The Oakland Athletics drew even with defending World Series champions Houston Astros in the American League West on Saturday thanks to a 7-1 win.
Oakland have now won two straight over the Astros with the chance at a sweep on Sunday. Trevor Cahill led the Athletics by tossing seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and just one hit allowed. He improved to 5-2 with a 3.12 ERA with the sterling performance.
Khris Davis and catcher Josh Phegley led the Athletics at the plate, each collecting two hits. Davis also had a run scored and two RBIs, while Phegley drove in three runs. Jed Lowrie has been Oakland's breakout performer this season, but Davis has developed into one of the most underrated power threats.
Now with six wins in their last seven games, the Athletics look poised to make the postseason. They have two ways of making the playoffs: winning the AL West, or earning a wild-card spot. They are four games ahead of the Mariners for the final wild-card berth and three games behind the Yankees for the top spot.
Oakland were 34-36 on June 15, barely even an afterthought for postseason baseball. But they are 40-13 since, proving why they have become one of the most surprising teams in MLB.
DEGROM TOSSES COMPLETE GAME
The Mets finally gave Jacob deGrom a little run support, and the National League Cy Young winner capitalized by tossing a complete game to lead New York to a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. DeGrom struck out nine batters and allowed just one unearned run to improve to 8-7 with a ridiculous 1.71 ERA.
ATLANTA LOSE FOCUS LATE ON
Braves relief pitcher Luke Jackson allowed two earned runs off three hits in the 10th inning to help the Rockies defeat Atlanta, 5-3. Before Jackson, A.J. MInter blew a save by allowing three runs in the ninth inning. Colorado scored all five of its runs in the last two innings.
STANTON GOES BIG
Giancarlo Stanton produced another monster home run for the Yankees in a big win over the Bluejays. The rightfielder now has 31 for the season.
No doubt about this one. pic.twitter.com/Z0VDHhWR1q
— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2018
SATURDAY'S RESULTS
Toronto Blue Jays 6-11 New York Yankees
Houston Astros 1-7 Oakland Athletics
Baltimore Orioles 4-2 Cleveland Indians
New York Mets 3-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Miami Marlins 7-5 Washington Nationals
Chicago Cubs 1-3 Pittsburgh Pirates
Colorado Rockies 5-3 Atlanta Braves
Tampa Bay Rays 2-5 Boston Red Sox
Kansas City Royals 3-1 Chicago White Sox
San Francisco Giants 1-7 Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers 2-7 St. Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles Angels 11-7 Texas Rangers
Arizona Diamondbacks 6-7 San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers 4-5 Seattle Mariners
Detroit Tigers 7-5 Minnesota Twins
DODGERS AT MARINERS
Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for Los Angeles, while desperately trying to get the Dodgers into the postseason one way or the other in the NL. Seattle, which is stuck in its own fight for an AL postseason spot, will counter with Roenis Elias (2-0, 2.88 ERA),