It's never too early to talk fantasy baseball, and Eric Karabell previews his top 10 for the 2014 season.
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesMike Trout should win MVP, but an outdated precedent means it won't happen.Which brings us to the MVP, because it’s time for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to move forward with this honor, to shift into the 21st century, when the value of players is more precisely defined than ever.
For years, the MVP has been assessed by voters through the prism of team success. With few exceptions, such as Andre Dawson in 1987 and Cal Ripken in 1991, most serious candidates have been the best players on the best teams.
Which, unfortunately, means that the best players are often overlooked, because of murky bonus points bestowed upon others because they happen to be surrounded by better teammates.
Recently, a general manager noted the case of Mike Trout, who is generally regarded as the best player in the sport -- not only by those who wear suits and can define WAR, but increasingly by players and coaches and managers. The Angels look as though they may struggle for a few more years, the GM mused, and it’s possible that Trout could be baseball’s best player, generally, for the first five years of his career and not win an MVP "because his teammates aren’t very good."
That doesn’t make a lot of sense. In what sane world -- in what 21st century world -- is the question of "most valuable" among players defined by the ineptitude, or the aptitude, of teammates?
Unquestionably, this is the precedent in the MVP voting, established very early in the BBWAA’s history, never more than in the AL in 1934.
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NOW THAT BASEBALL'S regular season has drawn to a close, so too should our summer romances. In real life and in keeper fantasy leagues, teams must soberly evaluate their pleasant surprises. Can you really build around Carlos Gomez or Everth Cabrera? At the same time, GMs must figure out how much collapsed stars like Josh Hamilton and Roy Halladay can still offer. It's the season to ask: Can we trust what we've just seen? Because sometimes 162 games isn't enough for a player's performance to match his underlying talent.
Indeed, sometimes 324 games isn't enough. For the past two years, the Orioles, particularly their closer, Jim Johnson, have been a case study in how luck affects the expression of skill -- and in how we need to choose our advanced metrics carefully to see where a player (or a team) is headed.
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What's in Ron Gardenhire's future? 
September, 30, 2013
Sep 30
10:31
AM ET
By
Doug Mittler | ESPN.com
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Bad baseball: Final tanking standings
September, 30, 2013
Sep 30
9:55
AM ET
By
David Schoenfield | ESPN.com
So we ended up with the quite the finish here. Lots of bad baseball down the stretch. Lots. Remember: The top 10 picks are protected if you sign a free agent who is given a qualifying offer. Plus, the worse you finish in the overall standings the more money you get to spend in the draft. Yay, incentivized losing!
1. Astros: 51-111
Just in case they were worried about the Marlins catching them, they lost their final 15 games to ensure the No. 1 pick for the third draft in a row.
2. Marlins: 62-100
Kudos to Henderson Alvarez for his final-day no-hitter. In fact, the Marlins swept the Tigers in that season-ending series and won five of their final six, allowing just seven runs over those six games.
3. White Sox: 63-99
Tried hard to catch the Marlins, going 7-21 in September and losing five of their final six. Went 2-17 against the Indians, although no truth to the rumor that the Indians will share their playoff shares with the White Sox.
4. Cubs: 66-96
Ended up tied with the Twins, but get the higher pick based on 2012 record. And boy did they fight hard to get that fourth pick. Lost six of their final seven and 12 of their final 15.
5. Twins: 66-96
Lost 10 of final 11. Too bad they beat the Tigers in extra innings on Sept. 23 or they would be drafting one slot higher. In Sunday's finale, ensured defeat with three errors. In the sixth inning. Nice job, Twins!
6. Mariners: 71-91
Went 6-14 over their final 20 games to slide from a bubble team securely into a top-10 position. Lost their final eight extra-inning games, proving there's an art to successful tanking. Namely: A bad bullpen helps.
7. Phillies: 73-89
It looked like they would jump out of the bottom 10 but then lost nine of their final 11. No wonder Ryne Sandberg got the job for next year! The final game was huge, as the Phillies came up big with a 12-5 loss to the Braves.
Now, this is where things get really interesting. We had a four-way tie for spots 8 through 11. The tiebreaker is 2012 record. So ...
8. Rockies: 74-88
Those two one-run wins over the Dodgers on Saturday and Sunday didn't help, but the tiebreaker gives them the edge. Not that they'll be pursuing Robinson Cano or anything.
9. Blue Jays: 74-88
How nervous was GM Alex Anthopoulos watching the Jays nearly rally from a 7-0 deficit on Sunday? They did beat the Rays twice on the final weekend but still lost 12 of their final 19.
10. Mets: 74-88
The Mets had the most to lose if they finished out of the top 10, since they presumably could be pursuing some of the big free agents this winter. Luckily the offense came through with three straight 4-2 losses to the Brewers (before winning the season finale 3-2).
11. Brewers: 74-88
Well, this is what a 15-12 record in September will do to you. No Kyle Lohse for the Brewers this offseason!
12. Padres: 76-86
Yes, Padres fans, there were 11 teams worse than yours.
13. Giants: 76-86
The Giants went 10-5 over their final 15 to at least avoid becoming just the second World Series winner (after the 1997 Marlins) to finish in last place the next season. So there's that.
14. Angels: 78-84
A 21-7 stretch in August/September ruined any chance the Angels had of finishing with a top-10 pick. So if they went to throw $250 million at Cano, it will cost them their first-round pick.
1. Astros: 51-111
Just in case they were worried about the Marlins catching them, they lost their final 15 games to ensure the No. 1 pick for the third draft in a row.
2. Marlins: 62-100
Kudos to Henderson Alvarez for his final-day no-hitter. In fact, the Marlins swept the Tigers in that season-ending series and won five of their final six, allowing just seven runs over those six games.
3. White Sox: 63-99
Tried hard to catch the Marlins, going 7-21 in September and losing five of their final six. Went 2-17 against the Indians, although no truth to the rumor that the Indians will share their playoff shares with the White Sox.
4. Cubs: 66-96
Ended up tied with the Twins, but get the higher pick based on 2012 record. And boy did they fight hard to get that fourth pick. Lost six of their final seven and 12 of their final 15.
5. Twins: 66-96
Lost 10 of final 11. Too bad they beat the Tigers in extra innings on Sept. 23 or they would be drafting one slot higher. In Sunday's finale, ensured defeat with three errors. In the sixth inning. Nice job, Twins!
6. Mariners: 71-91
Went 6-14 over their final 20 games to slide from a bubble team securely into a top-10 position. Lost their final eight extra-inning games, proving there's an art to successful tanking. Namely: A bad bullpen helps.
7. Phillies: 73-89
It looked like they would jump out of the bottom 10 but then lost nine of their final 11. No wonder Ryne Sandberg got the job for next year! The final game was huge, as the Phillies came up big with a 12-5 loss to the Braves.
Now, this is where things get really interesting. We had a four-way tie for spots 8 through 11. The tiebreaker is 2012 record. So ...
8. Rockies: 74-88
Those two one-run wins over the Dodgers on Saturday and Sunday didn't help, but the tiebreaker gives them the edge. Not that they'll be pursuing Robinson Cano or anything.
9. Blue Jays: 74-88
How nervous was GM Alex Anthopoulos watching the Jays nearly rally from a 7-0 deficit on Sunday? They did beat the Rays twice on the final weekend but still lost 12 of their final 19.
10. Mets: 74-88
The Mets had the most to lose if they finished out of the top 10, since they presumably could be pursuing some of the big free agents this winter. Luckily the offense came through with three straight 4-2 losses to the Brewers (before winning the season finale 3-2).
11. Brewers: 74-88
Well, this is what a 15-12 record in September will do to you. No Kyle Lohse for the Brewers this offseason!
12. Padres: 76-86
Yes, Padres fans, there were 11 teams worse than yours.
13. Giants: 76-86
The Giants went 10-5 over their final 15 to at least avoid becoming just the second World Series winner (after the 1997 Marlins) to finish in last place the next season. So there's that.
14. Angels: 78-84
A 21-7 stretch in August/September ruined any chance the Angels had of finishing with a top-10 pick. So if they went to throw $250 million at Cano, it will cost them their first-round pick.
Rapid Reaction: Rangers 6, Angels 2
September, 29, 2013
Sep 29
5:09
PM CT
By Todd Wills | ESPNDallas.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers will play another day.
Texas railled from an early 1-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Angels, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, clinching a spot in the American League wild-card play-in game against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:07 p.m. Monday in Arlington.
The Rangers won seven straight games, all at home, to keep their postseason dream alive.
Soto's clutch hit: The Rangers responded after giving up the lead in the top of the sixth. With the score tied at 2-2, Adrian Beltre started a two-out uprising with a single to right field. A.J. Pierzynski followed with a bloop single to right field. That brought up Geovany Soto, who has been on a late-season tear. Soto ripped an RBI double into center field to score Beltre for a 3-2 lead. Soto also had a home run in the top of the ninth. Soto is 13-for-31 with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last 10 games.
Big insurance run: The Rangers took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh when Craig Gentry had a leadoff single and a stolen base. The Angels brought in Juan Gutierrez in relief and Ian Kinsler grounded the first pitch he saw into left field for a huge insurance run.
Scheppers again: Tanner Scheppers needed just nine pitches to get the top of the Angels' lineup in the top of the eighth. He gave up a leadoff single to J.B. Shuck on a 0-2 pitch, but bounced back by getting Erick Aybar to ground into a double play. Scheppers then got Mike Trout to fly out to right field. Trout is 0-for-4 lifetime against Scheppers.
Beltre goes deep: Beltre is having a tough September and appeared to tweak his left hamstring running the bases in the sixth inning. But he still had the flair dramatic as shown by his home run to center field in the bottom of the eighth to give the Rangers a 5-2 lead. Beltre has two homers on this homestand.
Rangers take lead: The Rangers had trailed 1-0 since the first inning on Mike Trout's two-out home run when they finally took a lead in the fifth. Pierzynski started the bottom of the fifth with a double to center field. Soto then walked and both advanced on Jason Vargas' errant pickoff throw while Mitch Moreland was batting. After Moreland struck out, Gentry lined a two-run single into center field for a 2-1 lead.
Darvish out early: Manager Ron Washington made the very difficult decision of pulling Yu Darvish at 84 pitches in the sixth inning and bringing in Neal Cotts to face Josh Hamilton with two runners on. At issue is Darvish's inability to get a shutdown inning late in the season. With the Rangers leading 2-1 after Gentry's two-run single, Darvish allowed a single to No. 9 hitter Andrew Romine, then got a nifty double play started by Kinsler. Darvish then allowed a single to Aybar and four-pitch walk to Trout. That brought Washington out of the dugout. Darvish has given back the lead in the inning after the Rangers give him the lead in four of his last seven starts. Washington was trying to avoid that.
Hambone hurts Rangers: But Cotts couldn't get out Hamilton. He got ahead of him with a 1-2 count, but tried to go with a high fastball away to the former Ranger, who was able to go upstairs to line a single into left field to tie the game at 2-2.
Gentry gone wild: Gentry was on base three times Sunday with two singles and a walk. He is 15-for-31 in his last nine games.
Up next: The Rangers will play the Tampa Bay Rays in a wild-card play-in game at 7:07 p.m. Monday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Texas will go with left-hander Martin Perez (10-5, 3.55 ERA) while the Rays will counter with left-hander David Price (9-8, 3.39 ERA).
Texas railled from an early 1-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Angels, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, clinching a spot in the American League wild-card play-in game against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:07 p.m. Monday in Arlington.
The Rangers won seven straight games, all at home, to keep their postseason dream alive.
Soto's clutch hit: The Rangers responded after giving up the lead in the top of the sixth. With the score tied at 2-2, Adrian Beltre started a two-out uprising with a single to right field. A.J. Pierzynski followed with a bloop single to right field. That brought up Geovany Soto, who has been on a late-season tear. Soto ripped an RBI double into center field to score Beltre for a 3-2 lead. Soto also had a home run in the top of the ninth. Soto is 13-for-31 with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last 10 games.
Big insurance run: The Rangers took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh when Craig Gentry had a leadoff single and a stolen base. The Angels brought in Juan Gutierrez in relief and Ian Kinsler grounded the first pitch he saw into left field for a huge insurance run.
Beltre goes deep: Beltre is having a tough September and appeared to tweak his left hamstring running the bases in the sixth inning. But he still had the flair dramatic as shown by his home run to center field in the bottom of the eighth to give the Rangers a 5-2 lead. Beltre has two homers on this homestand.
Rangers take lead: The Rangers had trailed 1-0 since the first inning on Mike Trout's two-out home run when they finally took a lead in the fifth. Pierzynski started the bottom of the fifth with a double to center field. Soto then walked and both advanced on Jason Vargas' errant pickoff throw while Mitch Moreland was batting. After Moreland struck out, Gentry lined a two-run single into center field for a 2-1 lead.
Darvish out early: Manager Ron Washington made the very difficult decision of pulling Yu Darvish at 84 pitches in the sixth inning and bringing in Neal Cotts to face Josh Hamilton with two runners on. At issue is Darvish's inability to get a shutdown inning late in the season. With the Rangers leading 2-1 after Gentry's two-run single, Darvish allowed a single to No. 9 hitter Andrew Romine, then got a nifty double play started by Kinsler. Darvish then allowed a single to Aybar and four-pitch walk to Trout. That brought Washington out of the dugout. Darvish has given back the lead in the inning after the Rangers give him the lead in four of his last seven starts. Washington was trying to avoid that.
Hambone hurts Rangers: But Cotts couldn't get out Hamilton. He got ahead of him with a 1-2 count, but tried to go with a high fastball away to the former Ranger, who was able to go upstairs to line a single into left field to tie the game at 2-2.
Gentry gone wild: Gentry was on base three times Sunday with two singles and a walk. He is 15-for-31 in his last nine games.
Up next: The Rangers will play the Tampa Bay Rays in a wild-card play-in game at 7:07 p.m. Monday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Texas will go with left-hander Martin Perez (10-5, 3.55 ERA) while the Rays will counter with left-hander David Price (9-8, 3.39 ERA).
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout has become only the third major league player since 1900 with 190 hits, 100 walks and 30 stolen bases in the same season.
Trout got his 190th hit Sunday on a home run in the first inning of Los Angeles' season-ending game at Texas.
The only other players to reach all those marks in the same season were Ty Cobb in 1915 and Lenny Dykstra in 1993.
It was the 27th homer of the season for the 22-year-old Trout, who was already the first player in AL history with 25 home runs, 30 stolen bases and 100 walks in a season.
Buzz: Rangers mum on anything past Sunday
September, 29, 2013
Sep 29
1:02
PM CT
By Todd Wills | ESPNDallas.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers aren't revealing anything about what could happen after Sunday in a wild-card play-in game or wild-card game.
Nothing about Nelson Cruz, who wasn't in the Rangers' clubhouse Sunday morning. Nothing about Monday's potential starting pitcher, which on rotation would be Martin Perez.
Not a thing.
"We don't know about anything past today," Washington said.
The Rangers probably have a good idea, they're just not going to say it until after they beat the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. That would mean the season would go on, either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday depending on how Tampa Bay and Cleveland do.
Washington said that everyone is available for Sunday's game, including Perez and potential Wednesday wild-card game starter Matt Garza.
Pierzynski is DH: Washington wanted A.J. Pierzynski in the lineup Sunday against a left-handed starter, so he's the designated hitter with Geovany Soto catching Yu Darvish for the fifth straight game.
"I want A.J.'s bat in there. Period," Washington said. "He's a threat."
Pierzynski is 6-for-24 with four RBIs during the Rangers' six-game winning streak. Soto has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, batting .393 with two home runs and five RBIs.
Darvish forecast: If Washington could have one wish for Darvish's start, he was asked by a reporter if he would want it to be fastball command. He offered another answer.
"I wish that the headlines be, 'Darvish dominates,' in big letters written by you," Washington said.
Washington on Game 162: For the third straight season, the major league season comes down to Game 162 with three teams -- the Rangers, Rays and Indians -- battling for two playoff spots.
It's amazing when you considered the regular season lasts six months and comes down to one day on the schedule.
"When you have the balance that the league has, it happens," Washington said. "This new format makes it exciting. If we had four division winners, it probably wouldn't be. But this gets other teams involved and sometimes you don't have to have that super year to have a chance. That's what I think the commissioner has done with this game and the format we're in. You never know what's going to happen in a one-game playoff. We proved that last year. I'd rather be in that one game than not be in it at all."
Short hops: Craig Gentry's right ankle is doing OK after it was stepped on by Angels' first baseman Mark Trumbo in Saturday's game. Gentry said he will have the ankle taped as usual as he starts for the ninth straight game in left field. ... Rangers TV broadcaster Steve Busby turns 64 today.
Nothing about Nelson Cruz, who wasn't in the Rangers' clubhouse Sunday morning. Nothing about Monday's potential starting pitcher, which on rotation would be Martin Perez.
Not a thing.
"We don't know about anything past today," Washington said.
The Rangers probably have a good idea, they're just not going to say it until after they beat the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. That would mean the season would go on, either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday depending on how Tampa Bay and Cleveland do.
Washington said that everyone is available for Sunday's game, including Perez and potential Wednesday wild-card game starter Matt Garza.
Pierzynski is DH: Washington wanted A.J. Pierzynski in the lineup Sunday against a left-handed starter, so he's the designated hitter with Geovany Soto catching Yu Darvish for the fifth straight game.
"I want A.J.'s bat in there. Period," Washington said. "He's a threat."
Pierzynski is 6-for-24 with four RBIs during the Rangers' six-game winning streak. Soto has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, batting .393 with two home runs and five RBIs.
Darvish forecast: If Washington could have one wish for Darvish's start, he was asked by a reporter if he would want it to be fastball command. He offered another answer.
"I wish that the headlines be, 'Darvish dominates,' in big letters written by you," Washington said.
Washington on Game 162: For the third straight season, the major league season comes down to Game 162 with three teams -- the Rangers, Rays and Indians -- battling for two playoff spots.
It's amazing when you considered the regular season lasts six months and comes down to one day on the schedule.
"When you have the balance that the league has, it happens," Washington said. "This new format makes it exciting. If we had four division winners, it probably wouldn't be. But this gets other teams involved and sometimes you don't have to have that super year to have a chance. That's what I think the commissioner has done with this game and the format we're in. You never know what's going to happen in a one-game playoff. We proved that last year. I'd rather be in that one game than not be in it at all."
Short hops: Craig Gentry's right ankle is doing OK after it was stepped on by Angels' first baseman Mark Trumbo in Saturday's game. Gentry said he will have the ankle taped as usual as he starts for the ninth straight game in left field. ... Rangers TV broadcaster Steve Busby turns 64 today.
Lineups: Pierzynski DH; Soto catching
September, 29, 2013
Sep 29
12:51
PM CT
By Todd Wills | ESPNDallas.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Geovany Soto is catching Yu Darvish for the fifth straight game, which means A.J. Pierzynski is the designated hitter.
Josh Hamilton returns to the Los Angeles Angels' lineup after a pinch-hit double Saturday. Here are today's starting lineups for Game 162:
RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
RF Alex Rios
3B Adrian Beltre
DH A.J. Pierzynski
C Geovany Soto
1B Mitch Moreland
LF Craig Gentry
CF Leonys Martin
P Yu Darvish
ANGELS
DH J.B. Shuck
SS Erick Aybar
CF Mike Trout
LF Josh Hamilton
2B Howie Kendrick
RF Kole Calhoun
1B Mark Trumbo
C Hank Conger
3B Andrew Romine
P Jason Vargas
Josh Hamilton returns to the Los Angeles Angels' lineup after a pinch-hit double Saturday. Here are today's starting lineups for Game 162:
RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
RF Alex Rios
3B Adrian Beltre
DH A.J. Pierzynski
C Geovany Soto
1B Mitch Moreland
LF Craig Gentry
CF Leonys Martin
P Yu Darvish
ANGELS
DH J.B. Shuck
SS Erick Aybar
CF Mike Trout
LF Josh Hamilton
2B Howie Kendrick
RF Kole Calhoun
1B Mark Trumbo
C Hank Conger
3B Andrew Romine
P Jason Vargas
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers finish up the regular season and hope to get a win to ensure they'll play another game when right-hander Yu Darvish faces Jason Vargas at 2:05 p.m. Sunday afternoon on Fox Sports Southwest, ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and 1540-AM.
Darvish (13-9, 2.82): Darvish has a major league leading 269 strikeouts this season, equaling the most since Randy Johnson had 290 punchouts in 2004. ... Darvish took a no-decision in his starter Tuesday against Houston, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings. ... He has pitched past the sixth inning in his last two starts. ... He is 1-4 with a 3.38 ERA for his last eight starts. ... He has lost three consecutive home starts. ... He makes his fourth start against the Angels this season. ... He is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA.
Vargas (9-7, 4.01 ERA): Vargas had a complete game shutout Tuesday night against Oakland. ... It was his second shutout this season and fifth of his career. ... Vargas gave up four its and walked one. ... Otherwise, it's been a brutal September for Vargas, who is 1-2 with a 5.83 ERA, allowing 36 hits in 29 1/3 innings. ... Vargas has a 2.89 ERA against the Rangers this season and has not recorded a decision in three starts. .... He is 4-6 with a 4.25 ERA versus Texas for his career.
Hitters: Geovany Soto is 3-for-8 with a home run and two RBIs against Vargas and should draw the start with Yu Darvish pitching. Mike Trout is 8-for-26 with three home runs and five RBIs against Darvish.
Darvish (13-9, 2.82): Darvish has a major league leading 269 strikeouts this season, equaling the most since Randy Johnson had 290 punchouts in 2004. ... Darvish took a no-decision in his starter Tuesday against Houston, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings. ... He has pitched past the sixth inning in his last two starts. ... He is 1-4 with a 3.38 ERA for his last eight starts. ... He has lost three consecutive home starts. ... He makes his fourth start against the Angels this season. ... He is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA.
Vargas (9-7, 4.01 ERA): Vargas had a complete game shutout Tuesday night against Oakland. ... It was his second shutout this season and fifth of his career. ... Vargas gave up four its and walked one. ... Otherwise, it's been a brutal September for Vargas, who is 1-2 with a 5.83 ERA, allowing 36 hits in 29 1/3 innings. ... Vargas has a 2.89 ERA against the Rangers this season and has not recorded a decision in three starts. .... He is 4-6 with a 4.25 ERA versus Texas for his career.
Hitters: Geovany Soto is 3-for-8 with a home run and two RBIs against Vargas and should draw the start with Yu Darvish pitching. Mike Trout is 8-for-26 with three home runs and five RBIs against Darvish.
Rapid Reaction: Rangers 7, Angels 4
September, 28, 2013
Sep 28
2:27
PM CT
By Todd Wills | ESPNDallas.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Six must-win games. Six victories.
The Rangers are flying to the finish line, winning again Saturday, 7-4, over the rival Los Angeles Angels, who decided to wear red tops for the game even though Texas had informed them they were going with red.
The Rangers are a half-game behind Tampa Bay and Cleveland in the American League wild-card race after winning their 90th game of the season.
The Rangers were waiting on the other games that impact them to be completed. The Blue Jays were leading the Rays 7-1 in the bottom of the fifth in Toronto. Cleveland and Minnesota had just gotten started at Target Field because of a rain delay of more than two hours.
Second-inning eruption: The Rangers scored four runs in the bottom of the second with the help of two huge errors by the Angels. Craig Gentry, playing tremendously down the stretch, led off with a double. David Murphy then drew a walk and Leonys Martin moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Ian Kinsler followed with a line shot that hit off Angels pitcher Garrett Richards, who was able to recover but made an errant throw to first, allowing Gentry to score. Elvis Andrus followed with an infield single that was fielded by Angels shortstop Erick Aybar, who threw the ball wildly into right field, allowing Murphy to score. Alex Rios had a sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead. Andrus then scored on a wild pitch that barely got away from catcher Chris Iannetta. Andrus was able to scamper by him and avoid a swipe tag.
Holland struggles: It was a tough Saturday for Derek Holland, who was staked to a 5-1 lead and wasn't able to get out of the top of the fifth. He gave up a leadoff single to Andrew Romine, who did that twice to Alexi Ogando on Friday night, and then a double to Aybar to put two runners in scoring position. Collin Cowgill brought the Angels within 5-3 with a ground out to shortstop. Holland got a big strikeout of Mike Trout, but gave up a RBI double to Howie Kendrick to cut the lead to 5-4. Holland allowed eight hits and threw only 79 pitches.
Big insurance runs: With the key members of the back of the bullpen used a lot in the last two days, not to mention the threat of storms, the Rangers scored two must insurance in the bottom of the fifth. Rios had a leadoff double and scored on A.J. Pierzynski's one-out single. Gentry gave the Rangers a 7-4 lead with an RBI single, his first RBI during his recent hot streak.
Ross comes up big: Left-hander Robbie Ross has worked his way back into being trusted by manager Ron Washington. With the Rangers leading 7-4, Ross worked around a one-out walk to Trout to keep the three-run lead. He struck out slugger Mark Trumbo to end the inning.
Scheppers solid again: Setup man Tanner Scheppers is coming up nails this week. He pitched for the third straight game and fourth time in the last five days and showed no signs of fatigue. Scheppers needed just seven pitches to get two ground balls to second and a fly ball to right field.
Up next: The Rangers and Angels will play the final game of the regular season with right-hander Yu Darvish (13-9, 2.82) facing left-hander Jason Vargas at 2:05 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
The Rangers are flying to the finish line, winning again Saturday, 7-4, over the rival Los Angeles Angels, who decided to wear red tops for the game even though Texas had informed them they were going with red.
The Rangers are a half-game behind Tampa Bay and Cleveland in the American League wild-card race after winning their 90th game of the season.
The Rangers were waiting on the other games that impact them to be completed. The Blue Jays were leading the Rays 7-1 in the bottom of the fifth in Toronto. Cleveland and Minnesota had just gotten started at Target Field because of a rain delay of more than two hours.
Second-inning eruption: The Rangers scored four runs in the bottom of the second with the help of two huge errors by the Angels. Craig Gentry, playing tremendously down the stretch, led off with a double. David Murphy then drew a walk and Leonys Martin moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Ian Kinsler followed with a line shot that hit off Angels pitcher Garrett Richards, who was able to recover but made an errant throw to first, allowing Gentry to score. Elvis Andrus followed with an infield single that was fielded by Angels shortstop Erick Aybar, who threw the ball wildly into right field, allowing Murphy to score. Alex Rios had a sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead. Andrus then scored on a wild pitch that barely got away from catcher Chris Iannetta. Andrus was able to scamper by him and avoid a swipe tag.
Holland struggles: It was a tough Saturday for Derek Holland, who was staked to a 5-1 lead and wasn't able to get out of the top of the fifth. He gave up a leadoff single to Andrew Romine, who did that twice to Alexi Ogando on Friday night, and then a double to Aybar to put two runners in scoring position. Collin Cowgill brought the Angels within 5-3 with a ground out to shortstop. Holland got a big strikeout of Mike Trout, but gave up a RBI double to Howie Kendrick to cut the lead to 5-4. Holland allowed eight hits and threw only 79 pitches.
Big insurance runs: With the key members of the back of the bullpen used a lot in the last two days, not to mention the threat of storms, the Rangers scored two must insurance in the bottom of the fifth. Rios had a leadoff double and scored on A.J. Pierzynski's one-out single. Gentry gave the Rangers a 7-4 lead with an RBI single, his first RBI during his recent hot streak.
Ross comes up big: Left-hander Robbie Ross has worked his way back into being trusted by manager Ron Washington. With the Rangers leading 7-4, Ross worked around a one-out walk to Trout to keep the three-run lead. He struck out slugger Mark Trumbo to end the inning.
Scheppers solid again: Setup man Tanner Scheppers is coming up nails this week. He pitched for the third straight game and fourth time in the last five days and showed no signs of fatigue. Scheppers needed just seven pitches to get two ground balls to second and a fly ball to right field.
Up next: The Rangers and Angels will play the final game of the regular season with right-hander Yu Darvish (13-9, 2.82) facing left-hander Jason Vargas at 2:05 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
SweetSpot's 2013 AL All-Star team
September, 28, 2013
Sep 28
11:40
AM ET
By
David Schoenfield | ESPN.com
Here are my choices for the 2013 American League All-Star team:
Catcher: Joe Mauer, Twins (.324/.404/.476, 11 HRs, 47 RBIs, 5.2 WAR)
There's not a real clear choice, as Mauer played just 75 of his 113 games behind the plate, but he's the best hitter among the catchers and threw out a league-leading 43 percent of base stealers. Carlos Santana has good offensive numbers, but he played a lot of first base and DH and struggled defensively. Jason Castro's fine season was buried in the Astros' awfulness, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia has hit .272, raising his average 50 points from last year, while bashing 40 doubles and 14 home runs. If he had played a little more behind the plate -- he started 95 games -- he might have been my choice.
First base: Chris Davis, Orioles (.287/.370/.637, 53 HRs, 138 RBIs, 6.7 WAR)
Davis is the easy choice in a weak year at first base in the AL. The only other two first basemen to slug .500 were Edwin Encarnacion, who spent a large chunk of his time at DH, and Brandon Moss, a platoon player. Davis joined Babe Ruth and Albert Belle as the only players with 50 home runs and 40 doubles in a season.
Second base: Robinson Cano, Yankees (.313/.383/.514, 27 HRs, 106 RBIs, 7.6 WAR)
In a year when so much went wrong with the Yankees, Cano was the one constant, missing just one game and putting up his usual excellent numbers. Now the Yankees have to decide exactly how much they're willing to pay for those numbers. Teams like the Dodgers and Nationals could pursue the free agent this winter.
Third base: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (.347/.441/.637, 44 HRs, 137 RBIs, 7.1 WAR)
Despite the injury issues that have slowed him in September (.265, just two extra-base hits and seven RBIs), Cabrera remains the likely MVP winner, thanks in part to a .397/.529/.782 mark with runners in scoring position. It's a deep position with Josh Donaldson having his own MVP-caliber season, Manny Machado catching everything at the hot corner and Evan Longoria and Adrian Beltre once again doing everything, but it's hard to deny Miggy's dominance with the bat.
Shortstop: J.J. Hardy, Orioles (.262/.305/.432, 25 HRs, 74 RBIs, 3.6 WAR)
There's not an obvious guy at the position. Hardy is good defensively and has power, but that .305 OBP lowers his offensive value. Yunel Escobar may have had the best year on defense, but a slow start dragged down his offense. Elvis Andrus plays great defense and has 41 steals but doesn't give you much at the plate. Jed Lowrie stayed healthy and hit but lacks range. In the end, I went with Hardy, who has played 157 games and gives you a little on both sides of the ball.
Left field: Mike Trout, Angels (.323/.431/.554, 26 HRs, 94 RBIs, 9.1 WAR)
OK, I cheated a little bit since Trout actually started more games in center than left. But the state of left field in the AL is pretty pathetic, with Alex Gordon and Michael Brantley the only other two rated as even 2.0 WAR players.
Center field: Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox (.297/.355/.421, 8 HRs, 52 RBIs, 5.7 WAR)
Ellsbury also stole 52 bases in 56 attempts, the second-best percentage ever for a player with at least 50 steals. Orioles fans will argue for Adam Jones, who has 33 home runs and 108 RBIs, but he's drawn just 25 walks so his OBP is a mediocre .318 and his defense doesn't match Ellsbury's.
Right field: Shane Victorino, Red Sox (.297/.354/.456, 15 HRs, 61 RBIs, 6.2 WAR)
He's been solid offensively -- including hitting .303 and slugging .515 while having to bat right-handed against right-handed pitchers after a hamstring injury prevented him from batting left-handed. He has been terrific defensively with 24 Defensive Runs Saved, the sixth-best total in the majors at any position. Again, nobody with big numbers here on offense, especially with Jose Bautista's season-ending injury, but Victorino is a worthy selection.
Designated hitter: David Ortiz, Red Sox (.308/.395/.565, 30 HRs, 103 RBIs, 4.3 WAR)
At 37, he's still going strong with his seventh 30-homer, 100-RBI season. Hall of Famer? He's up to 431 career home runs and 1,429 RBIs.
Starting pitchers: Max Scherzer, Tigers (21-3, 2.90 ERA, 6.6 WAR); Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners (14-6, 2.66 ERA, 7.0 WAR); Chris Sale, White Sox (11-14, 3.07 ERA, 7.0 WAR); Yu Darvish, Rangers (13-9, 2.82 ERA, 5.7 WAR); Anibal Sanchez, Tigers (14-8, 2.64 ERA, 6.0 WAR)
Apologies to Bartolo Colon and Felix Hernandez, and even Clay Buchholz, who went 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 16 starts.
Left-handed setup guy: Neal Cotts, Rangers (7-3, 1.13 ERA)
Cotts was one of the great stories of the season. He hadn't pitched in the majors since 2009, having Tommy John and four hip surgeries in the intervening years. He pitched in 25 games for the Rangers in Triple-A last year and started there again this season before getting recalled. In 55 2/3 innings, he's allowed just eight runs and 35 hits while striking out 63.
Right-handed setup guy: David Robertson, Yankees (5-1, 2.07 ERA)
For those worried about replacing Mariano Rivera as Yankees closer, the bigger question may actually be: Who replaces Robertson as the eighth-inning guy?
Closer: Koji Uehara, Red Sox (4-1, 21 saves, 1.10 ERA)
Apologies to Kansas City's Greg Holland, who has a 1.23 ERA and 46 saves, and Texas' Joe Nathan, who has a 1.41 ERA and 43 saves. But Uehara, who began the year in middle relief, has put up one of the most dominant relief seasons ever, limiting batters to a .129 average with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 100-to-9.
Catcher: Joe Mauer, Twins (.324/.404/.476, 11 HRs, 47 RBIs, 5.2 WAR)
There's not a real clear choice, as Mauer played just 75 of his 113 games behind the plate, but he's the best hitter among the catchers and threw out a league-leading 43 percent of base stealers. Carlos Santana has good offensive numbers, but he played a lot of first base and DH and struggled defensively. Jason Castro's fine season was buried in the Astros' awfulness, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia has hit .272, raising his average 50 points from last year, while bashing 40 doubles and 14 home runs. If he had played a little more behind the plate -- he started 95 games -- he might have been my choice.
First base: Chris Davis, Orioles (.287/.370/.637, 53 HRs, 138 RBIs, 6.7 WAR)
Davis is the easy choice in a weak year at first base in the AL. The only other two first basemen to slug .500 were Edwin Encarnacion, who spent a large chunk of his time at DH, and Brandon Moss, a platoon player. Davis joined Babe Ruth and Albert Belle as the only players with 50 home runs and 40 doubles in a season.
Second base: Robinson Cano, Yankees (.313/.383/.514, 27 HRs, 106 RBIs, 7.6 WAR)
In a year when so much went wrong with the Yankees, Cano was the one constant, missing just one game and putting up his usual excellent numbers. Now the Yankees have to decide exactly how much they're willing to pay for those numbers. Teams like the Dodgers and Nationals could pursue the free agent this winter.
Third base: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (.347/.441/.637, 44 HRs, 137 RBIs, 7.1 WAR)
Despite the injury issues that have slowed him in September (.265, just two extra-base hits and seven RBIs), Cabrera remains the likely MVP winner, thanks in part to a .397/.529/.782 mark with runners in scoring position. It's a deep position with Josh Donaldson having his own MVP-caliber season, Manny Machado catching everything at the hot corner and Evan Longoria and Adrian Beltre once again doing everything, but it's hard to deny Miggy's dominance with the bat.
Shortstop: J.J. Hardy, Orioles (.262/.305/.432, 25 HRs, 74 RBIs, 3.6 WAR)
There's not an obvious guy at the position. Hardy is good defensively and has power, but that .305 OBP lowers his offensive value. Yunel Escobar may have had the best year on defense, but a slow start dragged down his offense. Elvis Andrus plays great defense and has 41 steals but doesn't give you much at the plate. Jed Lowrie stayed healthy and hit but lacks range. In the end, I went with Hardy, who has played 157 games and gives you a little on both sides of the ball.
Left field: Mike Trout, Angels (.323/.431/.554, 26 HRs, 94 RBIs, 9.1 WAR)
OK, I cheated a little bit since Trout actually started more games in center than left. But the state of left field in the AL is pretty pathetic, with Alex Gordon and Michael Brantley the only other two rated as even 2.0 WAR players.
Center field: Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox (.297/.355/.421, 8 HRs, 52 RBIs, 5.7 WAR)
Ellsbury also stole 52 bases in 56 attempts, the second-best percentage ever for a player with at least 50 steals. Orioles fans will argue for Adam Jones, who has 33 home runs and 108 RBIs, but he's drawn just 25 walks so his OBP is a mediocre .318 and his defense doesn't match Ellsbury's.
Right field: Shane Victorino, Red Sox (.297/.354/.456, 15 HRs, 61 RBIs, 6.2 WAR)
He's been solid offensively -- including hitting .303 and slugging .515 while having to bat right-handed against right-handed pitchers after a hamstring injury prevented him from batting left-handed. He has been terrific defensively with 24 Defensive Runs Saved, the sixth-best total in the majors at any position. Again, nobody with big numbers here on offense, especially with Jose Bautista's season-ending injury, but Victorino is a worthy selection.
Designated hitter: David Ortiz, Red Sox (.308/.395/.565, 30 HRs, 103 RBIs, 4.3 WAR)
At 37, he's still going strong with his seventh 30-homer, 100-RBI season. Hall of Famer? He's up to 431 career home runs and 1,429 RBIs.
Starting pitchers: Max Scherzer, Tigers (21-3, 2.90 ERA, 6.6 WAR); Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners (14-6, 2.66 ERA, 7.0 WAR); Chris Sale, White Sox (11-14, 3.07 ERA, 7.0 WAR); Yu Darvish, Rangers (13-9, 2.82 ERA, 5.7 WAR); Anibal Sanchez, Tigers (14-8, 2.64 ERA, 6.0 WAR)
Apologies to Bartolo Colon and Felix Hernandez, and even Clay Buchholz, who went 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 16 starts.
Left-handed setup guy: Neal Cotts, Rangers (7-3, 1.13 ERA)
Cotts was one of the great stories of the season. He hadn't pitched in the majors since 2009, having Tommy John and four hip surgeries in the intervening years. He pitched in 25 games for the Rangers in Triple-A last year and started there again this season before getting recalled. In 55 2/3 innings, he's allowed just eight runs and 35 hits while striking out 63.
Right-handed setup guy: David Robertson, Yankees (5-1, 2.07 ERA)
For those worried about replacing Mariano Rivera as Yankees closer, the bigger question may actually be: Who replaces Robertson as the eighth-inning guy?
Closer: Koji Uehara, Red Sox (4-1, 21 saves, 1.10 ERA)
Apologies to Kansas City's Greg Holland, who has a 1.23 ERA and 46 saves, and Texas' Joe Nathan, who has a 1.41 ERA and 43 saves. But Uehara, who began the year in middle relief, has put up one of the most dominant relief seasons ever, limiting batters to a .129 average with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 100-to-9.
Rich Schultz/Getty ImagesThe Mets' disappointing season has likely earned Sandy Alderson's club a protected draft pick.With that defeat, the Mets moved back into position to have the No. 10 pick in the 2014 draft -- and if this holds over the last two days of the regular season against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Mets’ first-round pick would be among those 10 that are protected against draft-pick compensation.
This past winter, the Mets’ pick was not protected, which affected their aggressiveness in trying to sign Michael Bourn and others. If they finish the year lined up for the No. 10 pick (or better), it could nudge them into pursuit of one of the better free-agent position players who will be available this winter. If they signed a Shin-Soo Choo or a Jacoby Ellsbury, the Mets would have to surrender only a second-round pick in compensation.
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C.J. Wilson: Baseballs too slick
September, 28, 2013
Sep 28
12:11
AM PT
By Todd Wills | ESPNDallas.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- C.J. Wilson played the conspiracy theory game after his Los Angeles Angels lost to his former team, the Texas Rangers, 5-3 on Friday night in a game he started.
Wilson blamed a spectacularly erratic top of the third inning -- which saw him throw three wild pitches, hit two batters and give up a walk -- on what he said were baseballs that were not properly rubbed up, a process that takes place before every game.
The umpiring crew is in charge of the procedure. It's typical that an umpires room attendant handles the rubbing down of the baseballs. But it's the responsibility of the crew chief, in this case Ted Barrett, to make sure the baseballs are ready to go.
Wilson is having a season worthy of American League Cy Young consideration. At least he should get some votes. He's 17-8 with a 3.39 ERA. But the third inning simply got away from him -- well, unless you believe his side of the story.
He hit two straight batters, including A.J. Pierzynski, to force in a run to snap a 1-all tie. Then Wilson threw a wild pitch that Alex Rios scored on for a 3-1 Rangers lead.
After the game, Wilson said he found issues with the baseball being too slippery.
"One out of every four was rubbed up," Wilson said. "And then three out of every four were basically brand new. The balls were kind of squirting around; a couple of balls got away. If you're a lefty and you hit a lefty with a slider, that's obviously not what you're trying to do right there.
Managers will motivate their players to continue working hard by talking about ending the season on a high note. That way, when everyone reports to spring training the next year, they feel good about how they finished strong the season before.
This year, there are three teams that are going to miss the playoffs but are certainly ending on a high note: the Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, and Washington Nationals. Each came into the season with postseason aspirations but has fallen short of the mark because of a poor first-half performance. Since the trade deadline, though, all three have taken off (see table to the right).
If these teams had played all season like they have the past two months, the Nationals would have won the NL East and the Royals and Angels would be in serious wild-card contention. For the final 60 games of the season, these teams have played as if they belong in the postseason. But will it help them in 2014? Probably not.
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