7-16-14

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Marlins midseason report: Trade targets pondered
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

On June 10, the Miami Marlins were 34-30 and just a half-game out of first place in the National League East.

After getting swept by the New York Mets on July 13 in an ugly 9-1 loss, the Marlins are 44-50. With the loss, the Marlins fell from third to fourth place in the National League East, behind the Mets, and head into the All-Star break on a four-game losing streak.

The Marlins are now 7 1/2 games out of first place.

Michael Hill, the Marlins' President of Baseball Operations, said that he and his staff are looking to make trades that will get his team back into the playoff race.

But not just any deal will do, Hill said.

"A rental really doesn't help," Hill said.

Translation: The Marlins are looking to deal only if the player they get would be under their control for more than just the rest of this season.

Potential targets are starting pitchers and a second baseman, especially one with speed who could bat leadoff.

Regardless of this recent slump and any possible trades, the Marlins have been competitive this season, especially compared to last year's 100-loss disaster.

They are 21-16 in one-run games, placing them second in the majors in the total number of such efforts.

"I'm happy with our effort," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "We are a resilient group. We've taken a bunch of tough losses, especially on this road trip.

"We're a much better team than last year, but we have a lot of young guys. Sometimes, we lose sight of that."

So, what can we expect in the second half?

Anything is possible, of course, but it is hard to imagine the Marlins making the playoffs this year.

Realistic Marlins fans are hoping for a season that finishes at or near .500.

More important would be continued individual improvements of certain young, core players such as right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, center fielder Marcell Ozuna, left fielder Christian Yelich, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and pitchers Henderson Alvarez, Nate Eovaldi and Tom Koehler.

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Nationals midseason report: Injury issues seem to be over
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

The outlook for the second half for the Washington Nationals looks very bright -- even after the fourth inning July 13 in Philadelphia, when starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann had to leave with a biceps cramp.

"We're very cautious in that regard, with history, given radiating feelings of things with regard to elbows, stuff like that," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "We will monitor that over the break."

Washington had several regulars on the disabled list in the first half of the season, including third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, first baseman Adam LaRoche, left fielder Bryce Harper and pitcher Doug Fister. The Nationals are now almost back to full health.

With the rest of the roster back, the Nationals are in a good position in the National League East. They may have the best pitching rotation in the league and the bullpen has been among the best in the majors in the first half. If the lineup can produce at a moderate level, the Nationals should be able to win the East.

"With all the injuries that we've had, and if you were to tell us coming out of spring training that we'd have all those injuries and be where we're at, we'd feel pretty fortunate.

That being said, could it be better? Yeah, it could be better, but it could be worse. Overall, we feel OK," said Williams.

With his Opening Day roster once again intact, Williams has come up with predictable roles for his regulars and the bullpen -- and the results on the field have started to show that.

Plus the starting pitching could be among the best in the game. "Everyone seems to be throwing the ball well," said pitching coach Steve McCatty. "Everything has smoothed out; you are always happy when they are pitching at the level you expected."

Williams said the Nationals will plan to start Stephen Strasburg in the first game after the break, at home July 18 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Gio Gonzalez will start July 19 and Doug Fister will start the series finale July 20.

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Braves midseason report: Inconsistency plagues team
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

The Atlanta Braves have demonstrated the ability to contend for a second straight Eastern Division championship. But the team's maddening inconsistency on offense has left fans frustrated and confused.

The Braves have stretches where they simply can't score runs, either by manufacturing them or playing long ball. First baseman Freddie Freeman, left fielder Justin Upton and catcher Evan Gattis have been steady. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons and third baseman Chris Johnson have been streaky at the plate.

Right fielder Jason Heyward and center fielder B.J. Upton have been disappointments, although Upton's average has climbed to a season-high .218 since being moved to the leadoff spot three weeks ago.

The second-base job was taken from veteran Dan Uggla by rookie Tommy La Stella. Uggla (.162) was given multiple chances to keep his job and the Braves tried Ramiro Pena and Tyler Pastornicky before giving La Stella a chance. La Stella has been adept at hitting to all fields and avoiding the strikeout; he's batting .282.

The offensive inconsistency has put great pressure on the starting rotation, which began the season without Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, two starters who are out for the season with Tommy John surgery.

The starting rotation has been led by right-hander Julio Teheran (9-6, 2.71), who has established himself as the staff ace in his second season and earned a spot on the All-Star team. Free agent Ervin Santana (7-6, 4.01) was hot the first month, but has since been hit-or-miss. The surprise is veteran right-hander Aaron Harang (9-6, 3.53), who was added in the final days of spring training after he was released by the Indians.

The bullpen has been excellent. Craig Kimbrel (29 saves) continues to be among the elite closers in the game. The only hiccup has been lefty setup man Luis Avilan, who has taken a step back after an impressive rookie season. Avilan's ERA is 4.85 and opponents are batting .287 against him.

The Braves and rival Washington Nationals are lined up to go head-to-head for the division title in the second half. Each has had their time in first place during the first half, but neither was able to shake the other. The two clubs still play each other nine times, six of those in Atlanta.

Atlanta's schedule becomes much more difficult starting in late July, which could determine the Braves' fate. There are seven games with the Dodgers, three with Washington, three with Oakland, three with Pittsburgh and four with Cincinnati.

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Mets midseason report: Successful homestand redefines goals
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

NEW YORK -- Mets general manager Sandy Alderson seemed to be employing GM speak -- and/or just putting off the inevitable -- July 7, when he said New York would wait the end of their 10-game homestand on July 13 to decide what to do at the trade deadline.

"Look, let's see where we are at the end of this week," Alderson said.

Lo and behold, the Mets used the week to completely redefine their standing heading into the All-Star break.

The Mets cruised past the Miami Marlins, 9-1, on July 13 to complete an 8-2 homestand in which New York clicked in every facet of the game.

Right-hander Jacob deGrom's seven innings of one-run ball in the first half finale marked the eighth time a Mets starter pitched into the seventh inning on the homestand and lowered the composite ERA of Mets starters to 3.67.

"This game is always going to be about getting people out," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Where we've hung in there, in all these close games we keep talking about, (is) because our pitching staff doesn't get blown out."

The Mets were doing the blowing out over the last 10 days of the first half -- during which they won five games by three runs or more -- thanks to a long-dormant lineup that busted out for 55 runs and 40 extra-base hits, including 10 homers.

The top half of the Mets' lineup -- right fielder Curtis Granderson, second baseman Daniel Murphy, third baseman David Wright, first baseman Lucas Duda and catcher Travis d'Arnaud -- combined to hit .291 on the 10-game homestand. In addition, the quintet accounted for 20 of the 26 homers the Mets hit in the final 25 games before the All-Star Break.

But it was the Mets' situational hitting and willingness to play small ball that really impressed Collins and has him believing the Mets can continue building momentum once play resumes on July 18.

Of the 55 runs the Mets scored on the homestand, 28 came with two outs.

"It goes back to the situational hitting that we talked about all the first half," Collins said. "It's about guys knowing what to do. It's about execution. And right now we're executing.

"So is it sustainable? Absolutely."

And in the finale on July 13, the Mets scored four runs in the eighth inning via four singles, three walks and two stolen bases.

"I think that for us to be successful, we can't necessarily sit back and rely on home runs," Wright said. "We've got to put ourselves in position to be aggressive and put pressure on the defense."

Armed with a solid pitching staff and a suddenly robust offense, the goal for the Mets in the second half is to put pressure on NL East co-leaders Atlanta and Washington. The Mets (45-50) will begin play July 18 seven games behind the Braves and Nationals -- a sizable gap, to be sure, but one the Mets feel they can make up after gaining three games in the standings during the homestand.

Wright said nearly sweeping a four-game set from the Braves from July 7-10 -- the Mets won the first three games before dropping the finale -- has the Mets believing they can do more than just play spoiler come September.

"I think that Braves series gave us a lot of confidence," Wright said. "We know that they're both very talented teams and teams that have a lot of household names. And we might not be there yet. But we're playing very, very good baseball and we plan on giving them a run for their money."

With 19 games remaining against the Braves and Nationals, the Mets will certainly have the opportunity to make up that ground. They also play the sub-.500 Marlins and Phillies a total of 16 times, as well as 13 other games against the Padres, Cubs, Rockies and Astros, all of whom reached the All-Star Break with losing records.

The Mets have no margin for error in their pursuit of a long-shot playoff berth (they also hit the All-Star Break 6 1/2 games behind in the race for the second wild card). But if they can maintain the level of play they showed in ending the first half, they'll at least have offered signs of tangible progress this season -- at the least.

"My expectations when I came to spring training were pretty good," Collins said. "I knew we could compete. We had to do a lot of things right if we were going to compete, but I knew we could. And what we've shown the last 10 days is yes we can compete. Now, we've got 67 more games. We've got to go out and do it. We can't just talk about it. We've got to go do it.

"If we continue to play like this, September's going to be a fun month."

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Phillies midseason report: Slide to irrelevance continues
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

The Philadelphia Phillies' slide to irrelevance continues.

They were world champions in 2008, and National League champs in '09. They won 102 games as recently as 2011.

But they went 81-81 in 2012, 73-89 last season and find themselves with a 42-53 record and in last place in the mediocre NL East heading into the All-Star break.

They don't hit much. Their pitching is sporadic. Moreover, their team is ancient -- five regulars are 34 or older, and three members of the starting rotation are 33 or older -- so it appears things are going to get worse before they get better.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has already said they will be sellers at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and closer Jonathan Papelbon has said he will waive his no-trade clause to go to a contender.

Second baseman Chase Utley and shortstop Jimmy Rollins, Phillies their entire careers, are more reluctant to leave, and can veto any deal that is not to their liking.

Left-hander Cliff Lee is another player who would appear to be attractive to a contender, though he has been on the disabled list since May 19 with a strained elbow. The 35-year-old Lee will make another rehab start July 14, and is scheduled to start against San Francisco on July 21.

Depending upon how healthy and effective he is, it looms as one of his last appearances for the Phillies, and others seem certain to follow him out the door. Nothing that happens between now and the end of the month will change that.

"That decision's already been made, things that they want to do," Rollins said, referring to the front office. "Regardless of how we play, they're still going to make their decisions for the future of the team, not just now. We go out there, we play ball, we win, good things happen. And if that makes things difficult, then it does."

[Can'tPickAWinner]

UFC Fight Night 45: Preview

Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) is back in full force with two more fight events this week. It all kicks off with UFC Fight Night 45 on Wednesday evening (July 16th, 2014) from Atlantic City, which includes a massive headlining bout between a pair of top 10 fighters that should have future title implications. Here’s the outline for tomorrow’s big event:.

Main Card

155 lbs: Donald Cerrone (23-6) 1NC vs Jim Miller (24-4) 1 NC
155 lbs: Edson Barboza (13-2) vs Evan Dunham (14-5)
170 lbs: Rick Story (16-8) vs Leonardo Mafra (11-1)
155 lbs: Joe Proctor (9-2) vs Justin Salas (12-5)
125 lbs: John Lineker (23-7) vs Alp Ozkilic (9-2)
145 lbs: Alex White (10-0) vs Lucas Martins (14-1)

Preliminary Card

155 lbs: Pat Healy (31-18) 1 NC vs Gleison Tibau (37-10) 1 NC
135 lbs: Leslie Smith (6-5-1) vs Jessamyn Duke (3-1) 1 NC
135 lbs: Hugo Viana (8-2) vs Aljamain Sterling (8-0)
155 lbs: Yosdenis Cedeno (9-3) vs Jerrod Sanders (14-1)
115 lbs: Claudia Gadelha (11-0) vs Tina Lahdemaki (5-0)

This event is special due to the debut of the UFC women’s strawweight division, which includes standout Brazilian grappler Claudia Gadelha, one of the top-rated female fighters in the world. We broke down this fight card extensively in our UFC Fight Night 45 Premium Oddscast here.

Our plays and packages for the event will be posted by 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time tonight (July 15th). And don’t forget, we’ll be posting more plays later this week for UFC Fight Night 46, which goes down in Dublin, Ireland and features the return of superstar featherweight Conor McGregor!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MMA: UFC Fight Night 45
Pick:UFC FIGHT NIGHT 45 FREE PARLAY Start: July 16, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Capper: MMA OddsBreaker
Offered at: 5dimes @ -113 (True) - Cerrone to win + Over 2.5 Tibau/Healy

Analysis:
Check out our free bet for UFC Fight Night 45!
We love Donald Cerrone in the main event, but he's at too steep of a price for a regular bet, so we're going to parlay him with another play we love to reduce the overall risk. Cerrone has a huge striking advantage over Jim Miller and mixes up his attack well with a wide variety of kicks. As long as he keeps this fight at a distance away from Miller's elbows on the inside, he should be in terrific shape on the feet. Cerrone also is the better-conditioned athlete and this being a five-round fight should be to his advantage.
We're going to parlay Cerrone with the OVER 2.5 rounds prop in the Pat Healy vs Gleison Tibau fight. Both Healy and Tibau are grinders, who use their wrestling, grappling and clinch work to primarily win decisions. Overall, Tibau has gone to decision in seven of his last 10 fights, while Healy has gone over 2.5 rounds in his last seven contests. The odds are very high that this bout continues the trend.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations

WNBA | TULSA at MINNESOTA
Play Under - Home teams where the total is greater than or equal to 150 in a game involving two explosive offensive teams (>=76 PPG) after 15+ games, after a win by 10 points or more
46-18 over the last 5 seasons. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )
2-2 this year. ( 50.0% | -0.2 units )

WNBA | ATLANTA at NEW YORK
Play On - Road teams vs. the money line (ATLANTA) off a home win against a division rival, in July games
23-9 over the last 5 seasons. ( 71.9% | 0.0 units )
3-1 this year. ( 75.0% | 0.0 units )

WNBA | TULSA at MINNESOTA
Play Against - Home teams vs. the 1rst half line (MINNESOTA) in a game involving two horrible defensive teams (>=76 PPG) after 15+ games, after scoring 75 points or more in 2 straight games
46-18 over the last 5 seasons. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )
4-1 this year. ( 80.0% | 2.9 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Second half MLB divisional odds update
By ANDREW CALEY


The All-Star game is a wrap and as teams gear up for the unofficial second half of the season we take a look at the division odds for each team.

The Detroit Tigers have the best odds to win their division (AL Central) at 1-7, while the tightest division race is in the NL Central where there are still four teams with realistic odds at the division title.

Meanwhile the team with the majors best record, the Oakland A's, are 2-3 to win the AL West, with the Los Angeles Angels hot on their tails at 6-5.

Here is the complete list of division odds courtesy LV Superbook.

NL EAST DIVISION

NATIONALS 5-9
BRAVES 3-2
METS 50/1
MARLINS 60/1
PHILLIES 100/1

NL CENTRAL DIVISION

CARDINALS 11-10
BREWERS 5-2
REDS 7-2
PIRATES 11-2
CUBS 1000/1

NL WEST DIVISION

DODGERS 2-5
GIANTS 2/1
DIAMONDBACKS 300/1
PADRES 300/1
ROCKIES 300/1

AL EAST DIVISION

ORIOLES 11-10
BLUE JAYS 12-5
YANKEES 3/1
RED SOX 15/1
RAYS 15/1

AL CENTRAL DIVISION

TIGERS 1-7
INDIANS 7/1
ROYALS 7/1
WHITE SOX 100/1
TWINS 100/1

AL WEST DIVISION

A'S 2-3
ANGELS 6-5
MARINERS 15/1
RANGERS 5000/1
ASTROS 5000/1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mariners release C Buck
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Catcher John Buck, designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners on July 7, was released by the team Tuesday.

Buck hit .226 with a .293 on-base percentage, a .286 slugging percentage, one homer and six RBIs in 27 games this season as the backup to Mike Zunino.

The 34-year-old veteran previously played for the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was an All-Star with Toronto in 2010.

Seattle replaced Buck on the roster by calling up catcher Jesus Sucre, 26, from Triple-A Tacoma. Sucre is 1-for-5 through two games for the Mariners this season.

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Cliff Lee shelled in 3rd rehab start at Clearwater
Corey Seidman

Cliff Lee struggled in his third rehab start at Clearwater, allowing eight runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings.

Only three of Lee's runs against the Palm Beach Cardinals were earned. Five came across in the first inning, which was extended by J.P. Crawford's error at shortstop. Four of those five runs scored with two outs, on a Mason Katz two-run single and a David Popkins two-run homer.

Lee settled in during the third and fourth innings, retiring six in a row. But he ran into trouble again in the fifth inning and was lifted with two outs.

Lee threw 74 pitches, 49 for strikes.

He is slated to rejoin the Phillies' rotation on July 21 against the Giants. That would put him on pace to make two starts before the July 31 trade deadline.

In three rehab outings for Clearwater, Lee had a 5.06 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. He allowed 13 hits and one homer, struck out eight and walked two.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Brewers midseason report: Happy to be in first
The Sports Xchange

MILWAUKEE -- Amazing what a difference one victory can make.

The Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up in dramatic fashion, snapping a seven-game losing streak with an 11-2 thumping of the St. Louis Cardinals who, a night earlier, pulled into a tie with the Brewers atop the NL Central.

With that victory, Milwaukee goes into the break with a one-game lead that will feel enormous for the next four days.

When the calendar flipped to July, things were pretty good for the Brewers, who had cooled off after a blistering start but still led their division by 6 1/2 games.

That lead disappeared over the next 12 games as the Brewers lost 11 times, including a four-game sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies.

But all was well in Milwaukee's clubhouse Sunday afternoon, with four days of rest and recovery in store for a team that has sat atop the division for 100 days.

"It makes the break a lot more fun," manager Ron Roenicke said. "You wouldn't think so, but it does. When you're on a losing streak and if you lose today, you're not sure when the streak is going to end so you go into the break not feeling good, you come out of the break not feeling good.

"Now, we go into it feeling good and come out of it feeling good. It does a lot. I know I talk about every game being important but it does a lot for the feeling of where we are now and where we are coming out of it."

The Brewers will have their work cut out for them when play resumes July 18 in Washington, where the Nationals, who go into the break tied with Atlanta atop the NL East.

Then, its back home to Milwaukee where the Reds await, followed by the Mets and a trip to Tampa to play the Rays and back to St. Louis for another meeting with the Cardinals.

There are, of course, questions: Can the starting pitching revert to its early-season form? Can Roenicke find a lineup that works on a day-in and day-out basis? Does the bullpen have enough left in the tank for the rigors of the stretch run after throwing 272 innings in the first half?

That number is actually fifth-lowest total in the NL but when broken down by pitcher, there is cause for concern: lefty Will Smith is tied for the league lead with 49 appearances; he was practically unhittable for much of the season but allowed nine runs over two innings (40.50) in three games before throwing a scoreless inning July 13.

Closer Francisco Rodriguez has 27 saves in 30 chances but has appeared in 45 games.

Getting to those two arms has also been a bit of a problem as right-handers Jim Henderson and Tyler Thornburg have been sidelined with injuries and Brandon Kintzler has been nothing close to his 2013 form.

Roenicke is hoping his pitching staff won't have to carry as much of the team's burden in the second half; he's optimistic that offensively, the four-day break will help clear the mind as well as rest the muscles.

"I thought we would have a stretch somewhere where we didn't play that well, but I really didn't expect this," Roenicke said. "I think this is too good of a team to go into this big of a slump. It's concerning to me. That's why I think it is important to get this thing turned around."

They're big questions, but there's no reason to think Milwaukee won't be in the hunt for at least a playoff spot this fall, especially when you consider injuries elsewhere in the division.

The Cardinals already lost two starters in RHP Michael Wacha and LHP Jaime Garcia, then lost catcher Yadier Molina for 8-to-12 weeks with a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Cincinnati, meanwhile, will go forward without second baseman Brandon Phillips.

If the Brewers can stay healthy -- and they have thus far -- and get back to clicking on all cylinders, Milwaukee will be watching baseball come October.

But for now, the Brewers will just be happy with that one-game lead.

"It's not comfortable because (St. Louis) is a great ball club and they're going to be there until the end," left fielder Khris Davis said. "But just taking it day-by --day, glad to be in the spot we are."

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cardinals midseason report: Optimism abounds
The Sports Xchange

On July 6, the St. Louis Cardinals lost 8-4 at home to the Miami Marlins to fall into third place in the National League Central, five games behind first-place Milwaukee.

After that loss, which dropped the defending league champs to 47-42, a reporter asked ace pitcher Adam Wainwright why the season was such a disappointment.

"In a week from now, we could be doing a completely different kind of interview," Wainwright said.

Less than a week later, St. Louis caught the slumping Brewers for first place in the Central. Although they fell back into second Sunday with an 11-2 loss to Milwaukee, the Cardinals can still head for the All-Star break with optimism, even though they won't have All-Star catcher Yadier Molina until at least mid-September after surgery Friday to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb.

On one hand, St. Louis has been disappointing. The offense has been bogged in a sea of grounders all year, with key run-producers like left fielder Matt Holliday and right fielder Allen Craig struggling to get on track.

On the other hand, the Cardinals have shown grit and perseverance to be in contention. Injuries have wiped out three key starting pitchers for long periods, second-year starter Shelby Miller has been one of the league's worst pitchers by most metrics and closer Trevor Rosenthal has been a thrill ride, yet St. Louis is right there.

As for the last 66 games, the Cardinals catch at least two scheduling breaks. After opening the unofficial second half with a weekend series at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers, they play 25 of the next 37 games against losing teams. That includes seven games each with the Chicago Cubs and San Diego.

Also, with a plethora of off-days, St. Louis won't need a fifth starter until Aug. 2. That will allow manager Mike Matheny the chance to set up his rotation, potentially giving Wainwright and present No. 2 starter Lance Lynn the ball in six of the first 10 games after the break.

Matheny feels his team will be ready for a potentially grueling four-team race in the Central.

"It's a perfect time for the break," he said. "These guys have competed, they've worked and we asked them to grind. I anticipate that we will see a well-rested ready group when we get back."

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Reds midseason report: Team overcoming injuries
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Reds are in the thick of the National League Central race, which is where they expected to be at this point in the season when spring training began. But the Reds' path to contention has been littered with landmines.

Bryan Price's debut season as Reds manager began with eight players on the disabled list, and that total has since ballooned to 13 players with a combined 16 stints on the DL. The Reds will begin the proverbial second half of the season without second baseman Brandon Phillips (thumb) and first baseman Joey Votto (quad).

"Doesn't surprise me that we're in the hunt," said veteran utility man Skip Schumaker. "We like our team. Our manager's been great about putting guys in the right spot. Guys are going to get hurt, it's part of the game."

The rash of injuries has tested Price's theme in spring training, which was to play more selfless and be willing to sacrifice personal stats for the betterment of the team. The club has executed well in that philosophy. Case in point -- right fielder Jay Bruce's willingness to pick up a first baseman's glove and fill in for Votto.

"That was a theme coming into spring training, and I think some of the players would've admitted that it was one of our Achilles' heels in recent year, playing a bit selfishly," said Price. "The injuries are brutal. That being said, it's created a sense of unity with this team. That's served us well, collectively."

Cincinnati (51-44) headed into the All-Star break having won 16 of 23 games to get within 1.5 games of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the Central. Climbing back from being a season-low 8.5 games out of first on June 20 required contributions from nearly everyone on the roster.

There have been some pleasant surprises as well. Everyone expected center fielder Billy Hamilton to burn up the base paths, which he's done, leading all NL rookies in stolen bases. But few thought Hamilton also would bat .283 with five homers, 38 RBIs and a .419 slugging percentage through 89 games. He's also adapted so seamlessly to playing center field every day.

One of the club's most significant injuries coming out of spring training was that of right hander Mat Latos, who had offseason elbow and knee surgeries and didn't return until mid-June. Taking Latos' spot in the rotation was middle-relief specialist Alfredo Simon, who responded with an All-Star caliber season, going 12-3 with a 2.70 ERA in 18 starts and a career-high 116 2/3 innings.

Catcher Devin Mesoraco overcame a pair of stints on the disabled list to earn a spot on the NL All-Star team. Mesoraco's 16 homers are the most for a Reds catcher since David Ross had 17 in 2007. Mesoraco tied a club record by homering in five straight appearances in June.

Fortunately for Cincinnati, right hander Johnny Cueto isn't among those injured. After having three separate stints on the DL last season, Cueto has been healthy and largely dominant, going 10-6 with a 2.13 ERA in 20 starts with 141 strikeouts and 35 walks in 143 2/3 innings to earn an All-Star nod.

Closer Aroldis Chapman provided the feel-good story of the season, recovering from being struck in the forehead by a line drive in spring training and recording 21 saves since May 10 while striking out at least one batter in 40 straight appearances, a major league record for relievers.

Cincinnati's strengths are pitching and defense, which has carried them through some rough periods the first three months. Reds starters rank second in the National League with a 3.30 ERA. Their .989 fielding percentage and 39 errors are the best in baseball, and something the club will rely on in the second half.

The Reds have held serve amid all the injuries and the clubhouse remains confident in this team's potential to reach the postseason for a fourth straight year.

"We've got some big guns down, but I think we're in a good place team-wise," said third baseman Todd Frazier, a first-time NL All-Star after hitting 19 homers with 53 RBIs in 94 games. "We understand our situation. I think it brings us a little closer. That's the kind of team we have."