Phillies beat Nats, make NL wild-card race interesting

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Philadelphia Phillies picked up another key victory as they try to end an 11-year playoff drought, using three RBIs apiece from Kyle Schwarber and Bryson Stott, plus Zack Wheeler’s five scoreless innings, to beat the Washington Nationals 8-1 Sunday in a rain-shortened game. The six-inning win helped Philadelphia take three of four from the worst-in-the-majors Nationals to improve to 86-73 after getting to town on a five-game losing streak. The Phillies and interim manager Rob Thomson began Sunday with a one-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the third and final wild-card berth in the National League. After Sunday, Philadelphia and Milwaukee both have three games left: Philadelphia at Houston, and Milwaukee hosting Arizona. The Phillies hold the tiebreaker over the Brewers if they finish even. Wheeler (12-7) had seven strikeouts and no walks and allowed just two hits: doubles by Ildemaro Vargas in the third and César Hernández in the fifth. Left-hander Patrick Corbin, who helped Washington win the 2019 World Series, gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings Sunday, closing this year with a 6-19 record and 6.31 ERA. ORIOLES 3, YANKEES 1 NEW YORK (AP) – Aaron Judge won’t break the American League home run record at Yankee Stadium, remaining at 61 as New York headed on the road for its final four regular-season games after a loss to Baltimore. Judge struck out three times and walked once, disappointing a crowd of 44,332 that watched the Yankees regular-season home finale in rain for much of a chilly, blustery afternoon. Trying to become the first Triple Crown winner since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012, Judge tops the AL with 130 RBIs. His batting average fell to .311, four points behind league leader Luis Arraez of Minnesota. Baltimore (82-77) guaranteed its first winning season since 2016. Aroldis Chapman (3-4) was once again wild, walking three, including rookie Gunnar Henderson with the bases loaded, as Baltimore surged ahead in the seventh. Logan Gillaspie (1-0) pitched a scoreless sixth in his first big league decision, Baker struck out five while getting six straight outs, and Dillon Tate got three outs for his fifth save. BLUE JAYS 6, RED SOX 3 TORONTO (AP) -Teoscar Hernández hit two home runs, Whit Merrifield also connected and Toronto edged closer to clinching home-field advantage in the wild-card round by beating Boston. The Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep with their 16th win in 19 games against Boston this season. That’s the most victories by any major league team against a division opponent this season and the most wins the Blue Jays have had against an opponent in a single season. Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman left after three innings because of a cut on his right middle finger. Gausman allowed two runs and four hits, struck out four and walked none. Right-hander Zach Pop (4-0) pitched two perfect innings. Jordan Romano finished for his 36th save in 42 chances. Merrifield went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and scored twice. He’s 10 for 20 over his past six games. Bobby Dalbec hit a solo home run and had three RBIs for the Red Sox. All three Toronto homers came off Boston right-hander Michael Wacha (11-2), who allowed five runs and six hits in four innings and lost for the first time since May 31 against Cincinnati. ASTROS 3, RAYS 1 HOUSTON (AP) – Jeremy Pena hit an early two-run homer and drove in an insurance run late, lifting Houston over Tampa Bay.