Marlins beat Yanks, clinch 1st playoff berth since 2003
NEW YORK » The Marlins clinched an improbable playoff berth in their coronavirus-decimated season, beating the Yankees 4-3 in
10 innings Friday night to seal a postseason trip on the field of the team that Miami CEO Derek Jeter and manager Don Mattingly once captained.
Miami earned its first postseason trip since 2003 when it won the World Series as the Florida Marlins, capped by a Game 6 victory in the Bronx over Jeter and his New York teammates at the previous version of Yankee Stadium.
The Marlins had the worst record in the NL last year at
57-105, then were beset by a virus outbreak early this season that prevented it from playing for more than a week.
After Jesús Aguilar hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th, Marlins reliever Brandon Kintzler got major league batting leader DJ LeMahieu to ground into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded.
Miami players ran onto the field, formed a line and exchanged non socially-distant hugs.
The Marlins became the first team to make the playoffs in the year following a 100-loss season. Miami was one of baseball’s great doubts at the start of the shortened season, forced off the field when 18 players tested positive for COVID-19 following the opening series in Philadelphia.
GIANTS 5, PADRES 4 » Wilmer Flores hit a goahead homer in the fourth, Mike Yastrzemski launched a two-run shot into McCovey Cove the same inning and San Francisco beat San Diego in the first game of a
doubleheader for a key victory in a crowded NL playoff race.
The Padres clinched home-field advantage for the wild-card round next week with the Cardinals’ loss to Milwaukee in the first game of a doubleheader. San Diego secured the National League’s No. 4 seed headed to its first postseason in 14 years.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, ROCKIES
0» Zac Gallen had a careerhigh 10 strikeouts over six scoreless innings, Christian Walker hit a two-run homer and Arizona beat Colorado in the first game of a doubleheader.
The 25-year-old Gallen (3
2) allowed five singles and walking two.
BLUE JAYS 10, ORIOLES 5 » Randal Grichuk and Travis Shaw homered, Nate Pearson returned from an elbow injury to pitch 1.2 scoreless innings and playoff-bound Toronto beat Baltimore.
Shaw narrowly missed a multihomer game, hitting a double in the seventh that struck the top of the wall in right field and bounced back into play.
BREWERS 3, CARDINALS 0» Christian Yelich homered, Brent Suter combined with
Devin Williams and Josh Hader on a five-hitter and Milwaukee beat St. Louis in the opener of a doubleheader.
Yelich’s 12th home run of the season in the third gave Milwaukee a 3-0 lead.
Reds say broadcaster Brennaman resigns
CINCINNATI » The Cincinnati Reds say team broadcaster Thom Brennaman has resigned following his use of an anti-gay slur on air last month.
Brennaman used the slur moments after the feed from the Fox Sports Ohio telecast returned from a commercial break before the top of the seventh inning in the first game of a doubleheader at Kansas City on Aug. 19.
Brennaman did not seem to realize he was already on air. He later apologized.
The 57-year-old was taken off the air before the fifth inning of the second game.
“The Reds respect Thom Brennaman’s decision to step away from the broadcast booth and applaud his heartfelt efforts of reconciliation with the LGBTQ+ community,” Reds CEO Bob Castellini said.