The Yankees traveled north of the border on Friday, as they opened up a series against the Blue Jays. However, they left their bats — or whatever is left of them — back in the states. The lineup mustered just one run as they dropped the opener 3-1 to Toronto.
While the Yankees stunk up the joint yesterday, did anyone give them a helping hand in the various playoff races. Let’s check in today’s edition of the Rivalry Roundup.
Baltimore Orioles (59-63) 6, Tampa Bay Rays (74-47) 5
The Rays very nearly climbed all the way out of a four-run hole in the ninth inning, but they fell one short, stranding the potential game-tying run at second as the Orioles finished things off behind Cam Sanders, snapping Tampa Bay’s nine-game winning streak.
The two teams traded off runs in the second and third innings, with the O’s taking 1-0 and 2-1 leads, only for the game to be tied by Tampa Bay shortly after. The game stayed tied for a while after that, as Chris Bassitt put in a solid effort for Baltimore fresh off the 60-day IL, matched by a combined effort by the Rays’ bullpen.
The deadlock was broken when Dylan Beavers drove home two runs on a single in the seventh inning. Amid a deeply disappointing season, Gunnar Henderson then gave Baltimore some breathing room when he hit a two-run homer in the eighth. That seemed like it would be plenty enough, but it very nearly wasn’t.
Tampa Bay started the bottom of the ninth with two singles and a wild pitch moving two runners into scoring position. Jonathan Aranda cashed in on that opportunity, driving home two runs with a single. A walk and a pair of stolen bases then put the tying run in scoring position, but Junior Caminero managed just a run-scoring ground out. Baltimore opted to issue an intentional walk Liam Hicks, which did put the winning run on base, but the gambit worked and the O’s escaped and eked out the win. The Rays remain 6.5 games ahead of the Yankees and the O’s got to within a game of the Tigers and Rangers for the last Wild Card spot — though the Twins and Blue Jays also sit between them.
Other Games
- Pittsburgh Pirates (60-64) 8, Boston Red Sox (65-57) 4: The Pirates got to Red Sox pitching to the tune of two home runs and eight runs in total, keeping Boston from gaining ground on the Yankees. Former Yankee prospect Rafael Flores Jr. got Pittsburgh on the board in the second, and the Bucs then scored a combined six runs over the fourth and fifth to fully take control of the game. In terms of pure numbers, the Red Sox actually recorded the same number of hits as Pittsburgh with nine, but the Pirates just did far more damage with their chances.
- Chicago White Sox (63-58) 9, Detroit Tigers (60-62) 5: Miguel Vargas went 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI to lead the White Sox past the Tigers. Chicago took control of this game with a five-run fourth inning, which included a Munetaka Murakami homer and a two-run Braden Montgomery triple. The White Sox didn’t have a particularly sterling pitching day, they just never remotely needed one; now, they’re 3.5 games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central.
- Houston Astros (63-60) 10, Seattle Mariners (57-66) 7 – 10 innings: An absolutely wild 10th inning saw the Astros give up two runs in the top of the frame before scoring five in the bottom of it to walk off with the win. Houston led for most of the game before the M’s scored two in the eighth to tie things up and eventually send it to extras. Seattle then seemingly took control in the 10th, with a Victor Robles’ triple leading the way to them putting up two runs. However, they couldn’t hold that edge, and Christian Walker eventually sent everyone home with a three-run homer. Houston is 2.5 games ahead of Texas in the AL West, while the M’s continue to fade (six back of Houston and 3.5 behind the Wild Card).