Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Ground is gained everywhere

Yesterday was a great day for Yankees fans. First the team went out and destroyed the Chicago Cubs, putting on a one-sided home run derby while Jordan Montgomery crafted another gem of an outing. Then they had time to look towards the scoreboard, where all of their rivals gave them more good news.

Toronto Blue Jays (34-24) vs. Detroit Tigers (24-34)

Kevin Gausman has been excellent this year, but the baseball gods have cursed him with some truly unlucky run support. Despite his 2.67 ERA this year Gausman took his fifth loss of the year while allowing only two runs (one earned) over six innings. The Blue Jays simply couldn’t get anything going against Beau Brieske, despite piling seven hits against him over 5.2 innings. Toronto broke the shutout in the ninth inning on a George Springer single, but that would be all they’d get in a 3-1 loss.

Tampa Bay Rays (34-25) vs. Minnesota Twins (35-26)

Someone had to lose this game, and if you’re the Yankees you’d prefer it if it was their division rivals in the Rays. Thankfully, Minnesota has done them a solid after losing two of three to the Yanks, taking on Tampa and taking two straight from them. They were down 3-0 to start the game, but a Luis Arraez grand slam in the third inning suddenly put them on top and Jose Miranda doubled another run home to make it 5-3. The two teams traded a run in the sixth inning and Tampa added another in the seventh to make things tense, but Emilio Pagán locked down the 6-5 Twins win in the ninth. The Rays’ sweep of St. Louis is now sandwiched between series losses to the White Sox and Twins — with a chance for Minnesota to sweep them today.

Boston Red Sox (31-29) vs. Seattle Mariners (27-32)

Michael Wacha was given a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and promptly squandered it. A wild pitch and an Adam Frazier single cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the first, and Julio Rodriguez smashed a two-run shot in the second to suddenly put the Mariners ahead. Boston answered back in the fifth with a J.D. Martinez two-run blast to retake the lead, and Abraham Toro doubled home a run in the seventh to tie the game at five.

Bobby Dalbec played hero for the Sox in the top of the ninth, smacking a solo shot to put Boston up one, but Hansel Robles couldn’t complete the save. Toro singled home one to tie things up again, and Dylan Moore found grass in center field to drive home the walk-off run for Seattle. Final score: 7-6 Mariners.

Miami Marlins (27-30) vs. Houston Astros (36-23)

The Astros were one of the hottest teams in baseball across May, but they’ve hit a tough stretch in June — and they’re doing it against so-so competition as well. Miami controlled this one from the get-go, jumping on Framber Valdez for three runs in the second and another in the third. Houston got an unearned run across in the fifth but otherwise had no answer for the Marlins’ pitching staff, and went down quietly 5-1 at home. The Astros have lost four of their last five, which doesn’t put them in any danger as far as their own division is concerned yet — but it has cost them crucial ground in the overall AL standings.