Mid‑season action in Major League Baseball delivered two marquee postseason clinches on September 15. In Los Angeles, right‑hander Tarik Skubal threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only three singles while striking out nine batters. Skubal’s dominant performance helped the Dodgers defeat the Cincinnati Reds 4‑1, securing the franchise’s 14th consecutive playoff appearance and moving within two games of the National League’s best record.
Dodgers vs. Reds
Skubal (10‑7) limited the Reds to three hits, all singles, and walked just one batter. The Dodgers’ offense was supplied by homers from Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker, each delivering a solo blast. Cincinnati’s starter Nick Lodolo (3‑5) surrendered four runs on three hits over seven innings, his longest outing of the season. The Reds’ lone run came from a ninth‑inning homer by Elly De La Cruz, but the team has now dropped six of its last seven games, with its elimination number reduced to one.
Yankees Seal Their Spot
In Minneapolis, the New York Yankees clinched a postseason berth with an 8‑3 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Aaron Judge launched a three‑run homer into the third deck of the left‑field bleachers, igniting the crowd. Jose Caballero contributed a two‑hit, one‑homer, two‑RBI effort, while reliever Tim Hill (5‑2) allowed a single run in his lone inning of work. John Schreiber closed the game with his second save of the season.
The Yankees learned that a loss by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Detroit Tigers had already secured their playoff spot, but the win over the Twins provided a decisive finish to the night.
Other Notable Results
In Baltimore, Gunnar Henderson’s eighth‑inning tiebreaking homer gave the Orioles a 2‑1 win over the New York Mets. The victory came as former Mets star Pete Alonso, now with the Orioles, went 0‑for‑3 in his first game at Citi Field since signing a five‑year deal.
Chicago’s Cubs defeated the Atlanta Braves 7‑3, highlighted by Pete Crow‑Armstrong’s home run, four hits and four RBIs. Cubs starter David Peterson (8‑8) delivered six-plus innings of one‑run ball.
In the American League Central, the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 7‑3, with Miguel Vargas providing a two‑run homer and Kyle Teel adding a two‑run double in the sixth inning. Sean Burke (9‑7) pitched five relief innings, allowing just one unearned run.
San Diego’s Padres continued their surge, edging the Colorado Rockies 8‑7 in Denver. Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. each homered, and the Padres moved within a game of the Philadelphia Phillies for the second National League wild‑card spot.
Detroit’s Tigers rallied to a 6‑5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, thanks to a ninth‑inning error that allowed Zach McKinstry to score the go‑ahead run. Tyler Kinley (7‑5) recorded a perfect eighth inning, and Kenley Jansen earned his 20th save.
St. Louis Cardinals edged the San Francisco Giants 2‑1, with Quinn Mathews delivering 6 2/3 effective innings and rookie catcher Leo Bernal contributing three hits and an RBI.
Los Angeles Angels snapped a three‑game losing streak with a 6‑4 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Reid Detmers (6‑8) allowed three runs over six innings, while Jose Siri went 3‑for‑4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs.
Arizona Diamondbacks rallied for an 8‑7 walk‑off win against the Miami Marlins in Phoenix, highlighted by Corbin Carroll’s two‑run walk‑off homer with one out in the ninth. The D‑backs remain 2½ games behind the Padres for the final National League wild‑card spot.
Overall, the weekend’s games underscored the intensity of the playoff race, with several teams solidifying their postseason positions while others edged closer to elimination.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
