Baseball’s highs and lows may reach extremes
The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Major League Baseball its third 100-win team while Kansas City became its fourth 100-loss club Sunday, matching big-league records for success and futility.
The Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies, 7-4, joining the 102-win New York Yankees and Houston Astros as triple-digit victors. It’s the third consecutive year three teams have reached the century mark. Before this run, there were only three 100game winners in 1942, 1977, 1998, 2002 and 2003.
Baseball has never had four 100-win teams, but the Atlanta Braves (96 wins), Minnesota Twins (95) and Oakland Athletics (94) could change that.
The Royals were defeated, 12-8, by the American League Central Divisionleading Twins. The Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins already had lost 100 times.
The only other season to feature four 100-loss clubs was 2002, when the Tigers, Brewers, Rays and Royals dropped at least 100 games.
Twins
Nelson Cruz hit his 400th career home run. Cruz became the 57th player with 400 homers. His fourth-inning solo shot against Kansas City was also his 40th homer of the season. “It’s nice to do it in front of the fans. I think they deserve it,” Cruz said. “They’ve been such a big influence for us as a team.”
Cardinals
Paul Goldschmidt and St. Louis celebrated the franchise’s first postseason berth in four years with a champagne toast in the visitor’s clubhouse. Goldschmidt hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning and the Cardinals clinched a playoff spot by rallying past the Chicago Cubs, 3-2, for their first four -game sweep at Wrigley Field in almost a century.
Astros
Houston also put a check mark in the September box. Amid the celebration of clinching their third consecutive AL West title, they already were thinking ahead to what they might achieve in October. “You can’t ever take the first goal for granted,” ace Justin Verlander said. “I know everybody says we’re going to win the World Series, but you can’t do that without this first. So, step one complete. Now we have the divisional round coming up and we’ll try to win 11 games.”