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Giancarlo Stanton was truly the towering figure in the Yankees weekend sweep over the Red Sox. He homered in all three games and drove in 10 runs for the series, as the Yanks took over the top American League Wild Card slot as the season enters its final week. Since the 1st of August, "G" has cleared the fences 18 times!

Was Saturday's game turning grand slam Stanton's "signature Yankee moment?" Will this quiet the boo birds the next time he strikes out in the Bronx with runners on base?

Somehow lost in the media focus on the big series at Fenway was the Cardinals' steamroller plowing through Wrigley. Sunday's 4-2 victory extending the franchise's record winning streak to 16. Harrison Bader's 8th inning home run tied things; the red-hot Tyler O'Neill was at the plate when the go-ahead runs were produced an inning later. First, Andrew Knizner (below) scored on a Codi Heuer wild pitch; moments later, O'Neill's groundout drove in the insurance run.

If the Braves go on to win the National League East, they can thank a former Twin (and Indian) for the most important hit of the season:
Trailing the Padres entering the top of the 9th Saturday night, Eddie Rosario's RBI single with two outs tied the game, which Atlanta won on a couple of 10th inning runs.
Sunday, the Braves won, while the Phillies lost, stretching their lead to three in the loss column with a week to go.

Finally... 

The Indians play their final home game under that name this afternoon at Cleveland's Progressive Field. Their remaining two series are on the road. 
Already out of the post-season picture, the next time Cleveland's ballclub returns to its downtown venue, it will be as the Guardians in 2022.
The name didn't serve this charter member of the American League all that well. They've won only two World Series (1920 and 1948). And while they've finished first 10 times since the leagues went to three divisions in 1995, they've fallen short in two trips to the fall classic. Perhaps the re-branding will come with better karma.

Comments

Lois Simmons said…
I wonder who will get the "Indians" sign above the scoreboard.
September 27, 2021 at 9:58 AM
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