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.
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.
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.
The last Phillies pitcher to lead the majors in wins was Steve Carlton with 23 in 1982.
Justin Crawford had a three-run triple and Luis Arraez finished with two RBIs. Alec Bohm and Trea Turner each had run-scoring hits. Kyle Schwarber tied a career high with four 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.
PIRATES 4, ROYALS 3
PITTSBURGH (AP) — 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.
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.
Pittsburgh rallied with a two-run homer in the eighth for a second straight day. Brandon Lowe had his 33rd of the season in a 6-5 win Saturday.
Carmen Mlodzinki (8-7) got the win. He allowed two runs and three hits in three 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.
Mason Montgomery earned his 16th 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. Montgomery got Isaac Collins to fly out to right to strand Maile.
The Royals went ahead 1-0 in the first inning with three straight singles off Lake Bachar. Bobby Witt Jr. beat out a groundball to second baseman 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.
RAYS 5, RED SOX 1
ST. 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.
The Rays will have an opportunity to clinch the franchise’s fifth division title during Tuesday’s doubleheader at the New York Yankees.
Boston would have clinched a playoff spot with a 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. They could still wrap up a spot Sunday with a Houston loss.
Jax (8-10) allowed three singles and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning by striking out Roman Anthony. Cole Sulser, Brody Hopkins and Steven Matz each pitched an inning of scoreless relief.
Boston’s Trevor Story spoiled the shutout in the ninth with a one-out home run off right-hander Ty Johnson.
The Rays scored four first-inning runs off left-hander Patrick Sandoval (1-7). Jonny DeLuca smashed a two-run, bases-loaded double down the left-field line and Chandler Simpson followed with a two-run single. Sandoval began the inning by walking Yandy Diaz and Ryan Vilade, then surrendering a single to Junior 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.
Chicago (87-69) reduced its magic number to one and could wrap up a berth if the Diamondbacks lose to the Yankees later Sunday.
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. The Cubs own the tiebreakers over the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Phillies.
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.
Cubs left-hander David Peterson (9-8) allowed a run on three hits in seven innings with one walk and seven strikeouts.
The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the third. Ian Happ singled in a run and Nico Hoerner walked to force in another to extend Chicago’s lead to 3-0. Pedro Ramirez’s two-run single made the score 5-0.
Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder (6-12) allowed five earned runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
CARDINALS 5, NATIONALS 3
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Iván Herrera hit a pair of home runs, and Leo Bernal also homered as St. Louis scored three runs in the eighth inning to come from behind and beat Washington.
Bernal hit his fifth homer of the season off Yovanny Cruz (0-2) after Erik Tolman walked Jordan Walker with two outs in the eighth inning.
Herrera hit his second homer of the game and 18th of the season to tie the game at 3-all after hitting a solo shot in the first inning.
It was Herrera’s third career multi-homer game and second this season after going deep twice on June 13 at Minnesota.
Luis Gastelum (5-3) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for St. Louis, and Riley O’Brien pitched a perfect ninth to earn his National League-leading 38th save.
Cardinals starter Quinn Mathews allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in a career-high seven innings.
Jake Irvin allowed two runs on three hits and had eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings for the Nationals.
——-
The Associated Press
