CLEVELAND (AP) — Petey Halpin hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning, Parker Messick struck out eight and the Cleveland Guardians moved into first place in the AL Central with a 6-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Cleveland (78-75) has a half-game lead over Chicago (77-75) after taking two of three. It is the first time since July 3 the Guardians have had sole possession of the top spot as they go for their third straight division title.

Chicago has dropped seven of nine and 12 of 17 as its run of 74 straight days in first ended. The White Sox are attempting to become the first team in MLB history to make the postseason after losing 100-plus games in each of the previous two seasons.

José Ramírez had two doubles to tie Nap Lajoie for second on the franchise’s career list with 424, and Jo Adell had a two-run single in the third as the Guardians won for the third time in four games.

Tommy Pham, who was activated off the injured list before the game, gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead in the fifth with a three-run homer to left-center before the Guardians answered with a four-run sixth.

Cleveland had runners on first and second off Hagen Smith (3-2) with two outs in the sixth when Halpin drove Sean Newcomb’s elevated sinker into the right-field stands to put the Guardians up by two runs. After two straight walks, Ramírez had an RBI double to bring home Brayan Rocchio.

Messick (12-9) allowed three runs in six innings. Cade Smith retired the final four Chicago hitters for his 37th save in 42 opportunities.

Anthony Kay started for Chicago and allowed two runs in four innings.

GIANTS 6, CARDINALS 5, 10 INNINGS

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Drew Gilbert hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning, lifting San Francisco to a victory over St. Louis.

Gilbert’s first home run came off Riley O’Brien (3-9) and scored Grant McCray, who was on second.

The Giants improved to 7-6 in extra-inning games; the Cardinals dropped to 8-8.

Reiver Sanmartín (3-0) earned the win after getting the final out in the ninth. Joel Kuhnel picked up his eighth save despite giving up a sacrifice fly to Thomas Saggese.

Jonah Cox had three hits and two stolen bases. He also scored a run and drove in a run, helping the Giants win the three-game series.

Andrew Kizner added three hits and drove in a run for San Francisco.

BLUE JAYS 5, TIGERS 1

TORONTO (AP) — Myles Straw had two hits and an RBI, Max Scherzer allowed one run in five innings for his second win in four starts and Toronto won, ending Detroit’s winning streak at six.

The Blue Jays are 45-15 when they score five or more runs.

Brett Bateman had two hits and scored a run as Toronto avoided a three-game sweep and ensured it would not lose ground in the AL wild-card race. The Blue Jays (76-77) are 1 1/2 games behind the White Sox for the final postseason spot.

Chicago dropped into the wild card race after losing 6-3 at Cleveland as the Guardians replaced the White Sox atop the AL Central.

Scherzer (3-8) allowed three hits, walked three and struck out three.

Blue Jays closer Louis Varland came on with runners at first and second in the ninth and wrapped it up for his 34th save in 36 chances.

TWINS 5, YANKEES 4, 13 INNINGS

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Luke Keaschall went 3 for 5 and scored from second base on Victor Caratini’s game-ending single in the 13th inning, sending Minnesota past New York.

After Yankees relievers got the Twins to ground into inning-ending double plays in the 9th, 10th and 12th innings, John Schreiber (2-4) took the hard-luck loss. Leading off the 13th with Keaschall on second, pinch-hitter Caratini smacked an 0-1 sinker straight up the middle that rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. charged but had scoot underneath his glove.

The Yankees (88-64), who entered the game with a 3 1/2-game deficit behind AL East leader Tampa Bay, pulled star slugger Aaron Judge for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning with tightness in his lower right leg.

Tommy Nance (3-3) pitched a perfect 13th for the Twins (71-81), who avoided a three-game sweep and tied the six-game season series with their longtime nemesis. The Yankees are 130-49 against the Twins over the last 25 seasons, including 16-2 in the postseason.

Yankees batters struck out a season-high-tying 17 times, including five by Spencer Jones, and had a season-most 13 men left on base.

RAYS 4, ATHLETICS 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Nick Martinez worked five efficient innings for his 15th win, Jonny DeLuca was 2 for 4 with an RBI double, and Tampa Bay beat the Athletics for its fifth straight win.

The Rays (92-59) extended their lead in the AL East to 4 1/2 games over the Yankees. Tampa Bay secured a postseason berth last week, the first team in the majors to do so.

Martinez (15-4) struck out three and allowed five hits, throwing just 72 pitches. He is two victories shy of AL wins leader Sonny Gray of Boston.

Kevin Kelly threw two innings and fanned four, Cam Booser tossed a scoreless eighth, and Cole Sulser worked the ninth for his third save.

BREWERS 5, PIRATES 4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Christian Yelich’s two-run double in the seventh inning sent NL Central champion Milwaukee to a victory over Pittsburgh.

Yelich grounded his double down the left-field line off Carmen Mlodzinski (7-7) to erase a 4-3 deficit. His big hit came one night after the Brewers became the first team in the major leagues to clinch a division title this season, winning their fourth consecutive NL Central crown.

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy played all his regulars. The Brewers have the best record in the majors at 95-57 and hope to finish atop the overall standings to earn home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Milwaukee has won seven of its past eight games.

Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe and Rafael Flores Jr. homered in consecutive innings to put the Pirates ahead 4-3 in the sixth. The Pirates, who have lost four of five, have hit a franchise-record 174 home runs this season, breaking the previous mark of 171 in 1998.

Antonio Senzatela (11-5) retired two batters and Trevor Megill pitched a perfect ninth for his 28th save.

PHILLIES 3, NATIONALS 0

WASHINGTON (AP) — Zack Wheeler pitched seven scoreless innings, Alec Bohm went 2 for 2 with an RBI and three of Philadelphia’s season-high 13 walks in a win over Washington.

Wheeler (13-5) allowed four hits, walked one and had four strikeouts. Jhoan Duran had two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 31st save this season.

Arraez hit an RBI double in the seventh inning and also walked three times. The Phillies are fighting the Chicago Cubs for the first NL wild-card spot.

Washington had its four-game win streak snapped and lost at home for just the third time in its last 12. The Nationals (71-82) clinched their seventh consecutive losing season since they went 93-69 and won the World Series in 2019.

REDS 6, DODGERS 2

CINCINNATI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz hit a two-run homer and Cincinnati at least temporarily prevented Los Angeles from clinching the NL West title with a victory.

The Dodgers (92-60) needed a win or a loss by San Diego to win their fifth straight NL West crown and 13th in 14 seasons. The Padres beat Colorado 9-3.

Left-hander Blake Snell started for the Dodgers but departed after one inning with left groin tightness. Snell, who threw a no-hitter for the Giants in his last appearance in Great American Ball Park, faced three batters, allowing a hit with a strikeout on 19 pitches.

Blake Treinen took over in the second as the first of six relievers used by Los Angeles.

Mookie Betts singled off Andrew Abbott in the third and scored on Will Smith’s double to put the Dodgers ahead 1-0. Abbott allowed a run on three hits with five walks in 4 2/3 innings. Tejay Antone (3-2), the third of six Cincinnati pitchers, got the last out of the sixth.

De La Cruz’s homer off Seth Halvorsen (1-2), his 28th of the season, put the Reds ahead 2-1 in the third. It was De La Cruz’s fifth longball against the Dodgers this season, most of any opposing player.

ORIOLES 7, METS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso homered against New York again, a solo shot in the first inning that sent Baltimore to a victory and a three-game sweep at Citi Field.

Jeremiah Jackson, a former Mets farmhand, went deep in the second before Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Samuel Basallo hit back-to-back homers in the third. Chris Bassitt pitched into the seventh for the Orioles (75-78), who moved within 2 1/2 games of the Chicago White Sox for the last American League playoff berth.

Alonso tied the score in the ninth inning Tuesday with his 300th career homer and took a rare curtain call on the road to acknowledge adoring Mets fans still unhappy about his departure for Baltimore last December.

This time, he connected off fill-in starter Xzavion Curry (0-1) to begin an early power display by the Orioles.

Alonso hit a franchise-record 264 home runs and made five All-Star teams in seven seasons with the Mets. But they didn’t attempt to re-sign him as a free agent last offseason and Alonso agreed to a $155 million, five-year contract with Baltimore.

CUBS 8, BRAVES 4

CHICAGO (AP) — Pete-Crow Armstrong hit his 43rd and 44th homers and broke Chicago’s record for left-handers, and Shota Imanaga allowed a run in six innings in a victory over Atlanta.

Armstrong homered to lead off the third, breaking Billy Williams’ franchise record set in 1970. Crow-Armstrong led off the seventh with another shot for his 13th career multi-homer game and seventh of the season.

Alex Bregman went 3 for 4 with a home run, triple, double and four RBIs, and Crow-Armstrong added an RBI triple as the Cubs stayed a half-game ahead of the Phillies for the first NL wild card.

After allowing three hits in the first two innings, Imanaga (11-10) retired 11 straight batters before Ronald Acuna Jr. doubled and later scored in the sixth, striking out eight and walking none.

On a night when the Braves could have clinched a playoff spot with a win and results elsewhere, starter J.R. Ritchie (1-3) allowed six runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

RANGERS 7, RED SOX 3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brandon Nimmo hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning before Ezequiel Duran added a two-run single, and surging Texas beat Boston to pull even with Houston atop the AL West.

Nathan Eovaldi (11-9) allowed one hit over four scoreless innings in relief and finished the game retiring his last 11 batters. He earned the win in his second appearance since missing a month on the injured list because of elbow inflammation.

The Rangers (76-76) have won four in a row to reach .500 for the first time since they were 66-66 on Aug. 24. With 10 games left, they moved into a first-place tie in the division race when the Astros lost 5-2 to Kansas City at home, though Houston owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Boston (82-70) has lost five of seven but holds the second American League wild card by five games over the Chicago White Sox.

ROYALS 5, ASTROS 2

HOUSTON (AP) — John Rave hit a two-run homer, Michael Massey added a solo shot and Kansas City beat Houston, dropping it into a first-place tie with the Texas Rangers in the AL West.

The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with both teams at 76-76, but this is the first time since Aug. 24 that Houston has not been alone in first place. Whichever team doesn’t win the division could still make the playoffs as a wild card.

Rave’s sixth homer came in the fourth inning off Astros starter Cristian Javier (2-6).

Massey led off a three-run eighth inning with his 12th homer of the season and third hit of the night. After the Royals scored another run on a throwing error by right fielder Jorge Barrosa, Carter Jensen capped the frame with an RBI double.

Daniel Lynch IV (6-5) allowed two hits and struck out three in five scoreless innings. Craig Kimbrel worked around a one-out single to complete a scoreless sixth.

PADRES 9, ROCKIES 3

DENVER (AP) — Ethan Salas hit his first two major league homers and became the youngest catcher in history with a multi-homer game Wednesday night as San Diego beat Colorado.

Salas led off the second inning with a first-pitch shot off Rockies starter Mason Adams (0-1) that went 426 feet over the wall in center field, becoming the youngest catcher to homer in the majors since 19-year-old Iván Rodríguez in 1991.

Salas added a two-run homer that capped San Diego’s four-run fifth and made it 8-1. At 20 years, 107 days, he broke the record held by Butch Wynegar, who was 20 years, 192 days when he hit two home runs for Minnesota on Sept. 22, 1976.

San Diego (83-69) has won nine of 10 and entered the night with a 2 1/2-game lead over Arizona for the final NL wild-card spot. The Padres also prevented the rival Los Angeles Dodgers from clinching the NL West.

Robbie Ray (13-8) allowed three runs and three hits with six strikeouts in six innings for the Padres.

Samad Taylor and Ty France each drove in two runs for San Diego and Jackson Merrill had three hits.

MARINERS 7, ANGELS 2

ANAHEIM, Calif (AP) — Cal Raleigh had two hits and three RBIs, Josh Naylor had two hits and two RBIs and Seattle kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a victory over Los Angeles.

Randy Arozarena also walked, singled and scored three runs for Seattle, which is 5 1/2 games behind Texas and Houston in the American League West and 6 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox for the third AL wild-card spot with nine games left.

It was 2-2 when Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi (1-6) walked Arozarena and Dominic Canzone with one out in the fifth. Raleigh roped an RBI double to left for a 3-2 lead, and Julio Rodriguez was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Angels first baseman Vaughn Grissom made a sliding, backhand stop of Naylor’s potential double-play grounder, but his throw to second sailed into left field for an error, two runs scoring on the play for a 5-2 Seattle lead.

Mariners reliever Carlos Vargas (1-0) struck out Josh Lowe and Christian Moore – each on three pitches — with the bases loaded to end the bottom of the fifth, and Seattle pushed the lead to 7-2 on RBI singles by Canzone and Raleigh in the sixth.

Kikuchi threw 37 pitches during a two-run, three-hit first in which the Mariners scored on Raleigh’s sacrifice fly and Naylor’s RBI single.

MARLINS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3

PHOENIX (AP) — Jakob Marsee hit a two-run homer and Sandy Alcantara earned his first career save as Miami held off Arizona.

With the Marlins (76-77) on the fringe of the National League playoff race, manager Clayton McCullough called on his ace starter for the ninth inning — two days after Alcantara threw 101 pitches in a no-decision at Arizona.

Alcantara, who leads the majors with 206 innings pitched this season, got two deep flyouts before walking Lars Nootbaar. Pinch-runner Jordan Lawlar attempted to steal second but was thrown out by catcher Joe Mack to end it.

The Diamondbacks (80-73) fell 3 1/2 games behind San Diego for the final NL wild card with nine remaining.

Marsee connected for his 11th homer in the third against Merrill Kelly (9-14) with Javier Sanoja on base. Marsee also doubled to start Miami’s two-run second inning. The Marlins eventually loaded the bases and Heriberto Hernández drove in a run with an infield single and another run scored on third baseman Nolan Arenado’s throwing error.

Hernández had four of Miami’s 10 hits.

Pavin Smith, Gabriel Moreno and Arenado homered for Arizona. Moreno had three hits to raise his batting average to .307; the Phillies’ Luis Arraez leads the National League at .316.

Kelly, making his 200th major league start, lasted 4 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits and four runs (three earned), walked two and struck out nine.