MLB

Dodgers clinch NL West title for 10th time in 11 seasons

By Sports Desk September 17, 2023

The Los Angeles Dodgers are kings of the NL West once again.

Max Muncy, Chris Taylor and Kike Hernandez all delivered 11th-inning RBIs and the Dodgers outlasted the Seattle Mariners for a 6-2 win Saturday, clinching their 10th division title in the last 11 seasons.

Neither team scored in the game’s first nine innings, but Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 10th on a Kolten Wong sacrifice fly, but Seattle pulled even again on Mike Ford’s RBI single in the bottom half.

Muncy’s single with one out in the 11th plated Mookie Betts and put the Dodgers (90-57) ahead for good. Taylor and Hernandez followed with two-run singles in the inning for extra insurance.

Jason Heyward had three doubles and finished the game 4 of 5 for the Dodgers.

Seven Dodgers pitches combined to hold the M’s to just seven hits, and neither of Seattle’s runs were earned.

The loss dropped the Mariners (81-67) to 1 ½ games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West.

 

O’s regain AL East lead with win over Rays

Grayson Rodriguez was nearly unhittable for eight innings, Gunnar Henderson hit a three-run home run and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-0 to take a one-game lead in the AL East.

Rodriguez’s start was the longest and perhaps best of his rookie season. It was certainly the most important as the Orioles (92-56) ended a four-game losing streak.

Fellow Baltimore rookie Henderson went 3 of 5 with two runs scored and delivered the game’s only homer in the second inning off Tyler Glasnow.

Aaron Hicks reached base three times and scored twice, and Ramon Urias had two hits and an RBI as the Orioles seek their first division title since 2014.

 

D-backs win key matchup with Cubs in 13-inning marathon

Gabriel Moreno plated Evan Longoria with a 13th-inning single and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied for a 7-6 walk-off win over the Chicago Cubs to tighten the NL wild card race.

After Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s single tied the game in the sixth, Arizona fell behind in the 10th, 11th and 13th innings but battled back each time.

The win lifted the Diamondbacks (78-72) into a tie with the Cincinnati Reds for the final wild card spot in the NL and moved them to within a half-game of the Cubs for the second NL wild card slot.

The Cubs (78-71) dropped their fourth straight game and fell to 2-7 in their last nine.

Saturday’s game was the longest in the majors this season, lasting 4 hours, 24 minutes.

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