Comeback for the ages
Smoak caps off seven-run ninth inning as Jays stun Rays 9-8
championship, clinching on enemy turf over the rival New York Yankees.
Betts homered, doubled twice and drove in five runs, finishing with four hits as the Red Sox overcame Giancarlo Stanton’s go-ahead grand slam in the fourth inning. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a tying home run in the seventh and Xander Bogaerts put Boston ahead with a sacrifice fly.
With the best record in baseball and a playoff berth already secured, Boston (104-49) closed out a once-tight division race with nine games to spare.
Never before had Boston finished in first place three years in a row. The club needs one victory to match the franchise record held by the 1912 World Series champions.
After starter Eduardo Rodriguez walked a careerhigh seven in 3 2/3 innings, knuckleballer Steven Wright (31) worked three shutout innings for the win.
Brock Holt also homered for the Red Sox, and Martinez increased his major leagueleading RBI total to 124 in a game that took 4 hours, 2 minutes. Luke Voit hit a two-run homer for New York. Chad Green (8-3) was the loser.
ATHLETICS 21, ANGELS 3
OAKLAND, Calif. — Marcus Semien had three hits and a career-high five RBIs, Stephen Piscotty homered and drove in four runs and the Oakland Athletics hammered the Los Angeles Angels. The Athletics reduced their magic number for clinching a playoff berth to five. Since June 15, Oakland is a major league-best 58-25.
Going into Thursday, Oakland trailed Houston by four games in the AL West, led Tampa Bay by 5 1/2 games for the second wild card, and was 2 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees for the first wild card.
Catcher Francisco Arcia pitched the last two innings for the Angels, and also homered in the ninth.
Piscotty was 2 for 3 with a three-run homer. He’s 4 for 6 with two home runs and nine RBI in his last two games. Matt Chapman was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI. He leads the majors with 24 doubles since the All-Star break and has 41 on the year.
TIGERS 11, ROYALS 8
DETROIT — Christin Stewart hit his first two big league homers and drove in six runs, leading Detroit past Kansas City.
Stewart, a September callup playing in his 11th game, became the first Tigers rookie to drive in six runs in a game since Ryan Raburn had seven against the White Sox on July 25, 2007.
Six Tigers had at least two hits and Detroit snapped a seven-game home losing streak. Kansas City has lost five in a row. Zac Reininger (1-0), the second of seven Detroit pitchers, picked up his first major league victory. Nicholas Castellanos also homered for Detroit.
REDS 4, MARLINS 2
MIAMI — Cody Reed was a winner in his first major league start and Scooter Gennett homered and doubled to lead Cincinnati past Miami.
Reed (1-2) allowed five hits and struck out six in six shutout innings. The left-hander joined the starting rotation Aug. 30 and has thrown 11 consecutive scoreless innings.
Gennett’s two-run home run in the seventh gave Cincinnati a 4-0 lead.
Jeff Brigham (0-3) was the loser.