AP Photo/Seth Wenig

The Yankees were one of five AL teams to post a double-digit run total on Sunday.

AL BATS EXPLODE

By Mark Simon, ESPN Research

The best day for offense in the American League this season featured five teams scoring at least 10 runs. No National League team went for double digits on Sunday.

"MONDAY NIGHT BASEBALL"

• Astros at Brewers, 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN

The bats were hot for those in the American League Central race -- both the Twins and White Sox put up huge numbers. The Yankees gained ground on the Red Sox by pounding the Royals, while Boston got trounced by the Blue Jays. And Melvin Mora continued his torrid month with an amazing effort as the Orioles crushed the Tigers. Mora went 5-for-6 with five RBIs.

For much of this season, the National League has managed more offense. On Sunday, everything reverted to old traditions -- the AL is for hitters, while the NL is more about pitching.

AL Teams with 10+ runs Sunday
Team	Opponent	Score	Note
Yankees	Royals	15-6	Brian Bannister became the first pitcher in Yankee Stadium history to allow 10-plus runs in one inning or less.
Blue Jays	at Red Sox	15-4	Fifteen runs matched the most ever scored by the Blue Jays against the Red Sox.
Orioles	at Tigers	16-8	Melvin Mora is hitting .500, with 26 RBIs in August.
White Sox	at A's	13-1	Carlos Quentin has connected on 15 home runs over his past 32 games.
Twins	Mariners	11-8	The Twins were helped by R.A. Dickey's record-tying four wild pitches in the third inning.

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FUKUDOME EXPERIENCING ROOKIE BUMPS

By Chris Singleton, ESPN

It was very important for Kosuke Fukudome to get off to a good start, and he had great success early in the year. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation the first couple of weeks of the season. And he had some big hits starting off the year. He really won over the fans, and first impressions are very important. But as time has gone on, what you have is a Japanese player who's making an adjustment to playing in the United States. There's a learning curve. I've been told that most times Japanese players are more concerned with making contact and not striking out. They don't want to be a player that strikes out a lot because it's not as acceptable in the Japanese style of play. So you have a guy that wasn't really showing much power, but was getting a lot of base hits.

When any player, whether it's a 21-year-old rookie or a 29-year-old rookie, goes through the league for the first time, some holes in their swing are exposed -- and everyone has holes in their swing at times, that's why it's a game of adjustments -- then that video gets circulated and everyone will pick up on it. The challenges he's had are just like anyone else's. Fukudome is not immune to that. He needs to learn to adjust.

One thing that people really noticed from the start with Fukudome was that he was very selective at the plate. He knew the strike zone. But what we've seen with him the past month or so is that he's chasing pitches out of the strike zone. He's striking out more. When he's striking out, it's looking pretty bad, especially on breaking balls because he's sort of leaving the batter's box as he's swinging. Pitchers are also pounding him inside more, so it's harder for him to get his arms extended. And when you have that movement, where you're coming out of the box, you can get yourself tied up or make a mistake and commit to a pretty good slider that you have no chance at.

I think there is no question he wants to play through it, especially when you consider that the Cubs are winning and playing well. Whenever you are struggling and the team continues to win, you feel like, "OK, this buys me some time to get things together and get on track again." Now, if the team's not playing well, then everything is magnified. Had Cubs manager Lou Piniella not said anything, I think Fukudome's struggles could have gone under the radar. But because Piniella made it clear that the Cubs needed more production, it makes it a little tougher. I think, ideally, they'd like some pop. I don't think they are going to get that from Fukudome. He's more of a doubles hitter. In the end, it'll be Piniella's call.

The people with the Cubs that I've spoken to say Fukudome's demeanor is no different than it was early in the season. The Cubs have won 11 straight road games, so they are playing pretty good baseball, and that gives Fukudome a longer leash. If things start to turn, I can see Piniella making a move. He might pick his spots against certain pitchers and get a little more creative with the playing time.

TOUCH 'EM ALL

Who went deep? Keep track of all the home runs hit each day on "Baseball Tonight" and on the Baseball Tonight Clubhouse page.

Click here to find out who hit the longest home run. For more, check out the Home Run Tracker page.

NAME	HR	OPP	PITCHER	SITUATION
A. Rodriguez, NYY	28	KC	Bannister	Bot 1: 0-2, 1 Outs. 2 on.
X. Nady, NYY	7	KC	Bannister	Bot 1: 1-1, 2 Outs. None on.
T. Ishikawa, SF	1	Atl	Morton	Top 2: 2-1, 0 Outs. 1 on.
B. Schneider, NYM	4	Pit	Karstens	Top 2: 0-2, 1 Outs. 1 on.
J. Giambi, NYY	24	KC	Bannister	Bot 2: 1-1, 0 Outs. Gr. Slam.
A. Lind, Tor	8	Bos	Beckett	Top 3: 0-1, 0 Outs. None on.
T. Wigginton, Hou	15	Ari	Johnson	Bot 1: 1-0, 2 Outs. 2 on.
M. Mora, Bal	19	Det	Fossum	Top 4: 1-2, 1 Outs. None on.
L. Scott, Bal	20	Det	Fossum	Top 4: 0-1, 1 Outs. 2 on.
I. Stewart, Col	8	Was	Perez	Top 4: 2-2, 0 Outs. 2 on.
C. Beltran, NYM	17	Pit	Karstens	Top 6: 2-1, 0 Outs. None on.
A. Huff, Bal	26	Det	Lopez	Top 5: 0-1, 0 Outs. 1 on.
K. Youkilis, Bos	23	Tor	Marcum	Bot 4: 3-1, 0 Outs. None on.
B. Phillips, Cin	20	StL	Garcia	Bot 7: 0-1, 1 Outs. 2 on.
C. Ransom, NYY	1	KC	Fulchino	Bot 7: 1-1, 2 Outs. 1 on.
A. Beltre, Sea	20	Min	Perkins	Top 6: 3-1, 1 Outs. 1 on.
L. Scott, Bal	21	Det	Beltran	Top 7: 1-0, 0 Outs. None on.
W. Balentien, Sea	7	Min	Perkins	Top 6: 2-2, 2 Outs. None on.
K. Johjima, Sea	4	Min	Perkins	Top 6: 3-2, 2 Outs. None on.
J. Morneau, Min	19	Sea	Lowe	Bot 6: 3-2, 0 Outs. None on.
B. Hawpe, Col	21	Was	Manning	Top 8: 1-2, 0 Outs. None on.
R. Gload, KC	3	NYY	Britton	Top 9: 0-1, 1 Outs. 1 on.
S. Smith, Col	3	Was	Colome	Top 8: 1-0, 1 Outs. 2 on.
M. Mora, Bal	20	Det	Beltran	Top 8: 1-1, 0 Outs. 1 on.
M. Kemp, LAD	15	Mil	Suppan	Bot 1: 0-0, 0 Outs. None on.
D. Pedroia, Bos	12	Tor	Carlson	Bot 7: 2-2, 2 Outs. None on.
M. Ramirez, LAD	6	Mil	Suppan	Bot 1: 0-0, 1 Outs. 1 on.
J. Uribe, CWS	5	Oak	Gonzalez	Top 2: 3-2, 2 Outs. 1 on.
C. Quentin, CWS	34	Oak	Gonzalez	Top 3: 1-0, 0 Outs. 1 on.
J. Dye, CWS	29	Oak	Gonzalez	Top 3: 2-1, 0 Outs. None on.
M. Cameron, Mil	21	LAD	Kershaw	Top 4: 3-1, 1 Outs. None on.
A. Ethier, LAD	14	Mil	Suppan	Bot 5: 3-1, 1 Outs. None on.
A. Ramirez, CWS	12	Oak	Meyer	Top 7: 0-2, 2 Outs. Gr. Slam.
R. Braun, Mil	31	LAD	Park	Top 9: 0-2, 2 Outs. 1 on.
A. Ethier, LAD	15	Mil	Villanueva	Bot 9: 1-2, 0 Outs. 1 on.
C. Pena, TB	25	Tex	Nippert	Top 3: 1-0, 1 Outs. 2 on.
B. Upton, TB	8	Tex	Nippert	Top 4: 2-1, 2 Outs. 1 on.