NATIONAL LEAGUE
N.Y. METS 4 – Washington 2… Brandon Nimmo homered and drove in three runs to lead the Mets past the Nationals in the doubleheader opener. Four relievers combined for five scoreless innings.
N.Y. METS 8 – Washington 0… The Mets completed a doubleheader sweep after learning they were heading to the postseason as the NL’s top wild card. Starter Taijuan Walker left after allowing just four hits and striking out 10 in 4-1/3 innings. Stephen Nogosek (1-1) pitched 2-2/3 innings of relief to get the win. Brandon Nimmo went 3-for-3 with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first and a two-run single. Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil also hit first-inning homers. Francisco Álvarez went deep to lead off the sixth.
St. Louis 8 – PITTSBURGH 7 (10 innings)… Juan Yepez singled home Ben DeLuzio with a tie-breaking run in the top of the 10th inning to give the NL Central-champion Cardinals a come-from-behind win over the Pirates. Cory Dickerson stroked a two-run double and came around to score an unearned run during a four-run seventh that tied the game. Albert Pujols’ two-run single in the third raised his career RBI total to 2,218.
CINCINNATI 3 – Chi. Cubs 2… Spencer Steer doubled home Stuart Fairchild in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Reds a walkoff win over the Cubs. Chuckie Robinson’s two-run homer tied the game in the seventh.
Atlanta 2 – MIAMI 1… The Braves squeezed past the Marlins to clinch their fifth straight NL East title. William Contreras’ infield single in the top of the fifth inning brought home Travis d’Arnaud with a go-ahead run. Ronald Acuña Jr. singled home Atlanta’s first run in the second.
MILWAUKEE 3 – Arizona 0… Eric Lauer (11-7) tossed six no-hit innings and two relievers allowed just one hit the rest of the way as the Brewers breezed past the Diamondbacks. Garrett Mitchell and Luis Urías smacked solo homers for Milwaukee. Urías dded a run-scoring single.
SAN DIEGO 6 – San Francisco 2… Sean Manaea (8-9) pitched one-hit ball over six innings and the Padres pounded the Giants with a 14-hit attack to nail down the NL’s second wild card. Wil Meyers and Ha-Seong Kim each had a couple of hits and drove in two runs.
Colorado 5 – L.A. DODGERS 2… Randal Grichuk hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the top of the seven inning as the Rockies put away the NL West-champion Dodgers. Colorado got solo shots from Brendan Rodgers and Sean Bouchard.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees 5 – TEXAS 4… Kyle Higashioka hit a game-tying leadoff homer and Harrison Bader singled home a run in the top of the eighth inning as the AL East-champion Yankees upended the Rangers in the opener of a doubleheader. Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza also hit bases-empty homers.
TEXAS 3 – N.Y. Yankees 2… Aaron Judge led off the game with his 62nd homer to set a new AL single-season record but Leody Taveras’ go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning sent the Rangers past the Yankees for a split of the twinbill. Texas reliever Kolby Allard (1-2) came on in the second inning and allowed just a run on two hits over four innings to get the win.
SEATTLE 7 – Detroit 6 (10 innings)… The Mariners scored twice in the bottom of the 10th inning to top the Tigers and clinch the AL’s second wild card. Carlos Santana singled home Eugenio Suarez with the tying run and came around to score the winning run on Abraham Toro’s sacrifice fly. Mitch Haniger homered with a runner aboard and Curt Casali smacked a solo shot for Seattle. Catcher Luis Torrens threw an inning in relief and became the franchise’s first position player to earn a victory.
SEATTLE 9 – Detroit 6… Abraham Toro hit a two-run homer and singled home two more runs as the Mariners outslugged the Tigers to complete a sweep of the twinbill. Domonic Moore produced a run-scoring single and was twice hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
CLEVELAND 5 – Kansas City 3… The AL Central-champion Guardians came alive all five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and held off the Royals. Owen Miller’s two-run homer capped the uprising. Cal Quantrill (15-5) allowed a run on four hits over five innings.
BOSTON 6 – Tampa Bay 0 (5 innings)… Nathan Eovaldi (6-3) pitched two-hit ball over five innings and the Red Sox blanked the Rays in a contest shortened by rain. Xavier Bogaerts unloaded a grand slam for Boston.
CHI. WHITE SOX 8 – Minnesota 3… Lucas Giolito (11-0) surrendered two runs on two hits over seven innings and the White Sox cruised past the Twins. Elvis Andrus had a couple of hits, including a three-run homer. Gavin Sheets brought home two runs with an infield single.
OAKLAND 2 – L.A. Angels 1 (10 innings)… Shea Langeliers drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning to force home with the winning runs in the Athletics’ defeat of the Angels. Seth Brown singled home Tony Kemp with the game’s first run in the eighth. Oakland starter Cole Irvin and his counterpart Michael Lorenzen each tossed six shutout innings but neither got a decision.
Toronto – BALTIMORE (ppd)… Rain in Baltimore forced postponement of last night’s Blue Jays-Orioles game. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.
INTERLEAGUE
HOUSTON 10 – Philadelphia 0… Justin Verlander (18-4) pitched five no-hit innings and struck out 10 in his regular season finale and four relievers did the rest as the AL West-champion Astros walloped the NL wild card Phillies. Kyle Tucker belted a three-run homer and Jeremy Peña homered with a runner aboard during a five-run bottom of the first inning. Martin Maldonado also went deep for Houston. Jose Altuve went 3-for-3 and scored a run.