Cardinals Down Cubs, Playoff Game Tonight, ML Roundup

Cardinals Blank Cubs

(St. Louis, MO) -- Joe Kelly pitched 5 1/3 scoreless relief innings to help the Cardinals clinch home field advantage throughout the postseason. Kelly allowed three hits and struck out five as the Cards blanked the Cubs 4-0 at Busch Stadium. He improved to 10-5 as the Cardinals end the regular season at 97-65. Jake Westbrook pitched the first inning on his 36th birthday in what is most likely his last regular season start with the team.  Jon Jay was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI for St. Louis, which will start the NLDS Thursday against the Reds or Pirates. Jeff Samardzija allowed three runs in six innings as he slipped to 8-13. Chicago ends the year at 66-96.

Royals Top White Sox

(Chicago, IL) -- Salvador Perez and Brett Hayes each hit two-run homers to power the Royals to a 4-1 win over the White Sox in Chicago. Bruce Chen allowed a run over six-and-two-thirds innings to improve to 9-4. Greg Holland locked up his 47th save for Kansas City, which ends the regular season at 86-76. Alexei Ramirez was 2-for-3 with a solo homer for Chicago, which dipped to 63-99. Jose Quintana allowed four runs in seven innings as he slipped to 9-7.

Rays, Rangers To Meet In Game 163

(Arlington, TX) -- The American League's Wild Card race will require one extra game this season. The Texas Rangers will host the Tampa Bay Rays tonight for the right to play the Cleveland Indians Wednesday. First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m. Central. The NL Wild Card Game is Tuesday between the Reds and Pirates from Pittsburgh.

Marlins No-Hit Tigers On Season's Final Day

(Miami, FL) -- Henderson Alvarez threw the fifth no-hitter in team history as the Marlins pulled out a 1-0 win over the Tigers. Marlins catcher Koyie Hill says it was an odd way to get a no-hitter. Alvarez struck out four and walked one, while Giancarlo Stanton scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a wild pitch to secure the no-hitter. It's the first for the franchise since Anibal Sanchez no-hit Arizona in 2006. Alvarez is the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter in baseball this season, joining Cincinnati's Homer Bailey and San Francisco's Tim Lincecum.  Luke Putkonen took the loss in relief to fall to 1-and-3.  The 93-and-69 Tigers will begin the playoffs Friday in Oakland.

Pirates Double Up Reds

(Cincinnati, OH) -- Jordy Mercer was 3-for-4 with an inside-the-park-homer as the Pirates knocked off the Reds 4-2 at Great American Ball Park. Jose Tabata was 2-for-3 with a run scored for Pittsburgh, which will host Cincinnati in the NL Wild Card game on Tuesday night after a 94-68 record in the regular season. Garrett Jones also went deep in the win. Brandon Cumpton allowed two hits over five innings as he improved to 2-1. Kyle Farnsworth notched his second save. Cesar Izturis went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Cincinnati, which ends the regular season at 90-72. Greg Reynolds allowed three runs in five frames for the loss.

Giants Take 7-6 Win Over Padres

(San Francisco, CA) -- Taking a cue from a city known for its breathtaking bridges, the Giants hope that they've built a span between the end of this season and the 2014 campaign. Sure, they tumbled from their World Series championship throne. Yes, their streak of four consecutive winning seasons dissolved. But they believe they have positioned themselves to thrive next year, with Sunday's season-ending 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres serving as an example.

Mets Nip Brewers Late

(Flushing, NY) -- Eric Young Junior drove in the winning run during the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Mets a 3-2 win over the Brewers at Citi Field. David Wright also had an RBI for New York. Jon Niese allowed two runs in six innings while Vic Black picked up the win. Frank Francisco notched his first save. Jonathan Lucroy was 2-for-4 with a run scored for Milwaukee. Marco Estrada struck out eight over seven innings of one-run ball, but Brandon Kintzler suffered the loss. Both teams ended the regular season at 74-88.

Braves beat Phils

(Atlanta, GA) -- It was not the perfect conclusion the Braves were seeking. But before bidding adieu to this memorable 162-game regular season, they took advantage of one last opportunity to feast on Philadelphia's pitchers and create some momentum that their offense can carry into the postseason. Gerald Laird matched a career-best four hits and Elliot Johnson drove in a career-high five runs while fueling the 17-hit attack the Braves used to conclude the regular season with Sunday afternoon's 12-5 win against the Phillies.

Diamondbacks Rally For Win Over Nationals

(Phoenix, AZ) -- A.J. Pollock's infield single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth drove in Tony Campana, and the Diamondbacks got by the Nationals 3-2 at Chase Field. David Hernandez got the win in relief to finish the season 5-6, and Brad Ziegler earned his 13th save. The D'backs end the year at 81-81. Zach Walters tripled and scored for Washington.  He and Stephen Lombardozzi drove in the Nats' runs. Reliever Ryan Mattheus allowed two runs in the eighth and took the loss. The Nationals finished the season 86-76.

Rockies Edge Dodgers

(Los Angeles, CA) -- The Rockies got two hits and an RBI from Charlie Blackmon and five good innings from Jeff Francis in their 2-1 win over the Dodgers in the regular-season finale for both teams at Dodger Stadium.  Michael Cuddyer singled and ended the season with a .331 batting average. It was the top mark in the National League.  Francis ended the year 3-5. Rex Brothers earned his 19th save. The Dodgers managed only five hits including an RBI single from Skip Schumaker. L.A. used seven pitchers to get tuned up for the postseason. Hyun-Jin Ryu took the loss and finished the season 14-8. The Dodgers are 92-70 after losing four of their last five games and will start the NL Divisional Series in Atlanta on Thursday.

Orioles End Season With Win Over Red Sox

(Baltimore, MD) -- The Orioles rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat the Red Sox 7-6 in the 2013 finale at Camden Yards.  Ryan Flaherty had two hits and drove in a pair of runs after replacing home run king Chris Davis following an injury.  Nate McLouth also drove in two. T.J. McFarland pitched an inning for the win in relief and finished 4-1. Jim Johnson earned his 50th save. Davis ended his career season as the major-league leader in homers and RBI with 53 and 138. Jacoby Ellsbury and Quintin Berry homered for the Red Sox. Rubby De la Rosa took the loss to finish the season 0-2. The Red Sox will await the Wild Card winner after finishing the regular season 97-65. Baltimore finished 85-77.

Yankees Get By Astros In 14

(Houston, TX) -- The Yankees concluded their 2013 season on a victorious note, scoring four runs in the top of the 14th and defeating the Astros 5-1. Mark Reynolds gave New York the lead with a solo home run and Eduardo Nunez doubled in two. Matt Daley pitched two innings and earned the win in relief as the Yankees finished the season 85-77. Matt Dominguez drove in the Astros' only run. The Astros have lost at least 100 games for the past three seasons and set a franchise record for most losses in a season with 111.

Rangers Roll Angels

(Arlington, TX) -- Adrian Beltre and Geovany Soto each hit a solo homer as the Rangers rolled the Angels 6-2 in Arlington. Soto and Craig Gentry each knocked in two runs for Texas, which hosts the Rays on Monday to determine the winner of the second AL Wild Card spot. The winner of that game advances to the Wild Card game on Wednesday against Cleveland. Neal Cotts picked up the win in relief of Yu Darvish. Texas ends the regular season at 91-71. Jason Vargas gave up four runs in 6 1/3 innings for the loss. Mike Trout hit his 27th homer for Los Angeles, which closes the year at 78-84.

Rays Nip Blue Jays

(Toronto, Ontario) -- Wil Myers hit a pair of doubles to go with a run and an RBI as the Rays escaped Toronto with a 7-6 win over the Blue Jays. Delmon Young ended 2-for-3 with a run driven in and scored for Tampa Bay, which plays the Rangers in Texas on Monday to determine the winner of the second AL Wild Card spot. The victor of that game advances to play Cleveland on Wednesday. Matt Moore allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings to improved to 17-4. Fernando Rodney locked up his 37th save. Todd Redmond gave up five runs in under an inning as he fell to 4-3. Mark DeRosa knocked in two runs for Toronto, which ends the regular season at 74-and-88.

Indians Top Twins

(Minneapolis, MN) -- Nick Swisher hit a two-run homer to help the Indians defeat the Twins 5-1 and clinch the top AL Wild Card position. Michael Bourn and Jason Kipnis each had two hits and scored a run for Cleveland, which will host the Rays or Rangers in the AL Wild Card game on Wednesday. Cleveland ends the regular season at 92-70.  Ubaldo Jimenez struck out 13 in 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Scott Diamond allowed two earned runs and four total over six innings for the loss. Eric Fryer knocked in the only run for Minnesota, which ends the season at 66-96.

A's Blank M's In Season Finale

(Seattle, WA) -- Sonny Gray and five relievers combined on a five-hit shutout as the Athletics blanked the Mariners 9-0 in the season finale at Safeco Field. Gray struck out eight over five scoreless innings as he finished the year 5-3. Chris Young and Daric Barton drove in two runs apiece, while Seth Smith went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored for the A's, who won the AL West Division at 96-66. Oakland will host the Detroit Tigers in Game One of the best-of-five ALDS on Friday. Brad Miller had two of the five hits for the M's, who end the season 71-91. Erasmo Ramirez allowed four runs in an 1 1/3 as he fell to 5-3.

Sunday, September 29 Scoreboard

MLB NL

Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Cincinnati Reds 2

New York Mets 3, Milwaukee Brewers 2

Atlanta Braves 12, Philadelphia Phillies 5

St. Louis Cardinals 4, Chicago Cubs 0

San Francisco Giants 7, San Diego Padres 6

Arizona Diamondbacks 3, Washington Nationals 2

Colorado Rockies 2, Los Angeles Dodgers 1

MLB AL

Tampa Bay Rays 7, Toronto Blue Jays 6

Baltimore Orioles 7, Boston Red Sox 6

Cleveland Indians 5, Minnesota Twins 1

Kansas City Royals 4, Chicago White Sox 1

New York Yankees 5, Houston Astros 1 (14 inn)

Texas Rangers 6, Los Angeles Angels 2

Oakland Athletics 9, Seattle Mariners 0

MLB Interleague

Miami Marlins 1, Detroit Tigers 0

Monday, September 30 Schedule (Time Central)

MLB

7:07 p.m. - Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers