Wins were back on the menu Sunday in the American League wild-card race. Following a pair of consecutive days that handed defeats to several playoff contenders, the Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins all secured victories to wrap up their respective series. Because Cleveland currently occupies the third wild-card position, their victory meant no ground was lost in the standings for the first time since Thursday. The Guardians, Rangers and Twins each steered clear of sweeps on Sunday by fending off the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox. Toronto and Baltimore, meanwhile, completed weekend sweeps of the Seattle Mariners and the Athletics. The Detroit Tigers and the Mariners stood alone as the only contenders to drop their Sunday contests, slipping further behind in the postseason race.
Toronto Blue Jays Complete Sweep Over Seattle Mariners Behind Max Scherzer
Max Scherzer struck out a season-high 10 batters and moved past Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry into ninth place on the career strikeouts list as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners 7-0 to complete a three-game sweep, according to game coverage. Scherzer pitched a season-high seven innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while throwing 97 pitches. Alejandro Kirk and Kazuma Okamoto both homered for Toronto, handing Seattle its fourth consecutive loss.
Cleveland Guardians Hold Wild Card After Fending Off Kansas City
José Ramírez drove in four runs, hit his 1,000th career single, and homered to lead the Cleveland Guardians past Kansas City, according to reports from Progressive Field. Parker Messick struck out five and gave up one run over six innings to secure the win. The victory keeps Cleveland in possession of the third American League wild-card spot with a 69-68 record, avoiding a series sweep by the Kansas City squad.
guardians_orioles_25205655386643 "Guardians Avoid Sweep to Maintain AL Wild-Card Lead")
Pro Tip: Tracking head-to-head tiebreakers and season series outcomes down the stretch can dictate playoff positioning just as much as raw win-loss records, as seen in the tightly contested American League wild-card race.
Baltimore Orioles Rally Past Athletics Behind Gunnar Henderson
Gunnar Henderson hit two home runs and drove in five runs to power the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-0 run rally and a three-game sweep over the Athletics in West Sacramento, California, according to team reports. Coby Mayo added a three-run homer—his 15th against left-handed pitching this season—helping Baltimore improve to 68-69. Chris Bassitt surrendered five runs over 5 2/3 innings for the Athletics before Yennier Cano closed out a hitless ninth inning for his third save.
Minnesota Twins Avoid Sweep Against Chicago Behind Zebby Matthews
According to local reports, the Minnesota Twins outpaced the Chicago American League Central leaders to bypass a series sweep as Zebby Matthews carried a no-hit bid into the sixth frame and logged a personal-best 8 1/3 frames on the mound. Josh Bell contributed a pair of RBI singles and Luke Keaschall homered for Minnesota. The Twins entered the matchup having placed star center fielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list due to a lingering hip impingement.
Texas Rangers Snap Skid Against Milwaukee Brewers
Ezequiel Durán hit a home run, doubled, and drove in three runs as the Texas Rangers snapped a four-game skid and handed the Milwaukee Brewers their first loss in five games, according to game accounts. Joc Pederson added a solo home run for Texas, while Milwaukee’s Gary Sánchez hit his 200th career home run. Brewers starter Dustin May pitched four days after being struck in the upper back by a 106-m.p.h. line drive.
Did you know? Max Scherzer’s milestone strikeout against Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners marked the 3,535th strikeout of the veteran pitcher’s illustrious career, surpassing Gaylord Perry on the all-time list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who holds the third American League wild-card spot?
According to recent standings, the Cleveland Guardians hold the third American League wild-card spot with a 69-68 record.
How many strikeouts did Max Scherzer record against Seattle?
Max Scherzer struck out a season-high 10 batters over seven innings in Toronto’s win over the Seattle Mariners.
What milestone did José Ramírez reach against Kansas City?
José Ramírez recorded his 1,000th career single, hit a home run, and drove in four runs for the Cleveland Guardians.
Which teams completed weekend sweeps in the American League?
The Toronto Blue Jays swept the Seattle Mariners, and the Baltimore Orioles swept the Athletics.
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