The final four series of the season was supposed to be the stretch where the Yankees made hay and solidified positioning and momentum heading into the postseason. With that preamble, you have to say that this was not the start the Bombers envisioned getting off to as they were shut out, 7-0, in the opener against the Twins.
Monday was light on action around the league, so let’s look at the two other games with implications on the AL playoff races.
Toronto Blue Jays (88-62) 2, Tampa Bay Rays (73-77) 1
It was an MLB debut to remember for Blue Jays rookie
Trey Yesavage. Taken with the 20th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Yesavage rocketed through all four levels of Toronto’s farm system this season to establish himself as their top prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The front office was so impressed that they handed him hsi big league debut in his first season of professional ball, and he rewarded that trust with a more dominant start than even he could have dreamed of.
It was a bit of a rocky welcome to the league in the first inning, the 22-year-old righty giving up a Chandler Simpson leadoff single followed by a Yandy Díaz RBI double to give the Rays the early lead. However, from that point forward he was lights out, allowing just two base runners — a walk and a single — across his final four innings. He showcased his wipeout stuff by striking out the side in the fourth and ended the day having allowed a run on three hits and two walks with nine strikeouts across five-plus.
It turns out the Blue Jays needed him to shove considering opposition starter Joe Boyle was just as much on his game. The 26-year-old righty tossed six scoreless frames allowing just three hits and no walks against five strikeouts. It took until the eighth for Toronto to tie the game, Ernie Clement leading off with a double, advancing to third on a sac bunt, and scoring the tying run on an Andrés Giménez sac fly, and that’s where the score would stand to send the game into extra innings. Both teams went down in order in the tenth inning, and the Blue Jays would not waste their opportunity in the eleventh, George Springer lining a two-out single to left to plate automatic runner Clement.
The Rays looked like they would answer right back, a Díaz leadoff single putting runners on the corners with no outs. However, Brandon Lowe, Junior Caminero, and Josh Lowe all struck out to end the game. With the win and the Yankees’ loss, the Blue Jays’ lead in the division now stands at five games with 12 to play.
Houston Astros (82-69) 6, Texas Rangers (79-72) 3
The Astros ambushed Jack Leiter for two runs in the first to set the tone for a game in which neither defense did their starter any favors. Jeremy Peña led off with a single followed by a Yordan Alvarez walk to put a pair on with no outs. Carlos Correa then grounded softly back to Leiter, but the young starter threw the ball into right field allowing both Peña and Alvarez to score, though Alvarez had to leave the game with a sprained ankle suffered as he was crossing home.
The fifth inning is where things truly unraveled for both teams’ infield defenses. In the top half, Adolis García reached on a leadoff fielding error by Peña, and two batters later Josh Jung went deep to level the score at 2-2. Dylan Moore kept the inning going with a two out single and a steal of second, allowing him to score the go-ahead run on a Josh Smith single. The bottom half started in much the same way as the first, Yainer Diaz reaching on a leadoff throwing error from Smith at short. After a pair of force outs, Zach Cole reestablished the Astros’ lead with a booming home run to right.
Houston widened that lead in the seventh, Jesús Sánchez and Peña slugging a pair of two-out doubles for one run and Cole wrapping things up with an RBI single for his third run driven in on the night. Texas gave themselves a pair of late opportunities to turn the game back in their favor but came up short both times. Jonah Heim was thrown out at home to end the seventh and strand a pair of runners. Then in the ninth, Heim walked and Ezequiel Duran singled with two outs, but Cody Freeman grounded into the game-ending force out. With the Mariners having the night off, the Astros narrowed the gap to first in the AL West to a half game.
