LDN - Sports

MLB roundup: Padres clinch rare playoff berth

[September 21, 2020] Mitch Moreland's bloop double down the left-field line scored Manny Machado with the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning Sunday as the San Diego Padres clinched their first National League playoff berth in 14 years with a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park.

Wil Myers hit a three-run homer for the Padres (34-20), who captured at least a wild-card berth.

Right-hander Trevor Rosenthal (1-0) got the victory with two innings of relief. Mariners right-hander Casey Sadler (1-1) took the loss.

The Mariners (23-30) were considered the home team after the three-game series was moved to San Diego because of hazardous air conditions in the Pacific Northwest due to wildfires.

Red Sox 10, Yankees 2

Michael Chavis homered in consecutive at-bats and rookie Tanner Houck pitched six innings of one-hit ball as host Boston ended a 12-game losing streak to rival New York with an easy win at Fenway Park.

The Yankees saw their first 10-game winning streak since June 2012 halted. New York missed a chance at clinching a playoff spot on its own but booked its spot in the postseason a few hours later when the Seattle Mariners lost to the San Diego Padres.

The Red Sox beat the Yankees for the first time since Sept. 6, 2019, as Chavis recorded his third career multi-homer game after entering the game hitless in his previous 14 at-bats.

Astros 3, Diamondbacks 2

George Springer hit a pair of solo home runs and Carlos Correa delivered a redemptive sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as Houston won the rubber match of its three-game interleague series with Arizona at Minute Maid Park.

Astros closer Ryan Pressly notched his 12th save with a perfect 14-pitch ninth. Left-hander Blake Taylor (2-1), the third pitcher of the game for Houston, earned the win in relief.

Diamondbacks left-hander Madison Bumgarner recorded his first scoreless outing of the season. Bumgarner allowed two hits across the first three batters he faced before settling into a groove and retiring five consecutive batters.

Indians 7, Tigers 4

Jose Ramirez hit two home runs and Carlos Carrasco tossed seven shutout innings as Cleveland took three of four from host Detroit to tighten its hold on the first American League wild-card slot.

The Indians broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs. The first run came on an RBI single to left by Jordan Luplow, then Delino DeShields added a two-out, two-run single to make it 3-0.

Cleveland chased Detroit starter Matthew Boyd in the sixth when Ramirez lined a two-run home run to left for a 5-0 lead. Carrasco (3-4) struck out 11, allowed just one hit and walked three in seven innings of work, throwing a season-high 109 pitches.

Orioles 2, Rays 1

Renato Nunez banged out an early two-run single while starter John Means struck out 12 in just 5 2/3 innings as Baltimore defeated visiting Tampa Bay.

Baltimore's victory prevented Tampa Bay from pulling a sweep of the rare five-game series. The Rays won the first four -- limiting Baltimore to just a run in three of them -- before the Orioles took the final game.

Means (2-3) gave up just one run on three hits. The left-hander struck out seven straight batters between the first and third innings. He also struck out the side in the fourth, sandwiched around a homer by Willy Adames.

Reds 7, White Sox 3

Aristides Aquino hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning and had an RBI during Cincinnati's five-run fourth as the host Reds took advantage of 11 walks by Chicago pitchers.

It took some time, but the Reds made Chicago starter Dylan Cease (5-3) pay for his wildness. In a strange circumstance, Cease did not allow a hit while pitching into the fourth, but he walked seven and left after issuing free passes to the first three batters of his final inning -- all would score.

For Chicago (34-19), star shortstop Tim Anderson exited in the seventh inning with a reported hamstring injury.

Braves 7, Mets 0

Kyle Wright turned in his best career start, and Ronald Acuna Jr. homered and drove in four runs to lift Atlanta over host New York.

Wright, Will Smith, Chris Martin and Mark Melancon combined on a three-hit shutout for the National League East-leading Braves, who won seven of 10 in the season series vs. the Mets.

In his seventh start this season, Wright (2-4) retired 19 of 20 batters he faced in 6 1/3 outstanding innings. He surrendered just a two-out double to Wilson Ramos in the third inning and a one-out walk to J.D. Davis in the seventh that chased him.

Rockies 6, Dodgers 3

Antonio Senzatela pitched into the seventh inning, Josh Fuentes had three hits, and Colorado beat Los Angeles in Denver to win its home finale.

Senzatela (5-2) followed up the first complete game of his career with 6 1/3 solid innings against the NL West-leading Dodgers. He gave up one run on three hits and struck out three. Mychal Givens earned his first save for the Rockies, who finished 12-18 at Coors Field.

Zach McKinstry doubled in the third inning for his first major league hit and added a single in the ninth for L.A., which saw its five-game winning streak snapped.

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Twins 4, Cubs 0

Jose Berrios pitched six scoreless innings, Max Kepler went 3 for 5 with a double, a homer and three RBIs, and Minnesota shut out host Chicago.

Minnesota won the finale of the three-game series and finished its extended stay in Chicago at 3-4. The Twins started the trip with a four-game set against the White Sox. The Cubs dropped their second straight game after winning the previous five.

The right-hander Berrios (5-3) extended his unbeaten streak to six starts. He scattered four hits across his six innings while walking one and striking out four. Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish (7-3) gave up four runs on nine hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out nine.

Cardinals 2, Pirates 1

Yadier Molina's two-run homer in the seventh inning gave visiting St. Louis its fourth straight win over Pittsburgh and allowed the Cardinals to remain in playoff contention.

St. Louis won the final four games of the five-game series and maintained a one-game lead over Milwaukee and Cincinnati in the chase for second place, and therefore a guaranteed postseason spot, in the National League Central.

It was a pitching duel between Pittsburgh's Joe Musgrove and St. Louis' Jack Flaherty through six innings. Flaherty (4-2) allowed one run and two hits in six innings, with 11 strikeouts and two walks. Musgrove pitched six scoreless innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts.

Marlins 2, Nationals 1 (Game 1)

Miami scored two unearned runs against three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, and that was all the host Marlins needed to edge Washington in the first game of a doubleheader.

Errors led to the runs in the first and sixth innings against Scherzer (4-4), who went 5 2/3 innings and matched his season high with 119 pitches while walking two, striking out six and giving up five hits.

Miami's Sandy Alcantara (3-2) earned the win, allowing five hits, two walks and one run, striking out four in six innings. He threw 100 pitches -- one short of his season high.

Nationals 15, Marlins 0 (Game 2)

Asdrubal Cabrera drove in four runs, Kurt Suzuki had three RBIs, and Ben Braymer earned his first major league victory as Washington earned a split of its doubleheader with host Miami.

Washington had 18 hits, including homers by Trea Turner, Suzuki, Michael A. Taylor, Cabrera and Victor Robles. Miami had just two hits after getting five hits in winning the opener.

Braymer (1-0), making his first major league start and only his third appearance, allowed one hit, three walks and no runs in five innings.

Blue Jays 6, Phillies 3

Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer, Jonathan Davis had a two-run double and visiting Toronto ended a six-game losing streak with a victory over Philadelphia.

The Phillies lost right fielder Bryce Harper to an apparent hip injury after he struck out in the seventh inning.

Toronto right-hander Taijuan Walker (4-3) allowed one run, four hits and two walks in six innings while matching his season best with eight strikeouts.

Brewers 5, Royals 3

Daniel Vogelbach hit two home runs and drove in five runs to lift host Milwaukee over Kansas City.

The Brewers kept their playoff hopes on pace after completing a three-game sweep of the Royals.

Milwaukee scored 16 of their 19 runs in the series on home runs, including a grand slam and a trio of three-run shots.

Rangers 7, Angels 2

Kyle Cody recorded his first major league victory for Texas after allowing one run over five innings in the win over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.

Cody (1-1) allowed three hits, struck out five and didn't walk a batter in his fourth MLB start.

Texas benefited from the long ball in the third game of the four-game series, getting home runs from Joey Gallo, Anderson Tejeda, Sam Huff, Rougned Odor and Derek Dietrich.

Giants 14, Athletics 2

Left-hander Tyler Anderson rebounded from an early ejection in his last start to pitch into the sixth inning, and visiting San Francisco vented five games' worth of frustration on Oakland, beating its cross-bay rivals in the finale of a three-game interleague series.

Brandon Crawford belted a grand slam and Darin Ruf also drove in four runs, two with a home run, as the Giants finally broke through against the A's after losses in all five previous meetings this season.

Anderson (3-3), who was given the heave-ho after pitching just two innings Thursday against Seattle, returned on two days' rest and dominated the A's, shutting them out for five innings before allowing two unearned runs in the sixth.

--Field Level Media

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