NEW YORK (AP) — Relief pitcher Adam Ottavino sailed a 30-foot throw home on Albert Pujols’ tiebreaking chopper, and the sloppy New York Yankees lost to the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 Wednesday night with a chance to clinch the AL East.
New York could still lock up the division title if Tampa Bay loses to the Los Angeles Dodgers later Wednesday. The Yankees would have been assured a playoff spot if Cleveland had lost, but the Indians beat Detroit 3-2 in 10 innings.
Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton stung the ball in his return from injury and CC Sabathia got an emotional send-off in his final regular-season start in the Bronx, yet New York dropped to 99-54 after entering the night tied with Houston for the majors’ best record.
New York hasn’t won the AL East since 2012, the third-longest drought for the club since divisions were formed in 1969.
Angels right-hander Luke Bard (2-2) struck out five over three perfect innings of relief. David Fletcher had three hits and Pujols added two hits, an RBI and a stolen base. Los Angeles left 13 on base.
Defensive whiz Andrelton Simmons dived to his backhand at shortstop to rob Luke Voit of a hit in the ninth, helping Hansel Robles complete his 22nd save
Aaron Judge hit 24th homer during an injury-shortened season. Ottavino (6-5) took the loss.
CARDINALS 5, NATIONALS 1
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright outpitched Max Scherzer, Dexter Fowler made a sensational catch and NL Central-leading St. Louis beat Washington.
Wainwright (13-9) limited the Nationals to an unearned run in seven innings. He gave up eight hits, struck out three and walked one.
Trailing by four, and with two on with one out in the eighth. The Nats’ Asdrúbal Cabrera hit a drive off Andrew Miller that had the distance to leave the park, but Fowler jumped and reached far over the wall to make the grab.
Tommy Edman and Matt Wieters homered for St. Louis, which began the day with a two-game division lead over Chicago and Milwaukee.
The Nationals started the day with a 1 ½-game lead over the Cubs and Brewers in the NL wild-card race. Washington has lost nine of its last 14.
Scherzer (10-7) gave up five runs in 6 2/3 innings and struck out 11.
Carlos Martínez got four outs for his 21st save in 24 chances.
ASTROS 3, RANGERS 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Gerrit Cole struck out 10 batters, including his 300th of the season, in eight strong innings, Yuli Gurriel and Jose Altuve homered and Houston beat Texas to lock up a postseason berth.
Houston won its fifth straight and 100th game of the season, becoming one of six teams in major league history to win at least 100 games in three straight seasons.
The Astros (100-53) have the best record in the majors and can clinch the AL West as early as Friday with a win and loss by Oakland.
Cole (18-5) allowed two runs on six hits in earning his 14th straight win. He became the third Astros pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts in a season, joining J.R. Richard, who had 313 in 1979 and 303 in 1978, and Mike Scott, who struck out 306 in 1986.
Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his 35th save.
Willie Calhoun scored on a throwing error and Ronald Guzmán hit a solo homer for Texas.
Kolby Allard (4-1) allowed two runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts in five innings. The Rangers have lost five straight.
PADRES 2, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Dinelson Lamet struck out a career-high 14 and Kirby Yates fanned pinch-hitter Ryan Braun with a runner on second base to close out San Diego’S over playoff-contending Milwaukee.
The Brewers, who had won four in a row, began the day tied with the Cubs for the second NL wild-card spot.
Rookie Seth Mejias-Brean hit his first career home run as the Padres ended a six-game losing streak.
Lamet (3-5) pitched six innings, giving up three hits.
Keston Hiura connected off Lamet in the sixth for his 17th home run of the season.
METS 7, ROCKIES 4
DENVER (AP) — Pete Alonso hit his major league-leading 49th homer and drew a bases-loaded walk during a four-run rally in the ninth inning that sent New York over Colorado.
The Mets began the day tied with Philadelphia, four games behind the Cubs and Milwaukee for the second NL wild-card spot.
Jeff McNeil also went deep for the Mets, who set a franchise record with 225 home runs this season.
Jairo Diaz (5-4) took the loss. Seth Lugo (7-4) earned the win.
Rookie Sam Hilliard hit two home runs for the Rockies, connecting both times off Noah Syndergaard.
Syndergaard went 5 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on 10 hits and striking out six.
INDIANS 2, TIGERS 1, 10TH INNING
CLEVELAND (AP) — Yasiel Puig hit an RBI single off the top of the right field wall with two outs in the 10th inning and Cleveland kept up its playoff push, beating Detroit.
The Indians entered the day one-half game behind Tampa Bay for the second AL wild-card spot. Cleveland stayed 2 ½ games behind wild-card leader Oakland.
Cleveland beat the Tigers for the 16th straight time this season. The Tigers, with the worst record in the majors at 45-106, matched their longest losing streak against an opponent. They also dropped 16 in a row to Minnesota in 2002-03.
Puig’s bases-loaded drive off José Cisnero (0-4) came after an intentional walk to Carlos Santana. It was the fourth hit of the game and the fifth career walkoff plate appearance by Puig.
Adam Cimber (6-3) earned the win for Cleveland, which did not allow a hit after the fourth inning.
PHILLIES 4, BRAVES 1
ATLANTA (AP) — Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer, Zach Eflin pitched seven solid innings and Philadelphia won its second straight game over Atlanta.
Atlanta has lost three in a row for the first time since July 16-18, but still leads the division by nine games. With nine games left in the regular season, the Braves can clinch their second consecutive NL East title with either two wins, two Washington losses or a combination of one each.
The Phillies, eliminated from the division race, began the night four games back and trailed three teams in the race for the second wild card.
Eflin (9-12) gave up just an unearned run and five hits.
Julio Teheran (10-10) allowed three hits and four runs — three earned — in five-plus innings.
Héctor Neris earned his second save of the series and 28th in 34 chances with a perfect ninth.
WHITE SOX 3, TWINS 1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Held without a hit until the sixth inning, Minnesota managed only three in the loss to Chicago.
In the AL Central, Minnesota is four games ahead of Cleveland after the Indians beat Detroit 2-1 in 10 innings. The surprising Twins still have a magic number of seven to clinch their first division title since 2010.
Zack Collins homered and Yoán Moncada doubled twice for the White Sox. A trio of Chicago pitchers combined to take a no-hitter into the sixth.
Eddie Rosario had an RBI single for Minnesota. Jake Odorizzi (14-7) struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings but lost for the second time in nine starts. He allowed two earned runs and seven hits.
Jace Fry (3-4) pitched 1 2/3 innings to get the win for Chicago. Alex Colomé earned his 28th save in 30 chances with a perfect ninth.
MARINERS 4, PIRATES 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kyle Lewis hit his fifth home run since debuting Sept. 10, Tom Murphy homered and Seattle beat Pittsburgh for its fourth straight win.
Dario Agrazal (4-5) allowed the four runs and six hits while striking out six in five innings.
Tommy Milone (4-9) relieved Justin Dunn to start the third inning for Seattle before allowing two hits and using just 51 pitches to get through five shutout innings. Matt Magill earned his fifth save.
The Pirates lost a fifth straight game since winning three of four from Sept. 9-12. They have been outscored 57-16 during the losing streak, including 10-1 in the first two games of this series.
ATHLETICS 1, ROYALS 0, 11 INNINGS
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mark Canha hit an RBI double with two outs in the 11th inning and Oakland edged Kansas City to hold its lead atop the AL wild-card race.
The Athletics, who have won seven of eight, began the day two games ahead of Tampa Bay for the top wild-card spot. Cleveland was a half-game behind the Rays.
Starters Homer Bailey of the A’s and Danny Duffy of the Royals each pitched seven sharp innings. Bailey allowed three hits and struck out 11, while Duffy gave up two hits and fanned six.
Jurickson Profar drew a leadoff walk from Jesse Hahn (0-1) in the 11th and stole second. After striking out Marcus Semien and Matt Chapman, Hahn intentionally walked Matt Olson to face Canha.
J.B. Wendelken (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, MARLINS 4
PHOENIX (AP) — Mike Leake worked effectively into the seventh inning, Domingo Leyba had two RBIs and Arizona beat Miami.
Arizona opened play Wednesday to 5 ½ games back in the NL wild-card race.
The Diamondbacks bounced back by jumping on Sandy Alcantara (5-14) early to keep their slim playoff chances alive with nine games to go.
Abraham Almonte hit his first career leadoff home run and Christian Walker added a solo shot for Arizona.
Leake (12-11) gave up solo homers to Austin Dean and Starlin Castro, but limited the rest of the damage in 6 2/3 innings. Archie Bradley retired the final four batters for his 15th save.
Leake gave up three runs on eight hits and struck out four.
GIANTS 11, RED SOX 3
BOSTON (AP) — Stephen Vogt hit a two-run homer and San Francisco gave Bruce Bochy his 2,000th career victory as a manager in the majors.
Bochy became just the 11th manager to achieve 2,000 wins, reaching the milestone with just 10 games remaining for the Giants before their skipper retires at the end of the season.
He won 951 games while managing the San Diego Padres over 12 seasons and is 1,049-1,047 in 13 years with San Francisco, which won three World Series titles with Bochy at the helm.
Jeff Samardzija didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning and the Giants gave him plenty of offense, tagging eight Boston pitchers for 15 hits while winning for the second straight night at Fenway Park.
Rafael Devers hit his 30th home run and Jackie Bradley Jr. homered for the second straight night for the Red Sox.
Vogt finished with four RBIs for the Giants. Samardzija (11-12) pitched six innings, holding Boston to one run on two hits and four walks. He struck out two.
BLUE JAYS 11, ORIOLES 10
BALTIMORE (AP) — Randal Grichuk hit a grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning, and Toronto rebounded from an ineffective start by Clay Buchholz to rally past Baltimore.
Grichuk’s 30th home run highlighted a six-run ninth that began with Toronto trailing 9-5. The shot came off Miguel Castro (1-3), who was charged with all six runs.
Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left in the ninth after being shaken up making a hard slide into second base.
Brock Stewart (4-0) worked the eighth and Derek Law finished for his fifth save.
Jonathan Villar and Anthony Santander homered to give Baltimore an early lead.
It was another disappointing outing by Buchholz. He allowed 10 hits, seven for extra bases, in 3 2/3 innings and left with a 6.48 ERA.
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