MLB capsules: Oakland’s Bruce Maxwell becomes first major league player to kneel

Bruce Maxwell became the first major league baseball player to kneel during the national anthem, and Khris Davis hit his 40th home run to lift the Oakland Athletics over the Texas Rangers 1-0 on Saturday night in Oakland, California.

Maxwell dropped to a knee and pressed his cap against his chest just outside Oakland’s dugout during the anthem, adopting a protest started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in response to police treatment of blacks.

Davis homered against Miguel Gonzalez (8-12) leading off the second as the A’s won their season-high sixth straight. Raul Alcantara (1-1) allowed two hits in five innings, Blake Treinen finished for his 11th save.

Yankees 5, Blue Jays 1: New York returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence, clinching no worse than a wild card as Greg Bird hit a three-run homer and Sonny Gray (10-11) allowed one run and four hits in six innings in a win in Toronto.

Unless New York overcomes Boston’s four-game lead the A.L. East, the Yankees would play in the A.L. wild-card game on Oct. 3, most likely at home against Minnesota.

Toronto was eliminated with the defeat after consecutive losses in the A.L. Championship Series.

Bird, who spent much of the year sidelined and hampered by a right ankle injury, connected in the fifth off Joe Biagini (3-12) for his sixth home run of the season and third in seven games.

Red Sox 5, Reds 0: Mitch Moreland ended a 0-for-19 slump with a three-run homer off Robert Stephenson (5-6) in the sixth, and Eduardo Rodriguez (6-6) pitched three-hit ball into the eighth as Boston defeated host Cincinnati.

Boston has won 13 of 16 and is trying to win consecutive A.L. East titles for the first time.

Cincinnati reliever Luke Farrell, the son of Red Sox manager John Farrell, pitched the ninth and tipped his cap toward the Boston dugout as he left the mound following a scoreless inning.

Brewers 4, Cubs 3: Travis Shaw hit a two-run homer with one out in the 10th off All-Star closer Wade Davis (4-2), who had been successful in all 32 of his save chances this season until Orlando Arcia led off the ninth with a tying home run as host Milwaukee beat Chicago.

Milwaukee moved within 4 1/2 games of N.L. Central-leading Chicago and closed within one game of Colorado for the N.L.’s second wild-card spot.

Chicago went ahead 3-2 in the 10th on Jon Jay’s single off Jeremy Jeffress (4-0).

Padres 5, Rockies 0: Jhoulys Chacin (13-10) kept the Rockies hitless until DJ LeMahieu hit a sinking liner that diving center fielder Manuel Margot trapped with two outs in the sixth as host San Diego defeated Colorado.

Chacin and four relievers combined on a five-hitter.

Colorado was shut out for the third time in four games and has lost five of six.

Rockies starter Chad Bettis (1-4) was chased after allowing Yangervis Solarte’s RBI single with two outs in the fifth.

Pirates 11, Cardinals 6: Lance Lynn (11-8) allowed eight runs and six hits while getting two outs for St. Louis (81-73), which remained 1 1/2 games behind Colorado after losing in Pittsburgh.

The Cardinals stayed five games behind the Cubs in the N.L. Central.

Tommy Pham gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead against Gerrit Cole (12-11) two batters in with a two-run homer. Pham was 2 for 4 with three RBIs.

Marlins 12, Diamondbacks 6: Giancarlo Stanton extended his club record with his 57th home run and set a team mark with his 125th RBI, preventing Arizona from clinching an N.L. wild card as Miami won in Phoenix.

Miami scored five runs in the third, taking advantage of a pair of errors by Taijuan Walker (9-9), who allowed seven runs, six hits, three walks and a hit batter in 3 2/3 innings. Brian Ellington (1-1) won in relief.

Twins 10, Tigers 4: Zack Granite hit his first major league home run, a three-run drive that capped an eight-run eighth, as visiting Minnesota defeated Detroit.

Minnesota, which overcame a 3-1 seventh-inning deficit, won its third straight and leads Kansas City, the Los Angeles Angels and Texas by 4 1/2 games for the second A.L. wild card.

Ervin Santana (16-8) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Detroit pitcher Alex Wilson broke a leg in the eighth inning when hit by Joe Mauer’s line drive. Daniel Stumpf (0-1) followed and allowed three runs and three hits without retiring a batter in his first big league decision.

Detroit, which announced Friday that manager Brad Ausmus will not return next season, has lost six straight and at 62-93 will finish with its worst record since going 43-119 in 2003.

Astros 6, Angels 2: Evan Gattis hit a three-run homer to back Charlie Morton (13-7), who yielded one run and four hits in seven innings for his second straight win, as host Houston defeated Los Angeles.

Justin Upton hit two home runs for the Angels, who matched a season worst with their sixth straight loss.

Carlos Correa had three hits and three RBIs a day after his 23rd birthday as the A.L. West champion Astros won for the seventh time in eight games. Bud Norris (2-6) allowed three hits and one run over 3 1/3 innings.

Royals 8, White Sox 2: Alex Gordon homered, Whit Merrifield drove in three runs and Danny Duffy (9-9) allowed two runs and eight hits in six-plus innings for his first win since Aug. 22 as visiting Kansas City beat Chicago.

Jose Abreu went 1 for 4 and drove in two runs to reach the 100-RBI mark for the fourth straight season. The Chicago slugger is just the third major leaguer to begin his career with four straight seasons of at least 25 homers and 100 RBIs after Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols.

Dylan Covey (0-7) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings.

Indians 11, Mariners 4: Francisco Lindor led off the game with his 33rd home run, the most by a Cleveland middle infielder, and the Indians won for the 28th time in 30 games by beating host Seattle.

Carlos Carrasco (17-6) matched teammate Cory Kluber and Boston’s Chris Sale for the most wins in the A.L., allowing one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Yan Gomes homered twice and had four RBIs, and Jose Ramirez homered and drove in four runs.

Cleveland, which set the A.L. record with a 22-game winning streak this month, matched the 1884 Providence Grays for the best big league record over a 30-game span at 28-2. The Indians (97-58) lead Houston (95-59) for A.L. home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Seattle lost for the seventh time in eight games and fell six games behind Minnesota.

Rays 9, Orioles 6: Lucas Duda hit a go-ahead, three-run homer, helping visiting Tampa Bay eliminate Baltimore from postseason contention.

Baltimore (74-82), which closed with five runs in the ninth inning, is assured of finishing with a losing record for the first time since 2011.

Duda’s third-inning homer, his 30th overall and 13th since the Rays acquired him from the New York Mets, helped Tampa Bay take a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

Tampa Bay (76-79) remained five games behind Minnesota with seven games remaining.

Jake Odorizzi (10-8) allowed an unearned run and three hits in six innings. Alex Colome retired Trey Mancini on a groundout for his major league-leading 46th save. Jeremy Hellickson (2-6 with the Orioles) gave up three runs and four hits over six innings.

Nationals 4, Mets 3 (10): Daniel Murphy homered in the 10th off Jacob Rhame (0-1) as visiting Washington defeated New York.

Murphy is hitting .393 with 35 RBIs in 37 games versus his former team.

Noah Syndergaard threw a five-pitch scoreless inning in his first major league appearance since partially tearing his right lat muscle on April 30. Matt Harvey took over for New York and allowed three runs in four innings.

Stephen Strasburg gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings. Sammy Solis (1-0) got the win, and Sean Doolittle completed his 20th save in 20 chances since being acquired from Oakland.

Giants 2, Dodgers 1: Madison Bumgarner (4-9) allowed five hits in 7 2/3 innings, including Austin Barnes’ homer, ending a four-start losing streak as visiting San Francisco defeated Los Angeles.

Gorkys Hernandez had three hits and scored both runs.

Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-8) in the third inning when Joe Panik hit a comebacker off his left forearm. The Dodgers said X-rays were negative and Ryu had a bruised forearm.

Sam Dyson pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.

Braves 4, Phillies 2: Pinch-hitter Johan Camargo hit a go-ahead, two-run double off Luis Garcia (2-5) in a three-run eighth inning and Rio Ruiz homered as host Atlanta beat Philadelphia.

Rex Brothers (4-3) pitched a one-hit eighth, and Arodys Vizcaino struck out three in the ninth for his 13th save.