The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth consecutive NL West division title and 13th in the 14 seasons, sparked by four hits from Kyle Tucker that included a first-inning home run in an 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.
asserted
that → clinch → Thursday
The two-time World Series champions already were assured of their 14th straight postseason appearance, trying the record Atlanta set from 1991 to 2005.
asserted
Atlanta → assure → 2005
Los Angeles (93-60) had clinched no worse than a wild-card berth on Monday.
asserted
Angeles → clinch → Monday
Los Angeles opened a 9 1/2-game lead over second-place San Diego and has the second-best record in the NL as they try to overtake Milwaukee (95-57 entering Thursday) for the top NL seed.
asserted
they → open → seed
Tucker fell a triple short of the cycle and had three RBIs, hitting a single and a pair of doubles.
asserted
Tucker → fall → doubles
He hit his 16th homer, a two-run drive in the first off Brady Singer, who allowed seven runs, nine hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.
asserted
who → hit → innings
Freddie Freeman’s sacrifice fly and Tucker’s RBI double boosted the lead in the second, and the Dodgers opened a 7-0 lead in the fourth on Max Muncy’s two-run double and Josue De Paula’s RBI single.
asserted
Dodgers → boost → double
Dodger left-hander Justin Wrobleski, making his 22nd start this season and first since Sept. 6, did not allow a baserunner in three innings while striking out three.
asserted
Wrobleski → make → three
Wrobleski and Blake Treinen combined to retire their first 11 batters before Sal Stewart’s 32nd homer.
asserted
Wrobleski → combine → homer
Landon Knack (1-0) allowed four hits over four scoreless innings for his first big league win since May 31 last year.
uncertain
Knack → allow → May
PIRATES 7, BREWERS 4
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Konnor Griffin hit a two-run single to key a five-run second inning and Henry Davis tacked on a two-run homer to lead Pittsburgh over the NL Central champion Milwaukee.
asserted
Davis → hit → champion
Milwaukee, a major league-best 95-58, leads the Los Angeles Dodgers by two games for the top NL seed and holds the tiebreaker.
asserted
Milwaukee → lead → tiebreaker
Pittsburgh (76-77) is closing in on missing the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season.
asserted
Pittsburgh → close → season
Griffin’s opposite-field liner to left to put the Pirates ahead 2-1.
asserted
liner → put → Pirates
Oneil Cruz followed with a two-run single and Brandon Lowe was hit by a Kyle Harrison pitch with the bases loaded.
asserted
bases → follow → pitch
Bo Naylor hit into a run-scoring forceout in the sixth and had a solo homer in the eighth off Luke Weaver that followed Sal Frelick’s sacrifice fly.
asserted
that → hit → fly
Davis homered in the eighth against Andy Ashby.
asserted
Davis → homer → Ashby
PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Drew Rasmussen pitched five scoreless innings and Tampa Bay opened a five-game AL East lead with a win over the Athletics that extended its winning streak to six.
asserted
that → pitch → six
Liam Hicks, Chandler Simpson, Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls had two RBIs each for the AL-best Rays (93-59), who are assured of no worse than a wild card and are nearing their first AL East title since 2021.
asserted
who → have → 2021
Simpson hit a go-ahead, two-run single in a six-run fourth.
asserted
Simpson → hit → fourth
Tampa Bay took three games from the A’s in its 16th series sweep, the most by an team since the 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers had 16.
asserted
Dodgers → take → 16
The Rays have 10 games left, including a four-game series next week at the second-place New York Yankees.
asserted
Rays → have → Yankees
They have won 10 of 12 and 16 of 23, moving 34 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2023 season.
asserted
They → win → season
Simpson had two hits and raised his batting average to an AL-best .311.
asserted
Simpson → have → .311
He stole two bases, raising his AL-high total to 44.
PADRES 9, ROCKIES 2
DENVER (AP) — Xander Bogaerts homered and had an RBI triple during a seven-run second inning to help San Diego beat reeling Colorado.
Bogaerts finished a single shy of the fourth cycle in Padres history.
asserted
Bogaerts → steal → history
He had two chances but struck out looking in the sixth and swinging to lead off the ninth.
asserted
He → have → ninth
His big game was part of a 15-hit afternoon for the Padres, who took three of four from Colorado.
asserted
who → take → Colorado
San Diego moved four games ahead of idle Arizona for the last National League wild-card spot.
asserted
Diego → move → spot
Michael King (12-9) settled in after giving up a leadoff triple to Jake McCarthy and a run-scoring single to Connor Norby.
asserted
King → settle → Norby
King went six innings and allowed two runs in his staff-leading 31st start of the season.
asserted
King → go → season
Dustin Harris had three singles and drove in three runs to help the Padres win for the 10th time in 11 games.
asserted
Padres → have → games
They finished with eight extra-base hits.
asserted
They → finish → hits
Colorado’s Tanner Gordon (1-5) allowed 10 hits and seven runs over three innings.
asserted
Gordon → allow → innings
His rough outing extended a streak of a Rockies starter failing to notch the win to 20 games.
asserted
starter → extend → games
ASTROS 6, ROYALS 2
HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez hit his 40th home run, one of five Houston long balls, and the Astros beat Kansas City to move back over .500 and maintain at least a share of the AL West lead.
asserted
Astros → hit → lead
Jeremy Peña hit a first-inning homer for Houston, and Daulton Varsho, Lamonte Wade Jr. and Taylor Trammell also had solo home runs as the Astros hit a season-high five.
asserted
Astros → hit → five
Houston (77-76), which has held at least a share of first since July 31, moved back into sole possession of the lead when Texas (76-77) wasted a eighth-inning lead in a 4-3 loss to Boston.
asserted
Texas → hold → Boston
The Astros hold the tiebreaker.
asserted
Astros → hold → tiebreaker
Peña reached 20 homers for the first time since his rookie season in 2022, connecting on the first pitch from Seth Lugo for his sixth leadoff home run this season. .
asserted
Peña → reach → run
Peña added an RBI single in the sixth.
asserted
Peña → add → sixth
…and 40 more, not listed.
The Aporia
