Milwaukee squeaks past Cubs, 4-3
MILWAUKEE—Christian Yelich drove in the winning run with the bases loaded in the ninth after beating a throw from third to avoid a double play, and the Milwaukee Brewers opened an important three-game series with the Chicago Cubs with a 4-3 win Monday.
The .316 hitter hit a 1-2 fastball from Jesse Chavez right at third baseman Kris Bryant, who touched third for the second out of the ninth before firing to first. The speedy Yelich reached safely just before the throw landed in the glove of the outstretched Anthony Rizzo, allowing Keon Broxton to score the game-winner from third.
Cubs reliever Steve Cishek (4-3) loaded the bases in the ninth with a walk, passed ball and two hit batters.
The second-place Brewers pulled within four games of the NL Central-leading Cubs.
Milwaukee tied the score 3-3 after pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas drew a four-pitch walk with two outs in the eighth from Carl Edwards Jr.
Anthony Rizzo hit a two-out, two-run homer off tough lefthander Josh Hader in the eighth.
Jeremy Jeffress (8-1) got the win after pitching a scoreless top of the ninth.
ATHLETICS 6, YANKEES 3
OAKLAND, Calif.—Mark Canha homered and Matt Chapman hit an RBI double to back Trevor Cahill, leading Oakland past New York in a matchup between two teams in the AL wild-card race.
The A’s jumped on CC Sabathia early and pulled within 3 1/2 games of New York for the first wild card.
Cahill (6-3) defeated the Yankees for the first time in seven career appearances, the only AL team he’d never beaten. The right-hander improved to 5-0 with a 1.09 ERA in nine home starts, striking out three to leave him one shy of 1,000 for his career. Cahill allowed four hits and three runs in five innings.
Lou Trivino relieved Cahill and struck out the side in the sixth. Jeurys Familia issued consecutive two-out walks in the eighth but got out of it unscathed before Blake Treinen finished for his 36th save.
Luke Voit hit a two-run homer for New York, which welcomed back manager Aaron Boone to the bench after he served a one-game suspension Sunday.
Sabathia (7-6) retired Marcus Semien on a flyball before surrendering four straight singles and a bases-loaded walk to Matt Olson as the A’s went ahead 3-1.
New York answered right back on Voit’s seventh home run that came on a 3-2 pitch.
ROYALS 5, INDIANS 1
CLEVELAND—Jakob Junis allowed two hits in seven shutout innings, Ryan O’Hearn homered twice and Kansas City won its season-high sixth straight.
Junis (8-12) gave up a two-out single to Francisco Lindor in the third and a leadoff single to Yonder Alonso in the fifth. The righthander hit a batter, walked none, struck out six and retired the last nine hitters.
Brian Flynn pitched a scoreless eighth and Wily Peralta reliever began the ninth with a 5-0 lead. Lindor homered with one out, Michael Brantley singled and Peralta walked Jose Ramirez and Edwin Encarnacion on eight pitches.
Left-hander Tim Hill relieved and pinch-hitter Yandy Diaz hit a hard grounder that second baseman Whit Merrifield turned into a game-ending double play. Hill recorded his second save.
WHITE SOX 4, TIGERS 2
CHICAGO—Matt Davidson hit a two-run, game-ending homer as Chicago scored three times in the bottom of the ninth to win.
Davidson hit his 20th homer into the left-field bullpen on the first pitch his saw from Detroit closer Shane Greene (2-6) after Welington Castillo singled. Daniel Palka’s 21st homer to lead off the ninth tied it at 2.
Victor Martinez homered deep to left with one out in the top of the ninth off Jace Fry (2-2) to put Detroit ahead 2-1. Greene then failed to retire a batter in the ninth as he blew his fifth save.
Niko Goodrum’s solo shot in the seventh tied it 1-all after Chicago’s Nicky Delmonico homered to lead off the game for Chicago.