The Yankees are plowing headfirst toward being swept in back-to-back series as well as their third six-game losing streak of the season. The bats were no match for Nathan Eovaldi and his eight scoreless innings while Devin Williams blew another game, this time giving up two runs in the eighth inning of the 2-0 loss.
The Bombers picked the worst time to play some of their worst baseball, wins by the Blue Jays and Red Sox sinking them further into third place in the division.
Minnesota Twins (53-60) 6, Detroit Tigers (66-49) 3
Chris Paddack was critical of the relative lack of resources the Twins provide their players after he was traded to the Tigers to start Minnesota’s teardown, but his old team got the upper hand in their first meeting post-swap. He gave up four runs on six hits in four innings including a pair of home runs while former rotation mate Zebby Matthews was far sharper, holding Detroit to a run on five hits with six strikeouts across five innings.
Minnesota came flying out of the gates, Ryan Jeffers and Kody Clemens clubbing a pair of two-out doubles to open the scoring. That brought rookie Luke Keaschall to the plate, and the 22 year old demolished a hanging cutter 402 feet for his first big league home run to put the Twins up, 3-0, in the first.
Kerry Carpenter got the Tigers on the board with an RBI double in the third, but Trevor Larnach responded with a solo shot the following inning to reestablish the Twins’ three-run lead. They’d add two more in the fifth, Ryan Jeffers driving in Matt Wallner after the former drew a one-out walk followed by Keaschall’s third RBI of the day on a single to left. A Jahmai Jones two-run triple in the eighth reduced the deficit to three but the Twins’ stripped down bullpen held on from there.
Houston Astros (64-50) 7, Miami Marlins (55-57) 3
The Marlins may have been riding high following their sweep of the Yankees, but the Astros have promptly brought them back to Earth, showing the Fish over the last two games how a true playoff challenger takes care of business. It may have been a bullpen game for Houston, but frankly you could throw out anyone when opposing starter Cal Quantrill gives up seven runs on nine hits and three walks in 4.1 innings.
Jose Altuve got things started with a two-run homer in the first after trade deadline pickup Jesús Sánchez reached with a one-out single against the team that traded him to Houston. Marlins rookie Jakob Marsee has been on fire to start his big league career after an eye-opening debut against the Yankees. He pulled a run back in the second with an RBI single and collected his first big league home run, a solo shot to lead off the fifth.
However, the Marlins were already in a deep hole by that point. Houston scored two in the fourth on a two-run triple by Jeremy Peña after Maruricio Dubón singled and Ramón UrÃas walked with two outs. Then in the top of the fifth, Carlos Correa singled and Christian Walker doubled with one out to set up a booming three-run blast by Yainer Diaz.
Eric Wagaman grabbed a consolation run with a solo shot in the seventh, but the Astros retained firm command of this contest from the very first pitch.
Boston Red Sox (64-51) 6, Kansas City Royals (56-58) 2
Garrett Crochet keeps on stacking quality starts as he attempts to threaten Tarik Skubal’s vice grip on the AL Cy Young race. Tonight, it was seven innings of two-run ball on four hits and a walk against eight strikeouts.
Ryan Bergert was making his debut for the Royals after being traded from the Padres at the deadline alongside Stephen Kolek for catcher Freddie FermÃn, and in fairness he almost matched Crochet stride for stride, holding Boston to two runs on two hits in 5.2 innings. Jarren Duran opened the scoring with an RBI double in the third, but Maikel Garcia responded in the following frame with his own RBI double after Bobby Witt Jr. reached on a one-out triple.
Boston’s offense really started to profit once they got into Kansas City’s bullpen. They scored a pair in the sixth on a two-run single by Trevor Story after Alex Bregman walked and Wilyer Abreu doubled with one out. Then in the seventh, they plated three against their former reliever John Schreiber, Abreu knocking a two-run single with the bases loaded followed by an RBI single from Story to give the shortstop three driven in on the day.
Randal Grichuk drove in his second run as a Royal in the seventh, but it had no impact on the outcome of the game as the Red Sox created a 2.5-game cushion ahead of the Yankees.
Toronto Blue Jays (67-48) 10, Colorado Rockies (30-83) 4
The Blue Jays treated Anthony Molina to one of the worst days of his big league career, scoring seven runs on nine hits in five innings including a whopping five home runs. Three of those home runs came in a four-batter stretch, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger going back-to-back to lead off the sixth before Alejandro Kirk drew a walk and Daulton Varsho connected for his second two-run blast of the night.
Varsho has missed most of the season with injury, but he has absolutely teed off against the Rockies in the first two games of this series. He followed his home run and four RBI last night with an even more explosive performance tonight — 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double, and six driven in. He got things started with a two-run tank in the fourth, added his second two-run bomb in the sixth, and capped things off with a two-run double in the ninth.
Colorado scored two in the first on a two-run homer by Hunter Goodman and two in the sixth on RBI singles from Mickey Moniak and Warming Bernabel, but they were no match for Toronto’s offense, who extended their lead over the Yankees in the division to 6.5 games.
Tampa Bay Rays (56-59) 7, Los Angeles Angels (55-59) 3
Angels starter José Soriano gave up seven runs in the fourth inning, turning this game into a foregone conclusion before it was even halfway over. Yandy DÃaz led off with a single and scored on a Brandon Lowe homer. Jake Mangum drove another pair home with a single after Junior Caminero and Josh Lowe reached on a single and double, respectively. A Hunter Feduccia double put another pair in scoring position, and a Taylor Walls sac bunt, Chandler Simpson double, and DÃaz fielder’s choice each drove in a run. Jo Adell tried to drag his team back into the contest with a two-run homer in the sixth and RBI single in the seventh but it was too little too late.
Seattle Mariners (61-53) 8, Chicago White Sox (42-71) 3
Bryan Woo’s breakout as one of the up and coming stud starters in the league added another chapter, the 25-year-old righty holding the White Sox to a run on two hits and no walks with nine strikeouts across seven innings, that lone run a Lenyn Sosa solo shot in the first to open the scoring. Seattle scored eight unanswered from there, Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suárez, and Dominic Canzone all homering while Naylor, Suárez, and Jorge Polanco each drove in a pair. Luis Robert Jr. and Colson Montgomery hit back-to-back homers in the ninth to make it a slightly less embarrassing loss, but the Mariners grab sole possession of the second Wild Card spot with the win and Yankees loss.