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With four teams separated by two games for the two American League Wild Card spots, every game is a must-win for the clubs in contention. The Yankees hold the top spot by one game, while the Red Sox have one less loss on the Mariners for the second spot. Toronto is right there within one game of Boston. They kept their hopes alive with a big win on Wednesday against New York after dropping a game to the Yankees on Tuesday. The Blue Jays hung five runs on Gerrit Cole behind big days from Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette, and George Springer. Meanwhile, Jose Berrios held it down on the mound with three runs allowed over six innings with seven strikeouts.
After Springer doubled to lead off the first inning, Semien blasted a record-setting two-run homer to give the Blue Jays the early lead. The home run was the 44th for Semien, the most ever hit in a single season by a second baseman, breaking Davey Johnson‘s record of 43 set in 1973. Springer made it 3-0 in the second inning with an RBI base hit. They weren’t stopping there. Bichette got in on the action with a home run in the third. Two doubles and a base hit would score two for the Yankees off Berrios in the fifth inning before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled in a run in the bottom of the frame. The Yankee’s tied it up on a single by Kyle Higashioka in the seventh. And Bichette would play the hero with his second homer of the game in the eighth for what would be the game-winning run.
Later in the evening, the Mariners completed a three-game sweep against the A’s, eliminating Oakland from playoff contention. Wins by Seattle and Toronto set up a thrilling last four days of the regular season. The Mariners stay in Seattle for a three-game series against the Angels. Toronto ends the year with a three-game home set against the Orioles. The Yankees host the Rays for the final weekend. And the Red Sox will go on the road to take on the Nats. Buckle up, this is going to be fun. [[ad:athena]]
Starting Pitchers with an EDGE
Nathan Eovaldi vs. Orioles
6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 34% CSW
Eovaldi shut out the Orioles over six strong innings to help the Red Sox hold their narrow lead on the second Wild Card spot. He scattered four hits and tossed 62-of-90 pitches for strikes, walking just one on the day. The 31-year-old right-hander generated 14 whiffs to add seven strikeouts. Eovaldi finishes the regular season with 11 wins to go with a respectable 3.75 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts over 182 1/3 innings.
Alex Wood vs. Diamondbacks
6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 42% CSW
Wood was lights out against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, tossing six scoreless innings in the no-decision. He scattered three hits with no walks while throwing an efficient 58-of-74 pitches for strikes. Wood generated 11 whiffs to strike out six batters and finished with an excellent 42 percent CSW rate (called strikes plus whiffs). The 30-year-old left-hander ends the season with a 3.83 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 152 strikeouts over 138 2/3 innings.
Hitters with an EDGE
Corey Seager vs. Padres
3-for-5, HR, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
Seager knocked a double off Ryan Weathers before Trea Turner drove him in with a base hit to put the Dodgers on the board. Another double in the second would drive in one more run. With the game tied in the eighth inning, Seager put Los Angeles up with a two-run blast off of Nabil Crismatt for his 13th homer of the year.
J.D. Martinez vs. Orioles
3-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
Martinez helped the Red Sox hold their lead on the second Wild Card spot with a big day at the plate on Wednesday against the Orioles. He put Boston up early with a solo homer in the second inning. With two runners on in the sixth, Martinez knocked a double to score a pair of runs. One more base hit for good measure gives the 34-year-old slugger a .287/.349/.522 slash line with 28 home runs and 99 RBI across 558 at-bats.
Priority Pickup
Joe Ryan, SP - Minnesota Twins (available in 64 percent of Yahoo leagues)
Ryan was activated from the bereavement list on Wednesday and will start Thursday’s game against the Tigers. The 25-year-old right-hander has been impressive in his first four career starts, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts to just three walks over 22 innings. He’s coming off an 11 strikeout performance over five innings in a win against the Cubs on September 22. Available in over 60 percent of Yahoo leagues, Ryan makes a great streaming option for Thursday’s action.
Closing Time
Dylan Floro vs. Mets
1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (13th save)
Floro took the mound with a one-run lead in the ninth against the Mets. He got Pete Alonso to fly out to center field, then struck out the following two batters to close it out and secure the win for the Marlins. Floro is up to 13 saves with a 2.90 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts over 62 innings.
Jordan Romano vs. Yankees
1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (22nd save)
Romano struck out Gary Sanchez to start the ninth and worked around a base hit by Gleyber Torres to shut the door on the Yankees and secure the win for Toronto. The 28-year-old right-hander has posted an excellent 2.20 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts over 61 1/3 innings while going 22-for-23 in save chances.
Codi Heuer vs. Pirates
1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (2nd save)
Heuer needed just seven pitches to get through the ninth inning against the Pirates. Protecting a one-run lead, he induced one groundout and two flyouts to secure his second save of the season.
Drew Steckenrider vs. Athletics
1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (13th save)
Steckenrider was called on in the ninth to close the game out with a two-run lead against the A’s. He worked around a base hit to secure the win for the Mariners. Steckenrider is up to 13 saves on the year to go with a 2.06 ERA and 57 strikeouts over 65 2/3 innings.
Kenley Jansen vs. Padres
1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (37th save)
Kansen made quick work of the Padres in the ninth inning, striking out the side on just ten pitches. The 34-year-old right-hander has posted another stellar season with a 2.26 ERA and 85 strikeouts over 67 2/3 innings while converting 37 saves.
Camilo Doval vs. Diamondbacks
1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (2nd save)
With Jake McGee still on the injured list, Doval was called on in the ninth inning for the second time in as many days. He was impressive as he struck out two batters in a clean ninth inning for his second save.
Editor’s Note: Drafting is only half the battle! Get an edge on your competition with our MLB Season Tools - available in our EDGE+ Roto tier for $3.99/mo. (annually) or $9.99/mo. (monthly) - that are packed with rankings, projections, a trade evaluator, start/sit tools and much more. And don’t forget to use promo code SAVE10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Matchup of the Day
Corey Kluber (5-3, 3.82) vs. Robbie Ray (13-6, 2.68)
Thursday’s featured matchup takes us to Toronto, where the Yankees and Blue Jays face off with playoff implications on the line. Kluber takes the mound for New York, making his sixth start since he was activated from the injured list. The former Cy Young winner has posted a respectable 3.82 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 80 strikeouts over 75 1/3 innings, including a no-hitter. Robbie Ray will look to keep the Blue Jays playoff hopes alive as he brings a 2.68 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 244 strikeouts over 188 innings in a breakout season fueled by a career-low 6.7 percent walk rate.
American League Quick Hits: Shohei Ohtani will not make another start on the mound this year. ... Tim Anderson was given a three-game suspension for making contact with an umpire during Monday’s altercation against the Tigers. ... Michael Brantley was activated from the 10-day injured list. ... The Yankees optioned Andrew Heaney to Triple-A. ... The Royals signed Michael A. Taylor to a two-year $9 million contract extension. ... Nick Anderson is confident he’ll be ready for the beginning of the playoffs. ... Brady Singer was placed on the 10-day injured list with right biceps soreness. ... Tyler Zuber was recalled from Triple-A... The Twins activated Joe Ryan from the bereavement list. ... Matt Wisler could come off the injured list later this week. ... The Astros optioned Josh James to Triple-A. ... Kyle Cody underwent labral debridement surgery on Wednesday. ... The Angels optioned Packy Naughton to Triple-A and recalled Taylor Ward. ... The Blue Jays released Jake Lamb.
National League Quick Hits: Nolan Arenado will reportedly not use his opt-out clause at the end of the season and will return to the Cardinals. ... Devin Williams was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured hand after punching a wall. ... Brandon Belt will be re-evaluated in “a couple weeks” after fracturing his thumb. ... The Pirates placed Ke’Bryan Hayes on the 10-day injured list with wrist soreness and purchased the contract of Roansy Contreras. ... The Cubs placed Patrick Wisdom on the injured list. ... Jordan Hicks made an appearance for Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday. ... The Mets optioned Sean Reid-Foley to Triple-A. ... The Dodgers activated Albert Pujols from the COVID-19 injured list and optioned Andrew Vasquez.