Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg has been voted the National League Pitcher of the Month for September, and for the second consecutive month, Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber has been voted the American League Pitcher of the Month for September.
Strasburg compiled a perfect 4-0 record with a 0.83 ERA and 40 strikeouts over 32.2 innings of work to earn his third career NL Pitcher of the Month Award, last winning in July 2016. The dominant right-hander allowed just 19 hits and seven walks without surrendering a home run across five outings. Among qualified NL starting pitchers, Stephen finished the period first in ERA; tied for second in wins; third in innings pitched; and tied for third in strikeouts. This is Washington's second NL Pitcher of the Month Award this season, following Stephen's All-Star teammate Max Scherzer, who took home monthly honors in June.
Over the course of his award-winning month, the three-time All-Star collected four scoreless starts, allowing three earned runs in his only non-scoreless outing of the month. Over a five-start span from August 24th-September 17th, the first overall selection in the 2009 MLB Draft recorded a 35.0-inning scoreless streak with 51 strikeouts, six walks and 19 hits allowed, while leading the Nationals to a perfect 5-0 record. The impressive streak was the longest in franchise history, and the longest across the Majors since 2015 when Zack Greinke logged a 45.2-inning scoreless streak and Clayton Kershaw posted a streak of 37.0 innings. Since the 2017 Midsummer Classic, Strasburg did not allow a run in seven of 10 outings. In total, Strasburg's historic second half culminated with a 9-1 record to go along with 76 strikeouts, 14 walks, 37 hits allowed and a 0.86 ERA. According to Elias, it was the second-lowest post-All-Star break ERA in Major League history for any pitcher with at least 10 starts. During his Cy Young Award-winning campaign in 2015, Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs posted a 0.75 ERA to hold the record. Over the course of his excellent second half, Strasburg lowered his ERA by 79 points, finishing his excellent campaign with the fourth-lowest mark in the Majors (2.51).
Starting pitcher Jon Gray (4-1, 2.57 ERA, 35.0 IP, 39 SO) of the Colorado Rockies also received votes for his excellent month. Slated to start the 2017 NL Wild Card Game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, the 25-year-old did not allow more than three earned runs in any start in September, while reaching the 5.0-inning threshold in each outing. In his most recent road start against the D-backs on September 12th, the third overall selection in the 2013 Draft tossed 7.0 strong innings with 10 strikeouts and zero walks, earning the win while holding Arizona's offense to two earned runs.
In six September starts, Kluber registered a 5-0 record with a 0.84 ERA and an impressive 50:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio en route to earning his fourth career AL Pitcher of the Month Award, and third of the 2017 season (also: June and August). The 31-year-old veteran is the only hurler in the Majors this season to earn three Pitcher of the Month Awards, and is the first pitcher to accomplish the feat since Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros during his Cy Young Award-winning 2015 season. The crafty right-hander allowed just 31 hits and three home runs across 43.0 innings of work. Among qualified AL starters, Kluber finished the period first in ERA and innings pitched, tied for first in wins and second in strikeouts.
In his start on September 12th against the Tigers at Progressive Field, Kluber tossed a complete-game shutout to lead the Tribe to their 20th consecutive victory. With the five-hit shutout, the two-time AL All-Star improved to 16-4 on the season. According to Elias, the Stetson University product became the third Indians hurler over the last 65 years to notch at least 16 wins across their first 20 decisions in a season, joining Cliff Lee (2005, 08) and Charles Nagy (1996). On September 17th against the Kansas City Royals, Kluber tossed 7.0 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and just three hits allowed to propel the Indians to their second consecutive AL Central title. Per Elias, with the outing, the 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner became the third pitcher in Club history to post multiple 250-strikeout campaigns (also 2014), joining 'Sudden' Sam McDowell (1965, 68-70) and Hall of Famer Bob Feller (1940-41, 46). With the victory, Cleveland became the third team in MLB history to notch 24 wins across 25 games, joining the 1916 New York Giants, who established the Major League record with 26 consecutive victories in 1916, as well as the 1977 Kansas City Royals. On September 24th against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field, the Birmingham, Alabama native did not allow an earned run over 7.0 innings, while tallying 10 strikeouts. The dominant outing marked Kluber's 15th start of the season with at least 10 punchouts, matching Max Scherzer for the second-most such games across the Majors this season. Cy Young Award candidate Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox recorded 18 games with at least 10 strikeouts to pace the Majors. In Indians lore, Kluber's 15 such starts are the second-most in a single season, trailing only McDowell, who posted 17 double-digit strikeout starts in 1965.
Six-time All-Star Justin Verlander (5-0, 1.06 ERA, 34.0 IP, 43 SO) also posted a strong month of September during his first month as a member of the Houston Astros. The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner did not allow more than two earned runs in any start, recording at least 6.0 innings in each outing to lead the Astros to a win in each game he started. Over an eight-start stretch dating back to August 20th, Verlander finished his strong 2017 campaign by winning each of his seven decisions with a 1.31 ERA and 69 strikeouts (nine walks) across 55.0 innings pitched. Corey's teammate Carlos Carrasco (5-0, 1.48 ERA, 42.2 IP, 51 SO) received votes as well, finishing the season with career-bests in innings pitched (200.0), strikeouts (226) and wins (18).
In recognition of their Pitcher of the Month Awards, Stephen Strasburg and Corey Kluber will each receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for their accomplishments.
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Monday, October 2, 2017
Aaron Judge & J.D. Martinez Voted Players of the Month
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been voted the Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month for September, as well as AL Rookie of the Month for the final month of the regular season. Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez has been voted the Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month for September. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.
Judge posted a slash line of .311/.463/.889 with 29 runs scored, 28 hits, seven doubles, 15 home runs, 31 RBI, 28 walks and two stolen bases over 27 games played to claim his second career AL Player of the Month Award (also June 2017), as well as his fourth rookie honor of the season. Aaron is the first AL player to earn four rookie honors in a single season since All-Star outfielder Mike Trout accomplished the feat during his AL Rookie of the Year Award-winning 2012 campaign. Among qualified AL leaders, the 25-year-old finished the month first in runs scored, home runs, RBI, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and matched All-Star infielder José Ramírez of the Cleveland Indians for the most extra-base hits (22).
On September 20th against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium, Judge went 1-for-3 with a homerun and his 100th RBI of the season. The Fresno State University product became the second rookie in Major League history to record at least 100 runs scored, 100 RBI and 100 walks in a single season, joining Hall of Famer Ted Williams (1939). In addition, the slugging outfielder became the eighth Yankee in team history to accomplish the feat, joining Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle, as well as Charlie Keller, Jason Giambi, Bernie Williams and George Selkirk. Against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 22nd, the Linden, California native notched his second home run in as many days as part of a multi-hit effort. The first-inning solo shot extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one run scored to 12 contests, dating back to September 9th. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only two other rookies in the past 65 years have posted a longer such streak - eventual Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols (13) of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001 and Trout (15) in 2012. Additionally, Judge logged the longest such streak by a Yankees hitter since Johnny Damon's 12-game streak in 2007. Posting a career-high 15 home runs in the final month of the 2017 regular season campaign, the AL MVP candidate finished his outstanding rookie season with 52 round-trippers, establishing a new Major League record for home runs hit by a rookie in a single season.
The aforementioned Ramírez (.393, 21 R, 12 2B, 9 HR, 21 RBI) also posted a strong month of September for the AL Central Division Champion Indians. The 2017 All-Star finished his breakout season with 56 doubles and 29 home runs on the season, becoming just the sixth player since at least 1901 to reach both of those marks in a single season, joining Garret Anderson (2002), Todd Helton (2000) and Carlos Delgado (2000), as well as Hall of Famers Joe Medwick (1937) and Chuck Klein (1930). Others receiving votes for AL Player of the Month included outfielder Mitch Haniger (.365, 17 R, 15 XBH, 14 RBI) of the Seattle Mariners and third baseman Nicholas Castellanos (.368, 11 2B, 7 HR, 25 RBI) of the Detroit Tigers.
Martinez batted .404 (40-for-99) with 26 runs scored, eight doubles, 16 home runs, 36 RBI and a stolen base over 24 games to claim his first career Player of the Month Award, and the first for a Diamondbacks position player since Martín Prado in August 2013. Earlier this month, the 30-year-old became the first player since MLB began awarding Player of the Week in 1973 (1975 in the AL) to claim four weekly awards in a single season, following his back-to-back weekly honors for the periods ending September 11th and September 18th. Among qualified NL hitters, Martinez finished his award-winning month first in batting average, extra-base hits (24), runs scored, home runs, RBI and slugging percentage (.970); second in hits; fourth in on-base percentage (.439); and tied for sixth in doubles.
On September 14th against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field, Martinez went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a solo home run. With the productive contest, Martinez tallied at least one RBI in seven consecutive games dating back to September 8th. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, his impressive streak was the longest active streak in the Majors, as well as the third-longest streak in Club history. Luis Gonzalez (June 2002) and J.D.'s All-Star teammate Paul Goldschmidt (June 2013) posted eight-game streaks to share the team record. Over a 12-game span from September 1st-14th, Martinez hit .451 (23-for-51) with 18 runs scored, 10 homers and 20 RBI. The right-handed-hitting slugger became the fifth player in MLB history to post that many runs, homers and RBI across a 12-game stretch, joining Hall of Famers Hank Greenberg (1940), Willie Mays (1958) and Frank Robinson (1962), as well as Bryce Harper (2015). In Arizona's road tilt against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on September 17th, the seven-year veteran notched his 40th round-tripper on the season. Per Elias, the 2015 AL All-Star became the fifth player in Baseball history to post a 40-homer season while playing for multiple teams, joining Greg Vaughn in 1996 (Milwaukee Brewers/San Diego Padres), Mark McGwire in 1997 (Oakland Athletics/St. Louis Cardinals), David Justice in 2000 Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees) and Adam Dunn in 2008 (Cincinnati Reds/ Arizona). Additionally, with 16 homers, J.D. matched Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner (1949) for the most home runs hit in the month of September in NL history.
Others receiving votes for NL Player of the Month included two-time All-Star first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (.329, 13 R, 13 XBH, 20 RBI) of the Washington Nationals and three-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado (.333, 18 R, 11 XBH, 19 RBI) of the Colorado Rockies.
The Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month, Aaron Judge, and the Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month, J.D. Martinez will each receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for their accomplishments.
Judge posted a slash line of .311/.463/.889 with 29 runs scored, 28 hits, seven doubles, 15 home runs, 31 RBI, 28 walks and two stolen bases over 27 games played to claim his second career AL Player of the Month Award (also June 2017), as well as his fourth rookie honor of the season. Aaron is the first AL player to earn four rookie honors in a single season since All-Star outfielder Mike Trout accomplished the feat during his AL Rookie of the Year Award-winning 2012 campaign. Among qualified AL leaders, the 25-year-old finished the month first in runs scored, home runs, RBI, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and matched All-Star infielder José Ramírez of the Cleveland Indians for the most extra-base hits (22).
On September 20th against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium, Judge went 1-for-3 with a homerun and his 100th RBI of the season. The Fresno State University product became the second rookie in Major League history to record at least 100 runs scored, 100 RBI and 100 walks in a single season, joining Hall of Famer Ted Williams (1939). In addition, the slugging outfielder became the eighth Yankee in team history to accomplish the feat, joining Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle, as well as Charlie Keller, Jason Giambi, Bernie Williams and George Selkirk. Against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 22nd, the Linden, California native notched his second home run in as many days as part of a multi-hit effort. The first-inning solo shot extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one run scored to 12 contests, dating back to September 9th. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only two other rookies in the past 65 years have posted a longer such streak - eventual Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols (13) of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001 and Trout (15) in 2012. Additionally, Judge logged the longest such streak by a Yankees hitter since Johnny Damon's 12-game streak in 2007. Posting a career-high 15 home runs in the final month of the 2017 regular season campaign, the AL MVP candidate finished his outstanding rookie season with 52 round-trippers, establishing a new Major League record for home runs hit by a rookie in a single season.
The aforementioned Ramírez (.393, 21 R, 12 2B, 9 HR, 21 RBI) also posted a strong month of September for the AL Central Division Champion Indians. The 2017 All-Star finished his breakout season with 56 doubles and 29 home runs on the season, becoming just the sixth player since at least 1901 to reach both of those marks in a single season, joining Garret Anderson (2002), Todd Helton (2000) and Carlos Delgado (2000), as well as Hall of Famers Joe Medwick (1937) and Chuck Klein (1930). Others receiving votes for AL Player of the Month included outfielder Mitch Haniger (.365, 17 R, 15 XBH, 14 RBI) of the Seattle Mariners and third baseman Nicholas Castellanos (.368, 11 2B, 7 HR, 25 RBI) of the Detroit Tigers.
Martinez batted .404 (40-for-99) with 26 runs scored, eight doubles, 16 home runs, 36 RBI and a stolen base over 24 games to claim his first career Player of the Month Award, and the first for a Diamondbacks position player since Martín Prado in August 2013. Earlier this month, the 30-year-old became the first player since MLB began awarding Player of the Week in 1973 (1975 in the AL) to claim four weekly awards in a single season, following his back-to-back weekly honors for the periods ending September 11th and September 18th. Among qualified NL hitters, Martinez finished his award-winning month first in batting average, extra-base hits (24), runs scored, home runs, RBI and slugging percentage (.970); second in hits; fourth in on-base percentage (.439); and tied for sixth in doubles.
On September 14th against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field, Martinez went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a solo home run. With the productive contest, Martinez tallied at least one RBI in seven consecutive games dating back to September 8th. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, his impressive streak was the longest active streak in the Majors, as well as the third-longest streak in Club history. Luis Gonzalez (June 2002) and J.D.'s All-Star teammate Paul Goldschmidt (June 2013) posted eight-game streaks to share the team record. Over a 12-game span from September 1st-14th, Martinez hit .451 (23-for-51) with 18 runs scored, 10 homers and 20 RBI. The right-handed-hitting slugger became the fifth player in MLB history to post that many runs, homers and RBI across a 12-game stretch, joining Hall of Famers Hank Greenberg (1940), Willie Mays (1958) and Frank Robinson (1962), as well as Bryce Harper (2015). In Arizona's road tilt against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on September 17th, the seven-year veteran notched his 40th round-tripper on the season. Per Elias, the 2015 AL All-Star became the fifth player in Baseball history to post a 40-homer season while playing for multiple teams, joining Greg Vaughn in 1996 (Milwaukee Brewers/San Diego Padres), Mark McGwire in 1997 (Oakland Athletics/St. Louis Cardinals), David Justice in 2000 Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees) and Adam Dunn in 2008 (Cincinnati Reds/ Arizona). Additionally, with 16 homers, J.D. matched Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner (1949) for the most home runs hit in the month of September in NL history.
Others receiving votes for NL Player of the Month included two-time All-Star first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (.329, 13 R, 13 XBH, 20 RBI) of the Washington Nationals and three-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado (.333, 18 R, 11 XBH, 19 RBI) of the Colorado Rockies.
The Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month, Aaron Judge, and the Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month, J.D. Martinez will each receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for their accomplishments.
Carlos Correa of Astros Named American League Player of the Week
Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending October 1st. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.
Correa batted .520 (13-for-25) with eight runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI over six games played to earn his third career AL Player of the Week Award, last winning for the period ending August 14, 2016. Among his AL counterparts, Carlos finished his strong week first in batting average, hits, runs scored and RBI; second in on-base percentage (.571); tied for second in doubles; tied for third in home runs; and third in slugging percentage (1.040). This is Houston's third AL Player of the Week Award this season, following Correa's All-Star teammates George Springer (June 4th) and Jose Altuve (July 9th).
Over a four-game stretch from Monday to Thursday, the Astros outscored their opponents 49-9, winning each contest by a margin of at least nine runs. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Detroit Wolverines of the National League in 1887 were the last team to win four straight games by at least nine runs. Additionally, Houston became only the third team since 1931 to tally at least 11 runs in four consecutive games on one road trip, joining the 1950 Boston Braves and the 2000 Seattle Mariners. Correa, who notched consecutive four-hit games on Wednesday and Thursday, became the ninth player in Club history to log consecutive games with at least four hits, and the second of the 2017 season. Altuve, who has accomplished the feat three times in his career, did so earlier this season for the Astros from July 23rd-24th. Per Elias, Correa, who also notched a three-hit game on Tuesday, became the first player in team history to record three straight games with at least three hits and three RBI in a single season, and the first Major Leaguer since Victor Martinez of the Detroit Tigers in 2011. The 2015 AL Rookie of the Year Award winner became just the fifth shortstop to do so, joining Hanley Ramirez (2010), Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. (1995), Alvin Dark (1956) and Glenn Wright (1928). In addition, his two-homer output on Wednesday was his third multi-homer effort of the season (also: June 29th and July 9th). Finishing his All-Star campaign with 24 round-trippers on the season, the first overall selection of the 2012 MLB Draft established a new franchise record for home runs hit by a shortstop, and he is the first shortstop in MLB history to reach the 20-homer mark in each of his first three Major League seasons.
Other noteworthy performances last week included Carlos' teammates Alex Bregman (.393, 5 R, 5 XBH, 9 RBI) and Marwin Gonzalez (.474, 4 R, 3 XBH, 8 RBI); All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge (.368, 6 R, 6 XBH, 9 RBI) and starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 15 SO) of the New York Yankees; three-time All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson (.450, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI) of the Toronto Blue Jays; and starting pitcher Parker Bridwell (2-0, 1.98 ERA, 13.2 IP) of the Los Angeles Angels.
In recognition of his American League Player of the Week Award, Carlos Correa will be awarded a watch courtesy of Rockwell.
Correa batted .520 (13-for-25) with eight runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI over six games played to earn his third career AL Player of the Week Award, last winning for the period ending August 14, 2016. Among his AL counterparts, Carlos finished his strong week first in batting average, hits, runs scored and RBI; second in on-base percentage (.571); tied for second in doubles; tied for third in home runs; and third in slugging percentage (1.040). This is Houston's third AL Player of the Week Award this season, following Correa's All-Star teammates George Springer (June 4th) and Jose Altuve (July 9th).
Over a four-game stretch from Monday to Thursday, the Astros outscored their opponents 49-9, winning each contest by a margin of at least nine runs. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Detroit Wolverines of the National League in 1887 were the last team to win four straight games by at least nine runs. Additionally, Houston became only the third team since 1931 to tally at least 11 runs in four consecutive games on one road trip, joining the 1950 Boston Braves and the 2000 Seattle Mariners. Correa, who notched consecutive four-hit games on Wednesday and Thursday, became the ninth player in Club history to log consecutive games with at least four hits, and the second of the 2017 season. Altuve, who has accomplished the feat three times in his career, did so earlier this season for the Astros from July 23rd-24th. Per Elias, Correa, who also notched a three-hit game on Tuesday, became the first player in team history to record three straight games with at least three hits and three RBI in a single season, and the first Major Leaguer since Victor Martinez of the Detroit Tigers in 2011. The 2015 AL Rookie of the Year Award winner became just the fifth shortstop to do so, joining Hanley Ramirez (2010), Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. (1995), Alvin Dark (1956) and Glenn Wright (1928). In addition, his two-homer output on Wednesday was his third multi-homer effort of the season (also: June 29th and July 9th). Finishing his All-Star campaign with 24 round-trippers on the season, the first overall selection of the 2012 MLB Draft established a new franchise record for home runs hit by a shortstop, and he is the first shortstop in MLB history to reach the 20-homer mark in each of his first three Major League seasons.
Other noteworthy performances last week included Carlos' teammates Alex Bregman (.393, 5 R, 5 XBH, 9 RBI) and Marwin Gonzalez (.474, 4 R, 3 XBH, 8 RBI); All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge (.368, 6 R, 6 XBH, 9 RBI) and starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 15 SO) of the New York Yankees; three-time All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson (.450, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI) of the Toronto Blue Jays; and starting pitcher Parker Bridwell (2-0, 1.98 ERA, 13.2 IP) of the Los Angeles Angels.
In recognition of his American League Player of the Week Award, Carlos Correa will be awarded a watch courtesy of Rockwell.
Andrew McCutchen of Pirates Named National League Player of the Week
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen has been named the National League Player of the Week for the period ending October 1st. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.
McCutchen posted a slash line of .471/.526/1.000 with six runs scored, eight hits, three doubles, two home runs and nine RBI over five games played to claim his seventh career NL Player of the Week Award, last winning for the period ending August 9, 2015. Among NL leaders, Andrew finished the period tied for first in RBI and slugging percentage; tied for second in extra-base hits (5); third in batting average; tied for third in runs scored and home runs; and tied for sixth in doubles. This is Pittsburgh's first NL Player of the Week Award of the 2017 season, and the first since Sean Rodriguez last year for the period ending September 18th.
On Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park, the five-time NL All-Star went a perfect 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and eight RBI. Included in his fourth multi-homer effort of the season, McCutchen clubbed the first grand slam of his career. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 11th overall selection in the 2005 MLB Draft became the sixth player in Major League history to hit his first career grand slam after logging at least 200 career round-trippers, joining Sammy Sosa (246), Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell (217), Bob Horner (209), Kirk Gibson (202) and Eric Karros (202). In addition, the 2013 NL Most Valuable Player became the third Pirates player since 1920, when RBI became an official statistic, to record at least four hits, four runs scored and eight RBI in a single contest, joining Johnny Rizzo (1939) and Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner (1950). McCutchen's historic game was the third this season in which a player logged such a stat line, following Anthony Rendon (April 30th) of the Washington Nationals and Scooter Gennett (June 6th) of the Cincinnati Reds. "Cutch," a Fort Meade, Florida native, logged his 539th career extra-base hit in yesterday's season finale against the Washington Nationals, reaching the 30-double milestone for the sixth time in his career. His extra-base hit total ranks seventh in franchise history, trailing Hall of Famers Willie Stargell (953), Honus Wagner (865), Paul Waner (852), Roberto Clemente (846), Pie Traynor (593) and Max Carey (590).
Other noteworthy performances last week included infielder Ozzie Albies (.343, 12 H, 5 RBI, 5 SB) of the Atlanta Braves; All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon (.455, 3 R, 10 H, 8 RBI), backstop Jonathan Lucroy (.500, 5 R, 3 XBH, 9 BB) and shortstop Trevor Story (.381, 6 R, 5 XBH, 9 RBI) of the Colorado Rockies; four-time All-Star starting pitcher Jon Lester (2-0, 0.82 ERA, 11.0 IP, 11 SO) of the Chicago Cubs; infielder Miguel Rojas (.524, 3 R, 6 XBH, 6 RBI) of the Miami Marlins; and three-time All-Star starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.2 IP, 8 SO) of the Washington Nationals.
In recognition of his National League Player of the Week Award, Andrew McCutchen will be awarded a watch courtesy of Rockwell.
McCutchen posted a slash line of .471/.526/1.000 with six runs scored, eight hits, three doubles, two home runs and nine RBI over five games played to claim his seventh career NL Player of the Week Award, last winning for the period ending August 9, 2015. Among NL leaders, Andrew finished the period tied for first in RBI and slugging percentage; tied for second in extra-base hits (5); third in batting average; tied for third in runs scored and home runs; and tied for sixth in doubles. This is Pittsburgh's first NL Player of the Week Award of the 2017 season, and the first since Sean Rodriguez last year for the period ending September 18th.
On Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park, the five-time NL All-Star went a perfect 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and eight RBI. Included in his fourth multi-homer effort of the season, McCutchen clubbed the first grand slam of his career. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 11th overall selection in the 2005 MLB Draft became the sixth player in Major League history to hit his first career grand slam after logging at least 200 career round-trippers, joining Sammy Sosa (246), Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell (217), Bob Horner (209), Kirk Gibson (202) and Eric Karros (202). In addition, the 2013 NL Most Valuable Player became the third Pirates player since 1920, when RBI became an official statistic, to record at least four hits, four runs scored and eight RBI in a single contest, joining Johnny Rizzo (1939) and Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner (1950). McCutchen's historic game was the third this season in which a player logged such a stat line, following Anthony Rendon (April 30th) of the Washington Nationals and Scooter Gennett (June 6th) of the Cincinnati Reds. "Cutch," a Fort Meade, Florida native, logged his 539th career extra-base hit in yesterday's season finale against the Washington Nationals, reaching the 30-double milestone for the sixth time in his career. His extra-base hit total ranks seventh in franchise history, trailing Hall of Famers Willie Stargell (953), Honus Wagner (865), Paul Waner (852), Roberto Clemente (846), Pie Traynor (593) and Max Carey (590).
Other noteworthy performances last week included infielder Ozzie Albies (.343, 12 H, 5 RBI, 5 SB) of the Atlanta Braves; All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon (.455, 3 R, 10 H, 8 RBI), backstop Jonathan Lucroy (.500, 5 R, 3 XBH, 9 BB) and shortstop Trevor Story (.381, 6 R, 5 XBH, 9 RBI) of the Colorado Rockies; four-time All-Star starting pitcher Jon Lester (2-0, 0.82 ERA, 11.0 IP, 11 SO) of the Chicago Cubs; infielder Miguel Rojas (.524, 3 R, 6 XBH, 6 RBI) of the Miami Marlins; and three-time All-Star starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.2 IP, 8 SO) of the Washington Nationals.
In recognition of his National League Player of the Week Award, Andrew McCutchen will be awarded a watch courtesy of Rockwell.
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).
___
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.
___
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.
___
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
A look at the American League wild-card game between the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees:
___
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).
___
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).
___
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.
___
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.
___
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
As calendar flips to October, the MLB postseason from A to Z
By BEN WALKER
Associated Press
All those home runs by Aaron Judge, all those wins by the Los Angeles Dodgers, nicely done. Except none of that matters now — a sinker that bounces to the backstop, a liner that hooks barely foul, the whole script flips.
October has a way of doing that.
The Major League Baseball playoffs start Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium when New York hosts the Minnesota Twins in the AL wild-card game. A look at the 2017 postseason, from A to Z:
A: ALTUVE’S ASTROS — Generously listed at 5-foot-6, Jose Altuve is baseball’s little big man. The do-everything second baseman won his third AL batting title and aims to lead the Astros to their first World Series crown. With the Houston area recovering from Hurricane Harvey, they’re the sentimental favorites.
B: BULLPENS — Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman going long, Andrew Miller entering early, Clayton Kershaw as a closer. The old rules were out last October when it came to relief roles. We’ll see what pops up in the ’pens this year.
C: CUBS VS. CLEVELAND — Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Corey Kluber & Crew, once more? It’s been a while since a World Series rematch, when Reggie Jackson led the Yanks over the Dodgers in 1977-78. But, it’s already been a ripe year for repeats — Warriors vs. Cavaliers, Alabama vs. Clemson.
D: DEBUTS — Strikeout king Chris Sale makes his first playoff appearance when Boston starts at Houston on Thursday in the best-of-five AL Division Series. Rockies bopper Nolan Arenado and Twins slugger Brian Dozier are postseason newbies, too. So is Nationals backup Adam Lind, after 12 years and more than 1,300 games.
E: EXTRA — Hmmm, anyone remember the last time a postseason game went to extra innings? Hard to top the Cubs’ 10-inning, rain-delayed, 8-7 thriller over Cleveland in Game 7. The Red Sox are the experts of extras this year — they’re 15-3, including seven straight wins.
F: FREE AGENTS — Sure, 20 teams are done. But their fans can always dream. Cubs righty Jake Arrieta, Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas and Rays thumper Logan Morrison are on the list of who’ll soon be available. The most intriguing possibility might be Shohei Otani, a star pitcher and hitter in Japan.
G: GOOD TO SEE YA — Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2009, when he was 10 for 17. Twins star Joe Mauer has been absent since 2010. And Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg has pitched just once in Washington’s three trips, heading into this matchup with the Cubs.
H: HOME FIELD — World Series home-field advantages goes to the team with the best record. Thankfully, it’s no longer based on who wins the All-Star Game. That means the Dodgers (104 wins) get first dibs, followed by Cleveland (102), Houston (101), Washington (97), Boston (93) and the Cubs (92).
I: INJURIES — Nationals ace Max Scherzer tweaked his hamstring, teammate Bryce Harper is getting over a bad knee. Banged-up All-Stars Miguel Sano of the Twins and Michael Brantley of the Indians might be able contribute this week. Might not.
J: JOE MADDON — A cool cat, he keeps his Cubs loose. He reveled in last year’s rallying cry: “Try Not to Suck.” The skipper became the toast of Chicago, ending that century-old drought. Funny, all those warm-and-fuzzy Wrigley Field feelings are gone now, at least beyond the Friendly Confines.
K: KERSHAW — He tied for the major league lead in wins and won his fifth ERA title. He’s a three-time Cy Young Award winner and seven-time All-Star. But will anyone get more scrutiny in the postseason than Clayton Kershaw? Probably not, because the LA lefty is 4-7 with a 4.55 ERA in the postseason.
L: LOUSY WEATHER — Too bad, the temperature is often better suited for snowballs than baseballs. It was in the low 40s at Wrigley last year, and just imagine how it might feel in Denver or Minneapolis. If you want clear conditions, root for Arizona vs. Houston and their retractable roofs.
M: MANAGERS — Twin Cities native Paul Molitor, Torey Lovullo of the Diamondbacks and Bud Black of the Rockies are first-time skippers in the playoffs. Washington’s Dusty Baker is back for his ninth try, still seeking that elusive first World Series championship.
N: NETTING — Fan safety has drawn special focus ever since a 1-year-old girl was recently hit by Todd Frazier’s 105 mph foul ball at Yankee Stadium. Of the teams in these playoffs, three already had extended the netting to screen spectators: Houston, Washington and Minnesota. The Yankees say they’ll have it next year.
O: OCTOBER — Of course. But if the World Series goes to Game 7, they’ll go beyond Halloween and play on Nov. 1.
P: PUERTO RICO — Carlos Beltran, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa are among the many players from Puerto Rico trying to raise money and awareness for the damage done to their island by Hurricane Maria. Look for messages on caps and shoes over the next few weeks.
Q: QUICK? — Extra mound conferences, longer TV commercials, more pitching changes, they all contribute to slowing down the pace in the playoffs. MLB wants to speed up the action and avoid a repeat from last year, when postseason games averaged almost 3 1/2 hours. Not a good sign that regular-season games this year took more than 3 hours, 5 minutes on average, the longest ever.
R: ROOKIES — Yankees behemoth Aaron Judge broke the major league record with 52 home runs by a rookie, Dodgers surprise Cody Bellinger set the NL mark with 39. Other newcomers who could make an impact: Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi, Cubs outfielder/infielder Ian Happ and 33-year-old Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel.
S: STREAKS — Jose Ramirez and the Indians set an AL record by winning 22 straight, the Dodgers dropped 11 in a row for their worst skid since moving from Brooklyn. A year after winning its first six postseason games, and in this season of streaks, Cleveland hopes to do it again.
T: TRADES — Justin Verlander (5-0, 1.06 ERA for Houston), J.D. Martinez (29 homers in 62 games for Arizona) and Jose Quintana (7-3, 3.74 for the Cubs) are some of the stars who were acquired in midseason trades. Yu Darvish, David Robertson and Eduardo Nunez also gave their new teams a boost.
U: UMPIRES — It won’t be long before some team is hollering about an ump’s strike zone. Those calls can’t be contested, but others can. Some teams are very good at getting them overturned (Joe Girardi and the Yankees won 72 percent of their challenges). Others, not so much (the Nationals were right only 36 percent).
V: VOTING — All ballots for MVP, Cy Young and other major awards must be sent before the playoffs begin. These honors will generate plenty of debate before the winners are announced in November. Altuve or Judge, Kluber or Sale?
W: WILD CARDS — Madison Bumgarner and the 2014 Giants are the only wild-card team to win the World Series since MLB went to a one-and-done format in 2012. Before that, five wild cards took the title: Cardinals (2011), Red Sox (2004), Marlins (2003, 1997) and Angels (2002).
X: XANDER BOGAERTS — Perhaps the Boston shortstop might be the next infielder to really break out in postseason. Think Javier Baez, Daniel Murphy, Ben Zobrist and Alcides Escobar in recent years.
Y: YANKEE STADIUM — The playoffs begin the Bronx, with Yankees youngster Luis Severino starting the AL wild-card game, taking on Ervin Santana and the Twins.
Z: ZACK GREINKE — The Arizona ace is set to throw the first pitch in Wednesday’s NL wild-card game at home against a familiar opponent. He’s 2-1 in five starts vs. Colorado this year.
Associated Press
All those home runs by Aaron Judge, all those wins by the Los Angeles Dodgers, nicely done. Except none of that matters now — a sinker that bounces to the backstop, a liner that hooks barely foul, the whole script flips.
October has a way of doing that.
The Major League Baseball playoffs start Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium when New York hosts the Minnesota Twins in the AL wild-card game. A look at the 2017 postseason, from A to Z:
A: ALTUVE’S ASTROS — Generously listed at 5-foot-6, Jose Altuve is baseball’s little big man. The do-everything second baseman won his third AL batting title and aims to lead the Astros to their first World Series crown. With the Houston area recovering from Hurricane Harvey, they’re the sentimental favorites.
B: BULLPENS — Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman going long, Andrew Miller entering early, Clayton Kershaw as a closer. The old rules were out last October when it came to relief roles. We’ll see what pops up in the ’pens this year.
C: CUBS VS. CLEVELAND — Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Corey Kluber & Crew, once more? It’s been a while since a World Series rematch, when Reggie Jackson led the Yanks over the Dodgers in 1977-78. But, it’s already been a ripe year for repeats — Warriors vs. Cavaliers, Alabama vs. Clemson.
D: DEBUTS — Strikeout king Chris Sale makes his first playoff appearance when Boston starts at Houston on Thursday in the best-of-five AL Division Series. Rockies bopper Nolan Arenado and Twins slugger Brian Dozier are postseason newbies, too. So is Nationals backup Adam Lind, after 12 years and more than 1,300 games.
E: EXTRA — Hmmm, anyone remember the last time a postseason game went to extra innings? Hard to top the Cubs’ 10-inning, rain-delayed, 8-7 thriller over Cleveland in Game 7. The Red Sox are the experts of extras this year — they’re 15-3, including seven straight wins.
F: FREE AGENTS — Sure, 20 teams are done. But their fans can always dream. Cubs righty Jake Arrieta, Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas and Rays thumper Logan Morrison are on the list of who’ll soon be available. The most intriguing possibility might be Shohei Otani, a star pitcher and hitter in Japan.
G: GOOD TO SEE YA — Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2009, when he was 10 for 17. Twins star Joe Mauer has been absent since 2010. And Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg has pitched just once in Washington’s three trips, heading into this matchup with the Cubs.
H: HOME FIELD — World Series home-field advantages goes to the team with the best record. Thankfully, it’s no longer based on who wins the All-Star Game. That means the Dodgers (104 wins) get first dibs, followed by Cleveland (102), Houston (101), Washington (97), Boston (93) and the Cubs (92).
I: INJURIES — Nationals ace Max Scherzer tweaked his hamstring, teammate Bryce Harper is getting over a bad knee. Banged-up All-Stars Miguel Sano of the Twins and Michael Brantley of the Indians might be able contribute this week. Might not.
J: JOE MADDON — A cool cat, he keeps his Cubs loose. He reveled in last year’s rallying cry: “Try Not to Suck.” The skipper became the toast of Chicago, ending that century-old drought. Funny, all those warm-and-fuzzy Wrigley Field feelings are gone now, at least beyond the Friendly Confines.
K: KERSHAW — He tied for the major league lead in wins and won his fifth ERA title. He’s a three-time Cy Young Award winner and seven-time All-Star. But will anyone get more scrutiny in the postseason than Clayton Kershaw? Probably not, because the LA lefty is 4-7 with a 4.55 ERA in the postseason.
L: LOUSY WEATHER — Too bad, the temperature is often better suited for snowballs than baseballs. It was in the low 40s at Wrigley last year, and just imagine how it might feel in Denver or Minneapolis. If you want clear conditions, root for Arizona vs. Houston and their retractable roofs.
M: MANAGERS — Twin Cities native Paul Molitor, Torey Lovullo of the Diamondbacks and Bud Black of the Rockies are first-time skippers in the playoffs. Washington’s Dusty Baker is back for his ninth try, still seeking that elusive first World Series championship.
N: NETTING — Fan safety has drawn special focus ever since a 1-year-old girl was recently hit by Todd Frazier’s 105 mph foul ball at Yankee Stadium. Of the teams in these playoffs, three already had extended the netting to screen spectators: Houston, Washington and Minnesota. The Yankees say they’ll have it next year.
O: OCTOBER — Of course. But if the World Series goes to Game 7, they’ll go beyond Halloween and play on Nov. 1.
P: PUERTO RICO — Carlos Beltran, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa are among the many players from Puerto Rico trying to raise money and awareness for the damage done to their island by Hurricane Maria. Look for messages on caps and shoes over the next few weeks.
Q: QUICK? — Extra mound conferences, longer TV commercials, more pitching changes, they all contribute to slowing down the pace in the playoffs. MLB wants to speed up the action and avoid a repeat from last year, when postseason games averaged almost 3 1/2 hours. Not a good sign that regular-season games this year took more than 3 hours, 5 minutes on average, the longest ever.
R: ROOKIES — Yankees behemoth Aaron Judge broke the major league record with 52 home runs by a rookie, Dodgers surprise Cody Bellinger set the NL mark with 39. Other newcomers who could make an impact: Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi, Cubs outfielder/infielder Ian Happ and 33-year-old Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel.
S: STREAKS — Jose Ramirez and the Indians set an AL record by winning 22 straight, the Dodgers dropped 11 in a row for their worst skid since moving from Brooklyn. A year after winning its first six postseason games, and in this season of streaks, Cleveland hopes to do it again.
T: TRADES — Justin Verlander (5-0, 1.06 ERA for Houston), J.D. Martinez (29 homers in 62 games for Arizona) and Jose Quintana (7-3, 3.74 for the Cubs) are some of the stars who were acquired in midseason trades. Yu Darvish, David Robertson and Eduardo Nunez also gave their new teams a boost.
U: UMPIRES — It won’t be long before some team is hollering about an ump’s strike zone. Those calls can’t be contested, but others can. Some teams are very good at getting them overturned (Joe Girardi and the Yankees won 72 percent of their challenges). Others, not so much (the Nationals were right only 36 percent).
V: VOTING — All ballots for MVP, Cy Young and other major awards must be sent before the playoffs begin. These honors will generate plenty of debate before the winners are announced in November. Altuve or Judge, Kluber or Sale?
W: WILD CARDS — Madison Bumgarner and the 2014 Giants are the only wild-card team to win the World Series since MLB went to a one-and-done format in 2012. Before that, five wild cards took the title: Cardinals (2011), Red Sox (2004), Marlins (2003, 1997) and Angels (2002).
X: XANDER BOGAERTS — Perhaps the Boston shortstop might be the next infielder to really break out in postseason. Think Javier Baez, Daniel Murphy, Ben Zobrist and Alcides Escobar in recent years.
Y: YANKEE STADIUM — The playoffs begin the Bronx, with Yankees youngster Luis Severino starting the AL wild-card game, taking on Ervin Santana and the Twins.
Z: ZACK GREINKE — The Arizona ace is set to throw the first pitch in Wednesday’s NL wild-card game at home against a familiar opponent. He’s 2-1 in five starts vs. Colorado this year.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Baseball Capsules (September 24, 2017)
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Bruce Maxwell became the first major league baseball player to kneel during the national anthem, and Khris Davis hit his 40th home run to lift the Oakland Athletics over the Texas Rangers 1-0 on Saturday night.
Maxwell dropped to a knee and pressed his cap against his chest just outside Oakland's dugout during the anthem, adopting a protest started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in response to police treatment of blacks.
Davis homered against Miguel Gonzalez (8-12) leading off the second as the A's won their season-high sixth straight. Raul Alcantara (1-1) allowed two hits in five innings, Blake Treinen finished for his 11th save..
YANKEES 5, BLUE JAYS 1
TORONTO (AP) — New York returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence, clinching no worse than a wild card as Greg Bird hit a three-run homer and Sonny Gray (10-11) allowed one run and four hits in six innings.
Unless New York overcomes Boston's four-game lead the AL East, the Yankees would play in the AL wild-card game on Oct. 3, most likely at home against Minnesota.
Toronto was eliminated with the defeat after consecutive losses in the AL Championship Series.
Bird, who spent much of the year sidelined and hampered by a right ankle injury, connected in the fifth off Joe Biagini (3-12) for his sixth home run of the season and third in seven games.
RED SOX 5, REDS 0
CINCINNATI (AP) — Mitch Moreland ended an 0-for-19 slump with a three-run homer off Robert Stephenson (5-6) in the sixth, and Eduardo Rodriguez (6-6) pitched three-hit ball into the eighth. Boston has won 13 of 16 and is trying to win consecutive AL East titles for the first time.
Cincinnati reliever Luke Farrell, the son of Red Sox manager John Farrell, pitched the ninth and tipped his cap toward the Boston dugout as he left the mound following a scoreless inning.
BREWERS 4, CUBS 3
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Travis Shaw hit a two-run homer with one out in the 10th iff All-Star closer Wade Davis (4-2), who had been successful in all 32 of his save chances this season until Orlando Arcia led off the ninth with a tying home run.
Milwaukee moved within 4½ games of NL Central-leading Chicago and closed within one game of Colorado for the NL's second wild-card spot.
Chicago went ahead 3-2 in the 10th on Jon Jay's single off Jeremy Jeffress (4-0).
PADRES 5, ROCKIES 0
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jhoulys Chacin (13-10) kept the Rockies hitless until DJ LeMahieu hit a sinking liner that diving center fielder Manuel Margot trapped with two outs in the sixth. Chacin and four relievers combined on a five-hitter.
Colorado was shut out for the third time in four games and has lost five of six.
Rockies starter Chad Bettis (1-4) was chased after allowing Yangervis Solarte's RBI single with two outs in the fifth.
PIRATES 11, CARDINALS 6
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Lance Lynn (11-8) allowed eight runs and six hits while getting two outs for St. Louis (81-73), which remained 1½ games behind Colorado. The Cardinals stayed five games behind the Cubs in the NL Central.
Tommy Pham gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead against Gerrit Cole (12-11) two batters in with a two-run homer. Pham was 2 for 4 with three RBIs.
MARLINS 12, DIAMONDBACKS 6
PHOENIX (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton extended his club record with his 57th home run and set a team mark with his 125th RBI, preventing Arizona from clinching an NL wild card.
Miami scored five runs in the third, taking advantage of a pair of errors by Taijuan Walker (9-9), who allowed seven runs, six hits, three walks and a hit batter in 3 2/3 innings. Brian Ellington (1-1) won in relief.
TWINS 10, TIGERS 4
DETROIT (AP) — Zack Granite hit his first major league home run, a three-run drive that capped an eight-run eighth. Minnesota, which overcame a 3-1 seventh-inning deficit, won its third straight and leads Kansas City, the Los Angeles Angels and Texas by 4½ games for the second AL wild card.
Ervin Santana (16-8) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.
Detroit pitcher Alex Wilson broke a leg in the eighth inning when hit by Joe Mauer's line drive. Daniel Stumpf (0-1) followed and allowed three runs and three hits without retiring a batter in his first big league decision.
Detroit, which announced Friday that manager Brad Ausmus will not return next season, has lost six straight and at 62-93 will finish with its worst record since going 43-119 in 2003.
ASTROS 6, ANGELS 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Evan Gattis hit a three-run homer to back Charlie Morton (13-7), who yielded one run and four hits in seven innings for his second straight win.
Justin Upton hit two home runs for the Angels, who matched a season worst with their sixth straight loss.
Carlos Correa had three hits and three RBIs a day after his 23rd birthday as the AL West champion Astros won for the seventh time in eight games. Bud Norris (2-6) allowed three hits and one run over 3 1/3 innings.
ROYALS 8, WHITE SOX 2
CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Gordon homered, Whit Merrifield drove in three runs and Danny Duffy (9-9) allowed two runs and eight hits in six-plus innings for his first win since Aug. 22.
Jose Abreu went 1 for 4 and drove in two runs to reach the 100-RBI mark for the fourth straight season. The Chicago slugger is just the third major leaguer to begin his career with four straight seasons of at least 25 homers and 100 RBIs after Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols.
Dylan Covey (0-7) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings.
INDIANS 11, MARINERS 4
SEATTLE (AP) — Francisco Lindor led off the game with his 33rd home run, the most by a Cleveland middle infielder, and the Indians won for the 28th time in 30 games.
Carlos Carrasco (17-6) matched teammate Cory Kluber and Boston's Chris Sale for the most wins in the AL, allowing one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Yan Gomes homered twice and had four RBIs, and Jose Ramirez homered and drove in four runs.
Cleveland, which set the AL record with a 22-game winning streak this month, matched the 1884 Providence Grays for the best big league record over a 30-game span at 28-2. The Indians (97-58) lead Houston (95-59) for AL home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Seattle lost for the seventh time in eight games and fell six games behind Minnesota.
RAYS 9, ORIOLES 6
BALTIMORE (AP) — Lucas Duda hit a go-ahead, three-run homer, helping eliminate the Orioles from postseason contention. Baltimore (74-82), which closed with five runs in the ninth inning, is assured of finishing with a losing record for the first time since 2011.
Duda's third-inning homer, his 30th overall and 13th since the Rays acquired him from the New York Mets, helped Tampa Bay take a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Tampa Bay (76-79) remained five games behind Minnesota with seven games remaining.
Jake Odorizzi (10-8) allowed an unearned run and three hits in six innings. Alex Colome retired Trey Mancini on a groundout for his major league-leading 46th save. Jeremy Hellickson (2-6 with the Orioles) gave up three runs and four hits over six innings.
NATIONALS 4, METS 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Murphy homered in the 10th off Jacob Rhame (0-1) and is hitting .393 with 35 RBIs in 37 games versus his former team.
Noah Syndergaard threw a five-pitch scoreless inning in his first major league appearance since partially tearing his right lat muscle on April 30. Matt Harvey took over for New York and allowed three runs in four innings.
Stephen Strasburg gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings. Sammy Solis (1-0) got the win, and Sean Doolittle completed his 20th save in 20 chances since being acquired from Oakland.
GIANTS 2, DODGERS 1
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Madison Bumgarner (4-9) allowed five hits in 7 2/3 innings, including Austin Barnes' homer, ending a four-start losing streak. Gorkys Hernandez had three hits and scored both runs.
Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-8) in the third inning when Joe Panik hit a comebacker off his left forearm. The Dodgers said X-rays were negative and Ryu had a bruised forearm.
Sam Dyson pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.
BRAVES 4, PHILLIES 2
ATLANTA (AP) — Pinch-hitter Johan Camargo hit a go-ahead, two-run double off Luis Garcia (2-5) in a three-run eighth inning and Rio Ruiz homered.
Rex Brothers (4-3) pitched a one-hit eighth, and Arodys Vizcaino struck out three in the ninth for his 13th save.
Maxwell dropped to a knee and pressed his cap against his chest just outside Oakland's dugout during the anthem, adopting a protest started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in response to police treatment of blacks.
Davis homered against Miguel Gonzalez (8-12) leading off the second as the A's won their season-high sixth straight. Raul Alcantara (1-1) allowed two hits in five innings, Blake Treinen finished for his 11th save..
YANKEES 5, BLUE JAYS 1
TORONTO (AP) — New York returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence, clinching no worse than a wild card as Greg Bird hit a three-run homer and Sonny Gray (10-11) allowed one run and four hits in six innings.
Unless New York overcomes Boston's four-game lead the AL East, the Yankees would play in the AL wild-card game on Oct. 3, most likely at home against Minnesota.
Toronto was eliminated with the defeat after consecutive losses in the AL Championship Series.
Bird, who spent much of the year sidelined and hampered by a right ankle injury, connected in the fifth off Joe Biagini (3-12) for his sixth home run of the season and third in seven games.
RED SOX 5, REDS 0
CINCINNATI (AP) — Mitch Moreland ended an 0-for-19 slump with a three-run homer off Robert Stephenson (5-6) in the sixth, and Eduardo Rodriguez (6-6) pitched three-hit ball into the eighth. Boston has won 13 of 16 and is trying to win consecutive AL East titles for the first time.
Cincinnati reliever Luke Farrell, the son of Red Sox manager John Farrell, pitched the ninth and tipped his cap toward the Boston dugout as he left the mound following a scoreless inning.
BREWERS 4, CUBS 3
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Travis Shaw hit a two-run homer with one out in the 10th iff All-Star closer Wade Davis (4-2), who had been successful in all 32 of his save chances this season until Orlando Arcia led off the ninth with a tying home run.
Milwaukee moved within 4½ games of NL Central-leading Chicago and closed within one game of Colorado for the NL's second wild-card spot.
Chicago went ahead 3-2 in the 10th on Jon Jay's single off Jeremy Jeffress (4-0).
PADRES 5, ROCKIES 0
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jhoulys Chacin (13-10) kept the Rockies hitless until DJ LeMahieu hit a sinking liner that diving center fielder Manuel Margot trapped with two outs in the sixth. Chacin and four relievers combined on a five-hitter.
Colorado was shut out for the third time in four games and has lost five of six.
Rockies starter Chad Bettis (1-4) was chased after allowing Yangervis Solarte's RBI single with two outs in the fifth.
PIRATES 11, CARDINALS 6
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Lance Lynn (11-8) allowed eight runs and six hits while getting two outs for St. Louis (81-73), which remained 1½ games behind Colorado. The Cardinals stayed five games behind the Cubs in the NL Central.
Tommy Pham gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead against Gerrit Cole (12-11) two batters in with a two-run homer. Pham was 2 for 4 with three RBIs.
MARLINS 12, DIAMONDBACKS 6
PHOENIX (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton extended his club record with his 57th home run and set a team mark with his 125th RBI, preventing Arizona from clinching an NL wild card.
Miami scored five runs in the third, taking advantage of a pair of errors by Taijuan Walker (9-9), who allowed seven runs, six hits, three walks and a hit batter in 3 2/3 innings. Brian Ellington (1-1) won in relief.
TWINS 10, TIGERS 4
DETROIT (AP) — Zack Granite hit his first major league home run, a three-run drive that capped an eight-run eighth. Minnesota, which overcame a 3-1 seventh-inning deficit, won its third straight and leads Kansas City, the Los Angeles Angels and Texas by 4½ games for the second AL wild card.
Ervin Santana (16-8) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.
Detroit pitcher Alex Wilson broke a leg in the eighth inning when hit by Joe Mauer's line drive. Daniel Stumpf (0-1) followed and allowed three runs and three hits without retiring a batter in his first big league decision.
Detroit, which announced Friday that manager Brad Ausmus will not return next season, has lost six straight and at 62-93 will finish with its worst record since going 43-119 in 2003.
ASTROS 6, ANGELS 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Evan Gattis hit a three-run homer to back Charlie Morton (13-7), who yielded one run and four hits in seven innings for his second straight win.
Justin Upton hit two home runs for the Angels, who matched a season worst with their sixth straight loss.
Carlos Correa had three hits and three RBIs a day after his 23rd birthday as the AL West champion Astros won for the seventh time in eight games. Bud Norris (2-6) allowed three hits and one run over 3 1/3 innings.
ROYALS 8, WHITE SOX 2
CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Gordon homered, Whit Merrifield drove in three runs and Danny Duffy (9-9) allowed two runs and eight hits in six-plus innings for his first win since Aug. 22.
Jose Abreu went 1 for 4 and drove in two runs to reach the 100-RBI mark for the fourth straight season. The Chicago slugger is just the third major leaguer to begin his career with four straight seasons of at least 25 homers and 100 RBIs after Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols.
Dylan Covey (0-7) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings.
INDIANS 11, MARINERS 4
SEATTLE (AP) — Francisco Lindor led off the game with his 33rd home run, the most by a Cleveland middle infielder, and the Indians won for the 28th time in 30 games.
Carlos Carrasco (17-6) matched teammate Cory Kluber and Boston's Chris Sale for the most wins in the AL, allowing one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Yan Gomes homered twice and had four RBIs, and Jose Ramirez homered and drove in four runs.
Cleveland, which set the AL record with a 22-game winning streak this month, matched the 1884 Providence Grays for the best big league record over a 30-game span at 28-2. The Indians (97-58) lead Houston (95-59) for AL home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Seattle lost for the seventh time in eight games and fell six games behind Minnesota.
RAYS 9, ORIOLES 6
BALTIMORE (AP) — Lucas Duda hit a go-ahead, three-run homer, helping eliminate the Orioles from postseason contention. Baltimore (74-82), which closed with five runs in the ninth inning, is assured of finishing with a losing record for the first time since 2011.
Duda's third-inning homer, his 30th overall and 13th since the Rays acquired him from the New York Mets, helped Tampa Bay take a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Tampa Bay (76-79) remained five games behind Minnesota with seven games remaining.
Jake Odorizzi (10-8) allowed an unearned run and three hits in six innings. Alex Colome retired Trey Mancini on a groundout for his major league-leading 46th save. Jeremy Hellickson (2-6 with the Orioles) gave up three runs and four hits over six innings.
NATIONALS 4, METS 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Murphy homered in the 10th off Jacob Rhame (0-1) and is hitting .393 with 35 RBIs in 37 games versus his former team.
Noah Syndergaard threw a five-pitch scoreless inning in his first major league appearance since partially tearing his right lat muscle on April 30. Matt Harvey took over for New York and allowed three runs in four innings.
Stephen Strasburg gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings. Sammy Solis (1-0) got the win, and Sean Doolittle completed his 20th save in 20 chances since being acquired from Oakland.
GIANTS 2, DODGERS 1
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Madison Bumgarner (4-9) allowed five hits in 7 2/3 innings, including Austin Barnes' homer, ending a four-start losing streak. Gorkys Hernandez had three hits and scored both runs.
Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-8) in the third inning when Joe Panik hit a comebacker off his left forearm. The Dodgers said X-rays were negative and Ryu had a bruised forearm.
Sam Dyson pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.
BRAVES 4, PHILLIES 2
ATLANTA (AP) — Pinch-hitter Johan Camargo hit a go-ahead, two-run double off Luis Garcia (2-5) in a three-run eighth inning and Rio Ruiz homered.
Rex Brothers (4-3) pitched a one-hit eighth, and Arodys Vizcaino struck out three in the ninth for his 13th save.
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