The division and Wild Card races are heating up, and ESPN is carrying pivotal action with postseason implications on Wednesday.
It began with the White Sox and Guardians clashing at Progressive Field, as Cleveland powered past Chicago, 6-3, to take over possession of first place in the AL Central, pushing the South Siders into the third AL Wild Card slot for now.
And tonight, at 7:10 p.m. ET, the Orioles will look to keep pace in the Wild Card chase when they face the Mets at Citi Field.
The Orioles, who enter Wednesday night's action three games behind the White Sox, were able to keep pace in the race with a road win over the Mets on Tuesday night. But they needed 11 innings and a couple of huge swings to pull it off.
The first one was provided by none other than Pete Alonso. Back in his old stomping grounds for the first time since he signed with the Orioles as a free agent this past winter, the Mets’ all-time home run leader launched a game-tying dinger in the ninth inning Tuesday.
The New York crowds have showered Alonso with cheers all series long, and they continued to do so when he thwarted his former club as it was just two outs away from a win. He even received a curtain call.
Alonso’s 300th career home run helped push the game into extras. After each team scored once in the 10th, Baltimore's Coby Mayo came through with an inside-the-park, three-run home run in the 11th. It was Mayo’s fifth homer in his previous eight games, and it proved to be enough in the O’s 7-5 triumph.
Veteran starter Chris Bassitt, another former Met, will take the ball for the Orioles as they look to complete a three-game sweep Wednesday. The 37-year-old righty will be opposed by spot starter Xzavion Curry after originally scheduled starter Robert Stock was placed on the IL with numbness in his fingers.