Detroit Tigers
-Hitting .304 with 136 runs over the team’s last 23 home games
-Tops among AL teams with a .298 BA and .363 OBP in August
-OF Austin Jackson is a .385 career hitter against the Blue Jays
-The Tigers are 18-18 against AL East teams
-SP Max Scherzer is 4-1 with a 2.78 ERA in his last seven home starts
-Scherzer is 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four career starts versus the Blue Jays
Washington Nationals
-Scored at least five runs in 10 of 13 games against the Braves this season
-Won 19 straight games in which they’ve hit at least one HR, longest such streak in the majors
-SP Stephen Strasburg is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three August starts
-Strasburg ranks first in the NL with 11.2 strikeouts per 9 IP
Philadelphia Phillies
-Ended their 69-game streak of scoring fewer than 10 runs last night
-Won seven straight games against the Reds, 12 of 13
-Gone 21-9 all-time against the Reds at CBP
-NL Central is the only division that the Phillies have a winning record against
-SP rank sixth in baseball with a 3.54 ERA since the All-Star break
-SP Cliff Lee is winless in his last 11 starts at home, six-game losing skid is the longest home losing streak in his career
-Lee’s 11 HRs allowed since July 24 is the most in the majors
-Philadelphia has scored just 56 runs while Lee is in the game this season
-Lee is 33-14 in 61 post All-Star break starts since 2008, fourth-most wins in the majors in that span
Los Angeles Angels
-Albert Pujols and Mike Trout are tied for the MLB lead with 16 HRs since July 1
-Gone 3-8 in their last 11 games at Fenway Park
-The Angels are 3-15 in their last 18 overall meetings against the Red Sox
-Pitching staff has a 6.76 ERA this month
-SP Ervin Santana is 19-8 in his career in August
-Santana has allowed a career-high 28 HRs
Minnesota Twins
-The Twins are 9-19 against AL West teams
-OF Josh Willingham is batting .444 with 14 RBIs in seven career games against the Athletics
-Bullpen ranks third in baseball with 412.1 IP (Rockies, 473 IP and Royals, 433 IP)
-SP Cole De Vries is 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in two career starts versus the Twins
Read my early thoughts on one of today's MLB contests