Happy Labor Day! Hope you all had a safe and great holiday. Let’s check out what happened over the weekend and what’s to come this week in the American League East.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Rays faced the Twins at home. Michael Wacha pitched six innings and gave up two runs. Austin Meadows went 2-for-4. The Rays won 5-3.
Chris Archer pitched five innings and gave up four runs. The offense had his back by scoring 11 runs. Yandy Diaz went 2-for-4 and hit his 10th home run. Randy Arozarena hit his 19th home run and went 3-for-4. Wander Franco went 2-for-5. Brandon Lowe hit his 32nd home run. The Rays won 11-4.
Luis Patino only lasted 2.2 innings and gave up four runs. Lowe hit his 33rd home run and Meadows hit his 23rd. Kevin Kiermaier went 2-for-4. The Rays lost 6-5.
The Rays head to Fenway Park as they face the Red Sox. Ryan Yarbrough, Drew Rasmussen, and Shane McClanahan are scheduled to pitch.
NEW YORK YANKEES
Nestor Cortes Jr. went 5.2 innings and gave up only one run. Giancarlo Stanton went 2-for-5 and hit his 26th home run. The offense ended up tying the game and it was forced into extra innings. Stanton brought in the winning run in the 11th. The Yankees won 4-3.
Just as long as you stan, stan by me. pic.twitter.com/ArXejsjQTY — New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 4, 2021
In the first of two disappointing losses, Jordan Montgomery pitched 4.2 innings and gave up one run. Wandy Peralta gave up two runs in his outing. The offense only had three hits. Joey Gallo‘s 31st home run tied the game at three in the 8th inning. Aroldis Chapman couldn’t get out of the 9th scoreless as he gave up the winning run. The Yanks lost 4-3.
Game two of the disappointing losses had Corey Kluber on the mound. He pitched 3.2 innings and gave up two runs. Gary Sanchez had a six RBI day which was done by a grand slam and a 2-run home run. The was all erased when Andrew Heaney gave up four runs. DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres went 2-for-4. The Yankees lost 8-7.
The Jays come into town for four games. Jameson Taillon and Gerrit Cole are scheduled to pitch.
BOSTON RED SOX
Nathan Eovaldi pitched 6.1 innings and gave up three runs. Kyle Schwarber went 2-for-5 and hit his 29th home run. As the team continues to deal with their COVID-19 problem, Jonathan Arauz went 2-for-4 and hit his 2nd home run. Kevin Plawecki went 2-for-4. The Sox won 8-5.
Tanner Houck pitched five scoreless innings. Rafael Devers hit his 33rd home run that brought him to 100 RBI for the season. Alex Verdugo went 2-for-4 and Christian Vazquez went 2-for-4 as well. Adam Ottavino blew the 3-0 lead but Verdugo brought in the winning run after J.D. Martinez was intentionally walked. The Sox won 4-3.
THE END. pic.twitter.com/5Wslfherj6 — Red Sox (@RedSox) September 5, 2021
Kutter Crawford made his MLB debut in replacement for Nick Pivetta as the Sox added two more players to their COVID list. The other player added was Danny Santana. Crawford pitched two innings and gave up five runs. Martinez went 3-for-5 and hit his 25th home run. Hunter Renfroe went 3-for-5 and Bobby Dalbec went 2-for-5. The Sox were behind throughout the whole game and were close but Phillips Valdez gave up five runs in the 9th inning. The Sox lost 11-5.
The Rays come into town for three games. Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Nathan Eovaldi are scheduled to pitch.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Alek Manoah started game one against the A’s. He pitched five innings and gave up six runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.went 3-for-4. George Springer went 2-for-5. Teoscar Hernandez hit his 23rd home run of the season. Lourdes Guerriel Jr hit his 15th of the season and Marcus Semien hit his 34th. The Jays were down 8-2 in the 8th inning before tying the game twice and winning in the 9th. The Jays won 11-10.
Jose Berrio went 6.2 innings and gave up three runs. Gurriel Jr went 3-for-5 and hit his 16th home run. Danny Jansen went 3-for-4 and hit his 7th home run. Breyvic Valera hit his first home run of the season and Hernandez hit his 24th. Bo Bichette went 2-for-4. The Jays had the lead the entire game. It was threatened in the 9th but the lead was secured. The Jays won 10-8.
Robbie Ray pitched 6.2 scoreless innings. Semien hit his 35th home run. Guerrero Jr went 3-for-5 and Bichette went 4-for-4. Alejandro Kirk went 3-for-4 and hit his 5th home run. The bullpen kept the A’s scoreless as the Jays won 8-0.
"Hittin' like that 30 on my jersey, man, I'm gifted 😤" – @alejandro_kirk pic.twitter.com/TMlO3pOllQ — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 5, 2021
The Jays head to New York as they face the Yankees. Hyun Jin Ryu, Steven Matz, Alek Manoah, and Jose Berrios are scheduled to pitch.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
John Means faced the Yankees in game one. He pitched five innings and gave up two runs. Trey Mancini went 2-for-4 and hit his 21st home run. Jorge Mateo hit his 4th home run. The game went into extra innings and the O’s lost 4-3.
Chris Ellis pitched five scoreless and hitless innings. Tanner Scott extended the no-hitter in the 6th inning. Mancini went 3-for-3 and Cedric Mullins went 2-for-5. Jahmai Jones went 2-for-4. The O’s won 4-3 after Jorge Lopez blew their 3-0 lead in the 8th.
Keegan Atkin gave up four runs in four innings. Austin Hays went 2-for-5 and hit his 15th home run. Mullins went 2-for-4 and hit his 25th home run. The O’s took the lead in the 7th inning. They won 8-7 and took their first series since sweeping the Red Sox in April.
Boo-yah 👻 It's a rally for the Birds! pic.twitter.com/BQizvSw1f6 — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 5, 2021
The Royals come into town for four games. Zac Lowther is the only named starter.
STANDINGS WATCH
With the A’s, Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays losing Sunday, the Rays still lead 7.5 games ahead of the Yankees. The Red Sox are eight games behind. The Yankees are half of a game ahead of the Red Sox for the top wild-card spot. The A’s dropped to four games behind. The Jays enter the mix being four games behind in the American League East as well.
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American League East | Featured Image via Getty Images