KC gains one game on Detroit

ROYALS 5, TIGERS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Nori Aoki hit a two-run triple, helping Jeremy Guthrie and the Kansas City Royals hold their AL wild-card spot by beating the Detroit Tigers 5-2 Sunday.

The Royals avoided a three-game sweep and moved within 1 1/2 games of the AL Central-leading Tigers. Kansas City began the day with a half-game edge over Seattle for the second wild-card spot.

Aoki's triple in the fourth scored Omar Infante and Mike Moustakas to break a 2-all tie and end the day for Rick Porcello.

Porcello (15-12) is 0-4 in his past five starts. He yielded 4 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks in 3 1/3 innings.

Guthrie (12-11) pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the second and was pulled after 81 pitches and 5 1-3 innings, yielding one earned run.

The Royals' dominant relieving trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland held the Tigers scoreless after Guthrie exited.

Davis struck out two, bringing his strikeout total to 103, tying a Royals' record for a reliever. Holland threw a perfect ninth to log his 43rd save in 45 chances, and his first since Sept. 3.

Alex Gordon snapped an 0-for-14 slump with a RBI double in the seventh to pad the Royals' lead.

Ian Kinsler homered, his 16th, to lead off the third for the Tigers.

J.D. Martinez scored in the fourth on an error by Moustakas at third base. Moustakas has committed six errors in the past 12 games.

RANGERS 2, ANGELS 1 Ryan Rua hit his first major league home run, connecting off Huston Street in the ninth inning as the visiting Texas Rangers beat the playoff-bound Los Angeles Angels for their eighth victory in nine games.

RED SOX 3, ORIOLES 2 Joe Kelly pitched seven innings of three-hit ball and the visiting Boston Red Sox got home runs from Mookie Betts and David Ross to beat Baltimore. Boston took two of three from the Orioles, who have been playing without several regulars in the lineup since clinching the AL East title on Tuesday.

YANKEES 5, BLUE JAYS 2 Masahiro Tanaka made a triumphant return from an elbow injury that sidelined him for 2 1/2 months and a rejuvenated Derek Jeter got two more hits on his final homestand, leading the host New York Yankees over Toronto. The Yankees are 4 1/2 games out of the second AL wild-card spot with a week left. Jeter went 8 for 15 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs in his next-to-last home series. The retiring 40-year-old captain saluted the crowd after sharing postgame handshakes and high-fives with his teammates. Tanaka (13-4) made his first start since being sidelined by a small tear in his elbow in early July.

WHITE SOX 10, RAYS 5 Avisail Garcia hit two home runs, John Danks took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and the visiting Chicago White Sox beat Tampa Bay in the Rays' home finale. Winning for the first time in 10 starts since July 25, Danks (10-11) didn't allow a hit until Brandon Guyer's double with one out in the sixth.

ASTROS 8, MARINERS 3 Seattle's playoff hopes took another hit, as Jake Marisnick had a three-run homer for the second consecutive game to lead the host Houston Astros over the Mariners. Houston took two of three from the Mariners, dropping them 1 1/2 games behind Seattle for the second AL wild-card spot.

INDIANS 7, TWINS 2 Corey Kluber matched a career best by striking 14 for the second consecutive start and the visiting Cleveland Indians didn't lose any ground in the playoff chase with a victory over Minnesota. The Indians have won five of six.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PIRATES 1, BREWERS 0 -- Vance Worley pitched eight sparkling innings, Russell Martin hit a late RBI single and the host Pittsburgh Pirates trapped a runner in the ninth to edge Milwaukee 1-0 on Sunday, extending their wild-card lead over the Brewers. The NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals clinched a playoff spot because of Milwaukee's loss.

DODGERS 8, CUBS 5 Matt Kemp homered and drove in four runs, Yasiel Puig scored a career-high four times and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers beat the host Chicago Cubs. Kemp had four hits for the Dodgers, who clinched a playoff berth on Friday and lead San Francisco by 4 1/2 games. The Giants start a three-game series at Dodger Stadium tonight.

PADRES 8, GIANTS 2 The reeling San Francisco Giants managed just six hits off Ian Kennedy and three relievers, losing to host San Diego and falling 4 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. San Diego swept the three-game series.

NATIONALS 2, MARLINS 1 Stephen Strasburg pitched seven shutout innings and the NL-leading Washington Nationals swept a four-game series from host Miami. The East champion Nationals have won eight of nine. Strasburg (13-11) allowed three hits. Rafael Soriano got through the ninth for his 32nd save in 39 chances.

METS 10, BRAVES 2 The Atlanta Braves were knocked out of the playoff race after a late-season collapse, losing to Jacob deGrom and the visiting New York Mets. A half-game out of first place in the NL East on July 29, the Braves have gone 18-30 since then to fall 15 back of Washington.

ROCKIES 8, DIAMONDBACKS 3 Michael Cuddyer homered, Rafael Ynoa drove in three runs and the host Colorado Rockies beat Arizona for a four-game sweep. Rookie Christian Bergman (3-4) allowed two runs in 5 2-3 innings for the victory.

INTERLEAGUE

ATHLETICS 8, PHILLIES 6, (10) Josh Donaldson hit a towering, two-run homer into the left-field bleachers with one out in the 10th inning, lifting the host Oakland Athletics over Philadelphia. The A's lead the AL wild-card race by a half-game over Kansas City, with Seattle 1 1/2 games behind the Royals.

Sports on 09/22/2014

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