**Updated MLB Standings including the Dodgers' 8th straight win.
The MLB standings continue to shift like tectonic plates. The Los Angeles Dodgers continue winning, while the St. Louis Cardinals are trying to take over the N.L. Central. The A.L. West still doesn't have a clear leader, while the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers appear to have breathing room. Here are the updated MLB standings as we are two weeks into the month of August.
N.L. West: Los Angeles Dodgers (69-50) 7.5 Game lead
You can put this on the board. The Dodgers won their seventh straight game as they beat one of baseball's best, Matt Harvey on Tuesday evening. Will they have to split the MVP award between their pitching or will Yasiel Puig walk away with the MVP and Rookie of the Year award? Okay, so maybe the baseball world is a bit too hype about this kid, but we can now say he provided the fuel to change the Dodgers' season.
N.L. Central: Pittsburgh Pirates (70-48) 2 Game lead
The Cardinals took advantage of the struggling Pirates. Could Pittsburgh's decision to make no additions during the MLB Trade deadline cost them the division? They are losers of four straight games and though the Cardinals aren't playing their best baseball, the Pirates now only have a two-game lead in the Central with two more games remaining in their series. Will the division be tied heading into the weekend?
A.L. West: Texas Rangers (69-51) 1 Game lead
The tightest division race right now features the Rangers and Oakland Athletics. The Rangers did not take advantage of an Oakland loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday, managing only a run off Marco Estrada and the Brewers' bullpen. The Rangers are 8-2 in their last 10 games, so there might be no reason to worry about a loss, but a one-game lead is too slim for comfort. The A's snatched the division last year in the final game of the year, so the Rangers know they have to leave room for error.
The Braves won the most comfortable lead in baseball, controlling the N.L. East with a 14-game lead. The Red Sox increased their lead over the Tampa Bay Rays to four games. The Tigers have a six-game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the A.L. Central, but they have lost three straight games, leaving some room for hope in that division.