Padres snag a wild-card berth; Phils' magic number down to 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) -
The San Diego Padres are going back to the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2006, a spot that they clinched during the seventh inning of a 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
The Padres were batting when the Miami Marlins beat the Milwaukee Brewers in 12 innings. The sellout crowd of 41,407 at Petco Park stood and cheered the sealed wild-card spot. The Padres trailed 2-0 at the time but Kim Ha-seong homered a few minutes later.
The Padres had a chance to win in the ninth when they put two runners on with two outs against Liam Hendriks but pinch-hitter Jorge Alfaro, who has five walk-off plate appearances this year, grounded out.
It's the seventh playoff berth in franchise history and the fourth since Petco Park opened in 2004. The Padres haven't been to the World Series since 1998.
Lance Lynn (8-7) and Blake Snell (8-10) were locked in a scoreless duel when Elvis Andrus homered off the San Diego lefty with one out in the sixth, his 16th.
Lynn allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, struck out five and walked one. Snell allowed one run and three hits in six innings, struck out six and walked one.
MARLINS 4, BREWERS 3, 12 INNINGS
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Miguel Rojas knocked in the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning to give Miami a win over Milwaukee and deflating Brewers' playoff hopes in the race for the final National League wild-card spot.
Milwaukee (84-75) is two games behind the Philadelphia for the third NL wild card. The Phillies, who beat the Washington Nationals 8-1 in a rain-shortened game Sunday, hold the tiebreaker with the Brewers and both clubs have three games left.
JJ Bleday started the 12th at second for the Marlins, advanced on a ground out and scored when Rojas laced a base hit through the infield off Trevor Gott (3-3).
Tyrone Taylor started at second in the Brewers' half of the 12th. Tanner Scott, the fifth reliever used in the game, struck out Victor Caratini but walked Christian Yelich. Willy Adames flied out. Keston Hiura struck out to end the game that took 4 hours and 12 minutes. Scott picked up his 20th save of the season.
Huascar Brazoban (1-1) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 11th when Tyrone Taylor hit into a fielder's choice.
Marlins starter Pablo López turned in seven strong innings for the Marlins.
PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 1, 6 INNINGS
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Philadelphia Phillies picked up another key victory as they try to end an 11-year playoff drought, using three RBIs apiece from Kyle Schwarber and Bryson Stott, plus Zack Wheeler's five scoreless innings, to beat the Washington Nationals 8-1 Sunday in a rain-shortened game.
The six-inning win helped Philadelphia take three of four from the worst-in-the-majors Nationals to improve to 86-73 after getting to town on a five-game losing streak.
Philadelphia and Milwaukee both have three games left: Philadelphia at Houston, and Milwaukee hosting Arizona.
Wheeler (12-7) had seven strikeouts and no walks and allowed just two hits: doubles by Ildemaro Vargas in the third and CÃ&Copy;sar Hernández in the fifth.
Left-hander Patrick Corbin gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings Sunday, closing this year with a 6-19 record and 6.31 ERA.
BRAVES 5, METS 3
ATLANTA (AP) - Dansby Swanson and Matt Olson homered for the third straight game, Travis d'Arnaud hit a go-ahead two-run single in the third inning, and Atlanta beat New York, completing a three-game sweep of their NL East rival and taking a two-game lead in the division with three games to play.
The defending World Series champion Braves have been chasing the Mets the entire season. In the final series of the season, any combination of one Atlanta win or one Mets loss would give the Braves their fifth straight division title.
New York plays its final three games of the season against worst-in-the-majors Washington. Atlanta closed out the regular season with a three-game set in Miami. Should the season end Wednesday in a tie, Atlanta would win the division after claiming the season series 10-9 with Sunday's victory.
Chris Bassitt (15-9) lasted just 2 2/3 innings for the Mets. Swanson took Bassitt deep to right-center in the first with his 25th homer, and Atlanta took charge with a three-run third.
Charlie Morton started for the Braves but left after 4 1/3 innings, having given up three runs and nine hits.
Dylan Lee (5-1) relieved Morton and pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win and closer Kenley Jansen converted his third save of the series with a clean ninth. Jansen leads the NL with 40 saves in 47 chances.
PIRATES 7, CARDINALS 5
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Albert Pujols hit his 702nd career home run and tied Babe Ruth for second on the all-time RBIs, but Pittsburgh got the win over St. Louis.
Ben Gamel and Bryan Reynolds homered for Pittsburgh, which has won four of six. Chase DeJong (6-2) got the win for the Pirates.
Pujols ripped a two-run double in the opening inning, then tied the game at 4 with a homer in the third. Pujols is tied with Ruth for second in RBI (2,214) behind Aaron (2,297).
Yadier Molina, who like Pujols is retiring after this season, and pitcher Adam Wainwright started their 328th game together. Wainwright (11-12) allowed six runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings.
ORIOLES 3, YANKEES 1
NEW YORK (AP) - Aaron Judge won't break the American League home run record at Yankee Stadium, remaining at 61 as New York headed on the road for its final four regular-season games after a loss to Baltimore.
Judge struck out three times and walked once, disappointing a crowd of 44,332 that watched the Yankees regular-season home finale in rain for much of a chilly, blustery afternoon.
Trying to become the first Triple Crown winner since Detroit's Miguel Cabrera in 2012, Judge tops the AL with 130 RBIs. His batting average fell to .311, four points behind league leader Luis Arraez of Minnesota.
Baltimore (82-77) guaranteed its first winning season since 2016.
Aroldis Chapman (3-4) was once again wild, walking three, including rookie Gunnar Henderson with the bases loaded, as Baltimore surged ahead in the seventh.
Logan Gillaspie (1-0) pitched a scoreless sixth in his first big league decision, Baker struck out five while getting six straight outs, and Dillon Tate got three outs for his fifth save.
ANGELS 8, RANGERS 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Mike Trout's 39th homer was one of his three hits in Los Angeles' season-best seventh consecutive victory.
Shohei Ohtani extended the majors' longest active hitting streak to 17 games with a first-inning single, equaling his 17-game streak for the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2016.
Rookie Livan Soto and Taylor Ward also had three hits for the Angels, who swept a six-game homestand for the first time since July 2016.
Corey Seager hit a two-run homer for the Rangers, who have lost five straight and 11 of 14. Texas was swept in a three-game series at Angel Stadium for the first time since September 2018.
The Angels sent 10 batters to the plate during their six-run first inning against Tyson Miller (1-2).
Jaime Barria (3-3) pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief of starter Tucker Davidson for the Angels.
BLUE JAYS 6, RED SOX 3
TORONTO (AP) -Teoscar Hernández hit two home runs, Whit Merrifield also connected and Toronto edged closer to clinching home-field advantage in the wild-card round by beating Boston.
The Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep with their 16th win in 19 games against Boston this season. That's the most victories by any major league team against a division opponent this season and the most wins the Blue Jays have had against an opponent in a single season.
Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman left after three innings because of a cut on his right middle finger. Gausman allowed two runs and four hits, struck out four and walked none. Right-hander Zach Pop (4-0) pitched two perfect innings. Jordan Romano finished for his 36th save in 42 chances.
Merrifield went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and scored twice. He's 10 for 20 over his past six games.
Bobby Dalbec hit a solo home run and had three RBIs for the Red Sox.
All three Toronto homers came off Boston right-hander Michael Wacha (11-2), who allowed five runs and six hits in four innings and lost for the first time since May 31 against Cincinnati.
ASTROS 3, RAYS 1
HOUSTON (AP) - Jeremy Pena hit an early two-run homer and drove in an insurance run late, lifting Houston over Tampa Bay.
One pitch after Jose Altuve's leadoff bunt single, Pena belted a cutter by Rays starter Corey Kluber (10-10) over the right-field fence and into the home bullpen. That put the Astros ahead early, and Houston maintained that lead with strong pitching and key defensive plays, including Pena's diving stop and throw to deny Ji-Man Choi in the fourth inning.
After homering only once in August, Houston's rookie shortstop has five homers since September and is up to 21 for the season.
Astros starter Luis Garcia (15-8) pitched six innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Rafael Montero recorded his 14th save.
Kluber gave up six hits and just those two runs across five innings, striking out four.
ATHLETICS 10, MARINERS 3
SEATTLE (AP) - Robbie Ray was tagged for home runs by Shea Langeliers, Cristian Pache and Nick Allen, and Seattle's hopes of hosting the AL wild-card series took a serious blow with a loss to Oakland.
Oakland starter James Kaprielian no-hit the Mariners for 5 2/3 innings before giving up a two-out single to Ty France in the sixth inning. Kaprielian (5-9) struck out seven, and beat Seattle for the third time this season.
Langeliers added a second homer in the ninth inning, a three-run shot.
Ray's lackluster outing didn't help his case to be part of Seattle's three-man rotation for the wild-card series. Ray (12-12) failed to make it through the sixth inning, allowing five earned runs for the second time in his past four starts.
GUARDIANS 7, ROYALS 5
CLEVELAND (AP) - Shane Bieber allowed two runs over five innings in his final start before the postseason, Josh Naylor and rookie Will Brennan hit three-run homers and Cleveland defeated Kansas City.
Bieber (13-8) is scheduled to start Game 1 of the wild-card series Friday for the AL Central champions. Cleveland has won 11 of 13 and is an MLB-best 22-5 since Sept. 5.
The right-hander gave up both runs - one unearned -in the fourth and scattered seven hits, struck out three, walked one. Bieber finished the regular season with 198 strikeouts in 200 innings.
Naylor and Brennan homered off Max Castillo (0-2) in Cleveland's six-run second.
ROCKIES 4, DODGERS 1
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Germán Márquez gave up one hit over six innings to help Colorado end a seven-game losing streak by beating Los Angeles.
Brendan Rodgers hit a home run for the Rockies, who were victorious for just the second time since Sept. 19.
Trayce Thompson had two of the three hits for the Dodgers, and starter Tyler Anderson (15-5), who is expected to assume the No. 3 spot in the rotation when the playoffs begin, tied a career high with 10 strikeouts in five innings.
Márquez (9-14) gave up three walks and struck out eight in ending his three-start losing streak. Daniel Bard got his 33rd save.
GIANTS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3, 10 INNINGS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Rookie David Villar hit a two-run, bases-loaded single with nobody out in the 10th inning to give San Francisco a win against Arizona in the final game of the season at Oracle Park.
Austin Slater homered for the Giants and Evan Longoria contributed a sacrifice fly in what might have been his final home game in San Francisco.
Jharel Cotton (4-2), the eighth Giants pitcher in a bullpen game, began the 10th by getting Carson Kelly to pop up a bunt. Jake McCarthy's third hit, a single to right, scored automatic runner Daulton Varsho to break a 2-2 tie.
But with two runners in scoring position, Cotton struck out Josh Rojas and retired Pavin Smith on a flyball to prevent the Diamondbacks from adding to their lead.
Taylor Widener (0-1), trying to earn his first major league save, walked leadoff hitter Wilmer Flores before J.D. Davis' infield single loaded the bases with nobody out in the 10th.
TIGERS 5, TWINS 2
DETROIT (AP) - Eric Haase and Victor Reyes homered, and Detroit took advantage of Minnesota's sloppy play, including three errors in the first inning, for the win.
Twins' prospect Simeon Woods Richardson (0-1) is the youngest pitcher in the majors this season allowed three runs - two earned - and three hits in five innings. The Twins' defense did him no favors at the start, committing three errors in the first inning.
The Tigers turned the two throwing errors by catcher Ryan Jeffers and a misplay by first baseman Jose Miranda, along with Miguel Cabrera's single, a wild pitch, a walk and a stolen base, into two runs.
The Twins scored two unearned runs in the fifth. Jeffers reached on a fielding error and scored when Carlos Correa walked with the bases loaded. Nick Gordon's sacrifice fly scored Gilberto Celestino.
Alex Lange (7-4) got the win and Gregory Soto picked up his 30th save with a perfect ninth.
CUBS 8, REDS 1
CHICAGO (AP) - Willson Contreras got several standing ovations in what could be his final home game at Wrigley Field, Marcus Stroman threw six scoreless innings and Chicago won its seventh straight, beating Cincinnati.
Nelson Velázquez drove in four runs and Seiya Suzuki had two hits and two RBIs. The Cubs, aided by three walks and a hit batter, knocked out a Chase Anderson in a five-run first and cruised to their 11th win in 12 games in their Wrigley Field season finale.
The Reds have dropped six straight and 19 of 23. They'll need to sweep a three-game series against the Cubs in Cincinnati to avoid the franchise's second 100-loss season.
Stroman (6-7) gave up five hits, struck out seven and walked two.
Anderson (2-4) lasted just seven batters and got one out. The right-hander was tagged for five runs, walked three and gave up two hits.
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