MLB Playoff Wrap: Alex Reyes Shuts Down San Francisco
We’re officially under two weeks away from the end of the regular season, which means we’re less than two weeks away from finding out which teams can make one final push to claim their MLB playoff spots.
It’s not often that we’ll lead with the same team two days in a row, but after losing the first two games in San Francisco, the St. Louis Cardinals salvaged a series split and remain one game behind San Francisco for a wild card spot. The NL wild card race is where all the action is at the moment, and with the easy schedule the Mets have the rest of the way, they should claim one of the two entries and potentially even home field.
The Cards sent rookie Alex Reyes to the mound yesterday and the highly touted 22-year-old turned in his most effective, and most efficient start of his young career.
After beginning the season suspended for recreational drug use and not making his first start in Triple-A until late May, Reyes debuted in the big leagues just a few months later at home against Cincinnati. Since then, the right-hander has posted a 1.03 ERA (2.77 FIP) across 35 innings. While his walk rate is a bit high (18 free passes in those innings), he has struck out 40 batters and allowed just 20 hits, leaving him with a sterling 1.09 WHIP.
On Sunday afternoon at AT&T, Reyes dominated the Giants lineup, tossing seven shutout innings while allowing four hits, walking two, and striking out six. All of this was done on just 84 pitches. If Reyes had not been suspended to begin the season and subsequently made his debut a month or so earlier, it’s likely that the Cardinals would have already overtaken San Francisco.
As it stands, the Mets have the first wild card, with the Giants falling to a game behind New York, and St. Louis just a game behind the Even Year Warriors.
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San Francisco travels to Los Angeles to face their blood rivals for a three game set beginning today, while St. Louis heads to Colorado for three of their own.
Over in the American League, the Orioles took a one game lead over the Blue Jays in the wild card race as Baltimore rallied for runs in the sixth and eighth to take down the Rays, 2-1. Toronto continued to scuffle, getting shut out by the Angels down in Anaheim. The loss drops the Jays to 4-9 over their last 13 and 5-11 in September. Most of that losing has come at the hands of AL East opponents, so the good news for Toronto is that they get three days in Seattle before continuing against their own division. The downside of all of this is that Seattle has been one of the hotter teams over the past two weeks with a 10-3 record.
If Seattle wins the upcoming series, they’ll take another step towards a MLB playoff berth for the first time since the 116 win 2001 club, with games against the Twins, Astros and A’s remaining following the series with Toronto, while a series win for the Blue Jays could get them headed in the right direction before facing the Yankees, O’s and Red Sox.
Speaking of the Yanks and Sox, Boston completed their four-game sweep of New York, which is the first time they have accomplished that feat since 1990, per ESPN Stats & Info. With the Blue Jays loss, the Yankees didn’t lose any ground in the wild card race, remaining four games back, but they’re running out of time to make up that ground.
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The Astros took the first two games of their series against the Mariners, but Seattle’s offense was able to break through for seven runs on Sunday after scoring just one run total in the first two games. Seattle moved to two back of Toronto, while Houston remains three back.
The Detroit Tigers finally exorcised some demons on Sunday, pulling out a 9-5 win over Cleveland. This game had a familiar feel, as the two clubs traded runs early on. Detroit held a one-run lead following the sixth, which is generally right where the Indians want them, but the Tigers were able to push three across in the top of the ninth and seal just their second win against Cleveland on the year. The Tigers are also two games back of Toronto.