Toronto clinches its first division title since 1993 by routing the Orioles, 15 – 2, in the first game of a doubleheader. Marcus Stroman pitches 8 innings for the win, continuing his remarkable comeback from a spring training injury, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Justin Smoak hit homers and Ryan Goins has five hits in an offensive display typical of the Jays’ season. The Orioles do come back to win the now meaningless second game, 8 – 1.

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Toronto clinches its first division title since 1993 by routing the Orioles, 15 – 2, in the first game of a doubleheader. Marcus Stroman pitches 8 innings for the win, continuing his remarkable comeback from a spring training injury, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Justin Smoak hit homers and Ryan Goins has five hits in an offensive display typical of the Jays’ season. The Orioles do come back to win the now meaningless second game, 8 – 1.

The Cardinals clinch the NL Central title and a 100-win season when they win the nitecap of a doubleheader with Pittsburgh, 11 – 1. Tyler Lyons is the winner in a spot start, while Jason Heyward keys the offense with a grand slam. The Pirates had pulled to within three games by winning the opener, 8 – 2, behind Gerrit Cole’s 19th win and a grand slam by Francisco Cervelli. The Pirates will now host the Wild Card Game for the third straight season. The Cards get even more good news when ace Adam Wainwright pitches an inning in relief in the opener, returning to action from a torn Achilles tendon a good four months ahead of schedule.

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The Cardinals clinch the NL Central title and a 100-win season when they win the nitecap of a doubleheader with Pittsburgh, 11 – 1. Tyler Lyons is the winner in a spot start, while Jason Heyward keys the offense with a grand slam. The Pirates had pulled to within three games by winning the opener, 8 – 2, behind Gerrit Cole’s 19th win and a grand slam by Francisco Cervelli. The Pirates will now host the Wild Card Game for the third straight season. The Cards get even more good news when ace Adam Wainwright pitches an inning in relief in the opener, returning to action from a torn Achilles tendon a good four months ahead of schedule.

The Dodgers clinch a third consecutive NL West title thanks to a superlative performance by Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw throws a one-hitter and strikes out 13 in an 8 – 0 win over the Giants. He finally defeats his personal nemesis, Madison Bumgarner, in the fourth meeting between the two aces this year.

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The Dodgers clinch a third consecutive NL West title thanks to a superlative performance by Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw throws a one-hitter and strikes out 13 in an 8 – 0 win over the Giants. He finally defeats his personal nemesis, Madison Bumgarner, in the fourth meeting between the two aces this year.

The Angels are also on a roll, as they win their 7th straight game, 8 – 1 over the Athletics, leapfrogging over Houston into the second wild card slot in the American League. Albert Pujols has three hits and Erick Aybar drives in two runs in support of Nick Tropeano’s pitching.

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The Angels are also on a roll, as they win their 7th straight game, 8 – 1 over the Athletics, leapfrogging over Houston into the second wild card slot in the American League. Albert Pujols has three hits and Erick Aybar drives in two runs in support of Nick Tropeano’s pitching.

The Dodgers are all set to clinch the NL West title for a third straight year, but the Giants delay their party for at least a day as pinch-hitter Alejandro De Aza drives in the winning run with a 12th-inning sacrifice fly. The 3 – 2 loss is the fourth in a row for Los Angeles, which fails to take advantage of the presence of ace Zack Greinke on the mound. The Dodgers’ magic number remains at 2 with 6 games left to play.

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The Dodgers are all set to clinch the NL West title for a third straight year, but the Giants delay their party for at least a day as pinch-hitter Alejandro De Aza drives in the winning run with a 12th-inning sacrifice fly. The 3 – 2 loss is the fourth in a row for Los Angeles, which fails to take advantage of the presence of ace Zack Greinke on the mound. The Dodgers’ magic number remains at 2 with 6 games left to play.

Chris Denorfia of the Cubs does something unprecedented when he homers as a pinch-hitter for Fernando Rodney in the bottom of the 11th inning to give his team a 1 – 0 win over the Royals. His blast off Miguel Almonte is the first-ever pinch-hit, walk-off homer in extra innings in a 1-0 game.

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Chris Denorfia of the Cubs does something unprecedented when he homers as a pinch-hitter for Fernando Rodney in the bottom of the 11th inning to give his team a 1 – 0 win over the Royals. His blast off Miguel Almonte is the first-ever pinch-hit, walk-off homer in extra innings in a 1-0 game.

Unbeknownst to the Blue Jays at the time, the team technically clinched a postseason spot yesterday. The team and MLB, as the result of fans crunching numbers to discover the oversight, review the results and officially confirm the end of the longest playoff drought in North American professional sports, ending Toronto’s 22-year absence from the postseason which will be celebrated in a champagne-soaked clubhouse celebration after today’s 10-8 victory over Tampa Bay at the Roger Centre.

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Unbeknownst to the Blue Jays at the time, the team technically clinched a postseason spot yesterday. The team and MLB, as the result of fans crunching numbers to discover the oversight, review the results and officially confirm the end of the longest playoff drought in North American professional sports, ending Toronto’s 22-year absence from the postseason which will be celebrated in a champagne-soaked clubhouse celebration after today’s 10-8 victory over Tampa Bay at the Roger Centre.

The Mets clinch their first NL East title and first postseason berth since 2006, when the team routs Cincinnati at the Great American Ball Park, 10-2. New York, needing only an 88-67 record to capture the flag, took advantage of the season-long woes of the heavily-favored Nationals.

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The Mets clinch their first NL East title and first postseason berth since 2006, when the team routs Cincinnati at the Great American Ball Park, 10-2. New York, needing only an 88-67 record to capture the flag, took advantage of the season-long woes of the heavily-favored Nationals.

“I owe too much to this organization for the next two years to risk getting hurt for an incentive. My outing (Sept. 12) got rained out and the last inning of my last start got rained out, so for whatever reason, it wasn’t meant to be. There’s a lot bigger problems out there. I’m proud of my season.” – PHIL HUGHES, explaining why he turned an offer to pitch for a $500,000 bonusPhil Hughes, who finished the final start of his season one out short of reaching 210 innings to receive a $500,000 contract incentive because of yesterday’s 66-minute rain delay, is given the opportunity to make a brief relief appearance for the Twins. The right-hander turns down the club’s offer, saying he also he would not have any interest in merely being given the bonus that is worth half-a-million dollars.

ByTom

“I owe too much to this organization for the next two years to risk getting hurt for an incentive. My outing (Sept. 12) got rained out and the last inning of my last start got rained out, so for whatever reason, it wasn’t meant to be. There’s a lot bigger problems out there. I’m proud of my season.” – PHIL HUGHES, explaining why he turned an offer to pitch for a $500,000 bonusPhil Hughes, who finished the final start of his season one out short of reaching 210 innings to receive a $500,000 contract incentive because of yesterday’s 66-minute rain delay, is given the opportunity to make a brief relief appearance for the Twins. The right-hander turns down the club’s offer, saying he also he would not have any interest in merely being given the bonus that is worth half-a-million dollars.

Jose Fernandez has the worst start of his career for the Marlins, giving up a lead-off homer to Nick Markakis of the Braves on his way to a four-run 1st inning, and leaves after allowing 6 runs in 5 innings, but his teammates pick him up, and he ends up a 12 – 11 winner. He is now 17-0 at home for his career, breaking the record for most consecutive wins at home at the start of a career that was shared by Johnny Allen and LaMarr Hoyt.

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Jose Fernandez has the worst start of his career for the Marlins, giving up a lead-off homer to Nick Markakis of the Braves on his way to a four-run 1st inning, and leaves after allowing 6 runs in 5 innings, but his teammates pick him up, and he ends up a 12 – 11 winner. He is now 17-0 at home for his career, breaking the record for most consecutive wins at home at the start of a career that was shared by Johnny Allen and LaMarr Hoyt.