Game roundup: Red Sox blow out Yankees
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE
BOSTON -- The sellout crowd at Fenway Park on Saturday was there to witness the next-to-last game of Derek Jeter's distinguished career.
Jeter went 1-for-2 with an infield hit and was injured slightly, and the Boston Red Sox scored eight runs in the second inning en route to a 10-4 blowout of the New York Yankees.
Jeter appeared to be limping slightly after the infield hit. After the game, he simply said, "Yup," when asked if he will play on Sunday.
His manager, Joe Girardi, said: "I'll text him in the morning and see what he wants to do. He probably felt it a little bit in his hamstring. He didn't say he was injured, but we'll see."
Girardi said the plan going in was for Jeter to get only two at-bats.
Right-hander Joe Kelly won his third straight start, Daniel Nava drove in three runs and Yoenis Cespedes two as Boston evened the final series of the season at 1-1 heading into Sunday's finale.
Jeter, serving as the designated hitter Saturday and Sunday after sitting out Friday night, struck out on three pitches in the first inning, when Kelly threw a 99-mph fastball past him.
Then in the third, Jeter, hearing the chants of "Der-rek Je-ter," fouled a pitch off and then hit an infield chopper that became his 3,464th career hit.
Twins 12, Tigers 3
DETROIT -- Eduardo Escobar drove in six runs with four hits that included a three-run home run and Ricky Nolasco kept Detroit off balance through six innings to lead Minnesota to a victory that put the Tigers in jeopardy of losing their lead in the American League Central Division.
Detroit leads Kansas City, which lost to Chicago on Saturday, by one game and needs to win Sunday or have the Royals lose in order for the Tigers to clinch their fourth straight division title. David Price will be on the mound for the Tigers.
White Sox 5, Royals 4
CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox came through for a sellout crowd of 38,160 at U.S. Cellular Field by beating Kansas City on Paul Konerko Day.
After a pregame ceremony honoring Konerko's 16 years in a White Sox uniform, his current teammates snapped a four-game losing streak to make sure the night ended in cheers, the way it began.
The loss prevented the Royals from pulling even with Detroit atop the American League Central Division after the Tigers lost their second game in as many days to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday at home. The best they can do now is tie Detroit with a win Sunday and another Tigers loss.
Rangers 5, Athletics 4
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas used a committee of pitchers to fill in for Derek Holland and defeat Oakland.
Left fielder Jake Smolinski had a solo home run in the fourth and catcher Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run home run in the seventh to make a winner out of right-hander Spencer Patton, one of eight Rangers pitchers.
Patton, the only Texas reliever to work a full inning, was awarded the victory -- his first major-league triumph -- by the official scorer after right-handed starter Scott Baker failed to pitch the minimum five innings to qualify for a victory.
Diamondbacks 5, Cardinals 2
PHOENIX -- Arizona first baseman Mark Trumbo hit two home runs, and his tiebreaking three-run shot in the seventh inning lifted the Diamondbacks over St. Louis at Chase Field.
The Cardinals failed in their first chance to clinch the National League Central title, but they still lead Pittsburgh by one game with one to play.
Trumbo has six homers and 17 RBIs in his last 11 games, with two two-homer games. He has 14 homers this season after missing 11 weeks with a stress fracture in his left foot.
Brewers 2, Cubs 1
MILWAUKEE -- Right-hander Wily Peralta struck out a career-high 13 batters and Jonathan Lucroy set the single-season record four doubles by an MLB catcher as Milwaukee won at Miller Park.
Lucroy singled in the first and third innings, then drove in the go-ahead run with a double to left in the fifth, giving him a franchise-record 53 overall this season, and 46 as a catcher, surpassing the previous mark of 45, set by the Rangers' Ivan Rodriguez in 1996.
With a 2-5 record and 4.40 ERA in his last eight starts, Peralta (17-11) was in need of a turnaround and got it against the Cubs, who managed five hits and a walk over his seven innings of work, but went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded five against him.
Braves 4, Phillies 2
PHILADELPHIA -- Brothers Justin Upton and B.J. Upton did it all in leading Atlanta over Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park.
Both of the Uptons homered and threw out a runner at the plate. Altogether, they went 3-for-7 with three runs scored and three RBIs to hand Atlanta just its sixth win of September against 18 losses. It was also the third time this season the Upton brothers homered in the same game.
Philadelphia threatened in the bottom of the ninth by putting its first two runners aboard and loading the bases with two outs, but Braves closer Craig Kimbrel worked out of the jam to notch his 46th save by getting center fielder Ben Revere to line out to end the game.
Mets 2, Astros 1
NEW YORK -- Lucas Duda's two-run home run off the right-field foul pole with two outs in the ninth inning lifted New York to a dramatic win over Houston at Citi Field.
The Mets had just two hits through eight innings against four Astros pitchers before left fielder Eric Young tripled with one out in the ninth off Astros Tony Sipp.
After second baseman Daniel Murphy flew out to shallow left, Duda crushed a 1-0 pitch to send the crowd of 34,886 -- many of whom were shrieking teenagers there for the postgame concert by Austin Mahone -- into a frenzy.
Rays 2, Indians 0
CLEVELAND -- Alex Colome pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings and right fielder Wil Myers had two hits and an RBI as Tampa Bay beat Cleveland at Progressive Field.
Colome (2-0) gave up four hits with six strikeouts and one walk in 6 1/3 innings. Rays Jake McGee struck out the side in the ninth inning to pick up his 19th save.
One of the hits against Colome was a single up the middle in the fourth inning by Michael Brantley. It was Brantley's 200th hit of the season. He is the first Indians hitter with 200 hits since Kenny Lofton had 210 hits in 1996.
Nationals 5, Marlins 1
Washington, D.C. -- Stephen Strasburg threw six scoreless innings and delivered the first run of the game with a safety squeeze that scored Bryce Harper as Washington beat Miami for their 50th home win of the season.
Strasburg fanned seven and gave up just two hits, the second of which was lost in the sun by right fielder Jayson Werth off the bat of third baseman Casey McGehee in the fourth. Strasburg finished the season with a league-high 242 strikeouts in 215 innings over 34 starts.
The right-hander from San Diego State has defeated the Marlins nine times in his career and in 19 starts against Miami has allowed no runs on nine occasions.
Giants 3, Padres 1
SAN FRANCISCO -- Shortstop Brandon Crawford broke a tie with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday sending San Francisco over San Diego.
Having already clinched a spot in the National League wild-card game, which will be played Wednesday, the Giants rested three middle-of-the-lineup hitters. Catcher Buster Posey never left the bench; right fielder Hunter Pence and third baseman Pablo Sandoval were used as pinch hitters.
Crawford's clutch hit came after Sandoval had struck out against Padres right-hander Dale Thayer with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth.
Reds 10, Pirates 6 (10 innings)
CINCINNATI -- Ramon Santiago's 10th-inning grand slam, just his second home run this season, lifted Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh trailed the first-place St. Louis Cardinals by 1 1/2 games in the National League Central standings. The Cardinals played later Saturday at Arizona.
If they fail to catch the Cardinals, the Pirates already are assured of home-field advantage for the wild-card game against the San Francisco Giants.
Blue Jays 4, Orioles 2
TORONTO -- J.A. Happ pitched into the seventh inning and Jose Reyes had two hits and two runs batted in as Toronto beat Baltimore.
It gave the Blue Jays their second straight win over the American League East champions, who have lost three in a row as they prepare for the postseason.
Happ (11-11) allowed four hits, two walks and two runs in 6 1/3 innings and the left-hander earned his second win in a row.
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE
BOSTON -- The sellout crowd at Fenway Park on Saturday was there to witness the next-to-last game of Derek Jeter's distinguished career.
Jeter went 1-for-2 with an infield hit and was injured slightly, and the Boston Red Sox scored eight runs in the second inning en route to a 10-4 blowout of the New York Yankees.
Jeter appeared to be limping slightly after the infield hit. After the game, he simply said, "Yup," when asked if he will play on Sunday.
His manager, Joe Girardi, said: "I'll text him in the morning and see what he wants to do. He probably felt it a little bit in his hamstring. He didn't say he was injured, but we'll see."
Girardi said the plan going in was for Jeter to get only two at-bats.
Right-hander Joe Kelly won his third straight start, Daniel Nava drove in three runs and Yoenis Cespedes two as Boston evened the final series of the season at 1-1 heading into Sunday's finale.
Jeter, serving as the designated hitter Saturday and Sunday after sitting out Friday night, struck out on three pitches in the first inning, when Kelly threw a 99-mph fastball past him.
Then in the third, Jeter, hearing the chants of "Der-rek Je-ter," fouled a pitch off and then hit an infield chopper that became his 3,464th career hit.
Twins 12, Tigers 3
DETROIT -- Eduardo Escobar drove in six runs with four hits that included a three-run home run and Ricky Nolasco kept Detroit off balance through six innings to lead Minnesota to a victory that put the Tigers in jeopardy of losing their lead in the American League Central Division.
Detroit leads Kansas City, which lost to Chicago on Saturday, by one game and needs to win Sunday or have the Royals lose in order for the Tigers to clinch their fourth straight division title. David Price will be on the mound for the Tigers.
White Sox 5, Royals 4
CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox came through for a sellout crowd of 38,160 at U.S. Cellular Field by beating Kansas City on Paul Konerko Day.
After a pregame ceremony honoring Konerko's 16 years in a White Sox uniform, his current teammates snapped a four-game losing streak to make sure the night ended in cheers, the way it began.
The loss prevented the Royals from pulling even with Detroit atop the American League Central Division after the Tigers lost their second game in as many days to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday at home. The best they can do now is tie Detroit with a win Sunday and another Tigers loss.
Rangers 5, Athletics 4
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas used a committee of pitchers to fill in for Derek Holland and defeat Oakland.
Left fielder Jake Smolinski had a solo home run in the fourth and catcher Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run home run in the seventh to make a winner out of right-hander Spencer Patton, one of eight Rangers pitchers.
Patton, the only Texas reliever to work a full inning, was awarded the victory -- his first major-league triumph -- by the official scorer after right-handed starter Scott Baker failed to pitch the minimum five innings to qualify for a victory.
Diamondbacks 5, Cardinals 2
PHOENIX -- Arizona first baseman Mark Trumbo hit two home runs, and his tiebreaking three-run shot in the seventh inning lifted the Diamondbacks over St. Louis at Chase Field.
The Cardinals failed in their first chance to clinch the National League Central title, but they still lead Pittsburgh by one game with one to play.
Trumbo has six homers and 17 RBIs in his last 11 games, with two two-homer games. He has 14 homers this season after missing 11 weeks with a stress fracture in his left foot.
Brewers 2, Cubs 1
MILWAUKEE -- Right-hander Wily Peralta struck out a career-high 13 batters and Jonathan Lucroy set the single-season record four doubles by an MLB catcher as Milwaukee won at Miller Park.
Lucroy singled in the first and third innings, then drove in the go-ahead run with a double to left in the fifth, giving him a franchise-record 53 overall this season, and 46 as a catcher, surpassing the previous mark of 45, set by the Rangers' Ivan Rodriguez in 1996.
With a 2-5 record and 4.40 ERA in his last eight starts, Peralta (17-11) was in need of a turnaround and got it against the Cubs, who managed five hits and a walk over his seven innings of work, but went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded five against him.
Braves 4, Phillies 2
PHILADELPHIA -- Brothers Justin Upton and B.J. Upton did it all in leading Atlanta over Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park.
Both of the Uptons homered and threw out a runner at the plate. Altogether, they went 3-for-7 with three runs scored and three RBIs to hand Atlanta just its sixth win of September against 18 losses. It was also the third time this season the Upton brothers homered in the same game.
Philadelphia threatened in the bottom of the ninth by putting its first two runners aboard and loading the bases with two outs, but Braves closer Craig Kimbrel worked out of the jam to notch his 46th save by getting center fielder Ben Revere to line out to end the game.
Mets 2, Astros 1
NEW YORK -- Lucas Duda's two-run home run off the right-field foul pole with two outs in the ninth inning lifted New York to a dramatic win over Houston at Citi Field.
The Mets had just two hits through eight innings against four Astros pitchers before left fielder Eric Young tripled with one out in the ninth off Astros Tony Sipp.
After second baseman Daniel Murphy flew out to shallow left, Duda crushed a 1-0 pitch to send the crowd of 34,886 -- many of whom were shrieking teenagers there for the postgame concert by Austin Mahone -- into a frenzy.
Rays 2, Indians 0
CLEVELAND -- Alex Colome pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings and right fielder Wil Myers had two hits and an RBI as Tampa Bay beat Cleveland at Progressive Field.
Colome (2-0) gave up four hits with six strikeouts and one walk in 6 1/3 innings. Rays Jake McGee struck out the side in the ninth inning to pick up his 19th save.
One of the hits against Colome was a single up the middle in the fourth inning by Michael Brantley. It was Brantley's 200th hit of the season. He is the first Indians hitter with 200 hits since Kenny Lofton had 210 hits in 1996.
Nationals 5, Marlins 1
Washington, D.C. -- Stephen Strasburg threw six scoreless innings and delivered the first run of the game with a safety squeeze that scored Bryce Harper as Washington beat Miami for their 50th home win of the season.
Strasburg fanned seven and gave up just two hits, the second of which was lost in the sun by right fielder Jayson Werth off the bat of third baseman Casey McGehee in the fourth. Strasburg finished the season with a league-high 242 strikeouts in 215 innings over 34 starts.
The right-hander from San Diego State has defeated the Marlins nine times in his career and in 19 starts against Miami has allowed no runs on nine occasions.
Giants 3, Padres 1
SAN FRANCISCO -- Shortstop Brandon Crawford broke a tie with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday sending San Francisco over San Diego.
Having already clinched a spot in the National League wild-card game, which will be played Wednesday, the Giants rested three middle-of-the-lineup hitters. Catcher Buster Posey never left the bench; right fielder Hunter Pence and third baseman Pablo Sandoval were used as pinch hitters.
Crawford's clutch hit came after Sandoval had struck out against Padres right-hander Dale Thayer with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth.
Reds 10, Pirates 6 (10 innings)
CINCINNATI -- Ramon Santiago's 10th-inning grand slam, just his second home run this season, lifted Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh trailed the first-place St. Louis Cardinals by 1 1/2 games in the National League Central standings. The Cardinals played later Saturday at Arizona.
If they fail to catch the Cardinals, the Pirates already are assured of home-field advantage for the wild-card game against the San Francisco Giants.
Blue Jays 4, Orioles 2
TORONTO -- J.A. Happ pitched into the seventh inning and Jose Reyes had two hits and two runs batted in as Toronto beat Baltimore.
It gave the Blue Jays their second straight win over the American League East champions, who have lost three in a row as they prepare for the postseason.
Happ (11-11) allowed four hits, two walks and two runs in 6 1/3 innings and the left-hander earned his second win in a row.
