Brewers, Cubs lock up playoff spots

ST. LOUIS The Milwaukee Brewers have clinched their first playoff spot since 2011 by ensuring at least a spot in the National League wild card game, helped Wednesday night when a rookie St. Louis pinch-runner fell on his way to the plate in a 2-1 win over the contending Cardinals.

The Chicago Cubs also sealed a post-season berth because of the Cardinals’ loss.

Jhoulys Chacin pitched five shutout innings and Travis Shaw hit a pair of RBI singles as the Brewers completed a threegame sweep.

The Brewers (92-67) began the night a half-game behind the Cubs for first place in the NL Central and 3½ games ahead of Colorado for the top wild card slot.

St. Louis (87-71) entered a half-game behind the Rockies for the final wild-card berth.

At St. Petersburg, Fla., Masahiro Tanaka gave up four runs and six hits over four-plus innings in his final start before the playoffs in the New York Yankees’ 8-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

New York started play with a2 ½-game lead over Oakland to host next Wednesday’s AL wild card game and has the tiebreaker. The Athletics played at Seattle later Wednesday night.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone hasn’t decided if Tanaka, J.A. Happ or Luis Severino will start against Oakland.

At Denver, Colorado Rockies right-hander German Marquez tied a modern-day major-league record with eight straight strikeouts to begin a game on his way to setting the franchise record for most Ks in a season.

Marquez matched a mark Wednesday against visiting Philadelphia that was set by Houston lefty Jim Deshaies on Sept. 23, 1986, and equalled by New York Mets righty Jacob de-Grom on Sept. 15, 2014.