Dodgers are 1st to clinch playoff berth
The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the pandemicshortened season, winning 75 Wednesday at San Diego behind Dustin May’s gutty effort out of the bullpen and home runs from AJ Pollock and Chris Taylor.
Will Smith drove in three runs for the seventime defending NL West champion Dodgers (3515), who opened a 3½game lead in the division by winning two of three in the matchup of the NL’s two best teams.
San Diego has lost two straight for the first time since midAugust.
Rangers 1, Astros 0: Kyle Gibson threw a four-hitter for his first career shutout and Joey Gallo hit a ground-rule RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning to lift visiting Texas over Houston, which slipped 6½ games behind the firstplace A’s in the AL West.
Yankees 13, Blue Jays 2: Kyle Higashioka hit a career-high three home runs, DJ LeMahieu connected twice, Luke Voit lofted a three-run drive for his major-league-leading 19th homer and resurgent New York hit a season-best seven homers to move 1½ games ahead of visiting Toronto for second place in the AL East, with the top two teams assured spots in the postseason.
Orioles 5, Braves 1: Cole Hamels finally got on the mound in an Atlanta uniform, allowing three runs to host Baltimore before reaching his predetermined pitch count in the fourth inning. Hamels, 36, signed a one-year contract with Atlanta in December but was derailed by injuries. Baltimore rookie Keegan Akin struck out nine over five scoreless innings to earn his first big-league win.
Marlins 8, Red Sox 4: Jorge Alfaro homered twice before he took a foul ball to his helmet and Garrett Cooper homered and scored twice for host Miami, which moved within 2½ games back of first-place Atlanta in the NL East. Alfaro was removed in the seventh
inning as a precaution after Christian Vazquez’s foul ball beaned him.
Twins 5, White Sox 1: Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano each hit a two-run homer, and visiting Minnesota denied Chicago a chance to clinch its first playoff berth in 12 years.
Cubs 3, Indians 2: Javier Baez’s RBI single in the 10th inning lifted host Chicago to its fourth straight win in a game that was briefly delayed when a drone entered Wrigley Field and landed on the outfield grass before flying away.
Reds 1, Pirates 0: Cincinnati’s Luis Castillo struck out 10 over a masterful seven innings, Shogo Akiyama drove in the game’s only run, and the host Reds extended their winning streak to a season-high five games.
Mets 5, Phillies 4: Jacob deGrom exited early from a rare rough outing because of a right hamstring spasm, but visiting New York overcame a four-run deficit. Philadelphia reliever Hector Neris dropped the ball on the mound for a balk that moved the go-ahead run to second base in the ninth inning. Mets rookie Andres Gimenez hit an RBI single to put New York ahead.
Brewers, Cardinals split: Brent Suter and three relievers combined on a two-hitter, Ryan Braun hit his 350th career homer and host Milwaukee gained a doubleheader split with 6-0 win over St. Louis. The Cardinals took the opener 4-2 behind Adam Wainwright’s four-hitter.
Nationals 4, Rays 2: Rookie Luis Garcia hit a two-run homer off Nick Anderson in the 10th inning and Washington won at AL East-leading Tampa Bay. Brandon Lowe got the Rays even at 2-2 when he hit a solo homer off Daniel Hudson on a 2-2 pitch with two outs in the ninth.
Diamondbacks 9, Angels 6: Kole Calhoun hit his third homer in two games against his former Los Angeles teammates, and David Peralta homered and drove in two runs for visiting Arizona.
Royals 4, Tigers 0: Brady Singer was stellar for a second straight start, allowing two hits in six innings, and Salvador Perez homered and drove in three runs for visiting Kansas City, which has won seven of eight.