History on line as Nats return home for Game 5 vs. Cubs

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CHICAGO — The Nationals have yet to reach the National League Championship Series, as they were eliminated in the NL Division Series in each of their previous three postseason appearances since moving to Washington.

However, when the Nationals face the Chicago Cubs in the deciding game of the best-of-five NLDS on Thursday night in Washington, their past playoff shortcomings won't factor into their confidence.

At stake is a chance to advance to the NLCS to face the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Washington, after staving off elimination behind a dominant performance by right-hander Stephen Strasburg on Wednesday in a 5-0 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, will continue to focus on the business at hand.

Anything else -- including attempting to make franchise history -- doesn't matter.

"I've kind of said this all year -- I don't believe in that because it's a different team every year," Nationals shortstop Trea Turner said of the club's past. "You play different teams, different players, trades, free agents -- whatever it may be.

"It doesn't really matter (what happened in prior years). ... Whoever plays better, whoever executes more, you're going to move on."

Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday he hasn't yet decided who will start for his team Thursday in the winner-take-all game. After Strasburg bumped right-hander Tanner Roark from his scheduled start on Wednesday, Baker said Roark could be a candidate to start Thursday against the Cubs.

But so could Gio Gonzalez, who took a no-decision in Game 2 of the NLDS. The left-hander allowed three runs and three hits over five innings, striking out six and walking two.

"We're going to make up our mind, see the condition of everybody," Baker said.

The Cubs faced elimination during the 2016 World Series after falling behind three games to one against the Cleveland Indians. Now, after failing to close out the Nationals at home on Wednesday night, manager Joe Maddon said he would attempt to keep his players even-keeled as they look to advance to the NLCS for the third straight year.

Chicago right-hander Kyle Hendricks, who got the win in Game 1 when he allowed just two hits and struck out six over seven innings, will start Game 5. Hendricks is 2-2 in five career starts against the Nationals and is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA against Washington this season, including the victory last week in Washington.

Given the fact his team has staved off elimination before, Maddon and his players are confident heading into Thursday. Yet after scoring just two runs in the last two games, the Cubs know they must be better on offense if they are to give Hendricks the support he needs.

"Our guys are ready to play," Maddon said after the Wednesday game. "It's been a really interesting series. Both teams have reflected one another pretty closely, and they got us tonight, and we have to fly back east and try to get them tomorrow night."

The Nationals face the same challenge.

"As a team, we feel good," said Michael A. Taylor, whose grand slam extended Washington's lead in Game 4. "We talked about it a little before the game about taking it one game at a time, and obviously, today was a necessary step to take it back to D.C. ... We're going back, and we'd just like to have another quality game."

Cubs send Arrieta to mound seeking clincher vs. Nats

Stats, LLC

CHICAGO – Jake Arrieta has pitched in his share of big games for the Chicago Cubs, and Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday will be no different.

Following a 2-1 victory on Monday that provided the Cubs with a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, Arrieta has the chance to propel Chicago into a third straight NL Championship Series appearance.

In the back of his mind, though, Arrieta understands the Tuesday start could represent the final time he takes center stage for the home team at Wrigley Field.

Arrieta, who was slowed by a right hamstring injury late in the regular season, insists the ailment will be a non-issue. He recently threw two successful bullpen sessions.

Given his free agent status when the season ends, Arrieta acknowledged Monday that his time with the Cubs may be drawing to a close.

He plans to make the most of every opportunity, starting Tuesday.

"(I'm) just trying to take everything in (and) look around a little bit more trying to, you know, kind of capture some mental images of Wrigley and the fan base and my teammates," Arrieta said Monday. "(I will) just to try and remember as much as I can about these last couple weeks -- if it's my last time in this uniform."

Arrieta dropped his only decision against the Nationals this year and is 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA in nine career starts against Washington.

Like Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who no-hit the Cubs for the first 6 1/3 innings on Monday, Arrieta will make his first start of the postseason after using a few extra days to strengthen his hamstring. Arrieta hasn't pitched since Sept. 26, and he missed 2 1/2 weeks after straining the hamstring during a start on Sept. 4.

He will face a potent Nationals lineup that Arrieta knows he will have to be careful with, but one that again struggled to score runs on Monday. Arrieta said his goal will be to pitch as deep into the game as possible.

Scherzer, who was dealing with a right hamstring injury, said Sunday he felt comfortable throwing 100 pitches. Scherzer threw 98 on Monday and allowed just one hit.

Arrieta won't worry about numbers.

"Pretty much all bets are off in the postseason," Arrieta said. "But every time I toe the rubber, I'm trying to do my best to finish that game."

Nationals right-hander Tanner Roark will face Arrieta in a setting with which he is well-acquainted. Roark, a native of suburban Wilmington, Ill., made his first trip to Wrigley Field as a youngster. Roark is 4-2 in seven career starts against the Cubs and is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA against Chicago this season.

Roark called the experience of pitching at Wrigley "surreal" and knows he will have to channel his emotions as much as possible -- especially with the Nationals facing elimination.

"(You've got to) hold the nerves in, hold the anxiousness and all that stuff in, and just let it come and let it happen," Roark said on Monday. "And that's what you've got to let it do."

The Nationals, who have scored seven runs in three games, will have to produce more if they hope to extend their season. Washington's only run Monday was set up two Chicago errors.

"We know (Game 4 is) right around the corner, and our back's against the wall," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said after his team's Monday loss, "so we've got to get them tomorrow. We've got to get those hits, and hopefully (the Cubs) don't."

Yanks, Indians set for Game 1 with aces in hole

Stats, LLC
(TSX / STATS) -- CLEVELAND -- When the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians meet Thursday night in Game 1 of their American League Division Series at Progressive Field, something will be missing from both teams: their aces.

Yankees ace Luis Severino started the AL wild-card game against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, making him unavailable for a Game 1 start.

Indians ace Corey Kluber is rested but will start Game 2 instead of Game 1 because manager Terry Francona wants to have Kluber available, on his normal day to pitch, for a potential Game 5.

Instead, it will be New York's Sonny Gray vs. Cleveland's Trevor Bauer in Game 1 on Thursday.

The Indians come into the game with the best record in the American League, 102-60, having won 34 of their last 38 games, a streak that included their American League-record, 22-game winning streak.

The Indians went 5-2 against the Yankees this year. Three of those wins came during Cleveland's 22-game winning streak.

"We were part of that (streak). We were in the early part of it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "They've really been on a roll the last 50, 60 games, playing as well as anyone. Obviously, we're going to have to play our best. We know that. But that's the way the playoffs should be."

One of the biggest challenges for Indians pitchers will be trying to neutralize Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge, who hit a rookie-record 52 home runs this season and added another in New York's 8-4 win over Minnesota in the wild-card game.

"He's good for Major League Baseball, but he's bad for the teams you're playing against," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I know if you throw it in the wrong place, he's going to hit it a long way."

In 27 starts overall this year for the Oakland A's and New York, Gray was 10-12 with a 3.55 ERA. In 11 starts for the Yankees, he went 4-7 with a 3.72 ERA. He started three times against the Indians this year, going 1-2 with a 4.86 ERA.

"Top to bottom, they have a really good lineup," Gray said. "I've thrown against them a couple times this year, and in the past I've thrown against them. They are really well balanced. You come out and make pitches, and you see what happens."

Gray's last start against Cleveland came on Aug. 3, a 5-1 loss in which he pitched six innings, giving up four runs, two earned, on four hits, with six strikeouts and three walks in his Yankees debut. Gray's career record against Cleveland is 3-3 with a 3.38 ERA.

Bauer had a breakout season this year, going 17-9 with a 4.19 ERA. In two starts against the Yankees he was 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA.

"They've got a lot of guys who hit for power. They've got some scrappy guys that put the ball in play and run," Bauer said. "They can do a lot of things offensively, and they're well balanced."

Bauer said his good numbers vs. the Yankees this year don't count for anything in October.

"None of that matters for this start," he said. "The playoffs are a different animal, and any team can beat you on any day."

Bauer's last start against New York came on Aug. 30, a 2-1 win in which he pitched six innings, giving up one run on four hits with four strikeouts and four walks. In eight career starts against the Yankees, Bauer is 3-4 with a 4.20 ERA.

Astros' Verlander aims to remain hot vs. Red Sox

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(TSX / STATS) -- HOUSTON -- While all eyes will focus on Astros right-hander Justin Verlander when he takes the mound on Thursday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox at Minute Maid Park, what makes Houston a viable World Series threat is the offense set to support its new ace.

What gives the Astros, champions of the AL West, the presumed edge over the AL East champion Red Sox is a lineup that led the majors in batting average (.282), on-base percentage (.346), and slugging percentage (.478).

Houston not only finished second in home runs with 238, but it complemented that power by striking out in only 17.3 percent of plate appearances, the lowest mark the big leagues.

Verlander, 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA following his trade-deadline acquisition from the Detroit Tigers, will attack his 17th career postseason start with his usual intensity and commitment to perfection. But the Astros are capable of providing the cushion needed for Verlander (7-5 with a 3.39 ERA in the postseason) to be less than perfect yet still thrive.

"There's a lot of different things in there that made this offense click," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "And to do it for six months in and do it relatively consistently, and obviously at the end of the season lead in a lot of different categories, it's part of what makes us a good team."

Boston left-hander Chris Sale (17-8, 2.90 ERA) earned the opportunity to be first up in attempting to stymie the powerhouse Houston offense. He has enjoyed dizzying career success against the Astros, going 5-1 with a 1.31 ERA over six starts while producing 65 strikeouts against five walks over 48 innings. After 260 regular-season games, Sale will make his first postseason start.

Acquired from the Chicago White Sox last offseason, Sale provided Boston everything it envisioned when the organization opted to swap four prospects, including highly regarded infielder Yoan Moncada, for his services. He produced a campaign worthy of AL Cy Young Award consideration, and he excelled fronting a rotation that failed to meet lofty preseason expectations.

"Wow, he's been unbelievable since Day One, not only just, obviously, the stuff he has on the mound but his presence in the clubhouse," Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "The way he attacks every day, he's always trying to get better. He's a pretty special guy to play with, and we're pretty excited to have him out there on the mound."

The Red Sox will be as excited to have Pedroia and third baseman Eduardo Nunez, both of whom were dinged in the final weeks of the season, back in the lineup. Boston can take added comfort in the season-long excellence of its bullpen, anchored by closer Craig Kimbrel and bolstered by right-handers Joe Kelly and Matt Barnes, plus David Price, Addison Reed and Carson Smith, all of whom joined the club or embraced a new role down the stretch.

Given all their viable options, the Red Sox won't be compelled to stick with a scuffling starter against the Astros. The need to squeeze an additional out from a fatiguing starter is mitigated by the availability of several relievers capable of doing a superior job when their name is called. That includes Price, a former Cy Young-winning starter who was placed in a relief role in September after missing six weeks due to left elbow inflammation.

"I think when you think about October, you're taking an all-hands-on-deck mentality," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Whether it's a three-game series, five-game series or seven-game series, Game 1 is important. But I think our guys are primed and ready with that urgency and know that decisions can happen quick, and we're prepared for that."

A capsule look at the Rockies-Diamondbacks playoff game

Associated Press

A look at the National League wild-card playoff between the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks:

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Schedule: Wednesday, at Phoenix, 8:08 p.m. (TBS).

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Season Series: Arizona won 11-8.

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Projected Lineups:

Rockies: CF Charlie Blackmon (.331, NL batting champ, 37 HRs, 104 RBIs, 14 triples, 14 SBs), 2B DJ LeMahieu (.310, 8, 64), 3B Nolan Arenado (.309, 37, 130), RF Carlos Gonzalez (.262, 14, 57, 34 doubles), SS Trevor Story (.239, 24, 82, 191 Ks), 1B Mark Reynolds (.267, 30, 97), LF Ian Desmond (.274, 7, 40), C Jonathan Lucroy (.265, 6, 40 with Rangers and Rockies; .310, 2, 13 in 46 games with Rockies).

Diamondbacks: RF David Peralta (.293, 14, 57), SS Ketel Marte (.260, 5, 18 in 73 games), 1B Paul Goldschmidt (.297, 36, 120, 94 BBs, .966 OPS), LF J.D. Martinez (.303, 45, 104, 1.066 OPS with Tigers and Diamondbacks), 3B Jake Lamb (.248, 30, 105), CF A.J. Pollock (.266, 14, 49 in 112 games), 2B Daniel Descalso (.233, 10, 51 in 131 games), C Jeff Mathis (.215, 2, 11 in 60 games) or Chris Iannetta (.254, 17, 43, .354 OBP).

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Starting Pitchers:

Rockies: RH Jon Gray (10-6, 3.67 ERA in 20 starts, 110 1/3 IP).

Diamondbacks: RH Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20, 215 Ks in 202 1/3 IP).

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Relievers:

Rockies: RH Greg Holland (3-6, 3.61 ERA, 41/45 saves, tied for NL lead), LH Mike Dunn (5-1, 4.47), LH Jake McGee (0-2, 3.61, 3 saves), RH Scott Oberg (0-1, 4.94), RH Pat Neshek (5-3, 1.59 with Phillies and Rockies; 2-1, 2.45 in 28 games with Rockies), LH Chris Rusin (5-1, 2.65, 2 saves).

Diamondbacks: RH Fernando Rodney (5-4, 4.23, 39/45 saves, .200 opponents’ batting average), RH Archie Bradley (3-3, 1.73, 79 Ks in 73 innings), LH Andrew Chafin (1-0, 3.51), LH Robbie Ray (15-5, 2.89, 218 Ks in 28 starts), LH Patrick Corbin (14-13, 4.03 in 33 games, 32 starts), RH Zack Godley (8-9, 3.37, 165 Ks in 26 games, 25 starts), RH David Hernandez (2-1, 4.82), RH Jimmie Sherfy (2-0, 0.00 in 10 2/3 innings).

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Matchups:

It’s the second postseason meeting between the teams. Colorado swept Arizona in the 2007 NLCS. ... The current collection of Rockies has a .260 combined batting average against Greinke with 15 homers and 42 RBIs. Lucroy leads the way at .636 (7 for 11), while Gonzalez has five home runs. Reynolds and Story each have four homers against Greinke. Arenado and Blackmon have never homered off him. Desmond is 3 for 22. ... The Diamondbacks are hitting .295 against Gray with two homers and 11 RBIs. Martinez has both homers, and four RBIs. Goldschmidt is 0 for 11 with five strikeouts. ... Greinke is 13-1 at home with a 2.87 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 116 innings. He went 2-1 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts against the Rockies this season. ... If first-year Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo decides to go with Iannetta instead of Mathis at catcher, Iannetta would probably bat second. Mathis, a strong defender who normally catches Greinke when healthy, just returned from a broken right hand. ... Gray has allowed three or fewer runs in 13 consecutive starts. ... Goldschmidt ended the season in an 0-for-17 slump and batted .171 over the final month. ... Martinez hit .478 against Colorado with three homers, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored. ... Two of Rodney’s six blown saves came against the Rockies. ... Blackmon had only eight hits in 44 at-bats (.182) vs. the Diamondbacks. ... Arizona and Colorado split 10 games at Chase Field this season. ... The winner heads for Los Angeles to play the NL West champion Dodgers (104-58) in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Friday.

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Big Picture:

Rockies: Under new manager Bud Black, the surprising Rockies (87-75) got off to a fast start and hung on down the stretch to take the second NL wild card. This is their fourth postseason appearance and first since 2009. Colorado finished a game ahead of upstart Milwaukee, clinching baseball’s final playoff spot on the next-to-last day of the regular season when the Brewers blew a six-run lead in a 7-6 loss at St. Louis. That put Black in the postseason for the first time as a big league skipper. He managed the Padres for 8½ seasons from 2007-15 and was the 2010 NL Manager of the Year, but never took them to the playoffs. ... Colorado improved by 12 wins over last year and fashioned the third-best record in team history behind 2009 (92-70) and the 2007 team (89-73) that got swept by Boston in the World Series. ... Rockies had just one losing month, going 12-15 in August, and typically play solid defense. They are 65-40 when committing no errors and 22-35 when they make one or more. Arenado made one highlight reel after another at third base and is a favorite for his fifth straight Gold Glove. ... The biggest offseason signings were Desmond and Holland. Desmond has dealt with injuries this season, but Holland rebounded after missing 2016 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He matched the club record for saves in a season set by Jose Jimenez (2002). ... Blackmon is known for his bushy beard, mullet and sweet swing. He won the NL batting title and drove in 103 runs from the leadoff spot, most in major league history. He surpassed Darin Erstad, who knocked in 100 for the Angels in 2000. ... Gonzalez struggled most of the season but hit .377 in September. He’s the only holdover from 2009 when the Rockies were beaten by Philadelphia in the NLDS. ... Lucroy steadied a young pitching staff after arriving from Texas in a July 30 trade. ... Right-hander Chad Bettis has been a feel-good story in his return from testicular cancer. He had surgery last November and went through treatments during spring training and into the season before returning in August. ... Reynolds was signed to a minor league contract in the offseason. He joined Arenado and Blackmon in the 30-homer club this season.

Diamondbacks: Just like the Rockies, Arizona (93-69) also flipped its record after going 69-93 last year. Lovullo preached communication from the first day of spring training and repeatedly uses the word “love” to describe team chemistry. ... New general manager Mike Hazen chose not to overhaul the roster, saying he saw enough talent. Instead, he tinkered around the edges. ... Arizona got off to a 6-1 start and was 44-26 on June 18 after a seven-game winning streak. Although the Diamondbacks couldn’t keep up with the torrid pace set by Los Angeles in the NL West, they were in the playoff picture throughout. A franchise-record 13-game winning streak late in the season helped secure the No. 1 wild card. ... While the lineup was expected to be good, Arizona also got strong pitching. Only the Indians and Dodgers had a better ERA than the Diamondbacks (3.66). ... Goldschmidt led the offense most of the season but faded in September. That didn’t matter much because of the powerhouse performance by Martinez. Acquired from Detroit on July 18 for three minor leaguers, Martinez hit .302 with 29 homers and 65 RBIs in 62 games with the Diamondbacks. He was NL player of the month for September, when he batted .404 with 26 runs, eight doubles, 16 homers and 36 RBIs in 24 games.

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Watch For:

— MVP! MVP! MVP! Three top contenders for NL MVP are in this game: Goldschmidt, Blackmon and Arenado. Goldschmidt finished runner-up for the award in 2013 and 2015. Arenado hit 18 home runs on the road this season and 19 at home. Blackmon’s 37 homers were the third-most by a leadoff hitter, trailing Alfonso Soriano’s 38 in 2002 with the Yankees and 39 in 2006 with the Nationals.

— Ray in Reserve. The hard-throwing lefty had a breakout season and would figure to start Game 1 against the Dodgers if Arizona advances. Lovullo, however, said he wouldn’t hesitate to use Ray for an inning or two in the wild-card game if needed.

— Wacky Wednesday. The Rockies have a winning record on every day of the week except one. They are 10-14 on Wednesdays, while the Diamondbacks are 15-10.

— Surging Center Fielder. Pollock came on strong at the end of the season after a subpar year at the plate. He batted .363 in September.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Upstart Twins, Yankees set for wild-card game

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Preseason projections were low for the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees for varying reasons.

When forecasts were made, Minnesota and New York were not supposed to plan for a postseason game.

The Twins were coming off a disastrous 103-loss season while the Yankees were transitioning to a younger core.

Both teams defied projections by claiming the two wild-card spots in the American League, with the reward being an elimination game Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

The winner advances to the AL Division Series against the Cleveland Indians.

The Yankees started off strong, winning 21 of their first 30 and improving their mark to 38-23 by June 12. They slumped for about a month, were 45-40 at the All-Star break and finished with a 21-8 surge to get to 91-71.

It resulted in their most successful regular season since 2012, which ended with a trip to the ALCS. Since then, the Yankees missed the playoffs in three of the next four seasons and their only postseason game since 2012 occurred when they were shut out by the Houston Astros in the 2015 wild-card game.

For the Twins (85-77), it was a different path to their first postseason berth since 2010.

The Twins hovered near .500 most of the first three months but were 3-9 from July 23 to Aug. 5. After management opted to become a seller at the trade deadline, Minnesota responded by winning 13 of 17 to go over .500 for good. The Twins went 33-21 after Aug. 5 and finished five games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.

"I think some guys were a little more upset than others, but they've responded," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "Whatever your motivation is, that's fine."

Both teams did it with a mix of youth and some veterans.

When the Yankees last won a playoff game, Aaron Judge was a few months away from starting his junior season at Fresno State, Gary Sanchez just completed his third minor league season and Luis Severino had 14 starts under his belt in the Dominican Summer League.

Five years later, Judge broke the rookie home run record by slugging 52, including 33 at home and 15 in his final month after slumping in August.

Sanchez belted 33 homers despite missing most of April with a biceps injury and did it after hitting 20 in 53 games last season.

Severino emerged as the ace by going 14-6, striking out 230 and posting a 2.98 ERA. He achieved those numbers after going 0-8 as a starting pitcher last season following 11 decent starts in the final two months of 2015.

"He's been pretty darn good this year," Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner said. "One of the top two or three right-handed starters in the game this year."

When the Twins last reached the playoffs, Eddie Rosario just completed his first minor league season in the Gulf Coast League as did Miguel Sano. Brian Dozier was slightly more advanced in the minors in 2010 and reached the majors in 2012.

This season, Rosario slugged 16 of his 27 homers in the final two months. Sano hit 28 before missing a month with a shin injury that might keep him out of the starting lineup while Dozier launched half of his 34 homers in the final two months of the season.

Gardner and Joe Mauer, who were on their teams when the Yankees beat the Twins in the 2010 ALDS, also had solid seasons.

Gardner recorded career highs in homers (21) and runs scored (96) in 151 games.

Mauer batted .305 in 141 games after hitting no higher than .277 in his previous three seasons. His 160 hits were his most since 2012 and his 71 RBIs were his most since 2012 as well.

"It's been a special year to see these guys kind of grow, and to experience that with this team is pretty special," Mauer said. "So, it's good to be back."

The pitching matchup also is a contrast of youth and experience.

Severino was on the postseason roster for New York's wild-card loss in 2015 and earned the starting assignment for this game by going 9-2 with a 2.28 ERA in his final 14 starts.

"We've been really pleased with how he's done, how he's matured as a pitcher, his ability to slow things down, and that will become very important tomorrow," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

After getting some offseason tips from Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, Severino finished third in the American League in ERA, placed fourth in strikeouts, third in hits per nine innings (6.98) and fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.51).

"He told me that, if I change my mechanics a little bit, I'll be more consistent in my strike zone," Severino said. "That's what I did, and that's how that worked out and helped me."

The right-hander's lone experience against the Twins occurred on Sept. 20 in New York and turned in his second-shortest start. He allowed three runs in three innings while throwing 71 pitches, including 13 to Mauer, who hit an RBI single off him.

Ervin Santana completed his third season with Minnesota by going 16-8 with a 3.28 ERA that was the second-lowest of his career and a 1.13 WHIP that also was his second-lowest of his career.

Santana went 5-1 with his last 12 starts. The one loss occurred Sept. 18 in New York when Santana allowed two runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. One of those runs was Judge's 44th homer.

"The guy is huge," Santana said. "The guy is tall. Like he covered the whole home plate."

In the regular season, Santana is 6-10 with a 5.66 ERA in 20 starts against the Yankees.

During the postseason, Santana is 2-2 with 5.56 ERA in eight games (two starts). Against the Yankees in postseason play, he pitched 5 1/3 relief innings and recorded the win for the Angels in Game 5 of the 2005 ALDS and was 1-1 in a pair of relief outings with that club in the 2009 ALCS.

A capsule look at the Twins-Yankees playoff game

Associated Press

A look at the American League wild-card game between the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees:

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Schedule: Tuesday, at New York, 8:09 p.m. EDT (ESPN).

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Season Series: Yankees won 4-2.

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Projected Lineups:

Twins: 2B Brian Dozier (.269, 34 HRs, 93 RBIs, .853 OPS), 1B Joe Mauer (.305, 7, 71, team-leading 36 doubles, .384 OBP), SS Jorge Polanco (.256, 13, 74), LF Eddie Rosario (.290, 27, 78), DH Miguel Sano (.264, 28, 77, team-high 173 Ks in 114 games) or Kennys Vargas (.253, 11, 41 in 78 games) or Robbie Grossman (.246, 9, 45, .361 OBP in 119 games), 3B Eduardo Escobar (.254, 21, 73 in 129 games), CF Byron Buxton (.253, 16, 51, 150 Ks, 29/30 steals), RF Max Kepler (.243, 19, 69), C Jason Castro (.242, 10, 47 in 110 games).

Yankees: LF Brett Gardner (.264, 21, 63, 96 runs, 23 SBs), RF Aaron Judge (.284, AL-leading 52, 114), C Gary Sanchez (.278, 33, 90 in 122 games), SS Didi Gregorius (.287, 25, 87), DH Chase Headley (.273, 12, 61) or Matt Holliday (.231, 19, 64 in 105 games), 2B Starlin Castro (.300, 16, 63 in 112 games), CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.264, 7, 39, 22 SBs in 112 games) or Aaron Hicks (.266, 15, 52 in 88 games), 3B Todd Frazier (.213, 27, 76 with White Sox and Yankees), 1B Greg Bird (.190, 9, 28 in 48 games).

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Starting Pitchers:

Twins: RH Ervin Santana (16-8, 3.28 ERA, 167 Ks in 211 1/3 IP).

Yankees: RH Luis Severino (14-8, 2.98, 230 Ks in 193 1/3 IP).

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Relievers:

Twins: RH Matt Belisle (2-2, 4.03 ERA, 9/14 saves, .218 opponent batting average), LH Taylor Rogers (7-3, 3.07, 49 Ks in 55 2/3 IP), RH Trevor Hildenberger (3-3, 3.21, 44 Ks in 42 IP), RH Alan Busenitz (1-1, 1.99, 23 Ks in 31 2/3 IP), RH Jose Berrios (14-8, 3.89, 25 starts, 139 Ks in 145 2/3 IP), RH Tyler Duffey (2-3, 4.94, 67 Ks in 71 IP), LH Ryan Pressly (2-3, 4.70, 61 Ks in 61 1/3 IP).

Yankees: LH Aroldis Chapman (4-3, 3.22, 22/27 saves in 52 games, 69 Ks in 50 1/3 IP), RH Dellin Betances (3-6, 2.87, 10/13 saves in 66 games, 100 Ks in 50 2/3 IP), RH David Robertson (9-2, 1.48, 14/16 saves in 61 games with Yankees and White Sox), RH Chad Green (5-0, 1.83, 103 Ks in 69 IP), RH Tommy Kahnle (2-4, 2.59, 96 Ks in 62 2/3 IP with Yankees and White Sox), RH Adam Warren (3-2, 2.35 in 44 games), LH Chasen Shreve (4-1, 3.77 in 44 games), RH Bryan Mitchell (1-1, 5.79 in 20 games), LH Jaime Garcia (5-10, 4.41 in 27 starts for Braves, Twins and Yankees).

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Matchups:

Minnesota has lost 12 consecutive playoff games since the 2004 ALDS opener at Yankee Stadium when Johan Santana beat Mike Mussina 2-0. ... Counting the postseason, Yankees are a whopping 89-33 against the Twins since the start of 2002, including 45-14 in the Bronx. Twins have been eliminated by New York in four of their past five trips to the playoffs, losing Division Series in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010 for an overall record of 2-12. ... Yankees are in the wild-card game for the second time in three seasons after losing to Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros 3-0 in 2015. New York hasn’t won a postseason game since Derek Jeter broke his ankle in the 2012 ALCS opener against Detroit, which went on to a sweep. ... Yankees outscored the Twins 18-6 during a three-game sweep in New York from Sept. 18-20, with Sano in the thick of his 38-game absence due to a left shin injury. Ervin Santana took a tough loss in the series opener after allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. He is 6-10 with a 5.66 ERA in 20 career starts against the Yankees. ... Twins won two of three games vs. the Yankees in Minnesota from July 17-19. ... Severino faced the Twins for the first time on Sept. 20, giving up three runs and five hits in three innings. He was taken out after throwing 46 pitches in the third, which included an RBI single by Mauer that capped a 13-pitch at-bat — longest of his career. Severino also gave up Polanco’s two-run single. ... New York went 51-30 at home, best in the AL, while the Twins were 44-37 on the road. ... On paper, Yankees have a huge advantage in the bullpen. ... The winner heads for Cleveland to play the AL Central champions in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Thursday. Twins went 7-12 against the defending AL champs this season; Yankees were 2-5.

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Big Picture:

Twins: After going 59-103 last season, worst record in the majors, Minnesota (85-77) quickly turned things around under Hall of Fame manager Paul Molitor and became the first team in history to lose 100-plus games and qualify for the playoffs the following year. This is the club’s first postseason appearance since 2010 and only its second winning record during that span. ... After acquiring Garcia from Atlanta to boost the rotation, the front office flipped him to the Yankees days later — and sent All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler to Washington — right before the July 31 trade deadline in response to a rough road trip and a simultaneous surge by division rivals Cleveland and Kansas City. Minnesota responded by going 20-10 in August and rising above a crowd of mediocre contenders for the second AL wild card. ... Ervin Santana had some clunkers, but his performance in his second All-Star season was an immense lift for a pitching staff that languished at the bottom of baseball the last few years. With five complete games, he had more by himself than 27 other teams. Santana tied Cleveland ace Corey Kluber for the major league lead. ... Twins finished fourth in AL in runs and OPS. ... Mauer, the three-time AL batting champ, posted his eighth .300 season but first since 2013, when a concussion cut short his season and ended his days as a catcher. ... Nine players finished with at least 10 home runs, trailing only the 2006 team that had 11 players in double digits. ... Buxton’s streak of consecutive steals is at 24. His 96.7 percent success rate led the majors and is a Twins single-season record. ... Twins haven’t won a postseason series since 2002, when they beat Oakland 3-2 in the ALDS, then lost to the Angels 4-1 in ALCS.

Yankees: One year into a youth movement, the Baby Bombers blossomed fast under 10th-year manager Joe Girardi and returned New York to the postseason perhaps ahead of schedule. Not often are the Yankees a surprise winner, but this group already has exceeded early expectations. Led by Judge, Sanchez, Severino and a cast of productive veterans, New York (91-71) improved by seven wins over last season and finished with its best record since 2012. ... Once the Yankees jumped out to a strong start and showed they were legitimate contenders, general manager Brian Cashman got aggressive and dipped into a deep farm system for July trades that netted Frazier, Robertson, Kahnle and starting pitcher Sonny Gray. The imposing bullpen is loaded with power arms that can shorten a game, and the bench is a real strength if needed. ... New York was unable to catch rival Boston for the AL East crown, but the team played some of its best baseball down the stretch and went 20-8 in September to secure the franchise’s 53rd postseason appearance. The Dodgers are second with 31. ... Yankees scored 858 runs, an increase of 178 from last year and second in the majors behind Houston (896). New York also topped the big leagues with 241 homers. Judge and Sanchez combined for 85, most by a pair of teammates 25 or younger and one more than Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun in 2007. ... Judge hit .329 with 30 home runs and 75 RBIs before winning the All-Star Home Run Derby, then slumped to a .179 batting average with seven homers, 16 RBIs and 67 strikeouts in 151 at-bats through Aug. 31. He hit .311 with 15 homers and 32 RBIs in September, putting himself right back in the MVP conversation. ... New York figures to start just four players from its lineup in the 2015 wild-card game: Gardner, Headley, Bird and Gregorius.

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Watch For:

— Bull Dozier. Perhaps the team’s most well-rounded player, Dozier joined Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett (1986-90) as the only Twins with five consecutive seasons of 30-plus doubles. Dozier also topped 100 runs for the fourth straight time.

— Extra Bases. Sanchez had 16 passed balls, tied for the big league lead with Yasmani Grandal of the Dodgers. New York threw 53 wild pitches when Sanchez was behind the plate, second-most among major league catchers behind Jonathan Lucroy (58 with Texas and Colorado).

— Closing Time. After losing his top reliever two months ago, Molitor eventually settled on a 14-year veteran to handle the ninth inning. Belisle has converted nine of 11 save opportunities since Kintzler was traded. With 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings, Belisle posted his best rate since 2010 with Colorado and the second-best of his career.

— Setup Scenario. A four-time All-Star, Betances struggled with his mechanics and control down the stretch, leading Girardi to have a quick hook in the late innings. The 6-foot-8 righty walked seven over his final 9 2/3 innings and finished with 44 walks, up from 28 last year.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Dodgers count on Kershaw to be stopper again

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(TSX / STATS) -- LOS ANGELES -- Freshly recovered from a lower back strain, Clayton Kershaw once again will pile the weight of the Los Angeles Dodgers' hopes and dreams upon his sturdy frame.

Kershaw will take the mound Thursday against the Colorado Rockies, pitching not only for a first-place club, but for a division leader that has been far from the dominating force it was during the first four months of the season.

Actually, the Dodgers (92-47) have been downright awful of late, losing 11 of their past 12 games, including the past six in a row, a season-worst skid. The Arizona Diamondbacks just completed a three-game sweep of the Dodgers on Wednesday to go with the three-game sweep of Los Angeles last week.

The one victory in the Dodgers' past 12 games ended a five-game losing streak, when Kershaw returned from the disabled list and fired six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits at San Diego on Friday. The Padres never hit the ball out of the infield against him in a 1-0 Los Angeles victory.

"You never truly know until you get back on a big-league mound and get big-league hitters out," Kershaw said after the game. "So (that) was definitely a good step in the right direction."

The Dodgers have lost 10 1/2 games off their National League West lead in 12 days, but they still have a 10 1/2-game lead with just over three weeks remaining.

"The last game we won was when Clayton took the mound," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I know our only focus now is that we have to turn the page on this series and figure out a way to win a game (Thursday)."

Even in a season in which they had been considered one of the best Dodgers teams in history, winning 90 games before the calendar flipped to September, the club still must lean hard and heavy on its ace.

It was hard not to be impressed Friday with the effort from Kershaw (16-2, 1.95 ERA).

"It's nice to have him back, and feeling healthy," veteran Chase Utley said. "He looked like he really didn't skip a beat, to be honest with you."

The Rockies do not figure to take Kershaw lightly, even though he just missed 5 1/2 weeks of action. Kershaw's four starts against the Rockies this season are his most against any team, and he is 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA over 26 innings.

In 35 career starts against Colorado, Kershaw is 21-6 with a 3.05 ERA, and the Rockies were the victim of the lefty's lone no-hitter, in June 2014.

Tasked with matching Kershaw on Thursday will be Rockies right-hander Jon Gray (6-4, 4.26 ERA), who was the losing pitcher in two of his past three starts.

In his most recent outing, Saturday at home against Arizona, he gave up three runs on five hits over five innings. The runs all came on a first-inning homer from J.D. Martinez.

The Dodgers can sympathize. Martinez hit four home runs against the Dodgers in the Monday game alone, becoming the 18th player to accomplish the feat.

Gray, who has struggled with tempo early in starts, said he was out of sorts early against the Diamondbacks, but he corrected the problem later. He hopes to take that progress into Los Angeles, where he struck out 10 batters in a 2016 start.

"Everything started to come together at the end a little bit. Even my feel just got better," Gray said after his Saturday outing, according to MLB.com. "(I) threw some good curveballs, we mixed well, threw some good heaters in, and it seemed like things were rolling again. ... But it was just too late."

Gray has faced the Dodgers once this season, giving up one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings of an April 8 no-decision. He is just 2-3 against Los Angeles in his career over seven starts, producing a solid 3.75 ERA in 36 innings.

Cardinals' Lynn, Padres' Richard hope decisions are made

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(TSX / STATS) -- SAN DIEGO -- The Cardinals' Lance Lynn and the Padres' Clayton Richard face each other as the teams put a bow on their four-game series Thursday, and both deserved a better fate their last time out.

Lynn (10-6, 2.99 ERA) was sensational against the Giants while Richard (6-13, 4.94) was solid versus the Dodgers.

But each pitcher got an "atta-boy" and little else as they each received a no-decision when they likely deserved better.

Especially Lynn.

"He was spot-on," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

Lynn worked eight scoreless innings for the first time in three years in St. Louis' 2-1 loss to San Francisco. He allowed a hit to the second batter of the game and then dominated, scattering four walks after that.

"He is a bulldog and he just comes right at you," Matheny said.

The 6-foot-5, 269-pound Lynn makes his team-high 29th start despite missing all of last year with elbow surgery. His comeback continues to build although he answered the naysayers earlier.

"He checked the boxes off a long time ago," Matheny said. "You could tell in spring training how sharp he was and it was impressive. A lot of guys have the strength because they've worked so hard in their rehabilitation. But to have the stuff and the location to go along with it was impressive."

Lynn, who is 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA in six starts versus the Padres, ranks in the National League top 10 in many significant pitching categories such as starts (28), opposing batting average (.211), ERA (2.99) and hits/nine innings (6.79).

He's held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in 12 starts, which paces the majors.

"He is tough and he is talented," Matheny said. "And he's healthy."

Matheny reminded reporters that coming back from Tommy John is no slam dunk. But Lynn has done it.

"It's not an easy process," Matheny said. "I know it is a little more streamlined now and predictable of how things will go but there are no guarantees. You have to put the work in and Lance has done that."

Richard, who is 3-1 with a 4.39 ERA in 13 games (nine starts) against the Cardinals, has given the team what it expected when inviting him back this year. He leads a young pitching staff with an unmatched work ethic and he gobbles up innings.

He leads the Padres in innings pitched (173) and in seven of his last eight games he's gone at least six frames.

Richard went six innings against the Dodgers last week, allowing eight hits and three runs. He kept the Padres within striking distance as they were able to beat Los Angeles on Yangervis Solarte's walk-off homer.

But Solarte was able to do that because Richard did his part earlier in the game. Among the few mistakes Richard made was one that Cody Bellinger hit into the right-field seats for his 35th home run. It was first time a left-handed hitter parked one of Richard's offerings since 2013.

"Really, one pitch to Bellinger wasn't competitive and he took advantage of it," Richard said. "Other than that, I feel as if I threw the ball pretty well. Was able to keep us in there."

Marlins bank on Straily to continue success vs. Braves

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(TSX / STATS) -- ATLANTA -- The Miami Marlins are hopeful that right-hander Dan Straily can continue his season-long streak of success against Atlanta and help the club keep its fleeting playoff hopes alive.

Miami will send Straily (9-8, 3.91 ERA) to the mound in the opener of a four-game series at SunTrust Park, where he'll be opposed by Atlanta rookie Sean Newcomb (2-8, 4.31) on Thursday.

The Marlins (67-72) are seven games out of the second wild card and have lost four straight games. The Braves (61-77) are long gone from the playoff picture and are a league-worst 16-32 since July 17.

But the Braves have won seven of the 11 meetings with the Marlins.

The Braves have won four of six meetings at SunTrust Park. This is Miami's final visit to Atlanta; the Braves will close the season with a four-game set at Marlins Park, Sept. 28-Oct. 1.

Straily is the right guy for the Marlins to have on the mound against the Braves. He has been outstanding in three starts against Atlanta this season, going 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA. Straily has struck out 20 batters in 17 innings, has walked only three and has allowed just one home run.

In his last start against Atlanta on Aug. 5 at SunTrust Park, Straily allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings and took the loss. He struck out seven and allowed one walk.

Straily has made four career starts against Atlanta, going 2-2 with a 4.12 ERA.

The only Atlanta player with a homer against Straily this season is Nick Markakis, who is 2-for-8 with three strikeouts. Freddie Freeman is 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.

In Straily's last start on Sept. 2, he was touched for four runs in five innings by the Philadelphia Phillies but still came away with the win. He was helped by the Miami bats, which came up big in a 10-9 win.

"Thank God the bats showed up," Straily said afterward. "This game is all about picking each other up, and those guys really did a great job with the bats."

Newcomb is trying to finish his rookie season on a strong note. He was 1-3 with a 4.02 ERA in six starts in August but allowed three or fewer runs in five of those starts. He lost to Chicago on Aug. 31 despite allowing only two earned runs in five innings with seven strikeouts.

Newcomb's only appearance against Miami came in his second career start on June 16. He gave up three runs in six innings that night and took the loss.

Control has been the issue with Newcomb. He walked three batters in his last start and has 47 walks in 79 1/3 innings. He walked a season-high seven against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 8 and has yet to have a start without yielding a walk.

Newcomb will need to pitch carefully to Miami's Giancarlo Stanton, who has a league-leading 53 homers and has connected five times this season against the Braves. Stanton was 1-for-3 with a strikeout against Newcomb in their only previous encounter this season. Justin Bour had a homer against Newcome in that game.

Reds' Mahle, Mets' Harvey open series

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(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- The Cincinnati Reds hope rookie right-hander Tyler Mahle can continue building a foundation when he heads to the mound Thursday night.

The New York Mets are just looking for a sign, any sign, that veteran right-hander Matt Harvey is capable of rebuilding his career after two injury-riddled seasons.

The pair of pitchers with similar yet disparate goals are scheduled to meet Thursday night, when the Reds visit the Mets in the opener of a four-game series at Citi Field.

The rebuilding Reds and Mets each earned wins on Wednesday. Host Cincinnati (61-79) completed a three-game sweep of the NL Central- and wild card-contending Milwaukee Brewers with a 7-1 victory. New York (60-79) beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 in a game shortened to six innings by rain.

Mahle (0-1, 2.45 ERA) will be making his third big league start since being promoted from Triple-A Louisville on Aug. 27. Harvey (4-4, 5.97) is starting for the second time since being activated from the disabled list last Saturday.

The 22-year-old Mahle is looking to cap a breakout season by laying claim to a rotation spot in 2018. Mahle didn't factor into the decision in his most recent start last Saturday despite blanking the Pittsburgh Pirates over six innings in the Reds' 5-0 loss.

The scoreless outing was highlighted by a fifth inning in which Mahle wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam. He then ended his night by tossing a hitless sixth and reaching the 100-pitch mark (105) for the 11th time in 26 starts this season among the Reds, Louisville and Double-A Pensacola.

"This is why he's here," Reds manager Bryan Price told reporters afterward. "He's here in September to get some experience that will help him moving forward, especially moving into next year. Getting him a chance to get up over 100 pitches, pitch out of his own issues there in the fifth and go back out for a nice sixth inning was really nice to see."

The Mets are desperate to say something nice about Harvey, who took the loss last Saturday after giving up seven runs over a career-low two innings as the Mets fell to the Houston Astros, 12-8.

The start was the first in the majors since June 14 for Harvey, who was sidelined by a stress injury to the scapula in his right shoulder. Despite subpar numbers on a rehab stint (a 4.63 ERA in three starts between Class A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton) and last Saturday's hiccup, Harvey said he feels good physically and that he'll be fine once he modifies mechanics that have grown rusty from a lack of use.

"I'm fully confident that within the next start, the start after that or whatever it is, by the end of this season, I'll be comfortable on the mound and throwing to hitters," Harvey told reporters last Saturday. "There's not one doubt in my mind that with health, mechanics will come and so will success."

All three elements have been hard to come by the last two seasons for Harvey, whose 2016 campaign ended when he underwent surgery to repair thoracic outlet syndrome in July. He is just 8-14 with a 5.35 ERA in 31 starts since the start of last year after opening his career by going 25-18 with a 2.53 ERA in 65 starts from 2012 through 2015. Harvey missed the 2014 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Mahle has never faced the Mets. Harvey is 3-0 with a 2.48 ERA in five career starts against the Reds.

Pirates look to make things tough for Cubs again

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(TSX / STATS) -- PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates would not seem to have a realistic shot at the postseason.

They sit 9 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, and they are 7 1/2 games behind the Colorado Rockies in the chase for the second NL wild card.

However, the past few days, the Pirates (67-73) gave the Cubs (76-63) a taste of the kind of tough games that Chicago might expect in the playoffs.

The Cubs won a 1-0 pitchers' duel Wednesday after dropping the first two games of a series at PNC Park 12-0 and 4-3. The four-game set concludes Thursday night.

"Great win," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after the Wednesday game. "Pretty significant after (Tuesday) night's tough loss."

The defending World Series champions, who have been in first in the division since July 27, will aim to salvage a split in the four-game set Thursday night. Chicago is four games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and 4 1/2 up on the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

The Cubs' Wednesday starter, Jose Quintana, wasn't part of the championship club last season, but he is caught up in the mentality.

"I've never had the opportunity (to be in a pennant race)," said Quintana, who threw six shutout innings but got a no-decision. "To be here and be close to the playoffs ... We haven't won anything yet, but we try to continue in this race every single day.

"It's special to win a game like that when you lost the last two games."

The Pirates got some strong work from some of their young pitchers during a four-game winning streak that ended Wednesday despite the fine work of Gerrit Cole. He threw eight shutout innings, but Chicago got to reliever Daniel Hudson for a run in the ninth.

"It's been really encouraging to see the workloads, because it's hard to quantify how much of a difference it is pitching in August in Triple-A vs. August in the big leagues, and then you pile another month on it to what they're doing against the quality of competition they're pitching against," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said.

Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.50 ERA) heads to the mound Thursday after getting a no-decision his last time out despite a strong performance. He pitched six scoreless innings Saturday, allowing three hits, in the Pirates' 5-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

That might have been a slump-busting outing. Taillon hasn't won since Aug. 11 and is 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in 10 starts since the All-Star break.

"I haven't really had that tough of a stretch like I just had at this level. It's tough," Taillon said before Saturday. "This is the best league in the world. Results are all that matters. In the minor leagues, there's always developmental things. Up here, you want to pitch well and keep your team in games.

"It's my first year going start to finish in the big leagues. I want to finish strong. I want to go out on a high note. Each start's an opportunity for me to learn something new about what I do and my craft.

"More than anything, I've learned that I belong. Good start or bad start, I feel like I'm a major league starting pitcher."

Taillon is 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs, and he is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts against Chicago this season.

Chicago will go with Jon Lester (9-7, 4.46 ERA). The veteran left-hander returned from the disabled list (shoulder fatigue) Saturday to face the Atlanta Braves, and he allowed four runs in five innings to pick up a win in a 14-12 Cubs blowout.

Lester could have nightmares when it comes to the Pirates.

This will be his first start against Pittsburgh since July 9, when he gave up 10 runs in two-thirds of an inning -- the first time in his career he got pulled in the first inning and the first time since 1998 a team scored 10 or more runs in the first against the Cubs.

"It kind of speaks for itself," Lester said. "It's embarrassing."

In 11 career starts against the Pirates, he is 4-5 with a 3.39 ERA. Lester is 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in three starts against Pittsburgh this season.

He is 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA in five starts at PNC Park.

Nationals begin long homestand with four vs. Phillies

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(TSX / STATS) -- WASHINGTON -- The first-place Washington Nationals begin their longest homestand of the season Thursday when the Philadelphia Phillies come to town for a four-game series.

The Nationals (85-54), who are a season-high 31 games above .500, will also host the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers while playing 10 games in the next 11 days.

There is a good chance Washington will clinch its fourth division title since 2012 during the homestand. The Nationals are 18 games ahead of the second-place Marlins after an 8-1 victory Wednesday in Miami. The magic number for the Nationals is six to clinch the National League East after first baseman Ryan Zimmerman hit his 31st homer in the victory.

"Just being on the field all year has been fun," Zimmerman, who played in only 210 games in the previous two seasons, told MASN television after the win.

A pair of right-handers are slated to start in the series opener Thursday. Washington's Tanner Roark (11-9, 4.48 ERA) opposes Aaron Nola (10-10, 3.72).

Roark is 5-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) in his career against the Phillies (53-86), who lost 6-3 in a rain-shortened game Wednesday night against the Mets in New York.

Nola is 1-3 with a 4.85 ERA in eight career starts against the Nationals. He is 1-2 with a 6.87 ERA in his past three starts, though he struck out 20 in those games.

In his most recent outing, Nola allowed six runs and 10 hits in five innings in a loss at Miami on Saturday. He has given up five runs or more in three of his past four starts.

"I was consistent at one point during the season, and I want to get back to that," Nola said. "I definitely don't want to have starts like this."

Several Washington hitters have extensive experience against Nola.

Second baseman Daniel Murphy is hitting .389 in 18 at-bats against Nola with one homer. Third baseman Anthony Rendon is hitting .235 in 17 at-bats with a homer against the righty.

Roark pitched well but was the loser in a 1-0 decision on Friday at Milwaukee. He gave up one run in seven innings and struck out 10.

"Very rarely does it happen," Roark said of losing a 1-0 game. "It was a pitchers' duel tonight, and they came out on top. I have the utmost confidence in these guys in here to score runs. It's just one of those games. It happens."

The Washington right-hander does not have a decision in three starts this year against the Phillies even though he has a 3.06 ERA in those outings while allowing only 12 hits in 17 2/3 innings.

Roark was 3-0 with an 0.79 ERA in five starts against the Phillies in 2016, but last year he didn't have to face rookie phenom Rhys Hoskins, who has 12 homers in his first 27 major league games.

Hoskins' pace is slowing though. The 24-year-old California has just one homer in nine game after hitting 11 in his first 18 games. In the just concluded series against the Mets, he went 2-for-9 with no RBIs.

Gaviglio set to make Royals' debut vs. Twins

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(TSX / STATS) -- Sam Gaviglio never would have bet when his flight landed in Las Vegas last week that he would be heading to Minnesota a few hours later.

Gaviglio traveled to Nevada with Triple-A Tacoma, the Seattle Mariners' top farm team, for a weekend series. He soon learned he was heading back to the major leagues.

"We were going to play the 51s and my phone started exploding," the 27-year-old right-handed pitcher said. "I was trying to put it all together."

Gaviglio was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals on Friday. He took a flight later in the afternoon to join them during the series in Minnesota. He'll make his Royals debut on Thursday when he starts the opener of a four-game series against the Twins at Kauffman Stadium.

Gaviglio (3-5, 4.62 ERA) made 12 appearances (11 starts) with the Mariners this season. He went 3-1 with a 3.43 ERA in his first eight outings but lost his last four starts, amassing a 6.65 ERA, before getting sent back to the minors.

"Each start was a learning experience," he said. "Towards the end, I got a little mechanically off, but I feel like I got back to my normal mechanics (at Tacoma)."

With ace Danny Duffy on the disabled list, the Royals were looking for another starting option.

"We liked his ability to throw strikes," manager Ned Yost said. "He's a ground-ball guy who works down in the zone."

Yost is just looking for Gaviglio to keep his team in the game. Gaviglio recorded his most recent major league victory against the Twins, when he gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings on June 14.

"We've got a solid bullpen," he said. "If he can get us through the fifth and into the sixth, it would be a great job."

Minnesota, one of the teams the Royals are chasing for a wild-card spot, will counter with veteran Kyle Gibson (9-10, 5.33 ERA). Gibson has gotten hot down the stretch, winning his last three starts. He held the Royals scoreless for six innings Saturday.

Gibson is 6-4 with a 3.53 ERA in 14 career starts against Kansas City.

The Twins snapped a three-game losing streak Wednesday with a 10-6 victory over Tampa Bay. Eduardo Escobar led the way with three hits and three RBIs.

"We leave here with a positive mind," Escobar said. "The offense struggled in the first two games here and we didn't hit well. Knowing that we won and the offense woke up again, I think, gives us momentum to go to Kansas City."

Manager Paul Molitor echoed those sentiments.

"There are times when you've got to create your own luck," he said. "You come in here and it's a different surface, a different atmosphere. The crowd's a little thin, not a lot of energy, you've gotta kind of dig from within.

"It was a challenge today to find (a way) to get it done. We got ourselves a lead and gave it back and we still found a way to come out on top. It's going to be a lot better heading into Kansas City knowing that we got this one."

Indians go for team-record 15th straight win

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(TSX / STATS) -- CHICAGO -- Corey Kluber continues to demonstrate just why the Cleveland Indians have dominated opponents this season.

The Indians right-hander, who is 14-4, enters his Thursday start against the Chicago White Sox with an American League-leading 2.56 ERA and the league's lowest opponents' batting average (.194).

So he is just the guy to lead the Indians as they seek a franchise-record 15th consecutive victory in the series finale against the Chicago White Sox.

Kluber also ranks in the top five in other pitching categories for the defending American League champions (83-56), who own the league's second-best record behind the Houston Astros.

"He's one of the best in the game, and it's nice when a guy reaches that point and continues to really get after it and work so he can even try and get better," Indians manager Terry Francona said earlier this summer. "We rely on him so much, and he knows that. It's nice to put his name in there every five days."

Kluber was named American League Pitcher of the Month for August after going 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA in six starts. He also has won seven of his last eight decisions, and he has won five consecutive decisions on the road dating back to a June 1 return from the disabled list.

The Indians matched their record 14-game winning streak with a 5-1 victory over the White Sox on Wednesday. They set the original record in 2016 en route to the American League pennant and a seven-game loss to the Chicago Cubs in the World Series.

The longest regular-season winning streak without a tie in major league history is 21, last achieved by the 1935 Chicago Cubs.

In 18 career appearances (17 starts) against the White Sox, Kluber is 8-4 with a 3.28 ERA. He has faced Chicago three times this season, going 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA, including a complete-game shutout on April 21 at Guaranteed Rate Field as he gave up just three hits, walked two and struck out nine.

The White Sox (54-84) will send left-hander Carlos Rodon (2-5, 4.15 ERA) out for his 13th start since returning from the 60-day disabled list on June 28. He had been sidelined due to left biceps bursitis.

Rodon had a no-decision in his last start on Saturday against Tampa Bay, giving up one run and two hits in four innings while striking out four.

Rodon is 4-1 with a 2.34 ERA in 10 career games (nine starts) against the Indians. He had a no-decision the last time he met Cleveland, on July 30, giving up one run and six hits with two walks and nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Chicago won 3-1.

The White Sox see Rodon as a big piece of future rotations.

"I think he's got a quality arm that I believe, if he stays within himself, can be an impactful guy as part of the next group of pitchers that are joining us," manager Rick Renteria said.

While the series ends Thursday, the White Sox and Indians aren't through yet. They will meet again at Progressive Field to close the season, Sept. 29 through Oct. 1.

Chicago hosts the San Francisco Giants for a three-game interleague series that kicks off Friday. Cleveland returns home for a 10-game homestand, starting with a weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles that also opens on Friday.

Yanks, O's rescheduled for Thursday

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(TSX / STATS) -- BALTIMORE -- The series finale between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees was rained out Wednesday night, and with much better weather in the forecast, the two teams will play on Thursday at 1:35 p.m. at Camden Yards.

The starting pitchers will remain the same, with Kevin Gausman (10-9, 4.79 ERA) going for Baltimore versus New York's Sonny Gray (8-9, 3.36, with Oakland and the Yankees combined).

These teams have split the first two games of the series, with the Orioles (71-68) winning in dramatic fashion Tuesday -- a contest that was delayed at the start by two hours, 14 minutes by rain -- thanks to Manny Machado's walk-off two-run homer. Both are in the hunt for the playoffs, so this game needed to be rescheduled.

Baltimore and the Yankees (74-64) both lose an off-day due to this game being moved back a day, and the official announcement came around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, just about two hours before the scheduled starting time.

"Our priority (was) to try and play tonight," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, just before the cancellation was announced. "(We want) to try to be fair to both teams."

It had been raining in Baltimore most of the day and the weather forecast was much better for Thursday (low 70s and sunny), so it's easy to see why the move was made. The Tuesday game did not start until 9:19 p.m. and did not end until nearly 1 a.m., and the forecast for Wednesday night didn't look much better.

"I don't think you want to stick around and maybe start a game at midnight, and then not know exactly when it's going to stop raining," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's probably best for (all)."

This was Baltimore's first postponement at home this year although the Orioles have had 18 rain delays already.

Girardi said that he wouldn't be changing much with his lineup on Thursday. Gray has struggled against Baltimore at Camden Yards, with an 0-3 career record plus a 7.53 ERA in three starts there. Overall against the Orioles, Gray is 1-3 with a 5.57 earned run average.

This will be his first start versus Baltimore this year.

Girardi also said that the Yankees will place pitcher Adam Warren on the 10-day disabled list due to lower back pain. It's an issue that started on Sunday, and New York left him at home Monday to be tested. Doctors recommended two weeks of rest.

The skipper also liked the way Aroldis Chapman threw in Tuesday's loss. Chapman retired the Orioles in order, and Girardi said he would have considered using him back in the closer's role if the game had been played on Wednesday.

But Girardi stopped short of saying he is giving the closer job back to Chapman even after Dellin Betances gave up Machado's walk-off blast Tuesday.

"We need (Chapman)," Girardi said. "I would not be afraid to use him at any point. The best thing about all of this is Chappy has thrown the ball well the last two times, and I'd say last night's probably been as good as we've seen in a while."

The Orioles will be getting some bullpen help Thursday as right-hander Mike Wright comes up from Triple-A Norfolk. Wright can help the Orioles in long relief, where Miguel Castro has been their big gun for the last several weeks.

Showalter also said Tuesday that the Orioles are hoping to get shortstop J.J. Hardy off the disabled list Friday after battling elbow problems. He has been on the 60-day disabled list (broken wrist), and the elbow issue came from batting practice. Hardy recently received a cortisone shot.

Gausman has a 7-4 record with a 3.18 in 21 career appearances, including 15 starts, against the Yankees. He is 1-1 with an 8.38 ERA in four starts against New York this season.