MLB News

Former Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield dies at 57

Former Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield dies at 57

Tim Wakefield, a two-time World Series champion who was known for his use of the knuckleball, died on Sunday following his bout with brain cancer. He was 57.

Wakefield spent 17 of his 19 major league seasons with Boston. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2016.

"Tim's kindness and indomitable spirit were as legendary as his knuckleball," Red Sox owner John Henry said in a statement. "He not only captivated us on the field but was the rare athlete whose legacy extended beyond the record books to the countless lives he touched with his warmth and genuine spirit. He had a remarkable ability to uplift, inspire, and connect with others in a way that showed us the true definition of greatness. He embodied the very best of what it means to be a member of the Boston Red Sox and his loss is felt deeply by all of us."

Wakefield was selected to the All-Star Game in 2009 and won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2010 for combining good play with strong work in the community.

"It's one thing to be an outstanding athlete; it's another to be an extraordinary human being. Tim was both," Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said. "He was a role model on and off the field, giving endlessly to the Red Sox Foundation and being a force for good for everyone he encountered. I felt fortunate to call him a close friend and along with all of us in Red Sox Nation, I know the world was made better because he was in it."

Wakefield posted a 14-12 record with a 4.17 ERA in his first two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1992-93) before climbing to third in career wins in Red Sox franchise history. The right-hander had a record of 186-168 with a 4.43 ERA in 590 games (430 starts) with Boston. He is second in Red Sox history in innings pitched (3,006), second in strikeouts (2,046) and third in games pitched (590).

The native of Melbourne, Fla., won the World Series with the 2004 and 2007 Boston teams.

"Our hearts are broken with the loss of Tim Wakefield," the Red Sox wrote on Twitter.

"Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation.

"Our deepest love and thoughts are with Stacy, Trevor, Brianna, and the Wakefield family."

Braves place RHP Jackson Stephens (elbow) on injured list

Braves place RHP Jackson Stephens (elbow) on injured list

The Atlanta Braves on Sunday placed right-hander Jackson Stephens on the 15-day injured list and recalled left-hander Dylan Dodd from Triple-A Gwinnett, with Dodd starting the regular-season finale against the Washington Nationals.

Stephens, who pitched two scoreless innings Friday against Washington, has inflammation in his right elbow. The move was retroactive to Saturday, with Stephens not eligible to return until mid-October if the Braves are able to advance to the World Series.

Stephens, 29, has pitched 12 innings for Atlanta and has a 3.00 ERA with five walks and 11 strikeouts in five appearances.

Dodd, 25, made his major league debut on April 4. He entered Sunday with a 2-2 record and 7.62 ERA, 11 walks and 14 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings over six games (all starts).

The Braves won their sixth straight National League East Division title and start their postseason in the NL Division Series, which begins on Oct. 7.

Buck Showalter will not return as Mets manager in 2024

Buck Showalter will not return as Mets manager in 2024

Manager Buck Showalter told reporters Sunday that he is not returning to manage the New York Mets next season.

Showalter announced the decision prior to the Mets' regular-season finale against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. He will manage the game for New York, which entered Sunday's contest with a 74-86 record to reside in fourth place in the National League East.

Mets owner Steve Cohen confirmed that the team is "heading in a new direction" shortly after Showalter's announcement.

"We let Buck know we'll be parting ways. We will begin the search for a new manager immediately," Cohen said. "Buck is a generational manager, and we value what he has done for our team, including leading us to a 101-win season and postseason berth last year. The commitment and heart that Buck brings to the game will be felt by our organization for years to come. We wish Buck all the best in the next chapter of his career."

The Mets are prepared to introduce new president of baseball operations David Stearns on Monday.

Showalter was named the 2022 Manager of the Year, becoming the first man to win the honor four times with four different teams (New York Yankees in 1994, Texas Rangers in 2004, Baltimore Orioles in 2014). He joined Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa as the only four-time winners of the award in history.

Showalter, 67, posted a 175-147 record in his two seasons with the Mets.

"I was honored to get a chance to manage a second New York team. I'm proud of what the Mets did," Showalter said. "We won close to 180 games in two years. Especially last year, as much fun as I've ever had in the game. It reminded me of why I always loved this kind of work."

Showalter owns a 1,726-1,664 record in his managerial career with the Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Rangers, Orioles and Mets.

Twins reinstate RHP Jorge Alcala from rehab assignment

Twins reinstate RHP Jorge Alcala from rehab assignment

The Minnesota Twins announced Sunday that they have reinstated right-handed pitcher Jorge Alcala from his rebab assignment.

To make room, the Twins put left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel on the 15-day injured list because of a right calf strain.

The Twins also designated outfielder Gilberto Celestino for release or assignment.

Alcala, coming off the 60-day IL and originally placed on the 15-day IL in May with a right forearm extensor muscle strain, appeared in five games on rehab assignment with three minor league clubs in September.

The 28-year-old allowed two runs on four hits in six innings pitched with one walk and 10 strikeouts over stints with Low-A Fort Myers, Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul.

In 10 major league appearances this season (none since May 14), Alcala notched a 6.46 ERA with 12 strikeouts and eight walks.

Keuchel, 35, has nine appearances with six starts this season, going 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA over 35 innings.

Celestino, 24, has a career batting average of .222 with four home runs and 27 RBIs in 370 at-bats.

MLB roundup: Astros, D-backs punch tickets to postseason

MLB roundup: Astros, D-backs punch tickets to postseason

Arizona and Houston each celebrated a postseason berth on Saturday night after the Astros defeated the Diamondbacks 1-0 in Phoenix.

Houston solidified a spot in the American League playoffs with the victory, clinching at least a wild-card spot. Arizona currently owns the third and final National League wild card thanks to the Cincinnati Reds' 15-6 loss against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Saturday's contest was a pitchers' duel between Houston's Justin Verlander and Arizona's Merrill Kelly until Verlander was relieved by Phil Maton to start the Diamondbacks' half of the sixth inning.

Verlander (13-8) allowed two hits in five scoreless innings, while Kelly (12-8) went seven innings and allowed five hits and one run. Jose Abreu provided the game's lone run with an RBI double.

Marlins 7, Pirates 3

Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered and added an RBI single for visiting Miami, which beat Pittsburgh to clinch an NL wild-card spot.

Josh Bell added a two-run double and sacrifice fly, and Bryan De La Cruz an RBI single for the Marlins.

Endy Rodriguez and Bryan Reynolds each hit an RBI single for the Pirates.

Rangers 6, Mariners 1

Andrew Heaney came out of the bullpen to make a spot start, pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings as Texas clinched a postseason berth with a victory against host Seattle.

Jonah Heim drove in three runs for the Rangers, who guaranteed themselves at least one of the three AL wild-card spots. Texas is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Eugenio Suarez homered for the Mariners, who were eliminated from the playoff race when Houston beat Arizona later Saturday night.

Braves 5, Nationals 3

Right-hander Spencer Strider set the franchise record for most strikeouts in a season, Marcell Ozuna hit a go-ahead, three-run homer and the Braves beat visiting Washington.

Strider (20-5), who now has 281 strikeouts on the season, fanned seven batters in five innings to break the Braves' modern-era, single-season strikeout record of 276 set by John Smoltz in 1996. Strider gave up three runs on six hits with three walks while throwing 94 pitches.

Washington jumped on Strider for three runs on four hits in the first inning. CJ Abrams singled to begin the game, stole second base and scored on Keibert Ruiz's one-out double. Joey Meneses followed with an RBI single and scored on Luis Garcia's double.

Tigers 8, Guardians 0

Andy Ibanez, Akil Baddoo and Carson Kelly drove in two runs apiece and host Detroit rolled past Cleveland in the second-to-last game of retiring slugger Miguel Cabrera's career.

The Tigers, who moved a game ahead of the Guardians into second place in the AL Central, used seven pitchers for their 15th shutout this season. Cabrera went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run.

Beau Brieske (2-3), who pitched 2 1/3 innings, was credited with the victory. Starting pitcher Triston McKenzie (0-3) gave up one run and three hits in 4 1/3 innings for the Guardians.

Rays 7, Blue Jays 5 (10 innings)

Taylor Walls hit a tiebreaking two-run single in a three-run 10th inning and visiting Tampa Bay defeated Toronto.

The Blue Jays could have clinched a playoff spot with a win.

The Rays already clinched the first AL wild-card spot before the three-game series with the Blue Jays. The teams have split the first two games.

Mets 4, Phillies 3 (Game 1)

Tylor Megill carried a shutout into the eighth inning as host New York withstood a late comeback attempt by Philadelphia to earn a victory in the opener of a doubleheader.

Edmundo Sosa had a run-scoring single in the eighth while Brandon Marsh (double) and Weston Wilson (single) each had RBIs in the ninth for the Phillies, who will be the top NL wild card when the playoffs begin next week.

Megill (9-8) surrendered one run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven over 7 1/3 innings. Brooks Raley got the final two outs of the eighth before Adam Ottavino notched his 12th save despite giving up the ninth-inning runs.

Yankees 5, Royals 2

New York rallied for five unanswered runs in beating host Kansas City, giving Frankie Montas a win in his season debut.

Estevan Florial delivered a go-ahead single with two outs in the sixth, breaking a 2-all tie, before Gleyber Torres' bases-loaded, two-run single capped the decisive three-run inning. Montas (1-0), who had right shoulder surgery at the beginning of spring training, recorded four outs while allowing two hits and a walk with one strikeout.

The Yankees sealed their 31st consecutive winning season, the second-longest stretch in major league history behind their own 39-season winning streak from 1926 to 1964. Kansas City (55-106) matched its franchise record for most losses in a season, set in 2005.

Cubs 10, Brewers 6

Yan Gomes hit a first-inning grand slam and had five RBIs as visiting Chicago overcame blowing an early six-run lead to snap its nine-game road losing streak with a win over Milwaukee.

Gomes' slam highlighted a six-run first, and he also had an RBI groundout for the Cubs, who lost that 6-0 lead after two innings.

Meanwhile, Willy Adames had three hits and William Contreras added two to extend his hitting streak to 17 games for Milwaukee. Blake Perkins and Carlos Santana homered for the NL Central-champion Brewers, who had won three straight games.

Padres 6, White Sox 1

Michael Wacha pitched seven scoreless innings in his final start of the season and Jurickson Profar notched a season-high four RBIs as San Diego cruised to a win over host Chicago.

Ji Man Choi and Juan Soto added one RBI apiece for San Diego, which won its fourth straight game. Wacha (14-4) scattered three hits, walked one and struck out seven to notch his third victory in a row.

Lenyn Sosa hit a solo homer to provide the lone run for Chicago, which reached triple digits in losses for only the fifth time in franchise history.

Orioles 5, Red Sox 2

Anthony Santander's two-run single capped a three-run eighth inning and Baltimore beat visiting Boston.

Kyle Gibson blanked Boston for five innings while allowing seven hits. Baltimore led 2-1 going to the bottom of the eighth. Reliever Bruce Zimmermann (2-0) pitched two innings for the win.

Adam Duvall had a triple and a single for the Red Sox. Boston starter Kutter Crawford tossed six innings of one-hit ball, striking out seven batters without a walk.

Cardinals 15, Reds 6

Lars Nootbaar hit a three-run homer and Jose Fermin drove in three runs as host St. Louis routed Cincinnati to eliminate the Reds from the NL wild-card race.

Jordan Walker, Ivan Herrera, Luken Baker and Masyn Winn each drove in two runs for the Cardinals, who snapped a three-game skid.

Noelvi Marte hit a homer and a two-run double for the Reds, who fell short of the third NL wild-card berth by losing six of their past nine games. Cincinnati starter Connor Phillips (1-1) faced just three batters and walked each of them on four pitches.

Mets 11, Phillies 4 (Game 2)

Francisco Alvarez homered twice and finished with six RBIs for host New York, which completed a doubleheader sweep by beating Philadelphia.

The Mets improved to 13-13 this month. The Phillies have lost three straight games since a seven-game winning streak.

Kyle Schwarber, who hit his 47th homer of the season, and Johan Rojas had two hits apiece for Philadelphia.

Twins 14, Rockies 6

Trevor Larnach hit a grand slam, Edouard Julien homered among his three hits and Minnesota clobbered Colorado in Denver.

Matt Wallner homered and doubled, Max Kepler also went deep and Christian Vazquez had two hits for Minnesota. Chris Paddack (1-0) pitched three innings for his first win since May 2, 2022.

Brenton Doyle and Sean Bouchard homered and each had two hits, Elehuris Montero also homered and Nolan Jones and Alan Trejo had two hits apiece for Colorado. Karl Kauffmann (2-5) allowed eight runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Giants 2, Dodgers 1

Rookie Tristan Beck won a pitchers' duel against Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Fitzgerald homered and San Francisco denied visiting Los Angeles its 100th win of the season for at least one more day.

In presenting interim manager Kai Correa with his first major league win, the Giants scored the go-ahead run on a Max Muncy error in the sixth inning.

Making his final start before the upcoming playoffs, Kershaw (13-5) worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits. He walked two and struck out five.

Athletics 7, Angels 3

Shea Langeliers hit a three-run homer to break a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning and rookie Joe Boyle took a no-hitter into the seventh as Oakland rallied to beat Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.

Zack Gelof had three hits and three RBIs for Oakland (50-111), which has the most losses in a single season since the Detroit Tigers recorded 114 in 2019.

Boyle (2-0) faced the minimum through six innings in his third major league start. Brandon Drury broke up the no-hit bid with one out in the seventh with a double to right field before Mike Moustakas tied things at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly.

Joe Boyle flirts with no-hitter as A's rally past Angels

Joe Boyle flirts with no-hitter as A's rally past Angels

Shea Langeliers hit a three-run homer to break a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning and rookie Joe Boyle took a no-hitter into the seventh as the Oakland Athletics rallied to beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif.

Zack Gelof had three hits and three RBIs for Oakland (50-111), which has the most losses in a single season since the Detroit Tigers recorded 114 back in 2019.

Gelof provided the A's with a 1-0 lead when he went deep off Los Angeles opener Andrew Wantz with one out in the first. It was Gelof's 14th homer of the season.

Boyle (2-0) faced the minimum through six innings in his third major league start. Brandon Drury broke up the no-hit bid with one out in the seventh with a double to right field before Mike Moustakas tied things at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly.

Logan O'Hoppe then blasted his 14th homer of the year, a two-run shot, to give the Angels a 3-1 lead.

The A's staged their own rally to tie the game in the top of the eighth after Angels reliever Ben Joyce loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Gelof followed with an RBI single to right.

Jose Soriano came on for Joyce (1-1) but balked in the tying run, and after striking out the next two hitters, served up the three-run homer to Langeliers -- his 22nd long ball of the season -- for a 6-3 Oakland lead.

Gelof's RBI single in the ninth capped the scoring.

Boyle ended up going seven innings, allowing three runs on two hits. He walked two and fanned six.

Left-hander Kenny Rosenberg pitched five scoreless innings of one-hit ball, striking out six, in relief of Wantz.

Oakland's Esteury Ruiz stole second in the eighth to tie the American League record for steals by a rookie, matching Kenny Lofton's 1992 mark of 66.

Nolan Schanuel drew a walk in the seventh, extending his on-base streak to start a career to 29 games, matching Enos Slaughter for the third longest such streak. Slaughter went on his run in 1938.

Twins blast four homers in 14-6 win over Rockies

Twins blast four homers in 14-6 win over Rockies

Trevor Larnach hit a grand slam, Edouard Julien homered among his three hits, and the visiting Minnesota Twins beat the Colorado Rockies 14-6 in Denver on Saturday night.

Matt Wallner homered and doubled, Max Kepler also went deep and Christian Vazquez had two hits for Minnesota (87-74). Chris Paddack (1-0) pitched three innings for his first win since May 2, 2022.

Brenton Doyle and Sean Bouchard homered and had two hits each, Elehuris Montero also homered, and Nolan Jones and Alan Trejo had two hits each for Colorado (58-103).

Donovan Solano led off the second with a single off Karl Kauffmann and scored on Wallner's double to left. One out later Vazquez singled up the middle to make it 2-0.

Minnesota blew it open in the third inning. Alex Kirilloff hit a ground-rule double, Kauffmann hit Solano and walked Wallner to load the bases. Larnach followed with his first career grand slam to make it 6-0.

It was his eighth home run of the season and second in as many nights.

The Twins extended their lead in the sixth inning. With one out Vazquez singled and Michael A. Taylor walked, ending Kauffmann's night. Julien greeted Tommy Doyle with a run-scoring double and Taylor scored on a wild pitch.

Willi Castro walked to put runners on the corners, Doyle struck out Kirilloff for the second out and Kepler homered to left field to make it 11-0. It was his 24th of the season.

Kauffmann (2-5) allowed eight runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Minnesota added on in the seventh. Wallner led off with a homer, his 14th, Taylor walked and Julien hit his 16th homer to center field.

Colorado broke the shutout when Montero and Bouchard homered on consecutive pitches in the seventh. It was Montero's 11th of the season and Bouchard's third. Trejo was hit by a pitch and Doyle homered to left, his 10th.

The Rockies loaded the bases in the eighth. Montero scored on Doyle's single and Bouchard came home on a wild pitch.

Giants deny Dodgers 100th win of season

Giants deny Dodgers 100th win of season

Rookie Tristan Beck won a pitchers' duel against Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Fitzgerald homered and the San Francisco Giants denied the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers their 100th win of the season for at least one more day with a 2-1 victory on Saturday night.

In presenting interim manager Kai Correa with his first major league win, the Giants (79-82) scored the go-ahead run on a Max Muncy error in the sixth inning.

Making his final start before the upcoming playoffs, Kershaw (13-5) worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits. He walked two and struck out five.

The veteran hurt his own cause with inning-opening walks to Austin Slater and Luis Matos in the sixth with things tied at 1.

After a forceout at second for the first out, Kershaw appeared to pitch himself out of the jam by getting Wilmer Flores to send a routine grounder to Muncy at third. But in his haste to start an around-the-horn double play, Muncy never got a grip on the ball, allowing Slater to score from third.

The only other run off Kershaw was Fitzgerald's homer, a solo shot that opened the scoring in the third. It was the rookie's second homer in just nine big-league games, having connected off the Dodgers' Ryan Yarbrough when the clubs met in Los Angeles last week.

Meanwhile, making just his third major league start (33rd appearance), Beck limited the National League West champs to one run and six hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out three.

The Dodgers (99-62) tied the game against him in the fifth when David Peralta connected for a ground-rule double and, with two outs, Mookie Betts recorded his 107th RBI of the season with a single.

Ryan Walker (5-3), Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval threw the final four innings for the Giants, combining to allow just two hits. Doval was credited with his 39th save of the season after a one-hit ninth.

Peralta was the only player in the game with multiple hits with two. His double was one of just four extra-base hits in the contest, with Fitzgerald's homer and doubles by Muncy and Slater accounting for the other three.

Astros edge D-backs 1-0, clinch postseason berth

Astros edge D-backs 1-0, clinch postseason berth

Arizona and Houston each celebrated a postseason berth Saturday night after the Astros defeated the host Diamondbacks 1-0 in Phoenix.

Houston (89-72) solidified a spot in the American League playoffs with the victory, clinching a wild-card spot.

The Astros extend their postseason streak to seven years.

Arizona (84-77) earned the third and final National League wild card with the Cincinnati Reds' 15-6 loss at the St. Louis Cardinals.

Saturday's contest was a pitcher's duel between Houston's Justin Verlander and Arizona's Merrill Kelly until Verlander was relieved by Phil Maton to start the Diamondbacks' half of the sixth inning.

Verlander (13-8) allowed two hits with five strikeouts and three walks in five innings.

Kelly (12-8) recorded 93 pitches in his seven innings and allowed five hits to go with five strikeouts and two walks.

Jose Abreu's RBI double with one out in the top of the fourth inning scored Kyle Tucker, who walked before him and stole second, to give Houston the lone run in the game.

The Diamondbacks put a runner on base in each of the first four innings but failed to score, leaving five on base. Verlander retired the side in the fifth inning.

Arizona had a baserunner reach second base only once before the seventh inning.

Verlander walked Evan Longoria and Gabriel Moreno consecutively with two outs in the bottom of the second inning before Geraldo Perdomo flied out to right field.

The Diamondbacks loaded the bases in the seventh with one out.

Longoria reached on an infield single, Moreno singled and then Perdomo sacrificed the runners to second and third base before Corbin Carroll walked. Hector Neris relieved Kendall Graveman and struck out Ketel Marte and got Tommy Pham to ground out to end the threat.

Bryan Abreu pitched the ninth inning to earn his fifth save this season.

The Diamondbacks have scored one run in their two losses to Houston in the three-game series that concludes Sunday. They produced four hits Friday and five Saturday.

Cards squash Reds' playoff hopes with 15-6 drubbing

Cards squash Reds' playoff hopes with 15-6 drubbing

Lars Nootbaar hit a three-run homer and Jose Fermin drove in three runs as the host St. Louis Cardinals routed the Cincinnati Reds 15-6 on Saturday to eliminate them from the National League wild-card race.

Jordan Walker, Ivan Herrera, Luken Baker and Masyn Winn each drove in two runs for the Cardinals (70-91), who snapped a three-game skid.

St. Louis starting pitcher Drew Rom allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. Reliever Drew VerHagen (5-1) earned the victory.

Noelvi Marte hit a homer and a two-run double for the Reds (82-79), who fell short of the third NL wild-card berth by losing six of their past nine games.

Cincinnati starter Connor Phillips (1-1) faced three batters and walked each of them on four pitches. All three scored after Reds manager David Bell pulled Phillips from the game.

The Cardinals teed off on relievers Fernando Cruz (five runs on six hits in one inning) and Buck Farmer (two runs on two hits and a walk in one inning) while racing to a 10-0 lead in the first two frames.

After Phillips issued his walks, Walker and Herrera hit two-run doubles and Baker hit an RBI double to put the Cardinals up 5-0.

St. Louis scored five more runs in the second inning. Tommy Edman hit a leadoff single and went to third on Paul Goldschmidt's ground-rule double.

Nootbaar hit his three-run homer, then a double by Walker, a walk to Herrera and Fermin's two-run double made it 10-0.

In the third inning, Goldschmidt's RBI double pushed the Cardinals' lead to 11-0.

The Reds got one run back in the fourth inning on singles by Marte, TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz.

Then Cincinnati scored four runs in the fifth inning to cut its deficit to 11-5. Nick Senzel hit a homer, Spencer Steer hit a double, Christian Encarnacion-Strand walked, Tyler Stephenson had an RBI double and Marte ripped his two-run double.

Marte's seventh-inning homer cut the Cardinals' lead to 11-6.

The Cardinals expanded their advantage to 15-6 in the eighth inning on bases-loaded walks to Baker and Fermin and Winn's two-run single.

Spencer Strider sets strikeout record as Braves beat Nats

Spencer Strider sets strikeout record as Braves beat Nats

Atlanta right-hander Spencer Strider set the franchise record for most strikeouts in a season, Marcell Ozuna hit a go-ahead three-run homer, and the Braves beat the visiting Washington Nationals 5-3 on Saturday night.

Strider (20-5) struck out seven batters in five innings to break the Braves' modern-era, single-season strikeout record of 276 set by John Smoltz in 1996. He gave up three runs on six hits with three walks while throwing 94 pitches.

Pierce Johnson, Kirby Yates and A.J. Minter combined for three scoreless innings before Raisel Iglesias worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his 33rd save.

Ozuna hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the fifth inning for Atlanta (104-57), which has clinched the National League East and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Washington (70-91) jumped on Strider for three runs on four hits in the first inning. CJ Abrams singled to begin the game, stole second base and scored on Keibert Ruiz's one-out double. Joey Meneses followed with an RBI double and scored on Luis Garcia's single.

Abrams' stolen base was his 45th of the season, one shy of Trea Turner's single-season team record set in 2017.

Atlanta pushed a run across in the third inning against starter Joan Adon when Ronald Acuna Jr. drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on Austin Riley's one-out RBI single.

Acuna's stolen base set a Braves modern-era franchise record with 73 steals for the season, surpassing Otis Nixon's 72 in 1991.

The Braves moved ahead with four runs in the fifth inning. Acuna sparked the rally by extending his hitting streak to 14 games with a leadoff double and scoring on Ozzie Albies' single.

Jordan Weems (5-1) replaced Adon and allowed Matt Olson's one-out single ahead of Ozuna's three-run homer. The 432-foot blast was Ozuna's career-high 38th homer of the season, breaking his previous high set in 2017 with the Miami Marlins.

Ozuna's homer gave Atlanta a total of 305 for the season, leaving them two away from matching the major league record set by the 2019 Minnesota Twins.

Adon allowed three runs on six hits over four-plus innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Rangers take care of M's, clinch playoff berth

Rangers take care of M's, clinch playoff berth

Andrew Heaney came out of the bullpen to make a spot start, pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings as the Texas Rangers clinched a postseason berth with a 6-1 victory against the host Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.

Jonah Heim drove in three runs for the Rangers (90-71), who guaranteed themselves at least one of the three American League wild-card spots. Texas is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Eugenio Suarez homered for the Mariners (87-74), who needed Houston to lose at Arizona later Saturday night to remain in the playoff hunt.

Heaney, a left-hander who last started on Sept. 4 and pitched in relief in the series opener on Thursday night, allowed five hits, walked one and struck out two.

Reliever Josh Sborz (6-7) entered with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth inning and got out of the jam to earn the victory.

Mariners ace Luis Castillo (14-9) failed to last five innings for the first time this season. The right-hander gave up four runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings, his shortest start since May 2019 while with Cincinnati. He walked five and struck out four.

The Rangers broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the third inning.

Marcus Semien drew a leadoff walk before Castillo retired the next two batters. Adolis Garcia reached on an infield single and Nathaniel Lowe grounded a single to center, scoring Semien. Josh Jung walked to load the bases and Heim then fouled off three 0-2 pitches before grounding a two-run single to right. Leody Taveras lined a base hit to right to make it 4-0.

Texas added a run in the fourth as Mariners reliever Matt Brash struggled with his command. Corey Seager led off by grounding a single into left field. An out later, Brash threw a wild pitch to allow Seager to take second before walking Garcia. With two outs, Brash hit Jung with a pitch and then walked Heim to bring home the run.

The Rangers also scored in the eighth as Evan Carter drew a leadoff walk and scored on Semien's double to left.

The Mariners avoided the shutout on Suarez's solo shot to left off Cody Bradford in the eighth.

Cubs blow big lead but rebound to beat Brewers

Cubs blow big lead but rebound to beat Brewers

Yan Gomes hit a first-inning grand slam and had five RBIs as the visiting Chicago Cubs overcame blowing an early six-run lead to snap their nine-game road losing streak with a 10-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.

Gomes' slam highlighted a six-run first, and he also had an RBI groundout for the Cubs (83-78), who lost that 6-0 lead after two innings. But the Cubs rebounded to score four times in the fourth through six innings to snap a four-game overall slide.

However, Chicago, which went 12-16 in September, was officially eliminated from postseason contention with Miami's 7-3 victory at Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, Willy Adames had three hits and William Contreras added two to extend his hitting streak to 17 games. Blake Perkins and Carlos Santana homered for the NL Central-champion Brewers (91-70), who had won three straight.

Chicago's Christopher Morel opened the game with a towering homer off Milwaukee's Eric Lauer (4-6), pitching in the majors for the first time since May 20. The left-hander walked three of the next four batters before Gomes cleared the center-field wall for his 10th homer. Two batters later, Patrick Wisdom clubbed his 23rd homer.

The Brewers got half of those runs back in the bottom of first. Rookie Chicago starter Jordan Wicks allowed the first three batters to reach, then yielded a two-run double to Adames. Santana later scored on Tyrone Taylor's groundout.

Milwaukee erased its six-run hole with three more runs in the second on Perkins' two-run drive into the left-field seats. Then with two out, Santana went deep to chase Wicks, who also allowed six hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Chicago, which blew a 6-0 lead during Tuesday's 7-6 loss at Atlanta, regained the edge with two runs in the fourth. Ian Happ delivered an RBI single and Cody Bellinger a run-scoring double.

All eight runs allowed by Lauer, who also yielded nine hits and four walks over four innings, were earned.

Chicago's Alexander Canario (3-for-5) had an RBI triple in the fifth to make it 9-6. Meanwhile, Jameson Taillon, in his first career relief appearance, earned the save with four scoreless innings.

Orioles topple Red Sox, 5-2

Orioles topple Red Sox, 5-2

Anthony Santander's two-run single capped a three-run eighth inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Saturday night.

Baltimore (101-60) led 2-1 going to the bottom of the eighth. Jordan Westburg singled, went to third on Gunnar Henderson's double and beat the throw home to score on Jorge Mateo's one-out grounder to Reyes. Mateo stole second and Santander followed with a two-run single to right to make it 5-1.

Reliever Bruce Zimmermann (2-0) pitched two innings for the win. Jacob Webb allowed an RBI single to Masataka Yoshida before closing out the ninth.

Adam Duvall had a triple and a single for the Red Sox (77-84).

Boston starter Kutter Crawford tossed six innings of one-hit baseball, striking out seven batters without a walk.

Kyle Gibson blanked Boston for five innings while allowing seven hits. He walked one and struck out four.

Adley Rutschman singled leading off the seventh inning of a scoreless game against Josh Winckowski (4-4). Pinch runner Mateo stole second and, with two outs, Mountcastle doubled down the left-field line, scoring Mateo. Heston Kjerstad then smacked a grounder up the middle that second baseman Pablo Reyes knocked down but couldn't corral, and Mountcastle scored to make it 2-0.

Boston's Justin Turner was hit by a pitch leading off the eighth. With one out, Duvall singled. Wilyer Abreu grounded out, advancing the runners to second and third. Trevor Story then reached on an infield single up the middle as Turner scored to cut the lead to 2-1.

Duvall tripled and Abreu walked with one out in the Boston second, but Gibson struck out Story and retired Enmanuel Valdez.

Yoshida singled leading off the Boston sixth and went to second on Zimmermann's wild pitch, but Zimmermann retired the next three batters.

Before the game, the Orioles announced that closer Felix Bautista will undergo surgery in October to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will not pitch in the postseason or in 2024. Bautista had been rehabbing with an eye toward potentially rejoining the team this season.

Michael Wacha throws seven shutout innings as Padres top White Sox

Michael Wacha throws seven shutout innings as Padres top White Sox

Michael Wacha pitched seven scoreless innings in his final start of the season, and Jurickson Profar notched a season-high four RBIs as the San Diego Padres cruised to a 6-1 win over the host Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.

Ji Man Choi and Juan Soto added one RBI apiece for San Diego (81-80), which won its fourth game in a row. Ha-Seong Kim went 4-for-5, scored a run and stole two bases.

Lenyn Sosa hit a solo homer to provide the lone run for Chicago (61-100). The White Sox reached triple digits in losses for only the fifth time in franchise history.

Wacha (14-4) scattered three hits, walked one and struck out seven to notch his third victory in a row. He lowered his ERA from 3.39 to 3.22 to finish the season.

White Sox right-hander Mike Clevinger (9-9) gave up six runs, all of which were earned, on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. His ERA climbed from 3.40 to 3.77.

San Diego jumped to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Profar stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out, and cleared the bases with a double to right field. Moments later, Profar advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Clevinger and came home to score on a double by Choi.

The Padres' barrage against Clevinger continued with two more runs in the second.

Soto drove in the first run of the inning with a double to right that scored Xander Bogaerts. Profar added a run-scoring single for his fourth RBI of the game.

Chicago got on the scoreboard in the eighth. Sosa hit a 373-foot shot to right field for his sixth homer in 51 games this season.

After Clevinger departed, the White Sox bullpen combined for 7 1/3 scoreless innings. Tanner Banks handled 2 1/3 innings, Sammy Peralta pitched 1 2/3 innings, Luis Patino tossed 2 1/3 innings and Bryan Shaw tossed the final frame.

Yankees rally past Royals to secure 31st straight winning season

Yankees rally past Royals to secure 31st straight winning season

The New York Yankees rallied for five unanswered runs in a 5-2 victory over the host Kansas City Royals on Saturday evening, giving Frankie Montas a win in his season debut.

Estevan Florial delivered a go-ahead single with two outs in the sixth, breaking a 2-all tie, before Gleyber Torres' bases-loaded, two-run single capped the decisive three-run inning.

Montas (1-0), who had right shoulder surgery at the beginning of spring training, pitched for the first time in the regular season since Sept. 16, 2022. He recorded four outs while allowing two hits and a walk with one strikeout.

After Montas' debut, three additional Yankees relievers pitched out of trouble for 3 2/3 scoreless innings as the Royals went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the game. Clay Holmes earned his 24th save, striking out two in a hitless ninth.

The Royals collected leadoff hits in each of the first three innings against starter Clarke Schmidt, who threw four innings, allowing two runs on eight hits.

Kansas City jumped ahead 1-0 in the first on three singles as Nelson Velazquez drove in Maikel Garcia with a bloop hit to left.

After Bobby Witt Jr. was caught trying to steal his 50th base, Salvador Perez connected for his 23rd homer to increase the Royals' lead to 2-0 in the third inning.

In the second inning, Royals opener Steven Cruz gave way to Alec Marsh (3-9), who opened the fourth by throwing nine consecutive balls before allowing two-out RBI hits to Oswaldo Cabrera and Everson Pereira, tying the score 2-2.

Marsh allowed three runs on six hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.

Torres, DJ LeMahieu and Kyle Higashioka each collected two of the Yankees' 12 hits.

The Yankees (82-79) sealed their 31st consecutive winning season, the second-longest stretch in major league history behind their own 39-season winning streak from 1926 to 1964.

Royals center fielder Drew Waters exited the game in the fourth inning due to left quad tightness, while Velazquez left in the seventh after fouling a ball off his left knee.

Kansas City (55-106) matched its franchise record for most losses in a season, set in 2005.

Marlins clinch wild-card berth by beating Pirates

Marlins clinch wild-card berth by beating Pirates

Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered and added an RBI single Saturday for the visiting Miami Marlins, who beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 to clinch a National League wild-card spot.

Josh Bell added a two-run double and sacrifice fly RBI, and Bryan De La Cruz an RBI single for the Marlins (84-76).

Miami reliever JT Chargois, used as an opener, pitched to three batters, giving up one hit and recording two outs.

A.J. Puk (7-5) gave up one run in two innings. Tanner Scott got his 12th save.

Endy Rodriguez and Bryan Reynolds each hit an RBI single for the Pirates (75-86).

Pittsburgh starter Quinn Priester (3-3) allowed four runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Jorge Soler doubled to the corner in left in the first and went to third on Bell's infield single. An out later, Chisholm singled to right for a 1-0 lead.

Pittsburgh tied it in the second. Rodriguez singled to center. Liover Peguero singled to right. Ji Hwan Bae grounded into a forceout at second, with Rodriguez taking third. Nick Gonzales bunted, with pitcher George Soriano's throwing error allowing Rodriguez to score.

Chisholm hit his 19th homer, to right-center, in the third inning, making it 2-1.

Pittsburgh tied it in the fifth. Ke'Bryan Hayes doubled to right. Two outs later, Rodriguez singled to center to score him.

In the sixth, Jon Berti walked, Garrett Hampson reached on a bunt single and Jacob Stallings bunted them up a base. That chased Priester for Dauri Moreta. Soler's fielder's choice drove in Berti, and Bell's sacrifice fly brought Hampson home to increase it to 4-2.

Berti singled in the eighth and went to second on Hampson's groundout. An out later, Soler was intentionally walked. Berti and Soler moved up on Jose Hernandez's wild pitch, and both scored on Bell's double to center for a 6-2 lead.

With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Gonzales walked and later scored on Reynolds' single to right to close it to 6-3.

De La Cruz singled home Chisholm, who had doubled, in the ninth.

Orioles RHP Felix Bautista to undergo Tommy John surgery

Orioles RHP Felix Bautista to undergo Tommy John surgery

Baltimore Orioles All-Star reliever Felix Bautista will undergo Tommy John surgery in October and is expected to miss the entire 2024 season.

The 28-year-old right-hander partially tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during a game against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 25.

Bautista was hoping to delay the surgery and pitch in the postseason for Baltimore, but rest and rehab and then throwing didn't provoke the needed results.

"It's obviously really disappointing, the night he got hurt, but these things happen," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "Not the first guy to have Tommy John surgery and he's going to come back better for it. But disappointed that he's not going to be with us for the postseason.

"We were pretty aware that he was going to have this type of surgery, so I just give the guy a ton of credit for doing everything he could to pitch in the postseason. Wanted to be with his teammates and pitch and be part of it. He has busted his butt since the night he got hurt just to have the chance to. We love the guy."

Bautista threw 25 pitches in a live batting situation to minor-leaguer Ramon Rodriguez on Tuesday. Baltimore management watched but knew the end result would be the surgical procedure.

"That was kind of the long-term conclusion as soon as we had our arms around the injury and got the imaging and the various medical opinions," Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. "That said, everybody involved -- and of course to Felix's credit, bless his heart -- realized there might be a window to sort of keep his arm throwing, up and running, but we just ran out of time for this to be a feasible and successful option for the postseason. And it's not making sense, so we went ahead and scheduled the surgery."

Bautista was superb this season with an 8-2 record, 33 saves and 110 strikeouts in just 61 innings over 56 appearances. He has 48 saves and 198 strikeouts in 121 appearances in two big-league seasons, both with the Orioles.

Rangers' Matt Bush promoted, will finally play for Bruce Bochy

Rangers' Matt Bush promoted, will finally play for Bruce Bochy

The Texas Rangers promoted veteran right-hander Matt Bush on Saturday and optioned left-hander Jake Latz to Triple-A Round Rock prior to a road game against the Seattle Mariners.

The move means the 37-year-old Bush will be on the roster in a major league game under manager Bruce Bochy more than 19 years after being the No. 1 overall pick by the Bochy-managed San Diego Padres in 2004.

Bush was drafted as a shortstop -- one pick before the Detroit Tigers chose Justin Verlander -- and didn't pan out. He was also involved in multiple off-field-issues and was later labeled as one of the biggest top-pick busts in MLB history.

In 2012, Bush was with the Tampa Bay Rays' organization when he was involved in a DUI crash that nearly killed a 72-year-old man on a motorcycle.

Bush revived his baseball career with Texas after spending 3 1/2 years in prison for the DUI incident. He made his major league debut with the Rangers in 2016 as a pitcher at age 30.

Bush played parts of five seasons with Texas (2016-18, 2021-22) before being dealt to Milwaukee in August of 2022.

The Brewers released Bush in July with an 0-2 record and 9.58 ERA in 12 appearances. The Rangers signed him to a minor league contract on July 12. He went 2-0 with a 2.64 ERA over 24 combined appearances for Double-A Frisco and Round Rock.

Bush is 12-11 with a 3.75 ERA and 15 saves in 217 career appearances (six starts) with the Rangers and Brewers.

Latz didn't allow a run in 6 1/3 innings over three games for the Rangers.

Texas also designated right-hander Alex Speas for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot for Bush. Speas had a 13.50 ERA over three relief appearances for the Rangers.

Tylor Megill's pitching lifts Mets past Phillies in Game 1

Tylor Megill's pitching lifts Mets past Phillies in Game 1

Tylor Megill carried a shutout into the eighth inning Saturday afternoon, when the host New York Mets withstood a late comeback by the Philadelphia Phillies to earn a 4-3 victory in the opener of a doubleheader.

The Mets (73-86) won for just the third time in nine games. Pete Alonso had a run-scoring groundout in the first, when Brett Baty added an RBI single and Francisco Lindor scored on a wild pitch. Omar Narvaez homered in the second.

Edmundo Sosa had a run-scoring single in the eighth while Brandon Marsh (double) and Weston Wilson (single) each had RBIs in the ninth for the Phillies (89-71), who will be the top National League wild card when the playoffs begin next week.

J.T. Realmuto had a pair of singles as Philadelphia lost its second straight following a seven-game winning streak.

Megill (9-8) surrendered one run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven over 7 1/3 innings. Brooks Raley got the final two outs of the eighth before Adam Ottavino notched his 12th save despite giving up the ninth-inning runs.

Taijuan Walker (15-6) gave up four runs on four hits and four walks while striking out three over seven innings. He retired 12 straight batters between the third and sixth and 16 of his final 18 overall.

The Mets immediately went ahead against Walker in the first. Rafael Ortega and Ronny Mauricio opened the game with singles before Ortega scored on Alonso's ground out to third. Francisco Lindor walked and DJ Stewart popped out before Baty singled home Mauricio.

Lindor, who went to third on the hit, then raced home on a wild pitch.

Narvaez led off the second with his second homer of the season.

The Phillies didn't get a runner beyond first base until Wilson and Jake Cave opened the eighth with consecutive singles. Megill exited after retiring Cristian Pache on a fly out to left, after which Raley struck out Kyle Schwarber. Sosa followed with his RBI single and Raley whiffed Bryce Harper on five pitches.

Realmuto walked leading off the ninth, moved to second on Bryson Stott's groundout and scored on Marsh's double. Marsh came home on the single by Wilson, who stole second and third but was left there when Cave whiffed and Cristian Pache flew out.

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