David Ortiz is set to get booed at Yankee Stadium, Chris Sale is ready to resume striking out Kris Bryant and the Kansas City Royals are facing a rugged road back to the playoffs.
Now that the All-Star fun is finished, a look at what’s on deck as Major League Baseball makes the turn and heads home toward October:
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PENNANT PUSH: All eyes will be on Joe Maddon and his Cubs as they chase their first World Series crown since 1908. They’re in prime position so far – Jake Arrieta, Bryant and Co. hold the biggest lead at the break, up seven games over St. Louis in the NL Central.
The Cubs have never won a title while at Wrigley Field. All those past failures? “That’s something we don’t really discuss very often,” Arrieta said.