Cardinals Creep Closer to NL Central Crown, MLB Roundup

Cards Sweep Nats, Creep Closer To NL Central Crown

(St. Louis, MO) -- The Cardinals moved another step closer to the NL Central title with a 4-1 win over the Nationals at Busch Stadium.  Yadier Molina broke up a 1-1 game with a two-run single in the fourth inning and Matt Adams added a solo homer in the sixth for St. Louis. Matt Carpenter also had an RBI groundout for the Redbirds, who swept the three-game series. Shelby Miller pitched six innings of one-run ball to move to 15-9. Trevor Rosenthal posted his third save. Jordan Zimmerman fell to 19-9 with the loss. Bryce Harper singled in Washington's lone run in the first.

Cubs Take Wrigley Finale Over Pirates

(Chicago, IL) -- Darnell McDonald slugged a three-run homer and the Cubs held on for a 4-2 win over the Pirates in the season finale at Wrigley Field. McDonald went 3-for-4 with his first homer of the season. Jake Arrieta earned his fourth win of year, throwing six innings of four-hit, one-run ball. Kevin Gregg struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 33rd save as the Cubs snapped a three-game skid. Francisco Liriano took the loss after allowing four runs in five-plus innings. Starling Marte and Justin Morneau had two hits apiece for Pittsburgh, which fell three games behind St. Louis for the NL Central lead.

Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum will learn his fate for next season Monday. He and his staff are expected to meet with president of baseball operations Theo Epstein despite Sveum being signed through the 2014 season. Sveum said he has no control of the situation and that he and the team have to keep fighting.

Indians Blast White Sox

(Cleveland, OH) -- Nick Swisher smashed a two-run home run to power the Indians to a 7-2 win over the White Sox in the regular season finale at Progressive Field. Asdrubal Cabrera also knocked in two runs for Cleveland, which has won six straight. Michael Brantley was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI for the Tribe. The Indians are a game ahead of Texas for the final AL wild card spot. Danny Salazar struck out eight over 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball for his second win.  Dylan Axelrod allowed five total runs in 5 2/3 frames for the setback. Avisail Garcia hit a solo shot for Chicago, which has lost five-of-seven.

Dice-K, Mets Shut Down Reds

(Cincinnati, OH) -- Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched into the eighth inning as the Mets shut out the Reds 1-0 at Great American Ball Park. "Dice-K" scattered four hits and struck out six for his third win of the season. Latroy Hawkins pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save of the season. Eric Young Jr. singled in the lone run of the game in the third inning as the Mets took two-of-three from the playoff-bound Reds. Mat Latos took the hard-luck loss, allowing just four hits and one run in seven innings to fall to 14-7.

Marlins Clip Phillies

(Miami, FL) -- Adeiny Hechavarria drove in all three runs for the Marlins in their 3-2 win over the Phillies to close out the three-game set in Florida. Miami took two out of three.  Reliever Chad Qualls grabbed the win.  Steve Cishek set a club record with his 28th straight save and 33rd overall. The Marlins are 59-100. Freddy Galvis had three hits and an RBI, while Cesar Hernandez knocked in the other run in the loss.  Reliever Ethan Martin fell to 2-5. Philly is 72-86.

Tempers Flare As Brewers Dump Braves

(Atlanta, GA) -- There were fireworks as the Brewers blanked the Braves 4-0 in the rubber match of a three-game series at Turner Field.  Carlos Gomez crushed a solo homer in the opening inning and was demonstrative rounding the bases. Gomez yelled all the way around and Atlanta catcher Brian McCann met him before he could touch home plate. Both benches cleared and Gomez along with Freddie Freeman and Gerald Laird from the Braves were ejected.  Kyle Lohse tossed a complete-game, two-hitter with five strikeouts to earn his 11th win. Paul Maholm took the loss for Atlanta after allowing three runs in seven innings. Maholm had hit Gomez in a previous start on June 23.  Atlanta is now a half game behind St. Louis for the best record in the National League.

Padres Thump Diamondbacks

(San Diego, CA) -- There was an offensive explosion in San Diego as the Padres beat up the Diamondbacks 12-2 in the third of four games at Petco Park. Chase Headley had three hits and three RBI and Chris Denorfia had three hits, two RBI and three runs scored for the Padres, who have won two of the last three. Ian Kennedy got the win against his former team after tossing seven innings of two-run ball. Randall Delgado took the loss, giving up six runs in five innings. He also had the lone RBI. Gerardo Parra and Paul Goldschmidt scored the only runs for Arizona.

Giants Nip Dodgers

(San Francisco, CA) -- The Giants used a three-run second inning as a spring board to beat the Dodgers 6-4 at AT&T Park. Tony Abreu knocked in four runs and Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run homer for the Giants, who have won two-of-three. Barry Zito got the win after twirling five innings and allowing one run earned run. Carl Crawford went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Matt Kemp went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Dodgers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Ricky Nolasco took the loss after tossing 5 2/3 innings and allowing six earned runs.

Angels Top A's In Home Finale

(Anaheim, CA) -- Jered Weaver combined with two relievers on a six-hitter as the Angels beat the A's 3-1 in their home finale at Angel Stadium. Weaver allowed five hits and one run over seven innings to improve to 11-8.  Ernesto Frieri worked the ninth for his 37th save. Josh Hamilton plated a pair of runs and Erick Aybar had an RBI single for the Halos, who took two-of-three in the series. Dan Straily was charged with all three runs, but just one earned, in 6 2/3 frames to drop to 10-8 with the loss. Jed Lowrie broke up the shutout for Oakland with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Rays Eliminate Yanks From Playoffs

(Bronx, NY) -- The Yankees slim playoff hopes were ended as the Rays defeated New York, 8-3, in the Bronx.  It is only the second time since 1995 the Yanks won't be participating in the postseason. Evan Longoria hit two home runs and had four RBI for the Rays, who improved to 88-69. The Rays sit one game ahead of the Cleveland Indians.  David Price improved to 9-8, dealing seven innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts. Robinson Cano was 2-for-4 with an RBI in the loss. Phil Hughes' struggles continued as he did not make it out of the third inning and gave up three runs and seven hits. New York is 82-76.

Rangers Roll Astros

(Arlington, TX) -- Leonys Martin drove in three runs to pace the Rangers to a 7-3 win over the Astros in Arlington. Ian Kinsler hit a solo homer and knocked in two runs for Texas, which is a game-back of Cleveland for the second AL Wild Card spot with four games to play. Martin Perez struck out eight over seven innings of three-run ball for the win. Dallas Keuchel gave up seven runs in 5 2/3 frames for the loss. Brandon Laird lifted a two-run shot for Houston, which has lost 12 straight.

Tigers Blank Twins

(Minneapolis, MN) -- Max Scherzer cruised as the Tigers blanked the Twins, 1-0, as Detroit clinched the American League Central at Target Field. Scherzer improved to 21-3, allowing two hits and striking out 10 in seven innings.  Torii Hunter had an RBI single in the first inning. Joaquin Benoit locked up his 24th save with a perfect ninth inning. Kevin Correia was handed the tough luck loss after giving up one run and seven hits in seven innings. Minnesota is 66-92.  

M's Eliminate Royals From Playoffs

(Seattle, WA) -- Hisashi Iwakuma hurled eight shutout innings as the Mariners blanked the Royals 6-0 at Safeco Field, ending Kansas City's playoff hopes.  Iwakuma struck out nine while giving up just four hits and one walk as he finished his season 14-and-6.  Mike Zunino hit a pair of solo homers, while Michael Saunders added a two-run blast for the M's, who took two-of-three in the series. Ervin Santana allowed four runs in six frames as he fell to 9-10. With the loss and Cleveland's win on Tuesday, the Royals were eliminated from the AL Wild Card race. At 83-75, KC is already guaranteed its first winning season since 2003.

Red Sox Crush Rockies In Helton's Home Finale

(Denver, CO) -- Todd Helton went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in his final game at Coors Field, but the Red Sox beat the Rockies, 15-5. Helton is retiring after the season.  Will Middlebrooks hit a grand slam and a three-run shot in the win. Shane Victorino left the yard and drove in three, while Jarrod Saltalamacchia matched the outfielder's RBI total and added four hits. Jake Peavy earned his 12th win. Boston is 96-63, two games ahead of the A's for best record in the AL. Jhoulys Chacin fell to 14-10, allowing seven runs in four innings.

Tigers Clinch Third Straight AL Central

(Minneapolis, MN) -- The Detroit Tigers are champions of the American League Central Division for the third straight season. The Tigers defeated the Twins 1-0 in Minneapolis on Wednesday night to clinch. Max Scherzer was credited with his Major League-leading 21st win of the season after seven scoreless innings. The only other time the franchise has gone to the postseason in three straight years was from 1907-09.

MLB Postseason Picture

Baseball's postseason picture is becoming clearer. The Indians were eliminated from the AL Central Division after the Tigers won 1-0 over the Twins.  Cleveland still holds the second AL Wild Card spot by a game over Texas. The Rays are a game better than the Tribe. In the NL, the Cardinals are one win or a Pittsburgh loss from clinching the Central Division. The Cards are half a game ahead of the Braves for the best record in the NL.

Wednesday, September 25 Scoreboard

MLB NL

New York Mets 1, Cincinnati Reds 0

St. Louis Cardinals 4, Washington Nationals 1

Chicago Cubs 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Miami Marlins 3, Philadelphia Phillies 2

Milwaukee Brewers 4, Atlanta Braves 0

San Francisco Giants 6, Los Angeles Dodgers 4

San Diego Padres 12, Arizona Diamondbacks 2

MLB AL

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3, Oakland Athletics 1

Cleveland Indians 7, Chicago White Sox 2

Baltimore Orioles 9, Toronto Blue Jays 5

Tampa Bay Rays 8, New York Yankees 3

Texas Rangers 7, Houston Astros 3

Detroit Tigers 1, Minnesota Twins 0

Seattle Mariners 6, Kansas City Royals 0

MLB Interleague

Boston Red Sox 15, Colorado Rockies 5

Thursday, September 26 Schedule (All Times Central)

MLB NL

5:40 p.m. - Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres

6:10 p.m. - Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves

6:10 p.m. - Milwaukee Brewers at New York Mets

9:15 p.m. - Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants

MLB AL

6:05 p.m. - Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles

6:05 p.m. - Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees

7:05 p.m. - Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers

7:10 p.m. - Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins

7:10 p.m. - Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox

MLB Interleague

No Games Scheduled