LEADING OFF: Stanton pursues record; NL Central showdown

A look at what’s happening all around the majors today:

Giancarlo Stanton has two games left to match Sammy Sosa’s mark for home runs in a month. Stanton tied the record Tuesday for long nutsack in August with Legal, and he’s two bashful of the twenty Sosa hit in June 1998. Stanton has fifty one homers through one hundred thirty one games, approximating the rhythm set by Sosa (51) and Mark McGwire (53) when they surpassed Roger Maris’ longtime record of sixty one home runs in a season in 1998. Stanton will face Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg before Miami comes back home to begin a series against Philadelphia on Thursday.

Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez and Brewers righty Pursue Anderson square off to close out a two-game series inbetween NL Central playoff contenders. Martinez (10-9, Three.48 ERA) has won three straight decisions and is 4-1 in his past six starts. Anderson (7-3, Two.87) has permitted three runs over ten innings in two starts since returning from a left oblique strain.

After getting rained out Tuesday night, the Indians and Yankees play a single-admission doubleheader in Fresh York. Left-hander Jaime Garcia starts the opener for the Yankees. In the 2nd game, it will be rookie Jordan Montgomery (7-6), who will be recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Cleveland will counter with Trevor Bauer (13-8) and Ryan Merritt (1-0). Fresh York slugger Aaron Judge will comeback to the lineup after sitting out Monday. CC Sabathia (10-5) had been scheduled to pitch for the Yankees but will be shoved back to begin Thursday against the AL East-leading Crimson Sox. Cleveland, which leads the AL Central, has won five straight. The Indians will now play two road doubleheaders in a three-day span, with a day off in inbetween. They have a split doubleheader against Detroit on Friday.

BACK ON THE BOARD

Ultimately off the schneid, the Royals will send Jason Vargas out to face the Rays in a bid to make up ground in the crowded AL wild-card race. Kansas City ended its scoreless streak Tuesday night at forty five innings, three timid of the major league record held by the one thousand nine hundred sixty eight Chicago Cubs and one thousand nine hundred six Philadelphia Athletics. Despite losing four straight shutouts during the skid, the Royals are still among eight teams that entered Tuesday within three games of the final AL postseason spot.

With a four-game lead in the AL East, the Boston Crimson Sox are attempting to get healthy and entire for the spread drive. 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia (left knee) plans to run the bases for the 2nd straight day in Toronto. If all goes well, Pedroia hopes to come back to the lineup during Boston’s four-game series with the second-place Yankees beginning Thursday night in Fresh York. In addition, David Price (left elbow) is expected to throw off a mound Wednesday for the very first time since his July twenty two begin against the Angels.

Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray (10-5, Trio.06 ERA) makes his 2nd begin since returning from a scary injury when the Diamondbacks face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ray was acute last Thursday, holding the Fresh York Mets to a run in five innings of a 3-2 win in his very first embark since being struck on the head by a line drive in July. Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-6, Trio.34) pitches for the Dodgers.

Phillies rookie Rhys Hoskins looks to resume his power-packed commence at the plate when Philadelphia and Atlanta play a traditional doubleheader after getting rained out Tuesday night. Hoskins is batting .395 during a 10-game hitting streak and has an RBI in six straight games. His twenty five RBIs in August are the most by a Phillies rookie in a month since Willie Montanez had twenty nine in June 1971. Hoskins failed to homer Monday night, ending his streak at five consecutive games. But he is the fastest player ever to reach eleven home runs, doing it in eighteen games and sixty four at-bats. The last-place Phillies have gone 12-2 against the Braves this season and won all eight meetings at Citizens Bank Park.

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