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The American League West Division race continued to be intense with the top two records in Major League Baseball between Milwaukee and Chicago. They were tied much of the month with the Brewers holding first at the end of August at 82-51, one game better than the White Sox. Both were 8-2 in their final ten games of August. Their final four-game series is in Chicago from September 5-8.

Boston gained ground in the AL East after Philadelphia played around .500 ball for the month. The Red Sox are first at 80-53 with New York second at 75-58 and the Athletics down to third at 73-60. Boston was 9-1 in their last ten games, while the Yankees were 8-2 and Athletics 3-7.

Brewers 1B Denny Lyons was August’s Batter of the Month in the AL with a .431 average, 8 home runs, 31 RBI, and 29 runs. Lyons also had a 23-game hitting streak, the second-longest in MLB so far. Minnesota’s Toad Ramsey was the Pitcher of the Month with a 2.58 ERA in 59.1 innings. Ramsey tied the single-game strikeout record (which he hit before) with 16 Ks on August 5 against Boston. Like the previous one, it took extras as he did it in 13.1 innings.

St. Louis CF Hugh Duffy again was Rookie of the Month with a .283 average, 8 homers, and 16 RBI. Duffy leads the majors with 48 home runs, passing the previous record of 45 set by three players last year. Duffy also had a six-hit game against Cleveland on August 5.

The National League West had a fascinating shakeup in August as the defending World Series Champ Indianapolis went 8-20, including a 1-11 stretch. New Orleans has also climbed from the abyss with a 21-7 August, putting the Pelicans right back in it after being ten back at the all-star break. St. Louis was steady to hold the lead at 76-57, three ahead of the 73-60 Pelicans, six better than the 70-63 Clowns, and nine ahead of 67-66 Chicago. Louisville, who was nine above .500 at the break are now down at 64-69.

Boston maintained its NL East lead, but it remains a very tight three-way battle. The Braves are first at 74-59 with Buffalo at 72-61 and Pittsburgh at 71-62. Boston notably plays their final four games at Buffalo and has three games with the Bisons to start September.

Braves LF Mike Tiernan was NL Batter of the Month with a .382 average, 14 home runs, 26 RBI, and 26 runs. Chicago’s Frank Buttery was the top pitcher with a 5-1 record, 2.03 ERA, and 31 strikeouts over 44.1 innings. Boston SP Jim Devlin was the top rookie with a 2.25 ERA over 48 innings with 28 Ks.

Two players hit for the cycle in August, both facing Cincinnati. St. Louis’s Gid Gardner did it on August 21 and New York’s Charlie Bastian did it August 30. Minnesota’s Thomas Gorman had a 21-game hitting streak.