Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Blue Jays lead in division shrinks to two games

The Yankees keep on rolling, extending their season-high winning streak to seven games with a 5-3 extra-innings victory over the White Sox. Not quite the offensive explosion of much of the last week, the Yankees instead relied on impressive pitching from Cam Schlittler and every reliever out of the bullpen except for Devin Williams. They have a chance to sweep back-to-back series later today, the team hitting its collective stride at just the right time to mount a late push for the AL East lead, helped by results elsewhere in the division.

Milwaukee Brewers (85-52) 4, Toronto Blue Jays (78-58) 1

The Brewers continue to do the Lord’s work, taking the first two games of the series from the Blue Jays. Today, it was a lights-out start from Quinn Priester, the 24-year-old righty tossing six innings of one-run ball allowing just five hits and no walks. That lone run was unearned, a throwing error by Bryce Turang in the sixth allowing George Springer to take an extra base before scoring the Blue Jays’ only run on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sac fly.

Believe it or not, that run actually gave Toronto the lead, Kevin Gausman holding the Brewers scoreless for the first six innings. But then they managed to tie it up in the seventh, Christian Yelich leading off with a double and eventually scoring on a ground out. That set this game up for a grandstand finish, the Brewers scoring three in the top of the ninth as Jackson Chourio and Yelich hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the frame.

Sal Frelick then drew a walk and Isaac Collins capped off the scoring with an RBI double. With the loss and Yankees win, the Blue Jays’ lead in the AL East stands at just two games.

Pittsburgh Pirates (61-76) 10, Boston Red Sox (75-62) 3

Just as heartening as the Brewers’ handling of the Blue Jays has been the Pirates’ surprise showing in their series against the Red Sox. They too have taken the first two games of the series from their playoff-hopeful opponents following Paul Skenes’ shutdown start in the opener with an offensive outpouring in the middle game. The Bucs ambushed Dustin May for seven runs on eight hits and four walks in 5.1 innings, the majority of the damage coming in a three-run fifth and five-run sixth.

They loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth and back-to-back singles by Bryan Reynolds and Tommy Pham cleared the bags. Then in the sixth, Oneil Cruz led off with a towering home run, after which May’s command truly flew out the window. Joey Bart doubled and Jared Triolo walked to chase May from the contest, only for Brennan Bernardino to allow all his inherited runners and then some to score. Spencer Horowitz hit a two-run single, Reynolds and Pham drew consecutive walks to load the bases, and Nick Gonzales singled to plate a pair.

Carlos Narváez homered and Romy Gonzalez had a pair of RBI singles to account for Boston’s scoring, but they could never get within touching distance of the Pirates. With the loss and Yankees win, the Red Sox now sit 3.5 games back of the division lead and 1.5 games back of the Yankees for the top Wild Card.

Los Angeles Angels (63-72) 4, Houston Astros (75-61) 1

We had a good old fashioned pitchers’ duel unfold in Houston, Kyle Hendricks giving the Angels six innings of one-run ball while Spencer Arrighetti pitched one of the best games of his young career — 6.1 innings allowing a run on one hit and five walks against eight strikeouts. The two teams traded runs in the third, Zach Neto opening the scoring with a solo shot before Jesús Sánchez answered with an RBI single in the bottom half.

Neither team would score for the next five innings, the dam finally breaking once Bryan Abreu entered in relief for the Astros in the ninth. Luis Rengifo, Logan O’Hoppe, Matthew Lugo, and Oswald Peraza slapped four-straight one-out singles, the final one plating a pair. Abreu then walked Yoán Moncada to load the bases and Mike Trout drew a free pass to plate the final run of the game.

Kansas City Royals (70-66) 3, Detroit Tigers (79-58) 1

Stephen Kolek and a quartet of Royals relievers silenced the Detroit lineup, Kolek allowing a run on four hits and no walks across six innings before John Schreiber, Angel Zerpa, Lucas Erceg, and Carlos Estévez combined to toss a scoreless final three innings. The Tigers’ only run came courtesy of a Gleyber Torres RBI single to open the scoring in the third.

For his part, Jack Flaherty was just as sharp as his opponent on the mound, allowing a run on four hits across 5.2 innings — a solo home run by Maikel Garcia to level the scores at one in the fourth. The bullpens traded zeroes until the eighth, Tyler Tolbert drawing a one-out walk and scoring on Bobby Witt Jr.’s game-winning two-run home run as the Tigers have now lost five of their last six.

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (68-66) 4, Seattle Mariners (72-64) 3

The Guardians held off a late comeback attempt by the Mariners to keep their playoff hopes alive. Cleveland scored the first three runs of the contest — opening the scoring on a Bo Naylor RBI single in the fourth before Kyle Manzardo hit a two-run jack in the sixth. Jorge Polanco got the Mariners on the board with a solo shot in the seventh, but Steven Kwan nullified the run with an RBI single in the bottom half. Julio Rodríguez cut the deficit to one with a two-run blast in the eighth but Cleveland closer Cade Smith struck out the side in the ninth to lock down the victory.