Dodgers clinch playoff berth with a 4-1 win over Reds

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their 14th consecutive playoff berth with a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night behind Tarik Skubal’s seven shutout innings and home runs by Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández.

Los Angeles tied the record set by Atlanta from 1991 through 2005.

The two-time defending World Series champions cut their magic number to three for a fifth straight NL West title and 13th in 14 seasons. The Dodgers became the third team assured of a playoff spot after Milwaukee and Tampa Bay.

Skubal (10-7) allowed three hits, struck out nine and walked one as he gained his second win against Cincinnati in seven days. Skubal allowed two runs in 7 1/3 innings in a 3-2 victory on Sept. 8.

He is 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA in eight starts since the Dodgers (91-59) acquired him from Detroit Tigers on Aug. 2.

Elly de la Cruz hit a 457-foot homer to center off Evan Phillips in the ninth, the longest homer by a Cincinnati player this season and the longest this year at Great American Ballpark.

WHITE SOX 7, GUARDIANS 3

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tristan Peters fouled off 12 pitches in an 18-pitch plate appearance that keyed Chicago’s six-run outburst in the sixth inning and the White Sox beat Cleveland to stay atop the AL Central.

Kyle Teel hit a two-run double and Miguel Vargas connected for a two-run homer following Peters’ lengthy plate appearance — the longest in MLB this season, and tied for the third longest since 2000.

The White Sox, who lost 102 games and finished last in 2025, won the opener of the showdown series to push their lead over the Guardians to 1 1/2 games. Chicago has led the division since July 4.

Sean Burke (9-7) didn’t allow an earned run in five innings and Chicago’s bullpen kept the Guardians in check as the White Sox improved to 7-4 against Cleveland to clinch the season series and tiebreaker.

The Guardians altered their rotation so Gavin Williams (13-8) could start the opener, and the right-hander gave them five solid innings. They needed six.

Chicago chased Williams and scored six in the sixth, helped by Peters’ scrappiness in the batter’s box and an error.

ORIOLES 2, METS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso went hitless in his return to Citi Field but Gunnar Henderson launched a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning that lifted Baltimore to a win over New York.

Henderson went deep against Dedniel Núñez (1-1) immediately after Alonso struck out, helping the Orioles pull within three games of Cleveland for the last American League wild card.

Heston Kjerstad had an RBI double in the second.

A.J. Ewing homered for the Mets (69-81), who were eliminated from playoff contention and assured they won’t have a winning season after starting the year with a record payroll of $358.4 million.

The Mets aired a nearly two-minute video tribute to Alonso, the franchise home run leader, shortly before first pitch. The 31-year-old slugger, who agreed to a $155 million, five-year contract with Baltimore last December after New York didn’t push to re-sign him as a free agent, doffed his cap and made a clapping motion as the crowd of 35,800 gave him a standing ovation.

CUBS 7, BRAVES 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 42nd homer to match the Cubs record for a left-handed batter and finished with four hits and four RBIs to power Chicago past Atlanta.

Crow-Armstrong’s two-run shot to right in the sixth inning off AJ Smith-Shawver pulled him even with Hall of Famer Billy Williams’ mark from 1970. Crow-Armstrong has 102 RBIs, putting the All-Star center fielder over 100 for the first time in three full seasons.

David Peterson (8-8) allowed one run on three hits over six-plus innings. Chicago has won three of four and moved one-half game ahead of idle Philadelphia for the top NL wild card.

Crow-Armstrong also hit a two-run double in his seventh four-hit game this season. Nico Hoerner had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run.

Atlanta’s Mike Yastrzemski smacked a pinch-hit, two-run homer off reliever Javier Assad in Atlanta’s three-run seventh inning.

Peterson allowed three singles, walked three and struck out seven — including Braves slugger Matt Olson three times — in his 13th start with the Cubs. Acquired from the Mets in June, the left-hander improved to 5-2 with Chicago.

TIGERS 6, BLUE JAYS 5

TORONTO (AP) — Zach McKinstry scored the winning run on a missed-catch error in the ninth inning after Brett Callahan hit a tying RBI single in the eighth, as Detroit outlasted Toronto.

McKinstry scored after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fielded a dribbler and threw to first, where Toronto pitcher Louis Varland missed the throw.

Blue Jays starter José Soriano threw 6 1/3 innings, working a perfect game through five innings, before the Tigers scored four runs off five hits in the seventh.

Dillon Dingler opened the seventh-inning scoring with an RBI single before Max Clark tacked on a two-run double for a 3-2 Detroit lead. Spencer Torkelson extended the lead to 4-2 with an RBI double.

Callahan’s RBI single in the eighth tied the game at 5, before McKinstry scored the winning run to help Detroit clinch game one of the series.

Tyler Kinley (7-5) worked a hitless eighth inning, and Kenley Jansen sealed his 20th save of the season with a hitless ninth. Starter Troy Melton pitched 2 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the year, giving up two runs on five hits.

YANKEES 8, TWINS 3

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a three-run home run that capped a six-run eighth inning, and New York beat Minnesota on a night they clinched their 61st postseason berth and ninth in 10 seasons.

Judge had been 3 for 20 with 11 strikeouts since returning last week after missing 84 games because of a fractured rib. Judge hit a cutter from A.J. Minter 415 feet into the second deck in left field for his 18th home run this season, his first since May 24.

His drive came a few minutes before Detroit beat Toronto, clinching a playoff berth for the Yankees.

New York (87-63) has won six of seven and moved a season-high 24 games over .500. The Yankees are 3 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Tampa Bay (90-59).

Josh Bell homered off Tim Hill (5-2) and Emmanuel Rodriguez had a two-run triple for the Twins, who have lost eight of 11 while fading from postseason contention.

José Caballero hit a go-ahead homer in the third inning and a single off Andrew Morris (4-8) that tied the score in the eighth. Ben Rice added a two-run bloop single and, after a Cody Bellinger infield single, Judge elicited a hearty roar from the large contingent of Yankee fans with his no-doubt drive.

Austin Wells homered in the ninth. John Schreiber earned his second save with 1 1/3 hitless innings.

CARDINALS 2, GIANTS 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Quinn Mathews took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and Alec Burleson had an RBI single to lead St. Louis to a victory over San Francisco.

Rookie catcher Leo Bernal also singled home a run for the Cardinals. Mathews (2-3) retired his first 10 batters before walking Bryce Eldridge in the fourth and didn’t give up a hit until Grant McCray doubled leading off the sixth.

The 25-year-old rookie left-hander struck out eight and allowed a run on four hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings — the longest of his seven major league starts.

Ryne Stanek stranded two in a scoreless eighth and Riley O’Brien retired Christian Koss on a groundout with runners at second and third for his 37th save in 45 opportunities.

Thomas Saggese singled with one out in the fifth off Giants starter Landen Roupp (9-14) and stole second. Iván Herrera walked to chase Roupp, and Burleson singled on the first pitch from Reiver Sanmartin for his 110th RBI and 61st hit with runners in scoring position — both totals top the majors.

PADRES 8, ROCKIES 7

DENVER (AP) — Manny Machado and Fernandez Tatis Jr. homered, helping San Diego beat Colorado to match its longest winning streak this season at eight games.

San Diego (82-68) stayed 2 1/2 games ahead of Arizona for the final National League wild card and clinched a fifth straight winning season for the first time in club history.

Colorado has lost eight games in a row for the first time since August 2025 is 5-21 since Aug. 16. The Rockies (55-94) must win at least eight of their last 13 games to avoid becoming the first team with four-consecutive 100-loss seasons since the New York Mets from 1962-65.

San Diego, which was outhit 14-13, led 6-1 in the fifth inning only for the Rockies to close 6-5 in the sixth. Each team scored a run in both the seventh and eighth innings.

Mason Miller pitched a one-hit ninth for his 37th save in 39 chances. He is tied for the NL saves lead with the St. Louis Cardinals’ Riley O’Brien.

ANGELS 6, MARINERS 4

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Reid Detmers struck out eight over six innings, and Jose Siri and Denzer Guzman each drove in two runs to help Los Angeles beat fading Seattle.

Detmers (6-8) allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk as third-place Seattle (70-81) dropped 5 1/2 games behind AL West-leading Houston with 11 to play.

Ryan Watson pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Ben Joyce walked two in the ninth before retiring J.P. Crawford on a lineout to first base for his fifth save.

Mike Trout had a one-out single in the first off Mariners rookie Kade Anderson (1-2). Siri hit an RBI double and stole third before scoring on Vaughn Grissom’s sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

Zach Neto added an RBI triple in the third before scoring on Siri’s single to make it 4-0. Siri had three of the Angels’ nine hits and scored twice.

Cal Raleigh hit his 22nd homer — a three-run shot off Detmers that cut it to 4-3 in the fourth. It was the first home run given up by Detmers in seven starts. The left-hander had allowed two runs in his previous 39 innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 8, MARLINS 7

PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Carroll hit a winning, two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning and Arizona rallied from a late three-run deficit to beat Miami and keep pace in the National League playoff race.

Carroll pulled a splitter from reliever Jack Ralston (0-1) over the right field fence for his 21st homer of the season. It was big moment for the star outfielder, who has struggled since the All-Star break with a .214 batting average.

The D-backs are still 2 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres — who have won eight straight — for the final NL wild card.

Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks started the ninth, but walked leadoff hitter Gabriel Moreno and threw one pitch to Geraldo Perdomo before leaving with an apparent injury. Ralston entered and retired Perdomo on a sacrifice bunt before Carroll’s homer that stayed just inside the right field foul pole.

Jordan Lawlar hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Tyler Zuber to cut the D-backs’ deficit to 7-6.

Marlins righty Sandy Alcantara gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings, striking out six. He ended the outing on a high note, wiggling out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam by striking out Nolan Arenado and retiring Tim Tawa on a flyout.