Brewers and 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 three-game sweep.

The Brewers (92-67) remain a half-game behind the Cubs, who beat the Pirates 7-6 in 10 innings, for first place in the NL Central and 3½ games ahead of Colorado for the top wild card slot.

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 a 2½game 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, hard-throwing German Marquez started with eight straight strikeouts to match a modern-era big-league record, and the Colorado Rockies routed the Philadelphia Phillies 14-0 to pad their lead for the NL’s final wildcard spot.

Colorado opened a 1½-game advantage over St. Louis for the last NL playoff berth and also remains in contention to win its first NL West title.

The Rockies trailed the firstplace Los Angeles Dodgers, who played late at Arizona, by a halfgame entering the night.