The American League East is getting very interesting, as the Toronto Blue Jays have won 10 games in a row after getting off to a bad start and now the team is over .500 and climbing in the division, as the Boston Red Sox are leading the Yankees, Orioles and Rays, who are all within six games of first place.
The Detroit Tigers are still tops in the AL Central by three games, while the Athletics are leading the Texas Rangers by one game out West. The Braves are first in the NL East over the Nationals by five games, while the Cardinals are first in the central and the Diamondbacks are tops in the West over the Padres and Giants.
The Texas Rangers returned to St Louis for the first time since losing Game Seven of the 2011 World Series and this time came out on top with a 6-4 win over the Cardinals.
Nelson Cruz drove a two-run single through the infield in the top of the ninth to break a tie and lift Texas to 42-32 against Major League-leading Cardinals (47-27). The New York Yankees (40-33) were too good for the Tampa Bay Rays (38-36), prevailing 6-2 as Zollo Almonte hit his first career home run.
The Cleveland Indians pulled a little closer to Central Division-leading Detroit with a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Twins.
Jason Kipnis batted in three runs to help the Indians to 37-35, while dropping the Twins to 33-37.
Yoenis Cespedes hit a pair of two-run homers and Bartolo Colon pitched his 10th win as the Oakland A's (44-32) beat the Seattle Mariners (32-43) 6-3.
Finally, basement-dwelling Miami (24-49) scored a rare victory over defending World Series champions San Francisco (37-36), also winning by a 6-3 margin. Elsewhere, the Toronto Blue Jays (36-36) reached .500 for the first time this season with a 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles (42-32).
Rajai Davis produced a ninth inning RBI single to give Toronto a ninth consecutive win and while they remain last in the American League East, they are now just seven games adrift of leaders Boston.
The Atlanta Braves' wretched run at Miller Park in Milwaukee stretched to seven games as the Brewers upset the NL East leaders 2-0.
Wily Peralta allowed just two hits in seven scoreless innings to get Milwaukee to 30-42, dropping the Braves to 43-32.
Ian Desmond's seventh inning home run proved the difference as the Washington Nationals defeated the Colorado Rockies 2-1, the third win in a row for Washington (37-36).
Stephen Strasburg allowed just one run and struck out nine in seven innings of work for the Nationals to drop the Rockies to 37-38.
Boston's Shane Victorino had a game to remember as he claimed four hits, including a home run, and a career best-equaling five RBIs as the Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 10-6 on Friday in a battle of American League division leaders.
The victory was the 45th of the season for Boston (45-31), only National League St Louis has more, keeping them in control of the East, while the Tigers fell to 40-32 but remain top of the Central division.
American League
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA DIFF STRK L10 POFF
Boston 45 31 .592 - 23-15 22-16 386 308 +78 Won 1 5-5 84.5
Baltimore 42 33 .560 2.5 20-15 22-18 368 346 +22 Lost 2 5-5 48.8
NY Yankees 40 33 .548 3.5 21-15 19-18 285 286 -1 Won 1 3-7 28.0
Tampa Bay 38 36 .514 6 21-16 17-20 351 337 +14 Lost 1 3-7 34.8
Toronto 37 36 .507 6.5 21-17 16-19 336 338 -2 Won 10 10-0 19.5
CENTRAL W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA DIFF STRK L10 POFF
Detroit 40 32 .556 - 24-13 16-19 356 283 +73 Lost 1 5-5 80.1
Cleveland 37 35 .514 3 23-14 14-21 334 317 +17 Won 3 7-3 33.5
Kansas City 34 37 .479 5.5 17-17 17-20 276 268 +8 Lost 3 5-5 18.5
Minnesota 33 37 .471 6 19-17 14-20 292 316 -24 Lost 1 6-4 7.2
Chicago Sox 30 41 .423 9.5 16-14 14-27 263 298 -35 Won 1 3-7 2.7
WEST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA DIFF STRK L10 POFF
Oakland 44 32 .579 - 22-12 22-20 354 304 +50 Won 1 5-5 75.9
Texas 42 32 .568 1 22-15 20-17 325 302 +23 Won 3 4-6 57.4
LA Angels 33 41 .446 10 20-21 13-20 334 342 -8 Lost 1 6-4 8.1
Seattle 32 43 .427 11.5 18-18 14-25 264 326 -62 Lost 3 4-6 0.9
Houston 28 47 .373 15.5 15-25 13-22 286 375 -89 Lost 1 6-4 0.1
National League
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA DIFF STRK L10 POFF
Atlanta 43 32 .573 - 25-11 18-21 312 258 +54 Lost 2 4-6 89.1
Washington 37 37 .500 5.5 20-14 17-23 257 286 -29 Lost 1 5-5 32.7
Philadelphia 35 39 .473 7.5 18-17 17-22 272 323 -51 Lost 2 4-6 5.8
NY Mets 29 41 .414 11.5 14-23 15-18 270 320 -50 Won 2 5-5 1.9
Miami 24 49 .329 18 13-23 11-26 227 321 -94 Won 2 6-4 0.1
CENTRAL W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA DIFF STRK L10 POFF
St. Louis 47 27 .635 - 22-14 25-13 369 260 +109 Lost 1 5-5 97.6
Pittsburgh 44 30 .595 3 25-13 19-17 277 254 +23 Won 2 6-4 58.9
Cincinnati 44 31 .587 3.5 26-14 18-17 337 282 +55 Lost 2 5-5 74.1
Milwaukee 30 42 .417 16 17-20 13-22 291 337 -46 Won 1 5-5 1.0
Chicago Cubs 30 42 .417 16 16-21 14-21 282 301 -19 Won 1 5-5 2.7
WEST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA DIFF STRK L10 POFF
Arizona 40 33 .548 - 20-15 20-18 319 296 +23 Won 3 5-5 50.3
San Diego 38 36 .514 2.5 24-14 14-22 313 324 -11 Won 2 8-2 27.1
San Francisco 37 36 .507 3 23-14 14-22 314 325 -11 Lost 2 4-6 25.9
Colorado 38 38 .500 3.5 23-17 15-21 366 332 +34 Won 1 3-7 31.2
LA Dodgers 30 42 .417 9.5 19-20 11-22 255 306 -51 Lost 2 3-7 1.6
(Reuters Quotes)
