AL wild-card roundup: Blue Jays fall three video games again

The White Sox maintain the tiebreaker over the Blue Jays, which means Toronto wants 4 extra wins than Chicago over the ultimate seven video games to overhaul them.

Moreover, the Rangers overtook the Houston Astros for the highest spot within the AL West with the win, which means the Astros at the moment are one sport forward of the Blue Jays in pursuit of the White Sox.

Toronto entered play Saturday with 4.6 per cent FanGraphs playoff odds. They’ll be slimmer now.

Here is the place the standings sit after Saturday’s video games:

Cleveland: vs. Athletics, 1:40 p.m., Sportsnet+
Chicago White Sox: vs. Detroit, 2:10 p.m.
Houston: vs. Atlanta, 2:10 p.m.
Toronto: at Texas, 2:35 p.m., Sportsnet, Sportsnet+
Baltimore: vs. Brewers, 7:20 p.m.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Five relievers held Toronto to 6 hits after Cal Quantrill left 12 pitches in due to proper lat tightness, and the Rangers moved into sole possession of the AL West lead for the primary time since late August with a win over the Blue Jays.

Texas (78-77) has received six of seven and moved a half-game forward of Houston (77-78), which holds the tiebreaker. The Rangers have a profitable document for the primary time since earlier than play on Aug. 11.

Jordan Montgomery (1-0) received his first win since Aug. 14, 2024, pitching 3.2 hitless innings. He returned from Tommy John surgical procedure this previous Aug. 9.

Davis Schneider hit a pinch-homer for the AL champion Blue Jays (76-79), who’ve misplaced eight of 12. They path the Chicago White Sox by three video games for the AL’s remaining wild card.

CHICAGO — Sean Burke pitched six efficient innings, Miguel Vargas homered and the Chicago White Sox topped the Detroit Tigers 3-1 on Saturday for a sorely wanted victory.

Chicago dropped into second within the AL Central after it blew a six-run lead in an 11-8 loss to Detroit on Friday evening. Heading into Saturday’s motion, the White Sox have been one sport behind Cleveland within the division and third within the wild-card standings, one sport higher than Texas.

The White Sox (79-76) dropped no less than 101 video games in every of the final three years. They may turn out to be the primary massive league group to make the playoffs after ending with no less than 100 losses in every of the earlier two seasons.

Burke (10-7) allowed one run and 5 hits in his second straight win. Grant Taylor received 4 outs for his tenth save.

HOUSTON — Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a go-ahead grand slam within the seventh inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat Houston 6-3 Saturday evening to drop the Astros out of the AL West lead.

Houston (77-78) fell one sport behind Texas (78-77) and trails the Chicago White Sox (79-76) by two video games for the final AL wild card. The Astros had held no less than a share of the division lead every day since Aug. 25.

Atlanta assured its eighth playoff berth in 9 seasons on Friday and is in place to clinch its first NL East title since 2023 on Sunday.

Trailing 2-1, Atlanta loaded the bases towards AJ Blubaugh (5-3) and Acuña homered off Bryan Abreu for his second grand slam this season and the fifth of his massive league profession.

Acuña singled and walked twice in his first three plate appearances. He has homered in three of his final 4 video games.

Mike Yastrzemski added a solo homer within the eighth inning.

Grant Holmes (10-5) allowed two runs and eight hits over six innings.

Yainer Diaz hit an RBI double within the eighth off Dylan Lee, who struck out pinch-hitter Nelson Velázquez to finish the inning.

Raisel Iglesias pitched an ideal ninth inning for his thirty fourth save in 37 possibilities.

Jose Altuve had three hits for Houston, whereas Isaac Paredes was 2 for 3 with a house run, stroll and two RBIs.

Christian Walker had two hits after coming into the sport hitless in his earlier 23 at-bats.

Hayden Wesneski allowed one run on 4 hits over 5.1 innings.

GUARDIANS 12, ATHLETICS 6

CLEVELAND — Angel Martínez homered from either side of the plate as a part of his second profession four-hit sport, Chase DeLauter had a three-run homer, and Cleveland remained in first place within the AL Central with a victory over the Athletics.

It is the second time this month a Guardians’ hitter has homered from either side of the plate. Brayan Rocchio did it on Sept. 4 towards Detroit.

Martínez, who additionally drove in 4 runs, had a two-run homer throughout a five-run first inning and a solo shot within the fourth because the Guardians received their fourth straight. Cleveland (80-75) has a one-game lead over the Chicago White Sox, who defeated Detroit 3-1.

The Guardians additionally scored 5 runs within the third on the energy of 4 doubles, together with David Fry’s two-run line drive.

Cleveland had 5 gamers with no less than two hits. Slade Cecconi (5-7) labored the final two innings to get the win.

BALTIMORE — The Milwaukee Brewers tied a group document with their 97th win of the season, beating Baltimore with the assistance of a fly ball misplaced within the solar by Orioles proper fielder Rece Hinds.

Already assured of their fourth straight NL Central title and eighth playoff berth in 9 season, the massive league-best Brewers (97-58) matched the wins whole of final 12 months’s group that completed 97-65.

Baltimore (75-80) fell 4 video games behind the Chicago White Sox for the AL’s final wild card with seven to play.

Robert Gasser (5-5) allowed three hits over seven innings, Abner Uribe labored round a leadoff single within the eighth, and Aaron Ashby pitched an ideal ninth for his third save, ending the Brewers’ eleventh shutout this season and first 1-0 win.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Richie Palacios dropped a fly ball into shallow proper within the ninth inning to attain Junior Caminero and provides Tampa Bay a victory over Boston.

Tampa Bay, which has three walk-off wins on its present homestand, lowered its magic quantity to clinch the AL East to 5 video games. The second-place Yankees are in Arizona on Saturday evening.

Prior to Palacios’ single, the Rays have been 0 for 17 with runners in scoring place over the primary two video games of the sequence. The post-season-bound Rays, who’ve received seven of their final eight, capitalized on two fortuitous bounces within the ninth.

First, Caminero’s foul popup bounced off the Tropicana Field catwalk and out of the attain of third baseman Caleb Durbin. Caminero then lined the subsequent pitch from Garrett Whitlock (7-2) into left. Three batters later, after Chandler Simpson singled, Connor Wong’s handed ball moved Caminero to 3rd.

The Red Sox squandered a major alternative within the high of the ninth.

NEW YORK — Carson Benge had three hits to interrupt Pete Alonso’s Mets season rookie document, homering together with Francisco Alvarez as New York once more prevented Philadelphia from gaining floor within the NL wild card race with a win Saturday.

Benge raised his hits whole to 156, yet another than Pete Alonso in 2019.

Alec Bohm had a pair of run-scoring singles and Bryce Harper delivered a sacrifice fly for the Phillies (85-70), who entered Saturday tied with the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres for the three NL wild playing cards, 5 video games forward of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Alvarez’s three-run homer off Andrew Painter (3-10) put the Mets forward for good within the fifth.

Benge doffed his cap to an ovation from the group of 37,468 following the record-breaking hit, an RBI infield single within the eighth.

Painter and Mets starter Christian Scott each attended Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Scott was within the class of 2018 and Painter within the class of 2021.

Painter allowed 4 runs and 4 hits with seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings, leaving him with a 5.59 ERA.

CINCINNATI — Matthew Boyd ended a six-start winless streak, Dansby Swanson hit his first dwelling run since coming off the injured record and Chicago moved nearer to their second straight playoff berth by beating Cincinnati.

Michael Busch hit a tiebreaking dwelling run off Nick Lodolo (3-6) within the sixth inning for a 3-2 lead, reaching 20 homers for the third time in 4 seasons.

Swanson added a ninth-inning drive towards Zach McCambley, Swanson’s dwelling run and first since Aug. 12. Swanson returned Friday from a strained left indirect that had sidelined him since Aug. 16.

Chicago (86-69), which leads the main leagues with 214 dwelling runs, started the day tied with Philadelphia and San Diego for the three NL wild playing cards.

Boyd (9-5) had been been 0-4 since beating Kansas City on Aug. 9. He allowed two runs — one earned — and two hits in 5 innings as a part of a four-hitter.

Lodolo gave up three runs and 6 hits in seven innings for the Reds, who’ve misplaced 9 of 12.

PITTSBURGH — Brandon Lowe hit a go-ahead two-run homer within the eighth to elevate Pittsburgh to a victory over Kansas City.

Lowe jumped on a pitch from Steven Cruz (2-4) and despatched it into the seats in proper subject for his thirty third homer of the season, the second-most by a participant of their first 12 months with the Pirates. The two-time All-Star was acquired by Pittsburgh final winter.

The dwelling run was additionally the 96th at PNC Park this 12 months for the Pirates, a membership document for many homers at dwelling in a season. The 1947 membership hit 95 round-trippers when the group referred to as Forbes Field dwelling.

Pittsburgh rookie outfielder Ronnie Simon hit his first profession homer. Jake Mangum added his fifth of the season because the Pirates received their third straight to enhance to 78-77. The franchise is in search of its first profitable season since 2018.

Lowe, Rafael Flores and Oneil Cruz had two hits every for the Pirates. Luke Weaver (3-1) picked up the win by pitching a scoreless eighth. Mason Montgomery labored the ninth for his fifteenth save. Montgomery hasn’t allowed a run in 22.2 innings, the second-longest streak ever by a Pittsburgh reliever.