MLB Week 11 Hot or Not: Rox get their first walk-off!

Roman Anthony’s debut doesn’t impress

Welcome back to the Hot or Not feature series! This week’s recap covers the 11th full week of the season, June 8-14.

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AL West
Hot: Angels rotation shines
Angels starters were locked in last week. Although only Yusei Kikuchi earned a win, the starters scattered 15 runs across 34 1⁄3 innings. Kikuchi glowed against the Athletics, pitching 7 ⅓ shutout innings while only giving up a walk and a hit in a 7-3 win. José Soriano backed Kikuchi with a stellar start the next day, keeping the Athletics to two hits and a run while piling up 12 strikeouts through seven frames, earning a no-decision in the team’s 2-1 extra-innings victory. Beware of the Angels’ icy-cold starting pitching capabilities.

Not: Lance McCullers Jr. dishes his third season loss
Houston’s veteran starter got roughed up by the White Sox in a 4-2 loss, relinquishing four runs off five hits, a home run, and a walk through five frames. Though he notched 12 strikeouts, just over half of his 96 pitches were strikes and he still took the loss. Despite generating more hits and one less scoring opportunity than Chicago, the Astros let down their star starter and McCullers failed to minimize the damage.

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AL Central
Hot: Tigers starters stay strong despite losing Jackson Jobe
Despite losing their top pitching prospect to Tommy John surgery, Detroit’s starters shook off the dust and pitched beautifully. They held a 3.42 ERA and restricted opponents to 10 runs over 26 1⁄3 innings. With an impressive 31 strikeouts and 10.59 K/9 rate, the rotation put the team on its back and played an integral role in the organization’s four wins.

Not: Minnesota’s relievers are beginning to bury team wins
The Twins suffered three blowout losses last week, largely due to their relievers. In a 16-4 loss to the Rangers, Minnesota was down 5-2 before their bullpen took over … and gave up 11 runs in less than five innings. The same thing happened in a 16-3 loss to the Rangers. Although they were down by six when Bailey Ober left the game, the bullpen tacked on NINE runs in an utterly gutting game. Minnesota’s pitching woes aren’t new, but they certainly aren’t being fixed.

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AL East
Hot: Yandy Díaz continues to come through
Age has made no difference to Díaz’s hitting this year. The 33-year-old dropped 13 hits, seven RBIs, five runs, and two home runs last week primarily on the road, resulting in a .500 batting average, .536 on-base percentage, and an .846 slugging percentage. The veteran first baseman still has plenty of pop in his bat, anchoring an eclectic Rays lineup. With his solid hitting so far, Díaz will be in the mix as Tampa Bay’s All-Star Game representative.

Not: Roman Anthony struggles in his debut week
Anthony’s debut has been far less sensational than expected. He posted one hit, three RBIs, two walks, and four strikeouts in his first 16 at-bats in the big leagues. Before being promoted, Anthony was slashing .288/.423/.491 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in Triple-A Worcester. MLB and Boston’s No. 1 prospect surely just needs some time to get his feet in the majors.

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NL West
Hot: Colorado earns its first walk-off of the season
MLB’s worst team finally caught a break. Down 7-5 to the Giants, Colorado had a 4.4% chance of winning entering the ninth. The Rox loaded the bases with two outs to spare, bringing Brenton Doyle to the plate. Doyle cut the lead to one with a fielder’s choice ground out. Pinch-hitter Hunter Goodman went down swinging, leaving the game in Orlando Arcia’s hands. All Arcia had to do was single, and he did just that on a fastball middle-in to walk the game off. For a 13-57 team, every win matters.

Not: Dustin May’s bumpy pitching persists
May’s turbulence this season continues to test L.A.’ depth. In his last start against the Padres, May allowed six hits, six runs, and four walks in five innings. Although the Dodgers managed to pull a win out from the Padres in the 10th inning, May’s early lack of control exposes Los Angeles’ susceptibility to pitching depth problems that even their mighty lineup can’t solve.

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NL Central
Hot: Cincy isn’t giving up
After a mediocre May, the Reds are heating up in June. Their recent blowout win against the Diamondbacks shows that the sky’s the limit for the Reds offense. Powered by Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s three-run homer in the first and Gavin Lux’s grand slam in the fifth, the Reds steamrolled the Diamondbacks, 13-1. Days later, Andrew Abbott pitched his first complete game shutout in Cincinnati’s 1-0 win over the Guardians. From hitting to pitching, the Reds are feeling toasty.

Not: Chicago’s bats cool down again
The Cubs lineup has hit another cold patch. For the second time this season, Chicago’s batting order is hitting around the Mendoza Line. Cubs hitters slashed .203/.253/.352, spacing 19 runs throughout seven games. With the fourth-most strikeouts in a week, the Cubs are starting to play a dangerous game of riding high peaks but laying in deep troughs, especially when the NL Central race is tightening.

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NL East
Hot: David Peterson earns his first shutout
For the first time in his six-year career, Peterson threw nine scoreless innings. With 106 pitches, Peterson limited the Nationals to six hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Peterson’s masterful complete game marks his fifth quality start of the season, bringing his ERA and WHIP down to 2.49 and 1.19. Peterson’s best season of his career is flying under the radar in New York’s strong rotation.

Not: Kyle Schwarber cools off
After a productive May, Schwarber’s bat is taking some time off. He has gone 2-for-21 with four runs, an RBI, and six of walks in Philly’s last six games. As the team’s runs, RBIs, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and walks leader, Schwarber’s recent struggles emulate Philadelphia’s streaky hitting this season.