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Grand Central

White Sox, Tigers division rivals, Nos. 1-2 in rankings

Posted: Monday June 26, 2006 1:13PM; Updated: Tuesday June 27, 2006 11:28AM
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MLB Power Rankings
Rank LW Team
1 1
Chicago White Sox
Their nine-game winning streak came to an end in 13 innings on Sunday night, but not without a lot of screaming and kicking. That's how it is on Chicago's South Side these days. Nothing -- certainly not Sox manager Ozzie Guillen -- goes away quietly anymore.
2 3
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers averaged more than 40,000 fans a game at Comerica Park last weekend as the Tigers swept the free-falling Cards. Now wait just a minute ... didn't the AL Central used to be called Comedy Central? Huh? Well, look who's laughing now. (OK, so maybe the Indians aren't laughing.)
3 2
New York Mets
The best team in the NL -- it's not even close -- the Mets are getting sensational play out of Jose Reyes. The shortstop had three four-hit games last week, including a cycle, and he's hitting .561 during a 13-game hitting streak. The Mets' biggest obstacle now: boredom.
4 5
Boston Red Sox
Winners of eight straight, Boston got its second walkoff homer in less than two weeks from David Ortiz on Saturday, capping a 5-0 week. Ortiz, by the way, is looking like the AL's All-Star first baseman ... though he has only 17 at-bats there.
5 6
New York Yankees
Bad news chases this team like crazed paparazzi, but the Yanks, somehow, keep winning games. Now injured reliever Octavio Dotel's debut could be delayed until late July. That means more of -- bad news a comin' -- Kyle Farnsworth (4.54 ERA).
6 8
Toronto Blue Jays
A.J. Burnett made a triumphant return from the DL (we'll hold off on the trumpets). But who do the Jays have to replace Josh Towers (1-8, 9.11 ERA) in the rotation? Maybe Doc Halladay (9-2, 3.07) has a brother?
7 7
Oakland Athletics
After skipper Ken Macha watched his team get blanked in back-to-back games in Colorado -- Macha sees little humor in the Coors Field humidor -- the A's won the rubber game in the Battle of the Bay Area with a wipeout of the Giants on Sunday. Every team in the AL West has issues. The first-place A's just have fewer than most.
8 4
St. Louis Cardinals
Welcome to Conspiracy Central. A Cards source told the Post-Dispatch that the ChiSox were stealing signs. Pitching coach Dave Duncan called Sox manager Ozzie Guillen a liar after a beaning incident. And the Cards -- no hiding this -- have lost six in a row.
9 10
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are nothing if not good improvisers. On Sunday their infield was a quartet of shortstops -- first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, second baseman Ramon Martinez, third baseman Cesar Izturis and shortstop Rafael Furcal. They could have beaten the Bucs without two of them.
10 11
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are hanging in there because of better pitching and the new king of the Queen City, überutilityman Ryan Freel. The scrappy Freel had four multi-hit efforts last week (he hit .484), including a 5-for-5 game against the Indians on Friday.

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