MLB Power Rankings: New York Yankees Take A Tumble

Aug 9, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher

(58) throws a pitch against the Colorado Rockies at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

15. Tampa Bay Rays (56-56) The pesky Rays just won’t go away, as they ended the Mets seven-game winning streak, and sent them back to Queens with a sour taste in their mouth as the Rays won the weekend series. It was an encouraging week, as the Rays fought back to .500 winning both series against the White Sox and Mets. They sit only four games out of the Wild Card race, but do they have enough firepower to keep up the pace? Getting guys like Desmond Jennings and Steve Souza Jr. back could give them the added fire power they need as they were very quiet at the trade deadline.

14. Washington Nationals (57-53) The Nationals need to start figuring things out at the plate. Their offense is no where to be found too often as Bryce Harper and Yunel Escobar are the only two consistently getting anything done. They are banking on players getting healthy and things clicking, which is a tough formula to use this late in the season with the amount of games quickly dwindling. One positive to come for the Nationals this week despite not winning a series is the performance of Stephen Strasburg. The former phenom returned from the DL with a dominant performance against the Rockies, throwing seven strong innings with 12 strikeouts and only one run allowed.

13. San Francisco Giants (59-52) The Giants have a rough weekend, losing all four games to the Cubs after taking two of three from the Braves. The four-game series was a killer, as they not only fell out of the Wild Card spot, but now sit 3.5 games behind the Cubs for the spot. The pitching staff was a major disappointment this week, as Matt Cain continues to struggle since coming off the DL. They also had to send Mike Leake to the DL this week, as their trade deadline acquisition injured his hamstring. He is expected to miss only two starts, but the Giants cannot afford to be giving away games at this point in the season, especially after the disaster that was this past weekend. It will be a tough week though, as they will be taking on the Astros and Nationals, two teams looking to get back on track as well.

Next: Rangers hanging around