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| Grichuck: game-winning 2B |
Randal Grichuck doubled home Kevin Pillar in the eighth inning, giving the Blue Jays the lead in a 3-2 win over the Yankees Sunday in New York.
The Yankees, who had scored two runs in the first inning on an Andrew McCutchen homer and a sac fly by Didi Gregorious, failed to score the remainder of the game, despite numerous opportunities. Blue Jay pitching was just good enough to hold them off.
Thomas Pannone, who earning the win, worked seven innings, allowing just two hits and one walk after the shaky first frame.
While Toronto has been eliminated long ago from post-season opportunity, the Yankees are trying to hold onto the first wild card, but have been unsteady of late, losing four of five as the Oakland A's bear down on them.
The A's dropped a 5-4 decision at Tampa Bay Sunday, leaving them 1 1/2 back of New York, at the second wild card.
The Yankees will have to do better if they seek to play the single elimination game at home. They open a three-game series with Boston on Tuesday and then have three against the Orioles. Their final seven games are on the road, with four at Tampa Bay and three at Boston. Oakland may have an easier route. On Tuesday they start a three-game home series with the Angels and then host the Twins for three. They close out the regular season with three at Seattle and three in LA against the Angels.
Oakland is seven games clear of the Rays, so it's likely that the Yankees and Athletics will vie for the two wild card spots. The A's trail Houston by 4 1/2 in the AL West.
National League
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| Wainwright: 6IP, 0ER, 9K |
As the final two weeks of the regular season commence, St. Louis starter, Adam Wainwright, may have come off the disabled list and rediscovered his good stuff just in time for the stretch run.
After dropping three straight at home to the Dodgers, Wainwright tossed six innings of shutout ball, leading the Cardinals to a 5-0 win over Los Angeles Sunday night.
Wainwright, on the shelf since mid-May with inflammation in his throwing elbow, returned from the DL Septmerber 10, but his first start was not encouraging, as he allowed four runs on seven hits over five innings in a loss to the Pirates.
On Sunday, Wainwright, 37, appeared to have found his best stride, fanning nine Dodgers over six innings while limiting them to just two hits. While he walked three, he gave the Cardinals enough solid innings to establish a 3-0 lead, allowing the bullpen to match up and shut down LA the rest of the way.
The win left the Dodgers and Cardinals in a dead heat for the second wild card slot. With the Rockies winning, 3-2, at San Francisco, the Dodgers stand 1/2 game behind in the NL West. St. Louis still has a shot at the NL Central flag, but they're 5 1/2 behind the Cubs, with Milwaukee, current holder of the top wild card position, trailing Chicago by just 2 1/2.
St Louis has a hard path to the playoffs. On Monday, they open a three-game series at Atlanta. The Braves are cruising to the NL East pennant, leading the Phillies by 6 1/2 games. The Cardinals return home after that, with a pair of three-game series against the Giants and Brewers, followed by three at Chicago to close out the season.
Los Angeles has an easier schedule, starting with three-game series at home against the Rockies and then San Diego. They finish on the road, playing three at Arizona and three at San Francisco.
Only one of the two can take a wild card spot unless Milwaukee stumbles badly in the final two weeks.
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