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Getaway Day: A pair of aces get lost in the shuffle
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw talks to manager Dave Roberts after injuring himself in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on July 23, 2017. After throwing a few warmup pitches Kershaw stayed in the game but was pulled in the next inning.  Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Getaway Day: A pair of aces get lost in the shuffle

While there were some impressive showings at the plate last week, such as the new-look Diamondbacks breakout, the Nolan Arenado-led Rockies revitalization, and a highlight homer swap between none other than Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, the story of how the MLB week went could still be told by how things went for a handful of aces.

For some, things were great. Chris Sale joined a rather prestigious club in Boston, Jon Lester flirted with a no-hitter in Chicago and Chris Archer struck out a lot of Rangers in a losing cause. For others, things did not turn out quite as planned. Sonny Gray and Yu Darvish continue to live through the perils of having their names tossed and tumbled about as the trade deadline draws near.

Yet, the worst of the drama was reserved for a pair of the game’s top teams in L.A. and D.C, where Sunday brought potential disarray to leaders of their respective staffs. Both Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg were forced from the mound early, with neither seeing the third inning.

How will the two National League powerhouses handle the immediate future ahead while down their top guns? That and much more in this week’s Getaway Day, an arms race edition.

American League

Baltimore Orioles: Although the O’s are coming off a positive week that included a four-game sweep of the Rangers, they still are preparing to enter a week that could be defined by selling off as opposed to continuing to rally the troops. Zack Britton, Brad Brach and Darren O’Day could all have new addresses by this time next week, as the Orioles begin to regroup for next summer.

Boston Red Sox: The dominance of Chris Sale has officially hit historically epic proportions. The southpaw became the fourth pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in 20 or fewer starts, joining the likes of Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez. You know, just a few guys, nobody special.

Chicago White Sox: In most instances, a full week of losses would be bad for the spirit, but for the White Sox, the season’s two most anticipated outcomes finally took place: they finished their year-long yard sale with the trade of David Robertson, Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees and promoted Yoan Moncada. The long road to franchise rehab is finally underway on the South Side.


Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber delivered a gem against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field on July 23, 2017. David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Indians: The Indians ride a wave into the new week that is built on the heels of a pair of exciting wins. Francisco Lindor hit a walk off on Saturday night, while Corey Kluber held the Blue Jays to a single run on Sunday afternoon, along with a season-high 14 strikeouts. It’s a timely upswing, as they have a tantalizing slate ahead, with seven games against the Reds, Angels and White Sox to potentially build some much needed breathing room with.

Detroit Tigers: The venerable, old Tigers may be preparing to take their last stand together. The bleed out of the Tigers began finally, with the J.D. Martinez being jettisoned to Arizona. And that could just be the start, as Ian Kinsler and Justin Verlander continue to be discussed as possible additions to the Brewer pennant chase, among other locations.

Houston Astros: Can’t stop, won’t stop. For most teams, losing an MVP candidate in late July would be a death sentence. But then again, most other teams don’t have 17 game leads underneath their belt either. The Astros lost Carlos Correa for what could be a month and a half, but barely skipped a beat as they continued to average seven runs per game without him. As a matter of fact, their winning percentage without Correa is just a tick underneath their standard .670 winning percentage at .637.


Jul 23, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Brandon Moss (37) and Fox sports announcer Joel Goldberg get doused by catcher Salvador Perez (13) after the walk off win against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Royals: The thrills continue for the Royals, who ended the week on the tails of a walk-off win authored by a Brandon Moss walk-off double. It delivered the fifth straight victory for the Royals, who entered the new week 1.5 games behind Cleveland for the division lead, and looking to add some final pieces as the deadline draws near.

Los Angeles Angels: It was a week of ups, followed immediately by downs. Ebbs, followed by more flows. Bryce Harper hitting an early home run, only to have Mike Trout follow it with one of his own. Amid it all, the Angels spent much of the week that was essentially in neutral; trading wins and losses and staying stagnant at the midway point of the AL West standings.

Minnesota Twins: Keeping pace with the Indians and Royals is a tough task of late, and one that the Twins have struggled to do of late. They are two games back of KC as the new week dawns, and they are operating with the appropriate level of urgency. A deal to upgrade their rotation (which continues to hover in the lower half of AL staffs) with Jaime Garcia hit a snag along the way, but seeing an upgrade to their staff through completion will be essential if their hopes for pushing through to the postseason is to continue.

New York Yankees: The Yanks have hit hard times of late during the middle of the year, specifically in the ranks of their injury plagued rotation. And while how they could potentially address that issue remains to be seen (their interests include Yu Darvish and Sonny Gray, among others), one question that does linger anymore is if their bullpen will be up to chops. The Yanks struck gold in securing a return of David Robertson from the White Sox last week, who stands to make their bullpen one of the most formidable the game has seen in years. And if that was not enough, they also added Todd Frazier as well, whom was a coup from the rival Red Sox, who were also said to have interest. And a win of any kind over the Sox is a good one.

Oakland Athletics: It is the final week before the deadline, also known as the week of the year where the A’s are at their absolute most relevant. With Sonny Gray and Yonder Alonso standing as their top trade chips, it could be a profitable week for the Oakland minor league ranks.


Newly-minted Seattle Mariner David Phelps throws against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Safeco Field on July 22, 2017.  Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Mariners: The M’s are all in on adding to their pitching staff, as they have already gone out to add reliever David Phelps from Miami and swapped for former first rounder Marco Gonzales from the Cardinals as well. They are small moves, but considering that the Seattle core has lifted the team to within two games of an AL Wild Card as is, anything can help. A pair of wins over the Yankees this past weekend may have solidified their place as late-season riser to mix it up more.

Tampa Bay Rays: Tampa had been winners of their five previous series coming into the weekend, before taking a badly timed sweep at the hands of the Rangers over the weekend ran their current losing skid out to four games. It is nothing to panic over yet, but it does heighten the need to get things right against the Orioles as the new week begins, as next weekend holds a pivotal series against a Yankee team they are knotted up with in the AL East standings.

Texas Rangers: So are Yu in….or are Yu out? Bad puns aside, the Rangers are reaching a crossroads in their season this week. The 3.5 games they sit outside of a Wild Card slot is not an unsurmountable distance, but there is the complicated issue regarding whether they engage in attempting to move forward after dealing off their top gun in Yu Darvish. With nearly a dozen teams actively scouting him at every outing, the lure of getting back the same type of prospect prize package they jettisoned to land Cole Hamels a few years ago could be too much to pass on, especially with free agency looming for Darvish either way. Treasure Wednesday’s outing against the Marlins for Darvish, as it could be his last in a Rangers cap – if he lasts that long.

Toronto Blue Jays: A predictably rough week for the Jays went as expected against a pair of division leaders in the Red Sox and Indians. And as the week wore on, a more familiar rash of losses plagued the team again, as Aaron Sanchez headed to the disabled list for the third time on the year and became the 11th current Jay to be out of action as the year grinds along for the Jays. 

National League 


Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb hits a solo home run in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field on July 21, 2017. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona Diamondbacks: The D-backs put on quite the display last week, twice beating the Reds by 10 runs in a series where they debuted their new-look lineup with J.D. Martinez (who immediate was hurt during his first game for the club) at the core of it. And if that was not enough, they posted back-to-back-to-back homers against Max Scherzer to kick off Friday night’s ballgame, with Jake Lamb, David Peralta and A.J. Pollock doing the damage.

Atlanta Braves: At least it can’t be said that Jaime Garcia went out silently. Despite nearly being traded to the Minnesota Twins before making his start on Friday, he made the most of his ‘extra’ start, hitting a grand slam against the Dodgers, a day after the Braves ended LA’s 11-game winning streak. These unexpected highs came amid a run where the Braves had dropped five of seven during a timespan when an opportunity to make waves in the NL Wild Card race had briefly presented itself. It is a downswing that could have aided to decision to shop Garcia, and to potentially have more veteran Braves be on the move over the next week.

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs have been spending their time of late putting the National League on notice that they are neither dead, nor gone. They open the new week with a piece of first place in the NL Central standings for the first time since June 6th, on the heels of taking a weekend series from their rivals from St. Louis.

And with the mountain successfully climbed for the time being in the standings, they will have the chance to build on the backs of further rivals, as they will spend the week in a home and home series with the White Sox, before a potentially pivotal series with the Brewers club they have successfully tracked down. Business has picked way up for the defending champs, who suddenly have prospects to do just that again.

Cincinnati Reds: The Reds finally managed to win their second game of the second half, but also let up 10 runs in a game for the third time in the last 10 days as well. Perhaps 10 is the magic number for the Reds of late, as it also signifies how many games they have dropped behind in even the lethargic NL Central.


Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado had a very productive week at the plate for the club against the Padres.  Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado reminded everyone of why he’s one of the best alive last week. The third baseman savaged the Padres, to the tone of a three homer, seven RBI outbreak during an 18-4 destruction of the Padres. It was the high point in the recent resurrection of the Rockies, who have won six of their last seven, while averaging nearly 10 runs per game. And in the process, the Rockies climbed back to the top of the NL Wild Card race now.

Los Angeles Dodgers: A week that started up with LA riding an MLB-best 11 game win streak ended on a shaky note, at best. After losing a pair of games to the Braves over the weekend, Sunday’s game took a bad turn early on, with MLB wins leader Clayton Kershaw exiting the game in the second inning with a lower back injury. The Dodgers went on to ultimately win the game, but lost the battle for the day, as manager Dave Roberts announced that Kershaw will head to the disabled list on Monday. No time is worse than now to lose their top gun, as the D-backs and Rockies regaining their winning ways of earlier in the year lately.

Miami Marlins: The only place that the Marlins seemed position to make waves this year was via a sell off leading into this week. However, despite the excitement around the potential availability of Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and/or Christian Yelich, the Fish turned into the biggest wet blankets of all last week, when it was reported that the club will likely hang on the trio, and reassess their futures in the offseason. Now, there is always the potential for the proverbial "offer they cannot refuse," but the Marlins appear resigned to at the very least keep their trio of outfield studs together throughout the ongoing effort to sell the team. 

Milwaukee Brewers: Could things be preparing to level off for the NL Central leaders? Headed into the new week, the Crew has lost seven of their last eight contests and have nearly completely ceded their lead in the division. And in a week with a pair of series against the Nationals and Cubs looming ahead, this week could be the proverbial line in the sand in the direction of the season for Milwaukee.

New York Mets : While earning a split against the Cardinals and taking a weekend series from the A’s is an encouraging outcome for the Mets, the real story of the week revolved around a pitcher that has not made it to the mound in nearly three months. Noah Syndergaard’s bobble head – which came adorned complete with Thor regalia – created crowds that literally stretched miles away from Citi Field on Saturday afternoon. And while the actual Syndergaard will resume his efforts to make it back to the mound on Monday, he can rest assured that while he has been gone, he most certainly has not been forgotten. 

Philadelphia Phillies: Spoiler Alert! Maybe they heard themselves chirped in last week’s Getaway Day and reacted, because the Phillies had one hell of a week. They won back-to-back series for the first time since the first week of June, including taking two from the NL Central-leading Brewers, who they have beaten three times in the last week now.


Second baseman Josh Harrison and the Pittsburgh Pirates suddenly find themselves in the Wild Card chase with their current hot streak.  Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Pirates: The late-blooming Pirates emergence has made the NL Central go from being a written off, underwhelming collective of has-beens, to a four-team race that is becoming increasingly exciting. The Pirates worked up a six-game win streak during the heart of last week, and won 11 of 13 games at one point. Although the loss of outfielder Gregory Polanco to a hamstring injury was badly timed, Starling Marte’s return has picked up the slack plus some, as he brings three consecutive multi-hit games into the new week. The Bucs have decided to put all their chips in towards springing a heist of the NL Central, a bet that could pay out some unexpected dividends if they continue at their current pace.

San Diego Padres: While it is impossible for the Padres to move any higher than fourth place in the elitist NL West, it seems as if they have taken ownership of ensuring that at the very least they are the best fourth place team they can be. And they are doing so by continuing to put their foot on the throats of the only team that is chasing them in the division, the San Francisco Giants. After taking two of three from the woeful Giants over the weekend, they have now picked up five victories over them in the last week and a half. 

San Francisco Giants: See above, things aren’t getting any better in the Bay. Perhaps at least the new week can see some worn out parts be dealt away to new horizons, as the reboot in Silicon Valley begins to take shape.  

St. Louis Cardinals: With the door swinging wide open to get back into the NL Central race, it is hard to tell if the Cardinals have, a) an apprehension to walking through said open doors, or b) simply cannot figure out how they work. Because three times in the last week, they have given away sure victories to the Pirates, Mets and Cubs that would have pulled them within a game of taking over the NL Central. Keep an eye on St. Louis this week, as they sit in the rare position of being an equally big seller as buyer.


Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 23, 2017. Strasburg left with a back injury during the game.  Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Nationals : Ryan Zimmerman claimed sole leadership of the Nationals all-time home run title on Monday, when he hit his 235th career bomb on Monday. It was just one of the highlights of a busy week for the Nats, that saw them take two of three from the D-backs in what could be a preview of coming attractions in October. It also was a week where the rare treat of a headline superstar matchup in baseball delivered, as Bryce Harper and Mike Trout traded long balls in during a 4-3 Tuesday victory in Anaheim. However, things didn’t all come up roses, as the club could be preparing to lose starter Stephen Strasburg, as he exited Sunday’s game with a back injury. It is a familiar scenario for the Nats, but never one that is welcomed to have to endure.

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