AL wild-card roundup: Blue Jays all however eradicated

The Toronto Blue Jays prevented elimination for yet one more day because of a wet day in Baltimore, however ends in different video games have all however ended Toronto’s playoff hopes.

The Cleveland Guardians (83-75) and Chicago White Sox (82-76) each picked up wins on Tuesday, inching one step nearer to the playoffs.

Those outcomes imply the Blue Jays (77-80) will solely make the playoffs in the event that they win all 5 of their remaining video games and both the Guardians or White Sox lose all 5 of theirs.

The Blue Jays will return to the sphere for a doubleheader at Camden Yards on Wednesday, then have a day without work Thursday earlier than three closing house video games in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds.

Here is how the standings take care of Tuesday’s outcomes:

Toronto: at Baltimore, 1:35 p.m. and 6:35 p.m., Sportsnet, Sportsnet+
Cleveland: at Boston, 7:10 p.m.
Chicago White Sox: at Kansas City, 7:40 p.m., Sportsnet+
Texas: vs. NY Mets, 8:05 p.m.
Houston: at Seattle, 10:10 p.m.

BOSTON — Nathaniel Lowe had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly off reliever Erik Miller within the ninth inning, and the Cleveland Guardians maintained their slim first-place lead within the AL Central with a 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night time.

Angel Martínez had three hits for the Guardians, who entered the day with a one-game lead over the White Sox atop the Central. Chicago owns the tiebreaker by profitable the season sequence. Cleveland stranded 15 baserunners.

The loss was Boston’s eighth in 12 video games, spoiling Chad Tracy’s first sport as supervisor after the membership named him its forty ninth in workforce historical past.

Adley Rutschman added three hits for Boston, which clinched one of many AL’s wild-card spots Sunday.

Boston pinch hitter Mickey Gasper hit Hunter Gaddis’ first pitch, tying it at 2-2 main off the eighth.

Gaddis (5-3) obtained the win and Cade Smith the ultimate three outs for his fortieth save.

Miller (4-2) hit a batter and gave up two hits in an inning.

A powerful candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year, Cleveland left-hander Parker Messick gave up a run over 5 innings. He lowered his ERA to 2.55 and is on tempo to turn into the fourth rookie beginning pitcher in MLB historical past with an ERA below 2.60 and averaging 9.0 or extra strikeouts per 9 innings.

In his tune-up for a probable playoff begin subsequent week, Boston lefty Payton Tolle struggled along with his management over 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on eight hits. In his earlier begin on Sept. 13, he had Boston’s second recorded immaculate inning that opened a sport.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chase Meidroth hit a three-run homer and had a career-high 5 RBIs, Randal Grichuk added a three-run shot amongst his 4 hits, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 14-11 on Tuesday night time to remain a sport behind Cleveland within the AL Central.

The Guardians, who finish the common season with three video games in Kansas City, beat the Red Sox 3-2 earlier Tuesday.

Brenton Doyle and Munetaka Murakami added house runs for the White Sox, who additionally helped their wild-card trigger ought to they fail to catch Cleveland. They have two extra video games in opposition to the Royals earlier than ending with three in opposition to last-place Colorado.

Anthony Kay had a two-run lead earlier than he even took the mound Tuesday night time, and the Chicago left-hander ended up permitting 4 runs whereas pitching into the fifth. Noah Schultz (4-9) and the bullpen completed the sport, although it wasn’t fairly — White Sox relievers coughed up three runs within the eighth and allowed Vinnie Pasquantino’s first profession grand slam within the ninth.

Daniel Lynch IV wasn’t precisely fairly, both. He allowed a career-worst 9 earned runs in simply 4 innings for Kansas City.

Lynch was shaky from the beginning, strolling Tommy Pham within the first and giving up a single to Grichuk earlier than hitting Murakami with a 94 mph sinker. Meidroth adopted with a two-run single, extending his on-base streak to 13, and the White Sox have been on their means.

Doyle made it 3-0 when he despatched Lynch’s first pitch of the second inning over the right-field wall. But the massive blow got here within the third, when Grichuk doubled and Murakami walked to arrange Meidroth once more. This time, the second-year second baseman hit changeup over the center of the plate into the left-field seats to present the White Sox a 6-0 lead.

Grichuk’s personal 3-run shot within the fourth got here after Miguel Vargas hit a two-out single and Pham drew his second straight stroll, whereas Murakami added his two-run homer throughout a five-run seventh that successfully put the sport away.

YANKEES 2, RAYS 0, GAME 1

RAYS 6, YANKEES 1, GAME 2

NEW YORK — Drew Rasmussen allowed his solely hit within the seventh inning and struck out 11 because the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 6-1 on Tuesday within the second sport of a day-night doubleheader to clinch their fifth AL East title.

The Rays (96-61) secured home-field benefit all through the American League playoffs and took their first division crown since 2021, once they gained 100 video games. Tampa Bay additionally earned AL East championships within the pandemic-shortened 2020 season together with 2010 and 2008, when the workforce had its first profitable season after getting into the league as an growth franchise in 1998.

Yandy Díaz hit two-run single off reliever John Schreiber within the seventh and had one other two-run single within the ninth for his AL-leading one hundred and seventy fifth hit. Tampa Bay opened a six-game lead over the second-place Yankees (90-67) with 5 to play.

In the opener, Carlos Rodón allowed three hits in eight sharp innings as New York delayed Tampa Bay’s division celebration with a 2-0 victory.

Taylor Walls began the three-run seventh with a bunt single in opposition to Max Fried (5-5) when first base was left uncovered. Ryan Vilade hit an RBI groundout within the third after Díaz’s flyball moved runners to second and third.

Rasmussen (16-5) was 9 outs from becoming a member of Matt Garza as Tampa Bay pitchers with a no-hitter when he gave up a leadoff double to Heliot Ramos on his 97th pitch. Garza held the Detroit Tigers hitless at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2010.

After permitting Ramos’ hit to left area, Rasmussen obtained the following two outs earlier than strolling Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a full rely. Kevin Kelly entered and permitted rookie George Lombard Jr.’s RBI single earlier than retiring Austin Wells on a groundout.

Rasmussen threw a career-high 114 pitches, 72 for strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of 24 hitters and notched his fourth profession double-digit strikeout sport.

Rasmussen allowed one hit for the fourth time this yr. He additionally yielded only one hit in six innings in opposition to the Yankees on April 12.

Cam Booser and Bryan Baker pitched an inning apiece to complete the three-hitter.

Fried allowed 4 runs and 6 hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The Yankees have been held to 3 hits or fewer for the thirteenth time this yr.

PHILADELPHIA — Zack Wheeler struck 11, together with a franchise-record seven in a row to start out the sport, Bryson Stott hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two out within the eighth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies inched nearer to clinching a playoff spot with a 6-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night time.

Brandon Marsh homered, doubled and drove in three runs for Philadelphia, which started play holding the ultimate NL wild-card spot with a four-game cushion over Arizona.

William Contreras had three RBIs for NL Central-leading Milwaukee. The Brewers, by advantage of Cincinnati’s 4-0 win over Atlanta, clinched a bye within the wild-card spherical and earned home-field benefit for the NLDS.

After the Brewers scored twice within the sixth off Wheeler to tie the sport at 3, Stott singled to centre off Colton Gordon (0-1). Garrett Mitchell’s throw went to 3rd base to attempt to get Alec Bohm operating from first. But the ball ricocheted off Bohm’s foot, and each he and Luis Arraez scored to make it 5-3.

Jhoan Duran earned his thirty third save after José Alvarado (5-3) obtained the ultimate out of the eighth.

Wheeler was unhittable on the outset and had sights on Pablo López’s MLB document of 9 Okay’s in a row to open a contest earlier than Cooper Pratt grounded out to 3rd base for the second out of the third inning. Watching Wheeler from the dugout was teammate Aaron Nola, who has a share of the MLB document with 10 consecutive strikeouts of the Mets in 2021.

The Phillies started Tuesday trailing the Padres and Cubs by one sport for the highest spot within the NL wild card. Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker over San Diego however not Chicago.

The Brewers dropped to 13-6 this month and weren’t capable of prolong their franchise document of 98 wins, set in Sunday’s 3-0 victory at Baltimore.

PITTSBURGH — Jared Jones allowed one hit over seven dominant innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates inched nearer to the franchise’s first profitable season in eight years with a 2-0 win over St. Louis on Tuesday night time.

The hard-throwing Jones (5-6) retired the primary 16 batters he confronted earlier than Nathan Church’s bloop landed simply past the outstretched glove of Pirates third baseman Jacob Gonzalez with one out within the sixth. Church sprinted to second for a double however remained there after Masyn Wynn lined out and J.J. Wetherholt struck out to finish the inning.

Jones, who returned from Tommy John surgical procedure in late May, tied a season excessive with 9 strikeouts in seven innings and improved to 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA in 4 begins in September. Gregory Soto labored round a leadoff stroll to document his sixteenth save.

Ryan O’Hearn delivered an RBI-single for the Pirates and rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin had two hits for Pittsburgh, and Bryan Reynolds added his main league-leading fortieth double. The Pirates have gained 5 straight to enhance to 80-77 with 5 video games remaining. Pittsburgh is looking for its first profitable marketing campaign since going 82-79 in 2018.

Andre Pallant (12-8) practically matched Jones pitch for pitch in six innings of labor. The right-hander’s solely hiccup got here within the sixth, when Oneil Cruz walked with one out, moved to second on a fielder’s selection and scored on O’Hearn’s sharp single to left. Pallant is simply 2-2 in 10 begins for the reason that All-Star break regardless of pitching to a 3.00 ERA over that span.

The Cardinals fell to 76-81 with the loss. If St. Louis does not win out, the franchise will expertise consecutive shedding seasons for the primary time since 1958 and 1959, the second-longest stretch between consecutive shedding years within the historical past of main North American skilled sports activities.

DETROIT — CJ Abrams hit a tiebreaking two-run homer and added a solo shot to present the Washington Nationals a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night time.

The Nationals gained for the seventh time in 10 video games, whereas Detroit dropped to 2-5 in its final seven. The Tigers have scored precisely one run in all 5 losses, whereas scoring 9 and 11 runs within the two wins.

Both groups are 74-84 with 4 video games left within the season.

Jackson Kent (2-4) picked up the win in aid of Nationals opener Riley Cornelio. Kent pitched 4 innings, permitting one unearned run on six hits and two walks. Erik Tolman pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Tigers starter Drew Anderson (5-7) took the loss, permitting three runs on 5 hits. He struck out 5 with out strolling a batter.

Washington took a 1-0 lead within the second on an extended homer to right-centre area by Abrams. That gave him 100 RBIs to associate with his 30 homer/30 stolen base season.

The Tigers tied the sport within the sixth when Ben Malgeri scored on Kent’s second wild pitch of the inning. Washington additionally missed two alternatives to show double performs within the inning.

Abrams then hit a two-run homer within the seventh, his thirty third of the season, to finish Anderson’s night time.

ATLANTA — Elly De La Cruz closed in on a 30-30 season, Brandon Williamson threw six sharp innings and the Cincinnati Reds blanked the NL East champion Atlanta Braves 4-0 on Tuesday night time.

De La Cruz obtained his twenty ninth stolen base within the first inning and opened the scoring along with his twenty ninth homer within the third. He tacked on a run-scoring single within the seventh.

Dane Myers and Eugenio Suárez additionally homered for Cincinnati. It was Suárez’s 350th profession homer.

Braves slugger Ronald Acuña Jr. left the sport within the third after fouling a ball off his left leg. He went down with a giant grimace, hobbled out of the batting circle and dropped to his knees once more whereas attended to by supervisor Walt Weiss and an athletic coach for a number of minutes.

X-rays have been destructive and Acuña was listed as day-to-day, a giant aid for the Braves with the playoffs only a week away.

Williamson (5-4) permitted simply three hits, with no walks and two strikeouts over his 68-pitch outing. He did not enable a runner previous first base — an unlikely efficiency from a pitcher who has largely struggled throughout an injury-plagued season and labored out of the bullpen in his final three appearances for the last-place Reds.

Brock Burke, Tejay Antone and Emilio Pagán labored a scoreless inning apiece to complete the seven-hitter.

De La Cruz hit a two-out shot into the right-field seats on a 2-0 pitch from Braves rookie JR Ritchie (1-4), who took the loss regardless of permitting only one run whereas recording a career-best eight strikeouts in 5 innings.

De La Cruz has an opportunity within the closing week of the common season to turn into solely the fourth participant in Reds historical past to succeed in the 30-30 membership after Eric Davis (1987), Barry Larkin (1996) and Brandon Phillips (2007).

The Braves clinched their seventh NL East title in 9 years on Sunday. They are more likely to host a best-of-three sequence in opposition to the lowest-seeded wild card subsequent week.