Aaron Judge could not hit an historic 61st home run but the New York Yankees claimed a 5-4 walk-off win over the Boston Red Sox to clinch their postseason berth on Thursday.
Judge walked three times and came agonisingly close in the ninth inning with a fly out to center-field, meaning his 2022 season home-run tally remains at 60, equal with Babe Ruth and one behind Roger Maris for the American League (AL) record.
With scores locked at 4-4 in the ninth inning, Judge fell a few feet short of his historic 61st home run for the season, caught at deep center-field by Enrique Hernandez.
But there was plenty for the fans at Yankee Stadium to get excited about, with Josh Donaldson's 10th-inning RBI single getting Marwin Gonzalez home for the walk-off win. Donaldson hit a bouncing ball to the left side past third baseman Rafael Devers from Kaleb Ort for the game-winning run.
Earlier, Giancarlo Stanton headlined a four-run seventh-inning rally after trailing 3-0 with a two-run blast.
The victory means the Yankees clinch a playoffs berth for the sixth consecutive year, with an AL East-best record of 91-58 this season.
Wong's career-first three-homer game
Kolten Wong had a career game as he blasted three home runs out of the five-spot as the Milwaukee Brewers won 5-1 over the Cincinnati Reds.
Wong crushed a second-inning two-run blast to open the scoring, before backing that up with another two-run homer in the sixth inning to provide some insurance.
In the eighth inning, Wong homered again over right-field, bringing up his 15th blast of the season and his maiden three-homer game and first five-RBI game in his career.
Rookie's immaculate inning in Cubs win
Rookie Chicago Cubs pitcher Hayden Wesneski registered the first immaculate inning for the franchise since 2004 in their 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In just his second start, Wesneski struck out Jack Suwinski, Zack Collins and Jason Delay across nine second-inning pitches.
Wesneski finished the game with six strikeouts and two walks, allowing two runs on five hits, having turned in six-and-one-third innings.
MLB: Reds halt Mets' nine-game win streak
Santiago Espinal snapped a tie game with a two-run double in the ninth inning as the Cincinnati Reds ended the New York Mets' nine-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory on Sunday.
The Mets' first loss since Aug. 28 dropped them into a tie with Atlanta for the National League's final wild card spot after the Braves earned a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
Espinal's one-out double off Phil Maton in the top of the ninth drove in Spencer Steer and Ty France after both reached base to begin the inning with the score tied 1-1. Steer was hit by a pitch from Maton and France got on via an infield single.
The key hit also ended a streak of 80 consecutive innings in which the Mets had not trailed, the longest stretch in the majors this season.
New York starter Luis Severino did not factor in the decision despite allowing just one run and striking out eight over 6 2/3 innings.
Severino had held the Reds scoreless until the seventh, when Noelvi Marte drove in Jake Fraley with a two-out single to forge a 1-1 tie.
The Mets scored their lone run in the sixth on Starling Marte's two-out single that plated Pete Alonso, who reached on a walk and advanced to second on Jose Iglesias' infield single.
Julian Aguiar started for Cincinnati and tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings while surrendering just two hits and two walks.
Smith leads Diamondbacks' rout of Astros with three homers, eight RBIs
Pavin Smith homered in his first three at-bats while driving in a career-high eight runs to power the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 12-6 win over the Houston Astros that prevented the reigning NL champions from being swept in the three-game series.
Smith opened the scoring with a three-run homer off Justin Verlander in the second inning, then delivered a grand slam off the three-time Cy Young Award winner during a five-run third that put Arizona up 8-0.
The outfielder/first baseman capped his huge night with a solo homer in the fifth.
Eugenio Suarez also homered while going 4 for 5 and driving in two runs to help the Diamondbacks halt a three-game losing streak. Jake McCarthy added two hits, including a run-scoring single.
Verlander (3-6) lasted just three innings while being tagged for eight runs and eight hits. The future Hall of Famer has now lost four straight starts since returning from a neck injury and has a 9.68 ERA during that stretch.
Arizona starter Ryne Nelson worked 4 2/3 innings and allowed five runs. Kevin Ginkel relieved the right-hander in the fifth and struck out the lone batter he faced to receive the win.
Alex Bregman had a two-run homer for Houston, which had its lead atop the American League West reduced to 4 1/2 games over second-place Seattle after the Mariners defeated the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
Yainer Diaz and Chas McCormick each had three hits for the Astros, with Diaz driving in a pair of runs.
Royals sweep Twins in crucial three-game series
The Kansas City Royals extended their lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL wild card race with a 2-0 victory that completed a three-game series sweep.
Michael Wacha (12-7) allowed four hits over seven innings as the Royals increased their lead on the AL Central-rival Twins to 2 1/2 games in the standings. Minnesota still currently holds the third and final wild card spot by a 3 1/2-game margin over the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners.
Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg finished off the shutout, with Erceg earning his 11th save with a scoreless ninth.
The Royals scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, which MJ Melendez began by drawing a walk off Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson. Freddy Fermin and Maikel Garcia followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases with none out.
Garrett Hampson's sacrifice fly brought in Melendez for the game's first run, and Fermin later scored when Salvador Perez legged out an infield single.
Woods Richardson (5-4) was charged with both runs and gave up three hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Minnesota scored just two runs in the three-game series and has now dropped 10 of its last 14 contests.
MLB: Quintana earns 100th victory as Mets extend winning streak
Jose Quintana pitched into the seventh inning for his 100th career victory and J.D. Martinez capped a four-run seventh with a two-run double as the New York Mets won their ninth straight game, 4-0 over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Quintana allowed five hits over 6 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He became the 19th active pitcher with 100 wins.
Adam Ottavino, Danny Young and Edwin Díaz completed the six-hitter for New York's seventh shutout this season - all since July 11.
A slumping Harrison Bader homered to spark the big sixth for the Mets, who have won nine straight games for the first time since April 2018. New York hasn’t trailed in its last 72 innings since Aug. 30 - the longest streak in the majors this season.
Bader was mired in skids of 0 for 15 and 2 for 43 before connecting off Sam Moll in the sixth. It was Bader's 11th home run of the year, and first to the opposite field.
Pete Alonso hit a one-out RBI single before Martinez’s double capped the outburst.
Francisco Lindor’s career-high 16-game hitting streak ended as he went 0 for 3, but his sixth-inning walk pushed his on-base streak to 35 games, the longest active run in the majors and the longest single-season streak in Mets history.
Royals rally past Twins
Bobby Witt Jr. highlighted a four-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking single, and the Kansas City Royals defeated Minnesota 4-2 to open a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins for the second AL wild card.
Held to one hit over seven innings by Bailey Ober, the Royals rallied against Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax, winning their third straight following a season-high, seven-game losing streak.
Kansas City is second behind Cleveland in the AL Central and Minnesota is third after losing four of five.
Duran entered with a 2-0 lead and gave up a one-out single to Freddy Fermin, then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch. Kyle Isbel hit an RBI single and Jax relieved, trying for a five-out save.
Tommy Pham hit a slow four-hopper to Brooks Lee and reached on an infield hit as the shortstop barehanded the ball and bounced his throw past first. Pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who had been on second, scored on the error.
Witt looped a single into short center as Isbel scored for a 3-2 lead. MJ Melendez drove in Pham with a two-out single off Jax, who blew a save for the fifth time in 13 chances.
Yankees shut out Cubs again
Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined on a four-hitter, and the New York Yankees clinched their 32nd straight winning season by blanking the Chicago Cubs 2-0.
Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first big league game since May 26 and Cortes closed it out in his first relief appearance since 2021.
Coupled with Baltimore's 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay, New York moved back into first in the AL East. The Yankees lead the Orioles by a half-game.
New York posted its second straight shutout to secure its first series win since it took two of three against Colorado from Aug. 23-25. The 32 straight seasons with a winning record is the second-longest such period in major league history, trailing a run of 39 consecutive seasons for the Yankees from 1926-64.
Chicago has lost four of five on a crucial homestand as it tries to rally in the race for the third NL wild card. It beat Pittsburgh 12-0 on Wednesday, but has managed a total of three other runs in its last five games, getting shut out three times.
MLB: Quintana earns 100th victory as Mets extend winning streak to 9
Jose Quintana pitched into the seventh inning for his 100th career victory and J.D. Martinez capped a four-run seventh with a two-run double as the New York Mets won their ninth straight game, 4-0 over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Quintana allowed five hits over 6 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He became the 19th active pitcher with 100 wins.
Adam Ottavino, Danny Young and Edwin Díaz completed the six-hitter for New York's seventh shutout this season - all since July 11.
A slumping Harrison Bader homered to spark the big sixth for the Mets, who have won nine straight games for the first time since April 2018. New York hasn’t trailed in its last 72 innings since Aug. 30 - the longest streak in the majors this season.
Bader was mired in skids of 0 for 15 and 2 for 43 before connecting off Sam Moll in the sixth. It was Bader's 11th home run of the year, and first to the opposite field.
Pete Alonso hit a one-out RBI single before Martinez’s double capped the outburst.
Francisco Lindor’s career-high 16-game hitting streak ended as he went 0 for 3, but his sixth-inning walk pushed his on-base streak to 35 games, the longest active run in the majors and the longest single-season streak in Mets history.
Royals rally past Twins
Bobby Witt Jr. highlighted a four-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking single, and the Kansas City Royals defeated Minnesota 4-2 to open a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins for the second AL wild card.
Held to one hit over seven innings by Bailey Ober, the Royals rallied against Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax, winning their third straight following a season-high, seven-game losing streak.
Kansas City is second behind Cleveland in the AL Central and Minnesota is third after losing four of five.
Duran entered with a 2-0 lead and gave up a one-out single to Freddy Fermin, then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch. Kyle Isbel hit an RBI single and Jax relieved, trying for a five-out save.
Tommy Pham hit a slow four-hopper to Brooks Lee and reached on an infield hit as the shortstop barehanded the ball and bounced his throw past first. Pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who had been on second, scored on the error.
Witt looped a single into short center as Isbel scored for a 3-2 lead. MJ Melendez drove in Pham with a two-out single off Jax, who blew a save for the fifth time in 13 chances.
Yankees shut out Cubs again
Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined on a four-hitter, and the New York Yankees clinched their 32nd straight winning season by blanking the Chicago Cubs 2-0.
Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first big league game since May 26 and Cortes closed it out in his first relief appearance since 2021.
Coupled with Baltimore's 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay, New York moved back into first in the AL East. The Yankees lead the Orioles by a half-game.
New York posted its second straight shutout to secure its first series win since it took two of three against Colorado from Aug. 23-25. The 32 straight seasons with a winning record is the second-longest such period in major league history, trailing a run of 39 consecutive seasons for the Yankees from 1926-64.
Chicago has lost four of five on a crucial homestand as it tries to rally in the race for the third NL wild card. It beat Pittsburgh 12-0 on Wednesday, but has managed a total of three other runs in its last five games, getting shut out three times.
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