Studs:
Forget about his 11-game hitting streak, McCutchen is currently sporting an eight-game multi-hit streak. This June, Cutch is a machine-like 24-57 (.421) with seven home runs and nine doubles.
The only person that could top Lonnie Chisenhall’s week in the American League was Brantley. The Indians left fielder earned AL Player of the Week honors after contributing to all categories. Not only did he bat close to .500 for the week, but Brantley hit a home run and swiped a bag. He’s been the breakout star that Cleveland needs in the lineup.
Starting pitching has been the biggest weakness in Baltimore. Even with Norris’ week, the Orioles have a team ERA of 4.05. But, back to Norris, he’s been solid at home. This season, he is 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA when he starts at Camden Yards.
Other notables: Evan Gattis (ATL), Starling Marte (PIT), Mike Trout (LAA), Craig Kimbrel (ATL) and Garrett Richards (LAA)
Duds:
In the Week 10 edition of the Studs and Duds column, I listed Wright. He recorded only one hit, but his Mets were returning home from an 11-game road trip and Wright was a .308 hitter at home. Seven days later, Wright’s home batting average has dropped to .271. I may be grasping for straws, but Wright is 27-65 (.415) against lefties this season. The next southpaw on the schedule is Andrew Heaney in his MLB debut on Thursday.
Oakland continues to own the best run differential (+126) in baseball despite Donaldson’s recent struggles. The power-hitting third baseman is only batting .136 (8-59) in the month of June. Only two hits and one RBI in the past seven days and I’m not seeing a split stat that stands out. Sure, he’s only batting .238 against righties, but Donaldson’s home and road stats are about even.
In his last two starts, Minor allowed 11 hits in both contests and a combined 11 runs. Surprisingly, Atlanta went on to win both games. The Rockies and Angels have loaded lineups, so Minor will look forward to his next start against Washington and then on the road in Houston.
Other notables: Jean Segura (MIL), Xander Bogaerts (BOS), Howie Kendrick (LAA), Wilin Rosario (COL), and Michael Wacha (STL)
