This Week in Baseball

Things have looked better for the Red Sox. After winning three straight games against Tampa Bay, they lost the finale of the four-game series versus the Rays. The Texas Rangers came into town next, and there the Sox were really humiliated. Boston lost the first game of a two-game set 18-3, their worst loss in years. The next game they also lost, sending them spiraling downhill. The Yankees rode into Fenway for a weekend set on Friday, April 20th, which was the day the Sox celebrated the 100th anniversary of their beloved park. The Sox lost 6-2, with Clay Buchholz falling to 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA. On Saturday, the Yankees were able to erase a 9-0 Red Sox lead and beat Alfredo Aceves 15-9 in a terrible and demoralizing loss for Boston. Luckily, the game yesterday was postponed due to the pouring rain in Boston, but the Sox leave on the road for Minnesota at 4-10, the third-worst record in baseball. They play tonight at 8:10, with Jon Lester facing Jason Marquis, the Sox looking to snap their five-game losing streak.

Elsewhere in the majors, the White Sox got a lucky break from an amazing pitching performance Saturday night. Philip Humber threw just 94 pitches and in doing so threw the 21st perfect game in major league history in a 4-0 Chicago win. In the AL West, the Rangers finished off their 9-game road trip at 8-1 and are currently at 13-3, leading the West by 5.5 games over the Oakland A's. Their dominance continues to astound me, as up until several years ago the Angels were the only dominant force in the West. Meanwhile in the NL East, the Washington Nationals are the dominant team, much to the surprise of everyone. Last year's top draft pick, Stephen Strasburg, leads the NL with 25 strikeouts and is fourth in ERA with a 1.08 mark, while Ross Detweiler is second with a 0.56 ERA. In the Central, St. Louis is cruising at the top thanks to Kyle Lohse and Lance Lynn. The pitchers each have three wins, while Lohse has a 0.99 ERA and 0.66 WHIP to put him solidly near the top. Finally, the NL West is being led by the Los Angeles Dodgers thanks to the dynamic combo of Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp. Kemp is leading the majors in batting average, runs scored, home runs, and RBI, while his RBI total of 22 is threatened only by the 21 of Ethier. So that batting combo should be able to defeat most NL foes.

Worth noting

In Humber's perfect game, there were no exceptional defensive plays: just routine plays and a lot of popups.

The Dodgers are undefeated at home, with a 6-0 mark to go along with their 6-4 road record.