The lads do pull it together and then some, losing just 1 of the month’s first 15 games, with the pitching much-improved, and Traynor, Williams and Walker leading the offence.
Cobb returns from the IL but has to be content with a bench role for the moment as Walker is simply too hot not to play every day. A wobble in which we drop 4 straight signals a general cooling-off but still we keep on winning more than we lose and end the month with a superb 21-6 record and a stranglehold on the division once again.
Williams (25) and Beckwith (22) have both surpassed the previous single-season club record for HR, and Ken needs just 9 more RBI to get past Jimmie Williams long-held mark. Walker has been a massive add for us and he seems to be getting better as the season progresses, as shown by his 389/491/663 August with 4 HR and 24 RBI. Let's hope that continues to the end.
Another player who seems to follow this pattern every season is Wilbur Cooper, and he's at it again this year. After that horror start he is now an outside chance of another 20-win season and has made me seriously rethink how we proceed with him, contract-wise. By dint of his 6-1 / 2.70 performance, he wins the monthly pitching award. Foster will be back in the next week or so after a brief rehab assignment to scrape off the rust.
So we aren't quite home yet but certainly where we want to be. The AL race pretty much begins now with the Yanks and BoSox tied heading into the final month and four other teams still some hope if they get a wriggle-on.
Awards, news, leaders. In addition to still being well in line for the NL Triple Crown, Rajah needs just 18 RBI to break Charlie Hickman's season record of 151 set all the way back in 1901, the league's first year of existence.
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