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 The Pirates are attempting to finish second to the Cardinals for the
third consecutive year despite having the second-most wins in the
major leagues.
Pittsburgh will play in the one-game NL wild-card playoff for a
third straight year, meeting the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 7.
The Cardinals will meet the wild-card winner in the best-of-five
National League Division Series, which will open Oct. 9 at St.
Louis.
Pittsburgh won the first game, 8-2.
Blue Jays 15, Orioles 2; Orioles 8, Blue Jays 1
BALTIMORE -- Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Justin Smoak
homered, and Toronto beat Baltimore in the first game of a
doubleheader to clinch the American League East title.
Toronto is headed to the playoffs for the first time in 22 years.
In the nightcap, Chris Davis led a four-home run attack with two
solo shots, and starter Kevin Gausman shut down the Blue Jays for
eight innings as the Orioles salvaged a split.
Red Sox 9, Yankees 5 (11 innings)
NEW YORK -- Deven Marrero drove in the go-ahead run with two outs in
the 11th inning, and Boston prevented New York from clinching a
postseason spot.
The Red Sox had runners on first and third when Marrero slapped a
single up the middle on the first pitch he saw from Andrew Bailey
(0-1).
After Bailey was replaced by struggling left-hander Chasen Shreve,
Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in a run with a sacrifice bunt. Mookie
Betts followed with a two-run homer, four innings after he blasted a
game-tying home run off Dellin Betances.
Astros 7, Mariners 6
SEATTLE -- Colby Rasmus delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the
seventh inning, and Houston overcame a rough outing from Scott
Kazmir to beat Seattle.
Houston kept its slim hopes of winning the American League West
title alive while moving past the Los Angeles Angels in the AL
wild-card standings. The Astros are a half-game ahead of Los
Angeles, which opens a four-game series with Texas on Thursday while
Houston takes its final off day.
In the seventh, Rasmus followed a one-out triple by designated
hitter Evan Gattis with a hit to left field off Danny Farquhar
(1-7), giving the Astros a 7-6 lead. Houston rallied back from a 6-3
deficit on first baseman Chris Carter's three-run homer in the
sixth.
Royals 5, White Sox 3 (10 innings)
CHICAGO -- Thanks to a two-run homer in the 10th inning by Eric
Hosmer, Kansas City got the win it needed to secure home-field
advantage in the American League Division Series.
Unfortunately for the Royals, the night also included a potentially
significant loss.
Center fielder Lorenzo Cain fouled a ball hard off his right knee
during the seventh inning and left the game. Cain, who hits third,
has a contusion on his right knee and is day-to-day.
Rangers 6, Tigers 2
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Left fielder Mike Napoli's two-run home run
keyed a four-run outburst with two outs in the third inning, and
Texas moved a step closer to AL West Division title with a victory
over Detroit.
Napoli's blast to left was one of three home runs hit by Texas.
Adrian Beltre hit his 17th home run, a two-run shot that tied the
game in the first, and Robinson Chirinos hit a tiebreaking solo
homer to start the game-winning rally in the third.
Yovani Gallardo (13-11) threw 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball, and
four Rangers relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Athletics 8, Angels 7
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Oakland rallied for four runs in the seventh
inning and cooled off surging Los Angeles.
The Angels made things interesting when Kole Calhoun homered to lead
off the ninth inning.
Mike Trout walked, but Albert Pujols popped out and C.J. Cron lined
out. David Freese sent Trout to third with a single, but pinch
hitter Collin Cowgill grounded out to end it.
Cubs 10, Reds 3
CINCINNATI -- Jon Lester retired the final 20 batters he faced and
Austin Jackson had a career-high five RBIs for Chicago.
Lester allowed one runner over his final seven innings. He struck
out nine and didn't walk as he lowered his ERA to 3.34.
Jackson had a pair of RBI doubles and Starlin Castro had four hits,
including a homer.
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Phillies 7, Mets 5
PHILADELPHIA -- A wild pitch by New York reliever Carlos Torres
brought home the go-ahead run in a three-run sixth inning, and
Philadelphia rallied for a win in a game that lasted three hours, 59
minutes.
Daniel Murphy and Michael Conforto homered in a five-run first
inning for the Mets, who dropped their second straight.
Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus struck Mets center fielder Yoenis
Cespedes on the left hand with a pitch in the third inning. Cespedes
left the game, but X-rays were negative. He was diagnosed with
contusions of the middle and ring fingers.
Twins 7, Indians 1; Indians 10, Twins 2
CLEVELAND -- Cody Anderson pitched seven scoreless innings on two
hits, and Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez homered as Cleveland won
the second game of a doubleheader.
Minnesota won the first game as Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton homered,
and Torii Hunter drove in three runs in support of right-hander Kyle
Gibson.
Gibson pitched six scoreless innings allowing four hits while
matching his career high with nine strikeouts.
Rays 6, Marlins 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Grady Sizemore hit a three-run double and
Tampa Bay Rays earned the win.
Sizemore, who struck out with the bases loaded in the fourth, got
another shot in the fifth and broke open a close game, chasing
Jarred Cosart. Sizemore is 8-for-15 during a six-game hitting
streak, and he has nine RBIs in his past seven games.
Braves 2, Nationals 0
ATLANTA -- Jordan Zimmermann had a quality start in what was likely
his last game for Washington, but it wasn't good enough to get a
victory.
Rookie Williams Perez pitched out of trouble during his six innings
and Atlanta made a pair of early runs stand up against Zimmerman,
who becomes a free agent after the season.
Perez had just one perfect inning, but he benefited from two double
plays and the Nationals went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring
position.
Giants 5, Dodgers 0
SAN FRANCISCO -- Los Angeles' first day as National League West
champs was not a pleasant one, as the Dodgers were limited to two
hits by San Francisco right-hander Mike Leake.
The loss cost the Dodgers a chance to tie the Mets in the NL's
overall standings, which will determine the home-field advantage in
the first-round playoff matchup between the first-place finishers in
the NL West and East.
Leake threw his second complete game of the season. He walked three
and struck out one while running his overall record to 11-10.
Diamondbacks 3, Rockies 1
PHOENIX -- David Peralta had two hits and an RBI, and Jarrod
Saltalamacchia singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of
Arizona's victory over Colorado.
Paul Goldschmidt doubled to open the sixth before Peralta walked and
Saltalamacchia singled off right-hander Chad Bettis (8-6) to break a
1-1 tie.
Phil Gosselin singled and scored on Peralta's sacrifice fly in the
seventh inning. Gosselin, who also had two hits, had a sacrifice fly
in the fifth.
Brewers 5, Padres 0
SAN DIEGO -- Zach Davies threw seven shutout innings as Milwaukee
defeated San Diego. The right-hander allowed five hits and two walks
while striking out six.
Hernan Perez and Martin Maldonado each had two RBIs for the Brewers.
San Diego's Andrew Cashner (6-16) worked five innings, surrendering
five runs on nine hits and two walks. He struck out seven.
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