The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Vintage Verlander in Astros victory
Justin Verlander took a shutout into the ninth inning, allowing just three hits and worked out of the one jam he faced, and the visiting Houston Astros created some cushion in the AL playoff chase with a 5-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.
Verlander was dominant with a vintage performance befitting his status as one of the top right-handers in the game for most of his career. He was on the verge of his first complete game since 2019 when he no-hit Toronto, but manager Dusty Baker pulled Verlander after Josh Rojas led off the ninth inning with a double.
Rojas’ double snapped Verlander’s string of 16 straight batters retired, but the overall performance was exactly what the Astros needed after being swept at home over the weekend by Kansas City.
Verlander (12-8) struck out eight, walked one and threw 96 pitches as his outing helped give Houston a 11/2 game lead over Seattle for the final wild card in the American League.
Seattle lost its fourth straight and for the seventh time in 10 games.
Houston didn’t need much offense, but managed one big two-out rally against Seattle starter Luis Castillo (14-8) that scored three runs in the second inning. The Astros added on with long solo home runs from Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker for additional cushion.
YANKEES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4 >> Kevin Ginkel blew the last of Arizona’s three leads in a loss to New York at Yankee Stadium, dropping the Diamondbacks into a tie with the Chicago Cubs for the National League’s second wild-card spot.
Ginkel (9-1) loaded the bases in the eighth inning by allowing two singles and a walk. He walked in the tying run by issuing a free pass to Oswald Peraza and Gleyber Torres scored on a sacrifice
fly to left from Estevan Florial to give the Yankees their first lead.
Everson Pereira added an RBI single for a 6-4 lead.
Ginkel’s rough outing, which followed blown leads by Merrill Kelly in the fourth and Ryan Thompson in the seventh, resulted in the Diamondbacks’ second loss in eight games.
Arizona is seeking to secure one of the NL’S three wild-card spots to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Rookie Corbin Carroll had three hits and his bases-loaded single in the eighth off Ian Hamilton put Arizona ahead 4-3. An inning earlier, he stole his 51st base and scored on Gabriel Moreno’s single to snap a 2-2 tie.
Peraza hit a tying homer to open the seventh off Ryan Thompson, who kept the game tied when center fielder Alek Thomas made a leaping catch to rob Aaron Judge of a homer.
Hamilton (3-2) got the win and Clay Holmes earned his 22nd save as the Yankees moved two games over .500 a day after being eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2016. New York needs three wins in its final six games to avoid its first losing season since 1992.
GIANTS 2, PADRES Logan Webb pitched his second complete game this season and pinch-hitter Michael Conforto delivered a two-run single in the eighth inning to lift San Francisco over visiting San Diego.
Blake Snell tossed six shutout innings in his latest terrific start for the Padres, lowering his major league-best ERA to 2.25 as the lefthander makes a final push for the NL Cy Young Award.
Webb (11-13) had seven strikeouts and allowed nine hits for the Giants (78-79), who moved within 41/2 games of the final National League postseason spot.