With September right around the corner, baseball fans look forward to the stretch run, the final fight their teams put up to get a spot in the postseason.
The last few pennant races have looked relatively similar. The Eastern Divisions in both leagues have consistently held the spotlight. The Yankees and Red Sox would battle for the division crown and the Phillies and Mets would follow suit. This year, the excitement has moved out West, as all of the best races are on the other side of the country.
Starting in the American League, the landscape seems to be pretty clear when it comes to which clubs will take the top spot in their respective divisions. The Yankees have established a large lead in the East, the Tigers are up on the Twins and White Sox in the Central division, and in the West, the Angels have consistently shown that they are one of the strongest teams in the league. That leaves it up to the Wild Card to give fans something to get excited about.
The surprise of the race for the best second-place team has been the Texas Rangers. Texas has been a frustratingly one-dimensional team for about 10 years. They have had one mission, and that's to hit as many home runs as they can. It seems as though they have wised up to the fact that no offense could supply seven or eight runs a game in order to get to October. They were always missing strong starting pitching, and that's what has put them just a game-and-a-half out of the Wild Card lead. While not great, they simply have had enough solid performances from starters like Scott Feldman and Kevin Millwood to give an offensive team a chance at making a run.
That's not to say it is an easy trip to the top of the standings for the Rangers. The Red Sox are still incredibly talented, just a bit banged up. Injuries to pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield, poor outings from Brad Penny and a failed comeback by John Smoltz have left the team badly damaged. Things are looking up for September though, as the injured starters are slowly making their return. Knuckleballer Wakefield is due back this week and Matsuzaka is not far off. The Sox are still the best bet to take the Wild Card, but the Rangers have found ways to win.
In the National League, the races in the East and Central are looking more like jogs to the finish line as the Phillies and Cardinals have left their respective division rivals far behind. The West is a completely different story. A division that in recent years has been dubbed amongst the worst in baseball, has maybe the most exciting race in the league. The Dodgers have been the front-runners all season and they were considered the best team in the National League for much of the season. As of late, they have been slipping in the standings, now only two ahead of the Colorado Rockies.
The current roll the Rockies have been on is reminiscent of the team that went on a truly historic run to end the 2007 season. They laded a spot in the World Series that year and it is an obvious goal again. Colorado has been carried by the bats of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Clint Barmes, and the ageless wonder that is Todd Helton. Starter Jason Marquis has established himself as the leader of the staff and has been a big part of keeping them in the race.
The San Francisco Giants have also proved to be a bit of a threat in the Wild Card race as their pitching staff has kept them in the race. The Giants are still a long shot to get a playoff berth, but they are miles better than they were last year. Starters Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are two pitchers the team can depend on for years to come. The lack of any offensive threats will likely keep the Giants home this October, but the West has been full of surprises and there's still one more month to go.
You can reach this staff writer at slindauer@theeagleonline.com.
