Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
TUESDAY’S MLB ROUNDUP
AMERICAN LEAGUE TWINS 4, TIGERS 2
DETROIT — Willians Astudillo and Eddie Rosario fueled a four-run seventh inning, and the Minnesota Twins overcame an injury to starter Jake Odorizzi to beat the Detroit Tigers and move closer to an AL Central title.
Odorizzi (15-7) pitched two-hit ball through six innings but was pulled with a tight left hamstring after warming up for the seventh. The right-hander hadn’t allowed a hit since Harold Castro’s bunt single in the first and left having struck out six and allowed one run.
Minnesota’s magic number to clinch the division is two over Cleveland. The Indians played later Tuesday against the White Sox and built a big lead early.
Taylor Rogers pitched a perfect ninth for his 29th save. It was his first appearance since allowing three runs in a loss to Kansas City on Saturday.
ORIOLES 11, BLUE JAYS 4
TORONTO — Trey Mancini had a career-high five hits, DJ Stewart hit a tworun homer and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dwight Smith Jr. and Austin Wynns each hit solo home runs for the Orioles. Baltimore batters have gone deep at least once in 18 straight games, two shy of the 1998 club record.
With one more victory or a loss by Detroit, the Orioles (51-106) can avoid having baseball’s worst record for the second straight season.
Mancini, named AL Player of the Week on Monday, extended his hitting streak to 11 games. He doubled and scored in the first, doubled in the third, singled in the fifth, hit an RBI single in the sixth, and singled and scored in the eighth.
INDIANS 11, WHITE SOX 0
CHICAGO — José Ramírez hit a grand slam and a three-run homer in his first two plate appearances after missing a month with a broken hand, and the Cleveland Indians pounded the Chicago White Sox.
Roberto Pérez and Óscar Mercado also went deep for the Indians, who won for the sixth time in seven games to remain a half-game back of Tampa Bay for the second AL wild card.
Mike Clevinger (13-3) pitched seven innings of five-hit ball and struck out 10 while extending his scoreless streak to 18 innings.
The switch-hitting Ramírez homered from both sides for the fourth time. He finished with a career-best seven RBIs.
RAYS 2, YANKEES 1, 12 INNINGS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Ji-Man Choi hit a game-ending home run in the 12th inning that helped Tampa Bay remain on track for an AL wild card berth, and the Rays beat the New York Yankees on a night CC Sabathia pitched a perfect inning in his first regular-season relief appearance.
Choi homered off Cory Gearrin (1-3) after Pete Fairbanks (2-3) struck out Brett Gardner with a runner on second and two outs in the top half.
Tampa Bay remained a half-game ahead of Cleveland for the second AL wild card.
AL East champion New York (102-56) slipped as it tries to overtake Houston (102-54) for best record in the AL and homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs.
Sabathia, a 39-year-old left-hander who is retiring at the end of the season, had made 560 regular season starts but is being moved to the bullpen along with J.A. Happ ahead of the postseason.
NATIONAL LEAGUE METS 5, MARLINS 4, 11 INNINGS
NEW YORK — Michael Conforto and the New York Mets rallied just in time to keep their faint playoff hopes alive, beating the Miami Marlins in 11 innings.
Three outs from postseason elimination, the Mets tied it 4-all in the ninth when Conforto clocked his second tworun homer of the game, connecting off José Ureña for his 33rd long ball of the season. Brandon Nimmo won it by working a bases-loaded walk in the 11th against rookie Jeff Brigham.
After wins by Washington and Milwaukee earlier in the day, the Mets needed a victory to stay in the playoff race. They are tied with the plummeting Chicago Cubs, five games behind the Brewers for the second NL wild card with five to play.
Conforto drew a leadoff walk from Adam Conley (2-10) in the 11th, and Brigham hit Amed Rosario with a 97 mph fastball. A wild pitch advanced both runners before Todd Frazier was intentionally walked.