Yankees top Red Sox 8-3, snap Boston's 7-game win streak
BOSTON (AP) - Gerrit Cole took a two-hit shutout into the sixth inning and Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer to lead the Yankees to an 8-3 victory Friday night, snapping Boston's seven-game winning streak and pulling New York within one game of the Red Sox atop the wild-card standings.
Cole (16-8) no-hit the Red Sox for 3 2/3 innings and New York coasted to its fourth straight win. In a potential preview of the AL wild-card matchup, Nathan Eovaldi (10-9) barely made it out of the first inning and couldn't get through the third.
Boston holds the first AL wild card, with the Yankees a game back and in position for the second spot. Toronto dropped two games behind New York following a 3-1 loss at Minnesota.
Unless the Blue Jays - or Seattle (two games back), or Oakland (four) - can catch one of them, the Red Sox and Yankees would meet in a one-game playoff Oct. 5 for the right to advance to an AL Division Series.
Cole allowed three runs on five hits and three walks, striking out six in six innings. Stanton and Gleyber Torres (home run) had three hits apiece for the Yankees.
J.D. Martinez broke up Cole's no-hit bid with a double down the right field line with two out in the fourth. Rafael Devers spoiled the shutout with a three-run homer in the sixth that made it 7-3.
RAYS 8, MARLINS 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Ryan Yarbrough allowed two hits over six innings in relief and AL East-leading Tampa Bay blanked Miami.
Tampa Bay has a magic number of three to secure its second consecutive AL East title.
Yarbrough (9-6) replaced opener David Robertson in the second inning and had four strikeouts. Dietrich Enns went the final two innings to complete a two-hitter.
The Rays got three RBIs from Randy Arozarena and Kevin Kiermaier.
Edward Cabrera (0-3) gave up three runs, two hits, four walks and struck out six over three innings.
PADRES 6, BRAVES 5, SUSPENDED GAME
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Fernando Tatis Jr. homered leading off the top of the seventh inning and San Diego beat the NL East-leading Braves in the resumption of a game that was suspended due to rain in Atlanta on July 21.
The Braves' lead over the Phillies fell to one game after Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh 8-6.
San Diego slipped 6 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild card while also trailing Philadelphia and Cincinnati.
The teams were to play the regularly scheduled opener of a three-game series shortly after the conclusion of the suspended game.
After a rare San Diego rain delay, Tatis' 41st homer, off Will Smith, regained the lead for the Padres after Braves pinch-hitter Adam Duvall tied it with a solo homer with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
Daniel Hudson (5-2) got the win and Mark Melancon pitched the seventh for his 38th save. Hudson wasn't with the Braves when the July 21 game began. Smith (3-9) took the loss.
PHILLIES 8, PIRATES 6
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Didi Gregorius hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh inning, Bryce Harper had an RBI double and Philadelphia moved closer to first place in the NL East.
Philadelphia moved within a game of first-place Atlanta after the Braves lost 6-5 to San Diego in the completion of a suspended game. The Braves were set to play their regularly scheduled game at San Diego later Friday night.
The Phillies bullpen tied a major league record with its 34th blown save, but Philadelphia still won its fourth straight and eighth in 10 games. Brad Miller also went deep, Hector Neris (4-6) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Ian Kennedy earned his 26th save and 10th since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline.
Wilmer Difo had a pinch-hit drive homer for the Pirates. Chasen Shreve (3-2) was the losing pitcher.
CARDINALS 8, CUBS 5, 1ST GAME
CARDINALS 12, CUBS 4, 2ND GAME
CHICAGO (AP) - St. Louis matched a team record with their 14th straight win by completing a doubleheader sweep over Chicago with behind Tyler O'Neill's three-run homer and a pair of solo shots by Lars Nootbaar in the nightcap.
Harrison Bader added a solo drive, double and single as St. Louis batters went deep five times in the nightcap to sweep and equal a run set in July 1935. The win streak has rocketed the Cards into control of the second NL wild card, leading Philadelphia by five games.
Paul DeJong also went deep and Nootbaar added a single for three hits in his first multihomer game as St. Louis pulled away. O'Neill's homer was his 31st of the season, second of the day and 10th in September.
The Cardinals powered past the Cubs in the opener, riding O'Neill's and Paul Goldschmidt's 30th homers and José Rondon's pinch-hit two-run shot.
Patrick Wisdom launched his 28th homer and fellow Cubs rookie Frank Schwindel extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a double and a single. Chicago lost its fourth straight and eighth in nine.
Dakota Hudson (1-0) earned the win.
Chicago's Zach Davies (6-12) was roughed up for the fourth straight start and lost his sixth consecutive decision. The right-hander allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks in two innings.
In the opener, St. Louis got a pinch-hit homer from José Rondón, and Tommy Edman finished with three hits. Alex Reyes (10-8) got five outs for the win.
Sergio Alcántara homered for Chicago. Justin Steele (3-4) took the loss.
BREWERS 5, METS 1
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Eric Lauer turned in a strong outing and Milwaukee hit three home runs in snapping a five-game skid in a win over New York.
Kolten Wong, Willy Adames and Christian Yelich homered for the Brewers, who reduced their magic number for wrapping up their first NL Central title since 2018 to two.
The Brewers have won 12 of their last 13 games against the Mets in Milwaukee, including seven in a row.
Lauer (7-5) retired 18 of 19 batters at one point. He gave up one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out nine. Relievers Brent Suter and Josh Hader closed it out.
The Mets jumped on Lauer immediately. Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a triple and scored on Francisco Lindor's groundout.
Tylor Megill (3-6) took the loss, giving up four runs and five hits in four innings. He walked four and struck out two.
GIANTS 7, ROCKIES 2
DENVER (AP) - Mike Yastrzemski hit a three-run homer, one of four long balls by San Francisco, and the NL West-leading Giants became the season's first 100-win team.
San Francisco started the night leading the Dodgers by a game, with Los Angeles playing later at Arizona. The Giants have won 16 of 20.
Kervin Castro (1-0) tossed two innings for his first major league victory, and the Giants reached 100 wins for the first time since going 100-62 in 2003.
In the seventh, Yastrzemski followed singles by Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria with his 25th homer off reliever Ashton Goudeau (1-1). Buster Posey' added an RBI single. Tommy La Stella and Brandon Belt added solo home runs.
.Colorado's Peter Lambert made his first start since Sept. 20, 2019. He underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2020 and allowed two runs on four hits 3 2/3 innings.
The Rockies scored their runs in the first inning with RBI singles by Charlie Blackmon and ElÃas DÃaz.
WHITE SOX 1, INDIANS 0
CLEVELAND (AP) - Starter Dylan Cease left after being struck on the right arm by a comebacker in the sixth inning as Chicago beat Cleveland in Shane Bieber's return.
The White Sox said Cease has a right triceps contusion and that X-rays were negative.
Bieber retired all nine hitters he faced in his first start since June 13 after missing over three months because of a strained right shoulder.
Luis Robert hit a leadoff home run in the fifth for the White Sox, who clinched the AL Central on Thursday.
Cease (13-7) struck out nine and allowed three hits in 5 1/3 innings. Liam Hendricks earned his 35th save.
Trevor Stephan (3-1) took the loss.
ROYALS 3, TIGERS 1
DETROIT (AP) - Carlos Hernandez pitched five shutout innings and Whit Merrifield drove in a pair of runs in Kansas City's win over Detroit.
The win clinched the season series for the Royals, who lead 10-7 with two games remaining.
Hernandez allowed two hits, walked three and hit a batter. Four relievers finished, with Scott Barlow pitching the ninth for his 15th save.
Ryan O'Hearn also drove in a run for the Royals. Eric Haase had an RBI single for the Tigers.
Domingo Tapia (4-0) earned the victory; Alex Lange (0-3) took the loss.
RANGERS 8, ORIOLES 5
BALTIMORE (AP) - Adolis GarcÃa hit a go-ahead two-run double in a five-run ninth inning and Texas snapped a five-game losing streak.
Baltimore centerfielder Cedric Mullins became the first player in Orioles history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season after he hit a three-run shot in the second - his first homer since Sept. 11.
Nathaniel Lowe hit a two-run homer for the Rangers.
Josh Sborz (4-3) picked up the win and Joe Barlow earned his eighth save. Connor Greene (1-3) took the loss.
TWINS 3, BLUE JAYS 1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Byron Buxton's two-run homer spoiled José BerrÃos' return to Minnesota and dealt a blow to Toronto's postseason hopes.
Buxton hit his 15th home run of the season in a three-run third inning against BerrÃos (12-9) pitched six seasons for the Twins after being a first-round draft pick by the club in 2012.
The New York Yankees beat Boston 8-3 on Friday, with the teams tied for the top AL wild-card spot. The Blue Jays are three games back.
Marcus Semien hit his 42nd home run for Toronto. BerrÃos finished with three runs allowed in six innings with 10 strikeouts.
Bailey Ober (3-3) surrendered one run over 5 1/3 innings for Minnesota, which has won four in a row.
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