Well, it\u2019s September 1, which means \u2013 among many other things \u2013 that it\u2019s time for Baseball Roundtable’s August Wrap Up.\u00a0 So, let\u2019s take a look at the stories, statistics and stars that caught BBRT\u2019s attention over the past month.<\/p>\n

$\"Christian$

Photo by hueytaxi<\/a> <\/a><\/small><\/p><\/div>\n

Six-for-Six … And The Cycle<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There is no way you can leadoff the August lineup with anything\u00a0 other than the remarkable offensive display put on by Brewers’ outfielder\u00a0 Christian Yelich<\/strong> on August 29. In an wild, ten-inning, 13-12 Brewers’ win over the Reds at Great American Ballpark, Yelich not only hit for the cycle (single, double, triple and home run), he also collected six hits in six at bats – becoming, according to ESPN, just the fourth player since 1920 to combine a cycle with a six-hit game.\u00a0\u00a0Yelich scored twice and drove in three in the contest.<\/p>\n

Move Over Suitcase Simpson, “Backpack Drake” is On The Way<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
$\"Suitcase$ Photo by wwarby<\/a> <\/a><\/small><\/p><\/div>\n
On August 4, right-hander Oliver Drake took the mound for the Minnesota Twins in the top of the ninth – with the Twins\u00a0 leading the Royals (at Target Field) 8-2.\u00a0 Drake pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, but that was not the big news.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
In that appearance, Drake toed the rubber for his fifth major league team – DURING THE 2018 SEASON.\u00a0 That is the MLB record for the number of teams played for in a single campaign. Blake started the season with the Brewers (appearing in 11 games); was purchased from the Brewers by the Indians on May 5 (four games); selected off waivers by the Angels May 31 (eight games); selected off waivers by the Blue Jays July 26 (two games); and, finally, selected off waivers by the Twins August 3 (ten August games).\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Overall, August was a pretty unique month.\u00a0 We saw:<\/p>\n
\n
A nun<\/strong> with a curveball and a Little Leaguer<\/strong> who”hits dingers” steal baseball\u2019s thunder;<\/li>\n
Women take center stage in the Women’s Baseball World Cup;<\/strong><\/li>\n
\u00a0Both the Ultimate<\/strong> (Grand Slam) and the Immaculate<\/strong> (Inning); and<\/li>\n
Some noteworthy accomplishments by players both young (Ronald Acuna, Jr.<\/strong> and Juan Soto)<\/strong> and old (Bartolo Colon<\/strong> and Albert Pujols<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
We\u2019ll get into all this (and more), but first a look at BBRT Players and Pitchers of the Month.<\/p>\n
________________________________________<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
NATIONAL LEAGUE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Player of the Month … Ronald Acuna, Jr., OF, Braves<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
$\"Acuna\"$ <\/a>The Braves’ 20-year-old rookie outfielder – Ronald Acuna, Jr<\/strong>. – scorched NL pitching in August. He hit .336, smashed an MLB-high (tied with the Brewers’ Christian Yelich) eleven round trippers, drove in 19 runs (eighth in the NL) and scored an MLB-high (tied with the Red Sox’ Mookie Betts) 25 times.\u00a0 Later, in the individual\u00a0 highlights, you can learn more about this rookie’s historic August power output.\u00a0 Oh yes, and he swiped six bases in nine tries.<\/p>\n
Other Contenders:<\/em>\u00a0The Dodgers’ 3B Justin\u00a0 Turner<\/strong> turned it on in August, hitting an NL-best\u00a0 .402 for the month, tied Acuna for the NL lead in hits with 39, popped\u00a0 six home runs, drove in 20 (fifth in the NL) and scored 22 (second in the NL).\u00a0 David Peralta<\/strong> of the Diamondbacks (.361-10-21) and the Padres’ Hunter Renfroe<\/strong>, with a .302 average, nine homers and a league-best 27 August RBI also deserve mention.<\/p>\n
Pitcher of the Month – Cole Hamels, Cubs<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
There were lots of contenders for this recognition, as 13 National pitchers who logged at least 25 innings put up August earned run averages under 2.00.\u00a0 BBRT will go with the lowest of the low.\u00a0 It is, in fact, looking like the Cubs may have made\u00a0the best July trading deadline move\u00a0<\/i><\/b>when they acquired Cole Hamels from the Rangers. Hamels, who was 5-9, 4.72 with Texas, put up a 4-0 record with a microscopic and MLB-lowest (among pitchers with at least 25 innings pitched in August) 0.69 earned run average in his first month with Chicago. Hamels went 39 innings in six starts, walking eleven and fanning 38.<\/p>\n
Other Contenders<\/em>: The Mets’\u00a0Jacob deGrom<\/strong> went 3-2 in six starts, but deserved better. The Mets scored just one run in each of his losses.\u00a0 For the month, deGrom led MLB with 60 strikeouts and 43 2\/3 inning pitched and put up the NL’s sixth-best August ERA at 1.24.\u00a0 BBRT also looked at the Cardinals’\u00a0Jack Flaherty<\/strong>, who went 4-0, 1.13 in five starts. Another Cardinals’ rookie –\u00a0Austin Gomber<\/strong>\u00a0– deserves recognition as MLB’s only five-game\u00a0 winner in August. Gomber\u00a0 went 5-0, 2.38 in seven August appearances (six starts).\u00a0 The Phillies’\u00a0Aaron Nola<\/strong> pitched some big\u00a0 games (against some big names – outdueling Max Scherzer and Noah Syndergaard) on his way to a 3-0, 1.06 August (with 35 strikeouts in 34 innings).<\/p>\n
AMERICAN\u00a0 LEAGUE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Player of the Month –\u00a0 Tie: J.D. Martinez, RF, Red Sox & Miguel Andujar, 3B, Yankees<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
BBRT is celebrating a veteran and rookie in the AL this month.\u00a0 Boston’s veteran DH J.D. Martinez not only hit .373 for the month, he smacked seven home runs and drove in 25 (third in the AL). He also scored 24 times (second in the AL) and had the league’s highest on base + slugging percentage among qualifiers at 1.139.<\/p>\n
Yankees’ rookie 3B Miguel Andujar<\/strong>\u00a0tore it up in August – to the tune of .320-10-29; finsihing with the AL’s highest August home run total (tied with the A’s Khris Davis) and MLB’s highest RBI total (tied with the Rangers’ Rougned Odor). Andujar also scored 21 runs (seventh in the AL).<\/p>\n
Other Contenders:<\/strong> Texas’ 2B Rougned Odor<\/strong>\u00a0tied Andujar for the MLB lead in August RBI with 29, and scored 23 times, while hitting .269 with seven long balls. The Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez<\/strong> was also a contender, with an August stat line of .303-8-20 – along with 19 runs scored. And, the Astros’ Tyler White<\/strong> made a splash, with a .325-8-23 August.<\/p>\n
Pitcher of the Month – Blake Snell, Rays<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
$\"snell\"$ <\/a>Blake Snell<\/strong> went 4-0, with an AL-lowest (among pitchers with 25 August innings) 1.04 earned\u00a0 run average. He also fanned 34 batters in 26 innings – giving up 11 hits and three walks (a league-low 0.65 WHIP). He was the class of the AL field in August.<\/p>\n
Other Contenders:<\/em>\u00a0 Mariners’ closer Edwin Diaz<\/strong> (who already has 50 saves on the season) racked up an MLB-best ten August saves (in 11 opportunities) fanning 21 hitters (no walks) in 11 innings and putting up a 1.64 ERA.\u00a0 The Indians’ Carlos Carrasco<\/strong> went 4-2, 1.85 in six starts and fanned an AL-high 50 batters (tied with Justin Verlander) in 39 innings.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
___________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
Now, how about those standings … and August team performance?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
IF THE SEASON ENDED ON AUGUST 31, YOUR PLAYOFF TEAMS WOULD BE …<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
American League: Red Sox, Indians, Astros.\u00a0\u00a0 Wild Cards: Yankees, A\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
The most interesting AL race appears to be in the AL West, where the A\u2019s trail the Astros by just 1 \u00bd games. Side Note: Baltimore is a whopping 52 \u00bd out in the tough AL East.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
National League: Braves, Cubs, Diamondbacks.\u00a0 Wild Cards: Brewers, Cardinals<\/strong><\/p>\n
Things are tighter in the NL, with the Diamondbacks, Rockies and Dodgers separated by just 1 1\/2 games in the West; the Phillies just two back of Atlanta in the East; and the Cardinals having\u00a0 surged to just 3 1\/2 behind the Cubs in the Central.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Here’s a few observations on August’s best and worst teams.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
NATIONAL LEAGUE \u2013 AUGUST\u2019S BEST (Cardinals) & THE REST<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
The Cardinals were baseball’s hottest team in August –\u00a0 going 22-6. They were, in fact, the only team to reach 20 wins for the month. They did it primarily on the strength of their pitching staff \u2013 which put up an MLB-lowest 2.75 earned run average for the month. The club gave up just 82 runs (76 earned) in 28 games.\u00a0 (They were actually no slouches on offense, leading the NL with 148 August runs scored.) On the mound, the Cardinals’ surge was led by 22-year-old righty Jack Flaherty<\/strong> and 24-year-old southpaw Austin Gomber. <\/strong>Gomber went 5-0, 2.38 (the majors only five-game winner in August). while Flaherty went 4-0, 1.13. Good news for Cards’ fans – both are rookies.\u00a0 The Redbirds also got eight saves and a 1.86 ERA out of reliever Bud Norris<\/strong>.\u00a0 On offense, RF\u00a0Jose Martinez<\/strong> continued to put up MVP-consideration numbers \u2013 going .376-3-18 for the month. 1B Matt Carpenter<\/strong> hit only .255 in August, but chipped in some big hits (including\u00a0 eight home runs). Carpenter scored 21 times in August, second in the NL.<\/p>\n
Other NL teams having strong Augusts included:\u00a0 The Cubs at 18-10 and the Braves at 17-13. \u00a0The Cubs finished the month 18-10\u00a0 despite outscoring their opposition by only 13 runs (the Braves outscored their\u00a0 foes by 26 tallies, the Cardinal had a plus-66 run differential). \u00a0The Cubs may have made the deadline pickup of the season \u2013 getting a 4-0, 0.69 month out of Cole Hamels<\/strong>. The offense was driven by 1B Anthony Rizzo<\/strong> (.340-7-17) and 2B Javier Baez<\/strong> (.288-7-16).<\/p>\n
Like the Cardinals, the Braves relied on pitching \u2013 with a 3.03 ERA for the month, third-best in the NL.\u00a0 Key contributors were newcomer Kevin Gausman<\/strong> (4-1, 1.69) and Mike Foltynewicz<\/strong> (3-2, 2.09). The Braves also got solid offense from a core group of young players like LF\u00a0Ronald Acuna, Jr.<\/strong> (.336-11-21 in August) and 3B Johan Carmargo<\/strong> (.327-3-18), as well as steady production from\u00a0 veterans like\u00a0Ender Inciarte <\/b>(.286-3-15) and Freddie Freeman<\/b> (.283-2-13).\u00a0<\/b>The team is showing solid balance for the stretch run.<\/p>\n
Bringing up the rear\u00a0 of the National League (in August) were two teams that failed to win ten games \u2013 Marlins (7-19) and Reds (9-19).<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
AMERICAN LEAGUE \u2013 Rotation – Rotation – Rotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
The Indians led the AL in August wins at 19-9; relying largely on their starting rotation. (Close behind the Indians\u00a0 were the Red Sox and A’s – both at 18-9.) The Tribe’s 3.10 staff ERA for August was the third-best in the AL, while there 132 runs scored was fifth. The Indians’ had a balanced offense in August with three players contributing five home runs and 16 RBI each. CF\u00a0Melky Cabrera<\/strong>\u00a0(.293-5-16), DH Edwin Encarnacion<\/strong> (.241-5-16) and 3B\u00a0Jose Ramirez<\/strong> (.245-5-16). Also important were LF Michael\u00a0 Brantley<\/strong> (.333 – with 16 runs scored and 13 RBI) and SS Francisco Lindor (who hit just .263, but crossed the plated 18 times).\u00a0 It was, however, the rotation of Carlos Carrasco<\/strong> (4-2, 1.85); Corey Kluber<\/strong> (4-1, 2.81); Mike Clevinger<\/strong> (3-0, 2.21); and\u00a0Shane Bieber<\/strong> (3-0, 3.81) that kept the Indians rolling toward the Central Division Crown.<\/p>\n
Boston picked up 18 August victories more with a hammer than a scalpel. The team gave up 127 runs \u2013 by comparison, the Astros, A\u2019s, Indians and Rays all gave up less than 95 \u2013 but the Bosox scored an MLB-high 166 tallies.\u00a0 Missing \u201cace\u201d Chris Sale<\/strong> (shoulder) for most of August didn\u2019t help, although veteran David Price<\/strong> picked up the slack with a 3-0, 2.10 month. Still, there was enough offense to support the team\u2019s 4.18 August ERA.\u00a0 DH\u00a0J.D. Martinez<\/strong> went .373-7-25 and scored 24 runs; RF\u00a0Mookie Betts\u00a0<\/strong> went .354-4-14 with 25 runs scored; SS Xander Bogaerts<\/strong> drove in 21, to go with three homers and a.303 average; LF\u00a0Andrew Benintendi<\/strong> hit .270 and scored 20 August runs \u2013 and the list of offensive contributors went on.<\/p>\n
The A\u2019s got strong performances from a couple of pitchers who did not start the season in Oakland \u2013 Mike Fiers<\/strong> (who came over from Detroit in early August) went 3-0, 2.73 in six starts for the A\u2019s, while Edwin Jackson<\/strong> (released by the Nationals and signed by the A\u2019s in June) went 2-1, 2.60 (but the A\u2019s did win four his his five starts). The A\u2019s offense flowed primarily through 3B Matt Chapman<\/strong> (.319-9-18 in August), 2B Jedd Lowrie<\/strong> (.293-4-16) and DH Khris Davis<\/strong>, who hit only .222 for the month, but belted ten home runs (tops in the AL) and drove in 20.<\/p>\n
Two teams a failed to win ten games in the AL in August \u2013 Orioles (8-20) and Tigers (8-19).\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
FULL STANDINGS AND AUGUST WON-LOST RECORDS CAN BE FOUND IN A GRAPHIC\u00a0 NEAR THE END OF THIS POST.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
____________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
TROT INDEX … A REGULAR BBRT FEATURE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Through August 31, , more than one-third (34.6 percent) of all MLB 2018 plate appearances have ended in a trot (back to the dugout, ar<\/strong>ound the bases, to first base). We are talking about strikeouts, home runs, walks, hit by pitch and catcher\u2019s interference – all outcomes that are, basically, devoid of action on the base paths or in the field. Here\u2019s the breakout: strikeouts (22.1%); Walks (8.4%); home runs (3.0%); HBP (1.0%); Catcher\u2019s Interference (less than .001%).\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
______________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
*HERE’S A LOOK AT THE AUGUST TEAM STATS*<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
–—-LEAGUE LEADERS \u2013 TEAMS \u2013 FOR AUGUST—–<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
RUNS SCORED<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – 123<\/span><\/p>\n
AL:<\/strong> Red Sox (166); Yankees (155); Rangers (143)<\/p>\n
NL:<\/strong>\u00a0Cardinals (148); Mets (145); Nationals (137)<\/p>\n
Three teams tallied fewer than 100 runs in August: Marlins (86); Giants (93); Pirates (94). The Tigers were the lowest-scoring\u00a0 team in the AL at 101 runs.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
BATTING AVERAGE<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – .253<\/span><\/p>\n
AL:<\/strong> Red Sox (.275); Blue Jays (.260); Orioles (.260)<\/p>\n
NL:<\/strong> Brewers (.273); Cardinals (.273); Reds (.265)<\/p>\n
The Giants had the lowest batting average for August at .217, as well as the fewest home runs (15), and second-fewest runs scored.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
HOME RUNS<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – 33<\/span><\/p>\n
AL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yankees (53); Blue Jays (41); A\u2019s (39)<\/p>\n
NL:<\/strong> Dodgers (45); Brewers (44); Cardinals (40)<\/p>\n
The Brewers led MLB in slugging percentage for August at .471. By contrast, the Giants slugging percentage was an MLB-low .319. The MLB team average was .416.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
STOLEN BASES<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – 15<\/span><\/p>\n
AL:<\/strong> Rays (33);\u00a0 Indians (25); Royals (25)<\/p>\n
NL:<\/strong> Dodgers (28); Rockies (22); Nationals (19)<\/p>\n
The Twins had their difficulties on the base paths in August \u2013 swiping an MLB-low three bases and being tossed out on six-of-nine steal attempts.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
BATTERS’ STRIKEOUTS<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – 227<\/span><\/p>\n
AL:<\/strong> White Sox (298); Yankees (242); Twins (238)<\/p>\n
NL:<\/strong> Mets (260); Dodgers (255); Padres (254)<\/p>\n
Ouch!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Cardinals\u2019 batters appeared to be popular targets in August, as the team suffered an MLB-high 21 hit batters \u2013 nearly twice the major league average (11) for the month.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
EARNED RUN AVERAGE<\/strong> … MLB Average \u2013 4.14<\/span><\/p>\n
AL:<\/strong> \u00a0Rays (2.76); A\u2019s (3.02); Indians (3.10)<\/p>\n
NL:<\/strong> Cardinals (2.75); D-backs (2.96); Braves (3.03)<\/p>\n
Six teams recorded August earned run averages over 5.00, but only one \u2013 the Orioles –\u00a0 topped 6.00 (6.42).\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
PITCHERS’ STRIKEOUTS<\/strong> … MLB Average – 227<\/span><\/p>\n
AL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yankees (317); Indians (280); Astros (260)<\/p>\n
NL:<\/strong>\u00a0Braves (267); Mets (266); Dodgers (256)<\/p>\n
In August, the Orioles’ pitching staff gave up an MLB-high 51 home runs in 28 games. The Cardinals, by contrast, gave up just 16 long balls\u00a0 in 28 games.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
SAVES<\/strong> … MLB Average \u2013 7<\/span><\/p>\n
AL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Indians (10); Mariners (10); Twins (10)<\/p>\n
NL:<\/strong> Cardinals (12); five with eight<\/p>\n
The Royals converted only two of eight save opportunities in August \u2013 for an MLB-low 25 percent save rate. The lowest conversion rate in the NL went to the Marlins (four saves in 11 opportunities \u2013 36.4 percent). The Rangers and Mets put up 100 percent save conversion rates in August \u2013 with eight and six saves, respectively,<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
——————HOW ABOUT A FEW AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS?——————————<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
A Sister Gets A Bobblehead<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
The<\/strong><\/em> highlight of August may very well have came at the hands (and strong right arm) of Sister Mary Joe Sobiek<\/strong><\/span> – who threw out (maybe “fired” is a better word) the cermonial first pitch at a White Sox game on August 18.\u00a0 Sobiek, who teaches theology at Marian Cath0lic High School in Chicago Heights, IL, opened with a showy bounce of the baseball off her right bicep and\u00a0 then tossed a curve ball for a strike (from the mound) to the White Sox’ Lucas Giolito. Sister Sobiek (called “Sister Mojo” by her students) was a three-sport athlete in college (College of Saint Scholastica, Duluth, MN) and says her athletic ability and energy help her relate to her students. For Minnesota readers, Sister Sobiek not only went to college in the state, she grew up in Saint Cloud and is a long-time Tweins fan.<\/p>\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\nIn honor of the feat, the National Bobble Head Hall of Fame has created (and is selling) an “inspirationaL” bobble of Sister Sobiek in full windup.<\/p>\n<blockquote>Robbie Grossman on Players Weekend Nicknames<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOn the weekend of August 24-26, MLB celebrated its second annual\u00a0Players\u2019 Weekend\u00a0– sporting colorful uniforms and equipment; sleeve patches honoring those who inspired them on their way to majors; and the MLB \u201cEvolution\u201d logo \u2013showing a progression of five player images reflecting the progress from Little League to youth leagues to the major leagues.\u00a0 Perhaps of greatest interest, however, were the names on the back of the jerseys, as players were able to choose a nickname for display that reflected their own personalities, passions or sense of humor.\u00a0 For more on Players Weekend and a look at some of the best nicknames, click <a href=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/players-weekend-nicknames-are-back-yes\/\">here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nThere were a number of players who choose not to go with a nickname and BBRT appreciated the explanation offered by the Twins’ Robbie Grossman – “I worked to hard to get my name on the back of a major league jersey … that I don’t want to wear anything else.” Makes sense to me.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n_________________________________________________________________________<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nThe Little League Classic …<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOn Sunday, August 26, Hawaii captured Little League World Series 2018 title with a 3-0 win over South Korea in Williamsport, PA. Hawaii went undefeated in the 16-team tournament, outscoring their opponents by a 26-3 margin.<\/p>\nWhile Hawaii may have captured the LLWS title, the combination of Little Leaguers and Major Leaguers captured a lot of hearts \u2013 as the Phillies and Mets traveled to Williamsport on Sunday, August 19th<\/sup>, for the Second Annual Little League Classic (a regular-season game played at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field during the LLWS).\u00a0 BBRT Note: Bowman Field, just a short distance from the Little League International Complex, is the second oldest minor league\u00a0 ballpark in the United States (opened in 1926). The Mets won the game 8-2, in\u00a0 front of a crowd of 2,429.<\/em><\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I9rmRba06Rc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\nThe real action, however, was the up-close interaction between the Major Leaguers and the Little Leaguers \u2013 plenty of smiles, handshakes and high fives, autographs, selfies and the sharing of hitting, fielding and pitching tips.\u00a0 The Phillies\u2019 Rhys Hoskins<\/strong><\/span> and “Big Al” Delia<\/strong> <\/span>of the Mid-Atlantic Little League squad provided one of the day\u2019s highlights, as they went on social media to share their mutual love of \u201chitting dingers.\u201d<\/strong> <\/em>\u00a0A number of the big leaguers took time to catch some Little League action in the afternoon \u2013 and, of course, the Little Leaguers and their fans and families returned the favor during the evening\u2019s Mets\/Phillies\u00a0 tilt.\u00a0 Oh, and \u201cBig Al\u201d was center stage again \u2013 catching the ceremonial first pitch from Mets\u2019 3B Todd Frazier<\/strong><\/span>, who was a member\u00a0 of the Toms River East team that won the 1998 LLWS title.<\/p>\nA good time, it was said, was had by all.<\/p>\nFinal Note: The Little League dinger machine showed up again oin August 28th, this time at batting practice before a White Sox\/Yankees game, apparently exchanging long-ball stories with his Giancarlo Stanton and also admiring Aaron Hicks’ “Big Al Hits Dingers” t-shirt.<\/em><\/p>\nULTIMATE AND IMMACULATE \u2013 BOTH IN THE SAME MONTH<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Bote.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-9137\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Bote-196x300.jpg\" alt=\"Bote\" width=\"196\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Bote-196x300.jpg 196w, https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Bote.jpg 224w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px\" \/><\/a>In the \u201cWhat\u2019s in a name?\u201d category.\u00a0 On August 12th<\/sup>, Cubs\u2019 rookie infielder David Bote<\/strong><\/span> hit was is referred to as an \u201cUltimate Grand Slam\u201d<\/em> \u2013 a walk-off, Grand Slam home run coming when your team is down by three runs. He came to plate as a pinch-hitter \u2013 facing the\u00a0 Nationals\u2019\u00a0 Ryan Madson<\/strong><\/span> with two outs, the bases loaded and the Cubs down 3-0. \u00a0Bote laced a 2-2 offering over the center field fence for an Ultimate Grand Slam.\u00a0 (Note:\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t exactly a great inning for Madson, who loaded the bases on an infield single and two hit batters.) MLB.com reports that Bote\u2019s was the 25th<\/sup> known Ultimate Grand Slam, just the fifteenth with two outs and the sixth by a pinch hitter.<\/p>\nAugust also saw two MLB pitchers toss \u201cImmaculate Innings\u201d<\/em> \u2026 a 1-2-3 frame, with three strikeouts on nine pitches. On August 8, the Rockies’ German Marquez<\/strong><\/span> accomplished it against the Pirates (fourth inning \u2013 Corey Dickerson<\/strong>,<\/span> Starling Marte<\/strong><\/span> and Gregory Polanco<\/strong><\/span>). On August 19, the Dodgers’\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Zac Rosscup<\/strong> <\/span>threw and Immaculate (ninth) Inning versus the Mariners (Kyle Seager<\/strong><\/span>, Ryon Healy<\/strong><\/span>, Cameron Maybin<\/strong><\/span>). More detail on Rosscup\u2019s inning later in this post.<\/p>\nColon Puts Exclamation Point on Career<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOn August 7, Rangers\u2019 45-year-old righty Bartolo Colon<\/strong> <\/span>worked seven innings \u2013 giving up four runs on eight hits \u2013 in picking up an 11-4 win over the Mariners.\u00a0 It was Colon\u2019s 246th<\/sup> MLB victory, moving him past Dennis Martinez for the most victories by a Latin American born pitcher.\u00a0 Colon added another win on August 13 to add to his mark \u2013 and finished August 10-15, 5.45 on the season and 247-187, 4.10 on his 21-season MLB career.<\/p>\nYouth Will Be Served<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOn August 14th<\/sup>, Braves’ 20-year-old rookie outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr<\/span>.<\/strong> led off the bottom of the first inning against the Marlins with his 18th<\/sup> home run of the season.\u00a0 That long ball was significant for a number of reasons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It made the youngest MLB player to homer in five straight games.<\/li>\n<li>It made him the youngest and just the second player (of any age) in MLB history to open three consecutive games with a first-inning leadoff home run. (The other was Brady Anderson in April of 1996).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nBut Acuna\u2019s August accomplishments go even further. On August 13th<\/sup>, he hit first-inning leadoff home runs in both games of a doubleheader \u2013 becoming just the fourth player to accomplish that feat (Harry Hooper<\/strong> <\/span>\u2013 May 30, 1913; Ricky Henderson<\/strong> <\/span>\u2013 July 6, 1993; and Brady Anderson<\/strong><\/span> (August 21, 1999).<\/p>\n<blockquote>\nMost Home Runs by a Player in Their Age-20 MLB season …<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nFrank Robinson, Reds \u2026 38 (1956)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAlex Rodriguez, Mariners \u2026 36 (1996)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nTony Conigliaro, Red Sox \u2026 32 (1965)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nTed Williams, Red Sox\u2026 31 (1939)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nMike Trout, Angels \u2026 30 (2012)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAl Kaline, Tigers \u2026 27 (1955)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nEd Mathews, Braves \u2026 25 (1952)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOrlando Cepeda, Giants \u2026 25 (1958)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nNote: Conigliaro also had 24 home runs in his 10-year-old season (1964).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSomething for the Veterans as Well<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img title=\"Foul Ball by Albert Pujols by bk1bennett\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/2446946785_a3f9c90e09_q_Albert-Pujols.jpg\" alt=\"Albert Pujols photo\" width=\"150\" \/>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/9781230@N06\/2446946785\" target=\"_blank\">bk1bennett<\/a> <a title=\"Attribution-NoDerivs License\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-inject\/images\/cc.png\" \/><\/a><\/small><\/p><\/div>\nOn August 10th<\/sup>, as the Angels topped the A\u2019s 4-3, Angels\u2019 DH Albert Pujols<\/strong><\/span> stroked a single to left in the sixth inning.\u00a0 It was Pujols 1,000th<\/sup> American League safety \u2013 making him just the ninth MLB player to collect at least 1,000 hits in each league. (Pujols had 2, 073 hits with the Cardinals.)\u00a0 Others on the list are: Frank Robinson,<\/span><\/strong> Fred McGriff<\/strong>,<\/span> Dave Winfield<\/strong>,<\/span> Carlos Lee,<\/span><\/strong> Vlad Guerrero<\/strong>,<\/span> Orlando Cabrera<\/strong>,<\/span> Alfonso Soriano<\/strong><\/span> and Carlos Beltran<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<blockquote>\nA GIANT BBRT RANT \u2013 Oh, The Insanity<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOn August 6, the Florida State League (Class A) Clearwater Threshers (Phillies’ farm club) faced off against the Tampa Tarpons (Yankees’ affiliate) in a double header. In the second game, Tarpons’ starter Deivi Garcia tossed seven perfect innings, with 12\u00a0 strikeouts\u00a0 (minor league doubleheaders are seven-inning games), but the Tarpon had also failed to score.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nIn the top of the eighth, the first extra inning, the Threshers (via a new minor league rule) started with a runner on second (against Tampa reliever Christian Morris). That runner scored on an error and a fielder\u2019s choice.\u00a0 Tampa remained scoreless in the bottom of the inning.\u00a0 The end result \u2013 Tampa lost 1-0, despite tossing a no-hit game.\u00a0 A few other oddities:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Christian Morris got the loss \u2013 despite the fact that he had nothing to do with the runner who crossed the plate.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li>The runner was treated as though he reached on an error (in terms of the pitcher’s earned run average) \u2013 although there was no error charged to a fielder or the team.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li>The base runner was credited with a run scored \u2013 despite getting a 180-foot head start.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li>Had Morris pitched a 1-2-3 inning, the perfect game would have been intact. (The\u201dplaced\u201d runner does not affect a perfect game or a no-hitter.)<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFrom BBRT\u2019s standpoint, this \u201cplaced\u201d runner rule should be scrapped.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nNot So One-Der-Ful<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nIn a five-game stretch from August 16th<\/sup> through August 21, the Chicago Cubs scored exactly one run in each game \u2013 and, in each contest, that lone run came on a solo homer. Surprisingly, despite the meager offensive output, the Cubbies won two and lost three over that span.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>August 16th<\/sup>, Cubs top Pirates 1-0 in Pittsburgh. The only run scores on a fourth-inning Ian Happ<\/strong><\/span> home run.<\/li>\n<li>August 17th<\/sup>, Cubs again best Pirates 1-0. This time on a second-inning solo home run by Kyle Schwarber<\/strong><\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>August 18th<\/sup>, Cubs lose to Pirates 3-1 and the only Cubs’ tally comes on a third-innings solo shot by Ben Zobrist<\/strong><\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>August 19th<\/sup>, Cubs lose to Pirates 2-1, the only Cubs\u2019 run a second-inning home run off the bat of Kyle Schwarbe<\/span><\/strong>r.<\/li>\n<li>August 21, Cubs lose 2-1 to Tigers (in Detroit), with the only Cubs\u2019 run a sixth-inning home run by Anthony Rizzo<\/strong><\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/p>\nIt’s a Teen Kind of Thing<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img title=\"Ball by pdeonarain\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/40903681940_23d2243f2c_q_Juan-Soto-Nationals.jpg\" alt=\"Juan Soto Nationals photo\" width=\"150\" \/>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/29357685@N04\/40903681940\" target=\"_blank\">pdeonarain<\/a> <a title=\"Attribution-ShareAlike License\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-inject\/images\/cc.png\" \/><\/a><\/small><\/p><\/div>\nOn August 29, 19-year-old Nationals’ rookie LF Juan Soto<\/strong><\/span> rapped his 16th home run of the season – a two-run shot that came in the third inning of an 8-6 Nationals loss to the Phillies.\u00a0 The long ball moved Soto into a tied for the fourth-most MLB home runs home runs by a teenager (tie with Ken Griffey, Jr.<\/span><\/strong>). Still ahead, Mel Ott<\/strong><\/span> (19), Bryce Harper<\/strong><\/span> (22) and Tony Conigliaro<\/strong> <\/span>(24).\u00a0 In 89 games this season,Soto is hitting .292, with 16 home runs, 50 RBI and 62 runs scored.<\/p>\nRecord Number of Twin Killings Secure 1-0 Win<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOn August 17th<\/sup>, the Cubs nipped the Pirates 1-0 in Pittsburgh \u2013 and, in the process, tied a major league record by turning seven double plays in a nine-inning game.\u00a0 For the full story, click <a href=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/its-raining-double-plays-seven-in-nine-innings\/\">here.<\/a><\/p>\nA Walk-Off and a Balk-Off \u2026 Tough on a Pitcher<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nHow about giving up a walk-off walk<\/em> and a walk-off balk<\/em> in the span of one week?\u00a0 That got to be a little disheartening.<\/p>\nSaturday August 18, Dodgers\u2019 reliever Dylan Floro<\/strong><\/span> was brought into a 4-4 tie (in Seattle) in the bottom of the tenth inning. At the time, the Mariners had runners on first (Robinson Cano<\/span>)<\/strong> and second (Cameron Maybin<\/strong><\/span>) and one out.\u00a0 Floro walked the powerful Nelson Cruz<\/strong><\/span> to load the bases \u2013 and then the fun began. With the sacks full, Dodgers\u2019 3B Justin Turner<\/strong><\/span> faked a move to the third base bag (a faux pick-off), the base runner (Maybin) flinched and Floro (also apparently \u201cdeked\u201d) dropped his hands and stepped off the rubber \u2013 balking in the\u00a0 winning run.<\/p>\nThe August 18 balk-off<\/em> came just six days after Flora gave up an August 12 walk-off walk<\/em> in a 4-3 Dodgers\u2019 loss at Colorado.\u00a0 In that game, Flora came to open the bottom of the ninth of a 3-3 tie. He gave up a single to Rockies\u2019 2B DJ LeMahieu<\/span>,<\/strong> who went to second on an error by right fielder Yasiel Puig<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Flora then fanned SS Trevor Story<\/strong><\/span> on four pitches. Next came an intentional walk to David Dahl<\/strong><\/span> to set up the double play. However, Ian Desmond<\/strong> <\/span>was out on a slow\u00a0 roller to third base \u2013 with the runners moving up to second and third. Another intentional walk (to Ryan McMahon<\/strong><\/span>) brought up catcher Chris Ianetta<\/strong><\/span>, with a force available at any base. A five-pitch walk plated the game-ending, game-winning run.\u00a0 Side note:\u00a0 Thinking about that new intentional walk (wave \u2019em to first) rule \u2013 Flora actually gave up three walks on five pitches.<\/em><\/p>\nBy the way, don\u2019t get the wrong idea about Floro. At the end of August he was 1-1, 1.66 with the Dodgers and 4-3, 2.33 on the season.<\/p>\nA Verlander Milestone<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img title=\"Justin Verlander by Keith Allison\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/7579169006_85c2bdd7bd_q_Justin-Verlander.jpg\" alt=\"Justin Verlander photo\" width=\"150\" \/>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/27003603@N00\/7579169006\" target=\"_blank\">Keith Allison<\/a> <a title=\"Attribution-ShareAlike License\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-inject\/images\/cc.png\" \/><\/a><\/small><\/p><\/div>\nOn August 19th<\/sup>, the Astros\u2019 Justin Verlander<\/strong> <\/span>did not appear to be on the top of his game.\u00a0 In the first inning of a critical game against the Oakland A\u2019s (challenging Houston for the AL West Crown), Verlander gave up home runs to Oakland 3B Matt Chapman<\/strong><\/span> and DH Khris Davis<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 and after three innings, the two teams were knotted at 4-4. Verlander settled down and held the A\u2019s scoreless into the sixth, with the Astros eventually picking up a much-needed 9-4 win.\u00a0 The win was Verlander\u2019s twelfth of the season (12-8, 2.65 ERA) and also the 200th<\/sup> of his 14-season MLB career.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\nMVP & Cy Young … A Winning Combination<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nJustin Verlander is one of just ten pitchers to win the Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in the same season. <\/strong>Note: One-half of the ten were Tigers (3) or Dodgers (2). \u00a0Here they are:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nDon Newcombe \u2013 1956 Dodgers \u2013 27-7, 3.06 earned run average.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nSandy Koufax \u2013 1963 Dodgers \u2013 25-5, 1.88<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nDenny McLain \u2013 1968 Tigers \u2013 31-6, 1.96<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nBob Gibson \u2013 1968 Cardinals \u2013 22-9, 1.12<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nRollie Fingers \u2013 1981 Brewers \u2013 6-3, 28 saves, 1.04<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nWillie Hernandez \u2013 1984 Tigers \u2013 9-3, 32 saves, 1.92<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nRoger Clemens \u2013 1986 Red Sox \u2013 24-4, 2.48<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nDennis Eckersley \u2013 1992 A\u2019s \u2013 7-1, 51 saves, 1.91<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nJustin Verlander \u2013 2011 Tigers \u2013 24-5, 2.40<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nClayton Kershaw \u2013 2014 Dodgers \u2013 21-3, 1.77<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nFifty is Nifty<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img title=\"IMG_5048 by THE Laura Smith\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/27651143785_dbb3dd625c_q_Edwin-Diaz.jpg\" alt=\"Edwin Diaz photo\" width=\"150\" \/>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/27659024@N08\/27651143785\" target=\"_blank\">THE Laura Smith<\/a> <a title=\"Attribution-NoDerivs License\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-inject\/images\/cc.png\" \/><\/a><\/small><\/p><\/div>\nOn August 25, Seattle closer Edwin Diaz<\/strong><\/span> came into a game (against the Diamondbacks) n the bottom of the tenth inning with the Mariners up 4-3. It wasn\u2019t easy, but Diaz did pick up the save \u2013 despite giving up two hits and having one runner tossed out at home.\u00a0 So, what makes this rather rocky save worthy of mention here? It was the 24-year-old right-hander’s 50th<\/sup> save of the season.\u00a0 Diaz is the 14th<\/sup> (and youngest) player ever to record 50 saves. Three pitchers have had two 50-save campaigns: Eric Gagne<\/strong><\/span>, Mariano Rivera<\/strong><\/span> and Jim Johnson<\/strong><\/span>. Diaz, who had 34 saves in 2017, ended August with a 0-3, 1.97 record, with 50 saves and 108 strikeouts in 64 innings.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<blockquote>\nTop Five Most Saves in a Season<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n62 \u2026 Francisco Rodriguez, Angels (2008)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n57 \u2026 Bobby Thigpen, White Sox (1990)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n55 \u2026 John Smoltz, Braves (2002)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n55 \u2026 Eric Gagne, Dodgers (2003)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n53 \u2026 Randy Myers, Cubs (1993)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n53 \u2026 Trevor Hoffman, Padres (1998)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n53 \u2026 Mariano Rivera, Yankees (2001)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nZimmerman Hits 11th<\/sup> Walk Off Long Ball<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nIt took a video review to get the job done, but on August 22, Nationals\u2019 1B Ryan Zimmerman<\/strong> <\/span>bashed a two-run home run – with two-outs in the bottom of the ninth \u2013 to give the Nationals an 8-7 walk-off win over the Phillies.\u00a0 It was Zimmerman\u2019s 11th<\/sup> career walk-off home run, putting him just two behind all-time MLB leader in walk-off homers – Jim Thome<\/strong>.<\/span> Standing between Zimmerman and Thome at 12 walk-off dingers each are: the still-active Albert Pujols<\/strong><\/span> and a group of Hall of Famers (Babe Ruth,<\/strong> Jimmie Foxx<\/strong>; Stan Musial<\/strong>, Mickey Mantle<\/strong>, <\/span>Frank Robinson<\/span>).<\/strong><\/p>\nGuess that Single run Broke the ice.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOn August 26th<\/sup>, the Nationals took on the Mets in New York.\u00a0 Washington came into the game having failed to score in 27 consecutive innings \u2013 losing their previous three games by 2-0; 3-0; and 3-0. On the 25th<\/sup>, it looked like more of the same, as the Nats and Mets were tied 0-0 at the end of five (running Washington’s scoreless streak to 32 innings). Washington finally eked out a run in the top of the sixth on a double, single and RBI groundout.\u00a0 That apparently broke the ice.\u00a0 Over the final three innings of the game, the Nationals scored 14 more times (eight runs in the eighth and six more in the ninth) for a 15-0 win.<\/p>\nDouble Your Pleasure \u2026 Double Your Fun<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img title=\"Matt Carpenter by d-deee\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6954644962_bd3778572d_q_Matt-Carpenter-1.jpg\" alt=\"Matt Carpenter photo\" width=\"150\" \/>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/57657960@N05\/6954644962\" target=\"_blank\">d-deee<\/a> <a title=\"Attribution-ShareAlike License\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-inject\/images\/cc.png\" \/><\/a><\/small><\/p><\/div>\nOn August 26, Cardinals 1B\/Leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter<\/strong><\/span> broke out of a bit of an August slump \u2013 and tied the MLB record for a nine-inning game with four doubles (as St. Louis topped the Rockies 12-3 in Colorado).<\/p>\nCarpenter, who came into the game hitting just .221 for the month, but with eight August round trippers, \u00a0got off to a good start, hitting two doubles to right off Tyler Anderson<\/strong><\/span> in the very first inning. (The Cardinals batted around and scored six times.) \u00a0He doubled to center off Chad Bettis<\/strong><\/span> in his next at bat (third inning); grounded out second-to-first to end the fifth; and doubled to center off Bryan Shaw in the seventh. On the day, Carpenter was four-for-five, scoring twice and driving in two.\u00a0 Carpenter’s four doubles in a nine-inning contest ties him with 47 other players.\u00a0 Albert Belle<\/strong> <\/span>is the only player to accomplish the feat twice \u2013 on August 29 and September 23, 1999.<\/p>\nSeven Not Always So Lucky<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nBetween August 19 and August 26th<\/sup>, Blue Jays\u2019 1B\/DH Kendrys Morales<\/strong><\/span> went yard in seven straight games \u2013 coming within one of the MLB record.\u00a0 Morales streak ended on August 27th<\/sup>, when he went zero-for-three with a walk. The Blue Jays won five of seven during Morales streak.\u00a0 He hit .481 (13-for-27), with eight home runs, 13 RBI and nine runs scored during his run. Oh, and in the category of \u201cIn Baseball We Count Everything\u201d \u2013 Morales did set the record for consecutive games with a home run by a switch-hitter.<\/p>\n<blockquote>The record of eight straight contests with a home run is shared by The Pirates\u2019 Dale Long (May 19-28, 1956); Yankees\u2019 Don Mattingly (July 8-18, 1987); and Mariners\u2019 Ken Griffey, Jr. (July 20-28, 1993).<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nWalking \u2018Em Off<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOn August 29th<\/sup>, Houston\u2019s Tyler White<\/strong><\/span> hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Astros a 5-4 win over the vistiting A\u2019s.\u00a0 It was the 81st<\/sup> Walk off home of the season \u2013 breaking the single-season record for walk-off dingers (80) set back in 2004 \u2026 and we still have a month of baseball left<\/em>.\u00a0 Note:\u00a0 At the end of August, the record was up to 83 walk-off home runs this\u00a0 season.<\/p>\n<blockquote>Women’s Baseball World Cup …United States Finishes Fourth<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Womens-Baaseball.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-9157\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Womens-Baaseball-300x257.jpg\" alt=\"Womens Baaseball\" width=\"300\" height=\"257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Womens-Baaseball-300x257.jpg 300w, https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Womens-Baaseball.jpg 402w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>The Women’s Baseball World Cup wrapped up on August 31 (in Viero, Florida), with Japan winninng its sixth straight World Cup – topping Chinese Taipei 6-0.\u00a0 Japan took the Gold, Taipei the Silver and Canada the Bronze (by topping the U.S. team 8-5 in ten innings in the third-place game). Japan went 9-0 in the 12-team tournament, while Taipei, Canada and the U.S. all went 6-3.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\nStarring for the U.S. Team was OF\/DH Megan Baltzell<\/strong>, who hit .500 for the tournament (third-best); hit a tourney-high two home runs; was second in RBI with 11.\u00a0 Ayami Sato of Japan was named tournament MVP – going 3-0 in four pitching appearances with a o.37 earned run average and 18 strikeouts in 19 innings. <\/span><\/p>\nA tale of two Megans: Two Americans were selected to the All World Team – Megan Baltzell at DH (stats already noted) and relief pitcher Megan Meidlinger<\/strong>, who pitched in five games, picked up one save and allowed no runs on three hits and a walk (with three strikeouts) in five innings.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n_______________________________________________________________________<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nYou’ve read the highlights,now the stats.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n—INDIVIDUAL LEADERS FOR AUGUST —<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nBATTING AVERAGE<\/strong> (minimum 75 August plate appearances)<\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mallex Smith, Rays (.389); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (.373); Whit Merrifield, Royals (.358)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Justin Turner, Dodgers (.402); Jose Martinez, Cardinals (.389); David Peralta, D-backs (.361)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The lowest August average among players with at least 75 plate appearances during the month belonged to the Rays\u2019 Jeff Bauers at .105 (8-for-76, with 17 walks).\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHOME RUNS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Khris Davis, A\u2019s (10); Miguel Andujar, Yankees (91); three with nine<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Christian Yelich, Brewers (11); Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves (11); David Peralta, D-backs (10)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The highest August Slugging Percentage (at least 75 plate appearances) was run up by the D-backs\u2019 David Peralta (.732) in the NL and Astros\u2019 Tony White (.711) in the AL.\u00a0 The only other player over .700 was the Dodgers’ Justin Turner at .722.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nRUNS BATTED IN<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Miguel Andujar, Yankees (29); Rougned Odor, Ranger (29); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (25)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Hunter Renfroe, Padres (27); Paul DeJong, Cardinals (22); David Peralta, D-backs (21); Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves (21)<\/p>\nRUNS SCORED<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Mookie Betts, Red Sox (25); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (24); Aaron Hicks, Yankees (24)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves (25); Justin Turner, Dodgers (22); Matt Carpenter, Cardinals (22); Christian Yelich, Brewers (22)<\/p>\nHITS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Mitch Haniger, Mariners (41); Whit Merrifield, Royals (39); Miguel Andujar, Yankees (39)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Justin Turner, Dodgers (39); Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves (39); Lorenzo Cain, Brewers (37); Jose Martinez, Cardinals (37)<\/p>\n<blockquote>Among players with at least 75 August plate appearances, the Dodgers\u2019 Justin Turner had the top on-base percentage at .491; the Rays’ Mallex Smith led the AL at .476.\u00a0 The only other players over .450 were Boston\u2019s Mookie Betts (.460) and J.D. Martinez (.453).<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSTOLEN BASES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Aldaberto Mondesi, Royals (10); Mallex Smith, Rays (9); Jonathan Villar, Orioles (8); Greg Allen, Indians (8)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Trevor Story, Rockies (9); Trea Turner, Nationals (8); Billy Hamilton, Reds (7); Amed Rosario, Mets (7)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The Pirates’ Starling Marte led all of MLB in caught-stealing in August – being tossed out in five of ten tries.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nBATTER’S STRIKEOUTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0Yoan Moncada, White Sox (42); Chris Davis, Orioles (41); Giancarlo Stanton (40); Teoscar Hernandez, Blue Jays (40)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Michael Conforto, Mets (42); Austin Jackson, Mets (38); Chris Taylor, Dodgers (33)<\/p>\nWALKS DRAWN<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Aaron Hicks, Yankees (23); Mookie Betts, Red Sox (19); Jose Ramirez, Indians (18)<\/p>\n\u00a0NL:<\/strong> Juan Soto, Nationals (24); Matt Carpenter, Cardinals (20); \u00a0Andrew McCutchen, Giants (19); Brian Dozier, Dodgers (19)<\/p>\n<blockquote>Kyle Schwarber of the Cubs drew an MLB-high seven intentional walks in August.\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nPITCHING VICTORIES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0 J.A. Happ, Yankees (4-0): Blake Snell, Rays (4-0); Jalern Beeks, Rays (4-0); Corey Kluber, Indians (4-1); Carlos Carrasco, Indians (4-2)<\/p>\nNL:\u00a0<\/strong> Austin Gomber, Cardinals (5-0); Cole Hamels, Cubs (4-0); Jack Flaherty, Cardinals (4-0);\u00a0Zack Wheeler, Mets (4-1);\u00a0 Kevin Gausman, Braves (4-1); Jhoulys Chacin, Brewers (4-2)<\/p>\n<blockquote>White Sox Rookie Dylan Covey appeared in eight August contests (four starts) – and went 1-6, 5.11,\u00a0 leading all of MLB in August losses. On the season, he ended August 5-12. 5.61<\/b><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nEARNED RUN AVERAGE (at least 25 August innings)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:\u00a0<\/strong> Blake Snell, Rays (1.04); Carlos Rodon, White Sox (1.80); Carlos Carrasco, Indians (1.80)<\/p>\nNL:\u00a0<\/strong> Cole Hamels, Cubs (0.69); Aaron Nola, Phillies (1.06); Zack Wheeler, Mets (1.13); Jack Flaherty, Cardinals (1.13)<\/p>\nSTRIKEOUTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Justin Verlander, Astros (50 \u2013 32 1\/3 IP); Carlos Carrasco, Indians (50- 39 IP); Rick Porcello, Red Sox (45 \u2013 in 37 IP)<\/p>\nNL:\u00a0<\/strong> Jacob deGrom, Mets (60 \u2013 43 2\/3 IP); German Marquez, Rockies (53 \u2013 42 IP); Max Scherzer, Nationals (49 \u2013 38 IP)<\/p>\nSAVES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Edwin Diaz, Mariners (10); Blake Treinen, A\u2019s (7); Ken Giles, Blue Jays (7); Jose LeClerc, Rangers (7)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Bud Norris, Cardinals (8); Pedro Strop, Cubs (6); Brad Boxberger, D-backs (6); Brad Hand, Indians (6)<\/p>\n<blockquote>Being Stingy<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAmong pitchers with at least 25 August innings, Black Snell was the stingiest \u2013 giving up just 0.65 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP). Snell allowed just 11 hits and six walks in 26 innings.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n___________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/StandingSpet-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9161\" src=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/StandingSpet-1.jpg\" alt=\"StandingSpet 1\" width=\"594\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/StandingSpet-1.jpg 594w, https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/StandingSpet-1-300x219.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n—–LEAGUE LEADERS \u2013 TEAMS \u2013\u00a0 YEAR-TO-DATE (through August)—–<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nRUNS SCORED<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – 600<\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Red Sox (738); Yankees (701); Indians (679)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Cubs (644); Dodgers (638);\u00a0 Braves (635)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The Marlins scored the fewest runs through August at 505 \u2013 while the Royals were at the bottom of the AL at 507.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nBATTING AVERAGE<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – .249<\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Red Sox (.269); Indians (.258); Astros (.256); Mariners (.256)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Cubs (.263); Braves (.260); Reds (.259)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The Mets had the lowest team batting average through August (.235); while the Orioles were at the bottom of the AL’s (.238). Surprisingly, despite not having the DH, three of the top four MLB team batting averages (through August) belonged to NL teams.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHOME RUNS<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – 156<\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Yankees (221); A\u2019s (186); Blue Jays (183)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Dodgers (189);\u00a0 Brewers (179); Cardinals (175)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The Tigers and Marlins suffered through MLB’s worst power outage through August, with just 112 home runs each.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSTOLEN BASES<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – 67<\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Indians (109); Red Sox (101); Rays (98)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Brewers (102); Nationals (95); Padres (81)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The A’s swiped the fewest bases through August (31). In fact, only three teams stole \u2018fewer than 40 sacks through August \u2013 The A’s, Blue Jays (35) ad Twins (39).<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nBATTERS’ STRIKEOUTS<\/strong> … MLB Team Average – 1,137<\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> White Sox (1,302); Rangers (1,257); Yankees (1,178)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Padres (1,297); Phillies (1,259); Brewers (1,233)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The Indians were the only team to fan less than 1,000 times through August at 976.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nEARNED RUN AVERAGE<\/strong> … MLB Average \u2013 4.15<\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Astros (3.14); Red Sox (3.61); Rays (3.69)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Dodgers (3.43); D-backs (3.52); Cardinals (3.66)<\/p>\n<blockquote>Three teams carried ERA’s of 5.00 or higher through July –\u00a0 the Royals (5.18), Orioles (5.15) and Rangers (5.00)<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nPITCHERS’ STRIKEOUTS<\/strong> … MLB Average – 1,137<\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Astros (1,,411); Yankees (1,367); Red Sox (1,297)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Dodgers (1,295); Phillies (1,209); D-backs (1,200)<\/p>\n<blockquote>Through August, the Astros were averaging MLB-tops 10.46 strikeouts per nine innings. The only other team averaging 10 or more was the Yankees at 10.10.\u00a0 \u00a0The Dodgers topped the NL at 9.48 strikeouts per nine innings.\u00a0 Six MLB teams were averaging at least one whiff per inning.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSAVES … <\/strong>MLB Average \u2013 35<\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Mariners (52); Yankees (42); Red Sox (40); Rays (40)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Rockies (43); Dodgers (41); Phillies (39); Cubs (39)<\/p>\n<blockquote>BULLPEN AND STARTING STAFF ERAS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nThe best bullpen earned run average through August belonged to the Astros at 3.02. The D-backs bullpen ERA was the NL\u2019s best at 3.09. Bullpens putting up ERAs of 5.00 or higher included the:\u00a0 Marlins (5.31); Royals (5.18); Mets (5.02); Rockies (5.00). <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nThe Dodgers put up the best ERA among starters (through August) at 3.17, while the Astros\u2019 starters were the AL\u2019s best at 3.19. Six starting staffs put up ERAs over 5.00 through August: Rangers (5.50); Orioles (5.41); Blue Jays (5.21); Reds (5.21);\u00a0Royals (5.19; Padres (5.08).\u00a0 Those six teams were a combined 180 games undeer .500 at the end of August.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n__________________________________________<\/p>\n—INDIVIDUAL LEADERS FOR YEAR TO DATE (through August) —<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nBATTING AVERAGE (qualifiers<\/strong>)<\/span><\/p>\nAL:\u00a0<\/strong> Mookie Betts, Red Sox (.341); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (.333); Jose Altuve, Astros (.326)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Christian Yelich, Brewers (.317); Scooter Gennett, Reds (.317); Jose Martinez, Cardinals (.314)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The lowest average (through August) among qualifying players belonged to the Orioles\u2019 Chris Davis at .173 (72-for-417).\u00a0 \u00a0Davis, who also has 16 home runs and 48 RBI, is the only qualifying batter hitting under .200.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHOME RUNS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Khris Davis, A\u2019s (39); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (39): Jose Ramirez, Indians (37)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Matt Carpenter, Cardinals (35); Nolan Arenado, Rockies (31); Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs (31); Jesus Aguilar, Brewers (31)<\/p>\n<blockquote>Astros’ 1B Yuli Gurriel leads MLB in grounding into double plays through August (22.)<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nRUNS BATTED IN<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (114); Khris Davis, A\u2019s (104) Jose Ramirez, Indians (94)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Javier Baez, Cubs (98); Eugenio Suarez, Reds (96); Jesus Aguilar, Brewers (93)<\/p>\n<blockquote>Among players with at least 25 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, the Twins’ Jorge Polanco has the best average with RISP through August at .436 (17-for-39). Another Twin is second on that list – Joe Mauer at .412 (28-for-68). Others at (or above) .400 with RISP are the Red Sox; J.D. Martinez (.403); Astros’ Yuli Gurriel (.402); Orioles’ Craig Gentry (.400).\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nRUNS SCORED<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Francisco Lindor, Indians (110); Mookie Betts, Red Sox (109); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (100)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Charlie Blackmon, Rockies (96); Christian Yelich, Brewers (94); Ozzie Albies, Braves (90); Matt Carpenter, Cardinals (90)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The Rays’ Carlos Gomez appears to be MLB’s number-one target;\u00a0 being hit by an MLB-high 20 pitches through August.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHITS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (164); Jean Segura, Mariners (159); Whit Merrifield, Royals (158)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Nick Markakis, Braves (160); Freddie Freeman, Braves (160); Scooter Gennett, Reds (157)<\/p>\n<blockquote>The Angels’ Mike Trout had an MLB-best .458 on-base percentage (among qualifiers) through August; while the Reds’ Joey Votto topped the NL at .420.\u00a0 Just five players were at .400 or above.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSTOLEN BASES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong> Dee Gordon, Mariners (30); Jose Ramirez, Indians (29); Whit Merrifield, Royals (29)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Trea Turner, Nationals (34): Sterling Marte, Pirates (30); Billy Hamilton, Reds (29)<\/p>\n<blockquote>War. Good God. What is it Good For?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nNot a big fan of all the new stats, but I know some readers are.\u00a0 So, your leader in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) through August is the Red Sox’ Mookie Betts at 9.0. The Brewers\u2019 Lorenzo Cain leads the National League at 5.9.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nBATTER’S STRIKEOUTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0AL:\u00a0<\/strong> Yoan Moncada, White Sox (186); Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees, (178); Joey Gallo, Rangers (175)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Chris Taylor, Dodgers (158); Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs (147); two at 143<\/p>\nWALKS DRAWN<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0AL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Mike Trout, Angels (105); Jose Ramirez, Indians (88); Shin-Soo Choo, Rangers (82)<\/p>\n\u00a0NL:<\/strong> Bryce Harper, Nationals (96); Joey Votto, Reds (92); Carlos Santana, Phillies (92)<\/p>\n<blockquote>Mike Trout led all MLB players through July in intentional free passes with 20. The Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber led the NL with 19.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nPITCHING VICTORIES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:\u00a0<\/strong> Luis Severino, Yankees (17-6); Corey Kluber, Indians (17-7); Blake Snell Rays (16-5); Carlos Carrasco, Indians (16-7)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Max Scherzer, Nationals (16-6); Aaron Nola, Phillies (15-3); three at 14<\/p>\nEARNED RUN AVERAGE<\/strong> (qualifiers<\/span>)<\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Chris Sale, Red Sox (1.97);\u00a0 Blake Snell, Rays (2.05); Trevor Bauer, Indians (2.22)<\/p>\nNL:\u00a0<\/strong> Jacob deGrom, Mets (1.68); Aaron Nola, Phillies (2.10); Max Scherzer, Nationals (2.22)<\/p>\nSTRIKEOUTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:\u00a0<\/strong> Justin Verlander, Astros (240 \u2013 181 IP); Gerrit Cole, Astros (234 \u2013 170 2\/3 IP); Chris Sale, Red Sox (219 – 146 IP)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Max Scherzer, Nationals (249 \u2013 186 2\/3 IP); Jacob deGrom, Mets (224 – 182 IP); Patrick Corbin, D-backs (207 \u2013 168 2\/3 IP);<\/p>\n<blockquote>Among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched through August, the Red Sox\u2019 Chris Sale had the highest ratio of strikeouts per nine innings at 13.50. The only other hurlers above 12.00 were Gerrit Cole of the Astros (12.34) and Max Scherzer of the Nationals (12.01).\u00a0 \u00a0Forty pitchers with more than 100 innings logged through August struck out at least nine batters per nine innings.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSAVES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAL:<\/strong>\u00a0 Edwin Diaz, Mariners (50); Craig Kimbrel, Red Sox (37); Blake Treinen, A\u2019s (34)<\/p>\nNL:<\/strong> Wade Davis, Rockies (36); Kenley Jansen, Dodgers (33): Brad Boxberger, D-backs (31)<\/p>\n<blockquote>Pitchers Wins Above Replacement<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nThe Phillies’ Aaron Nola\u00a0 led all hurlers (through August) in Wins Above Replacement at 9.3, followed by the Nationals’ Max Scherzer at 8.0. Chris Sale was the AL leader at 6.5.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\nPrimary Resources:\u00a0 ESPN.com; Baseball-Reference.com; MLB.com<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT.<\/h3>\n<blockquote>Follow\/Like the Baseball Roundtable Facebook page <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BaseballRoundtable\/\">here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nMember: Society for American Baseball Research; The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Well, it\u2019s September 1, which means \u2013 among many other things \u2013 that it\u2019s time for Baseball Roundtable’s August Wrap Up.\u00a0 So, let\u2019s take a look at the stories, statistics and stars that caught BBRT\u2019s attention over the past month. Six-for-Six … And The Cycle There is no way you can leadoff the August lineup […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/august-wrap-up-sister-mojo-big-al-the-womens-baseball-world-cup-the-ultimate-and-the-immaculate-and-more\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"August Wrap Up ... 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