AL East Round-Up

Sep 20, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox players celebrate after they clinched the AL East with a win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

When the season began, it wasn’t supposed to be like this.  Boston was supposed to be the cellar dwellers.  Jays fans were pissed off, yet laughed when John Farrell jumped ship for a bad Boston team.  Toronto was considered an up and coming team that basically won the off-season.  Boston was just trying to find an identity.  And after 153 games played, John Farrell’s Boston Red Sox won the AL East Championship on a night when they played (you guessed it… or watched it) the Toronto Blue Jays.  Irony at its worst for us Jays fans.  LET’S DO THIS!

Boston Red Sox:  (RECAP)  As mentioned before, it’s been quite the week for Boston.  They wrapped up the AL East against Toronto on Friday the 19th.  Earlier in the week, they easily dispatched the New York Yankees again, via the broom.  Then they dropped their first series in about a month, losing 2 of 3 to the Baltimore Orioles.  Tampa Bay did their best job to help Boston fans not have nightmares from the 2011 season.  That helped push their magic number down to 1 on Friday, playing the doormat Blue Jays.  Toronto didn’t disappoint.  Congrats to the Boston Red Sox for winning the AL East.  Go have a bee-ah!

(NEWS & NOTES) On a high note, Toronto did hand RHP Clay Buchholz his first loss of the season.  Buchholz laboured through 5 IP, through over 100 pitches.  The loss dropped him to 11-1 on the year.  IF Brock Holt, RP Brayan Villarreal, and RHP Steven Wright were all recalled to Boston.  Boston wins the AL East for the first time since 2007 and it’s their first playoff appearance since 2009.  Oh if only we Blue Jays fans could be graced with such luck!

Tampa Bay Rays: (RECAP) The Rays needed to pretty much win out to win their first AL East crown since 2010.  The way their schedule finished out, that wasn’t going to happen.  Even though the Rays went 4-3 this week while Boston went 3-3, with every loss lowered Boston’s magic number.  The other unfortunate part was they played the Texas Rangers, the OTHER Wild Card team.  So as those two teams exchanged blows, the Cleveland Indians surged and are now part of this ugly triumvirate.  Oh if only we Blue Jays fans could be graced with such luck!  Tampa Bay is doing its best Simply Red impersonation (yea, most of you don’t know that reference.  Here’s some guy doing a cover.  All you need are the first 12 seconds.  You can thank me later for getting it stuck in your head.)  With the Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and Blue Jays coming up, it’s possible the Jays can help two teams clinch their playoff birth this season.  We’re a pretty giving team.  Even when you’re not looking.  It’s like a slap in the face… or a ball.

(NEWS & NOTES) OF Brandon Guyer‘s season is over. He was transferred to the DL60.  TB brought up Yankees OF castoff Freddy Guzman to replace him.  LHP Matthew Spann was traded to the Washington Nationals to complete the David DeJesus trade.  Frank De Los Santos was acquired by the Chicago White Sox for a Player To Be Named.  This does not complete the earlier trade the two teams made when Tampa Bay acquired RP Jesse Crain.  Tampa Bay recalled IF Tim Beckham, RHP Jake Odorizzi, RP Jeff Beliveau, and LHP Enny Romero, who happens to be tonight’s starter against Baltimore.  Romero starts due to the RHP Jeremy Hellickson being used in Friday’s 18 inning marathon game.

New York Yankees: (RECAP) Boston’s manhandling of New York obviously didn’t help their playoff chances.  Even though the Yankees went 3-3 this past week, they still lost a series to the Blue Jays.  This is the same Jays team they were 13-3 against coming in to the series.  The San Francisco Giants, however, are doing their best to let the pinstripes hang on to their playoff hope.  Completing a sweep of San Fran would set the Yankees up for a favourable match-up with the Rays, but it’s do or die time for the Yankees.

(NEWS & NOTES) While no major roster moves were made, LHP Andy Pettitte did announced he will be retiring, again, after this season.  That 3B (or DB) A-Roid fella overtook Yankee legend Lou Gehrig for the most grand slams hit in MLB history on Friday, the 20th.  Most of us will remember this day as a day that… well… nobody will probably remember.

Baltimore Orioles: (RECAP)  Another team barely holding on, the Orioles looked good early in the week by winning 3 of 4 between the Blue Jays and Red Sox.  Then the heartbreaker 18 inning loss to the Rays happened.  They followed that up with another loss last night to Tampa Bay.  So with eight games left, seven at home, against Toronto and Boston, it’s time to make like Chris Davis and either Crush or Crash.  What does this metaphor mean when compared to a man with 51 HRs?  It means even though he’s hit 4 HRs this month, he’s batting .213 with 29 Ks in 80 ABs.  He’s not the only one.  Adam Jones is only batting .250 with 21 Ks in 80 ABs despite clubbing out 5 HRs in September.

(NEWS & NOTES) Another fun stat is the stat made famous by the Orioles last season.  W-L record in 1 run games.  Last year, Balitmore was ridiculous 29-9.  This season, 17-29.  OF Henry Urrutia was re-activated from the restricted list despite rumours he may not be after the VISA issue when the Orioles played in Toronto.  3B Wilson Betemit was DFA’d.  LF Steve Pearce was activated from the DL15.  LHP Zach Britton and RP Mike Belfiore were recalled.