16. Toronto Blue Jays (51-48) (LW 15) – Toronto took two of three against the Rangers, and the team is facing a big stretch in the next week-and-a-half. The Jays’ next 10 games come against divisional rivals, with seven against the Red Sox and three against the Yankees.
17. Tampa Bay Rays (47-53) (LW 18) – The Rays were one of the worst teams in baseball for a while, but now they’re the hottest, having won five in a row.
18. Boston Red Sox (46-52) (LW 19) – The Red Sox look like they want to make things interesting in the second half of the season. They are inching their way to .500 thanks to a sweep of the Royals at home.
19. Kansas City Royals (48-49) (LW 17) – Kansas City has actually been a better road team this season, but that wasn’t apparent over the weekend. The Royals lost all three games in Boston and only had nine total hits in the last two losses.
20. Chicago White Sox (47-52) (LW 21) – The White Sox were able to take two of three against Houston, but their tests now get tougher and more important. Chicago’s next 13 games come against A.L. Central rivals, and the White Sox are 17-21 against the division this year.
