Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning as the Texas Rangers secured their second straight AL West title, becoming the first American League team to clinch a playoff spot with a 3-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
Beltre’s homer came during a three-run seventh after Oakland starter Kendall Graveman (10-11) pitched six perfect innings. Texas got their first base runner when Carlos Gomez beat out an infield hit to lead off the seventh against Graveman.
All-Star left-hander Cole Hamels (15-5), acquired prior to last year’s non-waiver trade deadline, pitched the division-clinching game for the second year in a row. Last year, he threw a three-hitter in the final game of the regular season to beat the Los Angeles Angels.
Photo: AFP
Rangers closer Sam Dyson got pinch hitter Yonder Alonso to hit into a fielder’s choice for the last out to record his 36th save.
RED SOX 2, RAYS 1
In St Petersburg, Florida, David Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the first inning to set the RBI record for a player in his final season as AL East-leading Boston beat Tampa Bay for their ninth straight victory.
Ortiz’s 37th homer came off Chris Archer (8-19) and raised his RBI total to 124, one more than Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1920. The 40-year-old’s 540th homer, his 300th on the road, struck an overhanging catwalk above the right-field seats.
Coming off four-game sweeps of the New York Yankees and Baltimore, the Red Sox began the night with a six-game lead over second-place Toronto in the AL East. They lowered their magic number to two to clinch a playoff berth.
Drew Pomeranz (3-5) allowed one run and four hits in five innings. Brad Ziegler, the fifth Boston reliever, got his fourth save after allowing a leadoff double in the ninth to Evan Longoria.
Archer set a Tampa Bay record for losses in a season, breaking the mark Tanyon Sturtze set in 2002. He has lost 11 straight decisions against Boston since beating the Red Sox in his first career start against them on Sept. 19, 2012.
PIRATES 6, NATIONALS 5, 11 INNINGS
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, rookie Jacob Stallings’ pinch-hit single in the 11th inning lifted Pittsburgh past Washington, preventing the Nationals from clinching a post-season berth.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases with one out against Yusmiero Petit (3-5) when Francisco Cervelli doubled, Andrew McCutchen was intentionally walked and Pedro Florimon walked.
Sean Rodriguez struck out and Stallings, a son of University of Pittsburgh basketball coach Kevin Stallings, grounded a 3-2 pitch into left field.
Wade LeBlanc (4-0) was the winner.
Pittsburgh’s seventh win in nine games kept the Pirates on the fringe of the NL wild-card race.
Washington lost for the fifth time in six games. The Nationals have magic numbers of one for a playoff berth and two for an NL East title. Wilson Ramos and Danny Espinosa homered for the Nationals.
CUBS 5, CARDINALS 0
In Chicago, Jake Arrieta struck out 10 in seven innings as Chicago beat St Louis for their 98th victory, the Cubs’ most since they last played in the World Series in 1945.
Arrieta (18-7) allowed five hits and walked one, Anthony Rizzo had three hits and Ben Zobrist drove in two runs to help the Cubs (98-55) tie a team record with their 56th home win. They clinched home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs.
Chicago scored four runs in the first inning off Mike Leake (9-11).
Pedro Strop came off the disabled list to work the eighth, and Travis Wood and Carl Edwards Jr finished the five-hitter.
Rizzo, Zobrist and Chris Coghlan drove in runs in the first off Leake, who lasted 3-1/3 innings and is winless in four starts since recovering from shingles.
Leake allowed another run on one of two wild pitches. Cardinals’ gaffes included Kolten Wong face-planting into the turf chasing Rizzo’s first-inning double and Matt Adams getting picked off first. Zobrist’s fourth-inning groundout added another run for Chicago.
METS 10, PHILLIES 5
In New York, Michael Conforto hit a three-run homer that capped a six-run rally in the fifth inning and Hansel Robles gave a big boost from the bullpen as New York beat Philadelphia to stay atop the NL wild-card race.
The Mets are a game up on San Francisco for the wild-card lead. St Louis lost and trail New York by 1-1/2 games.
A day after using 10 pitchers in a stirring 9-8, 11-inning win over the Phillies, the Mets sent out six more. With his team competing for a playoff spot, manager Terry Collins yanked starter Gabriel Ynoa after just two shaky innings.
Robles preserved a 7-5 lead in the seventh, getting pinch hitter Tommy Joseph to ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Robles finished with hitless relief for his first career save.
Josh Smoker (3-0) was the winner, while Jeremy Hellickson (12-10) was the loser.
Maikel Franco homered for the second straight day and Darin Ruf also connected for the Phillies.
DODGERS 5, ROCKIES 2
In Los Angeles, Joc Pederson and pinch hitter Andre Ethier hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning as Los Angeles defeated Colorado after an emotional pre-game ceremony honoring Vin Scully.
Their third straight victory trimmed the Dodgers’ magic number to clinch a record fourth consecutive NL West title to two.
Pederson worked the count to 3-2 during a nine-pitch at-bat before homering off Jon Gray (10-9) with two outs.
Ross Stripling (5-8) got the win in relief of injured Scott Kazmir. The rookie right-hander allowed two hits in three innings, struck out four and walked two.
In other results, it was:
‧ Padres 7, Giants 2
‧ Indians 10, White Sox 4
‧ Orioles 3, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Blue Jays 9, Yankees 0
‧ Brewers 5, Reds 4
‧ Angels 10, Astros 6
‧ Tigers 8, Royals 3
‧ Mariners 10, Twins 1
‧ Braves 3, Marlins 2
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