NEW YORK (AP) — Drew Rasmussen allowed his only hit in the seventh inning and struck out 11 as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 6-1 on Tuesday in the second game of a day-night doubleheader to clinch their fifth AL East title.
asserted
Rays → allow → title
The Rays (96-61) secured home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs and took their first division crown since 2021, when they won 100 games.
asserted
they → secure → games
Tampa Bay also earned AL East championships in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season along with 2010 and 2008, when the team had its first winning season after entering the league as an expansion franchise in 1998.
asserted
team → earn → 1998
Yandy Díaz hit two-run single off reliever John Schreiber in the seventh and had another two-run single in the ninth for his AL-leading 175th hit.
asserted
Díaz → hit → hit
Tampa Bay opened a six-game lead over the second-place Yankees (90-67) with five to play.
asserted
Bay → open → five
In the opener, Carlos Rodón allowed three hits in eight sharp innings as New York delayed Tampa Bay’s division celebration with a 2-0 victory.
asserted
York → allow → victory
Taylor Walls started the three-run seventh with a bunt single against Max Fried (5-5) when first base was left uncovered.
asserted
base → start → Fried
Ryan Vilade hit an RBI groundout in the third after Díaz’s flyball moved runners to second and third.
asserted
flyball → hit → second
Rasmussen (16-5) was nine outs from joining Matt Garza as Tampa Bay pitchers with a no-hitter when he gave up a leadoff double to Heliot Ramos on his 97th pitch.
asserted
he → join → pitch
Garza held the Detroit Tigers hitless at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2010.
asserted
Garza → hold → July
After allowing Ramos’ hit to left field, Rasmussen got the next two outs before walking Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a full count.
asserted
Rasmussen → allow → count
Kevin Kelly entered and permitted rookie George Lombard Jr.’s RBI single before retiring Austin Wells on a groundout.
asserted
Kelly → enter → groundout
Rasmussen threw a career-high 114 pitches, 72 for strikes.
asserted
Rasmussen → throw → strikes
He threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of 24 hitters and notched his fourth career double-digit strikeout game.
asserted
He → throw → game
PHILLIES 6, BREWERS 4
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler struck 11, including a franchise-record seven in a row to start the game, Bryson Stott hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two out in the eighth inning and Philadelphia inched closer to clinching a playoff spot with a victory over Milwaukee.
Brandon Marsh homered, doubled and drove in three runs for Philadelphia, which began play holding the final NL wild-card spot with a four-game cushion over Arizona.
William Contreras had three RBIs for NL Central-leading Milwaukee.
asserted
Contreras → strike → Milwaukee
The Brewers, by virtue of Cincinnati’s 4-0 win over Atlanta, clinched a bye in the wild-card round and earned home-field advantage for the NLDS.
asserted
Brewers → clinch → NLDS
After the Brewers scored twice in the sixth off Wheeler to tie the game at 3, Stott singled to center off Colton Gordon (0-1).
asserted
Stott → score → Gordon
Garrett Mitchell’s throw went to third base to try to get Alec Bohm running from first.
asserted
Bohm → go → first
But the ball ricocheted off Bohm’s foot, and both he and Luis Arraez scored to make it 5-3.
asserted
it → ricochet → foot
Jhoan Duran earned his 33rd save after José Alvarado (5-3) got the final out of the eighth.
asserted
Alvarado → earn → eighth
Wheeler was unhittable at the outset and had sights on Pablo López’s MLB record of nine K’s in a row to open a contest before Cooper Pratt grounded out to third base for the second out of the third inning.
asserted
Pratt → have → inning
Watching Wheeler from the dugout was teammate Aaron Nola, who has a share of the MLB record with 10 consecutive strikeouts of the Mets in 2021.
asserted
who → watch → 2021
The Phillies began Tuesday trailing the Padres and Cubs by one game for the top spot in the NL wild card.
asserted
Phillies → begin → card
Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker over San Diego but not Chicago.
asserted
Philadelphia → hold → Diego
PIRATES 2, CARDINALS 0
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jared Jones allowed one hit over seven dominant innings and Pittsburgh inched closer to the franchise’s first winning season in eight years with a win over St. Louis.
asserted
Pittsburgh → allow → Louis
The hard-throwing Jones (5-6) retired the first 16 batters he faced before Nathan Church’s bloop landed just beyond the outstretched glove of Pirates third baseman Jacob Gonzalez with one out in the sixth.
asserted
bloop → throw → sixth
Church sprinted to second for a double but remained there after Masyn Wynn lined out and J.J. Wetherholt struck out to end the inning.
asserted
Wetherholt → sprint → inning
Jones, who returned from Tommy John surgery in late May, tied a season high with nine strikeouts in seven innings and improved to 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA in four starts in September.
uncertain
who → return → September
Gregory Soto worked around a leadoff walk to record his 16th save.
asserted
Soto → work → save
Ryan O’Hearn delivered an RBI-single for the Pirates and rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin had two hits for Pittsburgh, and Bryan Reynolds added his major league-leading 40th double.
asserted
Reynolds → deliver → double
The Pirates have won five straight to improve to 80-77 with five games remaining.
asserted
games → win → 80
Pittsburgh is seeking its first winning campaign since going 82-79 in 2018.
asserted
Pittsburgh → seek → 2018
NATIONALS 3, TIGERS 1
DETROIT (AP) — CJ Abrams hit a tiebreaking two-run homer and added a solo shot to give Washington a victory over Detroit.
asserted
Abrams → hit → Detroit
The Nationals won for the seventh time in 10 games, while Detroit dropped to 2-5 in its last seven.
asserted
Detroit → win → seven
The Tigers have scored exactly one run in all five losses, while scoring nine and 11 runs in the two wins.
asserted
Tigers → score → wins
Both teams are 74-84 with four games left in the season.
asserted
games → leave → season
Jackson Kent (2-4) picked up the win in relief of Nationals opener Riley Cornelio.
asserted
Kent → pick → Cornelio
Kent pitched four innings, allowing one unearned run on six hits and two walks.
asserted
Kent → pitch → hits
Erik Tolman pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
asserted
Tolman → pitch → save
Tigers starter Drew Anderson (5-7) took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits.
asserted
Anderson → take → hits
…and 56 more, not listed.
The Aporia
