MLB News Today: Judge-Soto duo shines as Yankees move past Rangers with series win; Dodgers sweep Pirates with 5-6 win in the series finale and more
The MLB season heads into the third week of August after the conclusion of the latest round of matchups with all 30 teams taking the field this past Sunday.The race for the playoffs continues to get tighter, with as many as seven games being decided by just a single run.
We cast a glimpse at some of the top stories that have emerged from yesterday's results.
#1. Superstar sluggers power the Yankees to series win against the Rangers
The New York Yankees picked up a narrow 8-7 victory over the Texas Rangers to seal the series following a split doubleheader between the two teams at Yankee Stadium the previous day. Juan Soto smashed a pair of home runs while Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton added one apiece to put the home team up by five runs in the seventh inning.
However, the bullpen faltered once again for the home team and allowed the visitors to cut down the deficit to just one run. The Rangers had the tying-run in scoring position with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Yankees closer Clay Holmes held his nerve and picked up an impressive four-out save.
#2. Dodgers sweep the Pirates with a 10th inning walkoff win
The Pittsburgh Pirates were swept at home by the Los Angeles Dodgers after going down 6-5 at PNC Park after extra innings. In a seesaw contest between the two teams, the Dodgers raced away to an early four-run lead, but a pair of two-run homers from Andrew McCutchen tied the game in the eighth inning.
The Pirates then moved into the lead in the 10th inning through their All-Star Bryan Reynolds. However, Kike Hernandez leveled the game with a double to score Miguel Rojas before Teoscar Hernandez drove him home to score the winning run.
#3. D-backs thrash the Phillies to clinch series on the road
The Arizona Diamondbacks continued their superb run with a 12-5 battering of the Philadelphia Phillies to win their four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Initially, the Phillies had grabbed a two-run lead in the first inning, but the D-backs tied the game with an Eugenio Suarez double in the third before Adrian Del Castillo put them up by two runs.
In the fifth inning, the visitors surged into a six-run lead following a three-RBI triple from Jake McCarthy. The home team added three more runs in the game, but it was nowhere near enough to prevent them from losing the series.
The Phillies seem to be miles away from the imperious team at the start of the season and have a dismal 7-15 record since the All-Star break.
On the other hand, the D-backs are currently the hottest team in the MLB and have posted an outstanding 17-5 record following the midseason interval.