Both the Red Sox and Phillies got off on the wrong foot this season and plummeted to the bottom of their divisions. Both front offices decided that it was not too early for a major move and decided a manager change was necessary. Boston passed the keys from Alex Cora to Chad Tracy while in Philadelphia Don Mattingly assumed the reins after Rob Thomson was dismissed. In each instance the ship appears to have been righted—at least for now—and choppy waters have turned more placid.
Sonny Gray and a flawless bullpen worked together to give the Red Sox a shutout victory over the Tigers in Detroit on Wednesday night to complete a four-game sweep. Tracy has piloted the team to seven wins over his first 10 tries and in the process created a vibe shift. In Philadelphia the Phillies scored four runs in the eighth inning to author a comeback triumph over the Athletics, running Mattingly's record since the switch to 8-1.
Suddenly the clouds don't look as dark over these franchises with deep pockets and high expectations. Boston is now just 1 1/2 games behind Seattle for the final wild card spot in the American League while the Phillies trail a trio of NL Central teams (Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati) by three games for the final spot in the Senior Circuit.
That happened pretty quickly. Perhaps quicker than even the most optimistic parties in each city predicted when they enacted the nuclear option.
Meanwhile, the Yankees and Rays are doing their best to make the AL East a two-team race and the Braves are doing something they haven't since 1892 to build up even more of a cushion in the NL East. The Guardians and Athletics wake up in first place in their respective divisions with a .500 record and the hope that it won't take much better than that to clinch come late-September. The Cubs, now winners of 18 of 21, got another walk-off victory and have a pretty solid path to the second bye, along with whomever emerges out of the NL West between the Dodgers and Padres.
Yesterday's MLB scores
Rays 3, Blue Jays 0
Angels 8, White Sox 2
Orioles 7, Marlins 4
Guardians 3, Royals 1
Brewers 6, Cardinals 2
Mariners 3, Braves 1
Nationals 15, Twins 2
Mets 10, Rockies 5
Dodgers 12, Astros 2
Red Sox 4, Tigers 0
Rangers 6, Yankees 1
Pirates 1, Diamondbacks 0
Padres 5, Giants 1
Phillies 6, Athletics 3
Cubs 7, Reds 6
Current MLB standings
AL East
| Team | Record | Games Behind |
|---|---|---|
| Yankees | 25-12 | -- |
| Rays | 24-12 | 0.5 |
| Orioles | 17-20 | 8.0 |
| Blue Jays | 16-21 | 9.0 |
| Red Sox | 16-21 | 9.0 |
AL Central
| Team | Record | Games Behind |
|---|---|---|
| Guardians | 19-19 | -- |
| Tigers | 18-20 | 1.0 |
| White Sox | 17-20 | 1.5 |
| Royals | 17-20 | 1.5 |
| Twins | 16-21 | 2.5 |
AL West
| Team | Record | Games Behind |
|---|---|---|
| Athletics | 18-18 | -- |
| Mariners | 18-20 | 1.0 |
| Rangers | 17-19 | 1.0 |
| Angels | 15-23 | 4.0 |
| Astros | 15-23 | 4.0 |
NL East
| Team | Record | Games Behind |
|---|---|---|
| Braves | 26-12 | -- |
| Phillies | 17-20 | 8.5 |
| Nationals | 17-20 | 8.5 |
| Marlins | 16-21 | 9.5 |
| Mets | 14-22 | 11.0 |
NL Central
| Team | Record | Games Behind |
|---|---|---|
| Cubs | 25-12 | -- |
| Cardinals | 21-15 | 3.5 |
| Brewers | 19-16 | 5.0 |
| Pirates | 20-17 | 5.0 |
| Reds | 20-17 | 5.0 |
NL West
| Team | Record | Games Behind |
|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | 23-14 | -- |
| Padres | 22-14 | 0.5 |
| Diamondbacks | 17-18 | 5.0 |
| Giants | 14-23 | 9.0 |
| Rockies | 14-23 | 9.0 |
Today's MLB games
All times ET
Rangers vs. Yankees, 12:35 p.m.
Twins vs. Nationals, 1:05 p.m.
Guardians vs. Royals, 2:10 p.m.
Reds vs. Cubs, 2:20 p.m.
Mets vs. Rockies, 3:10 p.m.
Pirates vs. Diamondbacks, 3:40 p.m.
Athletics vs. Phillies, 6:40 p.m.
Orioles vs. Marlins, 6:40 p.m.
Rays vs. Red Sox, 7:10 p.m.
Cardinals vs. Padres, 10:10 p.m.
More MLB from Sports Illustrated
- Brewers' Pat Murphy Has Established Himself as MLB's Hungriest Manager
- Remembering Bartolo Colón’s Home Run, the Most Improbable Swing of the Last Decade
- Mets Announcers Tackle Opposite Ends of $45 Hot Dog, Create Image That Will 'Live Forever'
- Why AJ Hinch Still Got Suspended by MLB Despite Denouncing Framber Valdez’s Actions
This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB Standings Show Desperate Teams Are Suddenly Right Back In the Hunt.
