Opinion

It's no secret the Atlanta Braves have played their worst baseball of the season the past few weeks.

The Atlanta Braves are 3-9 in August and have lost 17 of 26 games since the All-Star break.

The recent skid has put the Braves six games behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East and three games back for a wild-card spot.

Because they inhabit a playoff position at the moment, the St. Louis Cardinals are postseason contenders. But for most of 2014, the club hasn't played up to preseason hopes and expectations that included visions of a second straight World Series run. The prime culprit? The lineup.

Felix Hernandez is having a historically good season, arguably the best of his 10-year career with the Seattle Mariners.

Giancarlo Stanton has spent all of the 2014 Major League Baseball season showing us how great he is. He spent all of Monday's game showing us how great he can still be.

If only one word could describe Felix Hernandez's performance this season, it would be "dominant."

The Royals are on a warpath.

Kansas City won its eighth game in a row on Monday night, overcoming the Oakland A’s to pull into pole position in the AL Central for the first time in 10 years.

Of course, the most important product of the win was the capstone celebration: a ridiculously athletic backflip by Jarrod Dyson.

Jackie Robinson Park is a relatively idyllic multipurpose green space in the middle of Washington Heights, a working-class neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.

There are parks everywhere in Chicago, a product of the post-World War II initiative of the Parks District to green up the city. And although JRP is more well manicured than its neighboring parks and houses newer facilities, what sets it apart—especially in these summer months—are the hordes of black kids playing baseball there.

Where would the Yankees be right now if not for Brandon McCarthy?

1. Tigers, Tigers, not burning so bright

Just when Motown was grooving on David Price, CLANK! Detroit’s assembly line of victories and good fortune suddenly came screeching to a halt.

Not that the past 48 hours have been a Tabby Nightmare, but it’s as if that giant statue of Joe Louis’ fist downtown suddenly clocked the Tigers in the chops. The Kansas City Royals, winners of eight in a row and 16 of 19, seized first place Monday night. Really? Are you kidding?

Clayton Kershaw can do it all. Witness his most recent start on August 10 against the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Sure, Kershaw's line was typically dominant: 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 6 SO, 2 BB. But his contributions extended beyond the mound.