Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

ST. LOUIS: Scooter Gennett No. 2 of the Milwaukee Brewers fields a ground ball in the second PHOENIX: Brandon Crawford No. 35 of the hits a single against the inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. — AFP photos Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field. Cardinals inch towards NLC title

ST. LOUIS: Adam Wainwright scattered seven hits in a complete- ORIOLES 6, BLUE JAYS 1 beat the Houston Astros 2-0. Carrasco (8-5) recorded his first career game shutout to push the St. Louis Cardinals closer to the National Steve Pearce drove in four runs with a pair of homers and the shutout in dominating fashion, recording a career-high 12 League Central title with a 2-0 blanking of Milwaukee. Orioles completed a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with and walking one. He retired 17 consecutive batters before Astros sec- Wainwright (19-9) walked two and struck out seven in his third a 6-1 victory. Pearce now has 20 home runs on the year, four more ond baseman Jose Altuve reached on his second infield single with shutout and fifth complete game of the season, tying Clayton than he hit over the past seven seasons combined. two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Indians (78-73) kept Kershaw for the major league lead in wins while improving to 4-0 with alive their faint postseason hopes with their second consecutive win. a 1.69 ERA in September. The Cardinals (84-68) stayed 2-1/2 games INDIANS 2, ASTROS 0 ahead of Pittsburgh in the Central division while the Brewers (79-73) Carlos Carrasco tossed a two-hit shutout as the Cleveland Indians CUBS 3, REDS 1 dropped five games behind St. Louis and 2-1/2 games behind the Ryan Kalish’s second-inning RBI double supplied the go-ahead run Pirates for the NL’s second wild-card spot. as the Chicago Cubs completed three-game sweep of the Cincinnati MLB Results/Standings Reds with a 3-1 victory. GIANTS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2 San Francisco pinch hitter Matt Duffy hit a tiebreaking, two-run Colorado 16, LA Dodgers 2; San Francisco 4, Arizona 2; Baltimore 6, ANGELS 5, MARINERS 0 single in the ninth inning, and the Giants moved to within two games Toronto 1; Pittsburgh 9, Boston 1; Atlanta 3, Washington 1; Miami 4, The Los Angeles Angels claimed the American League West title of the West lead with a 4-2 victory over the Arizona NY Mets 3; NY Yankees 3, Tampa Bay 2; Chicago Cubs 3, Cincinnati courtesy of a 5-0 win over the and an Oakland A’s Diamondbacks. Brandon Crawford had a double and three singles 1; Kansas City 6, Chicago White Sox 2; Minnesota 8, Detroit 4; loss to Texas. The Angels’ hero was first baseman C.J. Cron, whose and scored twice for the Giants (84-68). San Francisco left-hander Cleveland 2, Houston 0; St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 0; LA Angels 5, three-run home run in the seventh inning broke open a close game. (18 wins), who is attempting to become the Seattle 0; Texas 6, Oakland 1; Philadelphia 5, San Diego 2. The Angels’ CJ Wilson and the Mariners’ James Paxton were locked Giants’ first 20-game winner since (22) and Bill Swift (21) in a ’ duel for 6 1/2 innings, neither team able to get a in 1993, gave up two runs in six innings but did not get a decision. American League baserunner as far as third base but it all ended quickly for Paxton and Eastern Division the Mariners in the bottom of the seventh, when the Angels scored ROCKIES 16, DODGERS 2 W L PCT GB five times. The pounced on spot starter Carlos Frias for Baltimore 92 60 .605 - eight runs in the first inning and overwhelmed the Los Angeles NY Yankees 77 74 .510 14.5 TWINS 8, TIGERS 4 Dodgers 16-2. First baseman Justin Morneau drove in five of the eight Toronto 77 74 .510 14.5 A three-run sixth inning fueled the Minnesota Twins in an 8-4 win runs in the first with a three-run home run and two-run single tying Tampa Bay 74 79 .484 18.5 over the Detroit Tigers. The loss left the Tigers just a half game ahead the franchise record for RBI in an inning. Center fielder Charlie Boston 66 86 .434 26 of the Royals for first place in the American League Central Division Blackmon went 5-for-5 with four runs scored and a home run as the Central Division lead. Trailing by a run in the sixth, the top of the Twins lineup strung Rockies pounded out 21 hits. Detroit 84 68 .553 - together three straight extra-base hits, pushing three runs across and Kansas City 83 68 .550 0.5 giving Minnesota the lead for good. Danny Santana’s double drove in BRAVES 3, NATIONALS 1 Cleveland 78 73 .517 5.5 Aaron Hicks, tying the game at four before an RBI triple by Brian The Atlanta Braves still maintain their slim hope of nabbing the Chicago White Sox 69 83 .454 15 Dozier and a run-scoring double by Joe Mauer pushed the Minnesota second National League wild-card spot, but they are running out of Minnesota 65 87 .428 19 lead to 6-4. time even after snapping their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 win Western Division the Washington Nationals. The Braves (76-76) remain 5-1/2 games LA Angels 95 57 .625 - ROYALS 6, WHITE SOX 2 behind the Pittsburgh Pirates for the last playoff spot with 10 games Oakland 83 68 .550 11.5 Right fielder Nori Aoki set a club record for hits in a three-game to play. Shortstop Phil Gosselin had three hits. Seattle 81 70 .536 13.5 series and center fielder Lorenzo Cain belted a three-run homer as the Houston 67 85 .441 28 Kansas City Royals topped the Chicago White Sox 6-2. PIRATES 9, RED SOX 1 Texas 59 92 .391 35.5 Aoki, who had back-to-back four-hit games, went 3-for-4 to bring won his third straight start, Ike Davis hit a three- National League his hit total to 11 for the series. Cain’s three-run homer punctuated a run home run and Clint Barmes had three hits to lead the streaking Eastern Division four-run third off left-hander Chris Sale (11-4). Pittsburgh Pirates to a 9-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. The Washington 87 64 .576 - Pirates (81-70) remained in the thick of the National League playoff Atlanta 76 76 .500 11.5 PHILLIES 5, PADRES 2 chase, 2-1/2 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild card Miami 74 77 .490 13 Native son Cole Hamels continued his domination of the San race and 2-1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the Central NY Mets 73 80 .477 15 Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies scored four runs on five hits division. Philadelphia 70 82 .461 17.5 in the fifth inning to win 5-2. Hamels, who was born and raised in San Central Division Diego, allowed one run on seven hits over seven innings to improve YANKEES 3, RAYS 2 St. Louis 84 68 .553 - to 9-7 on the season and lower the National League’s second-best Derek Jeter ended a hitless streak to spark the eventual winning Pittsburgh 81 70 .536 2.5 ERA to 2.47. The win was Hamels’ sixth straight against the Padres. rally while right-hander Brandon McCarthy gave the New York Milwaukee 79 73 .520 5 Yankees another strong performance in a 3-2 win over the Tampa Cincinnati 71 82 .464 13.5 RANGERS 6, A’S 1 Bay Rays. Jeter broke an 0-for-28 slump. Chicago Cubs 68 84 .447 16 Rougned Odor hit a game-tying double, and J.P. Arencibia crushed Western Division a three run homer in the top of the ninth inning and the Texas MARLINS 4, METS 3 LA Dodgers 86 66 .566 - Rangers rallied for a 6-1 win over the Oakland A’s. The Rangers trailed The Miami Marlins scored two runs on four straight singles in San Francisco 84 68 .553 2 1-0 entering the top of the ninth inning before scoring six times, send- the first inning on the way to a 4-3 win over the New York San Diego 70 81 .464 15.5 ing 12 batters to the plate. The A’s (83-68) fell into a tie with Kansas Mets.The Marlins never trailed in taking two of three from the Mets Arizona 62 90 .408 24 City for the top wild-card spot in the American League and remains who are two losses away from clinching their sixth straight losing Colorado 61 91 .401 25 two games ahead of the Seattle Mariners, but handed the division to season. the Angels. —Reuters