Cuban player Yordan Álvarez hit two home runs in the Houston Astros‘ 7-2 victory against the Kansas City Royals, completing a series sweep and personally marking his fourth season with at least 30 home runs.
In the sixth inning, Álvarez hit his 30th home run of the year, becoming the second player in Astros history to reach that figure in four consecutive seasons, and it was also his sixth multi-home-run game.
Only Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell had previously achieved this feat, extending it to eight consecutive seasons from 1996 to 2003. The Astros took the lead in the fourth inning with the first of Álvarez’s home runs, followed by another from Jon Singleton. The 3-0 lead only increased as the innings progressed, culminating in a four-game sweep.
This victory, combined with Seattle’s loss, gives the Astros more breathing room at the top of the American League West Division, with 75 wins and a winning percentage four points higher than the Mariners.
WHITE SOX 0-2 METS
This Sunday’s loss was not just another loss for Chicago. Falling to the Mets set a negative record in franchise history, reaching 107 losses in a single season for the first time. Sean Manaea pitched superbly from the mound for seven innings, allowing no runs. A home run by Puerto Rican Francisco Lindor in the fourth opened the scoring, and Dominican Starling Marte capped it off in the ninth with a double. The defeat overshadows the record Garrett Crochet had achieved early in the game with seven consecutive strikeouts, tying the best marks for his team and the American League. The White Sox are, by far, the worst team of the season.
NATIONALS 1-14 CUBS
While the White Sox are setting negative records, the Chicago Cubs achieved a resounding away win against Washington this Sunday. Jordan Wicks, returning from injury, had an outstanding five-inning performance, allowing only four hits and one run. With the game already decided, the Cubs opened their final turn at bat with the intention of overwhelming the home team, changing the score from 1-7 to 1-14 without needing any home runs in the game.
YANKEES 7-14 CARDINALS
The Cardinals mounted a comeback to take the series with wins on Saturday and Sunday, dominating the Yankees with authority. They solidified their victory with two home runs, one by Luken Baker and another by Jordan Walker between the fourth and fifth innings, which brought the score to 2-7 at Yankee Stadium. Although Gleyber Torres was a standout for the New Yorkers, tying the score at one point, another 0-7 visiting surge closed the game, culminating in a home run by Lars Nootbaar in the ninth. This marked two consecutive series losses for the Yankees, who are struggling to pull away from the Orioles in the race for first place in the American League East Division.
image credits for this post: Elnacional.com.do
