The Pittsburgh Pirates are the best team in MLB as we approach the second weekend in the month of August. As the MLB Standings will show, the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox are right behind the Pirates with the best records in baseball as all three teams have 70 wins in the 2013 season. Here are the standings as a full sled of MLB games will be played Friday evening.
Pittsburgh Pirates: 70-44, .614 Pct
Winners of five consecutive games, the Pirates have taken advantage of a slumping St. Louis Cardinals club. The Pirates are 8-2 in their last 10 games and looking to cause more damage in the N.L. Central as both the Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds are within striking distance of first place. As Jon Heyman reports, while conversing with scouts, he was told the Pirates' success this season has been magical since the team is only hitting .228 with runners in scoring position, good for only 13th in baseball.
#pirates are MLB best 70-44. scout says it's partly "magic." their .228 BA w/ RISP is 13th in nl, .327 slug w/ RISP is last
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) August 9, 2013
Atlanta Braves: 70-45, .609 Pct
The Braves are keeping up with the Pirateses. Get it, instead of the Joneses? Their 13-game winning streak has catapulted them to a double-digit lead in the N.L. East as they have mercilessly ripped through the competition after the All-Star break. They are the hottest team in baseball and though their confidence might be soaring, they have to watch out for the pesky Miami Marlins, who they host this weekend at Turner Field.
Boston Red Sox: 70-47, .598 Pct
The Red Sox might have been curious to see what it feels like to be in second place as the Tampa Bay Rays briefly took control of the A.L. East. Apparently, they didn't like the feeling. The Red Sox have won 7 of 10 and still own a slip two-game lead in the division. They have had a better season than anybody expected, especially with guys like Shane Victorino and Stephen Drew heating up.
Detroit Tigers: 68-45, .602
They have a better winning percentage than the Red Sox, would you look at that. Winners of 12 straight, the Tigers are the second hottest team in baseball, right behind the Braves. It has been 80 percent pitching and 20 percent timely hitting for the Tigers. Is Justin Verlander really back to form? Well, everybody in Detroit sure hopes so.
Tampa Bay Rays: 66-47, .584 Pct
A second place team is fourth in baseball in wins. Isn't that crazy? Well, not really, it's just sports. The Rays have cooled terribly posting a 5-5 record in their last 10 games, losing their last two against the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, the good news is that they still have the Wild Card lead, two games up on either the Texas Rangers or Oakland A's (another bizarre moment in sports).
St. Louis Cardinals: 66-48, .579 Pct
The Cardinals made it to the Top 5!! This seems a little crazy, especially since they've lost so many games after the All-Star game. Let's get down to the numbers, since the Mid-summer Classic, the Cardinals are 9-12, going through a stretch where they lost seven consecutive games and Yadier Molina. Definitely a tough week of baseball to say the least.