First to Home: July 25th MLB News and Notes
July 25, 2017
White Sox Slow Cubs Down: The White Sox were able to go into Wrigley and take game one of the Windy City showdown, slowing down the Cubs offense in a 3-1 victory. The Cubs now find themselves a .5 game out of first place in the NL Central.
Indians Gaining Momentum: Indians downed their home state foes, the Reds, on Monday night 6-2 behind a pair of home runs from Carlos Santana. The Indians have responded after losing 6 of 7 a week ago; they have now won 4 straight games and are 1.5 games up in the AL Central.
Verlander Solid Again: Justin Verlander is amongst the top trade targets heading into the July 31st deadline. On Monday he once again turned in another quality start in 7 innings of work. His stock continues to rise and I firmly expect him to be moved for the right price soon.
Altuve’s MVP Season: Jose Altuve had another 4 hit game on Monday to bring his batting average to a stunning .365. In the absence of Carlos Correa, Altuve has been a rock in the Astros lineup. He is on pace for another 20 plus home run season and currently holds an OPS over 1,000 for the first time in his career.
Red Sox Shutout Again: James Paxton shut down the Red Sox offense on Monday night, holding the Sox to just 4 hits over his 7 innings of work. The Red Sox have now been shut out more than any other team in baseball as it becomes more and more imperative that they add a bat by the deadline.
Orioles on the Brink: The Orioles beat the Rays 5-0 on Monday and have been playing well lately; winners of 6 of their last 8 games they are now only 3.5 games back of the second wild card. As the Rays and Yankees continue to struggle, the Orioles are facing the question of whether they should be buyers or sellers.
Written by Paul McGovern