Designated hitter Austin Meadows hit a home run for three touchdowns and the Tampa Bay Rays secured a postseason berth by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1. Tampa Bay’s victory secured its third straight trip to the postseason. The Rays, leaders of the AL East Division (94-59), defending champions of that league, earned their third consecutive trip to the postseason and seventh since 2008.
Toronto (85-67) tied for the American League’s second wild-card spot with the Yankees, who played later Wednesday. The Blue Jays lost two of three to Tampa Bay and are 16-5 in September. Meadows (26) hit a full return in the third inning leading two runners ahead.
On the mound the victory was credited to the relief JT Chargois (6-1) in one episode, while for the Blue Jays the defeated was the relief player Ross Stripling (5-7) in one and a third inning.
Hit by a pitch two days after picking up a scouting report from Toronto, Rays ranger Kevin Kiermaier hopes to see the Blue Jays in the playoffs. Relief Ryan Borucki was ejected, prompting Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo and pitching coach Pete Walker out of the dugout to argue. Walker was also sent off and there were no incidents between the players. On Monday, Kiermaier picked up a scout card that fell from Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk’s wristband during a play at the plate and refused to return it. Cash apologized to the Blue Jays organization Tuesday and Montoyo said the issue was “water under the bridge.”
McCutchen hits a home run and the Phillies continue to fight to win the Division
Ranger Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run to keep the Philadelphia phillies in competition for the NL East Division after defeating the Baltimore Orioles 4-3. The Phillies won two of three against the Orioles, who have 104 losses, and now end their seven-game home streak with four against the Pirates, who have 94 losses. Philadelphia started the day three games behind the Braves for first place in the division. The Atlantans play the Diamondbacks on Wednesday and will finish a four-game series against that ninth on Thursday. The NL East could be decided when the Phillies play Atlanta next week in a three-game series.
The victory was credited by the Venezuelan relay José Alvarado (7-1) in a third of the episode. For the Orioles the defeat fell to the relay Conner Greene (1-2) in two-thirds of the inning.
Torres drives in the victory of the Yankees, who chase the wild card
Venezuelan second baseman Gleyber Torres doubled and drove in the tiebreaker run in the eighth inning, Dominican catcher Gary Sánchez followed with a two-run home run and the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 7-3.
The Yankees’ wild card chase brings them to Fenway Park for three games starting Friday, followed by three in Toronto and a season-ending three-game home streak against the Tampa Bay Rays. New York is half a game ahead of Toronto for the second and final AL wild card after the Blue Jays lost 1-7 to the Rays, who clinched a playoff spot. The Red Sox were 2.0 games ahead of the Yankees when they began play on Wednesday.
With their victory, the Yankees got a three-game sweep. Torres, who hit 1 of 3, drove in the difference run and stepped on the buzzer twice, while Sánchez (23) took the ball out of the field in the eighth inning against relay streamer Spencer Patton, with a teammate on the way. and two outs at the entrance.
The victory was credited to the relief Chad Green (9-7) in a third of entry. For the Rangers, the loss went to Patton (1-2) in two-thirds of the inning.
Goldschmidt, O’Neill hit Brewers with home runs
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt and ranger Tyler O’Neill each hit home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2. The Cardinals improved their season record to 82-69, while the Brewers saw it drop to 91-61. Goldschmidt (27) hit a full return in the eighth, with a runner on base. O’Neill (29) blew up the fence in the first episode, also with a man in circulation. The victory over the mound was credited to starter Miles Mikolas (2-2) in seven innings.
For the Brewers, Venezuelan ranger Avisail García (29) also blew the baton in the seventh inning when he found Mikolas’s pitches, with no runners ahead or outs in the inning. The loss was charged by starter Brett Anderson (4-9) in one 1/3 innings.
Schwarber hits two home runs and the Red Sox can still win the wild card
First baseman Kyle Schwarber hit a pair of home runs and finished with four RBIs and starter Chris Sale worked five innings for the Boston Red Sox, who beat the New York Mets 12-5. With their victory, the Red Sox improved their record to 88-65. Boston’s have not lost since losing the opener of a three-game series in Seattle on Sept. 13. The winning streak has lifted Boston from fourth place in the American League East Division (percentage points out of playoff position) to second and first place wild card in the American League, with a 2.0 game lead over the American League. Yankees. For the Red Sox it was their seventh consecutive victory.
Schwarber (31) hit full return twice, initiating the penalty against the Mets in the first inning, with no running backs ahead. In the second inning he bounced the ball off the field again, taking two men into circulation. His two homers were hit against starter Taijuan Walker.
On the mound the win was credited to Sale (5-0) in five full innings, while the Mets lost to Walker (7-11) in two innings.
Hilliard, Roger hit home runs in Rockies win
Ranger Sam Hilliard hit a three-run home run and second baseman Brendan Roger added a solo for the Colorado Rockies, who beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-5. Hilliard (12) bounced the ball off the field in the seventh inning leading two runners on the trails, while Rodgers (15) did so in the fourth inning, solo. On the mound the victory was credited by the relief Robert Stephenson (2-1) in the work of an episode.
Venezuelan starter Germán Márquez worked four innings and went without a decision, but in his work with the batter he hit the batter once in two trips and drove in two runs. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Marquez doubled to deep between right and center fields and sent first baseman CJ Cron and third baseman Ryan McMahon to the ring.
For the Dodgers, the defeated reliever Justin Bruihl (0-1) in a third of the inning.
Seager and France hit home runs as Mariners close to wild card
Second baseman Kyle Seager and first baseman Ty France each hit home runs for the Seattle Mariners, who beat the Oakland Athletics 4-1. With their win, their fourth in a row, the Mariners improved their chances of going to the postseason. Seattle moved within 2.5 games of the Yankees for the second AL wild card. Oakland fell 3.5 games behind New York.
Seager (35) bounced the ball off the field in the fourth inning, with no people in the way, while France (17) did so in the fifth inning, also alone.
The victory went to starter Chris Flexen (13-6) in seven innings. For the Athletics the loss was carried by starter Cole Irvin (10-14) in five innings.