Pennant Race Roundup: Yankees are the first AL team to clinch a playoff spot while the Astros get lucky, despite the loss

Losses all around help Houston stay put after another day

With their win over the Mariners on Wednesday, the New York Yankees became the first team in the American League to clinch their spot in the 2024 postseason. The first was the Milwaukee Brewers, who already clinched the NL Central division. Lucky for the Astros, that win also allows them to give a sigh of relief after their loss.

Lets see what happened around the league with some of the other teams on today’s Pennant Race Roundup.

Houston Astros (82-70): 0, San Diego Padres (87-66): 4

Dylan Cease. That is how I would describe the Astros offense in this game. Only collecting two hits in the game, with the first one coming in the sixth inning, Cease completely shut down the Astros and Framber, while throwing a good game, couldn’t match him.

The first run didn’t get on the board till the sixth inning. For the second day in a row, Manny Machado left the yard to give the Padres a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth, and they added more on to that in the eighth.

After a leadoff bomb from Fernando Tatis Jr., Machado stepped up and launched his second of the game and third in the last two games. These two bombs were followed by yet another by Donovan Solano, giving the Padres back-to-back-to-back home runs and a 4-0 lead.

Both starters in the game, Framber Valdez and Cease, both went 7+ and gave up one or less run, but Cease was the one that got the support to back it up. This loss does not hurt the Astros in the overall race though, because the Mariners took another loss yesterday as well, keeping them five back of Houston.

New York Yankees (89-63): 2, Seattle Mariners (77-75): 1

In this extra inning walk off, both of the offenses were quiet most of the game. One of them got a run in the beginning, one of them got a run towards the end, but only one got another run on the board for the win.

The Yankees were the ones that got on the board first in the second inning. After a one-out walk, Jasson Dominguez stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. This gave Anthony Rizzo the opportunity and he capitalized, hitting a liner into right field for a single and scoring Dominguez and putting them up 1-0.

Following this, the bats for both sides went cold for the next five innings, with not a single run scored in that time and only five hits between them. This was all broken when, in the bottom of the eighth, Justin Turner pimped a solo shot to left to tie the game at one.

This 1-1 score brought the game into extras and the Yankees, yet again, stuck right away. Leading off the top of the 10th, Anthony Rizzo roped a double down the first base line and into right field, scoring the runner from second and giving the Yanks a 2-1 lead.

The Yankees finished them off in the bottom half of the 10th, despite a leadoff single putting runners at the corners, and held on for the win. This win helped them become the first AL to clinch the playoffs and keeps the M’s five back of the Astros for the AL West.

Other games that matter

Minnesota Twins: 4, Cleveland Guardians: 5

In another extra inning, walk off win, the back and forth between these two was crazy. Going into extras tied at two, the Twins put up two in the top of the tenth and looked like they were going to get their win, but that is when the Guardians put up a three-spot in the bottom and walked off the Twins on a RBI-single from Brayan Rocchio. This Twins loss put them less than a game ahead of the Tigers. The Twins spot was thought to be secure a month ago, but as things keep going, they look less and less like a team that wants to be in the postseason.

Detroit Tigers: 4, Kansas City Royals: 2

With Skubal on the mound, the Tigers had confidence and they showed it early, jumping in front right away and not letting go of the lead. The Royals got on the board first, but the Tigers answered back big, tying it in one inning and putting up three in the next. Skubal was unhittable on the mound, allowing only three hits and striking out seven in five innings. This win marks four in a row for the Tigers. They are doing what they need to to get their spot in that WC. Whoever claims that last stop is likely to match up with Houston in the first round.