The Yankees needed a pick-me-up after their disappointing series against the Rays, and they got just that in the form of the A’s. The battle of the last-place teams showcased the difference between last place in the AL West versus the AL East, though the Athletics had some fight in them for a couple of innings.
While that was going on, there was plenty of action around the rest of the league. One game in particular stood out in the Yankees’ interests, so lets start off right there:
Tampa Bay Rays (29-7) 3, Baltimore Orioles (22-13) 0
The Rays traveled to Camden for a faceoff featuring the two best records in the AL entering the day, a wild development for both teams from what their expectations were a little over a month ago.