Tickets to Thursday night’s home game are still available.
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The Cardinals began the day 1/2 game behind NY and a full game behind San Francisco for the two wild card spots.
More defensive props to David Ross, who threw out two Cardinals trying to steal (Aledmys Diaz and Randal Grichuk).
But the other two games felt utterly unwinnable, particularly with Aroldis Chapman sitting in the Cubs’ bullpen.
The Rays (62-83) won the rubber match of the three-game series and took the season set 11-8 from the skidding Blue Jays (79-66), who are 3-9 in September.
Lester improved to 7-0 with a 1.02 ERA in his last nine starts. Clinching the division will assure the Cubs of hosting Game 1 of the NLDS on October 7 at Wrigley Field.
Maddon was concerned about his team just before first pitch, saying that it looked dead on its feet in 84-degree weather and punishing humidity. Lester struck out eight while allowing three hits and a walk en route to his 17th win of the season.
Porcello was 13-0 in home starts with one no decision entering the game.
As for the Mets, Jeurys Familia blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth before rookie T.J. Rivera belted his first big league homer in the top of the 10th to lift NY past the Nationals 4-3 in Washington. Fowler cracked a leadoff homer to center, his seventh leadoff homer of the year and his 12th long ball of the season. The Nationals have won five of six. One of the three teams will be left out of the postseason. The Yankees are two games out of an AL wild-card berth and four games behind the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox. He hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Jason Hammel (14-9). Brian Dozier (Fulton, USM) and Kurt Suzuki homered for the Twins. The win capped off a 5-4 Cubs road trip, and dropping the Cubs magic number to one.
Francisco Rodriguez put up a ideal ninth for his 42nd save. Brandon Maurer finished for his 10th save.
ATLANTA – Marcell Ozuna hit a three-run homer and the Miami rallied to beat Atlanta. The Cubs capped the scoring with three runs in the ninth.
RAYS 8, BLUE JAYS 1: Alex Cobb won for the first time in nearly two years, and Kevin Kiermaier and Corey Dickerson each hit a two-run homer to lead Tampa Bay past Toronto. The right-hander recently returned from Tommy John surgery. The White Sox erupted for seven runs in the sixth inning to beat Cleveland, 8-1.
Oakland at Kansas City, 6:15 p.m.
Martinez started off strong, striking out the side in the first and four of the first six batters he faced.
Yordano Ventura (10-11) was pulled after 4 1/3 innings.
Rivera drove in three runs.
No punches were thrown and Ramirez was ejected. “The way we’re losing games is not right”.
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.
All five of the Cardinals’ runs in the series came on homers.
The Phillies got a rare boost on the mound from righty Jake Thompson (2-5).
It was nice to see Heyward with two hits, including a solid line drive to the opposite field.
Tommy Joseph hit his 19th homer for the Phillies.
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Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m. Wacha, who was 7-7 with a 4.45 ERA in 23 starts before being disabled August 9, will pitch out of the bullpen for the season’s remainder.
