By Ron Kaplan, contributor
Interesting game Sunday between the Toronto Blue Jays (67-82, fourth in the AL East) and host New York Yankees. The two Blue MOTS were “responsible” for the come-from-behind, 3-2 win. Trailing 2-1 in the eighth inning with runners on first and third — the former in the person of Kevin Pillar, who was serving as a pinch-runner — Rowdy Tellez stroked an opposite-field, game-tying pinch-hit. Pillar came around to score the eventual winning run on a double. Tellez was caught in a rundown; oh, well. The other two games in the series were an 11-0 loss and an 8-7 win. Pillar hit his 13th homer in the latter one, one of his two hits. He was 0-3 in Friday’s loss while Tellez was 1-for-4 as the starting first baseman. He did not appear in Saturday’s affair.
The Boston Red Sox (103-47, first in the AL East) took two of three from the visiting NY Mets. (How is it Boston hasn’t clinched yet?) Ian Kinsler had two of his team’s four hits to go along with two stolen bases in an 8-0 loss on Friday. He was 1-for-6 with a walk and a run scored in the other two games.
Joc Pederson started all three games for the LA Dodgers (82-68, second in the NL West, second in the NL Wild Card spot), who took two out of three from the host St. Louis Cardinals. Pederson was 4-15 with a run scored.
Ryan Braun had a pinch-hit single on Saturday and was 0-for-8 in the two games he started. The Milwaukee Brewers (85-65, second in the NL Central, holding the first NL Wild Card spot) lost two of three to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Ryan Lavarnway did not appear for the Buccos (74-74, fourth in the NL Central).
Alex Bregman — who may be finding it harder to get a good pitch these days — was just 1-for-7 with a run scored but walked five times and was hit by a pitch as the Houston Astros (94-55, first in the AL Central) won two of three over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. (More on Bregman.)
Robert Stock struck out the only batter he faced for the San Diego Padres (60-90, fifth in the NL West) in their 6-3 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers on Saturday. It was his only appearance for the weekend.
Max Fried gave up one run on a hit and a walk while striking out one in one inning of work in Saturday’s 7-1 Atlanta Braves’ loss to the visiting Washington Nationals. It was his only appearance for the weekend. The Braves are 83-66, first in the NL East.
Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (76-72, second in the NL East) took two of three from the visiting Miami Marlins. They are five games back in the Wild Card race.
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Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.
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