The NL West and NL Central were on track for tiebreaker games when the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers all took leads in Game 162.Any tiebreakers would be one-game matchups Monday. They would be played at Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium, if necessary.The Dodgers and Rockies were both at 90-71 entering Sunday, while the Cubs and Brewers were deadlocked at 94-67.Los Angeles led 14-0 at San Francisco in the seventh inning. Justin Turner, Manny Machado, Matt Kemp and Brian Dozier all had big hits.Colorado was ahead 7-0 at home against Washington in the seventh on homers by Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and David Dahl. The Nationals scratched ace Max Scherzer in a game with no meaning for them and started rookie Erick Fedde.Milwaukee held a 3-0 lead against visiting Detroit in the sixth on Jesus Aguilar's home run and RBI single.The Cubs were up 8-2 at home against St. Louis in the fifth. Anthony Rizzo had three hits for Chicago.The NL West winner advances to a best-of-five Division Series against Atlanta starting Thursday, and the NL Central winner moves on to a Division Series against the winner of Tuesday's wild card game — between the second-place teams in the West and Central.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The NL West and NL Central were on track for tiebreaker games when the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers all took leads in Game 162.The Dodgers and Rockies were both at 90-71 entering Sunday, while the Cubs and Brewers were deadlocked at 94-67.Any tiebreakers would be one-game matchups Monday. They would be played at Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium, if necessary.Los Angeles led 14-0 at San Francisco in the fourth inning. Justin Turner, Manny Machado, Matt Kemp and Brian Dozier all had big hits.Colorado was ahead 7-0 at home against Washington on homers by Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and David Dahl. The Nationals scratched ace Max Scherzer in a game with no meaning for them and started rookie Erick Fedde.Milwaukee took a 3-0 lead against visiting Detroit on Jesus Aguilar's home run and RBI single.After falling behind in the first, the Cubs took a 4-2 lead in the third when Ben Zobrist tripled in a run and scored on a wild pitch, Anthony Rizzo hit an RBI double and Jason Heyward followed with a run-scoring single.The NL West winner advances to a best-of-five Division Series against Atlanta starting Thursday, and the NL Central winner moves on to a Division Series against the winner of Tuesday's wild card game — between the second-place teams in the West and Central.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — With the NL West title still on the line, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts swapped starting pitchers to go with left-hander Rich Hill in Sunday's scheduled regular-season finale against the Giants.The five-time reigning division champions began the day in a first-place tie with Colorado, with the Rockies set to host the Nationals in Game No. 162. If the teams finish even, a one-game tiebreaker would be held Monday at Dodger Stadium.Hill is 10-5 with a 3.87 ERA and has won all four of his September starts and five of six outings beginning Aug. 24.Roberts was asked before the game about Nationals manager Dave Martinez's choice to start Erick Fedde instead of Max Scherzer.While the Dodgers "might've handled things a little differently," Roberts says, "For us to get caught up in that other stuff that's just expending energy that we don't need to."Right-hander Walker Buehler had been the listed Dodgers starter for Sunday before a decision on the change was made late Saturday. Los Angeles beat the Giants 10-6 on Saturday to clinch baseball's final playoff berth.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox became the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this season, rallying on pinch-hitter Brock Holt's go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 Tuesday night.The Red Sox assured themselves at least a spot in the AL wild-card game while reaching the postseason for the third straight year. The AL East leaders began the night with an eight-game lead over the New York Yankees.Boston starter Chris Sale came off the disabled list and pitched one scoreless inning, striking out two and throwing 26 pitches. Sale has been slowed by inflammation in his left shoulder, and the Red Sox had said they would ease their ace back into action.Ryan Brasier (2-0) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief as Boston used seven relievers after limiting Sale in his return.Ryan Tepera (5-5) took the loss.ANGELS 1, RANGERS 0ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Blake Parker gave up Isiah Kiner-Falefa's single to right with one out in the eighth inning... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox became the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this season, rallying on pinch-hitter Brock Holt's go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 Tuesday night.The Red Sox assured themselves at least a spot in the AL wild-card game while reaching the postseason for the third straight year. The AL East leaders began the night with an eight-game lead over the New York Yankees.Boston starter Chris Sale came off the disabled list and pitched one scoreless inning, striking out two and throwing 26 pitches. Sale has been slowed by inflammation in his left shoulder, and the Red Sox had said they would ease their ace back into action.Ryan Brasier (2-0) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief as Boston used seven relievers after limiting Sale in his return.Ryan Tepera (5-5) took the loss.ASTROS 5, TIGERS 4DETROIT (AP) — Jose Altuve homered on the game's first pitch, and Houston powered past Detroit.The Astros maintained... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sunday's game between the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals was postponed because of rain and rescheduled for Thursday at 4:05 p.m.The decision was announced three hours after the scheduled 1:35 p.m. start time. Thursday is the teams' only remaining mutual day off.Rain fell at Nationals Park throughout the weekend.The start of Friday's game was delayed 1 hour, 21 minutes. The rain returned with two outs in the top of the second inning and play was stopped. The game was postponed after a wait of 2 hours, 55 minutes when the rain had stopped.Saturday became a doubleheader that was supposed to start at 3:05 p.m. but didn't get underway until 5 p.m. A between-games ceremony honoring former National Jason Werth and another rain delay in the nightcap led to 1:44 a.m. conclusion as Washington swept the Cubs.Chicago began Sunday with a 2½-game lead in the NL Central while Washington was 7½ games behind Atlanta in the NL East.The Cubs, in the midst of 23 games in 23 days,... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Washington Nationals have placed reliever Ryan Madson on the 10-day disabled list with a back injury.Madson surrendered David Bote's game-ending grand slam in Sunday night's 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The Nationals said Monday that Madson was dealing with back issues, but the plan was for him to pitch through it.The 37-year-old Madson is 2-5 with a 5.19 ERA and four saves in 48 games this season.The Nationals also promoted right-hander Trevor Gott and left-hander Tim Collins from Triple-A Syracuse before Tuesday's game against St. Louis. Lefty Sammy Solis was sent down, and right-hander Erick Fedde was moved from the 10-day to the 60-day disabled list.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in two runs, Eduardo Rodriguez struck out six in six innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.Rodriguez (10-3) allowed three hits and walked one. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 26th save in 28 chances, finishing a six-hitter.The Nationals (42-43) have lost five in a row to fall below .500 this late in the season for the first time since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015. The preseason NL East favorites held a players-only meeting after the game.A throwing error by Adam Eaton on Bradley's sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by Ryan Madson (2-4) in the seventh inning contributed to Washington's 17th loss in 22 games.Nationals starter Erick Fedde left one batter into the second inning with right shoulder stiffness. Manager Davey Martinez said Fedde was scheduled to have an MRI.YANKEES 6, BRAVES 2NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer and CC Sabathia pitched six effective... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in two runs, Eduardo Rodriguez struck out six in six innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.Rodriguez (10-3) allowed three hits and walked one. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 26th save in 28 chances, finishing a six-hitter.The Nationals (42-43) have lost five in a row to fall below .500 this late in the season for the first time since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015. The preseason NL East favorites held a players-only meeting after the game.A throwing error by Adam Eaton on Bradley's sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by Ryan Madson (2-4) in the seventh inning contributed to Washington's 17th loss in 22 games.Nationals starter Erick Fedde left one batter into the second inning with right shoulder stiffness. Manager Davey Martinez said Fedde was scheduled to have an MRI.YANKEES 6, BRAVES 2NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer and CC Sabathia pitched six effective... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in two runs, Eduardo Rodriguez struck out six in six innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.Rodriguez (10-3) allowed three hits and walked one. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 26th save in 28 chances, finishing a six-hitter.The Nationals (42-43) have lost five in a row to fall below .500 this late in the season for the first time since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015. The preseason NL East favorites held a players-only meeting after the game.A throwing error by Adam Eaton on Bradley's sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by Ryan Madson (2-4) in the seventh inning contributed to Washington's 17th loss in 22 games.Nationals starter Erick Fedde left one batter into the second inning with right shoulder stiffness. Manager Davey Martinez said Fedde was scheduled to have an MRI.YANKEES 6, BRAVES 2NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer and CC Sabathia pitched six effective... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in two runs, Eduardo Rodriguez struck out six in six innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.Rodriguez (10-3) allowed three hits and walked one. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 26th save in 28 chances, finishing a six-hitter.The Nationals (42-43) have lost five in a row to fall below .500 this late in the season for the first time since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015. The preseason NL East favorites held a players-only meeting after the game.A throwing error by Adam Eaton on Bradley's sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by Ryan Madson (2-4) in the seventh inning contributed to Washington's 17th loss in 22 games.Nationals starter Erick Fedde left one batter into the second inning with right shoulder stiffness. Manager Davey Martinez said Fedde was scheduled to have an MRI.YANKEES 6, BRAVES 2NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer and CC Sabathia pitched six effective... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nationals right-hander Erick Fedde left in the second inning of his start against the Boston Red Sox after throwing just 25 pitches.Training staff and manager Dave Martinez went to check on Fedde after he allowed a single to Rafael Devers to lead off the second on Wednesday. After a long conversation, Fedde walked off the field and was replaced by lefty Matt Grace.The 25-year-old was coming off his first major league victory last weekend in Philadelphia.Fedde entered the game 1-3 with a 6.00 ERA in five starts this season. His 2017 season ended in early September with a right forearm flexor strain.Washington's 2014 first-round pick had Tommy John surgery after being drafted. He's 1-4 with a 7.23 ERA in eight starts during his career with the Nationals.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia shut down the high-scoring Red Sox, Greg Bird hit two home runs and Aaron Judge connected off a college teammate as the New York Yankees bopped Boston 8-1 on Friday night to retake the top record in the majors.Not since the famed Bucky Dent playoff game in 1978 had the Yankees and Red Sox met so late in a season when they owned the two best marks in baseball. Home runs decided this matchup, too, with Miguel Andujar also going deep for New York.The biggest crowd of the year at Yankee Stadium was in the spirit as lines forming outside the gates more than 3 1/2 hours before the start. The pro-Yankees chants began prior to the first pitch, the anti-Boston shouts soon followed.Sabathia (5-3) helped end Boston's four-game winning streak, less than a month from his 38th birthday. He gave up one run and six hits in seven innings.Steve Pearce, acquired a day earlier from Toronto, batted cleanup in his debut for Boston and doubled and singled off Sabathia. No matter, the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia shut down the high-scoring Red Sox, Greg Bird hit two home runs and Aaron Judge connected off a college teammate as the New York Yankees bopped Boston 8-1 on Friday night to retake the top record in the majors.Not since the famed Bucky Dent playoff game in 1978 had the Yankees and Red Sox met so late in a season when they owned the two best marks in baseball. Home runs decided this matchup, too, with Miguel Andujar also going deep for New York.The biggest crowd of the year at Yankee Stadium was in the spirit as lines forming outside the gates more than 3 1/2 hours before the start. The pro-Yankees chants began prior to the first pitch, the anti-Boston shouts soon followed.Sabathia (5-3) helped end Boston's four-game winning streak, less than a month from his 38th birthday. He gave up one run and six hits in seven innings.Steve Pearce, acquired a day earlier from Toronto, batted cleanup in his debut for Boston and doubled and singled off Sabathia. No matter, the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia shut down the high-scoring Red Sox, Greg Bird hit two home runs and Aaron Judge connected off a college teammate as the New York Yankees bopped Boston 8-1 on Friday night to retake the top record in the majors.Not since the famed Bucky Dent playoff game in 1978 had the Yankees and Red Sox met so late in a season when they owned the two best marks in baseball. Home runs decided this matchup, too, with Miguel Andujar also going deep for New York.The biggest crowd of the year at Yankee Stadium was in the spirit as lines forming outside the gates more than 3 1/2 hours before the start. The pro-Yankees chants began prior to the first pitch, the anti-Boston shouts soon followed.Sabathia (5-3) helped end Boston's four-game winning streak, less than a month from his 38th birthday. He gave up one run and six hits in seven innings.Steve Pearce, acquired a day earlier from Toronto, batted cleanup in his debut for Boston and doubled and singled off Sabathia. No matter, the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia shut down the high-scoring Red Sox, Greg Bird hit two home runs and Aaron Judge connected off a college teammate as the New York Yankees bopped Boston 8-1 on Friday night to retake the top record in the majors.Not since the famed Bucky Dent playoff game in 1978 had the Yankees and Red Sox met so late in a season when they owned the two best marks in baseball. Home runs decided this matchup, too, with Miguel Andujar also going deep for New York.The biggest crowd of the year at Yankee Stadium was in the spirit as lines forming outside the gates more than 3 1/2 hours before the start. The pro-Yankees chants began prior to the first pitch, the anti-Boston shouts soon followed.Sabathia (5-3) helped end Boston's four-game winning streak, less than a month from his 38th birthday. He gave up one run and six hits in seven innings.Steve Pearce, acquired a day earlier from Toronto, batted cleanup in his debut for Boston and doubled and singled off Sabathia. No matter, the... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wilmer Font worked into the sixth inning to get his first major league win, Willy Adames homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-0 on Saturday.Font (1-3) allowed three hits, one walk and struck out four over 5 2/3 innings. Four relievers completed a four-hitter.Adames had an RBI single during a two-run second and added a solo homer in the seventh off Sonny Gray (5-5).The Rays have won the first two of a three-game series against the Yankees, who have the best record in the majors.New York (50-24), coming off a three-game sweep over Seattle, is the only team in the big leagues not to have dropped more than two straight games this year. This is the latest the Yankees have gone into a season without losing three in a row since August 1954.REDS 11, CUBS 2CINCINNATI (AP) — Anthony DeSclafani hit the first grand slam by a Cincinnati pitcher in 59 years, helping the last-place Reds beat the Chicago Cubs for their sixth consecutive victory.It was Cincinnati's... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wilmer Font worked into the sixth inning to get his first major league win, Willy Adames homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-0 on Saturday.Font (1-3) allowed three hits, one walk and struck out four over 5 2/3 innings. Four relievers completed a four-hitter.Adames had an RBI single during a two-run second and added a solo homer in the seventh off Sonny Gray (5-5).The Rays have won the first two of a three-game series against the Yankees, who have the best record in the majors.New York (50-24), coming off a three-game sweep over Seattle, is the only team in the big leagues not to have dropped more than two straight games this year. This is the latest the Yankees have gone into a season without losing three in a row since August 1954.REDS 11, CUBS 2CINCINNATI (AP) — Anthony DeSclafani hit the first grand slam by a Cincinnati pitcher in 59 years, helping the last-place Reds beat the Chicago Cubs for their sixth consecutive victory.It was Cincinnati's... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wilmer Font worked into the sixth inning to get his first major league win, Willy Adames homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-0 on Saturday.Font (1-3) allowed three hits, one walk and struck out four over 5 2/3 innings. Four relievers completed a four-hitter.Adames had an RBI single during a two-run second and added a solo homer in the seventh off Sonny Gray (5-5).The Rays have won the first two of a three-game series against the Yankees, who have the best record in the majors.New York (50-24), coming off a three-game sweep over Seattle, is the only team in the big leagues not to have dropped more than two straight games this year. This is the latest the Yankees have gone into a season without losing three in a row since August 1954.REDS 11, CUBS 2CINCINNATI (AP) — Anthony DeSclafani hit the first grand slam by a Cincinnati pitcher in 59 years, helping the last-place Reds beat the Chicago Cubs for their sixth consecutive victory.It was Cincinnati's... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:PHILLY SPECIALOdubel Herrera has homered in five straight games, tying a Philadelphia record. Chase Utley (twice in 2008), Bobby Abreu (2005), Mike Schmidt (1979) and Dick Allen (1969) also connected five in row for the Phillies. Ken Griffey, Jr. (1993), Don Mattingly (1987) and Dale Long (1956) share the major league record with homers in eight consecutive games.Herrera now takes aim against rookie right-hander Erick Fedde (0-2, 5.63 ERA) at Nationals Park.CITI SURPRISEClayton Kershaw is set to make an unexpected return from the disabled list, starting for the Dodgers in a marquee matchup against Mets ace Jacob deGrom. Kershaw has been sidelined since June 1 with a lower back strain. The three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2014 NL MVP originally was scheduled to make a rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City at Omaha, but heavy rain in the forecast caused the Dodgers to change plans. There's rain forecast at Citi Field, too,... [More]