The Athletics avoid a monumental collapse, saving their season when Sonny Gray tosses a six-hit shutout to beat the Rangers, 4 – 0, and ensure Oakland’s place as the second wild card team in the American League. The A’s had the best record in the majors at the All-Star break, but end up just one game ahead of Seattle for the final postseason slot in the AL.

Jonathan Lucroy hits a 5th-inning double off Tsuyoshi Wada of the Cubs in a 2 – 1 win to set a new record for a catcher. It is his 46th of the season at the position, besting the 45 hit by Ivan Rodriguez in 1996; it is also his 53rd overall, the others having been hit as a first baseman, tying the Brewers franchise record, set by Lyle Overbay in 2004.

The Diamondbacks continue their house-cleaning. One day after naming Dave Stewart as the team’s new GM, they fire manager Kirk Gibson. Bench coach Alan Trammell will complete the season as interim manager, even though he is also dismissed, his departure being only effective at the end of the season.

The Royals clinch a spot in the postseason for the first time since 1985 with a 3 – 1 win over the White Sox which ends the longest postseason drought in the majors. Following Detroit’s 11 – 4 loss to Minnesota, the Royals still have a shot at winning the AL Central title, trailing the Tigers by only one game.

The Indians set a major league record for most strikeouts in a season when Corey Kluber records number 1,429 in a 1 – 0 win over the Rays. The record was set by the Tigers only last year. Kluber strikes out 11 in 8 innings to finish the year with 18 wins.

The Diamondbacks officially announce the hiring of Dave Stewart as their new General Manager, replacing the fired Kevin Towers. Stewart was the pitching ace for the Oakland A’s when Tony LaRussa, now the D-Backs’ President, led the team to three consecutive World Series appearances from 1988 to 1990.

Arizona names Dave Stewart as the team’s fourth general manager in franchise history. The former All-Star big league pitcher, a 20-game winner for four consecutive seasons beginning in 1987, will report to the Diamondbacks’ chief baseball officer Tony La Russa, who was his manager when he posted a 119-78 record (.604) during his eight seasons with the A’s.

2014 – The Pirates clinch a spot in the postseason for the second straight year, thanks to a 3 – 2 win over the Braves. The Bucs fall into an early 2 – 0 hole but rally against Alex Wood, a scenario typical of the last three weeks, during which they have gone 15-3.

The Royals split a sort-of doubleheader with the Indians to move within one game of the Tigers in the AL Central. The evening starts with Kansas City taking a 4 – 3 loss in the completion of a game suspended on August 31st with Cleveland having just taken a 4 – 2 lead in the 10th; the Royals score a run in the bottom of the inning but fail to extend the contest. In the regularly scheduled game, Danny Duffy pitches 6 scoreless innings for a 2 – 0 win. Cleveland is now 3 1/2 games behind K.C. and is virtually eliminated from contention.