hot stuff

The hottest team in baseball, by numbers, is the Kansas City Royals, managed by former Jackson Mets catcher Ned Yost. The Royals have won eight straight to reach 53-51, 7 games out in the American League Central with plenty of games left. Southwest Mississippi Community College product Jarrod Dyson has helped, with six hits and four steals in his last six games. And ex-Pillow Academy star Louis Coleman still hasn’t allowed an earned run out of the KC bullpen. … Former JaxMets skipper Clint Hurdle has seen his Pittsburgh Pirates take four straight from St. Louis in their National League Central showdown. The Bucs are 65-42 and lead the Cardinals by 2½ games. … In keeping with this theme, Texas has won three straight games with walk-off homers and crept within 4 games of Oakland in the AL West. Texas’ hitting coach, coincidentally, is ex-JaxMets star Dave Magadan. … No team had a better July than Tampa Bay, which went 21-5 and is second in the AL East at 64-44, a half-game back of Boston. Some credit there should go to former Jackson Generals pitching coach Jim Hickey, who won a Texas League ring in 1996. Over the previous five seasons, all under Hickey, the Rays have a 3.74 ERA. They’re at 3.76 this year, fifth in the AL. Last year, this club posted a remarkable 3.19 ERA with a .228 opponents batting average (lowest in the DH era) and an AL-best strikeout total. Their pitching has made them perennial playoff contenders in a tough division. … Kudos should also go to Atlanta’s pitching coach, former JaxMets hurler Roger McDowell. The Braves have weathered all kinds of injuries to their staff (and position players, as well) and bolted to an 11-game lead in the NL East. Atlanta, fueled by so many ex-Mississippi Braves stars, look like the best team in the league right now. P.S. Reports say former Generals standout Lance Berkman, on the DL with Texas, may retire. … Former M-Braves lefty Brett Oberholtzer threw seven shutout innings Wednesday for Houston against Baltimore and got his first career win. … The Chicago Cubs’ trade of outfielder Alfonso Soriano may open up more playing time for Starkville native Julio Borbon, who is batting just .194 but is 7-for-8 on stolen bases.