Tampa Bay did something that club hadn’t done in five years on September 22, part of a lengthy day of baseball action. Cleveland and Chicago (AL) both won, while the Astros re-took first in the AL West after the Rangers fell to the Mets.
Rays, Yankees split DH
The Rays clinched the AL East title on September 22, the first time since 2021 since Tampa Bay won it. It also ensured that home-field advantage will go through St. Petersburg through the American League side of the playoffs.
New York won the first game 2-0, which also ensured that the Yankees will have home-field advantage in the AL Wild Card round next week. Carlos Rodon struck eight over eight shutout innings, while Cody Bellinger drove in both runs with a two-run shot off Nick Martinez.
Drew Rasmussen struck out 11 in the second game to help lock up a 6-1 win over the Yankees. Taylor Walls had three hits, while Yandy Diaz had two hits and four RBI.
Guardians stay in AL Central lead
The Guardians did their job to stay ahead of the White Sox in the AL Central, defeating the Red Sox 3-2. Boston lost on the same day that the club confirmed that manager Chad Tracy would shed his interim title.
Parker Messick allowed just one run over five innings and allowed one run against Boston. He kept the Guardians ahead 2-1 when he left, and it wasn’t until the eighth when Mickey Gasper tied it with his 10th home run of the season.
Nathaniel Lowe drove in Chase DeLauter in the ninth with a sac fly to bring in the game-winning run.
White Sox hold on
Chicago won 14-11 in Kansas City over the Royals, maintaining a cushion in the AL Wild Card race and keeping pace with the Guardians.
The 3-6 hitters in the White Sox’s lineup were fantastic, as Randal Grichuk, Munetaka Murakami, Chase Meidroth, and Brenton Doyle combined for 10 hits and 11 RBI. All four hit home runs in the game.
However, the Royals made this more than interesting down the stretch. Trevor Richards (three ER) and Luis Castillo (four ER) combined to allow seven runs between the eighth and ninth innings.
Mets win opener in Arlington
On the same day that the Mets named Andy Green the full-time manager, New York won 6-3 over the Rangers.
It was a reunion of sorts, as Brandon Nimmo faced the Mets for the first time in his career, while Marcus Semien returned to Texas for the first time since the trade that sent him to New York in November 2025. But it was a big day for Sean Manaea, who struck out nine over six innings. Francisco Alvarez drove in two for the Mets.
The Rangers lost first place in the process, as the Astros defeated the Mariners to re-gain the top spot in the AL West.
Cubs fail to clinch
The Marlins won 8-2 in 12 over the Cubs, preventing Chicago from clinching on this night.
Neither team scored in the 10th and 11th innings. Griffin Conine drove in the game-winning run in the 12th, part of a six-run inning that saw the Marlins put up six on the Cubs’ bullpen. Edward Cabrera, against his old team, was charged with three earned runs over 0.2 IP.
Kyle Stowers hit his 20th home run of the season.
Everything else
- Nationals def. Tigers 3-1
- Pirates def. Cardinals 2-0
- Phillies def. Brewers 6-4
- Reds def. Braves 4-0
- Diamondbacks def. Rockies 7-2
- Twins def. Giants 3-2
- Astros def. Mariners 7-0
- Dodgers def. Padres 7-0
- Athletics def. Angels 9-7
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