Corey Dickerson hit his 26th home run and also doubled twice, powering the Tampa Bay Rays past the Minnesota Twins 11-4 Monday night to tighten the AL wild-card race. The Twins’ lead for the second wild-card spot was trimmed to a half-game by the Angels.
While the Chicago White Sox are going nowhere this year, Lucas Giolito is providing a bit of hope for their rebuilding project. Giolito struck out 10 in seven sharp innings, Jose Abreu homered in his return to the lineup and the White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Sunday.
Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer gave up home runs to the first two batters of the game then left due to right lateral forearm tightness and the Chicago White Sox beat the Rays 5-4 on Saturday night. Alen Hanson hit his fourth home run on Archer’s second pitch of the game, and Yolmer Sanchez followed with his ninth homer to help the White Sox snap a four-game losing streak.
Logan Morrison hit his second homer of the game in the 10th inning to lead the Tampa Bay Rays past the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Sunday. Morrison drove a 97-mph fastball from Sam Tuivailala into the right-center field bleachers with one out in the 10th inning for 31st homer this season, a career high.
Justin Smoak hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning, Josh Donaldson added two solo blasts and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Thursday. Smoak hit a two-run drive off Tommy Hunter (2-4), his 33rd, as the Blue Jays took three of four from the Rays to remain on the fringes of the AL wild card race. Toronto is 10-5 in August.
Jay Bruce drove in his first two runs for the Cleveland Indians and Mike Clevinger struck out nine in seven innings Saturday night in a 3-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Bruce, acquired in a trade from the New York Mets on Wednesday night, drove in the first run with a two-out fly ball that dropped for a double between left fielder Corey Dickerson and third baseman Trevor Plouffe in the first inning.
Carlos Carrasco took another no-hit try into the late innings at Tropicana Field, losing his bid on a two-out single in the seventh by Logan Morrison but leading the Cleveland Indians over the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0 Friday night. In July 2015, Carrasco came within one strike of a no-hitter at Tampa Bay before Joey Butler lined a two-out single in the ninth over leaping second baseman Jason Kipnis.