Jays win, Astros party
The Toronto Blue Jays gave outgoing manager John Gibbons a winning home sendoff yesterday with a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros, who broke out the bubbly anyway.
The World Series champion Astros actually clinched another AL West title when Oakland lost in extra innings at Seattle well past midnight Tuesday. Several of the Astros partied at a hotel meeting room, but they held a more traditional clubhouse celebration — complete with rain jackets and goggles — despite this loss. Houston opens their best-of-five Division Series matchup against Cleveland at home on Oct. 5.
Before the game, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins announced that Gibbons will not return next season. The 56-year-old Gibbons has one season left on a two-year contract extension he received in April 2017.
After getting the final out, Blue Jays closer Ken Giles gave the ball to Gibbons and the Rogers Centre crowd of 22,828 rose for a standing ovation.
Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer and rookie Reese McGuire added a solo shot as the Blue Jays won with only three hits.
Houston’s Carlos Correa returned after missing six games because of a sore back and started as the designated hitter. He went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts. His hit was an RBI single in the fourth.
National League
Brewers 2, Cardinals 1 — Visiting Milwaukee clinched its first playoff spot since 2011 by ensuring at least a spot in the NL wild card game, helped when a rookie St. Louis pinch-runner suddenly fell on his way to the plate.
The result also clinched a playoff spot for the Chicago Cubs.
Jhoulys Chacin pitched five shutout innings and Travis Shaw hit a pair of RBI singles as the Brewers completed a three-game sweep.
The Cardinals missed a big chance to tie it in the eighth inning. Matt Carpenter walked and was lifted for pinch-runner Adolis Garcia. Jose Martinez then hit a slow roller to third baseman Mike Moustakas, who threw wildly to first.
Garcia was waved home but fell halfway to the plate, allowing second baseman Hernan Perez to easily throw him out to end the inning.
Mets 3, Braves 0 — Jacob deGrom was dominant in what likely was his final pitch for the NL Cy Young Award, throwing eight stellar innings and leaving with a major league-best 1.70 ERA as host New York blanked Atlanta.
DeGrom (10-9) made his final regular-season start, striking out 10 and allowing just two singles against the NL East champions. He retired the final 20 hitters after allowing a single to Johan Camargo.
Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson has a partially torn ligament in his left hand and it’s unclear if he will be available in the postseason.
Nationals 9, Marlins 3 — Bryce Harper went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in what many expect to be his last game as a home player at Nationals Park but Washington defeated Miami anyway in a game that was stopped after seven innings because of rain.
If this was, indeed, a “goodbye” to Harper, consider it also a “welcome” to someone the Nationals could count on to replace his outfield production, 21-yearold rookie Victor Robles. He delivered the first four-hit game of his nascent career, including a three-run homer and a two-run double, and stole a base, to boot.
Interleague
Royals 6, Reds 1 — Rookie Heath Fillmyer struck out a career-high nine, Adalberto Mondesi tripled, stole two bases and scored twice, and Kansas City wrapped up its road schedule with a victory over Cincinnati.
Whit Merrifield, who went into the game tied for the American League lead in hits and leading in stolen bases, extended his season-high hitting streak to 16 games with a third-inning single. He also stole two bases.
Elsewhere in baseball — New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius and center fielder Aaron Hicks could return from injuries during a regular seasonending series this weekend at Fenway Park.