Baseball Capsules (October 3, 2016)

BOSTON (AP) — Aaron Sanchez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Troy Tulowitzki singled to break an eighth-inning tie, helping the Toronto Blue Jays clinch the AL's top wild-card berth Sunday with a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox in David Ortiz's final regular season game.

Toronto clinched a spot in the postseason when Detroit lost to Atlanta 1-0 earlier Sunday evening. With their win in Boston, the Blue Jays earned the right to host the Baltimore Orioles in a one-game playoff on Tuesday.

The Red Sox, who lost five of their last six games, will start their AL Division Series against the Indians on Thursday in Cleveland.

Sanchez (15-2) limited Boston to a run and two hits over seven innings. Roberto Osuna got three outs for his 36th save.

Brad Ziegler (2-4) allowed Tulowitzki's single.

ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Matt Wieters homered from both sides of the plate and Kevin Gausman gave Baltimore a clutch pitching performance to snag a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season.

Baltimore will play at AL East rival Toronto in the wild-card game Tuesday night for a chance to face AL West champion Texas in a best-of-five Division Series.

Zach Britton got five outs in a non-save situation and finished perfect in 47 save chances this year with a 0.54 ERA. Wieters drove in four runs and Gausman (9-12) was charged with two runs in 7 1/3 innings as the Orioles reached the postseason for the third time in five years.

Luis Cessa (4-4) got the loss.

BRAVES 1, TIGERS 0

ATLANTA (AP) — Detroit was eliminated from playoff contention when Julio Teheran matched a career high with 12 strikeouts and Freddie Freeman hit a first-inning sacrifice fly that led Atlanta to victory in the last game at Turner Field.

While the Braves focused on sending their home of 20 years out in style before moving to a new suburban stadium in 2017, the Tigers hoped to extend this season with a victory.

They needed to win, hope that either Baltimore or Toronto lost, and then win a makeup game against Cleveland on Monday in order to force a tiebreaker for an AL wild card.

Instead, Detroit lost its second straight against the last-place Braves.

Teheran (7-10) lasted seven innings, giving up three hits and a walk. Jim Johnson, who agreed to a two-year contract before the game, worked the ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances.

Justin Verlander (16-9) allowed six hits in seven innings, walked one intentionally and struck out eight.

GIANTS 7, DODGERS 1

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — If it is an even-numbered year, San Francisco finds its way into the playoffs

San Francisco made it on the final day of the regular season, securing the second NL wild card with a win over Los Angeles to complete a three-game sweep of their rival.

Denard Span hit a two-run triple among his three hits, and Buster Posey drove in three runs and had three hits.

San Francisco, which won Series titles in 2010, '12 and '14, plays at the defending NL champion New York Mets on Wednesday night in the NL wild-card game, with the winner advancing to a Division Series against the Chicago Cubs. Madison Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, will face Noah Syndergaard.

Midseason acquisition Matt Moore (6-5) allowed one run and three hits in eight innings.

Kenta Maeda (16-11) surrendered five runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.

CUBS 7, REDS 4

CINCINNATI (AP) — Matt Szczur doubled home two runs with two outs in the ninth inning, and Miguel Montero followed with a homer as Chicago finished one of its most successful seasons with a flourish.

With victory No. 103 in the books, the Cubs headed back to Wrigley Field for their first playoff game on Friday against the winner of the NL wild-card game.

The Cubs led the majors with their most victories since 1910. That's no longer the reference point, however. The postseason focus is 1908, the last time they won a World Series.

After Raisel Iglesias (3-2) retired the first two batters in the ninth, Chicago pulled ahead with a walk, a single and Szczur's double.

Justin Grimm (2-1) retired the one batter he faced for the win. Carl Edwards Jr. got his second save.

INDIANS 3, ROYALS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, Josh Tomlin dazzled in his final tuneup for the postseason and Cleveland beat Kansas City.

Tomlin (13-9) dueled with Ian Kennedy (11-11) into the eighth before the new AL Central champs pulled ahead.

Tomlin got the first batter in the eighth before Andrew Miller finished it up, and Cody Allen handled the ninth to earn his 32nd save and give the Indians (94-67) a nice boost heading into the playoffs.

NATIONALS 10, MARLINS 7

WASHINGTON (AP) — Max Scherzer earned his 20th victory and drove in a career-high four runs to help Washington beat Miami.

Scherzer (20-7) allowed five runs in five innings while striking out seven. It was his second 20-win season, and he became the second pitcher to win 20 games for the Nationals since they moved to Washington.

Mark Melancon pitched the ninth to earn his 47th save in 51 chances.

The NL East champion Nationals, who will face Los Angeles in the Division Series, finished the regular season 95-67, a 12-game improvement in manager Dusty Baker's first season.

Third baseman Martin Prado served as the Marlins' manager, continuing a tradition actual manager Don Mattingly was a part of while working under Joe Torre in New York and Los Angeles and later when he managed the Dodgers.

Austin Brice (0-1) took the loss.

TWINS 6, WHITE SOX 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Byron Buxton hit the game's first pitch for an inside-the-park home run and Minnesota beat Chris Sale in manager Robin Ventura's final game with Chicago.

Ventura said after the game that leaving was "a personal decision." He was in the last year of his contract.

Miguel Sano added a three-run homer off Sale (17-10), who allowed five runs and six hits over five innings.

Jose Berrios (3-7) allowed one run and four hits in five innings.

Brandon Kintzler got the final three outs for his 17th save in 20 tries.

RAYS 6, RANGERS 4, 10 INNINGS

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Alexei Ramirez had four hits, including a 10th-inning double before scoring, and Tampa Bay ended another losing season with a victory over AL West champion Texas.

The Rangers tied it in the ninth against closer Alex Colome, but the Rays then opened the 10th with three consecutive hits off Tanner Scheppers (1-1).

Erasmo Ramirez, the seventh Rays pitcher and 14th in the game, worked the 10th for his second save.

Colome (2-4) got the win.

While the Rangers (95-67) fell one win shy of matching the franchise record for victories, they had already clinched home-field advantage through the postseason. They will open the playoffs at home Thursday against the AL wild card winner, either Toronto or Baltimore.

PHILLIES 5, METS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ryan Howard's farewell game with the Philadelphia Phillies ended with a win.

Cesar Hernandez hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning, and Philadelphia beat playoff-bound New York.

Howard, the last player remaining from the 2008 World Series championship team, was honored in a pregame ceremony. The Phillies are planning to pay Howard a $10 million buyout instead of exercising a $23 million club option for 2017.

Colton Murray (1-1) pitched one inning in relief of Jerad Eickhoff to earn his first career win despite allowing a run. Hector Neris finished for his second save.

Erik Goeddel (2-2) took the loss.

CARDINALS 10, PIRATES 4

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A win on the final day of the season was not enough for the St. Louis Cardinals, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

Matt Carpenter homered and Randal Grichuk keyed a six-run seventh-inning with a two-run double to lead the Cardinals.

But the Cardinals (86-76) were eliminated while still on the field when San Francisco (87-75) beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 and earned the second NL wild card.

Jonathan Broxton (4-2) won despite allowing two runs in one inning of relief.

Juan Nicasio (10-7) gave up three runs without recording an out in the seventh.

ATHLETICS 3, MARINERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Stephen Vogt hit his 14th home run in the first inning on the only pitch that he saw on the final day of the season and Oakland held on to beat Seattle.

Vogt drove the first pitch he got from Felix Hernandez just beyond the left-field wall to give the A's an early lead.

Seattle appeared drained after seeing its postseason hopes dashed in Saturday's extra-innings loss to the A's. Hernandez (11-8) was lifted after the third inning and Guillermo Heredia's two-run double in the fifth amounted to all of Seattle's offense and the only real threat against Oakland starter Sean Manaea.

Manaea (7-9) threw six innings, allowing five hits and striking out five.

ANGELS 8, ASTROS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout stole his 30th base and drove in his 100th run, and Los Angeles completed its worst season of the 21st century.

Trout wrapped up another MVP-caliber campaign stuck on 29 homers, but he got his milestone stolen base in the first inning and an RBI single in the sixth before leaving to a standing ovation.

Houston's Brady Rodgers (0-1) gave up five hits and four runs in his first big league start for his hometown team.

Jhoulys Chacin (4-4) finished an inconsistent year with a dominant effort in his first victory since Aug. 21.

BREWERS 6, ROCKIES 4

DENVER (AP) — Andrew Susac hit his first homer of the season, a two-run drive in the 10th inning that lifted Milwaukee over Colorado.

After Orlando Arcia hustled for a two-out double, Susac followed with a liner to left off Chris Rusin (3-5).

Reliever Tyler Thornburg (8-5) won after blowing a lead for a second straight day. Corey Knebel pitched a perfect 10th for his second save.

DJ LeMahieu sat out Sunday to protect his lead in the batting title race. It worked as LeMahieu edged Washington's Daniel Murphy by percentage points — .3478 to .3465.

DIAMODNBACKS 3, PADRES 2

PHOENIX (AP) — Pinch-hitter Phil Gosselin's RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning lifted Arizona over San Diego.

Tuffy Gosewich doubled against the Padres' Brad Hand (4-4) after two fly outs, then was replaced by pinch-runner Socrates Brito. Gosselin lined his winning hit up the middle to end the game.

Daniel Hudson (3-2) earned the win.