Rangers clinch AL West
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Texas Rangers secured their second straight AL West title, becoming the first American League team to clinch a playoff spot with a 3-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
Beltre's homer came during a three-run seventh after Oakland starter Kendall Graveman (10-11) pitched six perfect innings. Texas got its first baserunner when Carlos Gomez beat out an infield hit to lead off the seventh against Graveman.
This is Texas' eighth AL West title and fourth since 2010.
All-Star left-hander Cole Hamels (15-5) pitched the division-clinching game for the second year in a row. Last year, he threw a three-hitter in the last game of the regular season to beat the Los Angeles Angels.
Rangers closer Sam Dyson got pinch-hitter Yonder Alonso to hit into a fielder's choice for the last out to record his 36th save. RED SOX 2,
RAYS 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — David Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the first inning to set the RBIs record for a player in his final season, and the AL East-leading Boston beat Tampa Bay for its ninth straight victory
Ortiz's 37th homer came off Chris Archer (8-19) and raised his RBIs total to 124, one more than Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1920. The 40-year-old's 540th homer, his 300th on the road, struck an overhanging catwalk above the right-field seats.
Coming off four-game sweeps of the New York Yankees and Baltimore, the Red Sox began the night with a six-game lead over second-place Toronto in the AL East. They lowered their magic number to two for clinching a playoff berth.
Drew Pomeranz (3-5) allowed one run and four hits in five innings. Brad Ziegler, the fifth Boston reliever, got his fourth save after allowing a leadoff double in the ninth to Evan Longoria.
CUBS 5, CARDINALS 0 CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Arrieta struck out 10 in seven innings and Chicago beat St. Louis for its 98th victory, the Cubs' most since they last played in the World Series in 1945.
Arrieta (18-7) allowed five hits and walked one, Anthony Rizzo had three hits and Ben Zobrist drove in two runs to help the Cubs (98-55) tie a team record with their 56th home win. They moved within one victory or one Washington loss of clinching homefield advantage throughout the NL playoffs.
Chicago scored four runs in the first inning off Mike Leake (9-11).
Pedro Strop came off the disabled list to work the eighth, and Travis Wood and Carl Edwards Jr. finished the five-hitter. Rizzo, Zobrist and Chris Coghlan drove in runs in the first off Leake, who lasted 3 1/3 innings and is winless in four starts since recovering from shingles.
METS 10, PHILLIES 5 NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Conforto hit a three-run homer that capped a six-run rally in the fifth inning, Hansel Robles gave a big boost from the bullpen and New York beat Philadelphia to stay atop the NL wild-card race.
The Mets began the day tied with San Francisco for the wild-card lead. St. Louis lost and trails New York by 1 1/2 games.
A day after using 10 pitchers in a stirring 9-8, 11-inning win over the Phillies, the Mets sent out six more. With his team competing for a playoff spot, manager Terry Collins yanked starter Gabriel Ynoa after just two shaky innings.
Robles preserved a 7-5 lead in the seventh, getting pinch-hitter Tommy Joseph to ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Robles finished with hitless relief for his first career save. Josh Smoker (3-0) was the winner.