Leaders Pick Up Wins
Monday was a day where the leaders in their respective divisions picked up wins and some ground. The Astros only increased their lead by half a game since the Athletics weren’t on the field Monday but Colorado picked up a game on both the Dodgers and D-Backs. And with 13 runs and good performances on the mound and in the field, the Rockies deserve that advancement.
German Marquez threw 7 innings and only gave up one earned run for the Rockies as he received plenty of support from Blackmon who went 3–3, Story who hit a 3 run HR, and my Player of the Day, David Dahl who smashed a grand slam. They beat up the D-Backs pretty badly and increased their lead over them to 3 1/2.
The Dodgers were also in the field Monday facing off against Cincinnati. Alex Wood couldn’t handle the mound though as he gave up 6 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings and the Dodgers never had a chance. Chris Taylor put in a 2 for 4 performance with a 2-run home run but it was clearly not enough as LA falls 1 1/2 games behind Colorado.
Angels Eliminated
In the American League West, there was really only one game of note as Houston took down Detroit 3 to 2. It was Justin Verlander’s homecoming since he was traded last season and I’m sure it was bittersweet for the Tigers’ fans. Verlander threw 7 innings and gave up a couple of runs but easily got the win. With it, Houston extends their lead over Oakland to 3 games. Also, coupled with the Angels loss, this officially eliminated my team from the division race. They still have a chance in for a wildcard spot but being 16 games behind Oakland for the 2nd spot, things don’t look good.
In any case, my Angels lost to Texas 5 to 2. Jamie Barria just didn’t have his stuff as he gave up 4 runs over 3 innings. He only gave up 3 hits but the 4 walks he issued came back to haunt him. In the game though, home town fans got to see some spectacular plays by Mike Trout but even with the good defense, the team couldn’t come back from Joey Gallo’s 2–3, 3 RBI day coupled with Ronald Guzman’s 2 run HR. It really feels like another wasted season of Trout’s greatness.
Player of the Day: Dahl, COL – 2–5, HR – Grand Slam
Pitcher of the Day: German Marquez, COL 7 INN, 1 ER, 6 H, 11 K
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