McCann, Reddick hit HRs, Astros beat Blue Jays 5-3

Published 4:40 am Tuesday, September 25, 2018

TORONTO (AP) — Brian McCann and Josh Reddick hit back-to-back home runs, and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Monday night to move one step closer to their second straight AL West title.

The defending World Series champions began the day with a magic number of three over Oakland to clinch the division — which would set up a best-of-five postseason matchup against AL Central champion Cleveland. The Athletics, who played later in Seattle, clinched at least a wild-card playoff spot when Tampa Bay lost 4-1 to the New York Yankees.

Dallas Keuchel (12-11) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings for his first win since Sept. 3 against Minnesota.

Five relievers followed before former Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna came on to a chorus of boos in the ninth, his first appearance in Toronto since being arrested for assault in May. Osuna, who has 19 saves in 20 opportunities, was traded to the Astros on July 30. Many in the crowd of 23,463 jeered each of Osuna’s pitches.

In the first big league meeting between brothers Yuli Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Houston’s Yuli opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first.

Younger brother Lourdes grounded into a double play in the bottom of the inning, then exited the game because of a sore left hamstring. Yangervis Solarte came on to play third, with Aledmys Diaz moving to shortstop.

RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 2

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox broke a 106 year-old franchise record with their 106th victory on Monday night, clinching home-field advantage through the postseason by beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 thanks to a pair of hits from major league batting leader Mookie Betts.

Nathan Eovaldi struck out 10 hapless Orioles batters to assure the Red Sox of the best record in baseball this season and homefield advantage through the World Series, if they make it that far. For now, they know they will open the Division Series at Fenway Park on Oct. 5 against the winner of the AL wild-card game between the New York Yankees and mostly likely Oakland.

YANKEES 4, RAYS 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Hicks injured his left hamstring running up the first-base line in the Yankees’ 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, another concern for New York heading into next week’s AL wild-card game.

Hicks’ 11th-inning double on Saturday drove Didi Gregorius with the run that clinched a postseason berth, and on Sunday the Yankees learned that Gregorius had torn cartilage in his right wrist during his headfirst slide across the plate.

PIRATES 5, CUBS 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Jameson Taillon outpitched Cole Hamels, Francisco Cervelli hit a two-run homer and the Pittsburgh Pirates made the Chicago Cubs wait at least another day to clinch a postseason spot with a 5-1 victory on Monday night.

The Cubs needed a win plus a loss by Colorado to Philadelphia to assure a franchise-record fourth straight trip to the playoffs, a run that includes a droughtbusting World Series championship in 2016. Closing in on a third straight NL Central title, the Cubs began the night with a 2 1/2-game lead over second-place Milwaukee, then lost for the third time in five games.

NATIONALS 7, MARLINS 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Rendon homered and drove four runs, Bryce Harper reached 100 RBIs in a season for the first time and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Monday night.

Juan Soto and Matt Wieters also homered for Washington, which broke it open with four runs on three pitches in the fourth inning.

Harper started the big inning, driving in his 100th run with a sacrifice fly that scored Adam Eaton and put Washington ahead 3-1. Harper, a pending free agent who may be playing his final home series at Nationals Park, got a standing ovation from the sparse, rain-soaked crowd. His previous high was 99 RBIs in 2015, when he won the NL MVP Award.

INDIANS 4, WHITE SOX 0

CHICAGO (AP) — Corey Kluber struck out 11 in seven scoreless innings and won his 20th game, and Brandon Guyer hit a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning as the Cleveland Indians shut out the Chicago White Sox 4-0 on Monday night.

Kluber (20-7) reached 20 victories for the first time after recording 18 wins in three of the four previous seasons. The reigning Cy Young award winner is the first 20-game winner for the Central Division champions since Cliff Lee went 22-3 in 2008, and the first Indians pitcher to win 20 games with 200 or more strikeouts since Gaylord Perry did it in 1974.

ROCKIES 10, PHILLIES 1

DENVER (AP) — Jon Gray pitched seven crisp innings and drew a bases-loaded walk as part of a five-run third to help the Colorado Rockies rout the Philadelphia Phillies 10-1 on Monday night.

Colorado won its fourth straight game since being swept in Los Angeles by the NL West-leading Dodgers, who entered the night with a 1 1/2-game advantage over the Rockies in the division. Colorado also began the day trailing St. Louis by 1 1/2 games for the second wild card.

Giants GM Bobby Evans fired Monday

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bobby Evans was fired Monday as the San Francisco Giants’ general manager.

The team said Evans will be reassigned, with responsibilities to be determined.

The move came as the Giants began the final week of the season at 72-84, their second straight losing record.

“I made the decision, really,” CEO Larry Baer said. “At this point, we needed to take a fresh approach to baseball operations.”

The club will start a search for a new head of baseball operations.