First To Home: June 25th MLB News and Notes

Angels Hanging Around: When Mike Trout went down on May 28th the Angels appeared destined to fall off, considering they were a game under .500 even with Trout in their lineup. However, the entire team has rallied and stepped up in his absence posting a 13-12 record. Kole Calhoun and Andrelton Simmons have both been important veterans keeping the Angels offense on their feet. Trout’s return is right around the corner; could the Angels make a playoff push?

Clayton Kershaw: On saturday night Kershaw picked up his 11th win of the season dominating the struggling Rockies offense in a 6 inning shutout performance. His 2.47 ERA and .92 WHIP put him not only in a position for the Cy Young award, but also the MVP. While wins may seem a superficial stat, the reality is they still can make a difference in the voting and could be the difference between him and Max Scherzer this year.

Cubs Rotation: The Cubs rotation has been criticized all season for underperforming, but as of late they can’t be blamed for the team’s mediocrity. The staff has now posted 8 consecutive starts allowing 3 ER or less. After surrendering an early 3 run Home Run Saturday, John Lester was able to bear down and handle the Marlins for the rest of the game. As a team, their ERA has now dropped to 3.96, good for 7th best in the entire MLB.

The Resilient Twins: After a win on Friday night the Twins came into Saturday’s matchup with the first place Indians 1.5 games back of the division lead. Brian Dozier hit an 8th inning Home Run off of Cody Allen to win the game for the Twins, and now with a win on Sunday the Twins could once again be on top of the division. And best of all they have reliable Ace Ervin Santana on the bump.

Ryan Zimmerman: People continue to wait for Ryan Zimmerman to fall off this season or suffer another injury. Yet every single game he continues to impress; after a 2 hit 2 RBI game on Saturday he remains on an incredible pace and steadily in the MVP discussion. As of now his season line is: (.352/19/59). There are no signs of him stopping any time soon.

Royals No Longer Sellers?: As the trade deadline looms the Royals were expected to be a big time seller, with names like Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, and Jason Vargas being thrown around. However, after winning 11 of 13 games they now find themselves a game above .500 and looking at a potential wild card birth. This next couple weeks will be telling in determining the future of this Royal’s team. Will they blow it up or go for it all?

Written by Paul McGovern