EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Josh Inglis smashed a 43-ball century and Australia thrashed Scotland by 70 runs in the second Twenty20 to clinch the series with a game to spare on Friday.
After Travis Head's 25-ball 80 on Wednesday, his duck on Friday brought No. 3 batter Inglis to the crease in the first over and he slogged seven fours and seven sixes on his way to 103, with a strike rate over 200.
Australia posted 196-4 and never allowed Scotland any momentum. The home side failed to support Brandon McMullen, who claimed 59 off 42, and was all out for 126 in the 17th over.
Brad Currie bowled Head with the first ball he faced and dismissed Jake Fraser-McGurk on 16 to have Australia 23-2.
But Cameron Green played anchor with 36 from 29 and Inglis rocketed Australia forward. Inglis was finally dismissed when he played Chris Sole straight to cover.
Only two Scotland batters reached double figures as Marcus Stoinis took 4-23 in 23 deliveries.
The third and last match is on Saturday.
Australia's Cameron Green bats during the second T20 International match between Scotland and Australia at The Grange Club, Edinburgh, Scotland, Friday Sept. 6, 2024. (Malcolm Mackenzie/PA via AP)
Australia's Tim David, left, celebrates catching out Scotland's Brandon McMullen with teammates during the second T20 International match between Scotland and Australia at The Grange Club, Edinburgh, Scotland, Friday Sept. 6, 2024. (Malcolm Mackenzie/PA via AP)
Australia's Josh Inglis hits a 4 during the second T20 International match between Scotland and Australia at The Grange Club, Edinburgh, Scotland, Friday Sept. 6, 2024. (Malcolm Mackenzie/PA via AP)
PHOENIX (AP) — Aaron Judge is mashing homers at an astounding pace for the New York Yankees. Shohei Ohtani provides the same type of thump for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But it’s the Arizona Diamondbacks who have the best offense in the big leagues — by quite a bit.
The Diamondbacks came into Sunday’s games averaging 5.48 runs per game, a full half run better than the second place team, which is the Yankees at 4.98. Arizona was at it again on Sunday, pulling off a 11-10 win in 10 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Arizona took a 5-0 lead, then trailed 8-5, then tied it up at 8-8, fell behind 10-8 in the 10th and then rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning for the win. Eugenio Suárez provided the walk-off moment with a bases loaded single to deep right. It was a much-needed win for a franchise fighting with the Padres, Mets and Braves for the three NL wild cards.
The D-backs have a deep, speedy lineup led by Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, Corbin Carroll, Joc Pederson, Jake McCarthy and Suárez. As Sunday proved, no lead is safe when Arizona is at the plate.
“We’re really executing at a high level and it’s not just the slug,” manager Torey Lovullo said after a 14-4 win against the Rangers last week. “It’s patient at-bats waiting for our pitch, putting down the bat, handing it off to the next guy.”
Suarez has been one of MLB’s best players in the second half of the season, batting .320 with 18 homers and 44 RBIs over 51 games coming into Sunday’s games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers boast one of the best lineups in baseball, led by superstars like Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
The problem is they also have to pitch.
A rash of injuries to the pitching staff — including front-line starters like Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw — have left manager Dave Roberts scrambling as his team reaches the most important part of the season. The Dodgers are so thin on the mound that Roberts acknowledged earlier in the week that Ohtani could return to the mound in October after having offseason elbow surgery.
“Anything is possible,” Roberts said. “I hope that’s on his mind as far as motivation for his rehab. The odds of it coming to pass are very slim, but they’re not zero.”
The Dodgers' roster conundrum isn't unique in baseball this season. As the playoffs approach, no team looks bulletproof. In fact, this will likely be the first season since 2014 that no team will reach the 100-win mark in the regular season.
The parity has allowed several teams to stay in the playoff race longer than expected, particularly in the American League. The Detroit Tigers (77-73), Seattle Mariners (77-73) and Boston Red Sox (75-75) still have hope despite hovering around .500.
The Tigers and Mariners are just 2 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the final AL wild card.
What is the worst regular-season record for a World Series winning team?
The Chicago White Sox are putting up a little bit of a fight to avoid being the worst baseball team in the modern era.
The White Sox won two straight games against the Oakland Athletics during the weekend, improving their record to 35-115. That might not seem like much, but it's the first time they won back-to-back games since June 27-29.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s you can’t take big league wins for granted,” outfielder Gavin Sheets said. “To get back-to-back wins and get a series win, it feels really good. We have to enjoy these times and keep it going.”
Chicago is trying to avoid the post-1900 record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets. The White Sox are 20-58 at home, one shy of the post-1900 mark for home losses shared by the 1939 St. Louis Browns and 2019 Detroit Tigers.
There are 12 games remaining. That means the White Sox have to go 8-4 to avoid 120 losses.
The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series despite finishing just 83-78 in the regular season.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Chicago White Sox's Bryan Ramos, left, celebrates with Gavin Sheets after the White Sox defeated the Oakland Athletics in a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani awaits his turn to bat in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker gets high fives from teammates after scoring their second run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
