Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting simply superb after profitable the All-Star Home Run Derby.

The Toronto slugger went deep Sunday for the fourth time in 9 video games for the reason that break, which ought to quell no matter issues exist about whether or not the Derby messes with gamers’ swings. In truth, Guerrero has proven extra energy previously couple weeks than he was earlier than his large victory in Seattle.

Guerrero had solely 13 homers in his first 88 video games this 12 months and entered the break with a .787 OPS. He’s raised that mark over .800 now, and if he hits like he did two years in the past - when his 48 house runs earned him an MVP runner-up end - it might go a good distance towards serving to the Blue Jays safe a postseason spot.

Right now, that 2021 season is an outlier on Guerrero’s resume. Maybe it’s not lifelike for him to hit at that stage each season, however his profession general has been nearer to this 12 months than that one.

Guerrero is definitely reliable, having performed in virtually each recreation for the previous 3 1/2 seasons, however this 12 months Toronto’s offense has been fairly odd, rating fifteenth within the majors in runs scored. George Springer producing a career-worst .740 OPS isn’t serving to, and catcher Alejandro Kirk’s manufacturing has slipped as effectively.

The vibrant spot for the 2023 Blue Jays has been on the pitching facet, regardless of Alek Manoah’s struggles and Hyun Jin Ryu’s post-Tommy John surgical procedure absence. Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi have every made at the least 20 begins with an ERA underneath 4.00.

RISING

The Milwaukee Brewers nonetheless have a detrimental run differential on the season, however recently they’ve seemed the a part of a first-place crew within the NL Central. Milwaukee is 21-11 since June 16. The Brewers misplaced two of three to Atlanta over the weekend, however that was a aggressive sequence, and previous to that, they went 7-2 in 9 video games towards Cincinnati and Philadelphia.

Milwaukee is now 10 video games over .500 and leads the Reds by a half-game atop the division despite the fact that Cincinnati is on a five-game profitable streak.

FALLING

The San Francisco Giants have a shedding report in July, despite the fact that they lately went on a seven-game profitable streak. Those are nearly their solely victories within the month, and so they adopted that run with a five-game skid that included a three-game sweep by the hands of last-place Washington.

The Giants had been outscored 21-5 in that sequence towards the Nationals. San Francisco is tied with Arizona for the second wild card within the National League, however Philadelphia is barely a half-game behind - and Miami is simply too regardless of loads of its personal issues.

TRIVIA TIME

Max Muncy hit his third grand slam of the season Sunday and gave the Dodgers a serious league-best 10. That’s as many as final 12 months’s leaders, the New York Yankees, hit all season.

Four different gamers have hit grand slams for the Dodgers this 12 months. Who are they?

LINE OF THE WEEK

Boston’s Nick Pivetta pitched six hitless innings of reduction in a 7-0 win over Oakland on Monday night time. His 13 strikeouts set a Red Sox report for a reliever.

Pivetta has posted a 2.25 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP since transferring to the bullpen in May.

COMEBACK OF THE WEEK

Down 3-0 within the backside of the ninth Sunday, the Minnesota Twins obtained an RBI double from Willi Castro and a sacrifice fly by Carlos Correa. Then Alex Kirilloff hit a two-out double to carry house the tying run towards the Chicago White Sox.

Both groups scored a run within the tenth, after which Minnesota received it 5-4 on a two-out RBI single by Ryan Jeffers within the twelfth. Minnesota’s win likelihood within the ninth, based on Baseball Savant, was 3.1%.

TRIVIA ANSWER

Chris Taylor, James Outman and Freddie Freeman have every hit two, and Trayce Thompson has hit one.

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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister

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