A lot of moving pieces in the MLB right now. The Rays look to bury the Red Sox from catching up. The Yankees finish up their west coast trip before heading home. Let’s see what happened this week and what’s to come this Labor Day Weekend in the MLB AL East.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
Luis Patino went 5.2 innings and gave up only one run against the Red Sox. Brandon Lowe went 2-for-3 and hit his 31st home run. Kevin Kiermaier went 2-for-4. The Rays won 6-1.
Ryan Yarbrough went six innings and gave up two runs. Randy Arozarena hit his 18th home run of the season. The 9th inning was a bit too close to the Rays’ liking as Dietrich Enns gave up three runs. Andrew Kittredge got his 5th save of the season with the 8-5 win.
Drew Rasmussen went four innings and gave up one run. Wander Franco went 2-for-4 and hit his 7th home run. Nelson Cruz and Manuel Margot went 2-for4 as well. The game was tied in the 9th inning until Pete Fairbanks gave up the winning run. The Rays lost 3-2.
Wander stays hot with a two-run shot! pic.twitter.com/8NDXt2Svnh — Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 2, 2021
Shane McClanahan pitched five innings and gave up the four runs the Red Sox needed to win. The offense only got five hits. The Rays lost 4-0.
The Twins come over during the weekend. Michael Wacha, Chris Archer, and Luis Patino are scheduled to pitch.
NEW YORK YANKEES
Corey Kluber made his first start since landing on the Injured List this year. He was cruising through the first three innings until he hit a bump in the road in the fourth. He ended up giving up five runs. Although he was on a pitch count, I felt he should have been removed prior to the damage being worse.
Andrew Heaney came on in relief and gave up two runs in the two innings he pitched. Giancarlo Stanton continued his hot bat and went 2-for-4 with a home run. Aaron Judge and DJ Lemahieu went 2-for-5. Anthony Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a walk. The Yanks lost 8-7.
Jameson Taillon lasted 4.2 innings and gave up six runs. Rizzo and Gary Sanchez hit their 18th home run. Rizzo also went 2-for-4. LeMahieu went 2-for-5 and Judge went 2-for-3 with a walk. The Yankees lost 6-4.
Gerrit Cole was just dominant in a much-needed win. He pitched seven innings, gave up one run, and struck out 15. Judge went 2-for-3 and hit his 30th home run. Luke Voit went 2-for-3. Aroldis Chapman got his 25th save. The Yankees avoided the sweep and won 4-1.
It’s a Cole world, after all. pic.twitter.com/mdBtLNAna3 — New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 2, 2021
This weekend they face the O’s at home. Nestor Cortes, Jordan Montgomery, and Corey Kluber are scheduled to pitch.
BOSTON RED SOX
Nick Pivetta went five innings and gave up four runs. Bobby Dalbec hit his 18th home run. Alex Verdugo went 2-for-4. The Red Sox lost 6-1.
The Sox decided to go with a bullpen day. This was in the middle of continuously adding players to the COVID-19 IL daily since last Friday in Cleveland that started with Enrique Hernandez. Xander Bogaerts was pulled in the second inning because he tested positive.
Newly acquired, Brad Peacock, went 2.1 innings and gave up five runs. Kyle Schwarber hit his 28th home run. J.D. Martinez went 2-for-5. Hunter Renfroe went 2-for-5. The Sox had the tying run at the plate in the 9th inning after scoring three runs but lost 8-5.
CHANCE TO SPLIT
Despite eight players down from COVID-19, the game still went on. Chris Sale took the mound, went six innings, and gave up two runs. Rafael Devers and Verdugo both went 2-for-4. Christian Vazquez went 3-for-4 and hit his 6th home run, which tied the game. Jarren Duran brought in the winning run on a single in the 9th inning. Adam Ottavino got his 11th save with the 3-2 win.
Eduardo Rodriguez was on the mound with the chance to split the series against the Rays. He pitched six scoreless innings. Garrett Richards pitched the final three innings and earned his second save of the season. Martinez and Dalbec went 2-for-4. Schwarber and Renfroe went 2-for-5. The Sox split the series with a 4-0 win.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy an Eddie K. pic.twitter.com/IhRElLggFb — Red Sox (@RedSox) September 3, 2021
The Indians come into town to face the Red Sox again. Nathan Eovaldi, Tanner Houck, and Nick Pivetta are scheduled to pitch.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Robbie Ray went seven innings and gave up two runs against the Orioles. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.hit two home runs in the game. The Jays won 7-3.
Hyun Jin Ryu went 5.2 innings and gave up three runs. Danny Jansen hit his 6th home run. Guerrero Jr hit his 39th home run. The Jays lost 4-2.
Steven Matz went five innings. He gave up only two runs. Marcus Semien hit his 33rd home run. Lourdes Gurriel Jr.went 2-for-3. The Jays won 5-4.
The A’s enter Toronto with hopes to gain in the wild card standings. At this moment, no starters have been announced for the series.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Chris Ellis went 4.2 innings and gave up one run. Dillon Tate and Marcos Diplan gave up six runs combined. Ryan Mountcastle went 2-for-3 and hit his 25th home run. The O’s lost 7-3.
CANADIAN MOUNTY 😤 pic.twitter.com/mLepNIFeVu — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 30, 2021
Keegan Akin went five innings and gave up one run. Jorge Lopez followed and just gave up one run in the 1.2 innings he pitched. Mountcastle and Austin Hays went 1-for-4. The O’s won 4-2.
Matt Harvey pitched four innings and gave up four runs. Ramon Urias went 1-for-4. The offense tied the game in the 7th but Tate gave up the winning run in the 8th. The O’s lost 5-4.
They head to the Bronx during the weekend to face the Yankees. John Means, Chris Ellis, and Keegan Akin are scheduled to pitch.
LET’S SPIN IT
The Yankees were able to snap their 4-game losing streak and gain a game on the Rays thanks to the Red Sox winning. Around the same time the Sox won, the Tigers won their game against the A’s which gave the Sox a two-game lead on the A’s. This MLB weekend should be interesting for the A’s and Sox.
Covid ripping through the Boston Red Sox lineup
Featured Image via MLB Blue Jays Media