Step aside: Seventh straight win moves Angels over Astros in wild card race
Take a look around the league with Big League Stew’s daily wrap up. We’ll hit on all of the biggest moments from the day that you may have missed, while providing highlights, photos and interesting stats.
It might be clinché, but we’re just going to say it: Houston, you have a … tough task at hand if you want to make the playoffs. With a 8-1 victory Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics, the Los Angeles Angels took a half-game lead over the Astros in the wild card race.
Things looked bleak for the Angels a week ago, but a seven-game win streak has pushed them back into the playoff picture. It may have also helped that Pope Francis came to visit recently.
Surprisingly, Tuesday’s game didn’t feature a normal Herculean effort from Mike Trout. Trout did reach base twice, on a hit and walk, and scored a run, but his contributions were overshadowed in this one.
Erick Aybar and Albert Pujols stood out at the plate for Los Angeles. Aybar went 2 for 5, driving in three runs on a double and a triple. Pujols knocked three hits, scoring three runs and driving in one.
On the mound, Nick Tropeano did his part. The 25-year-old allowed just one run on three hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out 11 and issued one walk during the contest.
With the win, the club improved to 83-74 on the season.
HOUSTON DROPS ONE LATE
Things didn’t go as well for the Houston Astros. Houston fell out of the playoff race, dropping a 6-4 game against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
The game went back-and-forth early on. The Astros took an early one run lead, but the Mariners answered back with a two run inning in the bottom of the first.
In the fifth and sixth innings, it appeared Houston was ready to break things open. Marwin Gonzalez hit a solo shot in the fifth to tie things up. Later in the inning, a George Springer double gave the team a one run lead. Jonathan Villar would make it a 4-2 game in the sixth with an RBI double of his own.
That’s when Robinson Cano struck. In the bottom of the sixth, Cano belted a two-run shot, tying the contest. It was Cano’s 20th home run of the season.
With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth, Houston couldn’t hold it together. With the bases loaded, Shawn O’Malley hit a two-run single to center, breaking open the game. Tom Wilhelmsen came on for Seattle in the ninth, and was able to shut the door.
With the loss, the Astros dropped to 83-75 on the season. They are now a half game out of the second wild card spot in the American League.
RANGERS MOVE CLOSER TO PLAYOFF SPOT
The Texas Rangers took a step closer to securing a playoff spot on Tuesday. Texas survived a 7-6 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Things were wild early. Cole Hamels wasn’t his usual self at first, giving up a two-run homer to J.D. Martinez in the first inning. Tigers starter Daniel Norris was worse, though. Norris allowed five runs during a 54 pitch first inning. Norris came out for the second inning, but gave up another run and was replaced after facing four batters.
Though the Rangers had a 5-2 lead after the first, Hamels still had a tough time. The lefty gave up two more runs in the second, and was tagged for another two in the third. By the start of the fourth inning, the game was tied 6-6.
At that point, Hamels settled in. Despite the rough start, he did not give up another run over his next three innings. Adrian Beltre managed an RBI double in the fourth inning, and that was all the Rangers would need the rest of the game.
Once Hamels was lifted, the pen tossed three scoreless frames, giving the team the 7-6 win. With the victory, the Rangers improved to 85-72 on the season. The team’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth is down to four.
CUBS PULL OFF ANOTHER WIN
The Chicago Cubs got the job done again Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds. Chicago picked up a 4-1 victory over Cincinnati, giving the team its third straight win.
With the Cardinals and Pirates postponed, Chicago managed to grab a half game in the National League Central standings. While passing the Pirates is unlikely, it’s still possible. With five games left to play, Chicago trails Pittsburgh by three games.
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During the win, Anthony Rizzo became only the second player ever to notch a 30/30 season. That’s not 30 home runs and 30 steals, though, that’s 30 home runs and 30 hit-by-pitches.
With the win, Chicago improved to 92-65 on the year.
Want to see more from Tuesday’s slate of games? Check out our scoreboard.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
