Indians beat Tigers to clinch AL Central
Hendricks, Baez lift Cubs to 100th win
DETROIT — The Cleveland Indians clinched the AL Central title Monday night, overcoming an injury to ace right-hander Corey Kluber in a 7-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Kluber left after four innings with right groin tightness, joining Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar in a group of talented Cleveland pitchers dealing with injuries. But even those concerns were secondary when the Indians poured onto the field to celebrate their first division title since 2007.
Cleveland last made the postseason in 2013 as a wild card.
CUBS 12, PIRATES 2: In Pittsburgh, Javier Baez hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs while major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks pitched six scoreless innings, and Chicago won its 100th game of the season.
Baez helped the NL Centralchampion Cubs reach triple digits in victories for the first time since 1935.
Hendricks (16-8) dropped his ERA to 1.99 by scattering seven hits, striking out five and walking none. He has not allowed more than three runs in 22 consecutive starts.
The Pirates entered the day 4½ games out of the second NL wild card with seven games to play. DIAMONDBACKS 14,
NATIONALS 4: In Washington, All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos left Washington’s loss to Arizona with an apparent right knee injury that could be a major blow to the NL East champions.
Ramos landed awkwardly on his right leg after jumping to catch a relay throw in the sixth inning. He immediately called for medical attention and clutched at the same knee he injured badly during the 2012 season, when he tore his ACL and medial collateral ligament.
Washington was already without reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper due to a thumb injury, slugging second baseman Daniel Murphy (strained glute) and 15-game winner Stephen Strasburg (elbow).
This loss left the Nationals one game ahead of the Dodgers for home-field advantage in the series.
Tanner Roark (15-10) allowed five runs in four innings.
Zack Godley (5-4) got the win behind three scoreless innings in relief. YANKEES 7, BLUE JAYS 5: In Toronto, Mark Teixeira hit a tying homer in the ninth inning and Aaron Hicks added a winning blast as New York avoided a four-game sweep.
Leading 3-2 heading to the ninth, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons called on Jason Grilli (7-6) to close it out because Roberto Osuna was unavailable after pitching the previous two days.
Teixeira tied it 3-all with a one-out drive into the second deck drive in right. Didi Gregorius singled and Hicks followed with a two-run homer. MARINERS 4, ASTROS 3 (11): In Houston, Robinson Cano hit his second homer of the game with two outs in the 11th inning, lifting Seattle over Houston.
The victory moves Seattle two games behind Baltimore for the second AL wild card and drops Houston, which has lost four of five, to 3½ games back in the race BREWERS 8, RANGERS 3: In Arlington, Texas, Jonathan Villar had two home runs and a career-high five RBIs, and Matt Garza beat his former team.
The loss dropped AL West-champion Texas a half-game behind Boston in the race for the league’s best record. The Cleveland Indians pulled within a half-game of the Rangers. REDS 15, CARDINALS 2: In St. Louis, Joey Votto and Adam Duvall hit two of Cincinnati’s four homers in a rout of St. Louis.
Reds starter Tim Adleman (3-4) retired the first 10 Cardinals he faced and went a career-long seven innings. It was his first win since Aug. 19.
Jaime Garcia (10-13) lasted just one inning in the shortest outing of his career. WHITE SOX 7, RAYS 1: In Chicago, James Shields pitched six effective innings for his first win in two months, Justin Morneau and Carlos Sanchez each hit a two-run homer and Chicago beat Tampa Bay.
Shields (6-18) allowed one run and seven hits, using six strikeouts to help wriggle out of several jams and help Chicago win its third straight.