LOS ANGELES (AP) ó Andre Ethier hit a go-ahead homer off Tim Lincecum and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Sunday to go 30 games over .500 for the first time in almost 24 years.
Randy Wolf (11-6) shrugged off a pair of home runs by leadoff hitter Andres Torres, allowing five hits in six-plus innings for the win. The left-hander is 6-0 with a 2.41 over his last eight starts.
Ronnie Belliard added a two-run single against Lincecum (14-6), the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner.
The Dodgers, trying to win consecutive NL West titles for the first time since 1977-78, reduced their magic number to eight for clinching the division and four for securing a postseason berth for the third time in four years. Los Angeles is five games ahead of Colorado in the division race with 12 to play.
The Giants fell 41/2 games behind the Rockies for the NL wild card.
Rockies 5, D-backs 1
PHOENIX (AP) ó Jason Giambi homered for the second consecutive game and Ubaldo Jimenez outpitched Dan Haren to help Colorado tighten its grip on the NL wild card with a victory over Arizona.
Colorado expanded its wild-card lead on its three nearest pursuers because San Francisco, Florida and Atlanta all lost. The Rockies lead the Giants by 41/2 games, the Marlins by five and the Braves by 51/2.
Giambi, who had a three-run, pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning of Colorado’s 10-4 victory Saturday night, added a two-run shot off Haren (14-9) in the eighth. That gives him 11 RBIs in his 12 games since joining the Rockies.
Jimenez (14-11) gave up a run and five hits through seven innings, striking out eight.
Phillies 4, Braves 2
ATLANTA (AP) ó The Philadelphia Phillies ended rookie Tommy Hanson’s streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings, damaging Atlanta’s faint wild-card hopes.
Brad Lidge pitched another shaky ninth inning but posted his 31st save in 41 chances. The NL East-leading Phillies took two of three in the series.
There was a rain delay of 1 hour, 51 minutes in the middle of the fifth inning, ending Cliff Lee’s start for the Phillies.
Philadelphia tagged Hanson (10-4) for four runs and seven hits, including four for extra bases, in five innings.
Tyler Walker (2-0) gave up one hit in two scoreless innings following the delay. Ryan Madson struck out the side in the eighth and Lidge took over with a 4-1 lead to begin the ninth.
Reds 8, Marlins 1
CINCINNATI (AP) ó Corky Miller hit a rare home run to back Kip Wells’ strong pitching and Cincinnati gained a split of its four-game series against Florida.
Miller’s three-run shot and Joey Votto’s two-run homer created a cushion for Wells (2-4), who went seven-plus innings. It was his longest outing since being acquired by the Reds in July.
Florida starter Sean West (7-6) gave up five runs in 4 2-3 innings.
Brewers 6, Astros 0
MILWAUKEE (AP) ó Prince Fielder hit his 40th homer and Yovani Gallardo pitched five solid innings to help Milwaukee complete a sweep of Houston with its fifth straight victory.
The Astros lost their seventh consecutive game, matching their longest skid this season.
Fielder, who came in tied with Albert Pujols with a major league-best 127 RBIs, hit a solo shot in the first inning and set a club record in the fifth when he walked for the 100th time this season.
Corey Hart and Jody Gerut also homered for Milwaukee.
Gallardo (13-12) became the fourth Brewers pitcher with 200 strikeouts in a season and first since Ben Sheets had 264 in 2004.
Felipe Paulino (2-10) extended his career-worst losing streak to six games. He gave up four runs in six innings.
Mets 6, Nationals 2
NEW YORK (AP) ó John Maine pitched five shutout innings to earn his first win since May 31, and New York beat Washington.
Daniel Murphy had two hits and two RBIs for the Mets, who won two of three in a series between the bottom two teams in the NL East. Carlos Beltran had an RBI single and Wilson Valdez added a two-run triple in the ninth.
Maine (6-5) allowed two singles and a walk in his second start since he was sidelined for more than three months with a sore right shoulder. Francisco Rodriguez earned his 33rd save.
Garrett Mock (3-9) allowed four runs in seven innings, dropping to 0-4 with a 7.00 ERA in five starts since his last win Aug. 25 at Wrigley Field.
Padres 4, Pirates 0
PITTSBURGH (AP) ó Kevin Correia added to his impressive September, pitching seven strong innings for San Diego against Pittsburgh.
Correia (11-10) allowed six hits and did not walk a batter. He is 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts this month.
Heath Bell struck out the last two batters for his NL-leading 39th save in 44 opportunities. It was San Diego’s sixth shutout this season. The Pirates have been blanked 15 times.
Oscar Salazar had three hits, including a run-scoring double, as the Padres improved to 30-20 since a 37-62 start. The Pirates lost for the 19th time in 22 games and need to win seven of their last 15 to avoid a 100-loss season.
Paul Maholm (8-9) gave up three runs in six innings.
AL
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ó Placido Polanco drove in three runs, Detroit’s bullpen pitched four shutout innings and the Tigers avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday to increase their AL Central lead to three games.
Ryan Raburn homered for slumping Detroit, which won for the second time in six games and fourth in 13.
Minnesota, which had won six straight, got two hits from Joe Mauer, who increased his batting average to a major league-best .374.
The teams meet again for four games at Comerica Park beginning Sept. 28. It will wrap up a 10-game road trip for Minnesota, and begin a seven-game, final-week homestand for the Tigers, who have three games each in Cleveland and Chicago before going home.
In his fourth start after missing two months following elbow surgery, Tigers left-hander Nate Robertson (2-2) went deep in the count against many hitters but allowed just two earned runs in five innings.
Zach Miner, Bobby Seay and Fernando Rodney combined to allow two singles in four scoreless innings of relief for Detroit.
Minnesota’s Scott Baker (13-9) took the loss.
Mariners 7, Yankees 1
SEATTLE (AP) ó Ken Griffey Jr. homered and drove in four runs, putting the New York Yankees’ playoff party on hold by leading the Mariners to a victory.
The loss prevented New York from clinching a spot in the postseason. The Yankees can secure their 14th playoff berth in 15 years with a victory at the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night or a Texas loss at Oakland.
The 39-year-old Griffey lined an RBI double in the first inning, then cracked a three-run homer in the second off starter Joba Chamberlain.
Seattle took two of three from the Yankees, who lead the AL East by five games over Boston with 12 to play. One more win ó or a Rangers loss ó assures New York of at least the wild card.
It was Griffey’s first four-RBI game since July 10, 2008, with Cincinnati. Griffey also doubled and homered in that game against the Chicago Cubs.
Chamberlain (8-6) became the 405th pitcher to give up a homer to Griffey.
Red Sox 9, Orioles 3
BALTIMORE (AP) ó Jason Bay and Jacoby Ellsbury both homered and drove in three runs to lead Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox past the Orioles.
Bay’s 35th homer tied a career high, and the three RBIs gave him a career-best 110. The slugger sat out Saturday’s game with flulike symptoms after leaving Friday’s game early for the same reason.
The Red Sox outscored Baltimore 23-9 in a three-game sweep. Boston won the season series 16-2, including the final eight games.
The victory, combined with the Texas Rangers’ loss to Los Angeles, reduced Boston’s magic number to win the AL wild card to seven. The Red Sox have an eight-game lead over the Rangers.
Jason Berken (5-12) took the loss.
Royals 2, White Sox 1
CHICAGO (AP) ó Robinson Tejeda won his third straight start and the Royals beat the White Sox.
Mitch Maier had an RBI single for the Royals, who have won 10 of their last 13 games.
Since moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation on Sept. 4, Tejeda (4-1) is 3-0. He has allowed just two runs over 22 1-3 innings as a starter.
Tejeda allowed one run and three hits in six innings and retired the last seven batters he faced.
Royals closer Joakim Soria got five outs for his 26th save in 29 opportunities. He struck out Paul Konerko with runners on first and second in the eighth. After a walk to Alexei Ramirez to load the bases, Soria ended the White Sox scoring threat by getting Jermaine Dye to fly out.
The White Sox failed to take advantage of a strong start by Freddy Garcia. Garcia (2-3) pitched a season-high eight innings, he allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Angels 10, Rangers 5
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ó Gary Matthews Jr. snapped out of his September slump with a tiebreaking homer and a two-run single for the Angels in a victory over the Rangers.
Howie Kendrick drove in five runs with a two-run homer and a bases-loaded triple for the Angels (89-60), who won two of three in the series. Juan Rivera and Chone Figgins also homered.
Closing in on a third straight AL West title and fifth in six years, the Angels stretched their lead to 71/2 games over second-place Texas with 13 to play.
Texas, after scoring only four runs combined in its previous six games, took a 3-0 lead in the first off John Lackey (11-8), who had allowed only three earned runs in his previous four starts. But Los Angeles immediately responded with runs each time after the Rangers scored.
Derek Holland (7-12) took the loss.
Rays 3, Blue Jays 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) ó David Price allowed one run over 6 2-3 innings, Carl Crawford hit a two-run homer and the Rays beat Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays.
The Rays are 4-1 against Halladay this year, and became the first team to beat the Toronto ace four times during the same season. Halladay (15-10) allowed two runs and 10 hits over seven innings. The right-hander has lost five of his last seven starts.
Price (9-7) gave up three hits and has beaten Halladay twice this season. Crawford put the Rays up 2-0 with his 14th homer of the season in the first.
Toronto got a homer from Edwin Encarnacion. The Blue Jays are 4-14 against Tampa Bay this season.
Athletics 11, Indians 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) ó Adam Kennedy had three hits and drove in three runs to help the Athletics beat the Indians 11-4, matching their season-high seven-game win streak.
Ryan Sweeney added two RBIs as the A’s improved to 12-2 in their last 14 games.
Kennedy had run scoring single in the second, a double in the fourth and two-run home run in the sixth. It was his 11th homer of the season.
Travis Hafner, Trevor Crowe and Shin-Soo Choo each drove in runs for the Indians, who lost their eighth straight. He was making his first start for A’s since July 7. He pitched five innings giving up a run on five hits and struck two.
Dana Eveland won for the first time since April 26 when he defeated Tampa Bay 7-1.
Fausto Carmona (3-12) lost his fourth straight decision as he pitched 5-2-3 innings and gave up nine runs on 10 hits while striking out two.