Rangers inch closer to AL West title following walk-off win
Welcome to The Walk Off, the nightly MLB recap from Big League Stew. Here we’ll look at the top performers of the night, show you a must-see highlight and rundown the scoreboard. First, we start with a game you need to know about.
The Chicago Cubs might have company in October pretty soon. With their walk-off win against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, the Texas Rangers have lowered their magic number to just three.
They accomplished that feat in an exciting manner. After trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Rangers rallied for yet another comeback win. Shorstop Elvis Andrus got the club started, tying things up with a solo shot during the frame.
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The team’s bullpen then kept the Angels off the board for two innings, bringing the Rangers to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Andrus again led the charge, singling on the first pitch he saw. Two pitches later, Carlos Gomez reached on bunt single, moving the go-ahead runner to second.
With Andrus in scoring position, Ian Desmond delivered a walk-off single to right field to pick up the win. The victory technically lowered the Rangers’ magic number to four games, but that dropped to three after the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners a few minutes later.
The 3-2 victory was the team’s eighth walk-off of the season, and 46th comeback win this year, according to T.R. Sullivan and Ryan Posner of MLB.com. With the victory, the team improved to an AL-best 89-62.
TOP PERFORMERS
Dansby Swanson: The Atlanta Braves may not be appointment television for most fans, but shortstop Dansby Swanson is giving the club’s most dedicated supporters some hope for the future. He showed as much during Monday’s 7-3 win over the New York Mets. Swanson went 3-for-5 during the contest, driving in three runs on three singles. The 22-year-old is hitting .305 on the season.
Rick Porcello: The Boston Red Sox have a candidate for the Cy Young award, and it’s not David Price. Rick Porcello tossed another gem during Monday’s 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Porcello threw a complete game, giving up just two runs on four hits. He struck out seven and did not issue any walks during the contest. With the win, Porcello improved to 21-4 on the year.
Marco Estrada: If not for Porcello, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marco Estrada may have turned in the biggest pitching performance of the night. The right-hander blanked the Seattle Mariners over seven innings during the club’s 3-2 win Monday. For the first six innings, the Mariners failed to even pick up a hit against Estrada. Robinson Cano led off the seventh with a single, but that was the only hit Estrada would surrender all night. He struck out eight and walked three during the win.
MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHT
The Los Angeles Dodgers won by the slimmest of margins during the club’s 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday, so every defensive play mattered.
That was especially the case in the ninth inning. With the Giants already up by one run, Angel Pagan hit what looked to be a gap shot to right center field. Enrique Hernandez reacted to the ball well, raced over to it and managed to make a diving catch at the last moment.
The play prevented Pagan from picking up extra bases, keeping the game tight. That would come into play in the bottom of the frame, when the Dodgers were able to rally for an exciting walk-off victory.
THE REST OF THE SCOREBOARD
Royals 8, White Sox 3: Kansas City tagged Carlos Rodon for six earned runs in just four innings. Kendrys Morales managed his 29th home run in the win.
Marlins 4, Nationals 3: Giancarlo Stanton set the tone early, smashing a monstrous home run to give the Marlins the lead in the second inning.
Cubs 5, Reds 2: The Reds allowed three home runs, breaking the record for most home runs allowed by a pitching staff in a single season.
Cardinals 5, Rockies 3: Carlos Martinez tossed a solid start over five innings, but also managed to help his own cause by hitting a two-run single in the fourth inning.
Astros 4, Athletics 2: Marwin Gonzalez played the hero, driving in two runs in the top of the ninth inning to give his team the win.
Padres 3, Diamondbacks 2: Clayton Richard gave up just two runs over 6 1/3 innings. He was supported by Wil Myers, who blasted his 26th home run of the season.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
