Cards make it 13 straight
CHICAGO — The surging St. Louis Cardinals soared to their 13th straight win Friday, using homers by Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill to top the Chicago Cubs 8-5 in the opener of a doubleheader.
It’s the longest win streak for St. Louis since it set a team record with 14 in a row in 1935. It also has rocketed the Cards into control of the second NL wild card, leading Philadelphia by 4 1/2 games heading into Friday’s action.
St. Louis also got a pinch-hit homer from José Rondón, and leadoff man Tommy Edman finished with three hits. Alex Reyes (10-8) got five outs for the win, and Giovanny Gallegos tossed a perfect seventh for his 13th save.
Sergio Alcántara homered for Chicago, which lost for the seventh time in eight games. Austin Romine doubled home two runs, and Willson Contreras also had an RBI double.
American League
Twins 3, Blue Jays 1 — Byron Buxton’s two-run homer spoiled José Berríos’ return to Minnesota and dealt a blow to Toronto’s postseason hopes as the Twins beat the Blue Jays.
Buxton hit his 15th home run of the season in a threerun third inning against Berríos (12-9), who was making his first start in Minnesota since being dealt to Toronto at the trade deadline. Berríos pitched six seasons for the Twins after being a firstround draft pick by the club in 2012.
The final road trip of the season has complicated the Blue Jays’ chances for a playoff spot. Toronto is 1-4 on the trip after going 1-2 in Tampa
Bay and losing the first two games in Minnesota.
The New York Yankees beat Boston 8-3 on Friday, with the teams tied for the top AL wild-card spot. The Blue Jays are three games back.
Marcus Semien hit his 42nd home run for Toronto, a solo shot to the bullpens in leftcenter in the sixth inning. Semien is one homer shy of the all-time record for second basemen, set by Davey Johnson with Atlanta in 1973.