The Yankees won a big one against the Tigers on Thursday, though they partnered it with a commanding Blue Jays victory against Houston. Despite the short schedule, it was an exciting night of baseball around the American League. Here’s a look around the action.
Toronto Blue Jays (84-62) 6, Houston Astros (79-68) 0
The Blue Jays took an easy one from the Astros on Thursday, keeping their opponent off the board entirely while doing more than enough with the bats.
The Jays kicked things off early, when RBI doubles from both Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger
had them up 2-0 in the first inning. They added on to that lead in the next frame, when Davis Schneider swatted his 11th homer of the season, a solo shot that put the Jays ahead 3-0.
While the Toronto bats were doing their job, Jays fans were enjoying vintage Kevin Gausman at his very best. The veteran righty kept the Astros hitless through the first three innings, and although they got their first hit in the fourth, he pretty much never slowed down.
The Jays starter ultimately went the distance in this one, twirling a masterful complete game shutout. He allowed only two hits, just measly singles to Jeremy Peña and Carlos Correa, a single walk, and struck out nine Houston batters along the way. In a start following an excellent eight-inning performance against the Yankees, Gausman turned in perhaps his best of the year against the Astros.
The Toronto offense continued to fire away while Gausman locked things down. Both Schneider and Barger pitched in later in the game with RBIs, while Daulton Varsho got in on the action with a triple that put them up by the final of 6-0. The Yankees were able to keep pace with their win on Thursday, keeping the separation to three games in the East.
Other Games
- Chicago White Sox (57-90) 5, Tampa Bay Rays (72-74) 1: The Rays dropped a second-straight game to the Sox, scoring just one run against Shane Smith and company. Chicago went up 2-0 in the first inning thanks to a Colson Montgomery single, and never really looked back. The Rays scored their lone run in the eighth, already down 5-0, and it was all they could muster on the day. Now two games under .500, the Rays face an uphill battle to re-enter the playoff picture.
- Cleveland Guardians (75-71) 3, Kansas City Royals (74-73) 2: A clutch homer in the eighth was the story for the Guardians in this one. Vinnie Pasquantino gave K.C. an early lead with his 30th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the first inning. It was a lead they would hold until the bottom of the eighth inning, thanks in part to Stephen Kolek’s very good 6.2 innings on the mound. Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, Bo Naylor singled to start things off, before C.J. Kayfus turned this game around in a hurry, when he gave Cleveland their first lead of the night with a dramatic two-run homer into center field. It was the game-winner, and keeps the Guardians in the heart of the playoff hunt.
- Seattle Mariners (79-68) 7, Los Angeles Angels (69-78) 6 (12 innings): The night was capped off with a dramatic Mariners win in the 12th inning. Mike Trout homered in the fifth to tie things up at four, and it remained that way until the end of the ninth. In extras, both squads scored in the 11th, and the Angels kept it up in the 12th thanks to Taylor Ward’s single. In the bottom half, J.P. Crawford tied things up with a single, before Harry Ford became the hero with a walk-off sacrifice fly. The big win ties the M’s with the Astros atop the AL West.
