Red Sox keep Yankees at arm's length, Brewers inch closer to Rockies
The Boston Red Sox trailed the Baltimore Orioles by five runs before a six-run fifth inning and RBI single by Andrew Benintendi in the 11th propelled them to a 10-8 win.
Monday's victory helped Boston maintain a three-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League (AL) East.
The Yankees posted a 2-1 win against the Minnesota Twins thanks a first-inning homer from Aaron Judge and nine strikeouts from starting pitcher Jaime Garcia.
However, the victory got the Yankees no closer to a division title. It just put them five games up on the Twins for home-field advantage in the wildcard game.
Chaos could very easily ensue for the second wildcard spot in the AL though as the Twins lost a half-game in the standings to the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners, so their lead now stands at one-and-a-half games.
Back to the Red Sox though. They never gave up in this one. After Orioles starter Dylan Bundy looked great through the first three innings and good after four, his fifth inning went off the tracks as Boston sent 10 men to the plate, tallied six hits, one walk and the aforementioned six runs.
Benintendi had a big single that inning to load the bases before his eventual game-winner in the 11th. He finished the night two for six with two RBIs. The 11-inning win was the third extra-innings victory for the Red Sox in the last two weeks.
In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers took down the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 to move within two games of the Colorado Rockies for the second wildcard spot in the National League. Ryan Braun went two for three with a home run, two RBIs and a walk to lead the way for Milwaukee.
MONDAY'S RESULTS
Baltimore Orioles 8-10 Boston Red Sox
Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Detroit Tigers 3-8 Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres 4-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
New York Yankees 2-1 Minnesota Twins
Pittsburgh Pirates 0-3 Milwaukee Brewers
Miami Marlins 13-1 New York Mets
OZUNA, GORDON INSPIRE MARLINS AS OLSON HOMERS AGAIN
Marlins left fielder Marcell Ozuna and second baseman Dee Gordon both tallied four hits on the night to lead Miami to a convincing victory over the Mets. Ozuna finished four for five with a home run, three singles, and two RBIs. Gordon was four for six with two RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base.
Athletics first baseman Matt Olson had just one hit on Monday, but it was a home run that was his 14th in his last 20 games. He is the third rookie in MLB history to ever do that, joining Mark McGwire (1987) and Rudy York (1937).
WILLIAMS STRUGGLES AGAINST KERSHAW
Nick Williams has had some success in his rookie year for the Phillies, but he learned what it is like to take on Clayton Kershaw as he went 0 for four with three strikeouts in a win over the Dodgers.
Red Sox starter Doug Fister was out early on Monday, lasting just two innings. Fister gave up four hits, five earned runs and walked five in the win over the Orioles. Boston had to use nine relievers as a result.
NO GLOVE? NO WORRIES
Phillies starting pitcher Nick Pivetta figured he did not need his glove to snare a line drive up the middle against the Dodgers.
INDIANS AT ANGELS
The Los Angeles Angels picked up half a game on the Twins in the wildcard race by virtue of Minnesota's 2-1 loss to the Yankees and Los Angeles will get a chance to cut into that lead again on Tuesday. But they are facing the hottest team in baseball in the Cleveland Indians and one of the game's hottest pitchers in Mike Clevinger (10-5, 3.21 ERA). Clevinger has thrown just over 23 innings and allowed one earned run in his last four starts. Tyler Skaggs (2-5, 4.37 ERA) is coming off a very good start of his own, holding the Houston Astros scoreless through seven innings.