If the Toronto Blue Jays continue their momentum of the past few weeks, they could well cause an upset at the top of their group. Monday night’s losses to the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles are sure to give them a boost.
In a hard-fought matchup between two of Major League Baseball’s best teams, the Rays lost 3-2 to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Reliever Pete Fairbanks would certainly have himself to blame as his shot missed the target late in the ninth inning and gave the home favorites the win.
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The score was 2-2 and Rangers needed just one point to claim victory. Fairbanks (0-3) handed them the game on a silver platter when Mitch Garver hit the ball on the turn-at-bat. The pitcher released the ball poorly, forcing receiver Christian Bethancourt to leave his post to find it. Josh H. Smith reacted quickly and crossed the plate from third base.
A sacrifice flight from Randy Arozarena and a solo home run from Josh Lowe had given the visitors the lead after two sets. The Texas backstop came into play with Ezequiel Duran’s long ball in the sixth round.
The bridled Orioles
In Baltimore, the Orioles ended their eight-game winning streak with a 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chris Taylor mastered the track with a grand slam on lap six, putting the City of Angels representatives in the driver’s seat for the first time. It’s also the weapon of choice for the Dodgers, who lead the league with nine grand slams this season.
Previously, the Orioles had twice held a three-point lead. Gunnar Henderson notched two runs with his fourth treble of the year and Adleyrutschman notched his 13th outbound ball.
It’s the Dodgers’ eighth win in nine games.
In the American League East Division table, the Blue Jays (53-41) are five and a half games behind the Rays (60-37) while the Orioles are 57-36.