Cardinals gain in wild card race
ST. LOUIS — Tyler O’Neill hit a tie-breaking homer, Cardinals relievers combined for five scoreless innings, and St. Louis salvaged a split of its four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 2-1 win on Thursday.
The Cardinals climbed within three games of the San Diego Padres for the final NL wild-card spot, while the Dodgers fell 2 ½ games behind the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants.
“Two-and-a-half games is not very much,” Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner said. “A lot of things can happen in the last 20 games and I don’t try to watch the scoreboard or pay attention to that stuff.
“You try to control what’s in front of you and today was this game and didn’t get the job done so we move on to tomorrow.”
ATHLETICS 3, WHITE SOX 1: Sean Manaea struck out nine in seven dominant innings, leading host Oakland to the victory. Manaea (9-9) allowed one run and five hits in his first win since July 28. The lefthander went 0-3 with an 8.00 ERA in his previous six starts.
BLUE JAYS 6, YANKEES 4: Bo Bichette thumped a leadoff homer in the first inning and singled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 42nd homer, and Toronto held off skidding New York at Yankee Stadium for the Blue Jays’ eighth straight win. The Blue Jays completed their first four-game sweep in the Bronx since 2003 and pulled within a half-game of New York for the final AL wild card.
BRAVES 7, NATIONALS 6 (10): Joc Pederson hit a tie-breaking single with two out in the 10th inning, lifting Atlanta over Washington. Ozzie Albies opened the 10th on second and advanced to third on a flyout. He scampered home on Pederson’s bases-loaded single against Wander Suero (2-3). Stephen Vogt hit two solo homers for Atlanta. The NL East-leading Braves moved 3 ½ games ahead of second-place Philadelphia, which lost to Colorado.
INDIANS 4, TWINS 1: Franmil Reyes, Oscar Mercado and Jose Ramirez homered, and host Cleveland scored for the first time in three games. Reyes’ two-run shot in the third inning against Andrew Albers (1-2) snapped the Indians’ 25-inning scoreless streak. Indians starter Cal Quantrill (5-3) pitched a career-high 7 2⁄3 innings, allowing one run on Miguel Sano’s homer in the second.
MARLINS 3, METS 2: Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the eighth inning and Miami edged New York. Javier Baez homered and doubled for the Mets, who began the day four games behind NL East leader Atlanta and 4 ½ from the second wild card.
ROCKIES 4, PHILLIES 3: Pinch-hitter Ryan McMahon and Sam Hilliard hit back-to-back home runs with two outs in the ninth inning, rallying Colorado to a win at Philadelphia. Bryce Harper hit his 30th homer to bolster his MVP candidacy.
ROYALS 6, ORIOLES 0: Carlos Hernandez pitched six impressive innings, and Nicky Lopez and Hunter Dozier homered as Kansas City won at Baltimore.