AMERICAN LEAGUE
TIGERS 10, ROYALS 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Detroit Tigers insisted that they weren't trying to make a statement.
They accomplished it anyway.
Ian Kinsler hit a two-run home run, everyone in the Detroit starting lineup had a hit by the fourth inning and the Tigers pounded Jason Vargas and the second-place Kansas City Royals 10-1 on Friday night to add another game to their AL Central lead.
The Tigers (85-68), who now lead the division by 1 1/2 games, have forged their advantage by dominating head-to-head matchups. They are 12-5 against the Royals his season.
"We just went out there and did what we're capable of doing," Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter (Pine Bluff) said. "But there are no statements. Our intent is just to play the game."
Justin Verlander (14-12) had all the support he needed by the end of the first inning, when the Tigers had shelled Vargas (11-10) for three runs on five hits. Detroit tacked on a run in the second, another in the fourth and then broke things open with a five-run fifth.
Lost amid the offensive onslaught was a fine performance by Verlander, who had struggled his last three times out. The 2011 Cy Young winner allowed one run on seven hits in 7 1/3 innings.
"He certainly seemed like he was up for this game," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "It was there up there with one of the best games he's had all season."
Kinsler paced the Tigers' offense with three RBI, and Eugenio Suarez added a pair. Everyone in the starting lineup but McCann, J.D. Martinez and Rajai Davis drove in a run.
That included 35-year-old Victor Martinez, whose run-scoring single in the first inning gave him 100 RBI to go with 31 home runs. The only players older than him to become first-time members of the 30-100 club have been Carlton Fisk (1985) and Edgar Martinez (2000).
Vargas allowed five runs on nine hits in 3 1/3, his shortest outing since April 16, 2013.
"It's my responsibility to set the tone," he said. "They were hitting good pitches and I was leaving pitches up in the zone. I just wasn't able to put us in the right direction."
Now, it's up to the Royals to change course in a hurry.
"There's no carry-over," manager Ned Yost said. "They whipped us, they beat us, they spanked us, whatever you want to say. We'll show up again tomorrow and be ready to play."
RED SOX 5, ORIOLES 3 (10) David Ortiz hit two home runs, including a two-run drive in the 10th inning that lifted Boston over host Baltimore. Although the AL East-champion Orioles are still in the running for home-field advantage throughout the postseason, manager Buck Showalter rested several regulars, including Adam Jones, J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis. The most prominent starter in the lineup was Nelson Cruz, who had three hits, as did Alejandro De Aza. In the race for best record in the AL, Baltimore fell three games behind the Los Angeles Angels.
YANKEES 5, BLUE JAYS 3 Jacoby Ellsbury, Derek Jeter and New York kept Mark Buehrle winless against them for more than a decade, sending visiting Toronto to its season-worst sixth consecutive loss. New York won its third in a row to preserve its faint AL wild-card hopes. Jeter delivered two singles, giving him back-to-back multihit games for the first time since late July. The retiring captain later hit a long fly that really got the crowd hollering before it was caught on the warning track.
WHITE SOX 4, RAYS 3 Jose Quintana pitched into the eighth inning and Avisail Garcia had a two-run double to lead Chicago to a victory over host Tampa Bay, eliminating the Rays from playoff contention. Chicago rookie Jose Abreu also had a run-scoring single during a four-run fifth, giving him 104 RBI for the season.
TWINS 5, INDIANS 4 (10) Trevor Plouffe singled in Danny Santana in the 10th inning to give Minnesota a comeback victory over visiting Cleveland, further damaging the Indians' already slim playoff hopes.
MARINERS 10, ASTROS 5 Dustin Ackley hit two solo home runs, and Mike Zunino and Kyle Seager each hit three-run shots in a seven-run fourth inning as Seattle cruised to a victory over host Houston. Ackley homered in the third and eighth innings for his second career multihomer game for the Mariners, who entered the day one game back for the second AL wild card spot.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CARDINALS 2, REDS 1 John Lackey powered back into the St. Louis postseason rotation picture with 7 2/3 dominant innings, and Randal Grichuk and Matt Holliday hit consecutive home runs in the first inning of the Cardinals' victory over visiting Cincinnati. The NL Central leaders had only five hits but maintained a 2 1/2-game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates with eight games remaining. Their magic number is seven for clinching a second consecutive division title and two over third-place Milwaukee for securing a fourth consecutive postseason berth. St. Louis is 6-1 on its final nine-game homestand.
NATIONALS 3, MARLINS 2 Adam LaRoche hit an early two-run home run to support Doug Fister and lead National League-leading Washington to a victory over host Miami. Fister (15-6) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Nationals, who have won six of seven.
DODGERS 14, CUBS 5 Clayton Kershaw became the majors' first 20-game winner and A.J. Ellis hit a pair of two-run home runs, leading visiting Los Angeles to a victory over Chicago. Kershaw (20-3) pitched five shaky innings in his shortest start in 3 1/2 months, but the NL West-leading Dodgers roughed up Edwin Jackson on their way to a 13-hit attack that included four home runs.
PIRATES 4, BREWERS 2 Russell Martin hit a three-run home run off Jonathan Broxton in the bottom of the eighth inning and host Pittsburgh inched closer to a playoff berth with a victory over Milwaukee. Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his 31st save as the Pirates moved 4½ games in front of the Brewers for the second National League wild card spot with nine days left in the regular season.
METS 5, BRAVES 0 Lucas Duda hit a two-run home run, Zack Wheeler pitched six scoreless innings and visiting New York beat struggling Atlanta. The Braves, which dropped seven games behind Pittsburgh in the NL wild-card race, can be eliminated with any combination of three Pirates wins or Braves losses. The Mets were knocked out when Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee earlier Friday.
ROCKIES 15, DIAMONDBACKS 3 Michael Cuddyer hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high seven runs, leading host Colorado to a victory over Arizona. Jordan Lyles pitched six strong innings for his first victory in six weeks. Rafael Ynoa added four hits and three RBIs and Wilin Rosario had three hits and two RBIs for the Rockies, who moved a game up on last-place Arizona in the NL West.
Sports on 09/20/2014