Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
He stands alone
With a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday, the Angels were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. It’s a shame, of course, because they’ve got Mike Trout, the best player in baseball.
When it comes to discussions about the AL MVP, other names will enter the mix simply because the league has some very good players on much better teams. But as Grant Brisbee of SB Nation writes, Mike Trout is clearly better than everyone, and you’re not paying enough attention to him.
They’re No. 1
The Cubs lost to the Brewers on Thursday, but it was a great day for their long-suffering fans anyway: because the Cardinals also lost, the Cubs won the NL Central title.
The Cardinals’ loss to the Giants happened on the West Coast, long after the Cubs’ night had ended. So there’s likely to be some celebrating on Friday afternoon, when the team takes the field at Wrigley to face the Brewers once again.
Rest did them good
Speaking of the Giants’ win: Manager Bruce Bochy gave his players some much-needed rest, allowing them the afternoon off and a later arrival time to the stadium. The move seemed to pay off, as the team earned a solid 6–2 win over St. Louis. Starter Johnny Cueto—whose Instagram is one of the best in baseball—pitched a complete-game five-hitter.
Pomeranz less than wonderful
A.J. Preller, the Padres’ executive vice president and GM, has been suspended by the league for one month without pay. The reason? Failure to disclose medical information about Drew Pomeranz, whom the team traded to the Red Sox in July.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, San Diego had been keeping two separate medical files on players: one solely for the Padres’ use, and one for the industry.
Here’s Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports with more on what the suspension means for the team—and just how damaging it will be to its reputation.
Royals flushed
The A’s swept the Royals with a 14–5 victory in the final game of the series on Thursday. Oakland outscored Kansas City 43–12 in the series, and the Royals slipped further from playoff contention.
The A’s, who’ve won seven of their past 11 games, sit fourth in the AL West, and fans are looking to the future. There’s hope, too: much of their recent success has come thanks to their rookie hitters.