Player of the Week winners… Toronto’s
Lourdes Gurriel Jr – 13 of 29, 4 jacks, 11 RBI – and the Cardinals’
Nolan Arenado who went 11 for 21 with 3 DINGERS, 8 RBI, and 5 runs… he’s hit 17 out so far with a batting average of .283 – I guess he’s not missing Colorado as much as some thought he might…
Power Rankings…
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Atlanta Braves (130.4, o)
2) Toronto Blue Jays (128.9, ++)
3) Seattle Mariners (128.6, o)
4) Los Angeles Dodgers (126.8, -)
5) St. Louis Cardinals (110.2, ++)
6) Chicago White Sox (108.0, -)
7) Tampa Bay Rays (105.9, ++)
8) Oakland Athletics (102.1, --)
9) Milwaukee Brewers (101.9, o)
10) Minnesota Twins (100.9, --)
Yankees at 11th, Giants at 14th, Mets at 16th,, San Diego up to 21st, Cubs all the way down to 30th.
Minnesota Twins (37-29, .561, 2nd AL Central) @ Seattle Mariners (46-21, .686, 1st AL West)
While our form of late has been nothing short of impeccable, that last one in Cleveland really serves to underscore that, in baseball, your status as the top dog, the BMOC if you will, is always precarious at best. Which is not to say that we should have easily brushed a club like Cleveland to the side, like some small, winged irritant during the dog days of summer – they’re better than that and could have just as easily taken that set off us in their park. In Minnesota, we get a much better version of the challenges presented by Cleveland, and a team that is equally adept at winning on the road (17-14) as they are at home (20-15). There is nothing fancy about the Twins – they’re balanced offensively and rank 1st in average & OBP, 3rd in OPS & wOBA, and 4th in homers – and boast a staff that may not inspire fear in the traditional sense but is more than capable of making you look foolish should your concentration wane. If I’m being honest, and why wouldn’t I be, I’d rather see almost any team in this next set – these guys are good, they are focused, always play hard, and have no quit.
A real live dog as it were…
68 of 162: Jose Berrios (8-4, 4.04) @ Logan Gilbert (4-0, 2.48)
Win, 7-4. Ours is a drive, a fire that burns so bright, that one loss, a kick in the pants on our way out the door in Cleveland, isn’t enough to knock this locomotive off the track.
Kolten went off with a 3 for 4 day that included two, two-baggers, 2 RBI, and a couple of runs,
Kelenic added to the cause with a 2-run dinger, and
Logan Gilbert stayed unbeaten with a 6.1 inning performance where he allowed 11 hits and 4 earned runs while doling out 3 free passed and fanning 6.
Bobby Dalbec put his team-leading 20th ball out of the park,
K-Lew stole his 2nd base of the season, and we turned
three expertly crafted double plays during the game. All systems go for your Seattle Mariners!
Triple-B's 20th! Big Bat Bobby Dalbec has the hometown faithful saying, "Nellie who"?
Elsewhere: Josh Bell, a sturdy 6’4” and stout 250lb First Baseman representing the Washington Nationals organization, went 2 for 3 with 2 doubles 5 RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks during his clubs 14-1 rout over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates, who’ve been something of an early-season surprise, see their rDiff dip to -38 after the loss.
Record: 47-21
Up Next: Feeling Minnesota with more Nelson Cruz on the docket for your Seattle Mariners!