The Yankees wrapped up their trip to Minnesota on Wednesday with a win, as a two-home run game from Trent Grisham helped propel them to a fairly straight-forward victory. The win lowered their magic number for clinching a playoff spot to seven, but they’re still playing for more than just a postseason place.
As the Yankees picked up a victory, let’s see if they got any help elsewhere in today’s Rivalry Roundup.
Cleveland Guardians (80-71) 4, Detroit Tigers (85-67) 0
The Guardians picked up a win in their chase for a playoff spot, as Gavin Williams and Cleveland’s
bullpen shutout the Tigers, and they continue to inch up on Detroit.
In total, Detroit managed just four hits and four walks against a combination of six different Guardians pitchers. Williams went five innings allowing three hits and two walks, while Stephen Vogt was extremely not afraid to use his bullpen, using five different arms to combine for the last four innings. The gambit worked as Detroit didn’t threaten much and had their last six batters go down in order.
On the offensive side of things, it wasn’t until late on that Cleveland started to semi-pull away. George Valera had an RBI single in the third inning, and Angel Martínez hit one of his own in the sixth. However, it was still just a 2-0 game going into the ninth, when two RBI from Bo Naylor gave the Guards some breathing room.
Boston Red Sox (83-69) 5, Athletics (71-81) 4 (1o innings)
A walk-off fielder’s choice hit by Nick Sogard allowed Boston to not lose any ground to the Yankees, as they survived an extra innings game against the A’s.
While the Red Sox held leads of both 1-0 and 2-1 early on, the Athletics took control of the game with a three-run fifth inning. The A’s benefitted from Lucas Giolito issuing a bases loaded walk, before Darell Hernaiz brought home another two runs with a bases loaded single.
However, that control didn’t last long, as the Red Sox got a run back in each of the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game up. It was a Trevor Story RBI single that evened the score, and after a couple scoreless frames from both bullpens, sent the game to the 10th inning.
After the A’s failed to do anything in the top of the 10th, they opted to try and play matchups by intentionally walking Nathaniel Lowe, putting a second runner on base. In response, Carlos Narváez just laid down a sacrifice bunt in the next at-bat, putting the speedy Nate Eaton on third, where he scored from on Sogard’s grounder.
Tampa Bay Rays (74-78) 2, Toronto Blue Jays (89-63) 1
The Yankees got some help from their Steinbrenner Field roommates as Ian Seymour and the Rays shutdown Toronto.
Tampa Bay took a lead in the first inning thanks to a Yandy Díaz single, but they struggled to do much else against Kevin Gausman. Thankfully for them, Seymour was very good, allowing just one run in his seven innings.
The Jays did even the game up in the fourth inning when an Alejando Kirk sacrifice fly brought home a run. The game stayed knotted at one for a little while, but Chandler Simpson gave the Rays the lead back with an RBI single in the seventh inning. After that, Tampa Bay relievers Edwin Uceta and Pete Fairbanks went six up, six down to give Tampa Bay the win.
Houston Astros (84-69) 5, Texas Rangers (79-74) 2
In conjunction with a game we’ll talk about below, the Astros regained the lead in the AL West as they jumped on Jacob deGrom and beat the Rangers.
Houston started out hot early, as a couple first inning hits led to two runs scoring on a Yainer Diaz single. While Texas answered back in the second inning, the Astros regained the lead in the bottom of the third. Jose Altuve did the damage that time, hitting a two-run homer.
After that, the Rangers’ offense didn’t do much else against Cristian Javier and Houston’s bullpen. After scoring in the second inning, they managed just three singles and two walks the rest of the way, with a runner reaching scoring position just twice over those final seven innings.
Other Games
- Kansas City Royals (76-76) 7, Seattle Mariners (83-69) 5: Having just taken the AL West lead, the Mariners couldn’t hang onto it, as their bullpen coughed up a four-run eighth inning in a loss to the Royals that put ‘em a half-game back of Houston. Seattle quickly fell down 3-0 in the first inning, but answered back and eventually tied the game up in the eighth. However, reliever Matt Brash allowed a two-run homer to Adam Frazier as part of a four-run frame that doomed the M’s to a defeat.
