For those who think it's strictly pitching that wins divisions, think again.

When Chicago was kicking butt, their TEAM ERA was 3.66, since that time they have gone 20-22, and their TEAM ERA was 3.76. ONLY .10 DIFFERENCE!

That is not enough of a change to warrant Chicago playing .500 ball versus winning 2 out of every 3 games! What HAS changed is Chicago was averaging 5.0 runs a game when they were winning 2 out 3 games, and since their slide, they are down to 4.1 runs per game.

There you have it, the difference between a .667 winning percentage and a .500 winning percentage is EXACTLY one run a game when you factor in the .1 ERA gain.

I seem to recall when the Indians were struggling earlier this year that they were averaging around 4 runs a game, and once they started hitting, and averaging 5 runs a game, the Indians season turned around.

What a difference one run per game makes!