Kiermaier hit after scouting report flap; Rays to playoffs
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. »
Austin Meadows hit a three-run homer in a sixrun third inning and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a postseason berth with a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
The AL East-leading Rays (94-59) secured a postseason berth for the third season in a row and the seventh time since 2008. The defending AL champions lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games last year.
Toronto (85-67) dropped into a tie for the second AL wild-card berth with the New York Yankees, who played later Wednesday. The Blue Jays lost two of three to Tampa Bay and are 16-5 in September.
Six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a four-hitter. JT Chargois (6-1) struck out two during a hitless fourth.
NATIONALS 7, MARLINS 5 » Juan Soto took over the NL batting lead, getting three hits and three RBIs in Washington’s win over Miami.
Soto singled, doubled and hit his 27th homer, raising his average to .321 and passing former teammate Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who began the night at .318. Soto walked twice and with 130 tied Bryce Harper’s team season record, set in 2018.
PHILLIES 4, ORIOLES 3 »
Bryce Harper threw out the tying run at the plate in
the eighth inning and Andrew McCutchen hit a tworun home run to keep Philadelphia pushing in the NL East race with a win over Baltimore.
YANKEES 7, RANGERS 3 » Gleyber Torres doubled home Joey Gallo for the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, Gary Sánchez followed with a two-run homer and New York rallied past Texas for a threegame sweep heading into a divisional gauntlet that will decide their postseason fate.
CARDINALS 10, BREWERS 2 » Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill homered as St. Louis won their 11th straight game, extending
their lead for the second NL wild-card spot and beating division-leading Milwaukee.
Goldschmidt also doubled, singled and scored four runs to help St. Louis stretch its best winning streak since an 11-game string in 2001.
The Cardinals’ longest winning streak in franchise history is 14, in 1935 with a team led by Hall of Famer pitcher Dizzy Dean. RED SOX 12, METS 5 » Kyle Schwarber homered twice and scored four times, and Chris Sale struck out eight in five innings as Boston won its seventh straight.
The Red Sox scored in each of the first six innings
and have not lost since Sept. 13.
TWINS 5, CUBS 4 » Max Kepler homered twice, rookie Joe Ryan struck out a season-high 11, and Minnesota dealt Chicago its ninth loss in 11 games.
ROCKIES 10, DODGERS 5 » Sam Hilliard lined a threerun homer, C.J. Cron had four hits and the Colorado Rockies snapped a five-game skid at Coors Field by beating the NL West title-chasing Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers may be in danger of losing more ground to division-leading San Francisco. They entered the day a game behind the Giants, who played late in San Diego.