Bama in the Big Leagues: Alex Avila Secures Weekend Sweep for the Chicago Cubs

For most of the month of August, the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates have been jockeying for position to make a late season push for the playoffs in the National League Central.

In Chicago’s series final against Toronto Sunday, former Alabama slugger Alex Avila delivered his biggest hit of the season. With the bases loaded and the Cubs trailing 5-4, Avila line a single to right field that drove home two-runs to clinch a weekend sweep over the Toronto Blue Jays. The win keeps Chicago in first place in the NL Central heading into the final 11 days of August.

Former Crimson Tide pitcher Adam Morgan likewise posted his best week of the season for the Philadelphia Phillies. Morgan came out of the bullpen to win back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday over the San Francisco Giants to secure a split in the four-game series.

Find out how the rest of Alabama’s former stars performed this week.

Alex Avila - Catcher (Chicago Cubs)

2017:

89 games, .269 avg. 14 HR, 42 RBI, 33 runs, 12 doubles, 48 BB, 91 K, 1 error, .386 OBP

Last Week:

Aug. 14 vs. Cincinnati: 0-5, 1 K

Aug. 15 vs. Cincinnati: 0-1, 1 K

Aug. 16 vs. Cincinnati: 1-4, 1 RBI, 2 K

Aug. 17 vs. Cincinnati: 2-4, 1 HR, 1 double, 3 RBI, 1 run, 1 BB, 1 K

Aug. 18 vs. Toronto: Did not play

Aug. 19 vs. Toronto: 1-4, 1 K

Aug. 20 vs. Toronto: 1-1, 2 RBI, 1 BB

This Week:

Aug. 21: Off Day

Aug. 22-24 at Cincinnati

Aug. 25-27 at Philadelphia

Tommy Hunter - RHP (Tamp Bay Rays)

2017:

46 appearances, 2-4, 1 save, 2.05 ERA, 44 IP, 32 hits, 11 runs (10 earned), 11 BB, 46 K, 4 HR allowed, 2 errors

Last Week:

Aug. 14 at Toronto: Did not play

Aug. 15 at Toronto: 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K

Aug. 16 at Toronto: Did not play

Aug. 17 at Toronto: Loss, 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 2 runs (2 earned), 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR allowed

Aug. 18 vs. Seattle: Did not play

Aug. 19 vs. Seattle: Did not play

Aug. 20 vs. Seattle: 1 IP, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 BB, 2 K

This Week:

Aug. 21: Off Day

Aug. 22-24 vs. Toronto

Aug. 25-27 at St. Louis

Wade LeBlanc - LHP (Pittsburgh Pirates)

2017:

45 appearances, 4-2, 1 save, 4.99 ERA, 61.1 IP, 62 hits, 34 runs (34 earned), 16 BB, 48 K, 10 HR allowed,

Last Week:

Aug. 14: Off Day

Aug. 15 at Milwaukee: Did not play

Aug. 16 at Milwaukee: Did not play

Aug. 17 vs. St. Louis: Loss, 1.0 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs (4 earned), 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR allowed

Aug. 18 vs. St. Louis: Did not play

Aug. 19 vs. St. Louis: Did not play

Aug. 20 vs. St. Louis: Did not play4

This Week:

Aug. 21-24 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:

Aug. 25-27 at Cincinnati

Adam Morgan - LHP (Philadelphia Phillies)

2017:

23 appearances, 2-1, 4.95 ERA, 36.1 IP, 39 hits, 20 runs (20 earned), 13 BB, 42 K, 9 HR allowed

Last Week:

Aug. 14 at San Diego: Did not play

Aug. 15 at San Diego: Did not play

Aug. 16 at San Diego: 1.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 3 K

Aug. 17 at San Francisco: Did not play

Aug. 18 at San Francisco: Did not play

Aug. 19 at San Francisco: Win, 0.1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K

Aug. 20 at San Francisco: Win, 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 2 K

This Week:

Aug. 21: Off Day

Aug. 22-24 vs. Miami

Aug. 25-27 vs. Chicago Cubs

Jimmy Nelson - RHP (Milwaukee Brewers)

2017:

25 appearances (25 starts), 9-6, 3.74 ERA, 151.2 IP, 153 hits, 70 runs (63 earned), 38 BB, 169 K, 15 HR allowed, 2 errors

Last Week:

Aug. 14: Off Day

Aug. 15 at Pittsburgh: Did not play

Aug. 16 at Pittsburgh: 6.1 IP, 8 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), 1 BB, 7 K

Aug. 17: Off Day

Aug. 18 at Colorado: Did not play

Aug. 19 at Colorado: Did not play

Aug. 20 at Colorado: Did not play

This Week:

Aug. 21-23 at San Francisco

Aug. 24: Off Day

Aug. 25-27 at Los Angeles Dodgers

David Robertson - RHP (New York Yankees)

2017:

45 appearances, 6-2, 14 saves, 2.19 ERA, 49.1 IP, 31 hits, 12 runs (12 earned), 14 BB, 71 K, 6 HR allowed

Last Week:

Aug. 14 vs. New York Mets: Win, 1 IP, 0 hits, 1 BB, 3 K

Aug. 15 vs. New York Mets: Did not play

Aug. 16 at New York Mets: Save, 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 2 K

Aug. 17 at New York Mets: Did not play

Aug. 18 at Boston: Did not play

Aug. 19 at Boston: 1.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 BB, 3 K

Aug. 20 at Boston: Did not play

This Week:

Aug. 21: Off Day

Aug. 22-24 at Detroit

Aug. 25-27 vs. Seattle

Josh Rutledge - Third Base (Boston Red Sox)

60-Day Disabled List (Concussion/Hip)

2017:

37 games, .224 avg. 0 HR, 9 RBI, 10 runs, 1 triple, 2 doubles, 9 BB, 31 K, 1 SB, 4 errors, .297 OBP

Last Week:

Aug. 14 vs. Cleveland: Did not play

Aug. 15 vs. St. Louis: Did not play

Aug. 16 vs. St. Louis: Did not play

Aug. 17: Off Day

Aug. 18 vs. New York Yankees: Did not play

Aug. 19 vs. New York Yankees: Did not play

Aug. 20 vs. New York Yankees: Did not play

This Week:

Aug. 21-24 at Cleveland

Aug. 25-27 vs. Baltimore