Following multiple rainouts on Tuesday, Wednesday was chock-full of important action around the American League. The Yankees, playing a pair against the Pirates, split the two contests, while the rest of their AL East foes were tied up in important divisional matchups. It was an eventful day, as the Rays continued to beat up on the Jays, while Boston’s huge winning streak continued and then came to an end. Let’s take a look at how everything shook out.
Tampa Bay Rays (59-42) 4, Toronto Blue Jays (46-56)
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For the third time in as many days, the Rays once again gave the business to Toronto. In the penultimate game of a four-game series north of the border, Tampa Bay cruised to victory thanks to some timely small ball and quality work from starter Griffin Jax.
The Jays struck first on George Springer’s RBI groundout, which was quickly answered by a Victor Mesa Jr. run-scoring knock that tied things up at one in the second inning — the first of multiple big contributions from the Rays’ right fielder. After the early run, Jax settled in with ease, coasting to six strong innings of work, allowing just the one run on three hits, while striking out five.
Despite the strong effort on the mound, the game remained tied until the sixth, when the Rays took the lead on a sac fly from Chandler Simpson, before Mesa chipped in once again with another RBI knock. By the end of the inning, the Rays had taken a 4-1 advantage.
Toronto cut the lead when Alejandro Kirk homered in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough, as they fell once again to the Rays, by a score of 4-2. With their win and the Yankees’ split of a doubleheader, Tampa Bay’s lead in the East stands at 2.5 games.
Other Games
Boston Red Sox (52-48) 6, Baltimore Orioles (49-53) 3 (Game 1): After a wash on Tuesday, the Red Sox and O’s were slated for some doubleheader action on Wednesday, much like their rivals. The Sox jumped out quickly against Baltimore starter Dean Kremer, as they plated four runs in the opening inning, with Jarren Duran’s two-run triple putting a cap on the frame. That was ultimately the bulk of their scoring, as Boston secured their 15th (!) straight win in the matinee, tying a franchise record set by the 1946 Red Sox.
Baltimore Orioles (50-53) 5, Boston Red Sox (52-49) 1 (Game 2): Their massive winning streak would come to an end in the second game, however. In a bit of payback, the Orioles this time jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, when a wild pitch and a pair of big hits had Baltimore up early. Fresh off signing an extension to stick around Baltimore through 2031, starter Kyle Bradish had the good stuff as well, allowing just one run over his six innings of work, helping the O’s cruise to victory and put an end to Boston’s W15.
Cincinnati Reds (47-54) 5, Seattle Mariners (51-52) 3: After leading into the middle innings thanks to hits from Cal Raleigh and Luke Raley, the Mariners surrendered their lead later on in theeventual loss. The big hit of the night came off the bat of Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart, who belted a clutch three-run shot in the seventh to turn the Reds’ deficit into a lead. His 21st of the season sealed the loss for the now sub-.500 Mariners — though they at least remained a half-game back of Texas for first place in the AL West.
Chicago White Sox (54-47) 4, Texas Rangers (51-51) 2: With another win on Wednesday, the White Sox retained their slim lead in the competitive AL Central. This one came thanks in large part to a huge day from Chase Meidroth, who went 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs on the night. Starter Anthony Kay also did enough to get things done on the mound, allowing a pair of runs over five innings. Chicago keeps their half-game lead with the win, while Texas holds a razor-thin advantage over Seattle.
Minnesota Twins (50-53) 10, Cleveland Guardians (54-49) 6: Despite a good day on the offensive side for the Guardians, they couldn’t keep up with Minnesota’s double-digit outpouring on Wednesday. After trailing in the first two innings, the Twins turned it up a notch with seven runs in the third and fourth innings, with Alex Jackson’s RBI knock giving them the lead, and Brooks Lee’s three-run homer kicking the door in. A trio of insurance runs in the eighth allowed the Twins to capture the 10-6 win, and snag their 50th win on the season.
