Troy Tulowitzki doubled in a run in the 10th inning on Saturday as the Colorado Rockies edged San Francisco 10-9 to boost their slim playoff hopes.
Tulowitzki homered, doubled and drove in five runs to help Colorado snap a five-game skid and pull within four games of first place in the National League West division.
The Giants dropped out of the top spot, falling a half-game behind the San Diego Padres, who beat Cincinnati 4-3.
PHOTO: AFP
The Rockies are three-and-a-half games behind San Francisco and Atlanta in the wild-card race with eight games to play.
For the first time in 19 games, San Francisco allowed more than three runs.
Carlos Gonzalez launched the winning rally with a single off closer Brian Wilson. Tulowitzki then cracked a ball to left field and Gonzalez easily beat the throw from shortstop Juan Uribe.
Aubrey Huff had four hits, including one of four home runs by the Giants.
Prior to the game, umpires were told to monitor the game balls at Coors Field after the Giants expressed concern to the commissioner’s office that the Rockies might be using “juiced” balls when batting.
Major League Baseball (MLB) spokesman Pat Courtney confirmed that umpires were instructed to keep an eye on Saturday night’s game balls.
Courtney said the Giants had spoken to MLB about the Rockies possibly using balls that weren’t properly stored in a humidor at the high altitude ballpark. Baseballs to be used in Rockies home games are stored in the humidor to keep them from drying out and becoming more hitter-friendly in Denver’s thin air.
Before each game, balls are taken out of the humidor and rubbed up by the umpires’ attendant.
They are then placed in a ball bag and put back into the humidor, brought out in a bag for use after the national anthem is played before the start of the game.
“We got the bag and brought it over here about a half an hour before the game,” umpire crew chief John Hirschbeck said. “That’s what baseball wants us to do over the weekend, so I will.”
“There’s nothing going on here. This is a bunch of [nonsense], it really is,” he added. “They [both teams] just scored 19 runs. I mean, come on.”
Reuters, NEW YORK
The Texas Rangers booked their first trip to the playoffs in 11 years by clinching the American League West title with a 4-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
A home run over the fence in left-center by first baseman Jorge Cantu off reliever Michael Wuertz in the eighth inning snapped a 3-3 tie.
The victory improved the visiting Rangers’ record to 86-58 and gave them a nine-game lead over second-placed Oakland (77-77) with eight games to play.
Texas became the second team to qualify for the post-season, joining American League Central champions the Minnesota Twins.
The Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees are battling for the American League East title, with the Boston Red Sox also still alive for the wild-card berth in the American League.
Cantu, acquired from the Florida Marlins on the July 31 trade deadline, made his first RBI for the Rangers a memorable one that sparked a celebration on the diamond for the first division title for the Texas Rangers since 1999.
Reliever Darren O’Day earned the victory and Neftali Feliz got the final four outs for his 38th save, setting a Major League Baseball record for most saves by a rookie.
Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton, who has been sidelined with broken ribs for three weeks, skipped the more exuberant group celebration in the center of the diamond and exchanged hugs with teammates along the third-base line.
Texas, yet to win a playoff series dating back to their start as the Washington Senators expansion franchise in 1961, will make their fourth post-season appearance.
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