MINNEAPOLIS — Max Scherzer earned his 21st win as the Detroit Tigers clinched their third straight AL Central title, beating the Minnesota Twins 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Torii Hunter’s single followed a leadoff triple by Austin Jackson in the first inning, and that was all Scherzer (21-3) and manager Jim Leyland’s Tigers needed to start the party.
Scherzer gave up two singles in seven innings. Jose Veras and Drew Smyly teamed up for the eighth and Joaquin Benoit worked the ninth for his 24th save in 25 tries.
A few dozen Tigers fans in attendance at Target Field cheered from their seats while Miguel Cabrera and his teammates mobbed Benoit in front of the mound after he struck out Josh Willingham to end the game.
Scherzer struck out 10 and lowered his ERA to 2.90, ensuring he’ll finish the season with the most wins in the major leagues.
Kevin Correia (9-13) took the loss.
RAYS 8, YANKEES 3
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees failed to make the playoffs for only the second time in 19 years, getting mathematically eliminated during their loss to Tampa Bay.
Evan Longoria homered twice as the Rays won their sixth straight and lowered to three their magic number over Texas for clinching an AL wild-card berth.
Slowed by age and hobbled by injury, the Yankees (82-76) were chased with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning when Cleveland completed a 7-2 win over the White Sox.
Despite baseball’s highest opening-day payroll at $230 million, the Yankees failed to claim one of the 10 playoff spots. Since starting the latest run of success in 1995, New York had missed the playoffs only in 2008.
David Price (9-8) ended a five-start winless streak, one shy of his career worst, and Longoria drove in four runs. Phil Hughes (4-14) allowed three early runs.
RANGERS 7, ASTROS 3
ARLINGTON, Texas — Leonys Martin hit a three-run double, Ian Kinsler homered and the Texas Rangers kept pace in the AL wild-card chase, handing Houston its 12th loss in a row and team-record 108th defeat this season.
Texas completed a three-game sweep and finished 17-2 with 11 straight wins against their instate rival.
The Rangers remained a game behind Cleveland for the AL’s second wild-card spot — Tampa Bay is a game ahead of the Indians. Texas has four games left in the regular season, with the series opener at home against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.
Rookie left-hander Martin Perez (10-5) struck out eight over seven innings. Dallas Keuchel (6-10) took the loss.
INDIANS 7, WHITE SOX 2
CLEVELAND — Rookie Danny Salazar gave Cleveland a much-needed quality start and Nick Swisher hit a two-run homer as the Indians tightened their grip one of the AL wild-card spots with their 14th straight win over the Chicago White Sox.
Salazar (2-3) struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings for the Indians, who won their final six home games to stay with the wild-card leaders.
The Indians lead Texas by one game for the second wild-card slot. They are one game behind Tampa Bay for the top spot.
Swisher homered in the fifth inning off Dylan Axelrod (4-11) as the Indians finished the season 16-2 against Chicago.
ANGELS 3, ATHLETICS 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jered Weaver pitched seven innings of five-hit ball, Josh Hamilton drove in two runs and the Los Angeles Angels did a bit more damage to Oakland’s home-field playoff hopes.
Erick Aybar had three hits in the Angels’ final home game of their disappointing season.
Dan Straily (10-8) allowed seven hits while pitching into the seventh inning of his first loss since Aug. 17 for the AL West champion A’s.
Weaver (11-8) finished his season impressively after missing last week’s scheduled start with tightness in his right forearm.
MARINERS 6, ROYALS 0
SEATTLE — Hisashi Iwakuma pitched eight scoreless innings and Mike Zunino homered twice as the Seattle Mariners ended Kansas City’s playoff hopes.
All three teams ahead of Kansas City in the wild-card hunt — Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Texas — won on Wednesday. The Royals’ loss eliminated them.
Ervin Santana (9-10) matched Iwakuma (14-6) and kept the Mariners scoreless for the first four innings before Seattle broke through.
ORIOLES 9, BLUE JAYS 5
BALTIMORE — Ryan Flaherty hit a pair of two-run homers, Jonathan Schoop had a solo shot in his big league debut and the Baltimore Orioles beat Toronto to snap a six-game skid and clinch their second straight winning season.
Steve Pearce also homered for Baltimore and Chris Davis doubled in a run to increase his RBI total to 137, tied with Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera for the major league lead.
Cards 4, NATIONALS 1
ST. LOUIS — Rookie Shelby Miller won his 15th game, and Yadier Molina had the go-ahead hit for St. Louis, which wrapped up a three-game sweep of Washington and moved another step closer to the NL Central title.
Jordan Zimmermann (19-9) missed his only shot at 20 wins, allowing four runs in seven innings. The Nationals had five hits one day after breaking up rookie Michael Wacha’s bid for a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning.
Matt Adams hit his eighth home run since replacing injured Allen Craig and doubled for the Cardinals (94-65), who are a season-high 29 games above .500.
Miller (15-9) walked two of the first three hitters to set up Bryce Harper’s RBI single. Miller allowed a run in six-plus innings.
METS 1, REDS 0
CINCINNATI — Daisuke Matsuzaka scattered four hits in 7 2/3 innings to win his third consecutive start, outdueling Cincinnati’s Mat Latos.
Eric Young Jr. drove in the only run for the Mets, who won two of three in the series to further dampen Cincinnati’s hopes of hosting the NL wild-card playoff game on Tuesday.
Matsuzaka (3-3) allowed two walks and hit a batter. He struck out six and evened his record after three losses and a no-decision in his first four starts after joining the Mets in August.
He left the game with a runner on second and two outs in the eighth. Pedro Feliciano came on to walk Shin-Soo Choo before getting Joey Votto to fly out to center for the fourth time in four at-bats.
CUBS 4, PIRATES 2
CHICAGO — Darnell McDonald hit a three-run homer to lead Chicago to the win that really hurt Pittsburgh’s hopes of winning the NL Central.
With three games remaining in the regular season for each team, the Pirates trail division-leading St. Louis by three games.
The Pirates, who already have clinched a playoff spot, hold a one-game lead over Cincinnati for the first wild-card slot. Pittsburgh and the Reds finish up with a three-game set in Cincinnati this weekend.
McDonald had three hits, including his homer in the sixth inning that put the Cubs ahead 4-1.
Jake Arrieta (4-2) allowed one run and four hits for the Cubs. Kevin Gregg allowed an unearned run in the ninth for his 33rd save.
Francisco Liriano (16-8) allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
BREWERS 4, BRAVES 0
ATLANTA — Kyle Lohse pitched a two-hitter and Milwaukee overcame Carlos Gomez’s ejection in the first inning.
NL East champion Atlanta was shut out for the second time in three nights and has been blanked 17 times, second-most in the league.
After losing three of four, Atlanta has fallen three games behind St. Louis for the NL’s best winning percentage.
Lohse (11-10) struck out five and threw just 22 of 89 pitches for balls.
Gomez made it 1-0 in the first with his 23rd homer, but was ejected without touching home plate during a benches-clearing argument.
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman and reserve catcher Gerald Laird were also ejected.
MARLINS 3, PHILLIES 2
MIAMI — Adeiny Hechavarria drove in three runs, including a go-ahead run in the eighth inning, for Miami.
Hechavarria hit a two-run triple in the second before driving in the run that made it 3-2 on a fielder’s choice.
Justin Ruggiano walked and Placido Polanco singled for his third hit in the eighth off Ethan Martin (2-5) before Hechavarria hit a grounder to shortstop Jimmy Rollins, whose throw went wide of catcher Carlos Ruiz allowing Ruggiano to slide in safely.
Steve Cishek pitched the ninth for his 33rd save in 35 chances. It was Cishek’s 28th consecutive save setting the team record previously held by Todd Jones in 2005.
PADRES 12, d-backs 2
SAN DIEGO — Ian Kennedy’s solid pitching and offensive production throughout the lineup led San Diego.
Kennedy (7-10) struck out seven and allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings while facing his ex-team for the second time since being acquired by the Padres on July 31. He had a no-decision in their previous meeting.
The Padres hit three homers, four batters had at least two RBIs and four batters finished with multiple hits.
Jedd Gyorko continued his solid season, as his 21st home run placed him one ahead of the Atlanta Braves’ Evan Gattis for the major league lead among rookies. Chase Headley had three RBIs, with Gyorko and Chris Denorfia getting two each.
GIANTS 6, DODGERS 4
SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Zito won in what likely was his final hurrah for San Francisco and Pablo Sandoval backed him with a two-run homer.
Tony Abreu hit a bases-loaded triple to stake Zito to a quick 3-0 lead in the second, then added an RBI double in the sixth as last year’s World Series champions put themselves in position for a rare home series victory if they can win Thursday night’s rubber game with the NL West champion Dodgers.
Zito (5-11) outpitched Ricky Nolasco (13-11), whose late-September struggles have the Dodgers a bit concerned with the playoffs looming. The right-hander is 0-2 over his last three outings since getting victories in four consecutive starts and seven straight decisions.
BY WIRE SOURCES
