52, they went 15-37. In the second 52, they went 25-27. Theyve

NEW YORK -- Chris Archer popped out of the dugout for the bottom of the ninth inning and allowed himself to take a quick peek at left field. Yep, he saw relievers Fernando Rodney and Joel Peralta warming up. Nope, he didnt care. "I was feeling confident we wouldnt have to go the bullpen," the rookie said. Boy, was he right. Archer threw a two-hitter for his second shutout in three starts, outpitching Ivan Nova and leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday Kelly Johnson had an RBI single off Nova (4-4) in the sixth to help the AL East-leading Rays improve to 24-5 since June 23, when they were in last place. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said before the game Archer (6-3) embraces the big moments, and he sure did once again at Yankee Stadium. The 24-year-old right-hander with a Captain America lunch box in his locker never threw more than 14 pitches in an inning and needed just 97 overall -- 67 for strikes -- for his second career complete game. Even more impressive: Archer became the first visiting rookie to toss a complete-game shutout in the Bronx since Arthur Rhodes in 1992. Archer gave up a single to Lyle Overbay with one out in the fifth and a ground-rule double to Brett Gardner in the sixth for New Yorks only hits in its sixth loss in nine games since the All-Star break. "I dont feel helpless," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I still believe in these guys. I see how they go about their business." Archer did not walk a batter and struck out six. After catching Ichiro Suzukis comebacker and tossing to first for the final out, Tampa Bays starters met in front of the mound for what is becoming a common occurrence: the starting fives group chest bump reserved for complete-game victories. Archers gem was the teams third in six games this week. It was also the Rays sixth shutout in July, a club record. "To follow the other starters in the bunch makes it easier for me," Archer said. Acquired from the Chicago Cubs before the 2011 season in a deal for Matt Garza, Archer enjoyed his best month as a major leaguer. He shut out Houston with a five-hitter on July 14 and his ERA for July is 0.73, an AL record for rookies. The Angels Bob Lee had an 0.76 ERA in 1964. Archer outpitched Nova in the Bronx for the second time this season. Last month, Archer won by holding the Yankees to one run over six innings. "Thats like a classic, old mid-60s kind of pitchers duel at Yankee Stadium," Maddon said of Saturdays matchup. "It was incredible to watch." Derek Jeter again was absent from the lineup and the Yankees newest hope to provide power -- Alfonso Soriano -- was hitless in three at-bats, leaving him 0 for 8 since returning to New York. Jeter was eligible to come off the disabled list Saturday but instead played a simulated game at a location that Yankees would not disclose until long after he had eight at-bats at the Staten Island Yankees home field. Girardi said Jeter will start at shortstop Sunday for the Yankees if he has no setbacks. "You can be in great shape, but playing shapes a little bit different because youre getting used to standing around, starting and stopping, so we had to do all that," Girardi said. "As of right now, he came out very well. So well see how he feels tomorrow." With the captain out and Alex Rodriguez, on his 38th birthday, rehabbing his quadriceps strain at the Yankees minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., alongside other injured stars, including Curtis Granderson, the Yankees bats were again dormant. And now they will be without designated hitter Travis Hafner for at least 15 days. The lefty-swinging slugger had an MRI Saturday that showed a right rotator cuff strain. He will be put on the DL Sunday. The Yankees have not homered in nine straight games, their longest streak since going 10 in a row in 1984. Nova matched Archer with a mixture of fastballs that reached 96 mph and a biting curveball that had the Rays swinging at dirt. He yielded six hits in seven innings. Nova threw 62 curveballs out of his 105 pitches in seven innings. He struck out the side in the fourth after Wil Myers led off with a double and James Loney followed with one of Novas three walks. Nova finished off the fifth with strikeouts of out Desmond Jennings and Evan Longoria. Longoria chased a breaking pitch down and away and smacked the barrel of his bat in frustration. "He was good," catcher Chris Stewart said. "His fastball command was strong down in the zone, with movement. He got a lot of groundball outs, mixed in the curveball. Had some jams out there but he was able to make some good pitches to get out of them." The walks finally hurt Nova in the sixth. His free pass to Matt Joyce with two outs put runners on first and second and extended the inning to allow Kelly Johnson a chance to bat. Johnson then got enough of a 95 mph fastball to bloop it out into centre field to drive in Ben Zobrist for a 1-0 lead. Zobrist had reached on a fielders choice and stolen second base. NOTES: Tampa Bay DH Luke Scott was kept out of the lineup. He had soreness in the shoulder/upper back area but said postgame that he would be fine to play Sunday. ... Rodriguez did light running in the outfield, played catch, hit off a tee in the indoor cage and took 17 grounders hit directly at him on the grass in front of the dirt at third. Six fans, one with a poster board sign saying "Happy Birthday Alex" were there when he left. ... Maddon became a grandfather for the fourth time. Giuseppe Ennio Maddon was born Friday night.Air Max Scontate Outlet . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Air Max Outlet .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. https://www.scontatescarpeoutlet.it/scontate-air-max-270-outlet-italia-c2766.html . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. Scarpe Nike Outlet Italia . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006. Air Max 270 Prezzo Basso . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season.The Chicago Cubs?check in at No. 1 for the second straight week, potentially starting a new streak on top of the rankings. The Washington Nationals remain a strong No. 2, keeping the NL theme alive at the top. The Cleveland Indians check in as the top AL team at No. 3, followed by the Toronto Blue Jays at No. 4, their highest spot all season. Theyve been as high as No. 6 three different times.With Andrew Miller headed to Cleveland, can the Indians make a run at the Cubs and Nats for the top spots?The Boston Red Sox were one of the big fallers this week, dropping from No. 5 all the way to bottom of the top 10 after a disappointing 2-5 week that included a sweep at home by the Detroit Tigers. The week did end on a high note with a ninth-inning rally to salvage a split against the Los Angeles Angels. Can Boston use that momentum to jump back into the top five?This weeks voters are Jim Bowden of ESPN Insider, Eric Karabell of ESPN Fantasy, Tim Kurkjian of ESPN, David Schoenfield of the SweetSpot Blog Network/ESPN.com and Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Most of the team comments come courtesy of the SweetSpot Blog Network.Past rankings: Week 16 |?Week 15 |?Week 14 |?Week 13 |?Week 12 |?Week 11 |?Week 10 | ?Week 9 |?Week 8 |?Week 7 |?Week 6 |?Week 5 |?Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason1. Chicago CubsRecord: 63-41 Week 16 ranking: No. 1The Cubs have yet to lose a series since the All-Star break, going 10-6 in that span. With Aroldis Chapman at the back of the bullpen, ?Chicago looks like its the team to beat again.?--?Joe Aiello (@VFTB), View from the Bleachers2. Washington NationalsRecord: 61-44 Week 16 ranking: No. 2New closer Mark Melancon, acquired from the Pirates, will displace the struggling Jonathan Papelbon. Among relievers with 15 saves, Papelbon ranked 23rd of 24 in batting average allowed, 22nd in wOBA and 18th in K rate. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot3. Cleveland IndiansRecord: 60-42 Week 16 ranking: No. 4Although the Indians potential deal for?Jonathan Lucroy fell through, it was a good weekend for the Tribe. They acquired Andrew Miller to shore up the bullpen and swept the Oakland As. The Indians are now 53-0 when they enter the ninth inning with a lead. --?Stephanie Liscio (@stephanieliscio), Its Pronounced Lajaway4. Toronto Blue JaysRecord: 59-46 Week 16 ranking: No. 7Troy Tulowitzki suffered a small chip fracture in his thumb when hit by a pitch on Sunday, but its not clear whether hell need a stint on the disabled list. The Jays will evaluate him on Monday and see whether he can grip a bat. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot5. San Francisco GiantsRecord: 61-44 Week 16 ranking: No. 3The Giants snagged Eduardo Nunez to help cover for injuries in the infield. Still leading the NL West despite a July record below .500, the Giants have Joe Panik back on the roster and could have Matt Duffy back this week. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the Zona6. Texas RangersRecord: 62-44 Week 16 ranking: No. 8The Rangers have found themselves on a roll again. After a four-game sweep of the defending-champion Royals at home this past weekend, the Rangers are six games up on the Astros in the AL West and will look to solidify their position before Mondays trade deadline. --?Brandon Land (@onestrikeaway), One Strike Away7. Los Angeles DodgersRecord: 59-46 Week 16 ranking: No. 9Corey Seagers home run Sunday was his first since the All-Star break, but hes hitting .396/.418/.604 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in those 11 games with eight doubles and just four strikeouts. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot8. St. Louis CardinalsRecord: 56-49 Week 16 ranking: No. 11It was a scary moment for the Cardinals on Sunday when rookie shortstop?Aledmys Diaz got hit on his right hand (the throwing one) by an Andrew Cashner pitch. It doesnt look like hell miss too much time, which is big for the Cardinals, who trail the Marlins for the second wild-card spot in the NL after dropping the final two games of their weekend series against Miami.? -- ESPN.com9. Baltimore OriolesRecord: 59-45 Week 16 ranking: No. 6The Orioles have been a team of streaks lately. Before an extra-inning win on Sunday to escape Toronto with a slim first-place lead, the Os had the following stretch: won four, lost four, won five, lost five. Baltimores offense was surprisingly bad in July (13th in runs scored with 89), but perhaps Adam Jones much-needed three-run blast in the 12th inning Sunday will jump-start a struggling lineup. --?Matt Kremnitzer (@mattkremnitzer), Camden Depot10. Boston Red SoxRecord: 57-46 Week 16 ranking: No. 5Drew Pomeranz relied on his curveball during his strong second start for the Red Sox last week (6 IP, 2 ER, 7 K) but still threw 22 pitches at 90 mph or faster. In an underwhelming performance Saturday, Pomeranz threw just 11 pitches 90 mph or faster, yielding five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the Zona11. Houston AstrosRecord: 55-49 Week 16 ranking: No. 10A brutal weekend sweep in Detroit: Pitchers?Collin McHugh and Dallas Keuchel both got pounded, and Saturdays loss came after they Astros took the lead in the top of ninth. Fun stat: Jose Altuve is hitting .417 on the road. Since World War II, only Stan Musial in 1948 and Ichiro Suzuki in 2004 have hit .400 on the road for the season (250 PAs). -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot12. Detroit TigersRecord: 57-48 Week 16 ranking: No. 15Finally, the Tigers got hot! They have a six-game win streak after sweeps of the Astros and Red Sox. That pushes them all the way up to ... one game out of the second wild-card spot and 4? games out in the AL Central. The playoff picture and whether the Tigers should buy or sell at the deadline wouldve been much clearer if those wins had come against their AL Central opponents earlier this month. --?Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers13. Miami MarlinsRecord: 57-48 Week 16 ranking: No. 12The Marlins acquired Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea from the Padres but received bad news when Rea left his first start and was placed on the DL with an elbow sprain. Cashners debut went better, as he allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot14. New York MetsRecord: 54-50 Week 16 ranking: No. 13After going 15-7 in April, the Mets had losing records in May and June and finished July at .500. Neil WWalker has a five-game hitting streak and is 12-for-19 (.dddddddddddd31) with five RBIs in those ballgames. --?Joe Janish (@metstoday),?MetsToday.com15. Pittsburgh PiratesRecord: 52-51 Week 16 ranking: No. 16Mark Melancon had a fantastic 3?-year run with the Pirates: an incredible 1.80 ERA over an even more incredible 260 1/3 innings. His replacement as the Pittsburgh closer, however, is hardly a step down; Tony Watson has thrown 268 2/3 innings of 2.24 ERA ball during the same span. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the Zona16. Seattle MarinersRecord: 52-51 Week 16 ranking: No. 14After an amazing .333/.383/.609 July, Kyle Seager is in the midst of a career year. Now in his fifth full season in the majors, Seager has never finished with a slugging percentage above .454 -- but with two-thirds of 2016 in the books, Seagers SLG is .522. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the Zona17. Colorado RockiesRecord: 52-53 Week 16 ranking: No. 20The Rockies reached .500 on Saturday (and then dropped back under Sunday), the latest in a season theyve done so since 2010. As Charlie Blackmon deadpanned, Congratulations, were average. Both he and Rockies fans are glad the team got there, but they want more. --?Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers18. New York YankeesRecord: 52-52 Week 16 ranking: No. 17Sell mode engaged. With the team dropping three to the lowly Rays this past weekend and ownership finally coming to its senses, the 2016 endgame that many Yankees fans have been waiting for took off for real Sunday in the form of the Andrew Miller trade. Now well see what other moves the Yankees can/will make to start building for the future as they continue to hover aimlessly around .500. -- Brad Vietrogoski,?Its About the Money19. Chicago White SoxRecord: 51-54 Week 16 ranking: No. 19The White Sox have been poised to turn this seasons trade deadline on its ear, with Chris Sale and Jose Quintana arguably the two best pitchers available. They moved Zach Duke for interesting center-field prospect Charlie Tilson but have waited until the final hours before the deadline to see whether they can drive up their starters prices. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the Zona20. Kansas City RoyalsRecord: 49-55 Week 16 ranking: No. 18Goodbye, 2016. The Rangers swept the Royals in a four-game series as the Royals dropped to 49-55. Wade Davis landed on the DL, Kendrys Morales may be traded, and theyd love to find a taker for Ian Kennedy (good luck). -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot21. Los Angeles AngelsRecord: 47-58 Week 16 ranking: No. 21While Huston Street had an epic ninth-inning meltdown on Sunday, the good news was Tyler Skaggs delivered his second scoreless outing of the week in his return from Tommy John surgery. In 12 1/3 innings, he allowed seven hits and just three walks with 13 strikeouts. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot22. Oakland AthleticsRecord: 47-58 Week 16 ranking: No. 22Sonny Grays troubles continue, as hes allowed seven runs in three of his past six starts, his ERA ballooning to 5.84. He leads the majors with 15 wild pitches and has the fourth-worst slugging percentage allowed among qualified starters. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot23. Philadelphia PhilliesRecord: 48-59 Week 16 ranking: No. 25The Phillies have lost four series and split one since the All-Star break, with the split coming in their most recent series against the MLB-worst Braves. This should make them sellers at the trade deadline, but they havent sold anything yet. --?Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers24. Milwaukee BrewersRecord: 47-56 Week 16 ranking:?No. 24Amid all of the Jonathan Lucroy trade drama, the Brewers have not missed much of a beat on the field. They have gone 7-3 during their homestand, taking series from both Arizona and Pittsburgh. -- Gabe Stoltz (@Stoltzy3), Disciples of Uecker25. San Diego PadresRecord: 45-60 Week 16 ranking: No. 23With Matt Kemp joining Melvin Upton Jr. on the departed list, the Padres likely will eventually call up Hunter Renfroe and/or Manuel Margot and give them some playing time down the stretch. Both outfielders are hitting over .300 in Triple-A. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot26. Arizona DiamondbacksRecord: 43-62 Week 16 ranking: No. 26By trading Tyler Clippard to the Yankees, the D-backs moved one of their most productive pitchers this season. With Josh Collmenter designated for assignment and Brad Ziegler shipped to the Red Sox earlier in July, Arizona is fresh out of relievers with track records of success. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the Zona27. Tampa Bay RaysRecord: 42-61 Week 16 ranking: No. 27This past week was a reminder of what has been and what could have been for the Rays. They dropped four consecutive one-run contests out West and maintain the leagues worst record in such games. The losses and wins of late have both involved great efforts by the rotation, as the 2.36 ERA by the starters since the All-Star break leads all of baseball. --?Jason Collette (@jasoncollette), The Process Report28. Cincinnati RedsRecord: 42-62 Week 16 ranking: No. 29The resurgent Reds have won all five of their series since the All-Star break and enjoyed their first winning month in more than two full seasons. Behind the improved play is the unstoppable Joey Votto, who just became one of only 11 players in the past century to post a .550-plus OBP in July. --?Chad Dotson (@dotsonc), Redleg Nation29. Minnesota TwinsRecord: 40-64 Week 16 ranking: No. 28The Twins have played 104 games. In the first 52, they went 15-37. In the second 52, they went 25-27. Theyve been playing decent ball for two months, but by the time they turned things around, it was too late to matter. -- Nick Nelson (@NickNelsonMN), Twins Daily30. Atlanta BravesRecord: 37-68 Week 16 ranking:?No. 30The Braves spun two pitchers they got off the waiver wire in May into highly-thought-of prospect Travis Demeritte in a trade with Texas. They turned on- and off-the-field disaster Hector Olivera into productive middle-of-the-order power hitter Matt Kemp. Both trades used players who werent part of the future to greatly further the Braves rebuilding effort. -- Martin Gandy (@gondeee), Chop County ' ' '