7 straight NL West titles for Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their seventh consecutive NL West title in fitting fashion, using two home runs by Corey Seager and a masterful pitching performance by Walker Buehler to beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-3 on Tuesday night.
After the final out, the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this season gathered at the mound for a subdued celebration that included a wardrobe change for a pending champagne celebration in the clubhouse.
Los Angeles, coming off consecutive World Series losses to Houston and Boston and seeking its first title since 1988, will likely begin the postseason at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 3 against the NL wild-card team. Phillies 6, braves 5: Corey Dickerson homered twice to help Philadelphia’s wild-card push and the Phillies hit five home runs overall in a win over Atlanta. The Phillies entered three games behind the Cubs for the second wild-card spot in the NL. Brewers star Christian Yelich broke his right kneecap on a foul ball and will miss the rest of the regular season, an injury that overshadowed Milwaukee’s win over Miami. The Brewers didn’t say whether the reigning NL MVP might be able to return for the playoffs that begin Oct. 1 if they make it that far. Milwaukee, which won its fifth in a row, began the day two games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild-card spot. Twins 5, Nationals 0: Jose Berrios surrendered only two singles over seven innings in his best start in six weeks, Mitch Garver hit the tiebreaking tworun homer in the seventh inning, and Minnesota beat Washington in an interleague matchup of teams on postseason tracks. athletics 21, astros 7: Matt Olson and Sean Murphy both homered twice, and Oakland tagged Wade Miley for seven runs in the first inning and scored a season high in a rout of Houston. The win helped Oakland remain ahead of Cleveland for the second AL wild-card spot. rockies 2, Cardinals 1: Nolan Arenado hit a 482-foot twohomer that bounced out of Coors Field in the first inning, Chi Chi Gonzalez got his first big league win in four years and Colorado slowed St. Louis’ playoff push. White sox 7, royals 3: Rookie Eloy Jimenez hit his first career grand slam and Yoan Moncada homered for Chicago. Notes: The Twins placed center fielder Byron Buxton and his ailing left shoulder on the 60-day injured list, effectively ending his season . ... Orioles general manager Mike Elias fired 14 members of the organization, most from the player development department and international operations. Elias has dismissed 25 people thus far in an overhaul of the system that he inherited when taking the job in November. The names of those fired were not released by the team . ... Pirates right-hander Kyle Crick required season-ending surgery on the index finger of his pitching hand after he was injured in a clubhouse fight with fellow reliever Felipe Vazquez. The altercation occurred before Monday’s game against the Giants.