PHOENIX (AP) — Aaron Judge is mashing homers at an astounding pace for the New York Yankees. Shohei Ohtani provides the same type of thump for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But it’s the Arizona Diamondbacks who have the best offense in the big leagues — by quite a bit.
The Diamondbacks came into Sunday’s games averaging 5.48 runs per game, a full half run better than the second place team, which is the Yankees at 4.98. Arizona was at it again on Sunday, pulling off a 11-10 win in 10 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Arizona took a 5-0 lead, then trailed 8-5, then tied it up at 8-8, fell behind 10-8 in the 10th and then rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning for the win. Eugenio Suárez provided the walk-off moment with a bases loaded single to deep right. It was a much-needed win for a franchise fighting with the Padres, Mets and Braves for the three NL wild cards.
The D-backs have a deep, speedy lineup led by Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, Corbin Carroll, Joc Pederson, Jake McCarthy and Suárez. As Sunday proved, no lead is safe when Arizona is at the plate.
“We’re really executing at a high level and it’s not just the slug,” manager Torey Lovullo said after a 14-4 win against the Rangers last week. “It’s patient at-bats waiting for our pitch, putting down the bat, handing it off to the next guy.”
Suarez has been one of MLB’s best players in the second half of the season, batting .320 with 18 homers and 44 RBIs over 51 games coming into Sunday’s games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers boast one of the best lineups in baseball, led by superstars like Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
The problem is they also have to pitch.
A rash of injuries to the pitching staff — including front-line starters like Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw — have left manager Dave Roberts scrambling as his team reaches the most important part of the season. The Dodgers are so thin on the mound that Roberts acknowledged earlier in the week that Ohtani could return to the mound in October after having offseason elbow surgery.
“Anything is possible,” Roberts said. “I hope that’s on his mind as far as motivation for his rehab. The odds of it coming to pass are very slim, but they’re not zero.”
The Dodgers' roster conundrum isn't unique in baseball this season. As the playoffs approach, no team looks bulletproof. In fact, this will likely be the first season since 2014 that no team will reach the 100-win mark in the regular season.
The parity has allowed several teams to stay in the playoff race longer than expected, particularly in the American League. The Detroit Tigers (77-73), Seattle Mariners (77-73) and Boston Red Sox (75-75) still have hope despite hovering around .500.
The Tigers and Mariners are just 2 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the final AL wild card.
What is the worst regular-season record for a World Series winning team?
The Chicago White Sox are putting up a little bit of a fight to avoid being the worst baseball team in the modern era.
The White Sox won two straight games against the Oakland Athletics during the weekend, improving their record to 35-115. That might not seem like much, but it's the first time they won back-to-back games since June 27-29.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s you can’t take big league wins for granted,” outfielder Gavin Sheets said. “To get back-to-back wins and get a series win, it feels really good. We have to enjoy these times and keep it going.”
Chicago is trying to avoid the post-1900 record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets. The White Sox are 20-58 at home, one shy of the post-1900 mark for home losses shared by the 1939 St. Louis Browns and 2019 Detroit Tigers.
There are 12 games remaining. That means the White Sox have to go 8-4 to avoid 120 losses.
The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series despite finishing just 83-78 in the regular season.
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Chicago White Sox's Bryan Ramos, left, celebrates with Gavin Sheets after the White Sox defeated the Oakland Athletics in a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani awaits his turn to bat in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker gets high fives from teammates after scoring their second run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
SELVA DI VAL GARDENA, Italy (AP) — Marco Odermatt finally conquered the Saslong and the Swiss standout did it in style.
Odermatt put down what he called “one of my best” downhill runs on Saturday to win a World Cup race in Val Gardena as the three-time overall World Cup champion looked like back to his imperious best.
The 27-year-old beat Swiss teammate Franjo von Allmen by 0.45 seconds for his first victory at the resort in the Italian Dolomites. Odermatt had had four podium finishes there — including in Saturday’s super-G — but had never been better than second.
It was Odermatt’s 40th World Cup victory but only his third in downhill.
"It was one of my best downhills," Odermatt said. “If you want to win the downhill, you need the perfect run and today already on the top, which is not really my section, I could ski very well and finally I also jumped well, and then it was really perfect. So yeah, very happy with the run.”
It had also been a less than stellar start to the season for Odermatt — by his lofty standards — and he yelled out in joy several times after crossing the line, before taking off his skis and raising them up and letting out another long shout.
Before Odermatt came down it had been an incredibly tight race, with the top three separated by just 0.02. In the end, American skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished third, with Nils Allègre of France missing out on what would have been only his second ever podium finish by one hundredth of a second.
It was Cochrane-Siegle's third podium after also finishing third in Val Gardena four years ago and winning the super-G in Bormio 10 days later.
“It was good skiing, it was fun,” he said. “Gardena is a really challenging hill to ski, in the sense of skiing fast. I’ve had runs here where I thought I’d put down a good one, and it’s been seconds out, so you really never know until you cross the finish line.
"I was just focusing on trying to carry speed as much as possible. When I ski my best I do that — keeping skiing really simple, back to basics.”
Odermatt won the downhill World Cup title last season, as well as the super-G, giant slalom and overall crystal globes.
The only previous downhill this season was in Beaver Creek, where Odermatt finished second to teammate Justin Murisier.
Odermatt moved 78 points above Murisier in the downhill standings and 50 points above Henrik Kristoffersen in the overall.
The circuit moves to nearby Alta Badia where there is a giant slalom on Sunday and a slalom the following day.
Meanwhile, Lindsey Vonn finished 14th in a super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland to mark her return to World Cup skiing at age 40. Her comeback continues in a super-G in St. Moritz on Sunday.
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt listens to the national anthem on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt, center, winner of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, celebrates on the podium with second-placed Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen, left, and third-placed United States' Ryan Cochran Siegle, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
United States' Ryan Cochran Siegle speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States' Ryan Cochran Siegle celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebratesat the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
