Upton hit a tiebreaking homer off Alex Wimmers (1-3) in the seventh for a 2-1 lead. They could finish the job as early as Sunday at Tropicana Field, where they’ll begin a three-game series against the Rays Friday night.
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Koji Uehara worked the eighth, and Craig Kimbrel got three straight outs for his 29th save in 31 chances.
Michael Conforto walked with one out, Reyes singled and Cabrera homered over right field, setting off a wild celebration.
HOUSTON – Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Ricky Nolasco pitched seven solid innings, helping Los Angeles hinder Houston’s wild-card hopes.
Detroit moved into the second AL wild-card spot by sweeping the day-night doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins.
Trey Mancini continued his torrid start to his Major League career, connecting for a double and a three-run home run, but it wasn’t enough to carry an otherwise stagnate Orioles offense in an eventual 5-3 series-sweeping loss to the Red Sox at Camden Yards on Thursday. Toronto are now one game ahead of Detroit for the first wildcard spot, with the Yankees three games out of the second spot. Ramirez then drove in Betts with a single to center as the Red Sox forced Tillman to throw 35 pitches in the inning. He has 10 multi-homer games in his career, including three this season. He’s allowed just three runs over his last four starts.
But after suffering a series sweep in which they scored just eight runs over the four-game span, the Orioles are suddenly much closer to missing the playoffs than playing in them.
Atlanta’s Matt Kemp hit two home runs to power the Braves over Miami 6-3. It’s the longest active hit streak in the majors and the longest by a Braves player since Dan Uggla had a run of 33 in 2011.
Boston got a first-inning RBI single from Ramirez and added two runs in the second, the last on a bases-loaded walk to David Ortiz that ended Tillman’s outing.
Nolasco (7-14) produced his third scoreless outing for the Angels (67-86) since being acquired from the Twins on August 1. He struck out five and walked just two. Vance Worley replaced Tillman to get Ramirez to end the inning.
But if you ask the Orioles, the hardest Ortiz has ever swung at Camden Yards didn’t result in a home run. Nolasco also twirled a shutout against the Reds on August 31 and has surrendered seven runs over his last 35 innings covering five starts.
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San Francisco kept pace with the New York Mets for the National League wild-card lead, one-half game ahead of St. Louis. NY entered Thursday in a three-way tie for the two NL wild cards with the San Francisco Giants, who played the San Diego Padres later Thursday, and the idle St. Louis Cardinals.
