Neil Walker had a career-high six RBIs, including a three-run homer, and the Pittsburgh Pirates clinched their third straight playoff berth by beating the Colorado Rockies 13-7 on Wednesday night.
The Pirates secured at least a National League wild card as they chase first-place St Louis in the NL Central. They trail by four games with a home series coming up against the Cardinals.
Walker provided the bulk of the offense with a bloop, two-run single in the first and a towering three-run homer in the third off fill-in starter Christian Bergman (3-1). Walker ended his night with a run-scoring single as part of a six-run ninth to break open a tight game.
Photo: AFP
BLUE JAYS 4, YANKEES 0
In Toronto, Russell Martin hit a three-run home run, Marcus Stroman pitched seven strong innings to win his third straight start and the Blue Jays beat the Yankees, extending their American League East lead to 3.5 games.
Martin, who used to play for the Yankees, connected off Andrew Bailey in the seventh. Martin matched his career high for homers with 21 as Toronto took two of three from New York in a showdown between the division’s top teams.
Stroman (3-0) allowed five hits, walked one and struck out five in his third start since returning from a torn knee ligament suffered in spring training. The outing lowered his ERA to 1.89.
Brett Cecil worked the eighth and Roberto Osuna finished.
Starting in place of Masahiro Tanaka (right hamstring), New York right-hander Ivan Nova (6-9) took the mound for the first time since allowing six runs in 1-2/3 innings of a Sept. 12 loss to Toronto.
BRAVES 6, METS 3
In New York, Freddie Freeman broke a ninth-inning tie with a three-run homer after driving in two as a pinch hitter in the seventh as the Braves stunned the Mets in the finale of New York’s rough homestand.
David Wright had a tying, two-out single off Brandon Cuniff in the seventh after the Braves scored three times in the top half to take a 3-2 lead. However, closer Jeurys Familia failed in the ninth as the NL East leaders finished 3-6 on their penultimate set at Citi Field.
New York stayed 6.5 games in front of second-place Washington, whose 4-3 loss to Baltimore trimmed the Mets’ magic number to five for clinching the division title.
TWINS 4, INDIANS 2
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Phil Hughes pitched five scoreless innings in his return to the rotation as the Twins had rare success against Corey Kluber in a victory over the Indians to move within a game of the second AL wild-card spot.
Minnesota trails Houston by a game after the Astros lost to the Angels earlier on Wednesday.
Hughes (11-9) allowed four hits and struck out four. Brian Dozier homered and Trevor Plouffe had two doubles, a single and an RBI for the Twins (78-73).
Kluber (8-15) gave up four runs on five hits and struck out six in 3-2/3 innings for the Indians. Cleveland played without star outfielder Michael Brantley, who injured his shoulder while diving for a ball on Tuesday night.
Carlos Santana hit a two-run homer in the ninth for the Indians (74-76), who now trail the Astros by 5.5 games with 12 left to play.
In other MLB action, it was:
‧ Angels 6, Astros 5
‧ Royals 4, Mariners 3, 10 inns
‧ Tigers 7, White Sox 4
‧ Orioles 4, Nationals 3
‧ Marlins 4, Phillies 3, 11 inns
‧ Rays 6, Red Sox 2
‧ Brewers 4, Cubs 1
‧ Cardinals 10, Reds 2
‧ Padres 5, Giants 4
‧ Rangers 10, Athletics 3
‧ Dodgers 4, Diamondbacks 1
Taiwan’s Lee Hao-yu on Friday went 0-for-3 in his MLB debut for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, becoming the 19th Taiwan-born player to reach the big leagues. The Tigers ultimately lost 1-0 in 10 innings, ending their six-game winning streak. The 23-year-old started at third base and batted eighth for Detroit. He was promoted from Triple-A Toledo ahead of the four-game series against the Red Sox at the latter’s home stadium, replacing injured utility player Zach McKinstry. “Being right-handed, and given our schedule, I think six of the next 12 games are going to
Matheus Cunha on Saturday fired Manchester United toward the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win at Chelsea, while Tottenham Hotspur remain in the relegation zone after twice blowing the lead to draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea failed to take advantage of a United defense ravaged by injury and suspension as a fourth straight league defeat for the Blues left their Champions League hopes in ruins. United have missed out on the riches of Europe’s elite competition for the past two seasons, but are closing in on a return thanks to an upturn in fortunes under interim manager
Denmark’s double Olympic badminton champion Viktor Axelsen, long a rival of Taiwan’s former world No. 2 Chou Tien-chen, yesterday announced his retirement at age 32, saying back problems meant he could no longer “compete and train at the highest level.” Axelsen, who won gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and again in Paris in 2024, had back surgery in April last year and said he had not overcome his physical issues. “Accepting this situation has been incredibly difficult,” he said in a statement. “But I have now reached a point where my body won’t allow me to continue.” Axelsen retires as one
Italian soccer is at its lowest ebb in nearly 40 years after a wholesale European exodus at club level followed the nation’s failure for the third successive time to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, and compounded a leadership and structural crisis. The exits suffered by Bologna and ACF Fiorentina on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League respectively meant no Italian teams are left in European competition this season. Italy’s last remaining UEFA Champions League contenders, Atalanta BC, went out in the round of 16 last month. It is the first time since the 1986-1987 campaign that Italian clubs
RSS