Oakland still in control
A’s win, gain one-game lead
Jeff Samardzija pitched seven strong innings and received some rare run support to snap a four-start winless stretch, and the Oakland Athletics kept hold of the top A.L. wild card spot by beating the A.L. West champion Los Angeles Angels 8-4 Monday night in Oakland, California.
The A’s moved one game ahead of Kansas City for the first wild card.
Geovany Soto hit a two-run single to highlight a six-run first inning as the A’s chased C.J. Wilson after just two outs for the second-shortest start of his career. Stephen Vogt added a two-run single in the seventh.
Samardzija beat the Angels for the first time in three career starts and won for the first time in five starts since a victory at Houston on Aug. 25.
Royals 2, Indians 0
Danny Duffy pitched six shutout innings for his first win in more than a month as Kansas City moved closer to the top of the A.L. Central and kept some distance over visiting Cleveland in the wild card race with a win.
Duffy, who had thrown just one pitch in September before the start, held the Indians to six hits. The left-hander had been sidelined since Sept. 6 with a sore shoulder.
Carlos Carrasco couldn’t keep the momentum going for the Indians, who earlier completed a 4-3 win in 10 innings in a game suspended on Aug. 31 in Kansas City.
National League
Pirates 1, Braves 0
Andrew McCutchen homered, Francisco Liriano won his fourth straight start and Pittsburgh moved closer to a postseason berth, beating host Atlanta.
The Pirates have a five-game lead over Milwaukee with six games remaining for both teams. Any combination of two Pittsburgh wins or Brewers losses will guarantee the Pirates at least a spot in the N.L. wild card game for the second straight year.
McCutchen hit his 24th homer in the sixth off starter Aaron Harang.
Giants 5, Dodgers 2
Pinch-hitter Andrew Susac hit a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the 13th inning and Gregor Blanco added a two-RBI double, sending San Francisco to a road win over Los Angeles.
The Giants share the top two N.L. wild card spots with the Pirates and sit 3 1/2 games back of the N.L. West-leading Dodgers with six games remaining.
Brandon Belt singled and moved to second on a ground out. After Brandon Crawford was intentionally walked, Susac drove in Belt with a single to left. Blanco’s double to right gave the Giants insurance, scoring Crawford and Susac.