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Royals’ Young throws 5 no-hit innings, earns win one day after father’s death

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riggertRoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A day after his father died, Chris Young took the mound and paid tribute the best way he knew how.

Young pitched five no-hit innings in his first start after nearly two months in the bullpen, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Indians 3-0 Sunday.

“Today I had the opportunity to honor him, playing the game we both loved alongside of my baseball family,” Young said in a statement that a club spokesman read to the media. “I felt him next to me with every pitch.”

Young caught a flight to Dallas before the game ended.

“Last night he got a call that they had taken his dad to the hospital and he wasn’t doing good,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “About 11:30 to 12 (p.m.), he passed away.”

“Chris was adamant he wanted to pitch today. To go out with that on his heart and throw five innings of no-hit baseball was unbelievable,” he said.

Young (11-6) made his first start since July 28.

After Danny Duffy struck out two in a perfect sixth for the AL Central champion Royals, Ryan Madson took over to work the seventh.

On Madson’s first pitch, Francisco Lindor broke up Kansas City’s no-hit bid with a bunt single.

“We’re not trying to break up a no-hitter. We’re trying to win a game,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “If they have issues with it — I saw (shortstop Alcides) Escobar saying a few things — they can take it up with me. I thought it was a very good bunt.”

Yost had no quarrels with Lindor bunting.

“I was a little bit surprised,” Yost said. “But no, they’re fighting for a wild card.”

Yost said he would’ve been more annoyed if it hadn’t been a combo effort on the no-hit try.

“I just want to win the game and they want to win the game and they’re trying find ways to keep themselves in that wild-card hunt,” Yost said.

Lindor put down a bunt that third baseman Mike Moustakas, who was playing back, picked up with his bare hand about 40 feet from home plate. Moustakas’ one-hop throw to first was not nearly in time.

“I was trying to get on base and make something happen,” Lindor said. “Michael Brantley was coming to home plate, the tying run. I mean that’s big, to get the tying run to the plate. Getting somebody on base when it’s two-nothing, you can change the game like that.”

A day after climbing above .500 for the first time since April 9, the Indians (77-77) fell four games behind Houston (82-74) for the AL’s second wild card with eight games left.

Cleveland’s only previous baserunner before Lindor was Brantley, who walked with two outs in the fourth. Lorenzo Cain tracked down Jose Ramirez’s liner to right-center in the third for the closest thing to a hit off Young.

Brantley followed Lindor’s hit with a walk and, one out later, Lonnie Chisenhall lined out to Madson, who threw to first baseman Eric Hosmer trying for an inning-ending double play. The throw was off line and in the dirt as Brantley eluded Hosmer and got back safely, while Lindor came home.

Kansas City asked for a video review, but after a 71-second delay the call was not overturned — Hosmer tagged Brantley with his glove while the ball was in his throwing hand.

Moustakas claimed Lindor did not tag up before running home. Crew chief Dane DeMuth called for an umpire’s review and, after a 3:27 delay, umpires ruled Lindor left early and was out.

Kelvin Herrera worked a flawless eighth, and Wade Davis gave up a double to Jason Kipnis in the ninth as he finished for his 14th save in 15 chances.

Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the fourth against Danny Salazar (13-10) when Hosmer hit an RBI double and scored on Moustakas’ groundout. Alex Gordon singled in a run in the seventh.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: Brantley (right shoulder injury) played left after missing the four previous games.

Royals: DH Kendrys Morales sat out with a bruised right ankle after being hit by a pitch Saturday. X-rays were negative.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Corey Kluber, who starts Monday against the Twins, is tied for the AL-lead with 15 losses after winning the AL Cy Young Award last year.

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura will start Monday at Wrigley Field, a makeup of a May 30 rainout against the Cubs.

— Associated Press —

St. Louis blows 2-run lead in ninth inning against Milwaukee

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riggertCardinalsST. LOUIS (AP) — Jason Rogers feels right at home in the spoiler role.

The Milwaukee rookie hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth inning off St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal to lift the Brewers to an 8-4 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday.

The Cardinals’ NL Central lead is three games over Pittsburgh. The Cardinals’ magic number for clinching the crown was cut to four after the Pirates lost to Chicago later Sunday.

St. Louis has lost two of three heading into a three-game showdown in Pittsburgh starting Monday.

“It’s always good to beat guys at the end and maybe try and ruin their season,” Rogers said. “It was special, a grand slam off a tough righty, one of the best in the game.”

Khris Davis homered twice and drove in four runs for the Brewers, who scored seven runs in the ninth.

“This was a great come-from-behind win,” Davis said. “We were all having fun out there. It was just a great feeling.”

All four Milwaukee batters reached safely against Rosenthal (2-4), who had converted 47 of 49 save opportunities. His last blown save came July 12 at Pittsburgh.

“I can’t explain how it happened,” Rosenthal said. “Everything felt fine. I tried to get in a groove and couldn’t quite get there. Just one of those days.”

Rogers, who is 13 of 48 as a pinch hitter, ripped his second pinch-hit homer of the season and first grand slam of his career.

Davis added a three-run homer later in the ninth off Seth Maness for an 8-3 lead.

“In the ninth, we just tried to give it our best chance with good at-bats,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. “Everything fell into place. Got some good pinch-hit efforts.”

David Goforth (1-0) picked up the win with one inning of relief.

Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 37th save in 39 chances. He retired Brandon Moss with two on to end the game.

Matt Carpenter and Stephen Piscotty hit back-to-back homers in the seventh to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Hernan Perez then started the Milwaukee ninth with a single. Martin Maldonado was hit by a pitch and Jonathan Lucroy walked to load the bases for Rogers.

St. Louis starter John Lackey allowed one run on five hits over seven innings for his 26th quality start in 32 outings this season.

“It’s one game, we can’t get too crazy about it,” Lackey said. “We’ve just got to play better on the road.”

Carpenter slammed a one-out home run off Jeremy Jeffress to break a 1-all tie. Piscotty followed with his seventh homer of the season.

Despite the loss, the St. Louis players realize they are still in the driver’s seat in the division race.

“Every loss has the same feeling, we’re not going to dwell on it,” Carpenter said. “We’ve got a chance to go out and win the division in the next few days. That’s all we can ask for.”

The Cardinals hit back-to-back homers for the third time this season.

Davis, who has a team-high 26 homers, gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead with a home run off Lackey in the second. Davis has three homers in 17 career at-bats against Lackey.

The Cardinals tied the game in the fourth on singles by Matt Adams and Kolten Wong and an RBI groundout by Tony Cruz.

CROWD CONTROL

The Cardinals recorded their 37th sellout of the season and finished with 3,520,889 in attendance, an average of 43,468 per game. It is the second-highest attendance in the majors behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: INF Carpenter returned to the lineup after leaving Saturday’s 5-1 win with tightness in his left hip.

UP NEXT

Brewers; RHP Jorge Lopez will make his major league debut on Tuesday in the first of a three-game series in San Diego. He will be opposed by RHP Tyson Ross (10-11, 3.17).

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (12-10, 3.16) faces LHP J.A. Happ (10-8, 3.88) on Monday in the first of a crucial three-game series in Pittsburgh.

— Associated Press —

Kansas City drops second straight after winning division title

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riggertRoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Back above .500, the Cleveland Indians are focused on getting back to the playoffs.

Carlos Santana drove in three runs, Yan Gomes homered and the Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 9-5 Saturday night to move above .500 for the first time since April 9.

Two years after winning their final 10 games to earn a wild-card berth, the Indians (77-76) have a winning record for the first time since they were 2-1. They remained three games back in the AL wild-card race.

“It was awful difficult, but that can’t be our goal, obviously,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of getting above .500. “But shoot, man, I would be lying if I said it didn’t feel good to get there.

“It needs to be a jumping off point, not a goal. It’s been a lot of hard work those guys have gone into to get us back to kind of being respectable and being in this race. It is good, but we need to go.”

The Royals, who wrapped up the AL Central title with a victory Thursday, fell to 9-15 in September.

They no longer control their own destiny for home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. With the loss and the Toronto’s victory over Tampa Bay, the Blue Jays and Royals share the AL’s best record at 89-65. However, Toronto holds the tiebreaker by beating Kansas City in the season series.

“We’ll find out,” manager Ned Yost said when asked how his team will respond with eight games remaining, seven on the road. “We’ll see. I’ve got a lot of confidence in this group. But again, we just worry about ourselves. We’ve got to go out and win baseball games. That’ll take care of everything.”

Indians relievers Zach McAllister (4-4), Jeff Manship, Kyle Crockett and Bryan Shaw held the Royals hitless over the final 5 1/3 innings.

“All we can do is win,” said Manship, who retired all six batters he faced. “We can’t pay attention to what else is going on. We kind of can, but at the same point if we’re not winning games it doesn’t even matter. If we can win out from here on out and see what happens. We’ve just got to keep playing how we are.”

Santana hit a two-run triple in the first and drove home another run in the three-run sixth with a fielder’s choice grounder.

Gomes homered in the third. Jose Ramirez went 3 for 5 with a double and triple. He scored three runs and drove in another.

Rookie Francisco Lindor had two hits, a sacrifice fly, drove in a pair of runs and scored a run.

Royals right-hander Kris Medlen (5-2) was pulled after 3 2/3 innings, yielding six runs on nine hits, including six for extra bases, a walk and a wild pitch.

Indians starter Josh Tomlin also failed to make it through five innings, allowing five runs on seven hits.

Ben Zobrist homered for the Royals, while Salvador Perez contributed a two-run double.

Royals left-handed reliever Franklin Morales gave up hits to the only two batters he faced and both scored in the sixth. Morales has retired only one of the past seven batters he has faced.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: RF Lonnie Chisenhall suffered hamstring cramps beating out an infield single in the third and was removed. . OF Michael Brantley (right shoulder injury) missed his fourth straight game. . 3B Giovanny Urshela (right shoulder injury) will be re-examined Monday in Cleveland.

Royals: DH Kendrys Morales was hit by a pitch above his right ankle in the eighth inning and after being checked out by a trainer, Paulo Orlando ran for him. Yost said it was a bruise and listed Morales as day-to-day.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Danny Salazar will be making his fourth start this season against the Royals. He is 2-1 with a 4.05 ERA in the first three.

Royals: RHP Chris Young will make his 17th start, but his first since July 28.

— Associated Press —

Garcia dazzles as Cardinals defeat Milwaukee

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riggertCardinalsST. LOUIS (AP) — Jaime Garcia can relate to what Carlos Martinez is going through.

The Cardinals found out Saturday that Martinez is done for the year with a right shoulder strain, something the oft-injured Garcia didn’t learn until after throwing eight dominant innings in a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers that kept St. Louis’ NL Central lead at three games.

“I told him, `You know, stuff happens,” Garcia said. “He threw a lot of innings for the first time in his career, and he had a tremendous season, and now he’s got to figure out what the best plan is.”

Garcia (10-5) has revived his career after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in 2014 for nerve compression that caused numbness and tingling and cost him big chunks of the previous three seasons.

“I think whenever we’re done with this year, I’ll have time to sit back and think about everything that’s happened,” Garcia said. “For right now, I was preparing for this start, and now I’ve got to get ready for my next start.”

The Cardinals shaved their magic number to five for clinching the division after second-place Pittsburgh beat the Cubs 4-0 earlier in the day.

Matt Holliday had a pair of RBI doubles, and Kolten Wong’s two-run single capped a four-run first against rookie Tyler Wagner (0-1).

“Just a real nice stroke and the ball jumping off his bat,” manager Mike Matheny said of Holliday. “That’s the guy we want him to be.”

Matt Carpenter was removed after five innings with left hip tightness for precautionary reasons, but said after the game he intended to play Sunday in the home finale.

Matheny said Carpenter had to be persuaded to come out.

“By the time I came up the steps into the clubhouse he was already lobbying that he was fine and wants to play,” Matheny said.

Garcia (10-5) allowed a run on seven hits, retiring 10 in a row at one point. The lefty struck out eight with no walks and reached double figures in victories for the first time since 2011.

Garcia is 7-1 since Aug. 1, and the Cardinals are 10-1 in his last 11 starts.

The Cardinals are 98-57 overall and 55-25 at Busch Stadium, both major league bests, heading into the home regular-season finale on Sunday. It’s the most victories in Matheny’s four seasons, topping 97 wins in 2013.

Milwaukee had the bullpen busy in the first when St. Louis scored four runs on five hits with two walks against Wagner, making his second career start and first since May 31.

“Early in the game he didn’t get a second pitch going at all because he was behind in the counts,” manager Craig Counsell said. “So they just kind of waited him out, waited for a sinker they could hit.”

NICE GLOVE

Wong ranged far to his left at 2B to rob Jean Segura of a hit in the third.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: C Jonathan Lucroy got a spot start at 1B and had two hits and an RBI. Counsell said Adam Lind will get the bulk of the playing time there, and that Lucroy, coming off a concussion, won’t catch again this season. Lucroy and Ryan Braun (lower back) both were in the Brewers lineup for the first time since Sept. 8.

Cardinals: C Yadier Molina, sidelined since Sunday by a slight ligament tear in his left thumb, will be examined Monday. The team has been hopeful he’ll return before the end of the season.

UP NEXT

John Lackey (13-9, 2.74) can become the fourth Cardinals pitcher to win 10 games at home in a season and he’s 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in four starts against Milwaukee. Tyler Cravy (0-8, 6.21) starts for the Brewers.

— Associated Press —

Kansas City gets one-hit by Indians’ Carrasco

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riggertRoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Carlos Carrasco had his A-plus stuff and overpowered the Kansas City Royals’ B-team.

Carrasco pitched a one-hitter, allowing only a seventh-inning single, and struck out a career-high 15 to lead the Cleveland Indians over the Royals 6-0 Friday night.

The AL Central Royals didn’t come close to a hit until Alex Rios lined a single to center with one out in the seventh.

Carrasco (14-11) was trying to pitch Cleveland’s first no-hitter since 1981, when Len Barker threw a perfect game. On July 1, Carrasco was within one strike of a no-hitter against Tampa Bay when Joey Butler singled on an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the ninth.

“In Tampa I knew I had a no-hitter,” Carrasco said. “This one I feel way different. I really didn’t know I had a no-hitter because I was playing with those guys over there and I was talking (in the dugout). I really didn’t pay attention to that.”

After Rios’ single, he struck out the next six hitters.

“He was unreal today, man,” his catcher Roberto Perez said. “He pounded the zone.”

A day after the Royals clinched their first division crown since 1985, manager Ned Yost opted to sit most of his starters. Ben Zobrist and Rios were the only regulars in the lineup.

“Carrasco would have beaten anybody tonight with that stuff,” Yost said. “He was just simply electric, a 97 mile per hour four-seamer, a 94 mile per hour two-seamer with a lot of action and a tremendous split, hard slider, throwing them all for strikes. That’s as good as stuff as we’ve seen all year long.”

This was the sixth time this season the Indians took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning.

“Carlos, by his own admission, told me in the first inning, `I feel lethargic,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “I said, `well, go as hard as you can, as long as you can and we’ll get you out of there.’ I hope he feels lethargic next time.”

Jose Ramirez, Abraham Almonte and Perez homered.

Ramirez homered in the first and connected in the second for a two-run drive. Perez hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Franklin Morales.

Carrasco fanned every Royals batter at least once. He struck out Zobrist, Paulo Orlando and Jonny Gomes three times.

All of Carrasco’s strikeouts were swinging, as the Royals chased his sharp-breaking pitches out of the strike zone. He walked two.

Edinson Volquez (13-9) yielded three runs on four hits, while walking two and striking out seven over six innings.

“It was a great night for Carrasco and a bad night for us,” Volquez said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: LF Michael Brantley was a late scratch after batting practice, missing his third straight game with a right shoulder injury. He hurt the shoulder on a diving catch attempt Tuesday at Minnesota.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Josh Tomlin is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .158 average in four road starts.

Royals: RHP Kris Medlen threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings to win 2-0 on Sept. 15 at Cleveland. He is 10-2 with a 1.99 ERA in 25 career September appearances.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals’ five-game winning streak ends against Milwaukee

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riggertCardinalsST. LOUIS (AP) — Initial tests were positive on Carlos Martinez’ problematic shoulder. So maybe at least the St. Louis Cardinals had something to smile about.

After lasting just seven pitches in a 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night, the 24-year-old right-hander said there wasn’t a lot of pain but added he had some weakness. The Cardinals have scheduled an MRI for Saturday.

“I’m not too concerned about it,” Martinez said through an interpreter. “But I’m going to wait till tomorrow and see what happens.”

Martinez said he first experienced stiffness against the Cubs his last start and that the shoulder was “a little tight” for his bullpen session, but “thought he could push through it.”

“But after the first pitch I knew something was bothering me a little bit,” he added.

Manager Mike Matheny was somewhat aware of the pitcher’s issues but couldn’t tell during pregame warmups “because a lot of times he just kind of goes nice and easy.”

“I know the fact they came back and ran him through all the tests and weren’t overly concerned with what they saw, that’s a good thing,” the manager added.

Khris Davis homered off Trevor Rosenthal leading off the ninth inning for Milwaukee, atoning for a base-running gaffe earlier. Davis thought there were two outs instead of one when he kept running on a routine fly ball and was easily doubled off second in the fourth.

“I completely blanked out,” Davis said. “I can’t afford to make those mistakes.”

Coming through in the ninth said, made it that much sweeter.

“Yeah, you can write that,” Davis said.

The loss cut the Cardinals’ NL Central lead to three games over Pittsburgh with eight games remaining.

Rosenthal (2-3) was St. Louis’ eighth reliever and Davis’ 24th homer was just the second allowed by the St. Louis closer; the other was by Pittsburgh’s Jung Ho Kang on May 3 in St. Louis.

Davis was 1 for 5 with four strikeouts against Rosenthal before lining a 1-1 fastball into the right-field bullpen.

“I don’t know the numbers, but I know he’s got great stuff,” Davis said. “I was just looking to get on base.”

Will Smith (7-2) got the Brewers out of danger in the eighth and Francisco Rodriguez earned his 36th save in 38 chances.

Milwaukee has lost 12 of 17 against the Cardinals this season and 53 of the last 77 meetings.

Martinez flinched after a called first strike to Adam Lind, then left the field with his glove covering his face and in apparent pain. Martinez is among the NL leaders in wins (14) and ERA (3.01).

Lefty Tyler Lyons replaced Martinez and had five strikeouts in a row in the second and third.

“You just get thrown right in the fire,” Lyons said. “You’ve got to make pitches off the bat.”

Jean Segura scored from second to tie it at 3 in the seventh when rookie second baseman Greg Garcia couldn’t get the ball out of his glove on a two-out grounder by pinch-hitter Domingo Santana.

“That play hurts,” Garcia said. “It’s a big game.”

Jonathan Lucroy had a pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth and Jordan Schafer doubled twice. Starter Ariel Pena allowed three runs in five innings.

The Cardinals got RBI from Matt Carpenter, Stephen Piscotty and Tony Cruz.

FULL HOUSE

The attendance of 45,057 was the Cardinals’ 35th sellout with two dates remaining.

COOLING OFF PERIOD

Cardinals rookie Tommy Pham, who entered with a major league-best .412 average including three homers since Sept. 15, struck out in all four at-bats. … Pinch-runner Peter Bourjos was caught stealing for eighth time in 13 attempts in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: Ryan Braun (lower back) missed his sixth consecutive start but lined out as a pinch hitter to end the eighth. … Lucroy, coming off a concussion, has a pinch-hit single the last two games and finished at first base.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright is scheduled for a second simulated game Saturday. The two-time 20-game winner is attempting to come back just five months after tearing his left Achilles.

UP NEXT

Lefty Jaime Garcia (9-5, 2.45) is 6-1 with a 2.83 ERA in 10 starts since Aug. 1 and the Cardinals are 9-1. Tyler Wagner (0-0, 12.27) makes his second career start for the Brewers.

— Associated Press —

Royals clinch first division title since 1985 with 10-4 win over Mariners

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riggertRoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals clinched the AL Central for their first division title in 30 years, beating the Seattle Mariners 10-4 Thursday night.

Johnny Cueto picked up his first victory in nearly six weeks, and the win, coupled with the Minnesota Twins’ 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians, ensured a title. The Royals have dominated the division, leading by as many as 14 games.

It’s the Royals first division title since 1985, when they won the AL West en route to their only World Series championship.

The Kauffman Stadium announced crowd of 32,244 cheered when the Twins’ final score was shown on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth.

Kansas City became the first team to wrap up a division title this year. St. Louis and Pittsburgh have secured playoff berths in the NL.

Cueto (3-6), who was acquired in a July 26 trade with Cincinnati, allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two. He was 0-5 in his previous six starts since an Aug. 15 victory.

Mike Moustakas went 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, three runs and walked twice.

Lorenzo Cain’s two-run two-out sixth-inning single broke a 3-3 tie. Cain’s ground-ball single to left scored Alex Gordon, who had walked, and Ben Zobrist.

Moustakas led off the second with his 21st homer, which is a career high. He drove in two more runs with a single in the eighth.

Eric Hosmer hit a solo shot to center in the fifth to tie the score at 3.

The Mariners used seven pitchers, with Logan Kensing (1-1) taking the loss.

The Royals padded their lead with two more runs in the seventh behind Alex Rios and Alcides Escobar RBIs.

Mark Trumbo hit a two-run double in the fourth for the Mariners. Brad Miller doubled home Trumbo in the second for the Mariners’ first run.

Logan Morrison led off the Mariners’ ninth with his 17th home run.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: LHP James Paxton left after 33 pitches and nine batters with a broken fingernail.

Royals: RHP Greg Holland has a torn right elbow ligament and will see Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles next week. Surgery appears probable depending on the second opinion.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Vidal Nuno, who was acquired in a June 3 trade with Arizona, will make his eighth start Friday at the Angels.

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez, who starts the series opener against the Indians, is 8-3 with a 3.41 ERA in 15 Kauffman Stadium starts.

— Associated Press —

Peralta, Piscotty power St. Louis past Milwaukee

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riggertCardinalsST. LOUIS (AP) — Jhonny Peralta and Stephen Piscotty hit back-to-back homers and combined for seven RBI to power the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night.

St. Louis has won five straight and holds a four-game lead over Pittsburgh for the NL Central lead.

The Cardinals trailed 3-0 in the fourth when Peralta hit a three-run homer into the center field bleachers, and Piscotty followed two pitches later with a blast into the left-center seats. The homer by Peralta, St. Louis’ cleanup hitter, was his first since Aug. 1.

Piscotty added a two-run, two-out single off Taylor Jungmann (9-7) in the fifth and a run-scoring single in the seventh.

St. Louis, a major league-best 97-56, went 41 games over .500 for the first time.

Michael Wacha (17-6) worked five innings and allowed three runs, all in a 28-pitch first inning when he gave up three hits and walked two. Rookie Jason Rogers singled in Milwaukee’s first run, and Hernan Perez drove in two with an opposite-field double grounded just fair down the right field line.

Five Cardinals relievers limited the Brewers to three singles over the final four innings.

In his first career start, Brewers SS Yadiel Rivera grounded a single to left on the 11th pitch he saw in the first inning for his first career hit.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: C Jonathan Lucroy (concussion), out of the lineup since Sept. 8, singled in an eighth-inning pinch-hit appearance and stayed in to play first base. Lucroy is not expected to catch again this year, manager Craig Counsell said.

Cardinals: LF Matt Holliday (quad) is being eased into his return from an eight-week stint on the disabled list. After going 1 for 3 Wednesday in his first start since July 29, Holliday was not in the lineup.

UP NEXT

Brewers: Rookie Ariel Pena (2-0, 3.50) has pitched five innings and allowed no more than two runs in each of his first three starts, including a no-decision against the Cardinals Sept. 15.

Cardinals: Carlos Martinez (14-7, 3.01) will look to continue his dominant pitching against the Brewers. Martinez has allowed one run in 15 innings against Milwaukee, striking out 17 and giving up six hits.

— Associated Press —

Cain gets walk-off hit in the 10th, KC rallies past Seattle

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riggertRoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lorenzo Cain singled home pinch-runner Paulo Orlando in the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals rallied past the Seattle Mariners 4-3 Wednesday night to close in on their first division title in 30 years.

The victory reduced the Royals’ magic number to two for clinching the AL Central crown. They can lock it up Thursday night with another victory over Seattle and a Minnesota loss to Cleveland.

The defending AL champions have not won a division since taking the AL West in 1985 and going on to win the World Series.

— Associated Press —

Carpenter homers twice as Cardinals rout Reds 10-2

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riggertCardinalsST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Carpenter hit a pair of two-run homers, Lance Lynn pitched six scoreless innings and the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Cincinnati Reds 10-2 Wednesday night.

The win was the fourth straight for the NL Central leaders and it improved their major league-best record to 96-56. Randal Grichuk and Peter Bourjos also homered as the Cardinals hit four for the first time this season.

Matt Holliday returned to the St. Louis lineup for the first time since July 29 and contributed an RBI double.

Both of Carpenter’s homers came off Brandon Finnegan (4-1), who allowed six runs in five innings.

Lynn (12-10) gave up three singles, walked none and allowed only one runner to reach second before leaving with the Cardinals ahead 9-0.

St. Louis catcher Travis Tartamella singled in his first major league at-bat in the eighth.

Cincinnati slugger Joey Votto hit his 29th homer in the seventh and singled while extending his streak of reaching base safely to 40 games, one shy of his career best.

WAINWRIGHT GETS CLOSER

Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright moved a step closer to returning when he faced hitters for the first time since having left Achilles surgery April 30. The operation was expected to end his season, but Wainwright now hopes to pitch out of the bullpen next week. After throwing 25 pitches in simulated-game conditions to Cardinals hitters, Wainwright said he felt strong but lacked sharpness. “I like being out there again,” he said. “I wanted to be better than that. The second time, it’s got to improve.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: RHP Rafael Iglesias, removed from the rotation last week because of shoulder fatigue, has not been shut down for the season. Manager Bryan Price said Iglesias’ shoulder is stronger and he could pitch before the season ends.

Cardinals: Holliday (quad), Grichuk (elbow) and 1B Matt Adams (quad) have all returned to the lineup after stints on the disabled list, but none of them have been cleared to start on consecutive days. That could change soon, manager Mike Matheny said.

UP NEXT

Reds: Josh Smith (0-2, 7.71 ERA) will oppose fellow rookie Steven Matz in the opener of a four-game home series against the NL East-leading New York Mets. Matz won his major league debut against Smith and the Reds 7-2 in June.

Cardinals: Michael Wacha (16-6, 3.08) will make his first start this season against Milwaukee in the opener of St. Louis’ final home series. Wacha has given up 12 earned runs in 15 innings over his past three starts.

— Associated Press —

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