NEW YORK (AP) — Cristopher Sánchez earned his major league-leading 18th win Sunday, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets.
asserted
Sánchez → earn → Mets
The Phillies (86-70), who salvaged a split of the four-game series, entered Sunday in the third National League wild-card spot, one game behind the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres and four games clear of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
asserted
who → salvage → Diamondbacks
Sánchez surrendered six hits — including Bo Bichette’s sixth-inning homer — and struck out six over 6 1/3 innings as he snapped a tie with the Boston Red Sox’s Sonny Gray for the big league lead in wins.
asserted
he → surrender → wins
The last Phillies pitcher to lead the majors in wins was Steve Carlton with 23 in 1982.
asserted
pitcher → lead → 1982
Justin Crawford had a three-run triple and Luis Arraez finished with two RBIs.
asserted
Arraez → have → RBIs
Alec Bohm and Trea Turner each had run-scoring hits.
asserted
Bohm → have → hits
Kyle Schwarber tied a career high with four walks.
asserted
Schwarber → tie → walks
Rookie Jonah Tong (2-2) gave up four runs and struck out five in 4 2/3 innings for the last-place Mets, who finished 36-45 at home — their worst record at Citi Field since the 2013 team went 33-48.
asserted
team → give → Field
Rafael Flores Jr. hit the go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning to help Pittsburgh to a win over Kansas City and complete a series sweep.
asserted
Jr. → hit → sweep
After Ryan O’Hearn led off with a single to center, Flores sent a slider from Nate Pearson (2-3) into the left-field bleachers for his 10th homer this season.
asserted
Flores → lead → homer
Pittsburgh rallied with a two-run homer in the eighth for a second straight day.
asserted
Pittsburgh → rally → day
Brandon Lowe had his 33rd of the season in a 6-5 win Saturday.
asserted
Lowe → have → win
Carmen Mlodzinki (8-7) got the win.
asserted
Mlodzinki → get → win
He allowed two runs and three hits in three innings.
asserted
He → allow → innings
The reliever gave up a pinch-hit, two-run home run to Vinnie Pasquantino that gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead with two outs in the seventh.
asserted
that → give → seventh
Mason Montgomery earned his 16th save.
asserted
Montgomery → earn → save
He retired the first two batters in the ninth before Luke Maile hit a double and took third on a fielding error by Jake Mangum.
asserted
Maile → retire → Mangum
Montgomery got Isaac Collins to fly out to right to strand Maile.
asserted
Collins → get → Maile
The Royals went ahead 1-0 in the first inning with three straight singles off Lake Bachar.
asserted
Royals → go → Bachar
Bobby Witt Jr. beat out a groundball to second baseman Lowe.
asserted
Jr. → beat → Lowe
He moved to third on a single to right from Jac Caglianone and scored when Perez shot one through the middle of the infield.
asserted
Perez → move → infield
PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Griffin Jax tossed five shutout innings and the Tampa Bay crept closer to the AL East title with a victory over Boston.
asserted
Bay → toss → Boston
The Rays will have an opportunity to clinch the franchise’s fifth division title during Tuesday’s doubleheader at the New York Yankees.
asserted
Rays → have → Yankees
Boston would have clinched a playoff spot with a victory.
asserted
Boston → clinch → victory
The Red Sox, who were 32-46 and 15 1/2 games back in the AL East on June 24, have since gone 52-25.
asserted
who → go → June
They could still wrap up a spot Sunday with a Houston loss.
uncertain
They → wrap → loss
Jax (8-10) allowed three singles and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning by striking out Roman Anthony.
asserted
Jax → allow → Anthony
Cole Sulser, Brody Hopkins and Steven Matz each pitched an inning of scoreless relief.
asserted
Sulser → pitch → relief
Boston’s Trevor Story spoiled the shutout in the ninth with a one-out home run off right-hander Ty Johnson.
asserted
Story → spoil → Johnson
The Rays scored four first-inning runs off left-hander Patrick Sandoval (1-7).
asserted
Rays → score → Sandoval
Jonny DeLuca smashed a two-run, bases-loaded double down the left-field line and Chandler Simpson followed with a two-run single.
asserted
Simpson → smash → single
Sandoval began the inning by walking Yandy Diaz and Ryan Vilade, then surrendering a single to Junior Caminero.
asserted
Sandoval → begin → Caminero
CUBS 9, REDS 1
CINCINNATI (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 45th home run as Chicago moved closer to clinching a postseason berth with a victory over Cincinnati.
asserted
Chicago → hit → Cincinnati
Chicago (87-69) reduced its magic number to one and could wrap up a berth if the Diamondbacks lose to the Yankees later Sunday.
uncertain
Diamondbacks → reduce → Yankees
The Cubs began the day tied with the Padres and one game ahead of the Phillies for the top NL wild-card spot which would earn them home-field advantage in the wild-card round.
asserted
which → begin → round
The Cubs own the tiebreakers over the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Phillies.
asserted
Cubs → own → Diamondbacks
Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman left Sunday’s game in the fourth inning after being struck in the face by a foul ball off the bat of Michael Busch while standing near the on-deck circle.
asserted
Bregman → leave → circle
Cubs left-hander David Peterson (9-8) allowed a run on three hits in seven innings with one walk and seven strikeouts.
asserted
Peterson → allow → walk
The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the third.
asserted
Cubs → load → third
Ian Happ singled in a run and Nico Hoerner walked to force in another to extend Chicago’s lead to 3-0.
asserted
Hoerner → single → 3
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
