Locked in at the plate, Shohei Ohtani chases Triple Crown entering final weekend of regular season
DENVER (AP) — Shohei Ohtani’s locked in at the plate, on the bases, for the NL MVP and now on the Triple Crown. It’s been that kind of late-season surge for the Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter who’s already invented the 50-50 club. Ohtani went 4 for 5 in a 11-4 win over the Colorado Rockies to keep in the running for the Triple Crown. It also ensure he’s in the lineup the final two games. Heading into the weekend, Ohtani’s leading the NL in homers (54) and RBIs (130). He raised his average to .309 on Friday, trailing only Luis Arráez (.314) in the batting-title race.
White Sox lose post-1900s, majors-record 121st game, falling 4-1 to Tigers
DETROIT (AP) — The Chicago White Sox lost their post-1900s, major league-record 121st game Friday night, falling 4-1 to the Detroit Tigers. The White Sox broke the mark of 120 set by the New York Mets in 1962 in their first season. The Cleveland Spiders hold the overall record, going 20-134 in 1899. The closest any team had come to New York’s record was the 2003 Tigers, who won their final two games to finish with 119 losses. That remained the AL record until Chicago hit 120 on Sunday in San Diego. After avoiding the record by sweeping the Los Angeles Angels at home, the White Sox lost to a Tigers team that wrapped up a postseason spot in front of 44,435 raucous fans.
Royals complete remarkable turnaround, making playoffs coming off 106-loss season
ATLANTA (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in major league history, clinching an American League wild card despite a 3-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The Royals matched a franchise record with 106 losses last season. Now, they are headed to the postseason for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series. The celebration was delayed by a masterful performance from Atlanta pitcher Max Fried, who came within one out of a shutout. But the Royals finally popped the corks in the visitors’ clubhouse at Truist Park when the Minnesota Twins were eliminated with a 7-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Tigers clinch AL wild card with 4-1 win over White Sox, ending decade-long postseason drought
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers earned an AL wild card berth on Friday night, ending a decade-long postseason drought. Detroit clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox, who set a modern major league record with their 121st loss. The Tigers have been on a tear, winning six straight and 10 of 11 to surge into the playoffs. Detroit was 55-63 on Aug. 10, 10 games out of the last wild card, and then went 31-11. During that stretch, the Tigers have the lowest ERA in baseball and the largest run differential.