IF YOU READ ONLY ONE THING…

The Houston Astros got a great start from Collin McHugh on Sunday as they try to chase down the Rangers for the American League West crown. After losing seven of their last eight games before Saturday, including a four-game sweep at the hands of the Rangers, the Astros have now beat the Athletics in back-to-back games. McHugh went eight strong innings while striking out eight and only giving up one run. The Astros also got a home run from George Springer and two home runs from Colby Rasmus. McHugh was able to bounce back and return to form after giving up five earned runs in his last two starts. He is likely to take the ball again next Saturday in what will be a very big matchup at home against the Rangers.

JUST AS WE EXPECTED…

Stephen Strasburg turned in another double digit strikeout performance to keep the Washington Nationals’ playoff hopes alive on Sunday. Strasburg turned in seven strong innings while only giving up one run and six hits at home against the Nationals. Strasburg, who has been lights out since returning from the disabled list, continues to give his team a shot in the arm every time he has taken the ball. Strasburg’s string of three straight starts with ten-plus strikeouts is tied for the longest streak in the National League this year. While the other members of the Nationals’ rotation has struggled, since August 8^th, Strasburg has gone 5-2 with a 2.24 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP. It’s a shame the rest of the team has not lived up to expectations this year and are likely to not be playing in October because Strasburg pitching this well would have been fantastic to watch in the playoffs.

Chris Davis tried to keep the Baltimore Orioles’ fleeting playoff chances alive with his 43^rd home run of the season but the Orioles were unable to come away with the victory as the Rays beat the Orioles 7-6. The home run, which gave his team the lead in the third inning, gave him the Major League lead for home runs over former Oriole Nelson Cruz. Davis’ home run was not enough for the Orioles after Zach Britton gave up a home run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 6-6. Britton gave up the losing run later in the ninth on a Kevin Kiermaier dribbler to second base.

BUT WE DIDN’T SEE THIS COMING…

Rich Hill belongs in this section for his second straight start as he limited the Blue Jays’ lineup to three earned runs and surrendered zero walks while striking out ten. Hill, who was inserted into the Red Sox rotation to give the regular starters an extra day in between starts, has now struck out double-digits in back-to-back starts. Hill figures to get another start late next week against the Orioles and could be an interesting streaming option for anyone looking to ride a hot hand in weekly playoffs.

Kendrys Morales would like to carry the momentum from today’s performance with him into October. On Sunday, Morales hit a career-best three home runs and a triple, which set a team record with 15 total bases. Morales’ contribution is a big reason why the Royals’ offense has been able to show a lot more pop in 2015 than they did last year. In 19 games in the month of September, Morales is now hitting at a .346 clip. Over the course of the season, Morales hitting at .293/.350/.466 has been a reliable bat in the middle of the Royals’ lineup all year.

THE REST OF THE DETAILS

SAVE CHANCES

–Zach Britton, BAL (blown save)

–Robbie Ross, BOS (4)

–Danny Duffy, KC (1)

–Cody Allen, CLE (31)

–Trevor Rosenthal, STL (46)

–Mark Melancon, PIT (48)

INJURIES

–Yadier Molina exited the game early on Sunday for the Cardinals with a sprained thumb.

-Yankees announced that Masahiro Tanaka will miss his next start against the Blue Jays due to a hamstring injury.

–Matt Holliday remained out of the starting lineup after passing concussion tests on Friday.

–Felix Hernandez exited today’s game early with right elbow stiffness. The Mariners are calling his exit precautionary and it is believed that he will be able to make his next start.

–Delino DeShields remained out of the starting lineup with a bruised left knee and remains day-to-day.