Getaway Day: Bruce Bochy can't get his team to 'pole vault' up the standings

It has also provided the perfect (and easily most unforeseen) launch point for this week's edition of Getaway Day. 

American League

Baltimore Orioles: The new week gives the O’s some hope of coming out of the gate in the second half with more fire than than they've shown closing out the first half. Baltimore struggled to gain ground over the Rays, whom they had a well-timed pairing with after picking up a pair of victories over the Blue Jays to keep them off their backs in the standings.

Making up that ground could get easier, however, as Chris Davis is pushing ahead in making a return before the All-Star Game. The O's hope he'll aid their efforts over the Brewers and Twins to wrap up the first half.

Boston Red Sox: David Price is not making life easy on himself these days. The pitcher continued his one-man war on the media, this time picking former Red Sox great Dennis Eckersley to mix it up with. The two went at it on a team flight to Toronto Thursday, although manager John Farrell and team president Dave Dombrowski refused to elaborate much further on the matter.

Whatever the case may be, it is not trickling over to the field. The Sox took over first place in the AL East last week and spread open a three-game lead, taking six of seven from the Twins and Blue Jays. Mookie Betts put an exclamation point on the run with an eight-RBI Sunday breakout performance.

Chicago White Sox: Last week here, we skipped digging too deep into the state of the White Sox, citing there not being much to get excited about regarding the club.

Sometimes, finding the upside can be a matter of perspective. Looking at where the Sox currently sit, they could be in line to get out of the AL Central cellar thanks to the Tigers' slide, a place they inhabited for all but a handful of days for the majority of June.

Cleveland Indians: The Indians started the final week of June in a grand fashion, putting up 13 (yes, not a typo) unanswered runs on Monday to take down the Texas Rangers. For the rest of the week, the Tribe continued to make the most of matchups with Texas and the Tigers, holding serve atop the AL Central for another week.

Detroit Tigers: The final days of the current configuration of the Tigers could be about to take place. The reeling club played somewhat better over the last week, picking up consecutive victories for the first time in nearly two weeks. Still the rumors of the Tigers being taken apart over the next month come closer and closer to reality as they slide further away from the developing upper class of the Indians, Twins and Royals in the AL Central. That was highlighted by Sunday’s 11-2 drubbing at the hands of Cleveland.

Houston Astros: One would imagine that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Astros to find ways to remain interested in the affairs at hand. After all, they have dominated the first half of the season as thoroughly as possible, up 14 games in the AL West and sending five representatives to Miami for the All-Star Game on their behalf.

Games like their victory over the Yankees on Saturday can keep their pulse up at least. The club roared back from a three-run deficit in the eighth inning to pick up a thrilling victory and keep on plowing through their 2017 slate.

Kansas City Royals: All-Star break and first-half wrap up aside, the Royals are preparing to embark on what could be the most pivotal month that any team will play this year. If they continue their hot play of late that saw them win three of four against the Twins over the weekend, the Royals could put themselves in position to be one of the hottest teams in the game headed out of the break.

However, if they do struggle and have a downturn, will GM Dayton Moore be able to resist the lure of moving any of his substantially valuable free agents-to-be as the trade deadline draws closer? We’ll see.

Los Angeles Angels: The annual Freeway Series between the Halos and Dodgers got underway on Monday, with the Anaheim outpost striking the first blow and ending the Dodgers' 10-game winning streak in the process. It was also a series that ended in the most obscure of all possible ways, as they won via a walk-off strikeout. Cameron Maybin swung and missed but then reached first as Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal threw the ball into right field, finalizing one of baseball’s most bizarre possible outcomes.

While that is encouraging news, chalk up the weekend’s word on Mike Trout as enormous then. Trout had a successful round of batting practice on Friday and is on par to ramp things up over the next week. His self-stated goal of making a return for the All-Star Game, which he was again selected for, inches closer to becoming a reality.

Minnesota Twins: Inches can feel like miles in pennant chases as tight as the one shaping up in the AL Central, so a week like the one the Twins just endured can feel terrible. They surrendered first place in the division for the second time in as many weeks by dropping three of four to the Red Sox before a weekend against the Royals that was even more exasperating. The Twins dropped three games to K.C. over the weekend, as the Royals continued the close the gap in Minnesota’s rearview mirror in the standings.

New York Yankees: The up and down activities for the Yankees continue. They spent much of the week alternating wins and losses. It also was a week of highs and lows for young Yanks looking to make their initial marks as major leaguers.

On one hand, there was the devastatingly quick end to Dustin Fowler’s debut, as the rookie outfielder ruptured his right patella tendon in a gruesome fashion. Yet over the weekend, the club promoted top prospect Clint Frazier, who became the third Yankees rookie in the last year to homer in his first MLB game, joining Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin. 

Oakland Athletics: Matt Olson provided the biggest moment of the week — and perhaps the year — for Oakland over the weekend. The rookie outfielder’s fourth career homer saved the A’s from being no-hit on Saturday with a long ball in the ninth inning, rescuing the club from hitting absolute rock bottom during the latest prolonged losing streak.

Seattle Mariners: It seems like for every step forward this year, the Mariners take two steps back. A week after a six-game winning streak pulled the team back toward relevancy in the AL Wild Card picture, the M's stumbled back to where they began by losing four straight at the hands of the Astros and (somehow) the Phillies.

To make matters worse, Drew Smyly is set to take on Tommy John surgery now, leaving the Mariners rotation permanently down a hand for the year.

Tampa Bay Rays: Logan Morrison’s breakout season continued to hit new highs over the weekend as he launched his 23^rd and 24^th home runs on the season, setting a new career high and keying Tampa’s demolition of the Orioles in the process.

The surprisingly formidable team is now in line to finish the first half on strong note. A four-game set with the Red Sox could offer an opportunity for the Rays to head into the break in the driver’s seat in the AL East.

Texas Rangers: The long-awaited return of Cole Hamels, who spent the last two months on the shelf with an oblique injury, did not go as planned on Monday. Hamels was tagged for seven runs in under five innings during a debacle at the hands of the Indians. While the southpaw rallied to claim his first win since April 26 on Saturday, it was only the second victory of the week for a Texas club that continues to float along the waters of mediocrity.

Toronto Blue Jays: It was a brutal week spent among divisional foes. Toronto dropped a pair of series to Red Sox and Orioles, shoveling more dirt on top of their self-dug grave in the standings in the process. After showing signs of looking as if they could live up to their potential earlier in the month, the Jays are now back to limping their way toward the finish line of the first half.

National League

Arizona Diamondbacks: Zack Greinke’s 10^th win of the season on Saturday night brought an end to a brief three-game skid for the D’Backs, which is as many losses as the club had endured over the last three weeks combined. It also represented a chance to further put down the struggling Rockies, whom Arizona now carries a four-game cushion over in the standings.

Atlanta Braves: Mike Foltynewicz narrowly missed the chance at both the signature performance of the season for the Braves and becoming the most unique name on the list of no-hitters. Foltynewicz lost his bid for a no-no in the ninth inning against the A’s but still picked up the victory on Friday.

Chicago Cubs: In a season that has been full interesting weeks for the Cubs, the last one may take the cake. Miguel Montero’s mouth packed his bags for him, Kris Bryant narrowly avoided a serious ankle injury and they even made a second trip to the White House. The road continues to be inhospitable for the team, which now has just nine fewer road losses than in all of 2017.

Cincinnati Reds: The ice that had encased the Reds for virtually all of June finally thawed as the month ended. They picked up as many wins in a week (four) as they had in the two weeks prior in full. The return of now All-Star shortstop Zack Cozart on Sunday could lead to wins becoming less scarce on a more regular basis as well.

Colorado Rockies: How far the once mighty Rockies have fallen. After over two months of leading the pack in the NL West, they were taken to task by the division they once commanded over the past week, losing eight straight at the hands of the D’Backs, Giants and Dodgers. They now sit seven games back in the division but still have an equal amount of security in the NL Wild Card picture.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers’ recent run has propelled them to a level that has only been occupied by the Astros for much of the year: the .650 winning percentage tier. Having lost only twice since June 16 and completing a three-game sweep of the Rockies last week, they are riding as high as any team in the game has at any point this year. Now, if they can only find a way to avoid those pesky walk-off strikeout losses.

Miami Marlins: Selling season is beginning to take shape in Miami. While the prolonged ordeal of selling the team in full continues to drag on, the latest rearranging of the roster is finally taking off. Things got underway with the trade of shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to Tampa Bay on Wednesday, which is a harbinger of moves that are rumored to follow. With the Marlins currently checking in well outside of the action in the NL East, most anything could be in play.

Milwaukee Brewers: Three games. Three games represent the largest lead the Brewers have had at any point in their reign over the NL Central this summer, a margin they reached on Saturday after defeating the Marlins. While the Brewers cannot be mistaken for a juggernaut in way, shape or form, they are doing what no other team in their division can: simply playing consistently enough.

New York Mets: The on again, off again summer for the Mets continues, trending in the best possible direction of late. Granted, it was against the underwhelming trio of the Giants, Marlins and Phillies, but over the last week and a half, the Mets have gone 7-2. However, time will tell if one of the season’s most unpredictable teams can hold the course for long.

Philadelphia Phillies: Win two, lose three. Win a few more, lose a few in return. Thus has been the season for the Phillies, who continue to check in as baseball’s worst team by a comfortable six-game margin as the new week begins.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Bucs enter the new week with the prospects of regaining their top player soon. Starling Marte will head out for a minor league rehab stint this week as he nears his return from the PED suspension that has had him out of action since April. When he does return, thought, it will not be to center field, as the Pirates have decided to stick with Andrew McCutchen at the heart of their outfield for the time being at least. With the trade deadline looming, the Pirates could become one of the most active teams in the game if they don’t see their prospects in the dim NL Central improve drastically over the next couple of weeks.

San Diego Padres: Manuel Margot made his return from the DL this week and got back to providing the type of spark that made him the most exciting part of the San Diego season so far. The center fielder has three multi-hit games on the week and scored three runs in a victory over the Braves.

While the team is in over its depth with matchups against the Dodgers and Indians, it is nice to at least have Margot back in the mix.

San Francisco Giants: While the Giants embarked on a five-game winning streak that marked a high point in a season that has absent of any, Mark Melancon and Bruce Bochy created the most memorable moments of the week.

The Giants closer evoked Allen Iverson in referencing rumors that there is a disturbance in the Giants clubhouse… over bullpen stretching. “We're talking about stretching, right? Stretching. I feel like Allen Iverson talking about stretching. We're still talking about stretching. I don't want to talk about stretching, but we're talking about stretching,” Melancon remarked when approached regarding the issue.

In turn, Bochy regarded the matter as a "non-story," and then went on to deliver what is unquestionably the one-liner of the year: "It's pole vaulting over mouse turds, to be honest," Bochy said, dismissing the notion in whole.

It is rare that a last-place team can be this entertaining, but bravo.

St. Louis Cardinals: The bipolar Cardinals had an unbelievably good week for a team that has been seemingly unable to beat  quality teams all year. Riding the momentum of a Sunday night win over the Pirates, the Cardinals — who had only two wins against teams over .500 on the month — won back-to-back series over the Diamondbacks and Nationals, while working in time for a one-game win over the Reds as well.

Good times could continue to roll for the Cards as well. They face a Marlins team to open the week that they swept earlier in the year.

Washington Nationals: The Nationals can’t catch a break when it comes to breaks. The team lost NL stolen base leader Trea Turner to a fractured right wrist when he was hit by a pitch against the Cubs on Thursday. The Nationals went on to win the game, but it is the second substantial loss to the top of their order they will be forced to endure, as Adam Eaton is already out of action indefinitely.

They are lucky to have had such a wide lead built up in the NL East, because it has dwindled steadily over the past few weeks. It will continue to be challenged as the Nats are forced to move forward at increasingly lowered capacity.