Game 1: Well, the bid to set the MLB single-season wins record is over as the Rays fell to the Yankees 5-1. Deivi Garcia shut them down over 8 innings, allowing 5 hits, 0 walks and 6 strikeouts with the only offense coming when Wander doubled in Nick Schnell in the 3rd. Max Fried looked really good through the first 4, gave up the tying run in the 5th, and then melted down in the 6th as he loaded the bases with nobody out, gave up a 2-run double to Aaron Hicks, and then Scott Barlow gave up a 2-run double (surprise) to make it 5-1. After allowing those inherited runners to score Barlow did have 2 scoreless innings and partner in arson Aaron Ashby did likewise. Fried (5 6 5 5 3 7 today) has been really bad in September and is almost certainly the #4 starter now for the playoffs behind Chris Paddack. Now that the record win bid is over and the remaining 4 games are against non-contenders expect the bench to be emptied.
Durham Playoff Update: THE DURHAM BULLS ARE CHAMPIONS AGAIN! Back-to-back International League titles for the Bulls as they dramatically defeated Indianapolis today in Game 4 to take the series 3-1. Indianapolis led 1-0 going into the 9th when Heston Kjerstad led off with a single and then the ageless one, Jose Abreu, drilled a 2-run HR to LCF to put Durham up 2-1. Sandy Gaston came on for the ninth, gave up a leadoff single, the runner was bunted over, then he got a strikeout and groundball to 2nd to start the celebrations. Jimmy Lewis got the start and gave up an early homer for the Indy run but pitched well considering it had been a couple of weeks since his last outing as he wasn't needed in the Round 1 sweep, going 6 3 1 1 3 3. Tyler Zombro got the win with 2 scoreless innings of relief. Tyler Frank was named the Series MVP, he was 9 for 17 in the 4 games with 3 hits today. A side note: Abreu's HR came off Graeme Stinson, and if that name sounds familiar he was one of the Rays farmhands included in the Josh Bell deal last year. He had a brief stint with the Pirates this year and had a really good season, although he won't be happy with the way it ended.
Game 2: Perhaps it was the pressure of going for the win record being lifted or perhaps it was regression for Shawn Semple after he had shut down the Rays earlier in the season, but the Rays had a laugher tonight, blasting the Yankees 10-0. Well it was a laugher until the laughs stopped when Brandon Marsh had to leave the game after making a diving catch in center. It turns out he has a sprained ankle and will miss 13 days. As the first playoff game is in 8-9 days, he'll probably be kept on the playoff roster and ready to go in Game 3 of the ALDS. As for the game itself, Tyler Glasnow had his final tuneup before the playoffs and looked quite good, going 6 3 0 0 1 7 on 78 pitches and reaching the 200-inning mark for the first time in his career. He ends with an AL-leading 3.01 ERA to go with a 17-7 record and 242 Ks in those 200 1/3 innings. Shane McClanahan completed the shutout with 3 scoreless innings, nabbing his 2nd save of the year. The offense largely came in an 8-run 3rd inning eruption which featured back-to-back-to-back HRs. The first in the series was from Nick Schnell, a 2-run shot as part of a monster night for him where he went 4-5 with that HR and 4 RBI with a 2-run double in the fifth getting the other two runs. There's not much doubt now that he will claim the open OF job for the playoffs, at least against righties, and even against lefties until Marsh comes back. The next HR came from Alec Bohm (#37), followed by Seth Beer (#22). Wander had started the scoring in the inning by tripling in Marsh, and then capped it with a sac fly, giving him 120 RBI. Rylan Bannon and Marsh also had RBI singles in the 8-run inning. Also of note, the 10 runs came with a big chunk of the offense (Meadows, Devers, Keibert, Brujan) getting the day off.
Team record: 113-46.
AL Playoff Race Update: The Minnesota Twins continue to lose, and continue to lead the AL Central at a ridiculous 75-83, meaning the Central winner won't even win 80 games. And speaking of ridiculous, Kansas City pulled to within 1 1/2 games of the Twins by scoring 8(!) times in the bottom of the 9th to beat Atlanta with Khalil Lee hitting a walk-off grand slam off AJ Minter to give them a 12-9 victory. Meanwhile, Houston lost and Boston won, so the Sox are within a game of the Astros for the second wild card. Seattle looks solid for the first, and the Angels are on the verge of clinching the West and getting to play a sub-.500 team in the ALDS. The NL is all set as it has been for days/weeks, the Mets will play San Diego in the WC game for the right to face Atlanta in one NLDS and the Dodgers will host the Cardinals in the other.
It's also retirement time around the game: Elvis Andrus, Justin Turner, Blake Treinen, Ian Kennedy, and Mike Minor all hung up their cleats today.
Also, HAHAHAHAHA!
