MLB Bullets could use some help

Some other sport started its season over the weekend. It kind of sucked up the sportswriting oxygen, for some reason.

• The Diamondbacks lost and their winning streak ended, but the Indians have now won 18-straight games and now have the best record in the American League.
• Michael Baumann believes that this streak isn’t a fluke and that Cleveland is the best team in MLB.
• Craig Edwards makes the case that the most valuable player in the the Indians second-half surge has been Carlos Santana.
• On the other hand, the Rockies swept the Dodgers and extended the losing streak of the former “best team in baseball” to ten.
• Eric Stephen has some facts and figures to the Dodgers’ swoon.
• Mike Axisa knows who is to blame for the Dodgers losing streak: everyone.
• Steven Goldman believes that the gap between good and bad teams in MLB is increasing and that these kind of long streaks of the Indians and D-Backs could be “the new normal.” Not the Dodgers though. That’s just a fluke. Or a curse, if you believe in those.
• Before we leave the Dodgers, Sam Miller asks and answers why more teams don’t deploy more “short starters” like Alex Wood.
• The Nationals clinched their second-straight NL East title yesterday.
• Gabriel Baumgaertner believes that Stephen Strasburg’s return to dominance will make the Nationals scary-good come playoff time.
• Eddie Matz looks at the Nationals’ plans from now until the beginning of the playoffs.
• The Giants, frankly, have been putrid this season, but Manny Randhawa doesn’t think the Jints will be down for long.
• Getting back to the sign-stealing scandal of last week, Buster Olney believes that MLB efforts to speed up the game are hampered by team’s efforts to keep their signs from being stolen. Many of those time-wasting catcher visits to the mound are designed for the catcher to verbally give the pitch rather than with a sign.
• Dave Cameron believes the answer to teams using technology to steal signs is more technology, not less.
• Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts has had a power outage for the second half of the season, but Scott Lauber explains why there is no need to worry about Betts. Yeah, he’s always got his bowling career to fall back on.
• Speaking of power outages, the Marlins were unable to provide a radio broadcast of Sunday’s game because of Hurricane Irma. Not the biggest problem from Irma, but the only baseball-related one today.
• Former “Nasty Boy” reliever Norm Charlton works to rebuild his hometown of Beaumont, Texas after Hurricane Harvey.
• Jon Paul Morosi has the top first-time managerial candidates for any potential openings this winter.
• It’s that time of year when even run-of-the-mill injuries can be season-ending. Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson will miss the rest of the season after injuring his shoulder diving into first base at Wrigley Field on Friday night.
• White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon will miss the rest of the year with shoulder inflammation.
• Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Sanchez will be shut down for the year with blisters.
• Mets third baseman David Wright wants everyone to know he’s not dying. Nor is he retiring, although he understands that the Mets will be looking for a new third baseman this winter.
• Pirates outfielder Starling Marte talks to Marly Rivera about his childhood and coming back to baseball after his PED suspension.
• Some more fielding porn as Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton makes a leaping catch and then crashes into the wall. NSFW if you’re Melky Cabrera.
• And finally, a young Athletics fan makes a terrific catch of a foul ball in Oakland, stealing it away from an adult fan. The big fan gave the little fan a high-five.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.