The 2021 regular season concludes on Sunday, barring any tiebreakers, and the American League wild-card race continues to be the most compelling race still standing. Speaking of which, the Yankees, who entered Tuesday in possession of the top wild-card spot, picked up a huge 7-2 win in their series opener against the Blue Jays, thanks in part to yet another clutch home run by Giancarlo Stanton.
Meantime, the Red Sox continued their recent skid with a crucial 4-2 loss against the lowly Orioles. This means the Yankees are now two games clear of the Red Sox for the top wild-card spot and right to host the AL Wild Card Game. The Blue Jays, meantime, remain one game behind Boston, while the Mariners are also now just one-half game out. The Yankees' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is now down to three.
Broadly, these teams are headed in different directions. The Yankees have won seven in a row, and the Mariners have prevailed in nine of their past 10. On the other side of things, the Jays have dropped four of six and the Red Sox have lost four in a row.
Below you'll find the updated AL wild-card standings as well as key scores from the night's action.
AL wild-card standings
1. Yankees -- 90-67 (+2 G)
2. Red Sox -- 88-69
---------------------------
3. Mariners -- 88-70 (1/2 GB)
4. Blue Jays -- 87-70 (1 GB)
5. Athletics -- 85-73 (3 1/2 GB)
Key AL wild-card games, scores
Orioles 4, Red Sox 2 (box score)
Yankees 7, Blue Jays 2 (box score)
Mariners 4, A's 2 (box score)
Now for some takeaways from Tuesday's AL wild card action.
Red Sox blow lead
The Red Sox entered their Tuesday night road game in Baltimore with a 12-4 record against the Orioles this season, and they also had a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning. At that point, however, Ryan Mountcastle hit his 32nd home run of the season, this one a game-tying two-run shot off Chris Sale. Pedro Severino then followed with an RBI single to give Baltimore the lead. That lead stood up. The Orioles, owners of a 5.83 team ERA coming into this game, held Boston to just three hits.
As noted the Red Sox have now lost four in a row. That losing streak comes on the heels of a seven-game win streak. If there's any current consolation for Boston -- besides, you know, still being in playoff position -- it's that they have a weak schedule the rest of the way. They close out the regular season with two more against the Orioles and then a three-game series against the Nationals.
Stanton stays hot
Giancarlo Stanton gave the Yankees needed breathing room in this one with a long home run off a pitcher's pitch in the seventh:
That was Stanton's 35th homer of the season, and he's also now homered in four straight games. Stanton later doubled in this game, and he's now slashing .278/.359/.527 for the season. Stanton's fellow large Yankee cloutsman Aaron Judge also homered against the Jays on Tuesday, and that brings us to this:
When Judge and Stanton are healthy and at their levels, which they are right now, the Yankees are one of the most dangerous squads around.
Taillon injured again
Right-hander Jameson Taillon returned from an injured right ankle to start this game against the Blue Jays. He looked strong early, but unfortunately he aggravated that injury in the third inning and had to leave the game. The hope, of course, is that it's a mere tweak and not something that will affect his postseason availability, assuming the Yankees get there. The team should say more about Taillon's outlook on Wednesday.
The Mariners beat the A's again
Seattle on Tuesday defeated the A's for the 11th straight time and moved to 14-4 against its division rival this season. More critically, they picked up a full game on the Red Sox and are now just a half-game out of playoff position in the AL wild-card chase. Mitch Haniger hit his 38th home run of 2021, and DH Luis Torrens added three hits. The surging M's are now 17-8 in September. They're trying to snap MLB's longest postseason drought, which stretches back to 2001.
On the Oakland side of things, the A's are all but buried in the playoff chase. Coming into Tuesday's slate, the SportsLine Projection System gave the A's less than a 1.0 percent chance of making the postseason. Throw this critical loss into the mix, and those odds are now effectively zero. They're 3 1/2 games out of position and behind three teams in the race for the final spot.
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September 29, 2021 at 10:09AM
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AL wild-card race: Stanton, Yanks beat Blue Jays, close in on top spot with Red Sox loss; Mariners narrow gap - CBSSports.com
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