Dahl homers again as Rockies sweep
David Dahl homered for the fourth straight game, and the Colorado Rockies opened a one-game NL West lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday in Denver
BASEBALL
that extended their winning streak to seven.
Trevor Story and Gerardo Parra also went deep for the Rockies, who matched their longest winning streak this season. Dahl hit a run-scoring triple and finished the four-game sweep with eight hits and 11 RBI.
Trying for the first NL West title in team history, Colorado closes at home with three games against Washington and already is assured its winningest season since going 92-70 in 2009.
The second-place Dodgers also are one game ahead of St. Louis for the second wild card berth and finish with a three-game series at San Francisco.
Jose Bautista and Carlos Santana homered for the Phillies, outscored 39-7 in the series and striking out 14 times for the second game in a row. The Phils have lost a season-high eight straight and has gone 15-33 since moving a season-high 15 games over .500 on Aug. 5. The Phillies are assured of their seventh straight season without a winning record.
Cubs 3, Pirates 0 — Jon Lester combined with three relievers on a four-hitter, David Bote hit an early two-run triple and host Chicago beat Pittsburgh to open a onegame NL Central lead over Milwaukee.
Lester escaped a basesloaded jam in the first inning and allowed three hits and four walks over six innings. Steve Cishek, Carl Edwards Jr. and Jesse Chavez followed, with Chavez pitching the ninth for his fourth save in five chances with Chicago.
The Cubs’ win means the NL Central champion, Chicago or Milwaukee, will finish with the league’s best record and will play the winner of Tuesday’s wildcard game. East champion Atlanta will play the West champion, Colorado or the Dodgers.
Chicago shortstop Addison Russell will miss the rest of the regular season while Major League Baseball investigates domestic violence allegations from his ex-wife.
Mets 4, Braves 1 — Julio Teheran looked sharp in his last audition to become part of Atlanta’s playoff rotation, pitching two-hit ball for six innings in a loss in New York.
The NL East champion Braves didn’t start first baseman Freddie Freeman and center fielder Ender Inciarte, and they were minus injured shortstop Dansby Swanson for the second straight game.
Jason Vargas tossed seven shutout innings in his best start of the season for the Mets. Teheran allowed one run, struck out five and walked two, exciting with a 1-0 deficit.
American League
Yankees 12, Rays 1 — In St. Petersburg, Fla., CC Sabathia got his 246th win and moved New York closer to hosting next week’s AL wild card game in win over Tampa Bay.
Making his final regularseason start, Sabathia was ejected in the sixth inning for hitting Jesus Sucre on a leg in retaliation for Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge throwing an inside pitch at Austin Romine.
New York moved two games ahead of Oakland for hosting the Oct. 3 wild card game.
Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, raising his total to 37, and Miguel Andujar and Luke Voit also went deep. New York’s 260 homers tied the 2005 Texas Rangers for the second-most in major league history, four behind the 1997 Seattle Mariners.
Tampa Bay’s Tommy Pham walked in the ninth to extend his on-base streak to 29 games, the longest active run in the AL.
Astros-Orioles, ppd. — The opener of a four-game series between Houston and host Baltimore was postponed by rain. The game will be made up tomorrow as part of a single-admission doubleheader starting at 4:05 p.m.