Baseball Capsules (Sep 18, 2016) – FOXSports.com

BOSTON (AP) Xander Bogaerts homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs, and Mookie Betts hit a tying single before scoring the go-ahead run in Boston’s third straight win over New York.

Hanley Ramirez also had three hits for the AL East-leading Red Sox (84-64), who improved to three games ahead of Toronto and Baltimore

New York (77-70) wasted 3-0 and 5-2 leads and lost for the sixth time in seven games. The Yankees are four games back in the wild-card race.

Second baseman Starlin Castro left in the fifth inning after straining his right hamstring while rounding first base on a double. Rookie Gary Sanchez hit his 15th home run since his Aug. 3 recall from the minors, a two-run drive.

INDIANS 1, TIGERS 0, 10 INNINGS

CLEVELAND (AP) – Carlos Carrasco, Cleveland’s No. 2 starting pitcher, broke his right hand when hit by a line drive off the bat of Detroit’s Ian Kinsler on the second pitch the Indians‘ victory.

Cleveland, which opened an eight-game lead over second-place Detroit, said Carrasco sustained a non-displaced fracture of his pitching hand. The Indians did not provide a timetable for his recovery.

Jeff Manship replaced Carrasco after the infield hit. Carrasco missed six weeks earlier this season with a strained left hamstring, also sustained against the Tigers.

Jose Ramirez hit a winning single with the bases loaded in the 10th against Justin Wilson (4-5).

Andrew Miller (8-1), Cleveland’s eighth reliever, pitched the final two innings and completed a four-hitter. Manship, Kyle Crockett, Cody Anderson, Zach McAllister, Perci Garner, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen preceded Miller.

CARDINALS 3, GIANTS 2

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Kolten Wong hit a sacrifice fly to cap a two-run comeback in the ninth inning and St. Louis rallied for a big win in its playoff chase.

The Cardinals had lost three straight and held a team meeting prior to the game. Their win further tightened the NL wild-card race – San Francisco and the Mets are tied for the top two spots, with the Cardinals trailing by two games.

Jedd Gyorko singled with one out in the ninth off Sergio Romo. Santiago Casilla (2-5) walked Yadier Molina before Randal Grichuk hit a tying single and Wong put St. Louis ahead.

Seung Hwan Oh (5-3) retired six batters.

METS 3, TWINS 2, 12 INNINGS

NEW YORK (AP) – Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run with two outs in the 12th inning after also connecting for a tying shot in the 11th, lifting the New York Mets into a tie for the NL wild-card lead.

The Mets are even with San Francisco, with St. Louis two games back.

Before the game, New York announced that star pitcher Jacob deGrom is likely done for the season with elbow trouble.

Granderson pulled a 3-2 pitch from Ryan O’Rourke (0-1) down the right-field line to win it. Granderson led off the 11th with a drive that made it 2-all.

Josh Edgin (1-0) pitched a scoreless 12th.

CHICAGO (AP) – Ryan Braun went deep twice to reach 30 homers for the sixth time, Chris Carter hit a grand slam off the Wrigley Field video board and Milwaukee routed the NL Central champions.

Chicago manager Joe Maddon used a starting lineup of mostly reserves after the Cubs celebrated winning the division, a title they clinched late on Thursday night.

Jake Arrieta (17-7), the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner, gave up four runs – three earned – four hits and four walks in six innings. He is 3-2 with a 4.58 ERA and 21 walk in his last six starts.

Braun had five RBIs, including a pair of two-run homers. He reached 30 home runs for the first time since he had a career-high 41 in 2012, before his 65-game suspension for violations of baseball’s drug agreement and labor contract.

Carter hit his 35th homer. Domingo Santana added a solo shot and Scooter Gennett doubled twice.

Zach Davies (11-7) settled down after allowing three runs in the first.

RAYS 5, ORIOLES 2

BALTIMORE (AP) – Evan Longoria homered, tripled and scored three runs to help Tampa Bay blunt Baltimore’s playoff push.

The loss dropped Baltimore three games behind first-place Boston in the AL East. The Orioles remained tied with Toronto for the top AL wild-card slot after the Blue Jays’ loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

The Orioles have lost two of three to the last-place Rays in a series that ends Sunday. Longoria has homered in each of the three games and has a career-high 35 for the season.

Baltimore ace Chris Tillman (16-6) had a one-hitter and a 2-1 lead after five innings, but he failed to get out of the sixth.

ANGELS 6, BLUE JAYS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Albert Pujols hit his 590th career home run and Los Angeles dropped Toronto into a tie for the top two AL wild-card spots.

The Blue Jays and Baltimore are even in the playoff race. Seattle, Detroit and Houston are all three games behind in the wild-card chase.

Pujols hit his 30th homer. He joined Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez as the only players to reach 30 home runs in at least 14 seasons.

Ricky Nolasco (6-15) tossed six shutout innings as the Angels ended a five-game losing streak.

Francisco Liriano (7-13) allowed four runs – two earned – in six innings.

ROCKIES 8, PADRES 0

DENVER (AP) – Jon Gray struck out a franchise-record 16 and pitched a four-hitter to lead Colorado.

Gray (10-8) threw 113 pitches in surpassing Darryl Kile’s 14-strikeout performance in 1998.

Tom Murphy homered twice and had five RBIs for the Rockies. Nolan Arenado added his NL-leading 38th home run of the season.

Edwin Jackson (4-6) gave up 10 hits and eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.

DODGERS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 2

PHOENIX (AP) – Rookie Brock Stewart pitched five effective innings and the Dodgers bullpen took over from there.

Los Angeles now leads the NL West by five games over the Giants.

Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer, his seventh in 13 games against Arizona this season. He connected off Shelby Miller (2-12).

Stewart (2-2) beat the Diamondbacks on Sept. 7 at Dodger Stadium for his first big league win. He earned another victory, giving up two runs and five while striking out six and walking one.

ATHLETICS 11, RANGERS 2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Joey Wendle led off the game with his first major league homer, Marcus Semien also went deep against Yu Darvish and Oakland beat AL-best Texas.

Darvish (5-5) matched a career high by allowing seven runs while pitching only five innings. He struck out eight, but walked four batters – all of those runners scored.

Carlos Gomez homered for the Rangers (88-61), who have a magic number of five for closing out Seattle in the AL West.

Raul Alcantara (1-1), among five A’s pitchers to make their MLB debuts this season with a start, had three strikeouts without a walk. He pitched into the sixth, when he allowed a two-run homer to Gomez.

BRAVES 7, NATIONALS 3

ATLANTA (AP) – Nick Markakis and Anthony Recker each drove in two runs, Josh Collmenter won as an emergency starter and Atlanta beat Washington.

The Nationals have a magic number of six for clinching the NL East.

Collmenter (2-0), acquired Wednesday from the Chicago Cubs, struck out eight in five innings and allowed two runs.

Atlanta needed a starter because Mike Foltynewicz has a bruised left calf and Williams Perez has an elbow impingement.

Washington rookie Trea Turner hit a pair of solo home runs and is batting .458 with six homers, 16 RBIs, 19 runs and seven steals in 12 games against Atlanta this year.

Gio Gonzalez (11-10) took the loss.

PHILLIES 8, MARLINS 0

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Jeremy Hellickson pitched a three-hitter and A.J. Ellis had a three-run double to lead Philadelphia over fading Miami.

Miami fell six games back for the NL’s second wild card. The Marlins by seven runs in the second inning and lost for the 14th time in 20 games.

Hellickson (12-9) struck out five, walked none and hit two batters in his second big league shutout.

Jose Urena (4-7) lasted just two innings and allowed seven runs and seven hits in his worst outing since moving to the starting rotation on July 19.

ROYALS 3, WHITE SOX 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Jarrod Dyson had two hits, scored a run and stole a base in Jason Vargas’ first start in 14 months, and Kansas City beat Chicago to snap a five-game losing streak.

Vargas, who was making his first start in 423 days after having Tommy John surgery on August 5, 2015, gave up a first-inning run on Melky Cabrera’s RBI single, but retired eight of the last nine batters he faced.

Vargas was pulled after 52 pitches and three innings. Dillon Gee (7-8) replaced Vargas and held the White Sox to one run and five hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Dyson, who is 10 for 15 off White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez (4-7), singled to lead off the first, advanced to second on Whit Merrifield’s bunt single, stole second and scored on Kendrys Morales’ sacrifice fly.

ASTROS 2, MARINERS 1

SEATTLE (AP) Yuli Gurriel hit a two-run single and Mike Fiers pitched six scoreless innings to lead Houston over Seattle.

Fiers gave up singles to the first two batters he faced, but allowed only one more hit. It was the third time Fiers didn’t allow a run in 27 starts this season, and the three hits allowed also equaled his season best.

The Mariners and Astros are both 78-70, tied with Detroit three games behind Baltimore in the AL wild-card race.

Fiers (11-7) was coming off one of his worst starts of the season, giving up seven runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings in a 9-5 loss to the Cubs.

James Paxton (4-7) was perfect through five innings before allowing both runs in the sixth.

PIRATES 10, REDS 4, 1ST GAME

PIRATES 7, REDS 3, 2ND GAME

CINCINNATI (AP) – Sean Rodriguez homered in both games as Pittsburgh swept a doubleheader.

In the first game, Jameson Taillon (4-4) pitched five innings and singled to drive in a big league run for the first time. Anthony DeSclafani (8-4) took the loss.

Andrew McCutchen drove in three runs in the opener and had a bases-loaded single in the second game off Brandon Finnegan (9-11).

Juan Nicasio (10-6) won in relief.