Yankees take advantage of error to tackle Tampa Bay
NEW YORK » In the start of a series moved from Florida to Citi Field because of Hurricane Irma, Todd Frazier capitalized on Trevor Plouffe’s two-out error with a three-run homer in a fiverun fourth inning that led New York over Tampa Bay.
Jacoby Ellsbury broke Pete Rose’s major league record by reaching base on catcher’s interference for the 30th time, and David Robertson (8-2) pitched a career-high 2 2/3 innings in relief of CC Sabathia, removed with two on and one out in the fifth. Ellsbury was struck by Jake Odorizzi (8-8)
Opening a stretch that has 17 of their final 20 games in New York, the Yankees closed within three games of Boston in the AL East and opened a four-game lead over Minnesota for the top AL wild card.
The Rays dropped four games behind the Twins with 17 remaining. RANGERS 5, MARINERS 3 » Delino DeShields homered after taking a speedier trip around the bases for an earlier run as Texas beat Seattle in the opener of a fourgame series matching teams still hoping to get an AL wild card.
Cole Hamels (10-3) struck out seven in six innings to win for the first time in his last four starts.
DeShields reached on a one-out bunt single in the second, when he was initially called out before a replay challenge overturned the call. DeShields then raced home from first on Shin-Soo Choo’s two-run double that made it 4-1, running through a stop sign from fill-in third-base coach Jason Wood and scoring on a nifty headfirst slide. Two innings later, DeShields hit his fifth homer.
Alex Claudio worked a perfect ninth to get his eighth save in 12 chances.
Mariners starter Ariel Miranda (8-7) allowed gave up six hits and walked three in only 1 2/3 innings. BLUE JAYS 4, ORIOLES 3 » Ryan Goins hit a solo home run, Marco Estrada won his third straight decision and Toronto beat slumping Baltimore.
Darwin Barney had hits and an RBI as two the Blue Jays won their third straight and handed the Orioles their fifth consecutive defeat.
Mark Trumbo hit a solo homer for Baltimore, which entered three games back in the AL wild-card race.
Estrada (8-8) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. Dominic Leone pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth to earn his first career save.
Ubaldo Jimenez (5-10) winless in six starts. PIRATES 7, BREWERS 0 » Steven Brault and four relievers combined on a threehitter is to lift Pittsburgh over Milwaukee.
Milwaukee didn’t get a runner past first base against the Pirates and fell 2½ games behind Chicago in the NL Central after outscoring the Cubs 20-3 in a three-game sweep at Wrigley Field over the weekend.
Brault (1-0), making his second start of the season, only allowed a fourth-inning walk to Ryan Braun and a fifth-inning leadoff single to Jesus Aguilar.
He struck out six in six innings for his first majorleague win.