After delivering the biggest blows in each of the first two games of this series – a two-run homer Monday, a three-run shot Tuesday, the 538th and 539th of his career – Ortiz’s biggest contribution Wednesday night was drawing the leadoff walk in the sixth that begat the Red Sox’s decisive five-run rally. The whole goal of being a starter is to be as consistent as you can and doing the same thing, day in and day out and keeping your team in the game and give them a chance to win. Everything is clicking right now for the BoSox, who have been the American League’s hottest team in the second half and are currently riding a six-game winning streak.
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Jimenez could only watch as the game was lost. One particularly interesting battle is the race for the AL East Division Title, which the Red Sox have taken firm control of following a four game sweep of the Yankees and winning their first two against Baltimore. This is the fifth year of the Orioles as contenders, and maybe the novelty has worn off a little bit.
Benintendi hit the next pitch over the wall in right field.
Kansas City, the reigning World Series champions, can be eliminated from contention in the division if they lose to Cleveland on Wednesday night. Throughout this season’s farewell tour, teams have been honoring Ortiz with ceremonies and gifts – a pair of cowboy boots in Texas, a surfboard in San Diego, to name a few. We talked some today and they talk among themselves all the time.
Fernandez struck out 12 and issued no walks in nothing his 16th win of the season.
Boston took a 1-0 lead when Hanley Ramirez grounded into a force out which allowed a run to score in the third inning. Bradley hit his 26th homer in the fourth. They have scored only two runs in each of the past four games and are batting.198 over that span.
Right-hander Clay Buchholz, making a bid for the final spot in the postseason rotation, stymied the O’s for seven innings, allowing three hits and one run, striking out four. However on 1-2 it would have been better to in effect waste a pitch and see if you could get him reaching.
The free-swinging Wainwright lined a two-run double in the second inning and brought in two more with a bloop single in the fifth.
The victory stretched Boston’s lead over third-place Baltimore to five games with 11 to play. Went to three tough places and won each series. Every year gets worse.
Rangers 5, Angels 4: Rookie Nomar Mazara hit his 20th homer in another testy game with multiple ejections, and the Rangers moved closer to their second consecutive AL West title.
St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright made up for a shaky pitching performance by driving in a career-high four runs, helping the Cardinals defeat Colorado 10-5 to move into a three-way tie for the NL wildcards. He has batted.297/.356/.623 with 20 home runs. He’s given up one run in six innings, one run in 6 1/3 innings, one run in 6 2/3 innings, six runs in three innings, and two runs in six innings.
ASTROS 2, ATHLETICS 1, 10 INNINGS – In Oakland, California, George Springer hit a go-ahead single in the 10th inning, and Houston beat Oakland.
After falling behind Bradley Jr., 3-0, Brach masterfully worked all the way back, utilizing a filthy slider and a 97 miles per hour fastball to induce two swings and misses.
YANKEES 5, RAYS 3: Rookie slugger Gary Sanchez hit his 17th homer in 42 games this season, a three-run shot in a four-run seventh inning for the Yankees.
BRAVES 5, METS 4 NY nemesis Julio Teheran pitched seven more sparkling innings and last-place Atlanta blunted host New York’s bid to extend its NL wild-card lead, holding on for a victory.
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Stanton also homered in Monday’s 4-3 win.
