Rant and Rise: Baltimore Orioles Win in 18, Yunel Escobar Suspended, Detroit Tigers Win Big

Here’s the latest edition of Rant and Rise for September 19, 2012:

Baltimore Orioles Win in 18 Innings

The Orioles are one of the feel-good stories for the 2012 season and they continued to stay close in the AL East after a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners in 18 innings on Tuesday. Baltimore has now won 14 straight games in extra innings and are in the perfect position to at least earn a Wild Card spot if they fail to catch the Yankees in the division.

Yunel Escobar Hit With Three-Game Suspension 

The Toronto Blue Jays shortstop was suspended by the league on Tuesday after his eye black from Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox displayed a gay slur in Spanish. Escobar has apologized for the incident, claiming that he meant no harm and it was only done as a joke.

Unfortunately for Escobar, this “joke” didn’t turn out funny and will cost him $92,000 since he won’t be playing the next three games for the Blue Jays.

Detroit Tigers Win Big Against Oakland Athletics

With the end of the regular season right around the corner, the Tigers are doing everything they can to make a late playoff push as they trail the Chicago White Sox by three games in the AL Central. On Tuesday, Detroit pulled off one of their most impressive wins on Tuesday by crushing Oakland 12-2 thanks to an impressive performance from Miguel Cabrera.

The MVP candidate went three of four with two home runs–including a grand slam in the eighth inning–against the Athletics and will be a key factor to whether or not the Tigers make the postseason.

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