On August 24, Aaron Judge had an impressive performance, hitting three home runs in a game for the first time in his career. This helped the New York Yankees secure a 9-1 victory over the Washington Nationals and put an end to their nine-game losing streak, which was their longest since 1982.
The win was significant for the Yankees as it marked their first victory since August 11 and prevented them from experiencing a 10-game losing streak, which hasn’t happened since 1913. The team was also motivated to perform well after their general manager, Brian Cashman, expressed his disappointment with the season in a press conference before the game.
In the first inning, Judge set the tone by hitting a solo home run off MacKenzie Gore, giving the Yankees their first lead in 61 innings. This was a notable achievement considering it was the third-longest streak without a lead in team history, coming close to the team record set in August 1906.
Judge continued his impressive performance in the second inning, hitting a grand slam and extending the Yankees’ lead to 6-0. He then made history by becoming the 25th player in team history to hit three home runs in a single game with a solo shot in the seventh inning. The Yankees’ pitcher, Luis Severino, also had a standout performance, not allowing any runs and giving up only one hit in 6 2/3 innings.
In another game, the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Los Angeles Angels 9-4 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Elly De La Cruz played a crucial role in the Reds’ victory, hitting a three-run homer, tripling, and driving in a career-high six runs. However, the game was overshadowed by the early departure of Angels’ superstar Shohei Ohtani due to arm fatigue. It was later announced that Ohtani would not pitch again this year due to a torn elbow ligament.
The Reds’ Spencer Steer also had an impressive performance, contributing three hits and two RBIs. Reliever Buck Farmer earned the win by pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Tyler Anderson, who replaced Ohtani, gave up four runs, one earned, in 4 2/3 innings.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Reds continued their dominance, defeating the Angels 7-3. Matt McLain, a native of Orange County and former UCLA star, had a standout performance, hitting a two-run homer and driving in three runs. The Reds completed a sweep of the doubleheader and the three-game series in Anaheim. Another Southern California native, Spencer Steer, had a strong series, going 5-for-10.
The Reds’ victory marked their first sweep of a doubleheader of nine-inning games since July 8, 2014. Angels’ starter Reid Detmers gave up four runs in five innings. Ohtani returned to the game as the designated hitter but only managed to get one hit in five at-bats.
In a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners, the White Sox came out on top with a 5-4 victory in 10 innings. Tim Anderson scored the winning run on a throwing error in the extra inning. Trayce Thompson contributed to the White Sox’s offense with a two-run homer. This win ended the White Sox’s eight-game winning streak.
Tim Anderson’s return to the game was notable as he had served a five-game suspension for his involvement in a brawl with the Cleveland Guardians on August 5. Mariners’ starter George Kirby pitched well, allowing three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Josh Rojas had a strong performance for the Mariners, contributing three hits, an RBI, and a run.
Finally, the Baltimore Orioles secured a 7-0 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays to even their three-game series. Dean Kremer, who replaced the scheduled starter Jack Flaherty, pitched six scoreless innings and allowed only five singles. Anthony Santander played a crucial role in the Orioles’ win, hitting two home runs.
Overall, these games showcased impressive performances from players like Aaron Judge, Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Anthony Santander. The victories and standout performances provided excitement for fans and helped teams break losing streaks or secure series sweeps.In a matchup between the Orioles and the Blue Jays, the Orioles’ relievers were able to retire nine consecutive Blue Jays batters. This impressive performance contributed to their victory.
Former Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman started for the Blue Jays and gave up two runs on five hits in six innings. Despite the loss, Gausman put up a solid performance against his former team.
The Braves faced off against the Mets in a rubber game of a three-game series. Charlie Morton pitched seven scoreless innings for the Braves, while Marcell Ozuna continued his impressive hitting with four RBIs. This strong performance from Morton and Ozuna helped lift the Braves to victory.
Morton allowed only two hits, both doubles by DJ Stewart, and walked one batter. He also extended his streak of scoreless innings to 18 and struck out a season-high 11 batters. Ozuna had a great game at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and a two-run homer. Austin Riley also contributed with two hits and two runs. Mets starter Jose Quintana struggled, giving up five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The Cubs faced off against the Tigers, with the Cubs ultimately coming out on top. Cody Bellinger drove in two runs for the Cubs, while Yan Gomes knocked in the go-ahead run. Julian Merryweather recorded three strikeouts in relief and earned the win for the Cubs. Adbert Alzolay closed out the game for the Cubs, earning his 19th save. Kerry Carpenter hit a grand slam for the Tigers, and Tarik Skubal had a solid performance on the mound, striking out seven in six innings. Cubs starter Jameson Taillon had a strong start, with a no-hitter through five innings, but struggled in the later innings.
The Giants faced off against the Phillies in a game that went into extra innings. Paul DeJong had a great game for the Giants, hitting a home run, two singles, and driving in four runs. Wilmer Flores also had a strong performance, hitting a home run, a single, and knocking in two runs. Giants closer Camilo Doval blew a save for the second consecutive day, allowing a game-tying three-run home run to Bryce Harper in the ninth inning. Jakob Junis earned the win for the Giants, and Ryan Walker picked up his first career save. Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel took the loss. Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner hit back-to-back home runs for the Phillies.
The Brewers completed a two-game series sweep against the Twins with a walk-off win. Brice Turang hit an RBI infield single to secure the victory for the Brewers. Earlier in the game, Willy Adames hit a home run and Carlos Santana scored on a hit by Adames to tie the game in the 10th inning. Elvis Peguero earned the win for the Brewers, despite allowing a run in the top of the 10th. Lewis and Michael A. Taylor hit two-run homers for the Twins.
The Rays rallied for the second consecutive night to defeat the Rockies in extra innings. Brandon Lowe hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning to secure the win for the Rays. The Rays scored twice in the ninth inning to force extra innings. Pete Fairbanks pitched a perfect 10th inning with two strikeouts to earn the win for the Rays. Elias Diaz had a stellar performance for the Rockies, going 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs.
In a matchup between the Red Sox and the Astros, the Red Sox came out on top in extra innings. The Red Sox scored two runs in the 10th inning to secure the victory.In the 10th inning, Adam Duvall hit a three-run home run, securing a victory for the visiting Boston team against Houston. This win allowed Boston to salvage the final game of the three-game series. Boston reliever Josh Winckowski earned his third save by allowing only one run in the bottom of the 10th and leaving the bases loaded. Nick Pivetta entered the game suddenly in the ninth and got two outs after closer Kenley Jansen left due to a hamstring injury.
The Astros’ right-handers, Seth Martinez, Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu, Ryan Pressly, and Kendall Graveman, retired 14 consecutive batters before the Red Sox started their winning rally in the 10th inning.
In another game, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates with a score of 6-4. Richie Palacios and Nolan Arenado each hit a two-run double, contributing to the Cardinals’ victory and preventing a series sweep by the Pirates. Paul Goldschmidt added an RBI single, and Zack Thompson, the Cardinals’ starter, gave up two runs and six hits in five innings. JoJo Romero secured a two-inning save, his third of the season. The Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes homered, and Connor Joe hit an RBI double. Pittsburgh starter Luis Oritz allowed five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.
In the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics, the Royals won 4-0, avoiding a three-game sweep by the Athletics. Dairon Blanco hit his first major league home run, and Cole Ragans struck out a career-high-tying 11 batters. Bobby Witt Jr. also homered for the Royals. Ragans and three relievers combined for a two-hitter, with both hits coming off Ragans in his six innings. The Royals’ victory came after A’s opener Adrian Martinez matched zeros with Ragans for two innings. Blanco’s home run in the third inning gave the Royals the lead.
The San Diego Padres defeated the Miami Marlins 4-0 in the rubber match of their three-game series. Seth Lugo and three relievers combined for a four-hit shutout, and Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run home run. Lugo allowed three hits and a walk in six innings. Garrett Cooper had two hits for the Padres, who finished their longest homestand of the season with a 5-5 record. All four of the Padres’ runs came off Sandy Alcantara in his 6 2/3 innings. The Marlins have now lost six of their last eight games.
The game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Guardians was suspended after two innings due to inclement weather. The game will be completed on Thursday before the teams’ regularly scheduled game. In the two innings played, the Dodgers scored three runs in the first inning against Cleveland starter Xzavion Curry. Will Smith hit a sacrifice fly, and Enrique Hernandez produced a two-run double. Jose Ramirez hit a solo homer for the Guardians in the bottom of the first inning.
–Field Level Media
