Athletics clinch playoff berth with Rays’ defeat to Yankees
Kershaw, Dodgers beat D-backs 7-4 to maintain NL West lead
SEATTLE, Sept 25, (AP): The Oakland Athletics clinched their first playoff berth in four years, then beat the Seattle Mariners 7-3 Monday night behind Khris Davis’ major leagueleading Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tim Locastro (70) slides across home plate to score a run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning of a baseball game on Sept 24 in Phoenix. (AP)
when the game was out of reach.
In St Louis, Eric Thames scored on reliever Bud Norris’ throwing error in the eighth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers improved their playoff positioning by topping St Louis.
Ryan Braun homered and Christian Yelich drove in two runs as Milwaukee won for the fourth time in five games. The Brewers (90-67) opened a three-game lead over St Louis for the top spot in the wild-card standings and pulled within 1-1/2 games of the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs, who lost to Pittsburgh.
In Chicago, Jameson Taillon outpitched Cole Hamels, Francisco Cervelli hit a two-run homer and Pittsburgh made Chicago wait at least another day to clinch a playoff spot.
The Cubs needed a win plus a loss by Colorado to assure a franchise-record fourth straight trip to the playoffs, a run that includes a drought-busting World Series championship in 2016.
Taillon (14-9) gave up one run and five hits in seven innings, improving to 5-0 in his past seven starts.
In Chicago, Corey Kluber struck out 11 in seven scoreless innings and won his 20th game, and Brandon Guyer hit a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh as AL Central champion Cleveland beat Chicago.
Kluber (20-7) reached 20 victories for the first time after recording 19 wins last season and 18 victories the two previous seasons and in 2014. The reigning AL CY Young Award winner is the first 20-game winner for the Central Division champions since Cliff Lee went 22-3 in 2008.
Cleveland is also the first team to have four pitchers with 200 strikeouts in a season. Kluber ran his total to 216, while Carlos Carrasco has 217, Trevor Bauer 215 and Mike Clevinger 202.
In Washington, Anthony Rendon homered and drove four runs, Bryce Harper reached 100 RBIs in a season for the first time and Washington beat Miami.
Juan Soto and Matt Wieters also homered for Washington, which broke it open with four runs on three pitches in the fourth inning.
Harper started the big inning, driving in his 100th run with a sacrifice fly that scored Adam Eaton and put Washington ahead 3-1. Harper, a pending free agent who may be playing his final home series at Nationals Park, got a standing ovation from the sparse, rain-soaked crowd. His previous high was 99 RBIs in 2015, when he won the NL MVP award.
In San Francisco, Bryan Mitchell struck out seven in 8-2/3 strong innings, and Jose Pirela had a homer among his three hits to lead San Diego.
The Giants lost their fifth straight game hours after the team announced the dismissal of general manager Bobby Evans. The move comes amid a Giants team freefall.
Mitchell (2-4) walked just three in what was by far his best start of an uneven season.
Pirela homered off Giants starter Derek Holland (7-9) to lead off the fourth. His fourth homer gave the Padres a 3-0 lead.
In Anaheim, California, Jose Briceno delivered a pinch-hit homer leading off the 11th inning, and Los Angeles snapped its five-game skid.
After Taylor Cole (3-2) retired the Rangers in the 11th, the Angels’ rookie catcher walked off with his fifth career homer to center off Matt Moore (3-8).