Friday was the one-year anniversary of the Last Game of the 2011 Season. That day, which included a Chris Carpenter complete-game shutout, a blown save by Craig Kimbrel, a walkoff single by Robert Andino against Jonathan Papelbon, a game-tying two-out ninth inning home run by Dan Johnson, and a walk-off home run by Evan Longoria, was decidedly more exciting than this one.
>>> There was, however, rather big news: Homer Bailey of the Cincinnati Reds no-hit the Pirates. Just as important: the Reds won the game 1-0, continuing their run towards the top record in the NL. For the Pirates, this was an exclamation point on an astounding second-half collapse. After being as many as 16 games over .500, they have now clinched their 20th consecutive losing season.
>>> Edwin Jackson got hammered by the St. Louis Cardinals in a blowout loss for the Washington Nationals. Their playoff rotation, weakened by the Stephen Strasburg shutdown, looks questionable after Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann. The Atlanta Braves did lose too (on Chipper Jones Night, no less), so Washington's magic number in the NL East is down to two.
>>> The Chicago White Sox may have saved their season on Friday. Down two games in the division with six to play, they won a hard-fought battle with the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-1. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers lost to the Twins 4-2, which narrows the gap between the teams to one game in the AL Central.
>>> The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles continued their lockstep atop the AL East standings. Baltimore's Chris Tillman allowed a leadoff bunt single and then the Red Sox didn't get another hit the rest of the game. The Yankees pounded Blue Jays pitching for am 11-4 win in Toronto. The teams remain one game apart in the East, where they've been for most of the month. In related news: the Baltimore Orioles have 90 wins. They also finally have a positive run differential.
>>> As for the AL wild card race: the Oakland Athletics took care of business against the Mariners 8-2. The Los Angeles Angels kept pace by winning 7-4 in Texas behind Jered Weaver's 20th win. They leapfrogged the Rays in the wild card standings, staying two back of the A's. The Rays are three back.
>>> Mathematically eliminated from the playoffs were the Philadelphia Phillies. They deserved it, too: they lost to the Marlins.
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