American League
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| Altuve's HR caps rally |
Houston topped the Angels for the second straight time, pounding out a 10-5 win after whipping LA 11-3 on Friday.
Three time batting champion and 2017 AL MVP, Jose Altuve, socked his 13th home run and singled twice in four at-bats, to lead the Astros in their pursuit of another AL West pennant.
Altuve's 8th inning home run came as part of a nine-run inning, which turned a 5-1 Angel lead into a 10-5 Houston advantage. Altuve's blast provided the final two runs.
The win kept Houston's lead over the A's at 3 1/2 games as Oakland topped Minnesota, 3-2. Houston has eight games left in the regular season, Oakland, seven, so the magic number for the Astros to clinch their second straight division crown is five.
Houston closes out the weekend with game three against the Angels. If they are to capture he division flag, Houston will need to do it on the road. They travel first to Toronto next week for three games, followed by a final four-game series in Baltimore.
National League
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| Foltynewicz hurls clincher |
The Braves backed their starter by building a 4-0 lead heading into the seventh when the Phillies finally broke through. Odubel Herrera led off with a single, but he was erased on a fielder's choice and Atlanta converted a double play to end the inning. In the eighth, however, Foltynewicz ran out of gas, surrendering a second hit and a walk - his third - before being lifted. Jesse Biddle walked Jose Bautista to load the bases, and Cesar Hernandez came through with a single, plating two runs. Rhys singled in another run, cutting the Braves' lead down to 4-3.
After Kurt Suzuki drove in Ender Inciarte for a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth, Arodys Vizcainoclosed out the game with a hitless ninth, prompting an on-field celebration in Atlanta followed by the requisite locker room mayhem.
Foltynewicz was tagged with two earned runs, but still took the win, the 12th for Foltynewicz, against 10 lesses, though the record doesn't aptly indicate the 26-year-old's importance to Atlanta's rise to division winner this season nor his emergence as a top line starter. His 2.88 ERA is fourth in the NL; he's struck out 193, walking 68 in 30 starts comprising 178 innings. He's recorded two complete games this season, one a shutout.
The division crown in hand, Atlanta's ongoing task is to keep winning, in hopes of catching the Cubs for the best record in the league, which would ensure home field through the playoffs. Chicago leads the Central at 90-64. Atlanta is at 87-68, and the Dodgers top the West with a record of 86-69.
Winners of four straight, the Braves wrap up their series against the Phillies on Sunday, looking for the sweep. They close out the season next week with three games in New York with the Mets and three at Philadelphia.
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