Hunter Pence’s grand slam and career-high seven RBIs helped San Francisco romp past the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 19 runs were the most Los Angeles has ever given up at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers’ magic number for clinching the NL West remained at four.
The last time the Los Angeles allowed 19 runs at home was on Sept. 12, 1961, when Philadelphia won 19-10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in a game started by none other than Sandy Koufax. Dodger Stadium opened the next season.
Brandon Belt also homered and set career highs with five hits and six RBIs during the Giants’ 22-hit attack.
Tim Lincecum (10-13) won his fourth consecutive decision. He also singled twice and scored two runs.
Ricky Nolasco (13-10) was charged with seven runs on seven hits and three walks in 1 1-3 innings.
D-BACKS 9, ROCKIES 2
PHOENIX — The Colorado Rockies announced after their loss to Arizona that longtime star Todd Helton plans to retire at the end of the season.
The 40-year-old Helton is a five-time All-Star. He doubled, scored a run and drove in one during the loss.
Wade Miley took a shutout into the seventh inning, and Gerardo Parra doubled twice and drove in three runs.
Aaron Hill had three hits and three RBIs and Miguel Montero had three hits and scored twice on his bobblehead night, helping Miley (10-10) get his first win since Aug. 6.
Roy Oswalt (0-6) gave up two runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings.
REDS 7, BREWERS 3
MILWAUKEE — Joey Votto and Shin-Soo Choo each hit two-run homers, and the Cincinnati Reds kept pace in the NL Central race with a win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Homer Bailey (11-10) allowed three runs over seven innings in winning his career-best sixth straight decision. Votto had three RBIs, including the towering drive off the right field foul pole in the sixth.
The Brewers loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth trailing by four, but All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman struck out pinch-hitter Jonathan Lucroy.
PIRATES 2, CUBS 1
PITTSBURGH — Gerrit Cole pitched seven strong innings and got home run help from Marlon Byrd and Jose Tabata, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Chicago Cubs.
The Pirates have won five of six and tied St. Louis for the NL Central lead.
Cole (8-7) gave up one run and five hits. The rookie struck out seven and walked three.
Tony Watson pitched the eighth and Mark Melancon worked the ninth to finish off the five-hitter for his 15th save.
MARINERS 4, CARDINALS 1
ST. LOUIS — Rookie James Paxton gave up two hits in six shutout innings and the Seattle Mariners ended a five-game losing streak, dropping St. Louis into a tie for the NL Central lead.
St. Louis and Pittsburgh share the division lead once again. The Pirates topped the Cubs 2-1.
BRAVES 2, PADRES 1
ATLANTA — Kris Medlen allowed four hits over 7 1-3 scoreless innings to win his fourth straight start, leading the Atlanta Braves over San Diego.
The NL East-leading Braves led 2-0 before Chase Headley hit a ninth-inning homer off closer Craig Kimbrel, who then pitched around a two-out walk to Ronny Cedeno for his career-best 47th save.
PHILLIES 5, NATIONALS 4
WASHINGTON — Carlos Ruiz had two doubles and three RBIs, John Mayberry homered and the Philadelphia Phillies ended Washington’s seven-game winning streak.
The Nationals fell 5½ games behind Cincinnati for the second NL wild card.
Cole Hamels (8-13) won his fourth straight decision. Jonathan Papelbon worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his 27th save.
Denard Span extended his hitting streak to 25 games. He got three hits and stole three bases for Washington.
Gio Gonzalez (10-7), coming off a one-hitter against the Mets, allowed four runs on nine hits in six innings.
MARLINS 3, METS 0, GAME 1
METS 3, MARLINS 1, GAME 2
NEW YORK — Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed two hits in seven innings for his first major league win in more than a year, and the New York Mets got back-to-back homers from Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda to beat the Miami Marlins for a doubleheader split.
Matsuzaka (1-3) plunked Placido Polanco twice in the nightcap, but other than that the Japanese right-hander was in complete control. It was his first big league win since Aug. 27, 2012, with Boston against Kansas City. He entered 1-10 in his past 16 major league starts.
LaTroy Hawkins got three outs for his 10th save.
In the opener, Donovan Solano got some payback after he was hit by two pitches, launching a home run and making two terrific defensive plays that sent Henderson Alvarez and the Marlins past the Mets in the opener of a doubleheader.
Logan Morrison drove in two runs, one on a line drive off the right wrist of Frank Francisco that knocked the oft-injured reliever out of the game. Alvarez (4-4) pitched four-hit ball over seven innings for his second win against the Mets this year.
Carlos Torres (3-5) hit Solano with pitches in his first two plate appearances. Torres struck out a career-high eight in six innings and gave up only three hits.
ATHLETICS 1, RANGERS 0
ARLINGTON, Texas — Bartolo Colon scattered seven hits over eight impressive innings for the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics, who stretched their division lead over Texas to 5½ games with a 1-0 victory over the Rangers and Yu Darvish on Saturday.
The A’s won for the seventh time in eight games, and clinched the key division series by beating Texas twice in less than 24 hours.
Colon (16-6) struck out seven and lowered what is already his career-best ERA to 2.73.
Darvish (12-9) struck out 10 over seven innings in his fourth 1-0 loss of the season. The right-hander from Japan has lost his last four starts, the last two by 1-0 scores, and is winless his last six.
Even though Darvish struck out the side in the first, Josh Donaldson drew a one-out walk and scored on a two-out double by Brandon Moss into the right field corner.
RAYS 7, TWINS 0
MINNEAPOLIS — Matt Moore and five relievers combined on a four-hitter and the Tampa Bay Rays held their wild-card lead, defeating Minnesota on a rainy night.
Desmond Jennings hit a pair of RBI doubles as the Rays stayed 1½ games ahead of Cleveland for the second AL wild-card spot.
The Rays teamed to blank the Twins for the second straight day, and threw their 15th shutout of the season. Tampa Bay beat Minnesota for the 11th time in a row.
After first pitch was delayed by 7 minutes, Tampa Bay took a 4-0 lead before the game was delayed 2 hours, 4 minutes in the middle of the fourth inning.
Moore struck out five over three innings and didn’t return after the delay. He has only allowed one earned run in 14 2-3 innings since coming off the disabled list earlier this month.
ROYAL 1, TIGERS 0
DETROIT — Prince Fielder was thrown out at home plate to end the game, preserving Ervin Santana’s impressive outing and leading the Royals to a victory over the Tigers.
Eric Hosmer had an RBI triple in the first for the Royals. He was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a grounder to third base.
Santana (9-9) won for the first time since Aug. 4, outpitching Doug Fister (12-9).
Greg Holland got his 43rd save as the Royals stayed 3½ games Tampa Bay for the second wild-card spot.
INDIANS 8, WHITE SOX 1
CHICAGO — Ubaldo Jimenez pitched 8 1-3 strong innings and Asdrubal Cabrera and Lonnie Chisenhall homered to lead Cleveland to a victory over the White Sox on Saturday night that helped the Indians keep pace in the AL wild-card race.
The Indians trail Tampa Bay by 1½ games for the last wild-card spot.
Cabrera hit a two-run homer and Chisenhall added a three-run shot in a five-run fourth inning that powered the Indians to their 11th straight win against Chicago and third in a row overall.
Jimenez (12-9) scattered eight hits and struck out eight to win his third straight start.
Andre Rienzo (2-2) lasted just four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks.
RED SOX 5, YANKEES 1
BOSTON — Jon Lester pitched eight dominant innings, and the AL East-leading Red Sox dealt the Yankees’ wild-card hopes another blow.
Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes and Shane Victorino each had two hits as the surging Red Sox won for the 16th time in 19 games and beat the Yankees for the fifth time in six meetings in just over a week.
New York is three games behind Tampa Bay for the second wild-card slot.
Lester (14-8) allowed one run and three hits, striking out five and walking two for his fourth win in six starts.
The Red Sox built a 5-1 lead against CC Sabathia (13-13) after five innings.
Sabathia went six innings, allowing five runs on nine hits, walking four and striking out five.
BLUE JAYS 4, ORIOLES 3
TORONTO — Colby Rasmus hit a two-run home run, Jeremy Jefress won for the first time in more than two years and the Jays handed the slumping Orioles their fifth loss in seven games.
The Orioles are 3½ games behind Tampa Bay for the second AL wild-card slot.
Rasmus erased Baltimore’s 3-2 lead with a drive off the facing of the second deck against Chris Tillman (16-6) in the seventh inning. For Rasmus, it was his 20th homer of the season and second in two days.
ANGELS 6, ASTROS 2
HOUSTON — Jered Weaver pitched six solid innings, Chris Iannetta homered and the Angels stopped Houston’s four-game winning streak.
Weaver (10-8) joined Nolan Ryan as the only Angels pitchers to reach double-digits in wins for eight straight seasons.
Brett Wallace homered for Houston, which leads the majors with 97 losses. The Astros had their first four-game winning string since mid-June.
Rookie Brett Oberholtzer (4-3) allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.
BY WIRE SOURCES
