In a matter of minutes -- maybe five, maybe 10 -- the complexion of the American League East race took a dramatic turn. At Yankee Stadium, the Yankees were on the verge of closing out a 7-5 win over the Tigers. Meanwhile in Chicago, the White Sox held a comfortable 4-0 lead over the Red Sox in the seventh inning. It appeared Boston's 7 1/2-game lead would shrink to 6 1/2, close enough to make Red Sox fans sweat.
In New York, Victor Martinez tied the game off Dellin Betances with a two-run homer that probably wouldn't have been gone in any other right field in the majors:
Then the unthinkable happened.