No notable change in the playoff race in the American League, while the teams involved remained unchanged in the standings.
In addition to the Blue Jays’ defeat against the Rays, while Jordan Romano was not at his best, the Texas Rangers again defeated the Seattle Mariners and the Kansas City Royals once again played spoilsport against the Astros, in Houston.
The ranking for a place in the playoffs remained almost the same.
In Texas, Jordan Montgomery was very solid allowing the Rangers to muzzle the Seattle Mariners. 2-0 victory for the locals.
The big left-hander pitched for seven innings and gave up only five hits to the visitors. Aroldis Chapman, another Rangers acquisition this season, saved a sixth game in 2023.
Jonah Heim and Mitch Garver produced the only points of the game.
With this other victory against the Mariners, the Rangers maintain the lead in the West and Scott Servais’ men are still half a game away from a playoff spot.
For the Rangers, it was a fourth consecutive victory.
For their part, the Houston Astros hosted the Kansas City Royals again at Minute Maid Park and the result was hardly better than the day before.
The hosts were blanked in the first six innings by Jordan Lyles and Carlos Hernández before scoring a run in the seventh and another in the eighth, but the comeback was not enough and the visitors recorded a 3-2 victory.
Dusty Baker’s troop didn’t choose a very good time to escape two against the poor Royals.
The Astros’ first four batters generated just one run during this important game, the 109th produced by Kyle Tucker this season. Chas McCormick hit his 22nd home run of 2023, but the damage was done.
The Astros may not make the playoffs and thus be unable to repeat their 2022 exploits.
The action resumes today and you can bet that the rankings may change.
