Rookie Pete Alonso launched his major league-leading 51st home run and Jacob deGrom worked seven shutout innings as the Mets throttled the Marlins, 10-3. Alonso’s three-run blast gave New York a 7-0 lead in the second inning before the Mets were eliminated from the wild-card race with Milwaukee’s victory. DeGrom allowed just two hits and struck out seven while lowering his ERA to 2.43.
The Rays were 4-0 winners over the Yankees behind Charlie Morton, who is 16-6 after striking out nine while yielding just one hit over six innings. Four relievers finished up the combined one-hitter for Tampa Bay, which moved 1 ½ games ahead of the Indians for the second AL wild card. The outcome also allowed the Astros to move 2 ½ games ahead of New York for home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
Homers by Christian Vázquez, Mitch Moreland and Rafael Devers powered the Red Sox past the Rangers, 10-3. Rick Porcello allowed three runs over six innings of what could have been his final start for Boston.
Wilmer Difo singled home the lead run in the seventh inning of the Nationals’ fourth straight win, 5-2 against the Phillies. Howie Kendrick and Brian Dozier homered for the Nationals, who remain one game ahead of the Brewers for the first NL wild card. Anibal Sanchez allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings to improve to 11-2 since an 0-6 start.
The Milwaukee Brewers had a very productive day as they clinched a playoff berth and moved one game closer to first place in the National League Central. The Brewers won for the 17th time in 19 games as Ryan Braun’s grand slam ignited a six-run first in a 9-2 rout of the Reds. Eric Thames also provided a first-inning blast, Keston Hiura went deep in the second and Trent Grisham drove in two runs without a hit. Jordan Lyles allowed two runs and three hits over five innings to help the Brew Crew pull within 1 ½ games of the NL Central-leading Cardinals.
In MLB news, if the New York Yankees advance to the World Series next month, they will do it without their victories leader on the mound. Domingo Germán's administrative leave under Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy has been extended through the World Series. Germán was placed on leave for seven days last Thursday. MLB and the players' association agreed to the extension on Wednesday, ending his season. Germán was 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 24 starts and three relief appearances over 143 innings this year.
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto will miss the remainder of the season with a right knee injury. Manager Gabe Kapler says Realmuto has returned to Philadelphia and will undergo a "meniscus cleanup" on Friday, adding that there are no long-term concerns. Realmuto hit .285 with 25 homers and 83 RBIs in his first season with the Phillies, who were eliminated from postseason contention on Tuesday.
Theo Epstein says he has no plans of returning to the Red Sox. Speculation in Boston has centered on Epstein possibly replacing Dave Dombrowski, who was fired Sept. 8 as the president of baseball operations for the Red Sox. Epstein is finishing his eighth season as the Cubs' president of baseball operations.
Pirates closer Felipe Vázquez has been ordered held without bond following his arrest on multiple felony charges, including sexual assault of a minor. Vázquez was taken into custody last week by Pennsylvania State Police on an arrest warrant from Florida stemming from illicit electronic communication with an underage girl. A judge denied bond for the 28-year-old Vázquez during a brief hearing on Wednesday.
Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will have surgery to repair the left shoulder he injured over the weekend. Mondesi sustained a subluxation to his shoulder in July and injured it again in Sunday's loss to Minnesota. He was limited to 102 games due to the injury, finishing with a .263 batting average, nine homers, 62 RBIs and 43 stolen bases.
Major League Baseball has set a season strikeout record for the 12th straight season. Batters struck out 369 times Tuesday to raise the season total to 41,467. That topped the 41,207 of last season with five days to spare.
NFL
The New England Patriots have signed Cody Kessler to their 53-man roster, adding some additional depth behind quarterback Tom Brady. Kessler spent last season with the Eagles, appearing in five games with four starts.
Redskins quarterback Case Keenum could miss Sunday’s game against the Giants because of a foot injury. If Keenum can't play, the 0-3 Redskins will either turn to Colt McCoy or ask first-round pick Dwayne Haskins to make his NFL debut. McCoy was listed as a full participant after missing time with the effects of a broken leg.
The Steelers have acquired tight end Nick Vannett from the Seattle Seahawks for a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft. Pittsburgh is in need of help at tight end with veteran Vance McDonald nursing a shoulder injury that will likely sideline him for Monday night's game against Cincinnati and perhaps longer.
Disgruntled cornerback Jalen Ramsey has left the Jaguars to be with his family for the birth of his second child. The team made the surprising announcement with a statement from coach Doug Marrone on Wednesday night, adding to Ramsey's ongoing trade saga. Ramsey missed practice Wednesday because of an apparent back injury that Marrone said he knew nothing about until earlier in the day.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio says cornerback Bryce Callahan will miss between four and six weeks after undergoing a procedure on his bothersome left foot. He missed most of camp and the first three games after his surgically repaired left foot got stepped on in July.
NBA
Kyrie Irving is hurt before his Nets career even begins. Irving sustained a left side facial fracture after being elbowed during a pickup game and the Nets said the All-Star point guard is listed as day to day. Irving has previously worn a mask during games to protect a facial fracture.
NHL
The Calgary Flames have signed forward Matthew Tkachuk to a three-year, $21 million deal that makes him the team’s highest-paid player this season. Tkachuk was a restricted free agent and will arrive at camp before the Flames' season opener on October 3rd against the Avalanche. Tkachuk had career highs with 34 goals, 43 assists and 77 points in 80 games last season.
Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky is out indefinitely and likely will miss the start of the season with a wrist injury. The 33-year-old Dubinsky is entering his 13th NHL season and was a third- or fourth-line center last season when the Blue Jackets reached the second round of the playoffs.
Former U.S. Olympic team captain and Hall of Famer Cammi Granato has been hired by the expansion Seattle franchise as a pro scout. Granato is one of a handful of women working on the hockey operations side of an NHL franchise, and the only female pro scout currently in the league.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
A former Ball State football player who spent three years in a Chinese prison for his involvement in a bar fight says he has a newfound appreciation for the word freedom now that he's returned home to Detroit. Wendell Brown said after arriving home Wednesday that people don't really understand the meaning of freedom until they lose it. Brown was teaching English and American football in southwest China when he was arrested in September 2016 and charged with intentional assault. He denied hitting a man at a bar and said he was defending himself after being attacked. Brown was sentenced to four years in prison, but that was reduced to three years by a Chinese court.
GRADE SCHOOL FOOTBALL
A middle school football player in Oklahoma has died after competing in a game near Oklahoma City. Lexington High School football coach Dale Berglan told The Oklahoman that Riley Boatwright died Tuesday after playing a game in Stratford, Oklahoma. A cause of death is not known. Boatwright's death is the second this month of a scholastic football player in Oklahoma.
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