MAJOR LEAGUES
The Los Angeles Angels became the first team in the major leagues to clinch a playoff spot on Monday after Matt Shoemaker allowed five hits into the eighth inning of an 8-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
David Freese and Brennan Boesch homered for the big league-leading Angels (94-56), who reduced their magic number to three in the AL West race with their 11th victory in 12 games. Los Angeles is assured of at least a wild-card berth in its first post-season since 2009.
Photo: AFP
Albert Pujols left the game in the third inning with a left hamstring cramp after hitting a three-run double off Hisashi Iwakuma (14-8) for Los Angeles’ first runs.
The Mariners (80-69) dropped two games behind Kansas City for the second AL wild card spot with their fifth loss in six games.
Shoemaker (16-4), who turns 28 next weekend, improved his own franchise record for rookie victories with his ninth win in 11 appearances since July 26.
NATIONALS 4, BRAVES 2
In Atlanta, Georgia, Stephen Strasburg threw seven scoreless innings to end a long run of frustration against Atlanta as the Nationals beat the struggling Braves on to move to the verge of the National League East title.
The Nationals could clinch the division by beating the defending champion Braves last night.
Strasburg (12-11) ended a streak of eight winless starts against Atlanta since 2012.
Wilson Ramos hit his 11th homer in the fifth.
The Braves (75-75) have lost four straight to fall to .500 for the first time since they were 1-1. They trail Pittsburgh by 4.5 games for the second NL wild-card spot.
Ervin Santana (14-9) allowed two runs and only three hits.
DIAMONDBACKS 6, GIANTS 2
In Phoenix, the Giants lost their third consecutive game when Mark Trumbo hit a grand slam to lead the Diamondbacks to a victory.
Trumbo had five RBIs, and Wade Miley (8-11) bounced back from his shortest outing of the season by pitching seven innings of one-run ball.
San Francisco’s NL West chances took a hit with consecutive losses to the Dodgers over the weekend, but the Giants are still in control of the wild-card race, beginning the day with a three-game lead over Pittsburgh for the top spot.
Trumbo hit his ninth homer off Ryan Vogelsong (8-11) in the third inning and a run-scoring single off Juan Gutierrez in the seventh. Trumbo has six hits and nine RBIs the past three games.
TIGERS 8, TWINS 6
In Minneapolis, Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera hit back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning to help the Detroit Tigers tighten their grip on the AL Central by winning their fourth straight game.
The Tigers blew a 6-0 lead they built by the fifth, but after Joe Mauer’s second two-run single tied the game for the Twins in the eighth inning, Hunter hit the first pitch of the ninth from Casey Fien (5-6) into the bullpen behind left-center field.
Kyle Ryan (2-0) earned the victory by recording the last out of the eighth.
ROYALS 4, WHITE SOX 3
In Kansas City, Missouri, Pinch-runners Jarrod Dyson and Terrance Gore scored in the ninth inning as the Royals rallied for a victory over the White Sox to remain 1.5 games behind Detroit in the AL Central.
Mike Moustakas doubled with one out in the ninth. Dyson ran for him and stole third and came around to score as Jake Petricka (1-5) threw a wild pitch.
After Nori Aoki, who had four hits, doubled with two outs, Gore ran for him and scored from second on Lorenzo Cain’s infield single.
Wade Davis (9-2) worked a scoreless ninth to pick up the victory.
In other MLB action, it was:
‧ Rays 1, Yankees 0
‧ Dodgers 11, Rockies 3
‧ Astros 3, Indians 1
‧ Padres 1, Phillies 0
‧ Cubs 1, Reds 0
‧ Marlins 6, Mets 5
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