AL East

While the follow-up to his breakout season has largely been disappointing, Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis gave O's fans plenty to cheer for Monday night, hitting the franchise's first walk-off, pinch-hit home run since 1988, per the team's official Twitter account.

The Boston Red Sox should make plenty of noise on July 2, the first day of the 2014-2015 international signing period.

The international signing phase is always difficult for teams, as they have to evaluate whether a 16-year-old player is worth a multimillion-dollar bonus. These players aren't even old enough to graduate high school and have years of physical maturation ahead of them. Further, these players are much less seasoned than the pool of talent available in the domestic draft due to age and other factors.

If the Boston Red Sox intend to make a playoff push in the second half of the season, they'll likely need to go after some outside help.  Below is a shopping list that may come in handy for the Red Sox as the trade deadline approaches:

1. Offense
2. More offense

To say that Boston is "offensively challenged" would be an understatement.

It's about that time of year again.

In roughly one week, the Baltimore Orioles will have reached the mathematical halfway point in their schedule. Currently tied for second place in the AL East, the Orioles have shown that they're a strong, competitive team this season.

They've also had trouble stringing a long winning streak together and really making that push to the top of their division standings.

Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis entered Monday's action in need of a big hit in the worst way but in a lousy position to get one. It's not so easy to hit from the bench, you know.

Fortunately for Davis, baseball has that one rule that allows managers to use pinch hitters.

First in an 11-part series about the vagaries of awards voting.

Al Bumbry rightfully earned American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1973. However, as arguably a division champion’s best hitter, he received not a single vote for Most Valuable Player.

With a 39-33 record, numerous injuries and a lineup crowded by hitters performing below expectations, it is scary to imagine where the New York Yankees would be without rookies Masahiro Tanaka, Yangervis Solarte, Dellin Betances and Chase Whitley.

In Boston, David Ortiz's legacy is complete. Regardless of how the rest of his career plays out, one of the most beloved Red Sox of all time will always be remembered fondly at Fenway Park. That will remain true even if decline has set in for a possible future Cooperstown-bound star.

The New York Yankees went to the bottom of the ninth inning of Friday's game against the Baltimore Orioles trailing 3-1. They needed a welcome sight.

What they got instead was a very welcome sight, courtesy of Carlos Beltran.