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The Apple TV+ streaming tagline described the Houston Astros–New York Yankees game as a potential ALCS matchup. My first thought: well, they’re not wrong, but it’s a little early to be projecting the third round of the playoffs. But, since a third of the Friday night games featured games between teams with 60+ wins, it did feel like we’re getting closer to projecting playoff paths and opponents. We got a couple of late-inning thrills from the potential LCS matchups featuring New York teams, plus some big home runs from playoff contenders. The boys of summer are getting us ready for fall.
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Today’s Headlines
Perkins Stops Marte, Mets
The Milwaukee Brewers executed textbook defense on a walk-off assist from center fielder Blake Perkins and a sweeping tag at the plate by William Contreras. New York Mets outfielders Juan Soto and Starling Marte homered off Brandon Woodruff early, but the Milwaukee ace settled down to finish the seventh inning without allowing another run. The Brewers tied the game in the fifth on Brice Turang’s two-run homer after Perkins reached on an error. An Isaac Collins hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Perkins’s assist prevented Marte from tying the game, preserved a win for Woodruff, and gave Tylor Megill his 27th save.
Astros Tag Williams for Loss
The 10th inning in New York was a tale of two former Brewers closers. Devin Williams entered a 2-2 game in the top of the 10th and immediately allowed autorunner Jose Altuve to scoot over to third on a wild pitch. Carlos Correa singled home the go-ahead run. After Correa’s bloop, Williams recorded a couple of outs before Taylor Trammell added a two-run blast. He struck out Mauricio Dubón to end the inning, but both run-scoring hits came off Williams’s famous changeup. Josh Hader entered a 5-2 game in the bottom of the 10th and allowed Anthony Volpe to make it 5-3. Aaron Boone sent in two National League MVPs as pinch hitters. Paul Goldschmidt flied out and Giancarlo Stanton walked before Hader got Trent Grisham to line out to center. Williams’s struggles continued a down week for the Bronx Bombers that included a single win.
Bombs Lead the Way
Cal Raleigh’s league-leading 43rd home run claimed a 3-2 lead for the Seattle Mariners in the bottom of the eighth. That was all the M’s needed to claim a win over the Tampa Bay Rays and keep pace with the Astros in the AL West.
Earlier Friday evening, Matt Vierling also hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Detroit Tigers were down 5-3 after the Los Angeles Angels hit three home runs, including two off Tarik Skubal (4.2 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 6 K). Detroit won 6-5, and Vierling is now 42 home runs behind Raleigh on the season.
Kyle Schwarber is just two home runs behind Raleigh. He hit his 41st off the Texas Rangers‘ deadline acquisition, Merrill Kelly. Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner also homered in the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 9-1 blowout.
The lone homer in the matchup of first-place squads was good news for a struggling star. Mookie Betts turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead with his 12th home run, and the Los Angeles Dodgers cruised through the next four innings to a 5-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Betts hadn’t homered since July 5.
The Boston Red Sox are just three games behind Toronto in the AL East after a 10-2 romp against the San Diego Padres. Wilyer Abreu hit a two-run homer in the fourth, and Masataka Yoshida added the dagger with a two-run shot in the ninth. Walker Buehler pitched six scoreless innings against his former division rivals.
Best Moments From Yesterday
3,000-K Club Meeting
Max Scherzer (3,456) and Clayton Kershaw (3,014) are Nos. 2 and 3 on the active strikeout leaderboard. They’re also in the top five together in wins, bWAR, ERA+, WHIP, innings pitched, win probability added, and championship win probability added. Both debuted in 2008 and have been stockpiling accolades and records since then. Kershaw’s done it all with the Dodgers, while Scherzer is with his seventh organization. On Friday, Scherzer took the loss after giving up Betts’s home run, the only two runs he gave up in six innings. Kershaw got the win — his 218th, tied with Scherzer for second on the active list — by allowing a single run over six innings.
Double-Digit Ks
Edward Cabrera struck out 11 Atlanta hitters in eight innings. He allowed one hit, a home run by Jurickson Profar in the sixth. For your Miami Marlins Cinderella update, they’re at 1.8% playoff odds, which is better than the Tigers of last year in early August.
The Cincinnati Reds couldn’t capitalize on Chase Burns’s 10-strikeout performance, failing to improve their own Cinderella chances by falling 3-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The rookie right-hander has 57 Ks in 34.1 innings, but no wins. The Reds are at a 6.9% chance of making the playoffs.
First Hit, RBI for Karros
Kyle Karros needs 1,723 more hits and 1,026 more RBIs to match his dad.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ The Baltimore Orioles made multiple roster moves. They placed outfielder Colton Cowser on the 7-day concussion IL and placed outfielder Tyler O’Neill on the 10-day IL with wrist inflammation. The O’s activated first baseman Ryan Mountcastle from the 60-day IL and recalled right-hander Jordyn Adams from Triple-A. After Atlanta claimed outfielder Vidal Bruján, Baltimore signed outfielder Greg Allen to a major league deal.
⚾ The San Francisco Giants activated Drew Gilbert for his Major League debut against the Washington Nationals. Gilbert joined the Giants from the Mets in this year’s deadline deal for Tyler Rogers. Gilbert takes over Jerar Encarnación’s roster spot after Encarnación went on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain.
⚾ The Brewers placed right-hander Logan Henderson on the 15-day IL with a flexor strain. New Brewer Shelby Miller came off the 15-day IL on Friday.
Articles You Should Read
An Investigation Into the Dinger-Filled Rampage of a Reborn Andrew Vaughn — Michael Baumann, FanGraphs
Dodgers catcher Will Smith remains one of MLB’s most underrated stars, even in the best season of his career — Dane Perry, CBS Sports
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
