BALTIMORE (AP) — Adley Rutschman homered and drove in three runs, Grayson Rodriguez pitched into the sixth inning and the Baltimore Orioles lowered their magic number to one in the AL East with a 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.
The Orioles would have clinched the division with a victory and a loss by second-place Tampa Bay, but the Rays won 5-0 in Boston. Baltimore will try for its first AL East crown since 2014 on Thursday night.
Rutchman hit a two-run homer in the third to open the scoring, and Rodriguez (7-4) allowed a run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Baltimore swept the four-game season series against the Nationals, outscoring them 11-1.
Patrick Corbin (10-15) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
RAYS 5, RED SOX 0
BOSTON (AP) — Tyler Glasnow pitched five scoreless innings in his final start before the postseason, combining with four relievers on a three-hitter and leading Tampa Bay over Boston.
Josh Lowe had three hits, including a home run, and Isaac Paredes also homered for Tampa Bay, which has clinched a wild-card berth.
Glasnow (10-7) allowed two hits, walked one and struck out nine while throwing just 70 pitches to snap a personal two-game losing streak. It was his first scoreless outing since August, and just his second of the season. Andrew Kittredge, Jake Diekman, Chris Devenski and Robert Stephenson each pitched a scoreless inning.
Red Sox starter Brayan Bello (12-11) allowed five runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out three in six innings.
PHILLIES 7, PIRATES 6
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Bryce Harper hit a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning as one of the few regulars in Philadelphia’s lineup in a win over Pittsburgh, a day after the Phillies clinched the NL’s top wild-card spot.
Rookie reliever Orion Kerkering struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief and earned the win. Gregory Soto struck out the side in the ninth for this third save.
Connor Joe had four hits for the Pirates.
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, third baseman Alec Bohm, catcher J.T. Realmuto and right fielder Nick Castellanos all took the night off.
YANKEES 6, BLUE JAYS 0
TORONTO (AP) — Gerrit Cole pitched a two-hitter to near his second AL ERA title, Aaron Judge homered twice and New York blanked Toronto to ensure they won’t finish with a losing record.
Cole (15-4) faced two batters over minimum, allowing a single and double to Brandon Belt. He struck out five and walked none, throwing 72 of 105 pitches for strikes. Cole finished his season with 222 strikeouts in 209 innings.
Toronto was shut out by the Yankees for the second straight night.
Back in the lineup after a day off Tuesday, Judge hit his 36th and 37th home runs. The reigning AL MVP homered to right field off José Berríos (11-12) in the fourth, then hit a second-deck drive to left off Trevor Richards in the seventh.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, CUBS 0
CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Brandon Pfaadt pitched shutout ball for the second time in three starts, and Arizona moved closer to an NL wild-card berth by beating Chicago for its eighth win in 10 games.
Corbin Carroll hit a two-run double in a three-run third, giving the rookie 76 RBIs, and Tommy Pham had an RBI single for the Diamondbacks, who were outhit 8-4.
Pfaadt (3-9) scattered five hits, struck out eight and walked none in 5 2/3 innings, and Luis Frias Andrew Saalfrank, Ryan Thompson and Paul Sewald completed the Diamondbacks’ 11th shutout this season. Sewald worked around Lenyn Sosa’s double in the ninth for his 34th save in 39 chances.
In his first start with the White Sox, Luis Patiño (0-1) allowed three runs. three hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old right-hander, acquired from Tampa Bay on Aug. 1, retired his first seven hitters, then allowed the next five to reach base. Chicago was blanked for the 13th time.
METS 11, MARLINS 2, GAME 1
NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso was 4 for 4 with a homer, Francisco Lindor also went deep and drove in four runs, and New York pounded playoff-chasing Miami in the first game of a doubleheader.
Alonso scored four times for the first time in his career and finished a triple short of the cycle in busting out of a 5-for-45 slump. He also was hit by a pitch in the eighth.
Braxton Garrett (9-7) was tagged early in a costly loss for the Marlins.
Lindor, Alonso and Mark Vientos each launched a two-run homer to help the Mets build a 6-0 lead for Joey Lucchesi (4-0), who took a shutout into the seventh inning.
Jon Berti was a home run shy of the cycle for Miami. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Nick Fortes opened the seventh with consecutive doubles to chase Lucchesi.
GUARDIANS 4, REDS 3
CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber shut down Cincinnati for six innings and Cleveland sent manager Terry Francona off with a victory in his final home game.
Bieber (6-6) limited the Reds to one run and five hits in just his second start since July 15 — and maybe his last for Cleveland. Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his MLB-best 43rd save.
The Guardians strung together five straight hits in the second inning off Reds starter Andrew Abbott (8-6), who didn’t get out of the third inning. Tyler Freeman and rookie Brayan Rocchio had RBI singles in Cleveland’s second.
Francona was honored before the game with a touching video tribute chronicling his long tenure in Cleveland, a run that actually began in his boyhood as his dad, Tito, played six seasons as an outfielder with the Indians.
The 64-year-old Francona has been slowed by major health issues in recent years, and said he made the decision to step away after a tough, two-month stretch earlier this season.
TIGERS 4, ROYALS 0, SUSPENDED, 4 INNINGS
DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera hit his 511th home run to help Detroit take the lead over Kansas City in a game that was suspended by rain.
The game, which was delayed for 80 minutes, will be resumed Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. before the scheduled series finale.
Detroit starter Tarik Skubal and Kansas City reliever Angel Zerpa were on the mound when play was halted.
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