ST. LOUIS —
Kevin Kiermaier’s Toronto Blue Jays were 14 games back in the American League East, and Michael Kopech’s Chicago White Sox were 39½ games back in the American League Central at the July 30 trade deadline, the two veterans having little to play for in dead-end seasons.
But both took the express elevator up in the standings when they were traded to the Dodgers, and the scenic view from the top of the National League West has pumped new life and adrenaline into the center fielder and reliever, as they showed in Friday night’s 7-6 victory over the St.