A.L. Playoffs Chase: Saturday Morning Update
The American League playoff races are heating up and two big series continue Saturday which could help decide the winner of the AL East and Wild Card.
The American League playoff races are heating up and Friday provided a few pivotal games, including two head-to-head matchups. Those Friday.
Athletics 3, Orioles 2: Joe Saunders allowed just three runs over six innings, but it wasn't enough to match Tom Milone. The Orioles got on the board first, but every time Baltimore scored, Oakland came back with runs of their own. With the loss, Baltimore fell two games behind the Athletics for the top AL Wild Card spot.
Rays 6, Yankees 4: In a battle of aces, Tampa Bay came out on top with David Price picking up his 18th win of the season. Price allowed two runs over seven innings, outpitching CC Sabathia. Sabathia took the loss after he allowed four runs over 6⅔ innings. Tampa Bay took the lead in the fifth inning, and then added single runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to secure the win.
Tigers 4, Indians 0: The Tigers stayed hot, winning their third straight game Friday. Justin Verlander didn't allow a run while striking out six over seven innings. The Tigers gave Verlander some early run support with two runs in the first inning and two more in the second. From there, Verlander took over and Detroit cruised to the 4-0 win.
White Sox 6, Twins 0: Chris Sale allowed just three hits over six innings and the White Sox scored early and often to beat the Twins 6-0. Chicago scored in the second inning then added runs in the fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth to build the lead. Alex Rios finished 2-3 with an RBI while Kevin Youkilis hit his 19th home run of the season. The win snapped Chicago's two-game losing streak and allowed them to maintain their one game lead over the Tigers in the AL Central.
Athletics 3, Orioles 2: Tom Milone allowed two runs over 6-1/3 innings and got just enough run support to knock off the Orioles and extend Oakland's lead in the AL Wild Card race. Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run home run while Jonny Gomes drove in a run in the fifth inning to put the A's ahead.
Angels 9, Royals 7: The Angels needed a late rally, but were able to score three runs in the final two innings to knock off the Royals 9-7. C.J. Wilson and Garrett Richards combined to give up seven runs over the first 6-1/3 innings, but the Los Angeles' offense came through. Kendrys Morales tied the game with a solo home run and Torii Hunter drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Angels up for good.
Rangers 9, Mariners 3 : The Rangers opened their series with Seattle victorious thanks in large part to a seven-run explosion in the bottom of the eighth inning. Texas entered the inning leading 2-1, but batted around en route to seven runs. Texas racked up four extra base hits in the inning, including a three-run triple by Elvis Andrus. The run support was more than enough for Yu Darvish who pitched seven strong innings.
| A.L. Wild Card | W | L | |
| Athletics | 83 | 61 | 2 |
| O's / Yankees | 81 | 63 | - |
| Angels | 79 | 66 | 2½ |
| Rays | 78 | 66 | 3 |
| Tigers | 76 | 67 | 6½ |
Up next: The Athletics and Orioles will continue to battle for Wild Card position as they meet in the second game of their three-game series. The A’s win on Friday ensured they could be no worse than tied for the second Wild Card spot following the series. The Yankees and Rays will also play the second game of their three-game series as Tampa Bay looks to make up more ground. The Rays gained a game on New York Friday and could pull within one game of the Yankees if they sweep the series.
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