Today, various ESPN personalities have called the American League Wild Card race "chaos." I am enjoying the chaos.
The Yankees have now won 7 in a row, largely on the shoulders of Giancarlo Stanton. They beat the Toronto Blue Jays, who are also in this race. The Boston Red Sox, who are also in this race, should have beaten the Baltimore Orioles last night, but didn't. The Seattle Mariners, who went into last night just barely still in the race, and haven't made the Playoffs in 20 years, are now in better shape. Only 2 of the 4 can make it.
Jameson Taillon started for the Yankees, and had just gotten a strikeout for the 1st out of the bottom of the 3rd inning. The game was tied 1-1, partly thanks to a home run by Aaron Judge. He was in decent shape. And he left game, apparently due to injury. And the Yankees were facing the Jays' ace, Hyun Jin Ryu. It looked bad. Michael King came in to relieve, and allowed a run to make it 2-1 Jays after 4.
But Gio Urshela singled with 1 out in the 5th. DJ LeMahieu drew a walk. Anthony Rizzo singled Urshela home, and LeMahieu to 3rd. Ryu was taken out. Judge got LeMahieu home on a sacrifice fly. It was 3-2 Yankees.
Trying to hang onto a 3-2 lead would have left me feeling very nervous. But with 1 out in the 7th, LeMahieu singled. Judge walked. And Trevor Richards decided to throw Stanton a low pitch. Paul O'Neill, on YES, was right: Stanton scooped it, and sent it into the 2nd deck in left field. 6-2 Yankees.
Urshela tacked on a solo homer in the 9th, to make it 7-2, making this game not nearly as close
That was the final. King didn't pitch great, but he was given the win. Clay Holmes, Chad Green, Luis Severino and Wandy Peralta each pitched an inning. Except for 2 walks by Holmes, none allowed a baserunner.
The Yankees have 5 games left. Their magic number to clinch a Playoff berth is 3.
Gerrit Cole goes tonight, against Jose Berrios.
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