Brewers clinch NL Central, send Mets to losing season
MILWAUKEE (AP) - The Milwaukee Brewers clinched their second NL Central title in four years, beating the sloppy New York Mets 8-4 Sunday behind Willy Adames's two-run homer and three RBIs.
A day after New York was eliminated from postseason contention in their first season under new owner Steven Cohen, the Mets (73-82) lost for the 10th time in 11 games and were assured of a losing season for the fourth time in five years.
Freddy Peralta (10-5) won for the first time since Aug. 10, allowing four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Carlos Carrasco (1-4) gave up five runs, seven hits and four walks in four innings.
CARDINALS 4, CUBS 2
CHICAGO (AP) - Andrew Knizner scored the go-ahead run on a ninth-inning wild pitch by Codi Heuer (7-5), and St. Louis won its 16th straight for the longest in the majors since Cleveland took 22 in a row in 2017. It the best in the National League since the 1951 New York Giants won 16 straight.
Paul Goldschmidt and Harrison Bader homered to extend a streak that has rocketed the Cardinals into position for the second NL wild card.
Génesis Cabrera (4-5) got two outs for the win, and Giovanny Gallegos worked the ninth for his 14th save. Fourth-place Chicago lost its sixth straight.
YANKEES 6, RED SOX 3
BOSTON (AP) - Twice given new life after the Red Sox dropped foul balls that would have ended his eighth-inning at-bat, Aaron Judge doubled in the go-ahead runs to lead New York to a wild-card flipping three-game sweep.
Giancarlo Stanton followed with a two-run homer over the Green Monster and out of the ballpark to give the Yankees their sixth straight victory.
The Yankees arrived in Boston trailing the Red Sox by two games. They leave it with a one-game lead in the race to host the Oct. 5 AL wild-card game. Boston remains in playoff position, one game ahead of Toronto for the second wild-card spot.
Chad Green (10-7) earned the win despite blowing a 2-1 lead in the seventh. Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth to earn his 30th save.
Garrett Richards (7-8) took the loss.
BRAVES 4, PADRES 3
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Will Smith struck out the side around three walks in the ninth for his 35th save, and Atlanta opened a 2 1/2-game lead over Philadelphia heading into their NL East showdown.
Pinch-hitter Orlando Arcia hit a go-ahead double in the sixth off Pierce Johnson (3-4).
Joc Pederson homered and scored twice for Atlanta, which has led the division since Aug. 15. Atlanta has won seven of nine and hosts the Phillies in a three-game series starting Tuesday.
A.J. Minter (3-7) got the win with one-third of an inning. San Diego, eliminated from postseason contention a day earlier, lost for the 14th time in 17 games and at 78-78 dropped to .500 for the first time since a 10-10 start.
PIRATES 6, PHILLIES 0
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Starter Hans Crouse (0-1) gave up a home run to Cole Tucker on his first major league pitch and Pittsburgh stopped Philadelphia's five-game winning streak.
Bryce Harper and Philadelphia finished the home portion of their schedule 47-34.
Max Kranick (2-3) combined with Chasen Shreve, David Bednar, Nick Mehars and Chris Stratton to strike out 11 in a six-hitter.
REDS 9, NATIONALS 2
CINCINNATI (AP) - Tyler Stephenson and Nick Castellanos hit consecutive home runs, and Kyle Farmer broke open the game with a grand slam as Cincinnati won its third straight.
Cincinnati is six games back of St. Louis for the second NL wild card with six games left, tied with Philadelphia. At 81-75, the Reds ensured consecutive non-losing seasons for the first time since 2012 and '13.
Tyler Mahle (13-6) allowed one unearned run and three hits in six innings.
NL batting leader Juan Soto of Washington went 0 for 3, dropping his average to .322.
Josh Rogers (2-1) gave up three runs, seven hits and a season-high four walks in 4 2/3 innings.
RAYS 3, MARLINS 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Rookie Shane Baz (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out nine in 5 2/3 scoreless innings to win his second straight start and help the AL East champions to their team-record 14th series sweep.
Nelson Cruz had two RBIs for the Rays,
Rays rookie Wander Franco doubled in the first off Jesús Luzardo (5-9) to extend his on-base streak to 41 games. Nick Anderson got his first save this season despite allowing Lewin DÃaz's leadoff homer in the ninth.
BLUE JAYS 5, TWINS 2
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Danny Jansen hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off Griffin Jax (3-5 and George Springer also went deep.
Toronto will enter the final week one game back for the second AL wild card.
Alek Manoah (8-2) won his third straight start, giving up two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.
ATHLETICS 4, ASTROS 3
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Mark Canha hit an RBI single off Ryan Pressly with one out in the ninth as Oakland completed a three-game sweep and closed within three games for the second AL wild card.
Alex Bregman homered for the Astros, whose magic number to AL West stayed at 2.
Lou Trivino (7-7) retired three batters to win. Ryne Stanek (3-5) was the loser.
GIANTS 6, ROCKIES 2
DENVER (AP) - Brandon Crawford homered off Tyler Kinney to cap a four-run ninth and NL West-leading inning San Francisco won for the 15th time in 19 games and maintained a two-game lead. The Giants' 102 wins are the most since 103 in 1993.
Giants first baseman Brandon Belt left the game in the seventh inning after getting hit on the left hand with a pitch while squaring to bunt. Manager Gabe Kapler said X-rays were inconclusive.
Camilo Doval (5-1) pitched the eighth. Daniel Bard (7-8) was the loser.
DODGERS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 0
PHOENIX (AP) - Corey Seager hit two solo homers, Julio UrÃas (19-3) scattered five hits over five innings and World Series champion Los Angeles reached 100 wins for the third time in the last four full seasons.
Seager and Trea Turner both connected in the first inning against Humberto Mejia (0-3) for their 100th home runs as the Dodgers improved to 16-3 against Arizona. Kenley Jansen earned his 36th save.
Arizona fell to 50-106.
MARINERS 5, ANGELS 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Shohei Ohtani allowed Jarred Kelenic's tying home run in the seventh, and Mitch Haniger hit a go-ahead single in a four-run eighth against the bullpen.
Ohtani gave up one run and five hits in seven innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks. He remained 9-2 and lowered his ERA to 3.18. He was 1 for 3 at the plate and is hitting .258 with 98 RBIs and 45 homers.
Seattle has won seven of eight and will enter the final week two games back for the AL's second wild card.
Marco Gonzales (10-5) gave up one run on three hits over seven innings, improving to 7-0 in his last nine starts. Jose Quijada (0-2) was the loser.
WHITE SOX 5, INDIANS 2
CLEVELAND (AP) - Lucas Giolito allowed five hits in six scoreless innings, and Eloy Jiménez had a two-run single in the third off Triston McKenzie (5-8).
Harold Ramirez homered off Craig Kimbrel in the eighth, but Liam Hendricks pitched the ninth for his 36th save.
Billy Hamilton was credited with a steal of home in the eighth.
RANGERS 7, ORIOLES 4
BALTIMORE (AP) - Andy Ibáñez hit a two-run homer off John Means (6-8). and the Rangers avoided their 100th loss for at least a day by gaining a four-game split.
'‹'‹Adolis GarcÃa had two hits and drove in a run for Texas. He set a club rookie record with 256 total bases.
Anthony Santander and Pedro Severino homered for the Orioles, an AL-worst 50-106 and 176-364 over the last four seasons.
Jharel Cotton (2-0) allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Joe Barlow struck out Ryan McKenna for his ninth save.
ROYALS 2, TIGERS 1
DETROIT (AP) - Kris Bubic (6-6) gave up two hits in seven shutout innings.
Benintendi's RBI single in the first and Nicky Lopez's sacrifice fly in the fourth drove in runs off Wily Peralta (4-4), who entered with 16-inning scoreless streak.
Isaac Paredes had an RBI double in the ninth off Scott Barlow, who stranded the bases loaded when he struck out pinch-hitter Harold Castro for his 16th save.
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