SAN DIEGO -- While the Los Angeles Dodgers are regular participants in postseason baseball, there was something unusual about becoming the first team in the pandemic-shortened season to clinch a berth in the expanded playoffs.
"It's different, I guess. I just found that out five minutes ago," Manager Dave Roberts said in his video news conference after the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 7-5 to take two of three in a matchup of the National League's two top teams.
The Dodgers opened a 31/2-game lead in their quest for an eighth consecutive NL West title by beating the Padres for the second day in a row. Dustin May threw 51/3 gutty innings out of the bullpen, AJ Pollock and Chris Taylor homered and Will Smith drove in three runs.
"I'm celebrating by saying I'm proud of our guys and it was a great series," Roberts said. "I think it caught us all by surprise because we were so focused on trying to win this series. I think word will travel once we get on the plane."
San Diego, quieted by Dodgers pitching a second consecutive game even as it heads for its first playoff berth since winning the division in 2006, has lost two in a row for the first time since mid-August.
At 35-15, the Dodgers breezed into the expanded 16-team postseason field. Los Angeles is seeking its first World Series title since 1988, having lost in the Fall Classic under Roberts in 2017 and 2018.
Mookie Betts tied his career high with three stolen bases, had two hits and scored a run.
CARDINALS 4-0, BREWERS 2-6 Brent Suter and three relievers combined on a two-hitter, Ryan Braun hit his 350th career home run and host Milwaukee shut out St. Louis to split a doubleheader. The Cardinals took the opener behind Adam Wainwright's four-hitter.
METS 5, PHILLIES 4 Jacob deGrom exited early from a rare rough outing because of a right hamstring spasm, but New York overcame a four-run deficit to beat Philadelphia. Phillies reliever Hector Neris (2-2) dropped the ball on the mound for a balk that moved the go-ahead run to second base in the ninth inning. Mets rookie Andres Gimenez hit an RBI single to put New York ahead.
REDS 1, PIRATES 0 Cincinnati's Luis Castillo pitched seven innings, Shogo Akiyama drove in the game's only run, and the Reds extended their winning streak to a season-high five games.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RANGERS 1, ASTROS 0 Kyle Gibson (2-5) threw a four-hitter and Joey Gallo hit a ground-rule RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning to lift visiting Texas over Houston.
ROYALS 4, TIGERS 0 Brady Singer (3-4) was stellar for a second consecutive start, allowing two hits in six innings, and visiting Kansas City blanked Detroit.
TWINS 5, WHITE SOX 1 Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano each hit a two-run home run, and visiting Minnesota denied Chicago a chance to clinch its first playoff berth in 12 years.
YANKEES 13, BLUE JAYS 2 Kyle Higashioka hit a career-high three home runs, DJ LeMahieu connected twice and New York hit a season-best seven home runs at home against Toronto.
INTERLEAGUE
ATHLETICS 3, ROCKIES 1 In Denver, Mike Fiers (6-2) threw six sharp innings before turning it over to the Athletics' bullpen and Oakland snapped a six-game skid against Colorado.
CUBS 3, INDIANS 2 (10) Javier Baez's RBI single in the 10th inning lifted Chicago to its fourth consecutive victory in a game that was delayed when a drone entered Wrigley Field and briefly landed on the outfield grass.
MARLINS 8, RED SOX 4 Jorge Alfaro homered twice and Miami beat visiting Boston
NATIONALS 4, RAYS 2 (10) Rookie Luis Garcia hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning and visiting Washington beat Tampa Bay.
ORIOLES 5, BRAVES 1 Cole Hamels (0-1) allowed three runs to host Baltimore before reaching his predetermined pitch count in the fourth inning, and the Braves struggled offensively. Keegan Akin (1-1) struck out nine over five scoreless innings to earn his first big league victory.
Wednesday’s games
NATIONAL LEAGUE
LA Dodgers 7, San Diego 5
St. Louis 4-0, Milwaukee 2-6
Cincinnati 1, Pittsburgh 0
NY Mets 5, Philadelphia 4
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Kansas City 4, Detroit 0
NY Yankees 13, Toronto 2
Texas 1, Houston 0
Minnesota 5, Chicago White Sox 1
INTERLEAGUE
Washington 4, Tampa Bay 2 (10)
Oakland 3, Colorado 1
Miami 8, Boston 4
Baltimore 5, Atlanta 1
Chicago Cubs 3, Cleveland 2 (10)
Arizona at LA Angels, (n)
San Francisco at Seattle, (n) Second game ppd.