Washington secures a playoff spot when they beat the Dodgers at Nationals Park, 4-1. The last time there was postseason baseball in the nation’s capital occurred 79 years ago, when player-skipper Joe Cronin and the Senators lost to the Giants in five games in the 1933 World Series.

With Manager Dusty Baker still hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat, Cincinnati becomes the first major league team to clinch a postseason spot this year, thanks to a 5 – 3 victory over the Cubs. Johnny Cueto improves to 18-9. The Nationals then join them a few hours later, when they defeat the Dodgers, 4 – 1. It will be the first postseason appearance for the franchise since the then-Montreal Expos lost the 1981 NLCS, and the first postseason appearance by a team from Washington since the 1933 World Series.

Ichiro Suzuki continues his hot hitting as he homers off Aaron Laffey in the 3rd to open the Yankees’ account, then hits a two-run double in a seven-run 4th inning, leading the Yankees to a 10 – 7 win over the Blue Jays. Nick Swisher adds a grand slam during the big outburst, as the Bronx Bombers move to one full game ahead of the idle Orioles in the AL East.