AL East

August wasn't a particularly good month for the Baltimore Orioles. In 26 August games, the O's played to a 12-14 record and remain on the outside looking in in the race for the playoffs.

Surprisingly enough, the O's actually outscored their opponents 129-115. However, that means absolutely nothing.

The New York Yankees washed the fledgling Chicago White Sox out of a rain-soaked Bronx on Labor Day, 9-1. After a one-hour, 53-minute delay at Yankee Stadium on Monday, the Bombers' flood gates opened in an eight-run, seven-hit fourth inning.

The Tampa Bay Rays cannot afford for September to look like August.

August was a month the Tampa Bay Rays would love to forget. The Tampa Bay Rays finished the month with a losing record for the first time since 2006 when they went 9-19. That year was manager Joe Maddon’s first season with the team.

Smiles and high-fives have become commonplace around Fenway Park these days, but nobody has grinned wider and slapped hands more enthusiastically than the guy most often on the mound at game's end.

While Brett Lawrie has spent most of August making noise with his bat, Toronto's 23-year-old third baseman let his athleticism do the talking on Friday night against Kansas City.

As of August 30, 16 major league teams either hold a playoff spot or are within 6.5 games of one and could be looking to improve their playoff chances by making a waiver-wire deal by tomorrow's deadline to add players who will be eligible for a playoff roster.

Eleven August trades have happened thus far:

Alfonso Soriano had himself a whale of a game on Tuesday night, clubbing a pair of home runs in his first two at-bats to reach 400 career dingers.

The New York Yankees left fielder has been on fire, and J.A. Happ and the Toronto Blue Jays could do nothing but watch as they faced him.

The 2013 season has been disappointing for the Toronto Blue Jays. With the acquisitions of R.A. Dickey and Jose Reyes, among others, many thought the Blue Jays would contend for a division title.

However, Toronto has failed to meet expectations this year. Instead, they've had one setback after another.

Still, it's been announced that manager John Gibbons will return for 2014.

Alfonso Soriano clubbed home run No. 400 on Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming the 51st player in MLB history to reach the milestone.

Red Sox rookie Xander Bogaerts made his Major League debut last week during a road trip, signalling his arrival as the latest impact infield prospect to arrive in recent years.

If the 20-year-old can live up to the hype placed upon him as Baseball America's No. 8 prospect heading into the season, Boston may have added a future star to their lineup in the midst of a pennant race.