A very eventful week around the majors. A brawl ensued in the Queen City after Reds 2B Brandon Phillips used some not-so-kind words to describe the rival Cardinals.
The pushing match that landed a seven game suspension for Johnny Cueto and a shouting match between both managers was pretty interesting considering there are six former Reds on the Cards and five former Cards on the Reds.
And how would you like to be the Reds newly acquired OF Jim Edmonds? It’s the second game with your new team and you are asked to fight ex-teammates of yours that you’ve know for years. In the end the Cardinals bats awoke from a deep slumber as they swept the Reds on their home turf.
The Twins grabbed ahold of first place in the AL Central after taking two from the White Sox in Chicago.
The Padres showed why they have been in first all year as they dispatched the Giants two times in three days in their big weekend series.
All of these are small battles. The war has not been won.
Stats are a huge part of baseball and we have reached the point in the season when they really start to mean something. Players that got off to red-hot starts have cooled off and slow starters have regained form.
This week we’ll look at stats that can explain why your team is either doing well or looking forward to next year.