The Times’ baseball rankings

Last week’s ranking in parentheses. Statistics are through Friday’s games:

1. OAKLAND: After Lester deal, had best starting rotation in the American League — for a couple of hours. (1)

2. ANGELS: Reliever Joe Smith’s streak of retiring 31 consecutive right-handed batters ends vs. Orioles. (2)

3. DETROIT: Top three starters are the last three AL Cy Young winners; triple crown winner anchors batting order. (3)

4. DODGERS: Instant relief: Left-hander J.P. Howell is limiting first batters to a .116 average (five for 43). (6)

5. BALTIMORE: He’s a devil: Bud Norris lifetime vs. Angels is 4-0 with a 0.43 ERA over 41 2/3 innings in six starts. (5)

6. MILWAUKEE: Non-roster free agent Zach Duke — 4-0 with 1.43 ERA — had 16 consecutive scoreless outings. (7)

7. TORONTO: No average Joes: Jose Reyes’ 47 hits since June 24 trails only Houston’s Jose Altuve, who has 49. (15)

8. WASHINGTON: Gio Gonzalez was 21-8 in 32 starts in 2012; is 17-15 in 49 starts since. (11)

9. PITTSBURGH: Pirates faced 12 left-handed starters in 95 games before the All-Star break; saw nine in 14 after. (9)

10. ST. LOUIS: Top end of starting rotation should get boost from John Lackey, but still doesn’t match that of Dodgers. (10)

11. ATLANTA: Yasiel Puig vs. Braves: .511 batting average with a 1.395 on-base-plus-slugging in 11 games. (12)

12. SAN FRANCISCO: Need offense? Tim Hudson hit .396 with 18 homers and 95 RBIs as a senior at Auburn. (8)

13. KANSAS CITY: Wade Davis gives up first extra-base hit of the season, ending streak at 45 2/3 innings. (16)

14. SEATTLE: Left-hander Joe Beimel — remember him, Dodgers fans? — is 3-1 with a 1.34 ERA. (13)

15. NEW YORK YANKEES: Johnson-for-Drew trade impact falls somewhere south of $100,000 for Babe Ruth. (14)

16. TAMPA BAY: Ratings blip: Team with sub-.500 record — with David Price — never should have been No. 4. (4)

17. CINCINNATI: Reds are stumbling but not fumbling. They have NL’s best fielding percentage, .987. (18)

18. CLEVELAND: Better late than never: Indians have MLB-high 173 runs in seventh inning or later. (17)

19. CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Top lefty-Cuban combination: Kershaw and Puig or Sale and Abreu? (20)

20. MIAMI: Combined 6-1 record at Atlanta and Houston was best seven-game trip in club history. (19)

21. SAN DIEGO: Former Yankee Yangervis Solarte is 10th rookie to hit home runs in both leagues. (21)

22. BOSTON: Joe Kelly for John Lackey? OK. Allen Craig for Lackey? OK. Both? Good deal! (22)

23. NEW YORK METS: USC product Lucas Duda has six homers and 12 RBIs in nine-game stretch. (23)

24. MINNESOTA: Catcher Kurt Suzuki’s career year pays off with two-year contract extension. (25)

25. PHILADELPHIA: Grady Sizemore, released by Boston, batting .344 (22 for 64) since joining Phillies. (26)

26. CHICAGO CUBS: Jake Arrieta’s 10 consecutive quality starts is longest Cubs streak since 1994. (27)

27. ARIZONA: Kirk Gibson passes the legendary Bob Melvin to become the D’backs’ winningest manager. (24)

28: HOUSTON: Collin McHugh, a pretty good 4-9 pitcher: .203 average against, 107 strikeouts, 70 hits in 95 innings. (28)

29. COLORADO: Second baseman DJ LeMahieu hitting an MLB-best .419 (18 for 43) in interleague play. (29)

30. TEXAS: Rangers have used MLB-high 53 players, including 32 pitchers — two that are position players. (30)