Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are currently in 1st place in the National League East division. Their division opponents include the: Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. With just under 2 months remaining in the regular season, it will be exciting for fans to see who can hold their lead, which teams will climb and which ones will fall. 

This week, the Nationals host 5 games at home before heading to Atlanta for the weekend to take on the Braves in a 3 game series. The Nationals’ game against Baltimore on Monday, August 4th is a makeup game from July 8th, which was postponed due to inclement weather.  Following their series in Atlanta, the Nationals will move on to New York to face the Mets before returning home to host 4 different teams in 10 straight games. They will finish up the month by playing on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies and then the Seattle Mariners.

Most recently, the Nationals hosted the Phillies in a 3 game series, dropping the first game 1-2, but winning the second, 11-0. They will complete the series on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. In their 1st game of the series, Nationals right-handed pitche

To keep first place in the division, the Nationals will need to overcome the loss of Ryan Zimmerman, making appropriate adjustments to deal with his absence until he’s able to return, and continue delivering a strong pitching performance in the remainder of their games.

r Doug Fister threw for seven innings allowing 2 runs in 7 innings. It was an offensive challenge for the Nationals against Phillies pitcher Roberto Hernandez as well. In the 2nd game, Jordan Zimmerman pitched 7 shutout innings for the Nationals and Anthony Rendon drove in 4 runs as well as hit a home run. Prior to this game, the Nationals hadn’t hit a home run since 3rd baseman Ryan Zimmerman has been out, due to a strained hamstring. Rendon’s performance ended this drought. Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett and manager Ryne Sandberg were both ejected from the game for arguing against an umpire’s decisions.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently completing a 3 game series at home against the Chicago Cubs. They lost the 1st game 2-8, won the 2nd 5-2, and will finish the series on Sunday afternoon. In the 1st game of this series, the Dodgers were plagued with multiple injuries. Paul Maholm (relief pitcher) and Adrian Gonzalez (1st baseman) both suffered knee injuries and center fielder Yasiel Puig suffered a sore hamstring. Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks threw 7 strong innings and this proved to be a challenge for the Dodgers. Dodgers pitcher Dan Haren also left the game early but not due to injury. He has recently struggled to deliver a consistent pitching performance. In the 2nd game, Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez hit a home run, bringing in three runs in the 12th inning. This was Ramirez’s 12th home run of the season and his 1st career walk-off home run, leading the Dodgers to a 5-2 victory over the Cubs.

Following the completion of this series, the Dodgers will face cross-town rivals, the LA Angels 4 times this week, twice at home and twice away, before hitting the road to play against the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves in 7 games. They will return home the weekend of August 15th to host the Brewers again followed by the San Diego Padres and New York Mets before wrapping up the month on the road in series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Padres again.

The Dodgers currently lead the National League West, with their division opponents including the: San Francisco Giants, Padres, Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers hold a 3-1/2 game lead over their 2nd place division rivals, the Giants and have won 7 of their last 8 games.

To keep their division lead and finish the regular season on a high note, the Dodgers will need to stay healthy, fighting back against injuries and deliver a solid performance in pitching as well as offensively in the remainder of their games. Known for a very loyal fan base, the Dodgers can continue to count on their blue and white wearing supporters as they look to repeat the 2013 West Division title, and hopefully move beyond this round into the playoffs.

Detroit Tigers

Let’s play ball! The Detroit Tigers are currently in first place in their division of the American League despite losing 3 of 4 games last weekend against the Cleveland Indians. The Tigers lead the American League Central division by 5-1/2 games. The Tigers’ Central division opponents include: the Indians, the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers are currently 2nd in the league overall for team batting average and 4th in the league for runs.

In Sunday’s game against the Indians, Drew Smyly pitched an excellent 4th game in the series to help avoid the sweep, allowing only 4 hits in 7 innings, permitting the Tigers to win 5-1. The left-handed pitcher is scheduled to throw again when the Tigers face the Los Angeles Angels next Friday.

The player trade deadline for this season is July 31st. Postseason play begins September 30th with the 4 wildcard teams vying for the final spots. 10 of the 30 league teams make the playoffs, 5 from each conference made up of the 3 divisional winners as well as 2 wildcard teams.

The Tigers hit the road on Monday with an MLB best record of 28-16 for away games. They will look to improve upon this best record as they face the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase field. Monday’s game started Detroit’s road trip of 7 games: 3 against the Diamondbacks, followed by 4 against the Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. They won the first game against Arizona 4-3. Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello will pitch at Arizona for the first 2 games.

The Tigers have been American League Central Division champions from 2011-2013. With a 5-1/2 game lead, it looks promising that they’ll be able to keep this title. Will this year be the season they are able to advance further into the playoffs? The last time Detroit won one the World Series was 1984. Next week the Tigers face the Chicago White Sox at home for a 3 game series as they continue this quest.

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are currently 54-44, putting them 1st in baseball’s American League Eastern Division. The Orioles are 4th in the league for team batting average and 9th in the league overall for runs. Their division rivals include: the New York Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles currently lead the Yankees and Blue Jays by 4 games.

Most recently, the Orioles beat the LA Angels on the road winning 4-2 thanks to center fielder Adam Jones’ 2 home runs, which brought in all 4 of the Orioles runs for the game. Jones now has 9 RBIs since the MLB All Star break. This is a great win after the Orioles dropped 2 of their last 3 games on the road against the Oakland As. Bud Norris pitched, making his first start since July 9, and Zach Britton pitched a perfect 9th inning to close the game.

The Orioles have made it known they are seeking help in rotation as well as the bullpen before the league’s upcoming trade deadline (July 31) and have expressed some interest in Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett. Other teams including the Pirates are rumored to have interest in trading for Burnett as well. Buck Showalter, the Orioles’ manager said the organization has considered possible trade scenarios but wants to be careful about a selection and is not willing to expense its long-term future. With just over a week to go before the deadline, teams still have time to make some major moves in hopes of finishing the season strong before heading into the playoffs.

The Orioles continue their road trip with 2 more games against the Angels followed by 3 at Seattle until July 29, when they return to Camden Yards in Baltimore to host the Angels and then the Mariners.

Finders Key Purse Key Chains

As women, we’ve all experienced it: the already rushed feeling from running late which only gets worse when you’re forced to stop again, sifting through various items in your purse to hunt for your keys, which seem to have suddenly disappeared amongst the receipts, gum wrappers and lipsticks also housed in your handbag. Finally, we can end this common problem thanks to the Finders Key Purse! The digging ends today!

Finders Key Purses simply “hook” over the side of your bag, keeping keys accessible at all times. This hook offers a convenient option for busy women and moms on-the-go who can’t waste time continuously searching for the one item they truly need to keep making moves throughout their busy day.

Many women choose handbags that express their personal style and suit their taste. These key purses come in a variety of unique styles, to add an extra touch of personality to your bag. Do you support a particular cause, love your job, have a favorite animal, or enjoy a special hobby or sport? We’ve got you covered for all of the above and more with our plethora of design options! Chances are you’re not alone in your past purse digging experiences. With so many styles available, the Finders Key Purse makes a great gift for all the women in your life.

One of the greatest things about the Finders Key Purse is that it’s simple to use and can be changed out frequently. Maybe the “Sunny Days” key purse adds the right pop of color to your cream colored bag during the spring and the “Ruby Heart” adds an eye-catching touch to your black bag in the fall. The best part is, regardless of which style you choose, your keys always remain within reach.

Finders Key Purses are not only practical and convenient but also fashionable. Display your own style today!

LeBron James back to the Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James officially announced his decision last Friday to return to his home state and play basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers again. In 2010 when James was a free agent the first time, he announced his decision to take his talents to South Beach via a live TV announcement at The Boys & Girls Club. He received harsh criticism for how he announced the news, which became known as The Decision and there were no harsher critics than Cleveland itself. His jerseys were burned, Cavs fans threw fits and the Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert, blasted James through many media outlets, calling him a narcissistic coward. As the owner of the company Fathead, Gilbert reduced James’ wall sticker price to a mere $17.41 (Fatheads normally retail for approximately $50-100 each).

After 7 seasons as the face of the Cavs and continuously rising as a basketball star, Cleveland was distraught in disbelief that their son could do this to them. How? Why? It’s not right! James moved on to the Miami Heat where the Big 3 meshed, reigning as Eastern Conference Champions from 2011-2014 and heading to the NBA Finals in each of their 4 years together, winning 2 back-to-back NBA championships in 2012 and 2013.

Contrary to the publicity surrounding his 2010 decision, James quietly announced his decision this time through an exclusive essay published by Sports Illustrated with the headline “I’m Coming Home.” In the essay, James explains his decision to return to his hometown, stating the decision is greater than just basketball. He is a dad and has a family to think about, and feels a sense of responsibility to inspire kids growing up in the Northeast Ohio area. He is accepting the challenge to bring talent and success back into Cleveland.

All was instantly forgiven by the city of Cleveland and Cavs fans when James’ return was announced. Criticism of the actual decision was minimal this time around, partially because of James’ chosen delivery of the news. There was only class displayed by the Miami Heat too, as the organization announced respect for James’ decision and posted a picture of the superstar in his Heat jersey via social media outlets with the caption “Thanks for the memories.”

Perhaps 2015 will be the year the Cavs finally win an NBA Championship. They certainly have their work cut out for them, but an overall young and talented roster is a great start. The King himself along with #1 draft pick, Andrew Wiggins and point guard, Kyrie Irving are valuable assets to begin making this goal a reality.

MLB All-Star Game

It’s that time of the year again – fans who enjoy hot dogs and cold drinks on a warm summer day, sunshine spread wide across a freshly manicured field and the crack of a wooden bat striking a ball at the perfect moment, with the intent to launch it into the stands or beyond the park. Yes, it’s baseball season.

MLB All-Star week is a mid summer opportunity for players to showcase their talents and provide fans an entertaining occasion to watch these highlighted skills through events such as the Futures Game, the Home Run Derby and the All-Star game. The Futures Game is the opening event to all-star week and allows up-and-coming players to show their skills. It was designed to highlight “tomorrow’s stars.” 2014 will be the 16th year that the Futures Game is included among all-star activities. The Home Run Derby is held prior to the all-star game (Monday, July 14 this year) and includes the league’s top home run hitters. The goal is to see which player can hit the most home runs.

The All-Star game is played in a National League v. American League format. In 2013, the American League won 3-0. From 2010-2013 the National League claimed victory, but prior to 2010, the American League had won the previous 13 all-star games, excluding 2002 in which the teams tied.

Similar to the NBA all-star game, the MLB game moves to various host cities each year, offering different teams the chance to host and showcase what their city has to offer fans. This season’s all-star game takes place at Target Field, home to the Minnesota Twins. Target Field opened in 2010 and despite the Twins’ recent on-field performance, the stadium is well regarded among baseball fans nationwide. The design was carefully crafted and took over a decade to plan and then construct. In anticipation of the all-star game, Target Field has added two unique self-serve beer machines to the stadium. They debuted earlier in the month during a Twins home game and while they are self-serve, they still remain monitored.

This season’s all-star game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15 and will air on Fox.