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"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With the All-Star break at an end, it's time to begin the unofficial second half of the 2014 major league season. In one of the tightest playoff races in recent memory, only one team enters play on Friday with a division lead of more than four games, and there are 19 clubs -- 11 in the American League and eight in the National League -- that are within seven games of a playoff spot. How will your favorite team fare in the second half? Tom Verducci previews the rest of the season for every squad, and makes his picks for which clubs will to advance to the postseason.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Videos are displayed in alphabetical order by team.&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Arizona Diamondbacks&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 40-56, last place in NL West (13 1/2 games back)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Atlanta Braves&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 52-43, tied for first place in NL East and NL Wild Card\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Baltimore Orioles&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 52-42, first place in AL East (4 games ahead)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Boston Red Sox&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 43-52, fifth place in AL East (9 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Chicago Cubs&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 40-54, fifth place in NL Central (12 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Chicago White Sox&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 45-51, fourth place in AL Central (10 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Cincinnati Reds&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 51-44, third place in NL Central (1 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Cleveland Indians&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 47-47, third place in AL Central (7 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Colorado Rockies&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 40-55, fourth place in NL West (13 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Detroit Tigers&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 53-38, first place in AL Central (6 1/2 GA)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Houston Astros&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 40-56, fourth place in AL West (19 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Kansas City Royals&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 48-46, second place in AL Central (6 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Los Angeles Angels&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 57-37, second place in AL West (1 1/2 GB); leading AL Wild Card\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Los Angeles Dodgers&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 54-43, first place in NL West (1 GA)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Miami Marlins&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 44-50, fourth place in NL East (7 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Milwaukee Brewers&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 53-43, first place in NL Central (1 GA)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Minnesota Twins&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 44-50, fifth place in AL Central (10 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;New York Mets&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 45-50, third place in NL East (7 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;New York Yankees&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 47-47, third place in AL East (5 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Oakland Athletics&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 59-36, first place in AL West (1 1/2 GA)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Philadelphia Phillies&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 42-53, fifth place in NL East (10 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Pittsburgh Pirates&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 49-46, fourth place in NL Central (3 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;San Diego Padres&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 41-54, third place in NL West (12 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;San Francisco Giants&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 52-43, second place in NL West (1 GB); second place in NL Wild Card\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Seattle Mariners&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 51-44, third place in AL West (8 GB); second place in AL Wild Card\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;St. Louis Cardinals&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 52-44, second place in NL Central (1 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Tampa Bay Rays&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 44-53, fourth place in AL East (9 1/2 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Texas Rangers&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 38-57, fifth place in AL West (21 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Toronto Blue Jays&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 49-47, second place in AL East (4 GB)\r\n\r\n&lt;h2&gt;Washington Nationals&lt;/h2&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-half record:&lt;/strong&gt; 51-42, tied for first place in NL East and NL Wild Card\r\n&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/07/17/quick-pitch-mlb-second-half-preview>