Giants first to clinch playoff spot with 8th win in row

The surprising San Francisco Giants became the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season, hitting four home runs to beat the San Diego Padres 9-1 late Monday night for their season-high eighth consecutive victory.

After finishing 29-31 during the pandemicshortened 2020 season, the Giants have turned things around in manager Gabe Kapler’s second year. They have the best record in baseball (94-50) with 18 games remaining — guaranteeing them at least a wild-card spot as they try to hold off the rival Dodgers for the NL West title. They have nine games against the Padres, who are trying to win an NL wild card.

It’s the earliest date the franchise has ever clinched a trip to the postseason.

San Francisco extended its latest hot streak by getting early power at the plate and steady pitching from the bullpen after opener Dominic Leone threw two strong innings.

TUESDAY’S GAME

Indians 3, Twins 1: Triston McKenzie cruised through six innings for Cleveland in the first game of a doubleheader after a comebacker off the wrist of Twins’ Joe Ryan sidelined one half of a rookie pitching duel. McKenzie had seven strikeouts, including Byron Buxton three times.

LATE MONDAY

Blue Jays 8, Rays 1:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his major league-leading 45th home run, Alek Manoah set a career high by pitching eight shutout innings, and host Toronto dealt AL East-leading Tampa Bay its fourth loss in five games.

Guerrero moved ahead of Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani for most home runs in the majors. He also eclipsed the single-season high set by his Hall of Fame father with Montreal in 2000.

Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 1: Clayton Kershaw struck out five (in 4 innings) in his first start since July 3 to lead Los Angeles to its seventh straight home win.

BRAUN RETIRES

Ryan Braun, the Milwaukee Brewers’ home run leader whose production was slowed by injuries during the second half of his 14-year career, announced his retirement on Tuesday.

Braun, who had a distinguished college career with the University of Miami, hasn’t played all season and said during spring training that he was leaning toward retirement. The 2011 NL MVP made it official in a video the Brewers posted on Twitter.