FALL BALL:
Postseason matchups set on the final day of the regular season.
Dallas Keuchel started the All-Star game, won 20 times and twice dominated the New York Yankees.
Now, the Houston Astros need him to pitch the game of his life while starting on three days’ rest for the first time.
All of the Major League Baseball playoff matchups were set Sunday on the final day of the regular season. The Texas Rangers helped lock in the pairings by routing the Los Angeles Angels to win the AL West.
The intrigue begins Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. That’s when the postseason opens with Keuchel and the Astros taking on New York ace Masahiro Tanaka in the AL wild-card game.
On Wednesday night, 22-game winner Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs visit the Pittsburgh Pirates and 19-game winner Gerrit Cole in the NL wild-card matchup.
“We’re going to the ’Burgh,” first-year manager Joe Maddon said after the Cubs beat Milwaukee 3-1 for their eighth straight win.
Arrieta went 3-1 with an 0.75 ERA in five starts against the Pirates this year. Cole was 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA in four tries vs. the Cubs.
Pittsburgh topped Cincinnati 4-0 on Sunday, ensuring it would host the Cubs.
Houston is counting on Keuchel despite short rest. The lefty won both of his starts against the Yankees this year, throwing 16 scoreless innings and striking out 21.
The Astros-Yankees winner will play at Kansas City in the best-of-five Division Series beginning Thursday. The same day,
Texas visits AL East champion Toronto.
The NL Division Series begins Friday with the New York Mets at the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cubs-Pirates winner at St. Louis.
GORDON EDGES HARPER IN NL BATTING RACE
Miami’s Dee Gordon had three hits on the final day to edge Washington’s Bryce Harper for the NL batting title Sunday, and Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera won his fourth AL championship in five years.
Harper entered with a tiny edge, .330754 to .330606, but Gordon doubled on David Buchanan’s first pitch at Philadelphia, then homered and singled in his next two at-bats. Gordon’s 3-for-4 day lifted his average to .333. Harper wound up at .330 when he went 1 for 4 at the New York Mets.
Cabrera, who did not play Sunday, finished at .338 to win in the AL over Boston’s Xander Bogaerts, who was second at .320.
Baltimore’s Chris Davis homered twice Sunday to finish with 47, leading the major leagues for the second time in three years.
Toronto’s Josh Donaldson topped the AL in RBIs (123) and runs (122).
Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and Harper shared the NL homer title at 42.
Among pitchers, Zack Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers won his first NL ERA title to go along with the AL one he earned with Kansas City in 2009. Greinke’s 1.66 ERA was the lowest by a qualifying pitcher since Greg Maddux’s 1.63 for Atlanta in 1995.
Chicago’s Jake Arrieta was second at 1.77, and his 0.75 ERA after the All-Star break was the lowest in big league history. Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers was third at 2.13.
David Price, traded from Detroit to Toronto in July, won the AL ERA title at 2.45, just ahead of Houston’s Keuchel (2.48).
Kershaw struck out seven Sunday to finish with 301 and become the first pitcher with 300 since Arizona’s Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in 2002. Chris Sale led the AL with 274.
Arrieta led the major leagues in wins with a 22-6 record, and Keuchel topped the AL at 20-9.