Last Night’s American League Recap
The American League kicked back into full swing after the All-Star break and the action did not disappoint.
Blue Jays humiliate Red Sox at Fenway Park, 28-5
No, that is not a misprint. 28 runs in a game is the most ever allowed by the Red Sox in over 100 years of play. The 28 runs were also the most ever scored by the Blue Jays in their somewhat shorter club history and came within striking distance of the all-time MLB of 30 in a single game by the 2007 Texas Rangers. The four converted touchdowns would have made a reasonable football had it not been for the 5-spot put up by the Red Sox that would have necessitated a safety to achieve.
The win was punctuated by the inside-the-park grand slam by Raimel Tapia to make the game 10-0 in the top of 3rd. The ball was lost in the lights by the center fielder neither of the other two outfielders bother to cover. Tapia slid into home but really he could have done a little dance instead while waiting for the play at the plate.
All Blue Jay starters had at least two hits in the game including Lourdes Gurriel tying a franchise with 6 hits and adding 5 RBI.
Astros put an end to the Mariner’s win-streak at 14 games
The Mariner’s comeback attempt fell just short as the boisterous Seattle crowd went home disappointed on the day at not tying the club record of 15 consecutive wins posted by the legendary 2001 roster. Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena made a leaping grab with the bases loaded in the 8th to halt the Mariner’s rally.
Seattle’s rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez was a surprise scratch for the game with left wrist soreness. The club cited a play this past Sunday on an attempted steal for the injury. J-Rod’s wrist was good enough to get second place in the HR derby the next day, however. I have a suspicion the soreness may have actually resulted from the All-Star festivities, but that is just pure speculation on my part.
Judge clubs number 35 and 36 to lead Yankees over O’s
Aaron Judge hit his American League leading 35th and 36th HRs with 4 RBIs in a 7-6 victory for the Yankees in Baltimore. There have been times this season where Judge simply looks like a man hitting against little league pitchers. The Yankees continue to beat down every team in the American League, except oof course the Astros whom they lost the season series to 5-2.
Other Notes
The Guardians pounded 15 hits and 8 runs against the White Sox. The performance would have been impressive had it not been compared to the debacle we saw in Boston on the same night. All-Star Andres Gimenez hit a two run shot off of Giolito in the first inning for a 4-0 lead and the Guardians never looked back.
Tampa Bay got past the Royals 7-3 in KC thanks largely to a three-run double from Yandy Diaz.
The Oakland Athletics picked up just their 13th home win of the season 5-4 over Texas in a game no really watched.
The Angels continue their free fall in the American League standings to 15 games below 500 with an 8-1 loss in Atlanta.
Today’s American League Best Bets
July’s Best Bets: 27-13, +14.44 Units
It was another profitable night for me hitting both of my best bets once again with the Astros and the Rays. July has been red hot and I have another big day ahead today with more baseball picks and a big UFC card slated for a late afternoon start.
Don’t miss my preview and best bets for UFC Fight Night London which is already live on my SubStack.
American League: Blue Jays (Manoah) [-140] Vs Red Sox (Crawford) $
What an absolute embarrassment the Red Sox were last night. A 23-run loss to a divisional rival is something that could spiral into a quagmire resulting in them completely out of the playoffs this season. How do the Red Sox respond today, timidly with their tails between their legs? Or do they find the character to recover in the face of humility? My money has to be on the former.
Boston looked in complete disarray and there was another play last night that accentuated this point. A Blue Jay hitter skyed a pop-up short of the pitcher’s mound with two outs which resulted in three Red Sox fielders starring and pointing at each as the ball hit the ground allowing another runner to score behind them. That is just unacceptable for a big league squad.
As for the Blue Jays, I was awaiting a catalyst for this team to reach their full potential. Last night’s game may have been what this team need. They have a new manager and a four-game winning streak. Perhaps this is the start of a major playoff push for Toronto. Their ace starter, Alex Manoah, is on the mound today fresh off of his quality appearance in the All-Star game. Blue Jays should get the job done in this matchup.
American League: Game 2 Guardians (Pilkington) [+152] @ White Sox (Lynn) $
Is Lance Lynn washed up? Is he hurt? I don’t know the answer to those questions for certain, but they are both certainly possible. The previously reliable Lynn has not looked like his usual self since coming back into the rotation after starting the season on the IR. His 1-3 record with the 7.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP is not exactly stellar.
The Guardians counter with rookie Konnor Pilkington whom we don’t know much about yet in his short career. But with two question marks on the mound for game two of this double-hitter, I feel much better taking the big underdog price rather than laying money on the favourites in this American League matchup.
AL: Mariners/Astros (Verlander/Gilbert) Under [7, -113] *
I like playing under in these games that look like they could be an American League playoff preview game. Both teams have their aces on the mound today and I’m looking for a close one-run game here. Justin Verlander is second in the American League in both ERA and WHIP, while Logan Gilbert has been very impressive this season for the Mariners as well.
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