MLB roundup: Mitch Haniger keeps Mariners’ playoff hopes alive

October 3, 2021

Mitch Haniger had four hits, including a home run, and five RBIs as the Seattle Mariners kept their postseason hopes alive with a 6-4 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

The Mariners (90-71), who have won 11 of their past 13 games, are tied with Toronto, one game behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for the American League’s two wild-card playoff berths.

Seattle will need a victory Sunday and a loss by either the Yankees or Red Sox to force a playoff for the final wild-card spot.

Jose Rojas and Jared Walsh homered for the Angels (76-85), who have lost 11 of their past 15 games.

The Angels overcame a 3-1 deficit on Walsh’s three-run homer in the eighth inning.

Blue Jays 10, Orioles 1

Toronto belted five home runs to set a club record for the season and Alek Manoah allowed one hit in seven innings in a victory over visiting Baltimore.

George Springer hit a three-run home run, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Danny Jansen added two-run blasts, and Teoscar Hernandez and Bo Bichette hit solo shots for the Blue Jays (90-71).

Springer was 4-for-5 with three RBIs as the Blue Jays kept their chances for an American wild-card spot alive with one game left in the regular season. The Blue Jays’ 258 homers surpassed the previous club mark of 257, which was set in 2010.

Dodgers 8, Brewers 3

Julio Urias picked up his 20th win and Los Angeles pushed the National League West race to the final day of the regular season with a victory over visiting Milwaukee.

Justin Turner and AJ Pollock each slugged home runs, matching their career highs. The victory moved the Dodgers one game behind the San Francisco Giants in their bid to win a ninth consecutive division title. Urias (20-3) gave up one run on one hit over 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts to become the National League’s first 20-game winner since teammate Max Scherzer with the Washington Nationals in 2016.

Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes (11-5) went just two innings in his final tune-up start before the playoffs, giving up a three-run home run to Turner in the first inning. Burnes exited with an NL-leading 2.43 ERA.

Marlins 3, Phillies 1

Jazz Chisholm slugged a three-run homer and Jesus Luzardo struck out a career-high 11 batters as host Miami defeated Philadelphia as Chisholm is trying to become just the fifth Marlins player ever to record a 20-20 season. He has 23 steals and 18 homers.

Luzardo (6-9) allowed just six hits, no walks and one run in 5 1/3 innings. Phillies star and National League MVP candidate Bryce Harper went 1-for-4 with a single and three strikeouts. Two of those strikeouts came against Luzardo.

Miami has won just two of its past 11 games, but the Marlins are 41-39 at home this season. With a win on Sunday, the Marlins would clinch fourth place and avoid last place in the NL East. The Phillies (82-79) have lost five of their past six games. They are out of playoff contention, but they clinched a winning season on Friday.

Red Sox 5, Nationals 3

Enrique Hernandez hit a two-run homer to cap a four-run ninth inning and visiting Boston moved into a tie for the first American League wild card with a win over Washington.

Boston is tied with the New York Yankees, who lost for the second straight day to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday to remain one game behind Boston and now New York.

J.D. Martinez drew a walk against Tanner Rainey (1-3) leading off the ninth and Jose Iglesias pinch ran. Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe struck out, but Christian Vazquez tripled over the head of Juan Soto in right, scoring Iglesias with the go-ahead run. Travis Shaw singled home Vazquez and Mason Thompson came on to face Hernandez, who homered to left center to make it 5-1.

Rangers 7, Indians 2

Jonah Heim hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning to lift host Texas to a win over Cleveland.

Texas may be ending another losing season — the Rangers’ fifth consecutive sub-.500 campaign — but could end things on a high note by taking the final series of the year Sunday.

The Indians secured their first losing season since 2012 with the loss.

Sunday’s season-finale against the Rangers will be Cleveland’s final game known as the Indians. The team will be known as the Guardians beginning next season.

Pirates 8, Reds 6

Wilmer Difo, Cole Tucker and Michael Chavis each drove in two runs for Pittsburgh in a wild win over visiting Cincinnati.

Bryan Reynolds had four hits, including an RBI triple, and Oneil Cruz added an RBI single for the Pirates, who trailed 5-0. Pittsburgh starter Max Kranick gave up four runs, three earned, and five hits in four innings. Nick Mears (1-0) got the last out in the sixth for his first career win. Chris Stratton picked up his eighth save.

Eugenio Suarez and Nick Castellanos homered, Tyler Stephenson added an RBI double and Max Schrock registered an RBI single for the Reds.

White Sox 5, Tigers 4

Yoan Moncada drove in three runs, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth, and host Chicago stretched its winning streak to six games with a victory over Detroit.

Moncada also had two doubles and scored twice. Gavin Sheets scored one run and drove in another, while Tim Anderson had two hits and an RBI as Chicago rallied from a 4-0 deficit. Aaron Bummer (5-5) pitched an inning of scoreless relief to get the win, while Liam Hendriks collected his 38th save.

Detroit starter Matt Manning pitched five scoreless, allowing two hits and striking out seven.

Astros 10, Athletics 4

Yordan Alvarez slugged his club-leading 33rd home run but it was a two-run triple by Michael Brantley that helped Houston secure a win over visiting Oakland.

The Astros clinched home-field advantage for their American League Division Series matchup with the Chicago White Sox with the victory. Game 1 is scheduled for Thursday at Minute Maid Park.

Brantley lined his third triple of the season to the right-center field gap in the bottom of the sixth inning, driving home Jake Meyers and Jose Altuve and extending the Houston lead to 8-3. The Astros maintained a tenuous grasp on their three-run advantage over the two previous innings before Brantley provided added cushion with his hit off Oakland right-hander James Kaprielian.

Rays 12, Yankees 2

Brandon Lowe hit three-run homers in consecutive at-bats and added a solo shot in the seventh inning as Tampa Bay cruised to a rout of host New York.

New York has a magic number of one to clinch a playoff berth. The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners both won their respective games later Saturday, preventing the Yankees from clinching at least the second wild-card spot in the American League.

By losing to Tampa Bay for the seventh time in nine home games this year, the Yankees were unable to clinch the first wild card. Lowe ensured the Yankees would not have any clarity on their playoff status by hitting his 37th, 38th and 39th homers of the season.

Padres 3, Giants 2 (10 innings)

San Diego stalled San Francisco’s division-clinching celebration, using a go-ahead double by Jake Cronenworth with two outs in the 10th inning for a victory.

The loss left the Giants still needing either one more win to claim their first National League West crown since 2012. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.

Cronenworth’s hit came after Kervin Castro (1-1) had struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. with one out and a runner at third in the 10th. But Giants manager Gabe Kapler then elected to have Castro walk Manny Machado, who had two earlier RBIs, in favor of bringing in left-hander Jarlin Garcia to face Cronenworth, whose grounder down the right-field line foiled the strategy.

Twins 4, Royals 0

Griffin Jax had the first scoreless outing of his career as visiting Minnesota defeated Kansas City.

Jake Cave, Miguel Sano and Luis Arraez each collected two hits for the Twins. Arraez had two RBIs.

Jax (4-5), who came into the game with a 6.78 ERA, shut down the Royals’ bats in his five innings. He allowed just one hit and walked two, striking out three. It was easily the best outing of his career in his 18th appearance and 14th start.

Cubs 6, Cardinals 5

Ian Happ hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to rally visiting Chicago past St. Louis.

Trayce Thompson went 3-for-4 with a grand slam for the Cubs, who won for the third time in their last four games. Harrison Bader hit a homer and scored twice for the Cardinals, who lost for just the second time in their last 21 games.

Cubs starting pitcher Adrian Sampson allowed one run on three hits in four innings. He struck out seven batters and walked two. Jason Adam (1-0) earned the victory in relief and Rowan Wick earned his fifth save.

Braves 6, Mets 5

Outfielder Joc Pederson and catcher William Contreras hit home runs and Atlanta hung on for a win over visiting New York.

Pederson hit his 18th homer and Contreras added his eighth home run, giving the Braves 238 for the season. Atlanta has homered in 125 games this season.

The Braves and Mets play the season finale on Saturday. The teams have split 18 games and the Mets need a win to become the only team in the N.L. East to win a season series against the Braves.

Diamondbacks 11, Rockies 2

Zac Gallen tossed six strong innings and hit a two-run double during a six-run first inning as Arizona routed visiting Colorado.

Carson Kelly went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Christian Walker had three doubles and drove in a run for the D-backs, who snapped a five-game losing streak and tied a franchise record with eight doubles.

With one game remaining, the D-backs (51-110) need a victory on Sunday to avoid tying the worst record in franchise history. They were 51-111 in 2004.

-Field Level Media

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