Four and a half games ahead of Oakland in the American League West, Houston is breathing a little easier thanks to an indispensable arm in its rotation. For Los Angeles, a charismatic power hitter consistently batting in the bottom leg of the lineup is taking care of business at the pinnacle of a heated National League West race. For their efforts, the Astros' Justin Verlander and the Dodgers' Yasiel Puig were recognized on Monday as the AL and NL Players of the Week, presented by W.B. Mason.
The 2011 winner of the AL Cy Young Award, Verlander is blazing his resume for a second one.