AL East

Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg announced on the team's pregame radio show Tuesday (h/t Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that the team has scrapped plans to advertise the franchise's desire to split future seasons between Tampa and Montreal.

"I'm really here to speak directly to our fans today," Sternberg said. "And to apologize, quite frankly. I've always said that baseball is meant to be fun and engaging and exciting. Brings a community together.

"I made a big mistake, a real mistake, in trying to promote our sister-city plan with a sign right now in our home ballpark. I absolutely should have known better. And really, I'm sorry for that. I'm here to tell ... the fans that the sign is not going to go up."

Rays president Matt Silverman said on last Saturday's This Week in Rays Baseball radio show (h/t Topkin) that the team was going to advertise its plan on the outfield wall during the playoffs.

"We're going to add a sign in the right-field foul territory with a very simple Tampa Bay Montreal graphic," Silverman said.

"Especially with the eyes of baseball on us this October, we want that visible symbol of our plan and our excitement for it. It will mark the effort subtly and keep the focus on winning."

The American League East champions are scheduled to begin their division series on Oct. 7 against a to-be-determined opponent.

The Rays' Tropicana Field lease is set to expire in 2027.

Sternberg told Topkin last December that the proposed move is the "only option in my mind":

We are getting toward 2028 and you can't snap your fingers and just have the stadium show up. It's getting trickier and trickier by the year to get something done. This year certainly set things back, but fortunately we've got a strong group of people who work for us and we've got a very motivated group of people in Montreal who want us. And I think we have a plan that makes incredible sense. At least it does to me. And we're going to try to see it through.

But Sternberg admitted that the timing of the advertising in relation to the team's impending postseason run was an issue:

There's been a lot. There's been a lot written about it nationally, locally, in blogs and on sites. I know we have passionate fans who love this team. And I'm forever grateful for that. And that passion shows itself in many ways.

The last thing I want to do is discourage any of that passion. The mistake I made here is directing that passion away from the field. Our fans deserve to be focused on Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena, Brandon Lowe. This has been an absolutely wonderful season. And it's not over yet, obviously. There'll be time to discuss and debate the future of Rays baseball. Right now it's time to enjoy Rays baseball.

Tampa Bay is in Houston for a three-game series against the Astros, and the Rays only need one win to clinch home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The Rays also need to win just three of their next six games to earn 100 regular-season victories for the first time in franchise history.

They look like the team to beat in the AL as they search for their second consecutive World Series appearance.

Naturally, any advertising regarding the potential of the team spending future seasons in Montreal drew the ire of fans, but that idea has now been axed as the Rays look forward to potentially winning their first World Series title since the team's MLB debut in 1998.

Most would point to Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton or Gerrit Cole as some of the biggest reasons for the New York Yankees' recent hot play. 

Nope. Wrong. 

It has all been thanks to a turtle.

Sam Borden of ESPN reported the Yankees recently became pet owners of a turtle named Bronxie, which they credit for helping turn around their playoff push.

"Lucky charm, whatever you want to call it; I know a lot of guys believe there's a connection here," Brett Gardner said. "At the end of it, it would be great if we could go out and get him a little World Series ring."

The Yankees have reeled off six straight wins, including a weekend sweep of the Boston Red Sox, to take the lead in the AL Wild Card race. They now have a two-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays as they look to wrap up a spot in the one-game playoff, which may see them battle against the rival Red Sox.

Red Sox OF Kiké Hernández goes bowling, sneaker shopping and grabs a bite to eat. Brought to you by Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Credit Card.

The next time the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees meet will either be in 2022, or next Tuesday for their 20th tilt of the season and their first winner-take-all contest since 2004.

Though Major League Baseball's most storied rivals aren't yet locked into a one-game playoff in the American League Wild Card Game, that would be the matchup at Yankee Stadium if the game was today. The Yankees and Red Sox hold the league's two wild cards, with the latter having gained the top spot with a dramatic sweep at Fenway Park over the weekend.

It was real gut punch for the Red Sox. Or, more accurately, a series of gut punches mostly delivered by Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton. He hit a three-run home run on Friday, a grand slam on Saturday and then a two-run homer on Sunday that effectively iced the series:

Ladies and gentlemen, Big G has left the building. pic.twitter.com/leXl5sI4YV

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 27, 2021

Perhaps more so than in what order they'll finish, the big question now is if the Yankees and Red Sox will even keep the two wild-card spots. The Toronto Blue Jays are only one game back, after all, and the Seattle Mariners (1.5 GB) and Oakland Athletics (3.5 GB) are also in the race.

Still, you can rest assured that folks in Boston and the Bronx are pulling for the Red Sox and Yankees to throw down next Tuesday. Because big games between these two teams are also big business there are also presumably many fingers crossed within MLB's offices.

Besides, one more game between Boston and New York would be far from a frivolity. Beyond simply being the latest chapter in a rich history, it would finish business between the two clubs that's very much unfinished.

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A Tale of Two Season Series

To be sure, you'd be hard-pressed to make an argument that 2021 has brought the best iteration of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.

This rivalry has had some high stakes over the years, including when it revolved around Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio in the 1940s and Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson in the 1970s. There was drama aplenty between the two sides in 2003 and 2004, and it was only three years ago that both clubs won 100 games in the regular season before meeting in October.

Yet this might be the most evenly matched the Red Sox and Yankees have ever been. Though Boston claimed the 19-game season series, it was only by the narrowest possible margins for wins (10-9) and run differential (75-74).

The Red Sox were in control early on, winning each the first seven games between the two and 10 of the first 13 overall. But then the Yankees staged the best version of "The Empire Strikes Back" since the OG debuted in 1980, winning each of the next six contests.

Though there is no singular explanation for the Yankees' comeback, the shift in how the two clubs have hit with the bases empty, runners on and runners in scoring position is striking:

With nobody on, the Red Sox have actually done even better in the last six games than they did in the first 13 games. But they've otherwise fallen well short at tacking on the hits they've needed to get runners home, whereas the Yankees have improved across the board.

More broadly, the sudden momentum swing in this year's Red Sox-Yankees rivalry mirrors how the two teams have fared since they went in different directions at the July 30 trade deadline. The Yankees are 35-19 since then, while the Red Sox are only 25-26.

A frustratingly persistent outbreak of COVID-19 obviously didn't help the Red Sox, yet their deficiencies on the field have been painfully obvious. For instance, their relievers are second-to-last in the AL with a 4.69 ERA since the deadline. Then there's their defense, which has gone from an inconvenient weakness to more like an inescapable curse of late.

Both issues have loomed large amid Boston's six-game losing streak to the Yankees. Red Sox relievers have taken the L in half of the six losses, most notably in a walk-fueled meltdown Saturday. Catching the ball has been less of a factor, though Boston might have avoided Sunday's meltdown if Bobby Dalbec's and Christian Vazquez's poor glovework hadn't granted Aaron Judge two extra lives before his clutch two-run double.

For their part, the Yankees have certainly pitched well, holding the Red Sox to 14 total runs in the clubs' last six meetings. So it goes for them in general, as their 3.60 ERA since the deadline ranks second in the AL.

The Yankees offense, meanwhile, has more closely resembled a typical Bronx Bombers offense even outside of its clutch hitting against Boston. Since Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo came aboard ahead of the deadline, Toronto is the only AL club with more home runs.

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The Road Ahead Favors Boston

As if being generally hot and utterly dominant against their longtime rivals didn't already bode well enough for the Yankees, they're also set up well for an automatic advantage should they and the Red Sox meet again next week.

With ace right-hander Gerrit Cole set to start Wednesday in Toronto, the Yankees can plan on pitching him next Tuesday after five days of rest. That's when he's most dangerous, as his 15 starts on five days' rest have yielded a 2.70 ERA.

As much as the Red Sox would probably love to counter with ace left-hander Chris Sale, his Tuesday assignment against the Baltimore Orioles means he could go again on regular rest for Boston's season finale against the Washington Nationals on Sunday. That would leave Nathan Eovaldi, who was last seen getting lit up for seven runs in just 2.2 innings by the Yankees on Friday, to start the Wild Card Game.

Before the Yankees start printing tickets, however, they must first tackle a remaining schedule that's much harder than Boston's.

Sure, the Red Sox play each of their six remaining games on the road. But it'll be a shock if they get much push-back from either the Orioles or the Nationals. With 106 losses and counting, the former is the worst team in MLB. The latter has dropped "only" 96 games, but only Baltimore has lost more often since the trade deadline.

The Yankees, on the other hand, have to go through the Blue Jays on their turf and then the Tampa Bay Rays back at home to finish the season. The Jays are 21-9 at home since returning to the Rogers Centre on July 31. At 97-59, the Rays are the best team in the AL and have handled the Yankees to the tune of a 9-7 record.

There's also the matter of Judge's left pinky finger, which he dislocated sliding into second base on Sunday night. If he's at all limited by that, the Yankees' best hitter (i.e., a .903 OPS and 36 HR) will be less of a factor in what games they have left.  

Apropos of all this, FanGraphs still gives the Red Sox better chances than the Yankees of nabbing a wild-card spot of any kind. That obviously runs counter to the momentum that the Yankees have built up, but that's the problem with momentum: it's there until it's not.

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There's Rich History at Play Here

To hold us all over until the Red Sox and Yankees possibly meet again next week, how about a history lesson on the other do-or-die games that the two teams have ever played?

It wasn't until 1949, about a half-century into each team's existence, that the first such game occurred. The Red Sox went into a season-ending two-game series at New York needing just one win to secure the American League pennant, but got none as the Yankees won both games to leapfrog them in the standings and take the pennant for themselves.

Fast-forward about 30 years to 1978. The Red Sox led the Yankees in the American League East by as many as 14 games as late as July 19. But both clubs ended the regular season proper with 99 wins to set up a one-game playoff at Fenway Park.

Cue Bucky "Bleeping" Dent, and a 5-4 victory for the Yankees:

Now skip ahead 25 years to 2003, wherein Boston and New York met in the American League Championship Series and played to a decisive Game 7. The Red Sox had a 5-2 lead behind Pedro Martinez in that one, but Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada set 'em up and future Yankees manager Aaron Boone knocked 'em down for a 6-5 win in extras: 

It wasn't until 2004 that the Red Sox finally broke the mold. What was originally a seemingly insurmountable 0-3 deficit to the Yankees in the ALCS became a 3-3 tie, and then Boston went to town in a 10-3 win in Game 7:

Weirdly, it's because of that game that the Red Sox have actually outscored the Yankees by three runs in the four winner-take-all games that they've ever played. The only scoreboard that matters, though, ultimately reads 3-1 in favor of New York.

Should the Red Sox and Yankees meet again in the AL Wild Card game and the Yankees win, it'll be deja vu. But should a grudge match go to the Red Sox, it obviously wouldn't be the first time that they proved history is a record of what was and not what must be.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge isn't overly worried after suffering a dislocated pinky finger while sliding into second base during Sunday's 6-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

"Not too concerned with it," Judge—who remained in the game after popping the finger back into place—said after the game. "I really don't know what's going on with it, but I don't really need it to hit, so I think we're going to be in good shape."

Manager Aaron Boone was also optimistic about his star's status. 

"We'll see," Boone told reporters of the injury. "He was able to pop it back. Hopefully, we're all right moving forward."

Judge played a key role in the win, as he hit a go-ahead two-run double in the top of the eighth inning. 

He later scored on a two-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton.

Durability has been a concern at times for the 29-year-old throughout his career. He appeared in just 28 games during the shortened 2020 campaign after playing 102 in 2019 and 112 in 2018.

When healthy, he is one of the anchors of the New York lineup and among the league's best power hitters. He launched 52 home runs as the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year and hit 27 long balls in back-to-back years despite the amount of games he missed in 2018 and 2019.

Judge is hitting .284 with a .903 OPS, piling up 36 home runs and 92 RBI this year for the Bronx Bombers.

With Judge being able to remain in the game, it's not clear if he will have to miss any time. The Yankees could turn to Joey Gallo, Brett Gardner and Tyler Wade in the outfield with Stanton at designated hitter if Judge is sidelined at all.

Losing Judge for any period of time would be a tough blow as New York looks to secure a playoff spot. The Yankees (89-67) currently hold a one-game lead over the Red Sox (88-68) for the top American League Wild Card Spot and sit two games clear of the Toronto Blue Jays (87-69), who are on the outside looking in, as well.

Toronto Blue Jays star Marcus Semien hit his 43rd home run of the season Saturday night, tying the MLB record for the most home runs by a second baseman in a single season.

Most single-season HR by a 2B in @MLB HISTORY:

T1) Marcus Semien - 43 (2021) 🤯
T1) Davey Johnson - 43 (1973) pic.twitter.com/RKVEUs4ZXd

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 26, 2021

Semien's record-tying blast was a solo shot in the sixth inning off Minnesota Twins reliever Luke Farrell. Semien also had a single in the game, and the Blue Jays went on to win 6-1.

After the game, Semien commented on his historic home run, per SI Now's Ethan Diamandas:

#BlueJays' Marcus Semien on his record-tying 43rd homer of the season:

"I've never had my name in any record book or anything like that, so it's really cool."

— Ethan Diamandas (@EthanDiamandas) September 26, 2021

He also joked that, despite the record, he still doesn't think of himself as a second baseman, per Sportsnet's Arash Madani:

Marcus Semien: "I still see myself as a shortstop."

— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) September 26, 2021

With seven games left in the season, Semien has a good shot at breaking Davey Johnson's record, which he set as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 1973. He'll get his next opportunity Sunday afternoon in the series finale against the Twins.

It's been a year to remember for the 31-year-old infielder, who signed a one-year, $18 million deal with the Blue Jays after spending the last six seasons in Oakland. He was voted to his first All-Star game in July and will finish the season with career bests in home runs, RBI and stolen bases. His .341 on-base percentage and .544 slugging percentage would also be high marks if they hold. 

After spending almost his entire career at shortstop, the change of scenery and position has helped Semien become one of the sport's top players. The Blue Jays will continue to rely on his bat down the stretch as they trail Boston and New York in the AL Wild Card race.

With seven games left in the season, Semien has a good shot at breaking Davey Johnson's record, which he set as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 1973. He'll get his next opportunity Sunday afternoon in the series finale against the Twins.

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched their second consecutive American League East title Saturday after defeating the Miami Marlins 7-3.

Back-to-back!@RaysBaseball run the AL East once again. #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/I3Mnt5e1dF

— MLB (@MLB) September 26, 2021

Starting pitcher Shane McClanahan got the win after tossing five innings of one-run ball. At the dish, catcher Mike Zunino led the way with a two-run blast in the fifth to give Tampa Bay a 3-1 edge.

Things are feeling magical at the Trop pic.twitter.com/aw2kqZPA9B

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 25, 2021

Second baseman and leadoff hitter Brandon Lowe set the table with four hits, including a pair of RBI doubles.

The Boston Red Sox fell 5-3 to the New York Yankees earlier Saturday, meaning that the Rays only needed one more win to clinch the division. They got the job done with seven regular-season games remaining.

The Rays won the AL East last year after posting a 40-20 record during the pandemic-shortened season. They beat the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros in the AL playoffs before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in the World Series.

Tampa Bay is hoping to clinch its second consecutive AL pennant en route to winning the first World Series in franchise history.

Now the Rays can set their sights on clinching home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.

They are in line to do so: Following the win, Tampa Bay led the Houston Astros by five games in that race. The Rays can take care of their own business there, as they'll be traveling to Houston for a three-game series beginning Tuesday.

Earning the No. 1 seed would mean a date with the AL Wild Card Game winner. The Yankees and Red Sox, who have matching 88-67 records, currently occupy those two spots. 

Tampa closes its season with a Sunday matinee versus the Marlins, the aforementioned three-game Astros series and a three-game road trip to New York to play the Yankees.

The Tampa Bay Rays intend to use the postseason to boost their plan to split future seasons between Tampa and Montreal. 

Rays president Matt Silverman appeared on Saturday's This Week in Rays Baseball radio show to discuss the plan that includes putting a sign on one of the outfield walls at Tropicana Field. 

“We’re going to add a sign in the right field foul territory with a very simple Tampa Bay Montreal graphic,” Silverman said (h/t Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). “Especially with the eyes of baseball on us this October, we want that visible symbol of our plan and our excitement for it. It will mark the effort subtly and keep the focus on winning.”

The Rays' idea of splitting home games between Tampa and Montreal was first brought forward by team owner Stuart Sternberg in December 2019. 

Speaking to Topkin about the plan, Sternberg called the split home the easiest way to keep the Rays in Tampa. 

Talks between the Rays and local government officials in Tampa over a new stadium have been ongoing for years.

As recently as August, Charlie Frago of the Tampa Bay Times noted Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and city council members were fine with the split-season concept after meeting with team officials. 

Frago added Castor and the city council are still hopeful about the possibility of reaching a deal for a new ballpark. 

Topkin, citing sources in the Le Journal de Montreal, noted a deal between the Rays and city of Montreal could be announced "sometime after the Nov. 7 Montreal city elections, and that 'an important meeting' will be held 'very soon' in Florida to finalize details."

The Rays are tied to St. Petersburg through the 2027 season as part of their lease agreement with the city. 

Tropicana Field has been the Rays' home since their inaugural season in 1998. The stadium is often cited as one of the worst in Major League Baseball, both for its aesthetics and poor location within the city. 

Despite the franchise's consistent success for more than a decade, the Rays routinely rank at or near the bottom of the league in attendance figures. 

Montreal hasn't had an MLB team since the Expos relocated to Washington D.C. after the 2004 season. 

The Rays will host the first two games of the American League Division Series starting on Oct. 7.    

Cedric Mullins added another chapter to his breakout 2021 on Friday night when he hit his 30th homer of the season in the second inning against the Texas Rangers. 

The 26-year-old is the first player in Orioles history to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in a single season. 

The first player in Orioles history to reach 30/30, and the first player in baseball to do it this year.@cedmull30 has put together one of the greatest seasons we've ever seen in Birdland. pic.twitter.com/KRSIA6lNv2

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 24, 2021

Even though the Orioles remain mired in a rebuild and entered Friday tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the worst record in Major League Baseball (49-104), Mullins has been an incredible bright spot for the franchise. 

Mullins was named to the American League All-Star team earlier this year. He entered Friday ranked fourth in MLB with 30 stolen bases and is now tied for 19th in the AL with 30 homers.

Per FanGraphs, Mullins ranks fourth in the AL among position players with 5.6 wins above replacement. 

In a season featuring several breakout performances, Mullins' has been one of the most unexpected. He was an unheralded 13th-round draft pick out of Campbell University in 2015. 

MLB.com did rank Mullins as the fifth-best prospect in Baltimore's system prior to the 2017 season. He made his big league debut in 2018  but never showed this kind of potential. The North Carolina native hit .225/.290/.342 with seven homers and 10 stolen bases in 115 games from 2018-20. 

There is a bright future in Baltimore with an improving farm system. Catcher Adley Rutschman, the top pick in the 2019 MLB draft, is the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball. Grayson Rodriguez is one of the top pitching prospects in the sport. 

Assuming Rutschman and Rodriguez debut at some point next season, the Orioles will have a strong foundation with that duo and Mullins to build around.    

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Ryan Borucki and manager Charlie Montoyo have been suspended after Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch during Wednesday's game.

Borucki received a three-game suspension, which he is expected to appeal. Montoyo told reporters at Target Field that he received a one-game ban, and he will serve it on Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. 

The situation between Kiermaier and the Jays began on Monday night. The Rays outfielder picked up a data card that fell out of Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk's wristband as he was making a tag on Kiermaier at the plate. 

Per Arash Madani of SportsNet, the card contained Toronto's pitching game plan for Rays hitters. 

Montoyo told reporters after Tuesday's game between the two teams that Rays manager Kevin Cash apologized to him for the situation. The Blue Jays skipper described it as "agua under the bridge" at that point. 

Borucki apparently didn't get that message for the final game of the series on Wednesday night. The left-hander hit Kiermaier in the back with his first pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning. 

Both benches cleared, though there was no physical altercation, and Borucki was immediately ejected from the game. Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker was also tossed out by the umpires after arguing about Borucki's ejection. 

The Rays went on to win the game 7-1 to clinch their third consecutive postseason berth.