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Baseball Capsules


September 12, 2015


NEW YORK (AP) The Toronto Blue Jays opened a season-high 4 1/2-game lead in the AL East, sweeping a doubleheader from the sagging New York Yankees 9-5 and 10-7 on a sodden Saturday when Troy Tulowitzki cracked a shoulder blade and Marcus Stroman won in his return from a spring training knee injury.


Jose Bautista homered twice, Chasen Shreve forced in three runs with bases-loaded walks in the 11th inning, and the Blue Jays rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the opener. Bautista hit two of Toronto's four home runs, including an eighth-inning drive off Dellin Betances that put the Blue Jays ahead 5-4 and increased his season total to 35. Edwn Encarnacion and Revere also connected for the Blue Jays.


Cliff Pennington hit a two-run homer and former-Yankee Russell Martin added a two-run double in a six-run second inning against Ivan Nova that boosted the Blue Jays in the rain-interrupted nightcap before only a few thousand fans who stayed from the original crowd of 46,278. Brett Gardner hit a pair of three-run homers for New York in the second game and homered three times in the doubleheader.


RED SOX 10, RAYS 4


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - David Ortiz homered twice to become the 27th player in major league history to reach 500 homers, and Boston beat Tampa Bay.


With an overflow crowd in the right-field stands on their feet and chanting ''Let's go Papi!,'' Ortiz reached the milestone when he lined a shot to right-center on a 2-2 pitch from Matt Moore (1-4) leading off the fifth. He connected for No. 499 in the first.


Big Papi has 50 multihomer games in a 19-year career.


Ortiz pumped his right arm as he ran toward first base. His teammates emptied the dugout and bullpen to celebrate the big hit with him.


Rick Porcello (8-12) got the win after allowing three runs and five hits in seven innings.


ROYALS 14, ORIOLES 6


BALTIMORE (AP) - Mike Moustakas hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and finished with a franchise-record nine RBIs to lead Kansas City.


Moustakas singled home two runs in the sixth inning, hit his second career slam in the seventh and capped his record-setting performance with a three-run drive in the ninth.


The previous team record for RBIs in a game was seven, by Billy Butler against Philadelphia on April 7, 2013.


Salvador Perez had two hits and three RBIs for the AL Central leaders, who won for only the second time in eight games.


Yordano Ventura (11-8) allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings for Kansas City. The right-hander is 7-1 in his last 10 starts, including a pair of wins over Baltimore.


MARLINS 2, NATIONALS 0


MIAMI (AP) - Jose Fernandez returned from the disabled list and became only the third pitcher since 1914 to win his first 16 career decisions at home as Miami beat fading Washington.


Pitching for the first time since he was sidelined by a right biceps strain Aug. 7, Fernandez (5-0) threw five innings, allowed two hits and struck out seven.


Johnny Allen (1932-33) and LaMarr Hoyt (1980-82) also started 16-0 at home, according to STATS.


Fernandez already held the major league record for most home starts without a loss to start a career. He lowered his ERA in 25 starts at home to 1.11.


Tanner Roark (4-5), making his eighth start this year, allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings.


METS 6, BRAVES 4


ATLANTA (AP) - Kelly Johnson drove in the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning, Yoenis Cespedes homered for the eighth time in 11 days and NL East-leading New York won its sixth straight.


New York, which trailed 1-0 in the first, leads the majors with 14 comeback wins since Aug. 1. Since July 1, the Mets are 25-11 on the road, best in the majors over that span. They padded their division lead over Washington to 9 1/2 games with 20 games to play.


Travis d'Arnaud led off the ninth with a ground-rule double against Arodys Vizcaino (2-1), and pinch-runner Eric Young Jr. scored from second on Johnson's single for a 5-4 lead. Cespedes added an infield RBI single.


Atlanta rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the eighth after a dominant Noah Syndergaard was lifted, when pinch-hitter Adonis Garcia hit a three-run homer off Tyler Clippard (3-1).


Jeurys Familia got the last three outs for his 40th save.


REDS 4, CARDINALS 2, comp. of susp. game


REDS 5, CARDINALS 1


CINCINNATI (AP) - Skip Schumaker hit a three-run homer, rookie Anthony DeSclafani pitched six strong innings and Cincinnati beat St. Louis for the second time in the day.


The first-place Cardinals have lost the first three games of the four-game series. Their lead over Pittsburgh in the NL Central fell to 2 1/2 games.


DeSclafani (9-10) struck out 10 and allowed one earned run. Lance Lynn (11-10) took the loss.


Earlier, Adam Duvall's two-run homer in the eighth lifted the Reds to a win in the completion of a game suspended by rain on Friday.


Schumaker, a former Cardinal, hit his first homer since Aug. 13 of last season.


Duvall's drive against Jonathan Broxton (2-5) was his third since joining the Reds on Aug. 31.


J.J. Hoover (8-1) pitched the eighth for the win. Aroldis Chapman struck out the side to earn his 30th save.


St. Louis is 3-8 in September after three straight losses to the last-place Reds, who on Sunday can finish off their first four-game sweep of the Cardinals since 2003.


PIRATES 10, BREWERS 2


PITTSBURGH (AP) - Jeff Locke pitched one-run ball into the seventh inning and Michael Morse hit a pinch-hit grand slam as Pittsburgh tightened up the NL Central race.


The Pirates drew within 2 1/2 games of first-place St. Louis, the closest Pittsburgh has been since it was two games back at the All-Star break after winning three in a row at home against the Cardinals.


Locke (8-10) allowed three hits in 6 1-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two after losing consecutive starts and four of his last five decisions.


Morse's slam came off Cesar Jimenez in the seventh and extended the Pirates' lead to 10-1. It was Morse's first homer since the Pirates acquired him July 31 from the Los Angeles Dodgers and the fifth slam of his 11-year career.


Zach Davies (1-1) allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings.


WHITE SOX 8, TWINS 2


CHICAGO (AP) - Adam Eaton had three hits, Carlos Sanchez hit a two-run double and Chicago used a seven-run fourth inning to beat Minnesota.


Trevor Plouffe had two hits and an RBI for the Twins, who began the day one game behind Texas in the race for the second AL wild card.


Jose Quintana (9-10) settled in after allowing two runs in the first. He threw five scoreless innings after that and has allowed two runs in 13 innings over his last two starts.


The White Sox finished with 15 hits and have won six of nine.


Tommy Milone (8-5) gave up seven runs - four earned - and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings, his second-shortest start of the season. He was 3-0 with a 0.87 ERA in three previous starts against the White Sox.


PHILLIES 7, CUBS 5


PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pinch-hitter Cody Asche hit a walk-off, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to lead Philadelphia.


The Cubs dropped to three games back of Pittsburgh for the top NL wild-card spot with just their second loss in their last nine.


Hector Rondon (5-4) got the first two outs of the ninth before walking Erik Kratz. Asche followed in the pitcher's spot and drove the first pitch into the foul pole in right field to help Philadelphia win for just the fifth time in the last 19 games.


Asche was mobbed by his teammates at home plate and doused with water. He got a bucket of fruit punch dumped on him along with a shaving cream pie in the face during a postgame TV interview.


Ken Giles (6-2) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out three, to earn the win.

LEADING OFF: NL Central getting tight, Tulo out for Jays


September 12, 2015


A look at what's happening around the major leagues on Sunday:




SEPTEMBER STRUGGLES


The Cardinals will try to avoid their first four-game sweep against Cincinnati since 2003. The NL Central leaders have the best record in the majors but have dropped three straight to the last-place Reds and eight of 10 overall. St. Louis right-hander Michael Wacha (15-5, 2.96 ERA) faces Raisel Iglesias (3-7, 4.18).


CENTRAL HEATING


The Pirates look to cut into St. Louis' lead some more as they wrap up a four-game series with the Brewers. Pittsburgh has won 12 of the last 13 games started by Francisco Liriano (10-7, 3.28 ERA). Milwaukee's Taylor Jungmann (9-6, 2.87) is coming off his worst start this season in a 6-4 loss to Miami.


CRACK IN THE ARMOR


The Blue Jays will be without Troy Tulowitzki for their series finale against the Yankees and beyond. The star shortstop cracked his left shoulder blade in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader during a collision with center fielder Kevin Pillar. Toronto said Tulowitzki will be monitored for the next week as the team determines a timetable for his return. R.A. Dickey (10-10, 4.01 ERA) pitches for the Blue Jays against Masahiro Tanaka (11-6, 3.57).


ACE OFF


Johnny Cueto looks to snap his four-game losing streak when the Royals visit the Orioles in prime time. Acquired from Cincinnati in July to anchor Kansas City's rotation, Cueto has struggled, allowing at least four earned runs in four straight starts. Baltimore sends out Wei-Yin Chen (8-7, 3.48) against a Royals lineup that scored 14 runs Saturday, including a club-record nine RBIs by Mike Moustakas.


POWERFUL PAPI


A day after David Ortiz hit his 500th home run, the Red Sox wrap up a three-game series at Tampa Bay. Ortiz connected twice Saturday, becoming the 27th player to reach the milestone. It was the 50th multihomer game of his career, giving him 34 homers on the season and eight in 14 games. Red Sox lefty Rich Hill makes his first big league start in six years, while the Rays counter with Drew Smyly (2-2, 3.59).


WELCOME BACK, PAX


Mariners lefty James Paxton (3-3, 3.70) pitches for the first time since being placed on the DL in May with a strained tendon in the middle finger on his pitching hand. Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said Paxton is 100 percent and will pitch without restrictions. Kyle Kendrick (5-12, 6.25) goes for the Rockies.

Preview: Blue Jays (82-60) at Yankees (77-64)
Game: 4
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 13, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

This was supposed to be the weekend the New York Yankees tightened the AL East race in front of their home fans. Instead, the Toronto Blue Jays are burying them.


A four-game sweep and an eighth straight win at Yankee Stadium are on the line Sunday, and R.A. Dickey hasn't lost since before the All-Star break or to the Yankees in more than two years.


The Blue Jays (82-60) won 9-5 and 10-7 in Saturday's doubleheader to extend their division lead to a season-high 4 1/2 games, get to a season-best 22 games over .500 for the first time since 1993, and send the Yankees (77-64) to five straight losses.


Toronto had never won more than six straight in New York, but it came at a cost with Troy Tulowitzki breaking his left scapula in Game 1 during a second-inning collision with center fielder Kevin Pillar.


"It's not good news, we'll probably have a little better idea in a few days how long they might think (he's out)," manager John Gibbons told MLB's official website. "Kind of a freak thing, it's unfortunate, but it means a couple of the other guys have a chance here to step up."


Toronto has scored 30 runs and hit .323 with 10 home runs in the first three games of the series. Ben Revere went 6 for 12 Saturday and is batting .427 with 22 runs scored in his last 21 games, while Jose Bautista is 6 for 13 in the series.


New York, three games up on Texas for the top wild card, is in danger of matching a season-worst six-game skid from May 17-24, and it hasn't dropped six straight at home since May 11-20, 2011. The Yankees' most crippling skid might be a four-gamer as part of a 4-11 season against Toronto.


"We need to worry about ourselves," manager Joe Girardi said. "We need to right this. We need to pitch better."


They haven't been bad offensively in the series with 17 runs scored, but it hasn't been nearly enough to keep pace. Brett Gardner homered three times in nine at-bats Saturday and is 6 for 12 with eight RBIs in the series.


Dickey (10-10, 4.01 ERA) is 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA in 11 starts dating to July 18. Toronto lost that game, but it's won 10 straight Dickey starts since. There was a rough patch in there where he allowed 16 runs in 22 2-3 innings over his last four starts of August, but the right-hander has given up two runs in 15 innings over his last two.


"I really felt great with my knuckleball. It was firm. There were a lot of swings and misses," Dickey said after not earning the decision in Tuesday's 5-1 win in Boston. "I felt very consistent with it in the strike zone."


Since losing at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 21, 2013, Dickey is 4-0 with a 1.14 ERA in seven starts in the series.


Chris Young (1 for 13), Brian McCann (6 for 25), Carlos Beltran (6 for 31) and Chase Headley (3 for 15) are all hitting .200 or worse against the 40-year-old.


Masahiro Tanaka was on that level in his last start against the Blue Jays, tossing a five-hitter in a 4-1 victory Aug. 15 in Toronto. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 2.65 ERA in six career starts in the series.


Ryan Goins (0 for 9), Josh Donaldson (1 for 10), Dioner Navarro (2 for 16) and Bautista (3 for 17) have all struggled, but Edwin Encarnacion is 7 for 14 with a home run.


Tanaka (11-6, 3.57) was also in strong form in Tuesday's 2-1 home loss to Baltimore, allowing a run and six hits with a season-high 10 strikeouts in eight innings. He avoided the decision and is 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA in his last five starts beginning with the win in Toronto.



SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Yankees
Thu, Sep 10 - 7:05PM EDT
Recaps


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Yankees
Fri, Sep 11 Final 11 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Blue Jays at Yankees
Sat, Sep 12 Final 10 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Blue Jays at Yankees
Sun, Sep 13 - 1:05PM ED

Preview: Tigers (64-76) at Indians (69-70)
Game: 4
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 13, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Justin Verlander didn't pitch poorly against the Cleveland Indians last week. Cody Anderson just happened to be better.


Anderson can help the host Indians reach .500 for the first time since the fourth game of the season in the opener of Sunday's doubleheader with another win over Verlander and the Detroit Tigers, who insist manager Brad Ausmus' future is safe for now.


Verlander (3-7, 3.43 ERA) looked strong last Sunday until he gave up three runs in the sixth inning of a 4-0 loss to Cleveland (69-70). Anderson (3-3, 3.72) yielded two hits in seven innings to improve to 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his last three starts.


'He's out there battling Verlander in a game where neither team could get anything going, and he made outstanding pitches every time he needed one," manager Terry Francona said.


"He didn't ever let something bother him to the point where it was going to affect the game. That's been a trademark of him early on. Even with his youth, man, everybody here knows that he's a tough kid."


Anderson was scheduled to oppose Verlander on Friday, and again Saturday before both games were postponed by rain. A makeup for Saturday's scheduled contest is to be determined.


After the Indians beat Detroit 7-5 on Thursday for their 11th victory in 15 games, Anderson has the chance to get them back to .500 for the first time since they were 2-2 on April 10.


"We're playing good baseball, team baseball, right now," outfielder Michael Brantley told MLB's official website. "So, we've got to keep it up."


Brantley had a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth after hitting a solo shot an inning earlier in the series opener. He's batting .339 with those two home runs and nine RBIs in 14 games against the Tigers (64-76) this season.


"I'm glad he's on our side," Francona said. "He's really something to watch."


Brantley is 3 for his last 21 when facing Verlander, who is 0-3 with a 5.06 ERA in his past six starts against the Indians.


The right-hander has a 1.27 ERA in his last six overall but is 2-3.


"I'm sure it's frustrating for him, he'd like to get some wins," Ausmus said of Verlander, who has received an average of 2.89 runs of support this season.


Amid reports that Detroit had already decided to fire Ausmus at the end of the season, general manager Al Avila said Friday that the news had been a surprise to him.


'These evaluations are on-going and decisions in any of these areas will be made by the end of the season,' Avila said.


Three of Carlos Santana's five hits in his last 18 at-bats against Verlander have left the park. Yan Gomes is batting .353 with two doubles against him since the start of last season.


Victor Martinez doubled in three at-bats against Anderson last weekend, and he returned to Detroit's lineup Thursday after missing three games with a sinus infection.


He's batting .151 with no home runs in his last 20 games on the road for a Tigers team that's dropped 15 of 20 and sits last in the AL Central.


Right-hander Trevor Bauer (11-11, 4.47), who takes the ball in the Game 2 for the Indians, gave up a season-high seven runs and nine hits in three-plus innings of an 8-5 loss to Detroit on June 22.


J.D. Martinez is 5 for 12 with a homer off Bauer, who will be opposed by Randy Wolf (0-3, 6.55).


The 39-year-old left-hander's only other start against Cleveland came in 2002.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Tigers at Indians
Thu, Sep 10 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Tigers at Indians
Fri, Sep 11 - 7:10PM EDT ( RAIN )
Recaps


GAME 3
Tigers at Indians
Sat, Sep 12 - 7:10PM EDT ( RAIN )
Recaps


GAME 4
Tigers at Indians
Sun, Sep 13 - 4:40PM EDT

Preview: Nationals (71-70) at Marlins (61-81)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 13, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals were sitting atop the NL East in late June and prize offseason acquisition Max Scherzer was riding a wave of electrifying starts.


Eleven weeks later and the Nationals are fading fast in the division, while Scherzer has evened his record with a surprising slump.


Washington looks to avoid falling back to .500 and getting swept in a second straight series Sunday against the Miami Marlins.


On June 26, Scherzer (11-11, 3.03 ERA) earned the final victory of a three-start win streak that featured a one-hitter and a no-hitter, improving to 9-5 with a 1.79 ERA and helping the Nationals (71-70) maintain a 3 1/2-game lead over the New York Mets.


To say it's been all downhill since would be an understatement. While Washington has plummeted to a 9 1/2-game deficit behind the Mets in the East with a 30-37 stretch, Scherzer has gone 2-6 with a 4.74 ERA in 13 starts since that June 26 win at Philadelphia.


The Nationals appeared to end their funk with an 11-4 surge capped by a four-game sweep of Atlanta from Sept. 3-6, but they were swept by New York in a crucial three-game series before heading to Miami.


Scherzer went six innings against the Mets on Monday but allowed a season high-tying three homers and five earned runs in an 8-5 loss. It was the second straight time Washington provided him at least five runs of support and lost after he'd previously gone 5-0 in that situation.


"I'm leaving the ball thigh-high instead of getting it down at the knees," Scherzer said after the Mets rallied with five unanswered runs. "That's going to keep me up late tonight, figuring out how I should do that. I keep giving up home runs and that's something I have to correct. I'm just disappointed I wasn't able to hold that lead."


Scherzer hasn't been at his best against the Marlins (61-81) this year, but the strongest of his three starts against them came in Miami, where he gave up three hits over seven innings in a 1-0 victory July 30. The right-hander's other two outings against the Marlins have yielded a 1-1 record and nine earned runs allowed over 14 innings.


Washington also learned Saturday that reliever Drew Storen will likely miss the rest of the season after breaking his thumb slamming the lock box in his locker in frustration after giving up the go-ahead homer to New York's Yoenis Cespedes in Wednesday's loss.


"It's only human nature to say, 'This wasn't our year,'" manager Matt Williams said. "But you have to fight against that, because at any time you're playing for pride's sake."


The Marlins are 20 back in the standings but seem to be enjoying the role of spoiler against the Nationals. Washington is 33-26 against the NL East but just 6-8 versus Miami.


Brad Hand (4-5, 5.20) will try to help close out the sweep after losing his last two starts, including a rough outing in the nation's capital Aug. 30.


Hand worked 4 2-3 innings that day and allowed five earned runs in a 7-4 loss to Washington before New York lit the left-hander up for three homers and seven runs in 1 2-3 innings of a 7-0 home loss last Saturday.


"I was leaving the ball up and everything was flat," Hand said. "They were sitting on the heater and they got to it."


Hand will try to give Miami a second straight solid performance after Jose Fernandez returned from the disabled list Saturday and became only the third pitcher since 1914 to win his first 16 career decisions at home with a 2-0 victory.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Nationals at Marlins
Fri, Sep 11 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Nationals at Marlins
Sat, Sep 12 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Nationals at Marlins
Sun, Sep 13 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: Cardinals (88-54) at Reds (60-81)
Game: 4
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 13, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

While his teammates try to end their struggles against Cincinnati's inexperienced staff, St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha will try to deliver another stellar outing against the Reds.


Wacha seeks his fourth win in the season series Sunday while helping the slumping Cardinals protect their diminishing NL Central lead.


St. Louis (88-54) is batting .227 and averaging 2.3 runs during a 2-8 stretch that's tightened up the division race. The Cardinals have plated just three runs while batting .208 in the first three games in this series despite the Reds (60-81) adding to their MLB record streak of starts by rookie pitchers.


"It's a good thing it's the beginning of the month," pitcher Lance Lynn said. "We'll see where we are at the end of the month. It's a good thing the season goes a couple of days into October."


Anthony DeSclafani's start in a 5-1 victory Saturday was the 43rd in a row by a Cincinnati rookie. The Reds' green rotation has a 5.14 ERA since that streak began with a 1-0 win in St. Louis on July 29, but it has a 2.31 ERA in seven games against the Cardinals.


"We have to disrupt a little bit of what's going on in this (NL Central) race. To have fun around here we have to beat teams going to the playoffs," said former Cardinals outfielder Skip Schumaker, who homered for the first time in his 113 games this season Saturday.


St. Louis has dropped six of eight to its NL Central rivals but Wacha (15-5, 2.96 ERA) has one of the wins in that span, a 3-0 road victory Aug. 6.


Wacha, who went seven innings in that game, is 3-0 with a 0.89 ERA in as many starts against Cincinnati this season. He'll seek another while trying to rebound from one of the worst of his career.


While pitching on 10 days rest, Wacha allowed six runs in four innings in an 8-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday after going 4-0 with a 0.92 ERA in his previous six starts.


"Everything felt really good. It was just timing. I couldn't get it under control. I couldn't get the ball consistently down in the zone," Wacha said. "I've just got to make better pitches early in the count and get ahead of (batters)."


If Wacha can get back on track, the Cardinals could avoid their first four-game sweep to Cincinnati since May 5-8, 2003.


Raisel Iglesias (3-7, 4.18) will try to deliver that while earning his first win in six starts. The right-hander gave up five runs in three innings Tuesday in a 7-3 loss to Pittsburgh.


Iglesias, who has lost three consecutive decisions, is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts against St. Louis and took a 4-1 loss in the most recent July 27.


Yadier Molina has two doubles in four at-bats against him but is hitting .200 in nine games this month after going 2 for 4 in a suspended game that was completed Saturday, a 4-2 loss.


Brandon Moss is 0 for 21 with 11 strikeouts in his last seven games while Mark Reynolds is 0 for 14 in his past six. Jhonny Peralta is 1 for 16 in his last six.


Joey Votto is 7 for 16 lifetime against Wacha and continues to play while appealing a two-game suspension for his altercation with umpire Bill Welke on Wednesday.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Reds
Thu, Sep 10 Final 0 to 11
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Cardinals at Reds
Fri, Sep 11 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Cardinals at Reds
Sat, Sep 12 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Cardinals at Reds
Sun, Sep 13 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: Red Sox (67-74) at Rays (69-72)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 13, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Amid a sizzling offensive stretch, David Ortiz has been able to enjoy another milestone with the Boston Red Sox.


He's also been quite productive against Tampa Bay's Drew Smyly during his career.


Less than 24 hours after recording his 500th homer, Ortiz looks to stay hot and continue his success against Smyly in Sunday's finale against the Rays at Tropicana Field.


With two home runs in Saturday's 10-4 victory, Big Papi became the 27th player in major league history to reach 500 and joined Jimmie Foxx (1940), Ted Williams (1960) and Manny Ramirez (2008) in hitting the mark in a Red Sox uniform.


"What can I tell you? It's a number where it's very hard to get and I've been competing and trying to get things done the right way through the years," said Ortiz, who also joined Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols as the only active players with at least 500.


Batting .413 with eight homers and 19 RBIs in the last 14 games, Ortiz has shined while Boston (67-74) has won nine times during that stretch.


He's 5 for 10 with a double and a home run during the regular season against Smyly (2-2, 3.59 ERA), who is 1-1 with a 2.04 ERA in his last three starts against the Red Sox.


Prior to his second disabled-list stint of the season with a shoulder problem, the left-hander allowed a homer to Mookie Betts and one other hit while striking out six in six innings of a 2-0 loss at Fenway Park on May 5.


Smyly, however, needs to rebound after he gave up a pair of two-run homers in five innings while not factoring into the decision of a 5-4 loss at Detroit on Monday.


"I basically threw two bad pitches in five innings," Smyly said.


Tampa Bay (69-72) allowed four runs while winning its previous two contests before the Red Sox went deep five times to even the three-game set.


"They just came out and beat us," Rays manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website. "There weren't a ton of positives."


In the midst of a 17-game hitting streak, Betts is batting .360 with five homers and 21 RBIs in his last 26 games.


Released by Washington on June 24 and signed to a minor league deal by Boston on Aug. 10, Rich Hill will make his first start in seven years Sunday. Hill, who last appeared in a major league game Sept. 23 with the New York Yankees, made his most recent big-league start for Baltimore on July 27, 2009.


The left-hander made 25 relief appearances at Triple-A Syracuse this season, then went 3-2 with a 2.78 ERA as a starter with Boston affiliate Pawtucket.


"When I was in the bullpen and had a pretty good gig, I thought that would be it and I'd stay and I'd continue on being successful as a reliever," said Hill, who pitched for the Red Sox from 2010-12. "I didn't really see getting back into starting and didn't really know if I would be able to handle the workload of starting."


He's made nine appearances without a start against the Rays.


With a two-run homer Saturday, John Jaso is 6 for 10 with four RBIs against the Red Sox in 2015.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Red Sox at Rays
Fri, Sep 11 Final 4 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Red Sox at Rays
Sat, Sep 12 Final 10 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Red Sox at Rays
Sun, Sep 13 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: Mets (81-61) at Braves (56-87)
Game: 4
Venue: Turner Field
Date: September 13, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

A late-season collapse is becoming increasingly unlikely for the NL East-leading New York Mets, and another victory will clinch their first winning season in seven years.


Yoenis Cespedes looks to continue his offensive barrage as the Mets go for their longest road winning streak against the Atlanta Braves in 26 years Sunday.


New York (81-61) isn't the team in freefall this time, winning six in a row to take a commanding 9 1/2-game lead on second-place Washington, which has dropped five straight.


With 20 games left in the regular season, New York doesn't appear to be in danger of falling apart down the stretch. The Mets squandered a 7 1/2-game lead with 17 to go in 2007 before blowing an advantage of 3 1/2 a year later, missing the playoffs both times.


They continued allaying any fears of a collapse Saturday, beating the Braves 6-4 to improve to 14-2 in their last 16 road games.


Cespedes, who was acquired from Detroit at the July 31 trade deadline, should be getting most of the credit for New York's command of the East race. He's hitting .392 with eight homers and 18 RBIs over the last 11 games - eight of them wins. Cespedes has four hits and five RBIs over the last two contests after homering in both.


"You see guys on hot streaks, but he has that cape right now," Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons said. "He's feeling like Superman. He's getting big hits. He's a good player, a good hitter. He's hot right now."


So much so that Cespedes has joined the conversation over the NL MVP Award - something no Mets player has ever won.


New York's offense may need to come up big again as Jonathon Niese (8-10, 4.36 ERA) takes the hill. The left-hander is 1-1 with a 10.53 ERA and 12 walks in 19 2-3 innings over his last four, leading to speculation that he'll join the bullpen in the playoffs.


Turning in his worst performance of the season Monday, Niese was hammered for five runs and seven hits with three walks in 3 1-3 innings of an 8-5 win at Washington.


Niese, though, is 2-2 with a 2.06 ERA over his last six starts against Atlanta (56-87), winning his last two decisions in three starts with a 1.89 ERA.


He's also facing a Braves team that's lost a franchise-record 11 straight at home - its longest such skid since relocating to Atlanta in 1966. They had a 14-game slide as the Boston Rustlers in 1911.


A sweep of this four-game set would give the Mets their longest winning streak in Atlanta since taking five straight from 1988-89.


The Braves are turning to Ryan Weber (0-1, 3.00), who was solid in his major-league debut only to be the hard-luck loser in Tuesday's 5-0 defeat at Philadelphia. The right-hander, a 22nd-round pick in 2009, allowed two runs and four hits in six innings hours after being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett.


"I thought he was terrific," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He mixed and matched his pitches, had a good sinker and got the ball over the plate. For his first major league start, he wasn't at all worried. He was very impressive. I was really pleased."


Weber was 6-3 with a 2.21 ERA in 27 appearances for Gwinnett, including six starts.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mets at Braves
Thu, Sep 10 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Mets at Braves
Fri, Sep 11 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Mets at Braves
Sat, Sep 12 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores

GAME 4
Mets at Braves
Sun, Sep 13 - 1:35PM EDT

Preview: Cubs (82-58) at Phillies (54-88)
Game: 4
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: September 13, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Cody Asche's pinch-hit, walk-off home run Saturday night took the Chicago Cubs' division hopes and crushed them into a more realistic second wild card expectation - at least for now.


The last-place Philadelphia Phillies will try to keep the visiting Cubs grounded by going for a four-game split Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.


Asche's two-out homer gave Philadelphia a 7-5 win and turned what could have been Chicago's big gain in the NL Central into a small one as division-leader St. Louis lost twice in Cincinnati.


The Cubs (82-59) still trail the struggling Cardinals by 5 1/2 games and are three back of Pittsburgh for the top wild card. Chicago will try to grab its eighth victory in 10 games before a key stretch of four in Pittsburgh and three against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field.


The Cubs plugged Travis Wood into Dan Haren's scheduled start Saturday, not wanting rain in the forecast to interrupt his outing. Instead, Haren will take the ball in the series finale.


Haren (9-9, 3.73 ERA) is coming off his best outing in a Cubs uniform during a 9-0 win over St. Louis on Monday. The right-hander worked seven innings, the deepest he's pitched in a game since the Cubs acquired him at the trade deadline.


Overall, it was Haren's first time pitching a full seven innings since June 9 and his first scoreless outing since May 23.


"It feels good to go deep in a game like that," Haren told MLB's official website.


Haren - 2-6 with a 4.50 ERA in 13 starts against the Phillies - pitched exactly six innings in each of his three starts against Philadelphia this year, surrendering nine runs. Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis each have two home runs against Haren this year.


Howard snapped a lengthy drought with doubles on Friday and Saturday. He is 2 for his last 39 and 6 for 24 with four home runs lifetime against Haren.


Even with Saturday's win, September has been brutal for a Philadelphia team that holds the worst record in the majors. The Phillies (55-88) were swept by last-place Boston and lost two of three to reeling Atlanta during a stretch of seven losses in nine games.


Sunday starter Aaron Harang (5-15, 5.02) has maybe suffered the most this year. The veteran right-hander lost a career-high eight starts in a row earlier this season, and he will try to avoid becoming MLB's first 16-game loser.


Harang held a 4-5 record and 2.02 ERA through May 30, but he is 1-10 with a 7.81 ERA since then. He's been roughed up for 14 runs and five homers in 15 2-3 innings over his last three starts, pushing his ERA above 5.00 for the first time since the end of the 2013 season.


'If you don't make pitches, you're going to get hurt,' Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin told MLB's official website. 'I sound like a broken record, but it always boils down to location and commanding your stuff.'


The Cubs are one of three teams Harang has double-digit wins against in his 14-year career, though, as the veteran has built a 12-8 record against them with a 4.31 ERA.


Kyle Schwarber has three home runs and four RBIs in the series, but Chicago's two veteran catchers have pounded Harang in the past. Miguel Montero is 13 for 23 with seven walks, while the light-hitting David Ross is 5 for 15 with three home runs.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cubs at Phillies
Thu, Sep 10 - Final 7 to 1
Recaps


GAME 2
Cubs at Phillies
Fri, Sep 11 Final 7 to 3
Boxscores


GAME 3
Cubs at Phillies
Sat, Sep 12 - Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 4
Cubs at Phillies
Sun, Sep 13 - 1:35PM EDT

Preview: Brewers (62-80) at Pirates (85-56)
Game: 4
Venue: PNC Park
Date: September 13, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates are closing in on the NL Central lead and can further tighten the race with another win over the lowly Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.


The Pirates (85-56) are practically assured of reaching the postseason via the wild card, but they're mounting a run at Central-leading St. Louis with 21 games left in the regular season. Pittsburgh has pulled within 2 1/2 of the Cardinals, the closest it's been to first place since it was two back at the All-Star break.


"We've taken the mindset for years about not having a September gear, not having an August gear, about playing October baseball from opening day on," manager Clint Hurdle said. "The season is going to play itself out, and we've just got to keep working on getting better and trying to win games."


The Pirates are 24-7 in their last 31 home games after a five-run third inning led to a 10-2 victory over Milwaukee (62-80) on Saturday.


Giving the ball to Francisco Liriano (10-7, 3.28 ERA) in the finale of this four-game set should bode well since he's 5-1 with a 2.59 ERA in nine day starts. Pittsburgh has also won 12 of its last 13 and nine straight at home with Liriano on the mound.


While he's 3-0 with a 3.13 ERA over that stretch at PNC Park, the offense has been a major part of that success with 6.91 runs of support per game.


The left-hander was impressive at Cincinnati on Tuesday, striking out 10 and yielding three hits in six scoreless innings of a 7-3 win. Liriano also helped himself by going 2 for 3 with a double and a run.


"He's tough to hit," manager Clint Hurdle told MLB's official website.


Liriano, though, is 0-4 with a 6.11 ERA over his last five starts against Milwaukee after losing 4-1 in the only home matchup of that stretch June 9. He allowed three runs in eight innings.


Josh Harrison is hitting .364 in his last eight home matchups with the Brewers. He's 7 for 13 with three runs in this series, matching his career high with four hits while scoring twice Saturday.


"I'm ready to play every day," Harrison said. "If I'm not in the (original) lineup then I'm still always ready for certain cases like (Saturday)."


Harrison, however, is just 1 for 6 against scheduled starter Taylor Jungmann (9-6, 2.87), who has won all three of his starts against the Pirates behind a 1.35 ERA. That includes the rookie right-hander's major-league debut at Pittsburgh opposite Liriano on June 9 in which he yielded one run and three hits in seven innings.


He hasn't come close to being that effective on the road lately, compiling an 8.27 ERA while losing four straight starts after going 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA through his first five.


Jungmann's latest effort was his worst of the year at any venue. He surrendered a season-high six runs and seven hits, including two homers, in 3 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 6-4 loss at Miami.


Ryan Braun has been among the few bright spots for the Brewers, hitting .442 with seven RBIs over his past 11 road games. However, he's 2 for 11 against Liriano over the past two years, going 0 for 5 in 2015.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Brewers at Pirates
Thu, Sep 10 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores


GAME 2
Brewers at Pirates
Fri, Sep 11 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Brewers at Pirates
Sat, Sep 12 Final 2 to 10
Boxscores

GAME 4
Brewers at Pirates
Sun, Sep 13 - 1:35PM EDT

Preview: Twins (73-67) at White Sox (66-73)
Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: September 13, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Facing the Chicago White Sox seemed to offer a good chance for the Minnesota Twins to gain at least a share of the AL's second wild-card spot.


They already let one opportunity get away.


The Twins may get another chance to move into a postseason spot Sunday as they try to conclude this three-game series with the White Sox on a positive note.


Minnesota (73-68) rallied to win 6-2 in the opener of this set in Chicago (67-73) on Friday. However, the Twins followed that by surrendering a seven-run fourth inning while mustering five hits in an 8-2 loss Saturday. They remained one game back of Texas - which lost to Oakland - in the wild-card chase.


"We didn't do a lot of things very well," manager Paul Molitor said. "We didn't run the bases very well. We didn't defend very well. We didn't pitch particularly well. (We) just kind of have to accept that."


Molitor will hand the ball to Kyle Gibson (9-10, 3.87 ERA), who is 1-4 with a 5.86 ERA over his last 10 starts. The right-hander, though, bounced back from a difficult start Tuesday, surrendering four runs in the first inning before going the distance for the first time in a 4-2 loss at Kansas City.


"You can lose it in the first, but you can't win it in the first. Those are situations that kind of speed up on you," Gibson said. "I'm trying not to get too emotionally up in what happened, just take it one batter at a time and move on."


Gibson is 3-0 with a 2.60 ERA in five career starts against the White Sox. He allowed one run with eight strikeouts in eight innings of an 8-1 win in his most recent visit to the South Side on May 24.


The White Sox are on their way to a third straight losing season under manager Robin Ventura, though Chris Sale (12-8, 3.31) continues to be a rare bright spot.


The left-hander's career-high 247 strikeouts lead the AL and are 22 shy of the franchise record set by Ed Walsh in 1908. While Sale is well short of that for now, seven strikeouts would tie him for fourth on the team's single-season list with Walsh's total from 1912. The Hall of Famer is also third with 255 in 1911.


Sale's 12.04 strikeouts per nine innings, however, is the highest in team history.


He fanned eight Monday but was more concerned with allowing three solo homers in seven innings of a 3-2 loss to Cleveland.


"It stinks giving up homers," Sale said. "Usually solo shots don't hurt you, but when you give up damn near a handful of them, it's tough."


He's 0-3 with a 7.50 ERA with 34 strikeouts and five walks in 24 innings over his last four starts against the Twins.


Sale has struggled with Brian Dozier and Kurt Suzuki.


Dozier has been all or nothing in the matchup, going 11 for 36 with three homers, four doubles, 11 RBIs and 10 strikeouts. He's plated seven runs while going 6 for 17 with a homer and three doubles off Sale this year.


Suzuki, meanwhile, is 8 for 21 with two doubles and six RBIs against the four-time All-Star.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Twins at White Sox
Fri, Sep 11 Final 6 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Twins at White Sox
Sat, Sep 12 - Final 2 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Twins at White Sox
Sun, Sep 13 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Astros (76-65) at Angels (71-69)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 13, 2015 3:35 PM EDT

As the Houston Astros continue to struggle, the Los Angeles Angels have reason to believe they can catch the AL West leaders.


The Angels can make up more ground by completing a three-game home sweep of the Astros on Sunday.


C.J. Cron hit a tiebreaking home run to lead off the eighth inning and helped lift Los Angeles (72-69) to a third consecutive 3-2 victory Saturday.


By dropping Houston (76-66) to 1-4 on a 10-game trip and with Texas' loss to Oakland on Saturday, the third-place Angels are two games behind the Rangers - owners of the second wild-card spot - and 3 1/2 back of the division-leading Astros.


"We need to win ballgames," said Cron, who has 11 RBIs in 10 games this month. "It's a good time against a good team."


A winner in seven of the last 10 contests, Los Angeles has four games remaining with both Houston and Texas.


'We have plenty of games left against the guys ahead of us," Cron said. "It was good to get the first two, and now we've gotta come back (Sunday) and try to sweep them.'


Houston has dropped nine of its last 14, but is not about to panic.


'Nobody's going to let up and nobody's going to feel sorry for us, so right now we're just going to have to fight back and keep pushing,' catcher Hank Conger said. 'Every game is a pressure situation for us, but we'll be fine. I don't think anyone's really panicking. Momentum's everything. I mean, yeah, we've got a one-game lead in the division, but whoever gets hot is going to win the division.'


Houston, 28-42 on the road, has totaled 11 hits in the series after recording 13 during an 11-5 win over the Athletics on Wednesday. Carlos Gomez and Jed Lowrie are a combined 1 for 15 in the set.


The Astros hope for a better effort than June 24 when Andrew Heaney (6-3, 3.52 ERA) allowed a run and four hits through six innings of a 2-1, 13-inning victory over them in his Angels debut. The left-hander, however, needs to turn things around at home after yielding 13 runs, 13 hits and walking six in 8 1-3 innings to lose his last two starts there.


"I just want to pitch better than what I did," Heaney said after allowing five runs in five innings of Tuesday's 6-4 home defeat to the Dodgers.


Making his first appearance against the Angels, Mike Fiers (2-1, 2.92) went 2-0 with an 0.67 ERA and tossed a no-hitter over his previous four starts before giving up four runs, five hits and four walks in five-plus innings of Monday's 10-9 loss to the A's


"Falling behind in counts, giving up free bases isn't how I'm supposed to pitch. ... I just need to be better mentally right there,' the right-hander said.


David Freese is 2 for 4 with a double against Fiers, and is batting .389 with five RBIs through 10 games in September since missing more than a month with a broken finger.


Conger homered Saturday, and is 7 for 17 with three RBIs and six runs scored in his last five games against his former team.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Astros at Angels
Fri, Sep 11 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Astros at Angels
Sat, Sep 12 - Final 2 to 3
Boxscores


GAME 3
Astros at Angels
Sun, Sep 13 - 3:35PM EDT

Preview: Padres (67-75) at Giants (73-68)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: September 13, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Mike Leake is still seeking his first victory since moving to San Francisco, and even if the wins start coming now, it might be too late for them to be relevant in the way the Giants had hoped at the time of the acquisition.


Nevertheless, the Giants will try to complete a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres on Sunday at AT&T Park as Leake tries to make it a full five-game spin in the rotation of impressive pitching.


Madison Bumgarner threw a one-hitter in Saturday's 8-0 win and was four outs away from a perfect game, giving the staff a 1.29 ERA and .142 opponent batting average over a 3-1 span. The Giants (74-68) have given up a run and five hits in the first two of the series and have won four in a row against the Padres (67-76).


"The stars have to be aligned for guys to pitch games like that," said Melvin Upton Jr., who had San Diego's only hit.


Brandon Belt homered for the first time in 28 games to give him a new career high of 18, and Marlon Byrd is hitting .583 in his last six.


The Giants have won five of seven while scoring 5.6 runs per game and batting .310, but the problem is that the teams ahead of them keep winning. The Los Angeles Dodgers have widened the NL West gap to 7 1/2 games while winning 14 of 18, and the Chicago Cubs are up 8 1/2 for the second wild card with wins in seven of nine.


San Diego has dropped three straight and 14 of 20 after getting within a game of .500 on Aug. 22. It's now in danger of falling 10 games under for the first time since July 10. Over a 2-7 span, the Padres are averaging 2.9 runs and batting .211.


Leake (9-8, 3.70 ERA) was the last San Francisco starter to greatly struggle, giving up six runs and 11 hits in 5 2-3 innings of Monday's 6-1 loss in Arizona for his worst start with the Giants. He fell to 0-3 with a 4.31 ERA in five starts for his new club.


"He just made some mistakes," manager Bruce Bochy told MLB's official website. "He missed his spots more than he usually does."


Even when the right-hander has pitched well, he's been shorted offensively with a 1.72 run-support average.


The San Diego native hasn't pitched against the Padres this season but is 0-2 with a 3.07 ERA in five career starts. Justin Upton is 6 for 14 with a home run off him, but Alexi Amarista is 2 for 11.


Leake was supposed to be up against Colin Rea, but the right-hander was scratched from what would have been his seventh MLB start because of elbow and forearm discomfort. Odrisamer Despaigne will start instead after making his last nine appearances in relief.


Despaigne (5-8, 5.65) will start two days after giving up four runs and five hits on 46 pitches in two innings of Friday's 9-1 loss to the Giants, so it could be a bullpen-heavy day. The right-hander last started in a 10-1 loss at Milwaukee on Aug. 6, surrendering seven runs and nine hits over five innings.


Against San Francisco, he's 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA in seven appearances, including 10 runs in his last seven innings. Buster Posey, however, is 0 for 13 in their matchups.


The Giants remain without double-play partners Brandon Crawford (calf, side tightness) and Joe Panik (back). Crawford is said to be the closer of the two to returning.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Padres at Giants
Fri, Sep 11 Final 1 to 9
Boxscores


GAME 2
Padres at Giants
Sat, Sep 12 - Final 0 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Padres at Giants
Sun, Sep 13 - 4:05PM EDT

Preview: Dodgers (80-60) at Diamondbacks (68-73)
Game: 3
Venue: Chase Field
Date: September 13, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Zack Greinke's ERA rose to a season-high 1.97 in a mediocre outing June 2. Over three months later, he has a shot to join some elite company: Martinez, Maddux and Clemens.


If the right-hander can keep it going, he'll become the first qualifying pitcher in 10 years and fourth in the live-ball era to maintain a sub-2.00 ERA for an entire season.


He once struggled with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but that changed when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, who send him to the Chase Field mound Sunday seeking a series win.


Roger Clemens' ERA never rose above 1.89 in 2005, and he joined Pedro Martinez (1997, 2000) and Greg Maddux (1994) as the only pitchers to have such a season dating to 1920.


Among those, Maddux posted the lowest ERA (1.56) and Martinez never allowed his to go over 1.81 in 2000. Greinke (16-3, 1.68 ERA) could still best Maddux's '94 and '95 (1.63) marks and Dwight Gooden's 1.53 in '85 for the best in baseball since the mound was lowered prior to the '69 season, as well as Rube Marquard's franchise-record 1.58 in 1916.


Greinke's road ERA stands at a season-high 1.99 with an 8-2 record in 13 starts, the first of which came over seven shutout innings in Arizona on April 12.


He's 6-0 with a 1.38 ERA in eight starts against Arizona since joining the Dodgers prior to the 2013 season and has shut down Paul Goldschmidt (4 for 20 with nine strikeouts), Chris Owings and Ender Inciarte (both 0 for 8), and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1 for 9 with five Ks).


The 31-year-old labored a little more than usual in Monday's 7-5 win at the Angels, surrendering three runs and seven hits in six innings, though six runs of support earned him a third straight victory.


"It wasn't the typical Zack," manager Don Mattingly told MLB's official website. "He wasn't as sharp as he can be, and we didn't want to push him."


The Diamondbacks haven't been pushing Patrick Corbin, and positive results have started to come.


Corbin (5-3, 3.32), who hasn't thrown more than 91 pitches this season, limited San Francisco to six hits in six scoreless innings of Monday's 6-1 win for his second straight victory. He's 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his previous three outings of the 12 he's made since returning from March 2014 Tommy John surgery.


"I think the biggest thing is trying to recover and make sure the arm is feeling good for the next start," Corbin said. "Stay on top of that. It feels like I've thrown 200 innings already this year. Just being out for 16 months and now getting into it with about 60 innings this year."


The left-hander hasn't faced the Dodgers since before the injury, but Andre Ethier (1 for 11 with five strikeouts) and Scott Van Slyke (1 for 8) have struggled with him. Chris Heisey (2 for 4 with two home runs) could find his way into the lineup.


Los Angeles (81-60) evened the series with Saturday's 9-5 win for its 10th in 14 meetings with Arizona (68-74). The Dodgers have won four of the last six despite the Diamondbacks averaging 6.7 runs and batting .329.


Goldschmidt is batting .407 with 15 RBIs in the season series.


Los Angeles' Corey Seager was 4 for 4 with his first career home run, and the shortstop is batting .467 in his first nine big league games. Even so, Jimmy Rollins, who has been used as a pinch runner in the series, will get his starting job back upon his return from a sprained finger.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Fri, Sep 11 Final 4 to 12
Boxscores


GAME 2
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Sat, Sep 12 - Final 9 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Sun, Sep 13 - 4:10PM EDT

Preview: Rockies (59-82) at Mariners (68-74)
Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 13, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

The Seattle Mariners are going nowhere come postseason baseball, but some lofty power numbers amidst a winning spurt has them feeling alright for the time being.


The Mariners flexed their muscle on Saturday and will try to keep hammering for an interleague series win Sunday against the Colorado Rockies.


Seattle (69-74) hit four home runs in Saturday's 7-2 victory and ranks near the top of the majors with 17 in September. Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, Franklin Gutierrez and Jesus Montero all went deep as the Mariners won for the eighth time in 11 games.


'They make you look smart when they hit home runs,' manager Lloyd McClendon said.


Cruz's two-run homer in the seventh inning pulled him even with Baltimore's Chris Davis for the major league lead at 41. He eclipsed his career-high total from a year ago and added a run-scoring single.


'He's pretty special,' McClendon said. 'He makes any ballpark look small.'


McClendon confirmed Saturday that James Paxton will come off the disabled list to make his first start since May 28.


Paxton (3-3, 3.70 ERA) began the season as the Mariners' No. 2 starter but has missed the last three months with a strained tendon in his left middle finger.


The left-hander had gone 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA during a five-start stretch before lasting 4 2-3 innings in a 5-3 loss to Cleveland on May 28. He left that outing with discomfort in his finger and was placed on the DL the next day.


Colorado (59-83) counters with Kyle Kendrick, who is still in the early stages of his own injury comeback. The right-hander will make his third start since coming off the DL from right shoulder inflammation that had him shelved for a month.


Kendrick (5-12, 6.25) has pitched well in two starts since returning, though he's lasted just a total of nine innings. He allowed three runs in five innings during a 6-4 win at San Diego on Monday, his first victory since July 26.


'I had some tough innings where I got some guys on base and in some jams, but all in all it was pretty decent,' Kendrick said.


Jose Reyes was held out of Colorado's lineup for the third consecutive game Saturday while nursing a sore Achilles. Reyes is hitting .308 since Aug. 18, but he went 0 for 4 in the two middle games of a four-game set against San Diego in his last action.


'He is better,' Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. 'I felt like I wanted to give him another day though, because (Friday) he was really sore.'


Gutierrez started in left field Saturday for his first start since leaving a Sept. 4 game against Oakland with a strained right groin. He's batting .333 with five homers and nine RBIs in his last 10 games.


Cruz will continue to hit in Seattle's designated hitter spot while he recovers from a strained right quad.


'He's still nursing it,' McClendon said. 'I would not anticipate him being in the outfield through this homestand.'


The Mariners have won three of five games against Colorado this year and six of eight dating back to 2012.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rockies at Mariners
Fri, Sep 11 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Rockies at Mariners
Sat, Sep 12 -Final 2 to 7
Boxscores

GAME 3
Rockies at Mariners
Sun, Sep 13 - 4:10PM EDT

Preview: Athletics (60-81) at Rangers (74-66)
Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 13, 2015 3:05 PM EDT

The Texas Rangers have failed to take advantage of the AL West's bottom two teams as the division's best sputters in Anaheim.


The last-place Oakland Athletics have had Texas' number all season and will try to further damage its division chances in Sunday's series finale in Arlington.


The Rangers (74-67) have dropped 10 of 15 against Oakland this season, losing three of the first four series and splitting the other. Saturday night's 5-3 defeat was Texas' third loss in four days to the A's and Seattle, the division's bottom two teams.


Meanwhile, AL West-leading Houston dropped the first two games of a series against the Los Angeles Angels, tightening the division race. The Astros maintain a 1 1/2-game lead over Texas while their advantage over the Angels is down to 3 1/2.


The Rangers host Houston for a critical four-game series this week.


Rookie Chi Chi Gonzalez was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock and will make his 10th start for the Rangers Sunday.


Gonzalez (2-5, 4.25 ERA) opened his career with wins in consecutive scoreless outings in late-May and early-June, but he is winless in seven starts since, while spending most of July and August in the minors. The right-hander is 0-5 with a 5.80 ERA over his last seven outings with the Rangers, and he will make his first start since Aug. 18.


Oakland is responsible for two of Gonzalez's losses, beating him 7-0 on June 11 and 8-6 on June 23. Gonzalez allowed just one run in seven innings in the first game, but surrendered six in 5 2-3 the second time around.


Though Texas is chasing the postseason, Gonzalez has already pitched a playoff game this year, tossing two perfect innings Wednesday in the Pacific Coast League semifinals during his rehab stint.


"I was fortunate enough to continue in the playoffs and play in September over there," Gonzalez told MLB's official website. "...and now I'm playing here, so hopefully I get to the October thing."


The A's (61-81) won for just the third time in 10 games Saturday and won't play past the first weekend in October this year. They'll try to win consecutive series for the first time since June when they send Felix Doubront to the mound.


Doubront (3-1, 4.22) has plugged a hole for an injury-depleted Oakland staff after his acquisition from Toronto at the trade deadline. He was inserted into the rotation after two long relief outings and has a 3.60 ERA in four starts.


Oakland won each of those games, and Doubront picked up wins in the last two despite surrendering four runs in each. The A's offense picked him up in an 11-5 victory over the Angels on Aug. 31 and a 10-9 win over Houston on Monday.


Doubront has never seen success against the Rangers, losing all four of his starts with a 10.69 ERA. Texas, though, has struggled against lefties this year, the latest example Saturday's loss to Oakland southpaw Sean Nolin in which Texas mustered five hits and a run off him in 5 2-3 innings.


"They've been a challenge for us for most of the year," Texas manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website. "To get to where we want to go, we've got to be able to compete against left-handers, we've got to be able to swing the bat against left-handers, we've got to be able to drive in runs against left-handers."



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Athletics at Rangers
Fri, Sep 11 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Athletics at Rangers
Sat, Sep 12 - Final 5 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Rangers
Sun, Sep 13 - 3:05PM EDT

Standings

Regular Season Standings


AMERICAN - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Toronto Blue Jays 82 60 .577 0 47-25 35-35 7-3 W-3
New York Yankees 77 64 .546 4 40-32 37-32 4-6 L-5
Tampa Bay Rays 69 72 .489 12 34-36 35-36 4-6 L-1
Baltimore Orioles 68 73 .482 13 39-28 29-45 5-5 L-1
Boston Red Sox 67 74 .475 14 39-35 28-39 6-4 W-1

AMERICAN - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Kansas City Royals 84 57 .596 0 48-27 36-30 4-6 W-1
Minnesota Twins 73 68 .518 11 42-26 31-42 5-5 L-1
Cleveland Indians 69 70 .496 14 30-34 39-36 6-4 W-2
Chicago White Sox 67 73 .479 16 35-35 32-38 6-4 W-1
Detroit Tigers 64 76 .457 19 33-38 31-38 4-6 L-2

AMERICAN - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Houston Astros 76 65 .539 0 48-24 28-41 4-6 L-1
Texas Rangers 74 66 .529 1 33-32 41-34 6-4 W-1
Los Angeles Angels 71 69 .507 4 43-30 28-39 6-4 W-2
Seattle Mariners 68 74 .479 8 31-39 37-35 7-3 L-1
Oakland Athletics 60 81 .426 16 33-42 27-39 3-7 L-2

NATIONAL - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
New York Mets 81 61 .570 0 45-24 36-37 8-2 W-6
Washington Nationals 71 70 .504 9 41-29 30-41 5-5 L-5
Miami Marlins 61 81 .430 20 36-38 25-43 8-2 W-4
Atlanta Braves 56 87 .392 25 33-35 23-52 2-8 L-3
Philadelphia Phillies 55 88 .385 26 32-39 23-49 2-8 W-1

NATIONAL - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
St. Louis Cardinals 88 54 .620 0 50-24 38-30 2-8 L-3
Pittsburgh Pirates 85 56 .603 2 48-22 37-34 6-4 W-2
Chicago Cubs 82 59 .582 5 43-28 39-31 7-3 L-1
Milwaukee Brewers 62 80 .437 26 33-39 29-41 5-5 L-2
Cincinnati Reds 60 81 .426 27 34-39 26-42 6-4 W-3

NATIONAL - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Los Angeles Dodgers 80 60 .571 0 47-21 33-39 7-3 L-2
San Francisco Giants 73 68 .518 7 39-27 34-41 4-6 W-1
Arizona Diamondbacks 68 73 .482 12 34-36 34-37 5-5 W-2
San Diego Padres 67 75 .472 14 35-37 32-38 3-7 L-2
Colorado Rockies 59 82 .418 21 31-40 28-42 6-4 W-2

Updated Sun Sep 13 3:04 AM EDT

Standings

Wild Card Standings


AMERICAN


Team Win Loss Percent GB


New York Yankees 77 64 0.546 +2.5


Texas Rangers 74 66 0.529 0.0


Minnesota Twins 73 68 0.518 1.5


Los Angeles Angels 71 69 0.507 3.0


Cleveland Indians 69 70 0.496 4.5


Tampa Bay Rays 69 72 0.489 5.5


Baltimore Orioles 68 73 0.482 6.5


Seattle Mariners 68 74 0.479 7.0


Chicago White Sox 67 73 0.479 7.0


Boston Red Sox 67 74 0.475 7.5


Detroit Tigers 64 76 0.457 10.0


Oakland Athletics 60 81 0.426 14.5





NATIONAL


Team Win Loss Percent GB


Pittsburgh Pirates 85 56 0.603 +3


Chicago Cubs 82 59 0.582 0.0


San Francisco Giants 73 68 0.518 9.0


Washington Nationals 71 70 0.504 11.0


Arizona Diamondbacks 68 73 0.482 14.0


San Diego Padres 67 75 0.472 15.5


Milwaukee Brewers 62 80 0.437 20.5


Miami Marlins 61 81 0.430 21.5


Cincinnati Reds 60 81 0.426 22.0


Colorado Rockies 59 82 0.418 23.0


Atlanta Braves 56 87 0.392 27.0


Philadelphia Phillies 55 88 0.385 28.0





Updated Sun Sep 13 3:04 AM EDT

Preview: Sky (21-12) at Sun (14-19)


Date: September 13, 2015 1:00 PM EDT

Elena Delle Donne will be crowned with her first WNBA scoring title Sunday when the Chicago Sky visit the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.


Delle Donne will dethrone Minnesota's Maya Moore, who finished with a 20.6 scoring average. The Chicago star and frontrunner for MVP honors is averaging 23.2 points, and that figure could only drop as low as 22.5 if she's held scoreless.


She will become the ninth player to lead the WNBA in scoring. If she scores at least 47 points, she will join Diana Taurasi as the only players to average at least 24. Delle Donne's career-high is 45.


It's not even clear if Delle Donne will play since Chicago (21-12) has already clinched the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed and opens the postseason Thursday at home against Indiana or Washington.


Teammate Cappie Pondexter figures to miss a fifth straight game due to a concussion. She is eighth in the league with 15.0 points per game.


Delle Donne was out with a foot injury and Pondexter was also out the last time these teams met in Connecticut's 72-68 road win Aug. 30. Kelsey Bone dominated inside with 25 points and eight rebounds as the Sun (14-19) evened the season series at two wins apiece.


Three of the four meetings have been decided by four points or less, with Chicago's 96-76 win July 12 the exception.


While Chicago will be looking ahead, Connecticut seeks to end an injury-plagued season on a winning note and halt a four-game home slide. Star forward Chiney Ogwumike has missed the entire season and Alex Bentley, second to Bone with a 14.7 scoring average, will miss her ninth straight game with a right ankle injury.


The Sun completed a 2-2 trip with Wednesday's 74-64 loss to New York, as Bone finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds.


The Sky posted their third straight win, 92-71 over Tulsa on Friday in their home finale. Delle Donne scored 21 points, and Allie Quigley and Jessica Breland each added 14.


Chicago has won by an average of 23.7 points during this win streak that began after the last meeting with Connecticut.



WNBA HEAD TO HEAD


Aug 30, 2015 Score ATS Results
CONN « 72 Cover: 13
CHI 68 Under: 140
Tools: Recaps


Jul 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
CONN 76 Over: 172
CHI « 96 Cover: 12
Tools: Recaps


Jul 2, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHI « 77 Under: 151
CONN 74 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps


Jun 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHI 65 Under: 132
CONN « 67 Cover: 7
Tools: Recaps


Aug 5, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHI « 82 Cover: 12
CONN 66 Under: 148
Tools: Recaps


Jun 25, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHI 69 Under: 148
CONN « 79 Cover: 8.5
Tools: Recaps
May 30, 2014 Score ATS Results
CONN 82 Over: 183
CHI « 101 Cover: 11
Tools: Recaps


May 21, 2014 Score ATS Results
CONN 68 Under: 146
CHI « 78 Cover: 5
Tools: Recaps

Preview: Dream (14-19) at Mystics (18-15)


Date: September 13, 2015 4:00 PM EDT

The Washington Mystics will try to take some momentum into the playoffs by avoiding a season sweep to an Atlanta Dream team that's heading home after this matchup Sunday.


Washington (18-15) has dropped all three meetings this season with Atlanta, including a 73-67 defeat last Sunday, and eight of 10 since the beginning of the 2013 playoffs.


The Dream (14-19) wish they could have fared as well against other opponents as they are set to miss the postseason for the first time since their inaugural 2008 campaign.


The first two matchups were decided by three points apiece. Atlanta star Angel McCoughtry scored five of her 21 points in the final 28 seconds in the only other game in Washington, a 64-61 victory June 12.


A win would give the Mystics the No. 3 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs if Indiana loses to New York on Sunday. Washington would face Chicago in the opening round if that happens and would get league-best New York if it doesn't.


A series against the Sky would begin Thursday and a series against the Liberty would start Friday.


Washington enters this game having earned back-to-back wins after Friday's 82-55 rout of New York, which played its starters sparingly to rest up for the postseason.


Atlanta also had won two straight before losing 75-67 to Indiana on Friday. McCoughtry came off the bench for a fifth straight game and was held to 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting after averaging 24.8 points in the previous four.


Sancho Lyttle tied a season high with 19 points and had eight rebounds. She's averaging 16.3 points on 56.8 percent shooting and 9.7 boards in the past three games.


Lyttle had 16 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Washington last weekend. Tiffany Hayes (19 points) and McCoughtry (18) were the Dream's scoring leaders.


Ivory Latta scored 22 for the Mystics, giving her a combined 40 in the past two meetings with Atlanta, and she's made 14 of 25 shots in those matchups.


Atlanta forward DeLisha Milton-Jones would become the league's first player to appear in 500 games if she returns from a concussion that's kept her out of the past three. Milton-Jones, who turned 41 on Friday, broke Tina Thompson's WNBA record Aug. 28.




WNBA HEAD TO HEAD


Sep 6, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS 67 Under: 140
ATL « 73 Cover: 3.5
Tools: Recaps


Jun 26, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS 69 Under: 141
ATL « 72 Cover: 6
Tools: Recaps


Jun 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
ATL « 64 Cover: 9
WAS 61 Under: 125
Tools: Recaps


Jul 27, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL 67 Under: 144
WAS « 77 Cover: 13
Tools: Recaps


Jul 5, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 73 Over: 159
ATL « 86 Cover: 4.5
Tools: Recaps


Jun 18, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 73 Over: 156
ATL « 83 Cover: 2
Tools: Recaps


Jun 15, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL « 75 Cover: 4.5
WAS 67 Under: 142
Tools: Recaps