Eternal rivals with an added seasoning

Gonzalo Urgelles R. | [email protected]

The Playoffs are already around the corner and in the American League the wild card will be defined in the East Division. The probabilities that Tampa Bay will win the pennant again are very high, so the other three applicants will have to fight the two places that the wild card generates.

If the season were to end today, the Red Sox and Yankees should meet in the ‘Wlid Card’ game to get that final pass to the Division Series; however, the Toronto Blue Jays have yet to say their last words, as they are only half a game away.

This weekend gives us a new chapter in the eternal rivalry between Mulos and Patirrojos. So far this season, the balance has tipped toward Massachusetts; in fact, those led by Álex Cora have already secured the particular series (10 won, six lost and three to be played).

While Toronto may still get back into the fray and take out one of these two teams, this series is shaping up to be a preamble to what that wild-card qualifier game could be. Gerrit Cole – in his search for the final numbers that will catapult him as a possible Cy Young – will be in charge of opening the first meeting for the New Yorkers, while in the counterpart will be the former Yankees, Nathan Eovaldi.

Cole has had some ups and downs this season, but he still has a high chance of winning the pitcher of the year award; With a 15-8 record, he is the league leader in games won, as well as having the best whip on the circuit with 1.03. Also, his ERA is second best, behind only the Blue Jays’ Robbie Ray (another award nominee).

This season, the New York ace is one win and two losses in three starts. The two setbacks were on visitor status. The only time he faced them at home, besides coming out victorious, he only allowed one run and struck out 11 opponents.

For his part, Eovaldi has faced those led by Aaron Boone five times this year. His performances, at least in terms of the result, have come from more to less; Well, he won his first two starts, then went without a decision a couple of times and lost his most recent game.

However, it is important to highlight the fact that he has not allowed the Yankee slugger to score him more than two runs per performance. Bombers. This season, the Yankees have struggled to manufacture runs that
not by way of the home run; It has also been an unusually anemic year in that matter for the Mules.

However, his three sluggers come in good time, as Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo and Giancarlo Stanton have combined to hit 18 homers in the last 15 games; they have also driven in a total of 32 races in that span.

Except for his rookie year, ‘El Juez’ has had the best season of his career. He has finally become the absolute leader of these Yankees. Judge commands his team’s home runs (36), RBIs (89) and average (.289) departments. He also has the best numbers in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS.

Gallo has blown the fence 38 times this year; but only 13 of his homers have been in a striped uniform. Since coming to the Bronx, he has barely hit .169. Stanton has managed to stay healthy for most of the season, this translates into an acceptable year in terms of home runs, since it is the second time in four years, that he exceeds 30 hits.

Boston is hitting. The Red Sox lineup has five hitters with more than 20 homers. If we add to this the incorporation of Kyle Schwarber, we can say that they have a more than dangerous offense, fearsome.

The Dominican Rafael Devers has pulled the offensive car, with 34 homers (a top number in his career) and 105 charters. While Xander Bogaerts, with a .304 average and 23 homers, has been the perfect squire.

JD Martinez (27 and 95) and Hunter Renfroe (28 and 91) have combined to hit 55 full-lap hits and drive in 186 runs for the cause. Kill or die. Right now, Boston has the first wild card in its possession, which gives it home-court advantage in the game that defines the fourth-placed ALDS; the Yankees follow, in the second wild card, two games away; while Toronto is in the middle game of the New Yorkers.

After this series, New York will visit the Blue Jays and host the Rays; while the Red Sox will travel to Baltimore and Washington to close their schedule. Toronto, in addition to hosting the Yankees, will be home in the last series of the year, against the Orioles.

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