the associated press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals assured themselves of hosting the NL wild-card game by holding on to beat the already-eliminated Cleveland Indians 10-7 Saturday with the help of a grand slam in a nine-run second inning from Gerardo Parra.
Nationals Park will be the site of a win-or-go-home game Tuesday night between Washington, which will send three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to the mound, and either the St. Louis Cardinals or Milwaukee Brewers. One of those clubs will be the NL Central champion; the other will be the league’s second wild-card entry.
Washington starter Patrick Corbin got hit around, giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings — on three homers. Daniel Hudson (3-0), the fifth of six Washington pitchers, struck out two in a perfect eighth.
Cleveland’s Adam Plutko (7-5) lasted 1 1/3 innings and was charged with eight runs and seven hits.
Jordan Luplow hit a solo homer, Franmil Reyes had a two-run drive and Eric Haase added a three-run shot for the Indians, who have lost four in a row. Luplow added another drive to left off Sean Doolittle with two outs in the ninth that allowed Cleveland to break the franchise record for homers in a season with 222.
DODGERS 2, GIANTS 0
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched seven sharp innings and Los Angeles posted its 105th win to match the highest total in franchise history.
The NL West champions won their sixth straight and tied the win mark of the 1953 “Boys of Summer” team based in Brooklyn that included Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider and other Hall of Famers.
CUBS 8, CARDINALS 6
ST. LOUIS (AP) —St. Louis’ push for a division title will go down to the final day of the regular season following a loss to Chicago.
Adam Wainwright (14-10) allowed four homers for the first time in his career, but the Cardinals maintained a one-game lead over Milwaukee for the NL Central lead when the Brewers lost 3-2 in 10 innings at Colorado. If the teams are tied after Sunday’s regular season finales, they will play a tiebreaking Game 163 in St. Louis on Monday.
ROCKIES 3, BREWERS 2, 10 innings
DENVER (AP) — Milwaukee closer Josh Hader gave up a tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning and the Brewers lost to Colorado in 10 innings, preventing them from catching St. Louis atop the NL Central.
The Brewers will go into Sunday’s regular-season finale one game behind the Cardinals, who lost 8-6 to the Chicago Cubs. If the Cards and Brewers wind up tied, there would be a one-game tiebreaker Monday in St. Louis for the division title.
If the Brewers don’t overtake the Cardinals, they will play at Washington on Tuesday night in the NL wild-card game.
ATHLETICS 1, MARINERS 0
SEATTLE (AP) — Ramon Laureano hit a solo home run in the third inning and Oakland beat Seattle to clinch home-field advantage for the American League wild-card game.
The A’s will host the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night. Tampa Bay lost 4-1 at Toronto earlier Saturday. Oakland has won three of its last four games and is 18-7 in September.
ASTROS 6, ANGELS 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Justin Verlander recorded two strikeout milestones, getting his 3,000th in the majors and career-high 300th of the season, and Houston clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
Jose Altuve and Josh Reddick homered to back Verlander (21-6), who became the 18th pitcher to reach 3,000 career punchouts and the 19th since 1900 to reach 300 in a season.
Verlander struck out 12 in six innings while allowing three runs and four hits.
BLUE JAYS 4, RAYS 1
TORONTO (AP) — Tampa Bay managed just three hits and lost to Toronto, damaging the Rays’ chances of hosting the AL Wild Card Game.
Matt Duffy homered in the seventh inning for Tampa Bay. Duffy finished with two hits and Tommy Pham singled for the team’s other hit.
METS 3, BRAVES 0
NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso hit his 53rd home run to break the rookie record Yankees star Aaron Judge set in 2017, and New York beat playoff-bound Atlanta.
Alonso has already set franchise records for homers, total bases (347) and extra-base hits (85). He has 120 RBIs and 102 runs, becoming the first Mets rookie to reach triple digits in both categories. The home run was his 11th of September.
TWINS 4, ROYALS 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —Minnesota lost third baseman Luis Arraez to an apparent right leg injury in the seventh inning of a win over Kansas City.
Arraez collided with first baseman Willians Astudillo while chasing Hunter Dozier’s pop fly at the mound. Astudillo caught the ball and Arraez grabbed the back of his right leg as he tumbled to the ground. Arraez had to be carted off the field.
ORIOLES 9, RED SOX 4
BOSTON (AP) — Renato Núñez homered in his second straight game and was one of four Baltimore players to go deep in a win over Boston.
DJ Stewart, Richie Martin and Trey Mancini also homered for Baltimore, which won its 54th game of the season and has a chance to close out a dismal year with a three-game sweep of the defending World Series champion Red Sox.
Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez homered for the Red Sox, who lost their third straight.
doubleheader
WHITE SOX 7, TIGERS 1,
TIGERS 4, WHITE SOX 3,
CHICAGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter John Hicks connected for a three-run homer in the ninth inning, and Detroit beat Chicago for a doubleheader split.
Detroit was down 2-1 when Ronny Rodriguez reached on an error on shortstop Tim Anderson leading off the ninth. One out later, Travis Demeritte singled to put runners on the corners.
Hicks, batting for catcher Jake Rogers, then drove a 1-2 pitch from Alex Colomé (4-5) deep to left for his 13th homer.
In the first game, Reynaldo López tossed five-hit ball into the ninth inning to lead Chicago.
Eloy Jiménez and Danny Mendick went deep for the White Sox.
PHILLIES 9, MARLINS 3
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper hit one of three Philadelphia home runs, and Zach Eflin pitched 7 2/3 strong innings in a win over Miami.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, PADRES 5
PHOENIX (AP) — Christian Walker hit his first career grand slam and added a solo shot to lead Arizona over San Diego.
Walker continued a breakout season with his 28th and 29th homers.
RANGERS 9, YANKEES 4
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Luis Severino was erratic in his third and final start of the regular season, with four walks and a throwing error over three innings, and the AL East champion New York Yankees lost to Texas.
Rougned Odor had a career-high six RBIs for the Rangers, including his 30th homer that was a grand slam in the sixth to make it 8-1.
Severino (1-1) will go into the playoffs having pitched only 12 innings for the Yankees this season after recovering from a lat injury that had sidelined him since spring training.
REDS 4, PIRATES 2,
12 INNINGS
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jose Iglesias doubled home the winning run in the 12th inning, relief pitcher R.J. Alaniz got his first career hit and victory, and Cincinnati outlasted Pittsburgh.
Iglesias’ two-out liner to center snapped a 2-2 tie and came after the Pirates turned a double play. The hit scored Kyle Farmer, who led off with a single against Alex McRae (0-4).
Alaniz (1-0) singled in Iglesias with an insurance run in his first major league plate appearance and also pitched two scoreless innings.