Major League Baseball

MLB Who's Hot, Who's Not: Angels streaking behind Kendrick's big bat

Published Sep. 12, 2014 2:46 p.m. ET

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Some have slumped, while others have simmered. Here's our weekly review of who's running hot and cold around Major League Baseball.

Stats through Sept. 11

HOT PITCHERS

AL -- Carlos Carrasco, Cleveland Indians

Carrasco went 3-0 with a 0.80 ERA in five starts from Aug. 16-Sept. 7. The right-hander allowed three runs, 23 hits and struck out 38 in 33 2/3 innings in the span. From Aug. 10-Sept. 7, he won four consecutive decisions and lasted at least six innings four times in the window. Overall, he's 7-4 with a 2.69 ERA and 104 strikeouts this season.

NL -- Jake Peavy, San Francisco Giants

Peavy went 5-1 with a 1.12 ERA in six starts from Aug. 13-Sept. 11. The right-hander allowed nine runs (five earned), 33 hits and struck out 35 in 40 1/3 innings in the span. He's 2-0 with a strong 0.77 ERA in two September starts, and he has 11 strikeouts with no walks for the month. Overall, he's 6-13 with a 3.93 ERA and 147 strikeouts this season.

HOT HITTERS

AL -- Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels

Kendrick hit .500 (16 for 32) with two home runs and 10 RBI in seven games from Sept. 5-11. He has hit safely in nine of 10 games played in September, and he had five multi-hit contests from Sept. 5-11. His highlight of the span came when he went 4 for 5 with three RBI in a victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 6. He has hit .290 with seven home runs and 67 RBI this season.

NL -- Marcell Ozuna, Miami Marlins

Ozuna hit .464 (13 for 28) with four home runs and 11 RBI in seven games from Sept. 5-11. He had at least one hit in each contest in the span, and he produced three multi-hit games in the window, including a 4-for-5 showing with four RBI in a victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 5. He has hit .270 with 23 home runs and 85 RBI this season.

HOT TEAMS

AL -- Los Angeles Angels

The Angels went 7-0 in games from Sept. 5-11. The run included four victories over the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians, plus a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers. The Angels won eight consecutive games from Sept. 4-11, improving their record to 91-55, the best mark in the majors. They lead the Oakland Athletics by 10 games in the American League West.

NL -- San Francisco Giants

The Giants went 5-1 in games from Sept. 5-11. They scored at least five runs in each victory, and they totaled at least six runs twice. The streak included two victories in three games against the Detroit Tigers and a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks from Sept. 9-11. At 81-65, the Giants remain close with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. San Francisco's deficit in the division is two games.

(Clockwise from top left) Detroit's Rick Porcello, St. Louis' John Lackey, San Diego's Alexi Amarista and Kansas City's Alex Gordon are this week's struggling pitchers and hitters.

COLD PITCHERS

AL -- Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers

Porcello went 0-2 with a 6.52 ERA in starts against the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 5 and Kansas City Royals on Sept. 10. The right-hander allowed eight runs (seven earned), 17 hits and struck out eight in 9 2/3 innings in the span. From Aug. 7-Sept. 10, he lost six of eight starts. Overall, he's 15-11 with a 3.23 ERA and 117 strikeouts this season.

NL -- John Lackey, St. Louis Cardinals

Lackey went 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in starts against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 5 and Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 10. The right-hander allowed eight runs, 13 hits and struck out seven in eight innings in the span. His two-inning outing in a no-decision against the Reds was his shortest of the season. Overall, he's 13-9 with a 3.97 ERA and 151 strikeouts this season.

COLD HITTERS

AL -- Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals

Gordon hit .045 (1 for 22) with 10 strikeouts in seven games from Sept. 5-11. The lone hit in the span came on an RBI single in a loss to the New York Yankees on Sept. 6. He has a poor .097 batting average with 13 strikeouts in September. He has hit .269 with 19 home runs and 66 RBI this season.

NL -- Alexi Amarista, San Diego Padres

Amarista hit .050 (1 for 20) with one strikeout in six games from Sept. 5-10. The lone hit in the span came on a single in a victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 9. He went hitless in six of seven games from Sept. 4-10, and he's batting a weak .147 with two strikeouts in September. He has hit .233 with three home runs and 27 RBI this season.

COLD TEAMS

AL -- Texas Rangers

The Rangers went 1-5 in games from Sept. 5-11. They were held to three runs or fewer four times in the defeats in this span, and the losing continues their miserable second half. September has been a rough month for them, with the Rangers just 1-9. They haven't won consecutive games since claiming two straight victories over the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners from Aug. 24-25. The Rangers own the majors' worst record at 54-92.

NL -- Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks went 0-6 in games from Sept. 5-11. The slide is part of a terrible 2-8 start to September. Offense was the main culprit in their defeats from Sept. 5-11, with them being held to two runs or fewer each time. At 59-87, they are tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in the National League.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

It's not every day that you see a baby tiger and a baby lion occupy a major-league clubhouse. That was the case Wednesday, when Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle arranged for the "big cats" to hang with his teammates before facing the Chicago Cubs at Rogers Centre. According to the National Post, Buehrle came up with the idea after meeting with the owner of a small zoo. The pictures are fantastic, and there's plenty of cute to go around. Enjoy the little guys while they're young.

You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.

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