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 June 12
HOT PITCHERS
AL — Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Hernandez went 4-0 with a 1.40 ERA in five starts from May 18-June 8. The right-hander allowed just six runs and 28 hits over 38 2/3 innings in those appearances. His best outing came in a no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 8, when he struck out a career-high 15 in seven innings. He has earned victories in five consecutive decisions after suffering a loss to the Houston Astros on April 21. Overall, he's 8-1 with a 2.39 ERA this season.
NL — Doug Fister, Washington Nationals
Fister went 5-0 with a 1.83 ERA in six starts from May 14-June 10. The right-hander allowed eight runs and 33 hits over 39 1/3 innings in those appearances. He has surrendered two or fewer runs in six of his seven starts this season. Overall, he's 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA.
HOT HITTERS
AL — Lonnie Chisenhall, Cleveland Indians
Chisenhall hit .583 (14 for 24) with four home runs and 13 RBI in six games from June 6-11. He had at least two hits in each game in all but one contest during the stretch (he went 1 for 3 in a loss to the Texas Rangers on June 6). His highlight came in a 5-for-5 day with three home runs and nine RBI in a victory over Texas on June 9. He has hit .393 with seven home runs and 32 RBI this season.
NL — Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
McCutchen hit .500 (13 for 26) with four home runs and 11 RBI in seven games from June 6-12. He had two hits in all but one game in the span (he went 1 for 3 in a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on June 7). He has hit safely in 10 of 11 games in June. He has hit .321 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI this season.
HOT TEAMS
AL — Kansas City Royals
The Royals won four of five games from June 6-11. The run included winning two of three games against the New York Yankees June 6-8 and a two-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians June 10-11. Those victories are part of a larger stretch that includes nine victories in 13 games from May 29-June 11. At 33-32, the Royals are second in the American League Central, behind the Detroit Tigers by 2½ games.
NL — Washington Nationals
The Nationals won five of seven games from June 6-12. The stretch included a four-game winning streak June 8-11, and they've won 10 of 13 games since May 30. They scored at least six runs in four of the victories from June 6-11. At 35-30, they lead the National League East by one game over the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins.
(Clockwise from top left) Boston's Rubby De La Rosa, San Diego's Eric Stults, Oakland's Josh Donaldson and San Diego's Everth Cabrera are this week's coldest pitchers and hitters.
COLD PITCHERS
AL — Rubby De La Rosa, Boston Red Sox
De La Rosa went 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA in starts against the Detroit Tigers on June 6 and Baltimore Orioles on June 11. The right-hander allowed a combined eight runs and 16 hits in 11 1/3 innings, and he never lasted beyond 5 2/3 innings in both appearances. In his short time with Boston this season -- he made his debut in a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on May 31 -- he's 1-2 with a 3.93 ERA.
NL — Eric Stults, San Diego Padres
Stults went 0-2 with a 12.27 ERA in starts against the Washington Nationals on June 8 and Philadelphia Phillies on June 12. The left-hander allowed a combined 10 runs and 16 hits in 7 1/3 innings, and the 2 1/3-inning outing in the loss to the Nationals was the shortest of his season. He lost five consecutive decisions from May 16-June 12. Overall, he's 2-8 with a 5.79 ERA.
COLD HITTERS
AL — Josh Donaldson, Oakland Athletics
Donaldson hit .042 (1 for 24) with nine strikeouts in six games from June 6-11. He went hitless in each contest from June 7-11. The five-game hitting slump is his longest of the season, surpassing a four-game slide from April 2-5. He has hit .258 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI this season.
NL — Everth Cabrera, San Diego Padres
Cabrera hit .042 (1 for 24) with 11 strikeouts in six games from June 6-12. He went hitless in five games from June 6-11, surpassing his four-game hitting slump from April 30-May 4. He has hit .226 with three home runs and 11 RBI this season.
COLD TEAMS
AL — Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays went 2-4 in games from June 6-11. The skid included a four-game losing streak June 7-10, and it was part of a larger 2-14 slide from May 26-June 11. They were shut out three consecutive games June 8-10 against the Seattle Mariners (two games) and St. Louis Cardinals (one). The Rays own the majors' worst record at 25-42.
NL — San Diego Padres
The Padres lost five of six games from June 6-12. The slide included losing two of three games against the Washington Nationals and a three-game sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies. The Padres were shut out three times in the stretch, and they scored three or fewer runs in all but one game in the window (a 4-3 victory over the Nationals in 11 innings on June 7 was the exception). At 28-38, they're fourth in the NL West and 14½ games behind the San Francisco Giants.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Can't make this stuff up. Here is the Doppler radar right now after today's visit from the Medicine Man. pic.twitter.com/zWNowCnbHW
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 9, 2014
Credit the Rays for going creative to kick their funk. On Monday, 77-year-old Seminole medicine man Bobby Henry was invited to Tropicana Field to help the Rays turn around a season that soured long ago. He has been known to start rain, so something worked. Later that day, shortly after the series finale began between the Rays and Mariners, rain fell over Tropicana Field. Coincidence? Make up your own mind. Unfortunately for the Rays, Henry's magic failed to translate to the field. They lost 3-0, dropping their record to 24-41.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
