednesday night, combined with a loss by the St. Louis Cardinals in Minnesota.

Since the 2014 All-Star break, they are 55-77, a .417 winning percentage that prorates to 68 wins over a 162-game season. That's a last-place team.

But there is hope for the Reds. As badly as this season has gone, they are in the thick of it for promotion to the First Division in 2016 with their competitive performance this season in the Second Division.

The Texas Rangers (10-6) and Kansas City Royals (19-15) lead the Second Division in the games behind column, but the Reds (12-9) are only one-half game behind. By percentage points, the Reds are in second place at .571, trailing Texas (.625), but ahead of Kansas City (.558). The Tigers (15-14) and New York Yankees (7-6) both are one game behind the Reds.

The top two Second Division teams win promotion for next year. The percentage column usually makes that determination, but if one team wins by percentage and the other wins by the games behind column, then those are the two clubs to be promoted.

The Reds have plenty of time left to earn their promotion, as the Second Division includes two other clubs — the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers — that are with them in the National League Central division.

Frazier's walk-off grand slam in the 13th inning Wednesday night gave the Reds their huge victory to keep them in the thick of the Second Division race. For the season, Frazier is batting .294 with 19 doubles, 22 homers, a .639 slugging percentage and a 1.000 OPS. On the Reds postgame television interview, Frazier said he deserves to be on the National League All-Star team. There was no cockiness about it. No coyness, either. Nor should there be.

Henry Aaron Award: Royals move prize to AL

The Kansas City Royals have become the first American League club to hold the Henry Aaron Award this year, thanks to their dominance over the Milwaukee Brewers this week. The Royals also happen to hold the Harmon Killebrew Award, making them the first double champions this season.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Jason Vargas got his team off right in a Harmon Killebrew series last week in Minneapolis with six shutout innings. Vargas has since gone on the disabled list (Jeff Dunn [UCinternational crop]/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license).

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

A recent run of victories has enriched the Kansas City Royals in ways that they don't even know.

With their three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins last week and a two-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers this week, both on the road, the Royals became the first team this season to simultaneously hold the Harmon Killebrew Award and the Henry Aaron Award.

The Aaron, of course, is the traveling trophy that crosses the two Major Leagues, while the Killebrew is the traveling trophy that stays in the American League. The Royals also are the first American League club this season to hold the Aaron Award. Although the Aaron had been in the National League for the entire season until the Royals nabbed it this week, no club has at the same time held the Aaron and the Dick Allen Award, which is the traveling trophy that stays in the National League.

The Royals went to Minneapolis June 8-10 and won three straight to take the Killebrew Award from the Twins, who had held it for four consecutive defenses. In addition to giving the Royals the Killebrew Award, the three-game sweep had the more obvious virtue of giving the Royals a two-game lead on the Twins in the American League Central division.

Credit three terrific starts from the Royals rotation. Jason Vargas began it with six shutout innings in a 3-1 win, Chris Young followed with 6 1/3 shutout innings in a 2-0 win, then Edinson Volquez gave up one run while striking out seven in a 7-2 win to close out the series.

The Twins and Royals are shaping up as the principle players in the race for Team of the Year in the Killebrew. The Twins still lead the overall standings with 16 wins and 22 games of title defense, but the Royals now are 13-5 in games for the Killebrew, and they have tied the Twins with two titles this season. 

Following their series with the Twins, the Royals lost two straight to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Killebrew was safe with the Royals, however, because it doesn't go on the line in interleague games.

However, the Royals ran into the Aaron this week in Milwaukee, one of the Aaron's spiritual homes. The Milwaukee Brewers took the Aaron from the Pittsburgh Pirates June 8-10 by winning two of three on the road, then they defended it in a four-game split at home against the Washington Nationals (There is no tiebreaker in the Aaron, so it doesn't change hands unless the challenger wins outright).

The Royals and Brewers now have played three games this week, and the Brewers have yet to belong in any of these games. The Royals took the Aaron from the Brewers by sweeping two Monday and Tuesday in Milwaukee. The Royals won the opener, 8-5, with the Brewers scoring three times in the bottom of the ninth to make the final score artificially close. Next night, the Royals tacked up a 7-2 win to claim the Aaron.

This particular set of interleague series being played across the Major Leagues right now — two here/two there arrangements between 15 specific sets of two clubs — is being treated in a lot of media as if they were four-game series home-and-road. Here, each two-game set in each location is treated as a separate series. 

So, with the Brewers and Royals both going to Kansas City for two starting Wednesday night, a new series began. But it hasn't made any real difference. The Royals won, 10-2, Wednesday night, clinching their first title defense of the Aaron.

And that means the Aaron and the Killebrew both will be on the line this weekend, with the Royals defending both of them against the Boston Red Sox. It has been a lean season for the Red Sox. If they can win the series and take both traveling awards, it's likely to be the best thing that happens to them all year.

2014 Bud Selig West standings and summary

The Angels won the Bud Selig West for the second time, blowing past the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals for the 2014 title. The Angels, who won the 2014 title by 11 games, had last won the Bud Selig West title in 2011.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

There was basically no competition anywhere the Angels went in 2014, except for the American League playoffs, where they lost in three games to the Kansas City Royals in the divisional round.

The Angels finished 98-64 during their Major League season to win the American League West by 10 games over the Oakland Athletics. They also won the Joe Cronin League by 10 games, and, here in the Bud Selig West, they chalked up a title by 11 games over the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dodgers and Cardinals have fought mostly between themselves for the Bud Selig West since 2011, but this  title for the Angels gives them their second Bud Selig West championship. They won it the first time in 2011 by two percentage points over the Cardinals.

2014 Chub Feeney League standings and summary

The Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals went to the National League Divisional Series neck-and-neck on top of the Chub Feeney League. The Cardinals prevailed in that series, and in the Chub Feeney League. The Cincinnati Reds, who won the first three Feeneys, fell all the way to the league basement.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

Once again, the Chub Feeney League came down to the Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League playoffs. Once again, the Cardinals prevailed.

This time, the Cardinals beat the Dodgers in a four-game divisional series during the National League playoffs, securing a three-game margin on the Dodgers in the Chub Feeney. Entering the series, the Cardinals held a one-game lead on the Dodgers in the Chub Feeney League, so the Dodgers would have prevailed if they had won in three or four games. However, it went for the Cardinals.

The Chicago Cubs with their youth movement made a surprising run in the Chub Feeney League. Though the Cubs again finished last in the National League Central, they were 43-41 in the Chub Feeney League, putting them in third place, four games back of the lead.

The Cincinnati Reds, who won the Chub Feeney League in each of its first three years, plummeted all the way to the Chub Feeney basement in 2014, finishing 8½ games out of the lead.

2013 Bud Selig West standings and summary

The Texas Rangers won the American League pennant in 2010 and 2011, but not until 2013 did they win the Bud Selig West. The Rangers won by percentage points over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers still could have beaten both the Rangers and the Cardinals if they could have won in the National League Championship Series.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Texas Rangers had nice three-year run though the American League, winning pennants in 2010 and 2011, then going to the playoffs in 2012. But in none of those years did the Rangers win anything in the Joe Cronin or Bud Selig Leagues.

The Rangers weren't bad in 2013, either, though they missed the playoffs because they lost a tie-breaker to the Tampa Bay Rays. However, they did win the Bud Selig West in a very close race. In the games behind column, the Rangers and Cardinals actually tied, but the Rangers, at 54-31 and a .635 winning percentage, finished percentage points ahead of the Cardinals, who were 61-38 and .616.

The Dodgers finished 2½ games back and could have made a run for the title in their National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. If the Dodgers had just won the series in seven games, they would have finished 49-38 with a .636 winning percentage, enough for the percentage portion of the title, though they still would have finished a game behind the Rangers. A four-game sweep of the Cardinals would have given the Dodgers the whole title. Instead, though, the Dodgers lost the series in six games, taking them out of either half of the title.

2013 Chub Feeney League standings and summary

The St. Louis Cardinals won the expanded Chub Feeney by five games over the Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds, who had won the first three Feeney titles. The Cardinals clinched victory at the very end, when the beat the Dodgers in a six-game National League Championship Series.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The St. Louis Cardinals took full advantage of the new order in the Chub Feeney League, winning the loop by a comfortable five games over the Dodgers and the three-time defending champion Cincinnati Reds.

In fact, the Cardinals, Dodgers and Reds were the only clubs to break even or better in the expanded Feeney League. Among the newcomers, the best was the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished 41-42, 13 games out of first place.

The Dodgers had a chance to win it in the National League playoffs, as they faced the Cardinals during the championship round. Entering those playoff games, the Cardinals were 53-30 and the Dodgers were 38-21, so the Cardinals held a three-game lead. If the Dodgers had swept that series, they would have won the Feeney, and they would have tied the Cardinals for the Feeney if they had won the series in five games. 

Instead, the Cardinals won it in six, padding their cushion over the Dodgers in the end.

Henry Aaron Award: Dodgers go for streak record

The Dodgers are making an impressive run with the Henry Aaron Award, defending it five straight times entering this weekend's series against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers now lead all clubs with 13 Aaron game victories and 15 games defending the championship.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is leading his club to its best run of games ever with the Henry Aaron Award (pvsbond/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Dodgers were never particularly been a player in the Henry Aaron Award before 2015.

Entering this season, the Dodgers had won it five times — twice in 2011 and once each in 2012, 2013 and 2014. But in all those years, they only defended the prize twice in seven attempts.

So, the Dodgers are making history for themselves in 2015 with their present run of five straight title defenses entering this weekend's series against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers have established themselves as the team on top of the Aaron so far this year, 13-5 with 15 games of title defense entering the weekend.

The path hasn't exactly been challenging for the Dodgers in the last couple of weeks, which have included series against division cellar dwellers Colorado and the Milwaukee Brewers. But the Dodgers are beating those teams they have to beat and, when they don't beat them, they almost do. From the time the Dodgers won the Aaron from the San Diego Padres April 26-28 through May 14, the Dodgers lost five games, four of those by one run.

Against the Rockies, the Dodgers are going for their sixth straight Aaron title defense, which would tie the all-time record. The St. Louis Cardinals, who won the Aaron from the Texas Rangers in the 2011 World Series, defended it in their first attempts of the 2012 season, a total of six times.

In 2013, the Boston Red Sox won the Aaron by beating the Dodgers two-of-three at Dodger Stadium Aug. 23-25. The Red Sox then defended the title six straight times before losing it to the Baltimore Orioles two-of-three Sept. 17-19 in Baltimore. The Red Sox went all the way to win the World Series, but they didn't have the Aaron with them and the award retired with the regular season for the only time in its history.

2015 Henry Aaron Award results 

Total run tiebreakers, if applicable, are given at the end of the results.

San Francisco 2, Arizona 1 — April 6-8 at Arizona.
San Diego 3, San Francisco 1 — April 10-12 at San Diego.
San Diego 2, Arizona 1 — April 13-15 at San Diego.
San Diego 2, Chicago (NL) 1 — April 17-19 at Chicago.
San Diego 2, Colorado 2 — April 20-23 at Denver (San Diego, 26-16).
DODGERS 2, San Diego 1 — April 24-26 at San Diego.
DODGERS 2, San Francisco 1 — April 27-29 at Los Angeles.
DODGERS 3, Arizona 0 — May 1-3 at Los Angeles.
DODGERS 2, Milwaukee 2 — May 4-7 at Milwaukee (DODGERS, 28-16).
DODGERS 2, Colorado 0 — May 8-10 at Colorado.
DODGERS 2, Miami 1 — May 11-13 at Los Angeles.

2012 Third Division standings and summary

The Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers won the promotion sweepstakes from the Third Division in 2012 to the Second Division in 2013. The Nationals stomped through this group with a .654 winning percentage, while the Brewers have earned their second consecutive promotion.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The New York Mets and Cleveland Indians have been to the Fourth Division before. The Mets are going back. The Indians are saved by a technicality.

The Mets were a clear choice for relegation, finishing the furthest out of first place and with the second worst winning percentage in this group. The Indians (7-10) had the worst winning percentage, tying with the San Diego Padres at 9 1/2 games back. However, the Indians played only the Toronto Blue Jays and the Miami Marlins within the Third Division, short of the three opponents needed for promotion or relegation. So, the Padres are going down the the Fourth Division in 2013.

The winners in this group were the Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers. The Nationals finished 34-18 to win this race by 7 1/2 games over the Brewers. But the Brewers were the only other club with a winning record in the Third Division, clinching their rise from the Fourth Division to the Second Division in two years.

Center League: Royals struggle against Twins, White Sox

The Kansas City Royals are down a bit in the Center League because they have built their 12-6 overall record with a 5-1 mark against the American League West. This weekend, however, they will get a crack at the Detroit Tigers, who still lead the Center League.

Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has his club leading the Center League (Gabbo T/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).


By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

Looking at the regular Major League standings right now, the Kansas City Royals are right there with the Detroit Tigers, only one-half game down in the American League Central.

Looking at the Central League, the Royals are barely above water, 7-5, putting them 3 1/2 games behind the Tigers.

The difference is that the Royals have played about one-third of their games against the American League West, going 5-1 combined against the Angels and Oakland Athletics. But those aren't Central League games, so they don't help the Royals here.

It also doesn't help the Royals that they get into more fights than they can handle. Nor are they handling the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins, neither of which has given even the impression of being a contender for the last three years.

The Royals swept the White Sox in three at home during the first weekend of the season, as the club and its fans celebrated an apparent rebirth. Since then, though, the Royals have only matched the Twins, splitting their six games. And the Royals lost two of three just now to the White Sox in Chicago, the two losses being counted on April 26.

So, the Royals are nowhere to be found at the top of the Central League standings. Instead, we find the Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals. Both of those teams began the week outside of the league, then came back later to each win two of three against a league cellar dwellar — the Tigers taking the Cleveland Indians at home and the Cardinals handling the Milwaukee Brewers on the road.

But a lot could change in these standings (or not) during the back part of the coming week — Tigers at Royals, four games, Thursday through Sunday in Kansas City.

Games of April 20

Chicago (NL) 5, at Pittsburgh 2.

Cincinnati 6, at Milwaukee 1.

at Chicago (AL) 4, Cleveland 3.

at Kansas City 7, Minnesota 1.

Games of April 21

Chicago (NL) 9, at Pittsburgh 8.

Cincinnati 16, at Milwaukee 10.

Cleveland 6, at Chicago (AL) 2.

at Kansas City 6, Minnesota 5.

Games of April 22

at Chicago (AL) 6, Cleveland 0.

Minnesota 3, at Kansas City 0.

Cincinnati 2, at Milwaukee 1.

at Pittsburgh 4, Chicago (NL) 3.

Games of April 23

Kansas City 3, at Chicago (AL) 2.

at Milwaukee 4, Cincinnati 2.

at Pittsburgh 5, Chicago (NL) 4.

Games of April 24

Cleveland 13, at Detroit 1.

Chicago (NL) 7, at Cincinnati 3.

St. Louis 3, at Milwaukee 0.

Games of April 25

at Detroit 4, Cleveland 1.

St. Louis 5, at Milwaukee 3.

Games of April 26

at Detroit 8, Cleveland 6.

Chicago (NL) 5, at Cincinnati 2.

at Chicago (AL) 3, Kansas City 2.

at Chicago (AL) 5, Kansas City 3.

at Milwaukee 6, St. Louis 3.

2011 Fourth Division standings and summary

The Milwaukee Brewers cruised through the Fourth Division with an .800 winning percentage, not surprising, considering they also had the second-best record in the National League. Two years into these standings, the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates still haven't even produced winning records against this bottom tier.

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Milwaukee Brewers tacked up a 96-66 record during the 2011 Major League season, the second best mark in the National League. It stands to reason that they would ease through the low-class Fourth Division competition, which they did.

Thus, the Brewers, freshly relegated to the fourth tier entering the 2011 season, now will be promoted back to the Third Division for 2012. They won the Fourth Division in 2011 with a 24-6 record. Their .800 winning percentage is the best of any team in the first two years of this promotion-and-relegation scheme.

It doesn't take much of a team to be promoted out of this bunch, and the Cleveland Indians (80-82 in the Major Leagues) weren't much of a team. But they finished 20-8 in the Fourth Division and won promotion to the Third Division.

The bottom team in this group, the Houston Astros, weren't even the worst team in the Third Division in 2010. But they turned up a Fourth Division mark of 10-23 in 2011. With their .303 winning percentage, the Astros were even worse against the Fourth Division than they were during their dreadful Major League season (56-106, .346).

Two years into these standings, the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates have yet to break even in the Fourth Division, let alone win promotion to the Third Division.

2010 Third Division standings and summary

The Cincinnati Reds blitzed through the Third Division to win easy promotion to the Second Division for 2011. The San Diego Padres beat out the Toronto Blue Jays by one game to earn the second promotion. Going down to the Fourth Division in 2011 are the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros.

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Arizona Diamondbacks had a bad enough record in 2009 to be assigned the Fourth Division in 2010, but they won a tiebreaker with the New York Mets.

Somehow, though, the Third Division suited the Diamondbacks. Although they finished their Major League season 65-97 for the second worst record in the National League, they finished 19-23 in this Third Division group and easily escaped relegation for 2011.

The Cincinnati Reds, who won their first full-season Major League division since 1990, were the class of this group, earning the first promotion to the 2011 Second Division by five games. The San Diego Padres won a close race with the Toronto Blue Jays for the second promotion.

On the bad side, the Houston Astros were starting their long downward slide and got themselves kicked down to the Fourth Division for 2011, but they didn't struggle in the Third Division quite as badly as the Milwaukee Brewers, the last-place team in this group and, therefore, the first to be relegated for the following season.

2014 Dick Allen Award standings and results

Someday, perhaps, someone besides the St. Louis Cardinals will rise to Team of the Year in the Dick Allen Award competition. For now, it's been the Cardinals in all four years of the competition, even in 2014, which was not, by their standards, a great campaign for the prize.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

Who else? The St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dick Allen Award has been contested four times through 2014, and the Cardinals have been the Team of the Year in all of them. The Cardinals won that honor for the fourth straight time in 2014. No one else was even close.

It's hard to explain something like this, halfway hard, anyhow. There is a fair amount of luck about bumping into an ear of corn and having the chance to play for it. But winning it and keeping it are other matters, and that's skill, and the Cardinals have it like no other club in the National League, year after year.

By Cardinals' standards, it wasn't even an especially great year for the Allen. They played for it in 16 different series and won nine of them, succeeding in only half of their 10 title defense attempts. But they won it four times (not including the start of this 2014, when they carried it over from the 2013 National League playoffs), and no one else developed a run that could overtake them.

Thus, the Cardinals, though not dominant, were dominating. They finished the year 29-24 in Allen games. The next closest team in victories was the New York Mets, who finished only 15-16.

The season ended with the Chicago Cubs holding the prize after winning two of three from the Cardinals in Chicago Sept. 22-24, then defending it on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers Sept. 26-28, the last series of the season.

The Cardinals' 10 title defense attempts were at least twice as many as any other club, and their 33 games with the honor were more than twice as many as any other club.

2014 Dick Allen Award results 

Total run tiebreakers, if applicable, are given at the end of the results.

St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — March 30-April 3 at Cincinnati.

Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 1 — April 4-6 at Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh 2, Chicago 1 — April 8-10 at Chicago.

Milwaukee 3, Pittsburgh 0 — April 11-13 at Milwaukee.

St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 14-16 at Milwaukee.

St. Louis 2, Washington 2 — April 17-20 at Washington (St. Louis, 14-7).

New York 3, St. Louis 1 — April 21-24 at New York.

New York 2, Miami 1 — April 25-27 at New York.

New York 2, Philadelphia 0 — April 29-30 at Philadelphia.

Colorado 3, New York 1 — May 1-4 at Denver.

Cincinnati 2, Colorado 1 — May 9-11 at Cincinnati.

San Diego 2, Cincinnati 1 — May 13-15 at Cincinnati.

Colorado 2, San Diego 1 — May 16-18 at Denver.

San Francisco 2, Colorado 1 — May 20-22 at Denver.

San Francisco 2, Chicago 1 — May 26-28 at San Francisco.

San Francisco 3, St. Louis 1 — May 29-June 1 at St. Louis.

San Francisco 2, Cincinnati 1 — June 3-5 at Cincinnati.

San Francisco 3, New York 0 — June 6-8 at San Francisco.

Washington 3, San Francisco 0 — June 9-11 at San Francisco.

St. Louis 3, Washington 0 — June 13-15 at St. Louis.

St. Louis 2, New York 0 — June 17-18 at St. Louis.

Philadelphia 2, St. Louis 2 — June 19-22 at St. Louis (Philadelphia, 13-11).

Philadelphia 2, Miami 2 — June 23-26 at Philadelphia (Philadelphia, 13-13, 40-33, 3-1).

Atlanta 4, Philadelphia 0 — June 27-29 at Philadelphia.

Atlanta 3, New York 0 — June 30-July 2 at Atlanta.

Atlanta 2, Arizona 1 — July 4-6 at Atlanta.

New York 3, Atlanta 1 — July 7-10 at New York.

New York 3, Miami 0 — July 11-13 at New York.

San Diego 2, New York 1 — July 18-20 at San Diego.

San Diego 2, Chicago 1 — July 22-24 at Chicago.

Atlanta 3, San Diego 1 — July 25-28 at Atlanta.

DODGERS 3, Atlanta 0 — July 29-31 at Los Angeles.

Chicago 2, DODGERS 1 — August 1-3 at Los Angeles.

Chicago 2, Colorado 1 — August 5-7 at Denver.

Milwaukee 2, Chicago 2 — August 11-14 at Chicago (Milwaukee, 12-11).

Milwaukee 3, DODGERS 0 — August 15-17 at Los Angeles.

Pittsburgh 2, Milwaukee 1 — August 22-24 at Milwaukee.

Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 1 — August 25-27 at Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh 2, Cincinnati 1 — August 29-31 at Pittsburgh.

St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 0 — September 1-3 at St. Louis.

St. Louis 3, Milwaukee 1 — September 4-7 at Milwaukee.

Cincinnati 3, St. Louis 1 — September 8-11 at Cincinnati.

Milwaukee 2, Cincinnati 1 — September 12-14 at Milwaukee.

St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — September 16-18 at Milwaukee.

St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — September 19-21 at St. Louis.

Chicago 2, St. Louis 1 — September 22-24 at Chicago.

Chicago 2, Milwaukee 1 — September 26-28 at Milwaukee.

2013 Henry Aaron Award standings and results

The St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox could have played in October 2013 to decide who would carry the Henry Aaron Award into 2014, but they merely met in the World Series. The Cardinals barely nosed out the Red Sox as the Team of the Year for the interleague prize.

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

For the first time in history, the Henry Aaron Award didn't go into the postseason.

But that didn't keep the two World Series teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox, from staging  a tug-of-war for the prize. They just didn't play for it in the World Series.

It was a tough call for Team of the Year in the Aaron. The Cardinals finished 22-14 with two titles, seven defenses in nine tries and 26 games with the title. The Red Sox were 23-11 with six defenses in eight tries and 23 games with the title.

The Red Sox won the World Series and held a slightly better record in Aaron games than the Cardinals, but the Cardinals received the nod for Aaron Team of the Year for that one extra title defense.

The Cardinals completed their body of work in mid-May with a nice run of four defense after taking the Aaron from the Milwaukee Brewers with a four-game sweep May 2-5 in Milwaukee.

The Aaron moved to the American League at the tail-end of May and stayed there for most of the balance. When the Red Sox took it from the Dodgers with two-of-three at Dodger Stadium Aug. 23-25 the momentum took a big shift. The Red Sox held the prize for six defenses before losing two of three in Baltimore Sept. 17-19.

At season's end, the Toronto Blue Jays took two-of-three from the Tampa Bay Rays in Toronto, capturing the prize. However, because the Jays didn't go to the postseason, the trail ended there.

If the Red Sox had held the Aaron and taken it into the playoffs, they surely would have been the run-away winner in all categories. But their six-game World Series win against the Cardinals, though important in its own right, had no bearing on the Aaron competition.

2013 Henry Aaron Award results 

Total run tiebreakers, if applicable, are given at the end of the results.

San Francisco 2, DODGERS 1 — April 1-4 at Los Angeles.
St. Louis 2, San Francisco 1 — April 5-7 at San Francisco.
St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — April 8-10 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 12-14 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 1, Pittsburgh 1 — April 15-17 at Pittsburgh.
Philadelphia 2, St. Louis 1 — April 19-21 at Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh 3, Philadelphia 1 — April 22-25 at Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 1 — April 26-28 at St. Louis.
Milwaukee 2, Pittsburgh 1 — April 29-May 1 at Milwaukee
St. Louis 4, Milwaukee 0 — May 2-5 at Milwaukee.
St. Louis 1, Chicago 1 — May 7-8 at Chicago.
St. Louis 2, Colorado 1 — May 10-12 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 3, New York (NL) 1 — May 13-16 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — May 17-19 at St. Louis.
San Diego 2, St. Louis 1 — May 20-22 at San Diego.
Arizona 2, San Diego 1 — May 24-26 at Arizona.
Arizona 2, Texas 0 — May 27 at Texas.
Texas 1, Arizona 0 — May 30 at Texas.
Kansas City 2, Texas 1 — May 31-June 2 at Arlington.
Minnesota 2, Kansas City 1 — June 4-6 at Kansas City.
Washington 2, Minnesota 1 — June 8-9 at Washington.
Washington 2, Colorado 1 — June 11-13 at Denver.
Cleveland 2, Washington 1 — June 14-16 at Cleveland.
Cleveland 2, Kansas City 1 — June 17-19 at Cleveland.
Cleveland 2, Minnesota 1 — June 21-23 at Cleveland.
Cleveland 2, Baltimore 2 — June 25-27 at Baltimore.
Cleveland 4, Chicago (AL) 0 — June 28-30 at Chicago.
Kansas City 2, Cleveland 1 — July 2-4 at Kansas City.
Oakland 2, Kansas City 1 — July 5-7 at Kansas City.
Oakland 2, Pittsburgh 1 — July 8-10 at Kansas City.
Oakland 2, Boston 1 — July 12-14 at Oakland.
ANGELS 2, Oakland 1 — July 19-21 at Anaheim.
Minnesota 2, ANGELS 1 — July 22-24 at Anaheim.
Seattle 2, Minnesota 2 — July 25-28 at Seattle (Seattle, 16-13).
Boston 3, Seattle 0 — July 30-August 1 at Boston.
Arizona 2, Boston 1 — August 2-4 at Boston.
Arizona 2, Tampa Bay 0 — August 6-7 at Phoenix.
New York (NL) 2, Arizona 1 — August 9-11 at Phoenix.
DODGERS 3, New York (NL) 0 — August 12-14 at Los Angeles.
DODGERS 2, Philadelphia 1 — August 16-18 at Philadelphia.
DODGERS 3, Miami 1 — August 19-22 at Miami.
Boston 2, DODGERS 1 — August 23-25 at Los Angeles.
Boston 2, Baltimore 1 — August 27-29 at Boston.
Boston 3, Chicago (AL) 0 — August 30-September 1 at Boston.
Boston 2, Detroit 1 — September 2-4 at Boston.
Boston 3, New York (AL) 1 — September 5-8 at New York.
Boston 2, Tampa Bay 1 — September 10-12 at St. Petersburg.
Boston 3, New York (AL) 0 — September 13-15 at New York.
Baltimore 2, Boston 1 — September 17-19 at Baltimore.
Tampa Bay 4, Baltimore 0 — September 20-23 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 3, New York (AL) 0 — September 24-26 at New York.
Toronto 2, Tampa Bay 1 — September 27-29 at Toronto.