Cubs drop fading Brewers; Cardinals stay in the hunt
MILWAUKEE — Pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella drew a basesloaded walk off All-Star closer Corey Knebel with one out in the 10th inning, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 on Friday night to tighten their grip on the NL Central.
The Cubs hold a five-game lead with nine days left in the regular season after winning their second straight tense game over the Brewers. Milwaukee dropped into third in the division, 5½ games behind Chicago, after St. Louis beat Pittsburgh.
The Brewers had the tying run at first with one out in the bottom of the 10th, but Eric Sogard was called out at second trying to advance on a ball in the dirt. Shortstop Addison Russell appeared to hold the tag as Sogard’s foot lifted off second for a split-second, and the call was confirmed on review.
Knebel (1-4) took the loss after allowing three walks and two hits over two innings. Carl Edwards Jr. (5-4) got the win with 1⅔ innings of scoreless relief.
CARDINALS 4, PIRATES 3
In Pittsburgh, Randal Grichuk scored after an error by shortstop Jordy Mercer, capping a frantic ninth-rally that lifted surging St. Louis over the Pirates.
The playoff-chasing Cardinals won their fourth straight, despite trailing by a run entering the ninth.
Stephen Piscotty led off with a double to right against closer Felipe Rivero (5-3), and Jedd Gyorko followed with a pinch-hit RBI single. After Tommy Pham’s single, Grichuk pinch-ran for Gyorko at third. He scored when Mercer misplayed Dexter Fowler’s sharp groundball.
Former Pirates reliever Juan Nicasio (4-5) got the win after working the eighth and ninth. Fowler and Piscotty had two hits each.
BLUE JAYS 8, YANKEES 1
In Toronto, Ryan Goins successfully pulled off a hidden-ball trick and hit his second career grand slam, leading Toronto over Masahiro Tanaka (12-12) and ensuring New York had to wait at least one more day to clinch a playoff berth.
ASTROS 3, ANGELS 0
In Houston, Justin Verlander pitched one-hit ball over seven innings to remain perfect with the Astros and Yuli Gurriel hit a threerun homer.
Verlander (14-8) walked two and struck out six to improve to 4-0 since being traded from Detroit on Aug. 31.
TWINS 7, TIGERS 3
In Detroit, Max Kepler and Brian Dozier homered, Byron Buxton had three hits and playoff-chasing Minnesota beat the Tigers.
Minnesota came into the night leading the race for the American League’s second wild card by 2½ games over Texas and the Los Angeles Angels.
RED SOX 5, REDS 4
In Cincinnati, Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer and the Red Sox extended its AL East lead to four games by overcoming Scooter Gennett’s grand slam.
WHITE SOX 7, ROYALS 6
In Chicago, Matt Davidson drove in three runs with his 26th homer and a double, Yoan Moncada hit a two-run drive and the White Sox overcame a four-run deficit to beat Kansas City.
The Royals dropped 4½ games behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card with nine games left. Jason Hammel (8-13) allowed seven runs and eight hits in 3⅓ innings.