Baseball By The Numbers: Weak AL Central, Position Players Pitching and Mo Rivera

0-8
Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez suffered through an 0-fer day against Baltimore in the Red Sox’ 9-6 loss in 17 innings. The first baseman struck out in the 17th representing the tying run against the Orioles’ Chris Davis, who
began the day simply as the DH and ended it with a win. Gonzalez was the first AL cleanup hitter to go 0-8 since Andre Thornton of the Indians in 1984.

1968

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Athlon's Essential Eleven: April 20

Rounding up the web's best sports links so you don't have to.

This is your daily link roundup of our favorite sports posts on the web for April 20.

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Fantasy Baseball Weekend Rundown: April 19

Injured or ineffective outfielders are piling up around baseball.

Stay tuned each week to Athlon Sports for a 2012 Fantasy Baseball Weekend Waiver Wire every Monday and the Weekend Rundown every Thursday.

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New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox Still Avoiding the Cellar

The two AL powers rarely seen at the bottom

Regardless what the standings look like now, with the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox teetering near the bottom of the AL East, they are not likely to end the season there. The Baltimore Orioles are bad enough that they won’t let it happen this season, but just in case you’re wondering, the last time the Yankees and Red Sox finished last and next-to-last in their division/league was in 1966. The only other time was way back in 1925.

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AL East Predictions

Rays have officially joined the Yankees-Red Sox party

AL East
1. New York
2. Tampa Bay (wild card)
3. Boston
4. Toronto
5. Baltimore

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Ask Athlon Sports: Fenway Park Scoreboard

Boston Red Sox and the Green Monster

Q: On the scoreboard on the Green Monster at Fenway Park, there is Morse code in two places spelling out “TAY” and “JRY.” What is the story behind these markings? And isn’t the “R” rendered incorrectly?

— Charlie Kelly, Natick, Mass.

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Boston Red Sox 2012 Preview

Can Boston return to the playoffs?

Boston Red Sox

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Nine Top Offseason Stories Heading into the 2012 MLB Season

Ryan Braun, Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and the Marlins topped the Hot Stove.

--By Patrick Snow (@AthlonSnowman)

Since the St. Louis Cardinals won their 11th World Series in late October, the baseball world has witnessed many major moves and risky contracts — and that was with the big-money Yankees and Red Sox staying fairly quiet. From power sluggers leaving the NL Central to power arms moving east, there were many winter changes that will have a long-lasting effect on the 2012 campaign and beyond. Here are nine of the most important hot stove happenings:

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Baseball's Pitching Changes: The AL Arms Race

Yankees, Rangers, Angels pin postseason aspirations on pitching makeovers

— by Mark Ross

Pitchers are scheduled to report to spring training in less than a month, and if Major League Baseball’s offseason is any indication, a lot of teams’ postseason hopes will be riding on those arms that will get tuned up in Florida and Arizona.

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Jonathan Papelbon to the Phillies; Madson to the Red Sox?

Boston's former closer is reportedly headed to Philadelphia.

The pitchers who usually finish games have been the starters of baseball’s offseason news. With free against like Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder anticipated to take weeks before signing contracts, two prominent closers have the “hot stove” burning in the northeast.