ST. LOUIS (AP) — Victor Caratini hit a three-run homer and Blake Perkins added a solo shot, main the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday within the ultimate recreation of a four-game sequence.
The Brewers’ magic quantity to clinch their second Nationwide League Central title in three years fell to 2 with 9 video games to play.
Milwaukee (87-66) might wrap up the division title as quickly as Friday in Miami with one other victory and a loss by the Chicago Cubs. The quantity to simply clinch a postseason berth is 2 over the Marlins.
The Brewers have gained eight of their final 11 and 22 of their final 31 video games.
St. Louis (67-86) fell to twenty video games behind first-place Milwaukee in enduring its first dropping season since 2007. The Cardinals, now shut out 12 instances this season, have misplaced seven of their final 11 video games.
RAYS 5, ANGELS 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Manuel Margot flared a run-scoring single to proper subject to finish a two-run rally within the backside of the ninth inning and playoff-bound Tampa Bay beat Los Angeles.
Tampa Bay, which holds the highest AL wild card, is 1 1/2 video games behind AL East-leading Baltimore, which holds the tiebreaker.
Pinch-hitter Harold Ramírez and Yandy Díaz began the ninth with singles off Angels nearer Carlos Estévez (5-5). Ramírez went to 3rd on Curtis Mead’s fly ball and scored to tie it at 4 on Isaac Paredes RBI single.
After Randy Arozarena struck out and Josh Lowe walked to load the bases, Margot delievered his opposite-field game-winning hit that handed Estévez his fourth blown save in 34 probabilities.
BRAVES 10, NATIONALS 3
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. scored his a hundred and fortieth run of 2023 — essentially the most within the majors in 16 years — after tripling, Matt Olson hit his 53rd homer and Ozzie Albies went deep for one in every of his 4 hits, lifting NL East champion Atlanta previous last-place Washington.
The Braves out-hit the Nationals 18-8, and each member of Atlanta’s daunting beginning lineup reached base a minimum of as soon as. Olson raised his RBI whole to 132, equaling Gary Sheffield in 2003 for essentially the most by a Braves participant for the reason that membership moved to Atlanta. Albies went 4 for six, together with his thirty second homer, with 4 RBIs to prime 100 in a season for the second time in his profession.
Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Orlando Arcia every collected three hits.
Max Fried (8-1), who acquired additional relaxation between begins to keep away from creating a finger blister, allowed one run — on Alex Name’s homer within the third — and three hits in six innings whereas hanging out seven. He lowered his ERA to 2.55.
YANKEES 5, BLUE JAYS 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole retired the primary 16 hitters and pitched eight excellent innings to strengthen his Cy Younger Award credentials as New York moved again over .500 with a victory over Toronto.
Cole (14-4) allowed a run and two hits in his longest outing since pitching a two-hit shutout in opposition to Minnesota on April 16. He struck out 9, walked none and permitted two baserunners whereas reducing his AL-best ERA to 2.75.
Cole gained his fourth straight determination since getting tagged for six runs in an 8-1 loss to Boston on Aug. 19. He additionally allowed two runs or fewer for the foremost league-best twenty fifth time this yr and improved to 8-3 following a New York loss.
Jake Bauers hit a three-run homer 4 batters in in opposition to Jose Berríos (11-11), Aaron Choose and Estevan Florial added RBI doubles and the Yankees prevented a three-game sweep.
GUARDIANS 5, ORIOLES 2
CLEVELAND (AP) — Ramón Laureano drew a bases-loaded stroll off Jacob Webb for the go-ahead run within the eighth inning, sending Cleveland previous AL East-leading Baltimore.
The Guardians scored thrice within the backside of the eighth — all charged to Cionel Pérez (4-2) — instantly after the Orioles tied the sport with two within the prime half. Bo Naylor’s run-scoring single and Gabriel Arias’ RBI grounder adopted Laureano’s stroll that plated Josh Naylor.
Baltimore, which is headed to the postseason for the primary time since 2016, holds a 1 1/2-game lead over Tampa Bay within the division and for one of the best file within the AL. The Rays beat the Angels 5-4 earlier within the day.
Trevor Stephan (7-7) gave up two runs in a single inning and Emmanuel Clase picked up his main league-best forty second save in 53 alternatives for Cleveland, which has eight video games remaining and trails first-place Minnesota by 8 1/2 video games within the AL Central.
PIRATES 8, CUBS 6
CHICAGO (AP) — Miguel Andújar had thee hits and drove in three runs, Joshua Palacios hit a pinch-hit three-run homer within the ninth inning, and Pittsburgh held off a late rally by slumping Chicago.
The loss was the tenth within the final 13 video games for the Cubs, who fell right into a tie with Miami for the ultimate NL wild-card spot.
Pittsburgh’s Johan Oviedo (9-14) threw six scoreless innings, giving up 4 hits. The best-hander walked 5 however escaped bother on a number of events and held the Cubs hitless in eight at-bats with runners in scoring place.
Connor Joe and Ji Hwan Bae every drove in a run for the Pirates, whose bullpen surrendered six runs within the final three innings.
PHILLIES 5, METS 4
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nick Castellanos homered and drove in 4 runs to achieve a career-best 103 RBIs in a season, and Philadelphia maintained its maintain on the highest NL wild-card spot by beating New York.
Alec Bohm additionally went deep and Bryce Harper added a pair of hits for the defending NL champion Phillies, who opened a seven-game homestand with their fifth win of their final seven recreation. Philadelphia (84-69) is 3 video games forward of Arizona for the primary NL wild card.
Mark Vientos homered, and Jeff McNeil singled, doubled, tripled and drove in a run for the Mets.
Castellanos hit a 92 mph fastball from Jeff Brigham (1-3) 454 toes off the going through of the second deck in left subject within the sixth inning to place Philadelphia in entrance 5-4.
DODGERS 7, GIANTS 2
LOS ANGELES (AP) — J.D. Martinez’s sacrifice fly drove within the go-ahead run within the sixth inning and Los Angeles capitalized on two bodily and one psychological blunder by San Francisco within the sequence opener.
The Giants have dropped six of seven on their highway journey to fall additional out of the NL wild-card race.
Will Smith tripled off John Brebbia (3-1) and Martinez adopted with the sac fly to proper. Mike Yastrzemski wasn’t that deep when he caught the ball flat-footed after which held it for a second, apparently forgetting there have been solely two outs.
That gave Smith time sufficient to cost residence for a 3-2 lead.
Two wild pitches by reliever Luke Jackson led to 2 runs for the NL West champion Dodgers within the seventh.
TIGERS 7, ATHLETICS 3
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Tarik Skubal had a season-high 10 strikeouts in seven sturdy innings for his fourth consecutive win, and Detroit handed Oakland its eighth consecutive loss.
Kerry Carpenter had his ninth multi-hit recreation this month and the thirty fourth of the season for Detroit. Matt Vierling added two hits, an RBI and scored twice for the Tigers, who’re 6-2 on their ultimate highway journey of the season.
Brent Rooker hit his twenty eighth residence run for the last-place A’s (46-107), who must win their ultimate 9 video games to keep away from matching the 1979 A’s (54-108) for essentially the most losses in Oakland historical past.
Skubal (7-3), who was born in Hayward 20 minutes south of Oakland, had one other sturdy outing for Detroit whereas pitching in entrance of a small crowd of 6,160 on the Coliseum. The left-hander allowed two hits, an infield single within the third and a ball that heart fielder Parker Meadows appeared to drop however was dominated a success within the second inning.