Aaron Judge returns, Yankees rout Blue Jays 11-0
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge returned to the Yankees for the first time since his right wrist was broken seven weeks ago, taking over in right field for the final two innings of New York's 11-0 romp over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.
Judge had not played since July 26, when he was hit by a pitch from Kansas City's Jakob Junis. The Yankees say for now Judge will be limited to defense and pinch running, but they hope he will become a regular at some point in the regular season's final two weeks.
Masahiro Tanaka (12-5), bidding to start a likely wild-card game against Oakland on Oct. 3, extended his scoreless streak to 20 innings and won his third straight start. Dominating with a sharp splitter, Tanaka struck out eight in six innings and allowed four hits. Luis Cessa got his second save in New York's largest shutout win margin since a 15-0 victory over the Mets on June 14, 2009.
New York improved to 13-4 against Toronto this season. Starting their final homestand, the Yankees remained 1 1/2 games ahead of the Athletics for home field in the wild-card game.
Andrew McCutchen hit his third home run since the Yankees acquired him from San Francisco on Aug. 31. Didi Gregorius also homered for the Yankees.
Marco Estrada (7-12) was the loser.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chris Stratton pitched a two-hitter for his first career shutout, Austin Slater backed him with a two-run single, and San Francisco snapped an 11-game losing streak by beating Colorado.
The NL West-leading Rockies had their division lead trimmed to a half-game over the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won at St. Louis. Colorado had its seven-game winning streak against San Francisco snapped.
Stratton (10-9) struck out seven and walked two, throwing 114 pitches to finish the 2-hour, 20-minute game. He allowed only one baserunner to reach second with Trevor Story getting there in the second.
Tyler Anderson (6-9) hasn't won in 12 starts since beating the Giants on July 4, going 0-6 during that span. He allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings, struck out six and didn't walk a batter.
BOSTON (AP) — Noah Syndergaard pitched seven innings of three-hit ball and New York hit four homers to snap Boston's four-game winning streak.
The Red Sox, who lead the majors with 101 victories, had their lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East reduced to 9 1/2 games. The only team in baseball to have already secured a playoff berth, Boston's magic number to clinch its third straight division title remained at six.
Syndergaard (12-3) struck out six and walked three to lead the Mets to their fourth straight victory and sixth win in their last seven games. Jay Bruce hit a three-run homer in the third, Austin Jackson hit a two-run shot in the eighth, and Jeff McNeil and Amed Rosario had solo shots for New York.
Bruce also had a run-scoring double in the first against Red Sox emergency starter William Cuevas (0-1), who made his first major league start because Hector Velazquez got sick.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Andrew Miller gave up two RBI doubles in the seventh inning as Cleveland's march to the AL Central title was slowed by Detroit.
Miller, making his third appearance since coming off the disabled list, relieved Adam Cimber (0-2) in the seventh, but couldn't stop the Tigers from snapping a 2-2 tie and ending a 10-game losing streak at Progressive Field.
Jeimer Candelario, who homered in the first, doubled home one run and Victor Martinez also doubled off Miller. Josh Donaldson homered and went 2 for 4 in his home debut for Cleveland, and Edwin Encarnacion connected for his 31st homer. Drew VerHagen (3-2) got two outs in the sixth and Greene worked a shaky ninth for his 29th save.
ATHLETICS 2, RAYS 1, 10 INNINGS
ST .PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Khris Davis led off the 10th inning with his major league-leading 42nd homer, and Oakland beat Tampa Bay.
Oakland extended its lead for the second AL wild card to nine games over the Rays. The A's remained 1 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees for the first wild card.
Davis' drive to center off Jaime Schultz (2-1) was his 40th this season as a designated hitter. He joins David Ortiz has the only DHs to have 40 or more homers.
Blake Treinen (7-2) went two scoreless innings for the win. Sergio Romo retired all three batters in the ninth in his second appearance for the Rays since Aug. 25.
CHICAGO (AP) — Ian Happ hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning, Jorge De La Rosa worked a shaky ninth for his first career save and Chicago beat.
De La Rosa surrendered a one-out double to Curt Casali and walked Billy Hamilton with two down before Scott Schebler flied out to center. It was the first save opportunity for Chicago since Pedro Strop strained his left hamstring trying to beat out a double-play grounder Thursday in a 4-3 victory at Washington, shelving the key reliever for the rest of the regular season.
Ben Zobrist had three hits for NL Central-leading Chicago, which entered with a 1 1/2-game advantage over second-place Milwaukee. After Cole Hamels allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings, Dillon Maples (1-0) got the final out of the seventh for his first career victory.
David Hernandez (5-1) was the loser.
DODGERS 3, CARDINALS 0
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rookie Walker Buehler allowed two hits in eight innings, Yasiel Puig homered twice and Los Angeles drew even with St. Louis in the NL wild-card race.
Buehler (7-5) pitched beyond the seventh inning for the first time and earned his first victory since Aug. 17.
Puig homered in the second off Jack Flaherty (8-7) and connected again in the ninth off Tyler Webb.
Kenley Jansen hit Yairo Munoz with a pitch to open the ninth but retired the next three batters to finish the two-hitter, earning his 35th save in 39 opportunities.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, ASTROS 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jon Jay's tiebreaking triple in the eighth inning helped Arizona beat Houston, tightening a pair of playoff races.
The AL West-leading Astros had their edge cut by Oakland to 2 1/2 games. Arizona moved within three games of St. Louis and Los Angeles for the second NL wild-card spot.
It was 2-all when Nick Ahmed doubled off Hector Rondon (2-4) with one out in the Arizona eighth. Jay hit a two-out, tiebreaking drive into the right field corner and scored when a flyball by A.J. Pollock dropped in shallow center field for a single.
Brad Ziegler (2-6) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Yoshihisa Hirano allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth for his second save.
ATLANTA (AP) — Ronald Acuna Jr. went 4 for 5, had two RBIs and scored the tiebreaking run in the fourth inning to help NL East-leading Atlanta beat Washington for its season-best sixth straight victory.
The Braves stayed 7 1/2 games ahead of second-place Philadelphia. Any combination of nine Atlanta victories or Phillies' losses will give the Braves their first division title since 2013.
Nationals ace Max Scherzer (17-7) endured his shortest outing of the year, four innings, while allowing six runs — a season high — and seven hits in 102 pitches.
Kevin Gausman (10-10) gave up seven hits, two walks and four runs — three earned — in 5 2/3 innings.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryon Healy and Dee Gordon each hit a two-run single and six Seattle relief pitchers combined on a six-hitter.
Roenis Elias gave up just one hit over 3 2/3 innings as a replacement starter for James Paxton, who was sidelined by pneumonia. Adam Warren (3-2) got four outs and Shawn Armstrong, Nick Vincent, Zach Duke and Ryan Cook each pitched an inning.
The Mariners went ahead to stay against Matt Shoemaker (2-1) in the fourth inning. Robinson Cano singled in Mitch Haniger for his 13th RBI in 27 games since being reinstated from an 80-game drug suspension.
With two out and runners on second and third, Healy made it 3-0 with a ground ball into left field.
The Angels nearly got to Elias in the fourth on Mike Trout's deep fly ball to center, but Gordon drifted back to the padded wall and reached up to make the catch before falling onto the warning track.
BALTIMORE (AP) — James Shields picked up his first road victory since opening day and Chicago beat Baltimore on a soggy night.
Ryan Cordell got his first career hit with a homer in the eighth that provided a key insurance run. Omar Narvaez and Avisail Garcia also homered for the White Sox.
Shields (7-16) leads the majors in losses. He allowed two runs and four hits with five strikeouts and one walk over six innings. He had gone winless in his 12 previous road appearances.
Jace Fry contained the Orioles down with a scoreless eighth, setting up Nate Jones to pick up his fifth save.
Luis Ortiz (0-1), obtained in the Jonathan Schoop trade with Milwaukee on July 31, made his first major league start for Baltimore and threw 1 2/3 innings before leaving with an apparent leg injury. Trey Mancini hit two homers for the Orioles.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez capped Kansas City's five-run ninth inning with a game-ending grand slam, lifting the Royals past Minnesota.
Rosell Herrera sparked the winning rally with a one-out double off Trevor Hildenberger (4-4), who took over as Minnesota's closer after Fernando Rodney was traded to Oakland last month. Whit Merrifield then hit an RBI single and advanced to third on Adalberto Mondesi's base hit.
Manager Paul Molitor then put in Logan Forsythe, giving the Twins five infielders, and Alex Gordon was intentionally walked to load the bases. But Perez thwarted the strategy with a drive to center for his 26th homer. The Twins' loss lowered Cleveland's magic number for clinching the AL Central title to one.
Jason Hammel (3-13) was the winner.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich, Travis Shaw and Mike Moustakas homered to lead Milwaukee past Pittsburgh.
Orlando Arcia drove in two runs with a bunt double for the Brewers, who stayed 1 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the NL Central.
Yelich belted a two-run homer to center off Chris Archer in the first to give the Brewers an early lead. Shaw followed two batters later with a solo shot to make it 3-0.
Corbin Burns (5-0) picked up the win in relief. Jeremy Jeffress worked a scoreless ninth for his 12th save. Orlando Arcia (4-8) was the loser.
Pittsburgh's Pablo Reyes hit his first career homer.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Aaron Altherr homered twice and drove in five runs in Philadelphia's victory over Miami.
Roman Quinn, Rhys Hoskins and Mitch Walding also connected to help the Phillies snap a five-game losing streak. Zach Eflin (10-7) pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
J.T. Realmuto homered for Miami. Wei-Yin Chen (6-11) was the loser.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jurickson Profar had a two-run home run among his three hits and Yohander Mendez followed "opener" Connor Sadzeck by scattering three hits in five relief innings to lead Texas past San Diego.
After hitting singles in his first two at-bats, Profar drove the first pitch he saw from Phil Maton into the seats in right with one out in the seventh, his 17th. He drove in two runs and scored twice in the matchup of last-place teams.
Mendez (2-1) struck out five, walked three and was backed by two double plays. Four Rangers pitchers combined to five-hit San Diego.
Padres starter Robbie Erlin (3-7) allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings, struck out six and walked none.