If the Phillies keep pitching like this and stay healthy, they may reside all season where they are right now in our rankings, plus deep into October. Cliff Lee will bring the cheesesteaks. In other news, we like the Yankees, though flawed, as the best team in the American League, a tick ahead of the powerful Rangers, who keep winning without Josh Hamilton. Some of the early surprises are starting to self-correct – the Indians, the Royals, the Rays, the Red Sox– which makes for some wild movement in our poll.
1. Philadelphia Phillies (15-6, last week: No. 2): On Sunday, Roy Halladay just missed Phils' third shutout in a four-game sweep of San Diego.
2. Colorado Rockies: (14-7, last week: No. 1): Weak week (2-4) knocked them out of top spot.
3. New York Yankees (12-6, last week: No. 5): Abbreviated, but strong 3-1 road trip plus their continued Crush Groove (36 homers, .503 team slugging) jumped them over tough Texas.
4. Texas Rangers: (14-7, last week: No. 4): Aging closer committee – Arthur Rhodes, 41, and Darren Oliver, 40, got saves last week – hasn't slowed defending AL champs.
5. Florida Marlins (13-7, last week: No. 9): Third-best staff ERA (2.98) in baseball and they clobber right-handed pitching themselves (11-3 in games started by righties).
6. Cleveland Indians (13-8, last week: No. 3): Hello, Indians? Earth calling. Slow your descent!
7. Detroit Tigers (12-10, last week: No. 19): Two straight shutouts ended the week and they now have Indians in sights for division lead.
8. St. Louis Cardinals (12-10, last week: No. 23): We undervalued them last week just like the Yankees undervalued Lance Berkman's potential this off-season. Cards are leading majors in on-base percentage (.358) and N.L. in team OPS (.808) and tied for N.L. lead with Reds with 5.18 runs per game.
9. Kansas City Royals (12-10, last week No. 7): It's fun to have them in the top 10 still, but this is probably the last week. Got swept in Texas over the weekend.
10. Tampa Bay Rays (11-11, last week: No. 25): Well, the A.L. East has certainly reverted to recent form, hasn't it? Surging despite MLB-worst .286 on-base percentage.
11. Boston Red Sox (10-11, last week: No. 30): Here's our imitation of the little girl in "Poltergeist": "They're baaaack." Sox starting pitching (0.60 ERA in series) fueled four-game sweep of Angels.
12. Los Angeles Angels (12-10, last week No. 8): Loss to old buddy John Lackey Sunday capped a four-game bomb of a series at home, where they are just 4-6.
13. Milwaukee Brewers (11-10, last week No. 13): Their offense seems back on track, up nearly one run per game over last week, and Prince Fielder leads N.L. in RBI.
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