Phillies clinch East on penultimate day
The Philadelphia Phillies are going back to the playoffs.
Jimmy Rollins made a sliding stop with the bases loaded to start a game-ending double play, and the Phillies clinched their second consecutive N.L. East title by holding off the Washington Nationals 4-3 on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Rollins went to his knees to snare Ryan Zimmerman’s sharp grounder toward the middle. He made an accurate flip to second base with his glove and rejoiced when Chase Utley’s relay throw completed the double play.
A sellout crowd of 45,177 rocked Citizens Bank Park, waved rally towels and watched the Phillies earn back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since 1980-81.
Other N.L. highlights
Mets 2, Marlins 0: Any chance Johan Santana can pitch on no days’ rest?
Desperate to stay in the playoff race, the Mets brought back their ace on three days rest and Santana (16-7) delivered, pitching a complete-game three-hitter that led them to a 2-0 victory over Florida in New York.
Nearly two hours later, the Mets pulled into a tie with Milwaukee for the wild card when the Brewers lost to the Chicago Cubs.
If the Mets, who send Oliver Perez to the mound today, and Brewers remain even after today, they would play a one-game tiebreaker Monday in New York.
Cubs 7, Brewers 3: Ben Sheets was roughed up in his return from an injury, and Milwaukee fell to visiting Chicago.
Sheets (13-9) tried to put aside nagging elbow soreness to make his first start since Sept. 17, but gave up four runs in only 22/3 innings against a Cubs team that was resting most of its starters.
Milwaukee’s lineup couldn’t manage much of anything against Ted Lilly (17-9), who held the Brewers hitless until Ryan Braun led off the seventh with a double.
Milwaukee, which is trying to make its first playoff appearance since 1982, sends CC Sabathia to the mound for today’s regular-season finale.
A.L. highlights
Royals 4, Twins 2: Minnesota fell flat again.
Ryan Shealy blooped a two-run single to give Kansas City the lead in the seventh inning, and the surging Royals handed the Twins a second straight defeat in Minneapolis.
The Twins lead the Chicago White Sox by a half-game in the Central Division.
Perhaps the Royals could petition to represent the division in the playoffs. They’ve won 13 of their last 15 games, including eight straight on the road. Their 18 victories in September are the most in the season’s final month since the 1985 World Series champions, and the current winning streak away from home is the longest since 1975.
Indians 12, White Sox 6: With a chance to grab first place, the White Sox flopped again.
Zach Jackson pitched seven strong innings, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a three-run double off struggling Javier Vazquez in a six-run fifth and Cleveland pounded the White Sox in Chicago.
It was Chicago’s fifth straight loss.
The Twins can win the division title today with a victory over Kansas City and another White Sox loss to Cleveland.
If the margin stays at a half-game after today, the White Sox will play Detroit on Monday in a makeup game at U.S. Cellular Field.
Should the White Sox win that game and tie Minnesota, they would host the Twins on Tuesday in a one-game tiebreaker for the division title.
Yankees-Red Sox, ppd.: The scheduled game between New York and Boston at Fenway Park was postponed because of rain. It will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader today.
Clearing the bases
Joe Torre announced right-hander Derek Lowe will start Game 1 of the N.L. Division Series for the Dodgers. Lowe will be followed by righty and 16-game winner Chad Billingsley in Game 2 and then right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who has a 9-10 record. … The Cubs won’t start Carlos Zambrano in their regular-season finale today against the Brewers in Milwaukee. Instead, it will be Angel Guzman, a Sept. 1 call-up who has appeared in only five games – all Cubs losses – and has a 7.04 ERA in 72/3 innings. … Cleveland ace Cliff Lee was scratched from his scheduled start in today’s regular-season finale against the White Sox because of a stiff neck. Rookie right-hander Bryan Bullington will get the start in Lee’s place. Bullington is 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA.