After one full dominating month, can NL Central continue MLB takeover?
Entering the last day of April, every AL team, sans two, would have resided in last place in the game's top division.
After one full dominating month, can NL Central continue MLB takeover? originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Cincinnati Reds , fueled by Elly De La Cruz's dynamic play, continue to run roughshod, despite entering Friday with MLB's No. 30-ranked team batting average . Of course, it helps when the Reds' all-or-nothing lineup entered Friday with 42 home runs, tied for the league's fourth most.
The Chicago Cubs , powered by a recent 10-game winning streak, also had 42 homers, but they were boosted by a team batting average of . 261. The St.
Louis Cardinals , who are developing into one of the league's most streaky clubs, claimed a four-game series from the Pittsburgh Pirates to climb back within two games of leading the major league's most competitive division. The first-place Reds entered the weekend at 20-11, one game ahead of the Cubs (19-12) and two games ahead of the Cardinals (18-13). With the Milwaukee Brewers (16-14) effectively utilizing small-ball tactics and the running game to bewilder defenses and the Pittsburgh Pirates (16-16) receiving a boost from its young core and rising pitching staff, the division race displayed signs of remaining tight throughout the summer months.