Advantage Rays...
The Rays came up with a big 5-2 win over Chicago to move to within one game of the ALCS but suffered a costly injury in the process. Nick Anderson got a 4-out save but after retiring the final man he grabbed his elbow walking off the field while getting the congratulations of his teammates and it turns out he has bone chips in his elbow and is done for the playoffs. With Peter Fairbanks shaky again in the 8th (he loaded the bases before Anderson rescued him), it looks like Devin Williams will become the closer. As for the game Mike Clevinger pitched well, and would have been in line for the win but he left with a man on 3rd and 2 out in the 6th and Shane McClanahan gave up an infield single to allow the tying run to score. The Rays quickly struck back in the bottom of the frame when Adley Rustchman led off with a triple, scored on Randy Arozarena's single, and after the Rays loaded up the bases Vidal Brujan pinch-hit for Jarren Duran and came through with a 2-run single. Chris Sale will try to close out the series tomorrow against his old team.
Elsewhere the Angels and Nationals had chances to advance but neither did as the Twins got a Royce Lewis homer off Ken Giles in the 8th to take a 3-2 win and stay alive down 2-1, and the Padres took an epic 17-inning win over Washington on a Starling Marte RBI single to force a 5th and deciding game back in the nation's capital.
