With the MLB All-Star game approaching, the 2013 season continues to get better and better with each passing game.
Teams expected to compete at a high level through the first half of the season including the Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics and Atlanta Braves have held true to form as each club leads their respective division.
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Perhaps the best story in Major League Baseball through Independence Day has been the all-around play of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Led by strong pitching and a solid core of everyday positional players, the Pirates currently hold a two-game lead on the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central division.
Andrew McCutchen continues to perform at a top-tier level. Hitting at a strong.299 clip with 9 home runs, 44 RBI's and 17 stolen bases, the 26-year-old remains one of the best center fielders in baseball. Added support from third baseman Pedro Alvarez (21 HR, 56 RBI) and Garrett Jones (8 HR, 34 RBI) provide Pittsburgh depth and consistency up and down the lineup.
Jeff Locke continues to lead the pitching rotation with an 8-1 overall record and phenomenal 2.12 ERA in over 100 innings while Francisco Liriano and Wandy Rodriguez have chipped in a total of 13 wins in 22 combined starts.
Leading the National League with 28 saves, Jason Grilli remains a reliable closing option for the first place Pirates. If they keep up their strong pace, Pittsburgh could put themselves in the postseason for the first time since losing in the 1992 N.L. Championship series.
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While Pittsburgh continues to entertain baseball fans everywhere, the Boston Red Sox sit atop the American League East thanks to a surprisingly strong first half. The Sox weren't expected to pace the division after sending Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez to the Los Angeles Dodgers last year but with solid young talent guided by veteran leadership, Boston sits comfortably atop the American League East.
Veteran David Ortiz continues to hit despite his increased age. With 16 home runs and 59 runs batted in to go along with a .319 batting average, Ortiz is certainly in MVP discussions.
First baseman Mike Napoli and second baseman Dustin Pedroia have been magnificent as well. Napoli aids Ortiz in the RBI department with 54 in 78 games while Pedroia has added an additional 49 runs batted in along with 5 home runs and 13 stolen bases.
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In addition to their timely and consistent offense, Boston's pitching remains a strong point as well.
Clay Buchholz is a perfect 9-0 in 12 starts, pitching to a crisp 1.71 ERA while Jon Lester and John Lackey provide the Sox with added strength toward the top-half of the rotation. Lester is 8-4 with a 4.41 ERA this year and the veteran Lackey posts a respectable 6-5 mark with a 2.81 ERA in 14 starts.
Other Notable Ball Clubs
The American League East remains the deepest division in baseball as the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays all sit well-above .500.
The O's trail Boston by 4.5 games in the division while holding a Wild Card spot and the banged up Yankees continue to find ways to win, just 6 games behind the rival Red Sox while only 1.5 games off the Wild Card pace.
Cleveland continues to keep pace with Detroit in the American League Central while Texas is on the heels of the Oakland Athletics in the A.L. West.
Just 2 games behind the Pirates, the St. Louis Cardinals currently sit in Wild Card position with plenty of time to catch the surging Pirates.
The Arizona Diamondbacks lead a struggling N.L. West with a mark of 44-41 overall. The Los Angeles Dodgers have played themselves back into contention, sitting only 3.5 games behind the D'Backs.
For a look at the complete MLB standings, follow this link.
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