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21	August 2018

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Since divisional play began in 1969 Authentic Tre'Quan Smith Jersey , only three times has a division had two teams with at least 100 wins.

That could happen again this year in the AL East � and maybe the AL West as well.

The Yankees, Red Sox, Astros and Mariners are all on pace to win over 100 games, and they�ve created tight races atop those two divisions. With two wild cards in each league, those four teams have some breathing room in the race for the postseason, but there should be plenty of incentive to win the division title and avoid the one-game, winner-take-all scenario that the wild cards have to deal with.

The Yankees and Red Sox just played a three-game series in New York. The games weren�t all that suspenseful � they ended 8-1, 11-0 and 11-1, with the Yankees winning two of three.

The first time two teams from one division won at least 100 games was in 1980, when the Yankees (103-59) outlasted the Orioles (100-62) atop the AL East. A seven-game winning streak in mid-September helped New York hold on.

In 1993 Authentic Evgeny Kuznetsov Jersey , the last year before the wild card, the Braves (104-58) and Giants (103-59) dueled all the way to the final day before San Francisco was done in by a 12-1 loss to the rival Dodgers. Atlanta was 10 games out on the morning of July 23 but went 49-16 the rest of the way.

The only time in the six-division era that a 100-win team failed to finish first was when Oakland went 102-60 in 2001 and still ended up 14 games behind a 116-win Seattle team.

None of the teams involved in those three previous examples made it to the World Series, so consider that a word of caution to this year�s American League behemoths.

Some other developments around the majors:

SHORTER WAITS

If the Mariners make the postseason this year, it will be their first appearance since that remarkable 2001 season. Baseball�s next-longest drought belongs to the Marlins, who haven�t made it since winning the World Series as a wild card in 2003.

The addition of extra wild cards has made it easier for teams to avoid long stretches without a postseason berth. The Padres haven�t made it since 2006 and the White Sox haven�t been in since 2008. Aside from those two teams, the Marlins and the Mariners, every major league franchise has made the postseason at least once since 2011.

HIGHLIGHT

The outfield wall in Toronto is high enough that it doesn�t lend itself to home run-robbing catches. Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar figured out a solution, however, planting a foot on the wall and using it to vault himself up while making a catch on a drive by Detroit�s Nicholas Castellanos. Even Castellanos applauded that catch Sunday.

LINES OF THE WEEK

Two from the Red Sox-Yankees series: Chris Sale allowed one hit in seven innings, striking out 11 in Boston�s 11-0 win Saturday night. The following evening Authentic Jarrod Dyson Jersey , it was New York delivering an 11-1 blowout. Aaron Hicks hit three home runs for the Yankees in that game.

Sale has a 1.73 career ERA against the Yankees, best among pitchers with at least 10 starts against them since 1920. But Sunday�s six-homer barrage brought New York�s season total to 137, a franchise record for before the All-Star break.

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This weekend�s series in Arlington, Texas, is a homecoming for Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, who grew up coming to Texas Rangers games and is playing in the stadium for the first time with the goal of doing some damage to the team he used to root for.

Story had two hits and two RBIs in Colorado�s 9-5 win over Texas on Friday at Globe Life Park in his first big-league appearance in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

The Rockies will send left-hander Kyle Freeland (6-6, 3.68 ERA) to the mound to try to clinch the series and Texas will counter with left-hander Mike Minor (4-4, 5.65).

Story, 25, is a graduate of nearby Irving High School. He entered Friday night�s game against the Rangers leading the National League with 50 RBIs Cheap Bo Scarbrough Jersey , and was tied for fourth in the NL with 14 home runs and in total bases with 135.

After struggling with the bat and with strikeouts in the early part of the year, Story is hitting .388 (21-for-54) in June.

Story was injured in 2016 when the Rockies last played in Arlington and had to watch from the dugout during that series. He had about 200 friends and family in attendance Friday and they were very vocal.

�This is special � I grew up watching the Rangers here,� Story told mlb.com before Friday�s game. �They were my team when I was younger � this was my Yankee Stadium growing up. Very exciting, lots of emotions for sure. It was tough I couldn�t play in �16, but I�m looking forward to this.�

Friday�s win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Rockies, and the Rangers lost their seventh in a row.

Texas played without catcher Robinson Chirinos, who was suspended for a game after a pushing and shoving altercation at home plate on Wednesday with the Dodgers� Matt Kemp.

Kemp decided to appeal his suspension, and Chirinos sat out the first game of the series against Colorado.

�I didn�t expect there would be suspensions,� Texas manager Jeff Banister said. �I thought in the scrum it was pretty benign, and it was over pretty quickly. The shoving match looked a little worse than it was. But Major League Baseball doesn�t want that environment in a game. That was taken into account.�

The Rangers� backup catcher Rams John Franklin-Myers Jersey , Carlos Perez, had to leave Friday�s game in the second inning after sustaining a sprained ankle on a play at the plate. X-rays on Perez�s ankle later Friday were negative.

He was replaced by rookie catcher Jose Trevino, who played in his first major league game after being called up from Double-A Frisco on Friday afternoon.

Texas also played Friday�s game without right fielder Nomar Mazara because of a sore left wrist.

Freeland has been the Rockies� best pitcher of late; in his last nine starts, he is 6-3 with a 2.93 ERA. He took the loss in an 8-3 defeat at home against Colorado on June 10 in his most recent start, working six innings while allowing four runs and four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.

Freeland will be making his first career start against the Rangers.

Minor will make his 13th start of the season on Saturday. His four wins are tied for team lead and the most among Texas starters, He had a quality start in last outing, but has gone 1-3 with a 6.96 ERA in his past six starts to raise his season ERA from 4.36 to its current 5.65.

Minor will be working on extended six days� rest because of off days Monday and Thursday. He last worked and took no decision in the Rangers� 4-3 loss on June 9 at home against Houston. He is 3-2 with a 5.73 ERA in eight career appearance, six of them starts, against Colorado.
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