AL Wild Card Will Be A Wild Finish

[Giantmetfan07]

When the Angels needed a big play on Friday night, Mike Trout made one, and Statcast™ was there to show just how he did it.
 
With the Halos and Rangers locked in a tie in the top of the ninth at Texas, the defending American League Most Valuable Player led off against closer Shawn Tolleson. Trout connected on a fastball at 103.2 mph, sending a screaming line drive into the right-center gap, over the head of center fielder Drew Stubbs.
 
As the ball one-hopped off the wall to right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, Trout stayed in high gear, reaching a maximum speed of 21.3 mph. He dove headfirst into third base, finishing his journey from home plate in 11.0 seconds, his fastest time of the year.
 
Albert Pujols followed with an RBI single, lifting the Angels to a 2-1 victory that kept them within one game of the Astros for the second AL Wild Card spot with two games remaining.
 

 
 

PHOENIX -- The Astros hit four home runs in support of left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who recorded his 20th win, as Houston moved a step closer to its first postseason berth in 10 years with a 21-5 rout of the D-backs on Friday night at Chase Field.
 
George Springer (second inning) and Carlos Correa (fourth) hit solo homers, and Colby Rasmus added a two-run shot in the sixth and was followed by a Luis Valbuena homer in a back-to-back effort that made it 10-2. The 21 runs set an Astros franchise record.
 

"It was a good night for us," manager A.J. Hinch said. "We swung the bats extremely well, from the beginning all the way to the end and really did a lot of damage. So I was proud of our guys. We showed up at the right time, and what a game. We haven't had a game like that in a long time, and it was nice to be on the winning end of that."
 
The Astros trail the American League West-leading Rangers by two games with two remaining and lead the Angels by one game and the Twins by two for the AL's final Wild Card spot. Houston would clinch a postseason berth on Saturday with a win at Arizona and an Angels loss at Texas.
 
Houston also trails the Yankees by 2.5 games for the top Wild Card spot, which is significant because the Astros won the season series, 4-3. If Houston can clinch a Wild Card spot and catch New York, the game would be played at Minute Maid Park.