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MLB Capsules
Yankees clinch another postseason berth
spt ap Jeter
The New York Yankees douse shortstop Derek Jeter, center, with several beers after the Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 and clinched an American League playoff berth on Tuesday in Toronto. - photo by AP Photo

TORONTO (AP) — The New York Yankees clinched their 15th postseason berth in the last 16 years and CC Sabathia got his 21st win of the season, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Tuesday night.
Derek Jeter scored three runs and drove in another for the Yankees, who have reached the postseason every year but one since 1996. New York missed the playoffs in 2008, finishing behind Tampa Bay and Boston.
The Tampa Bay Rays, who hold a half-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East, clinched a playoff berth Tuesday, beating Baltimore 5-0.
Sabathia (21-7) allowed one run and three hits in 8 1-3 innings to match Andy Pettitte’s 21 wins in 1996 and 2003 for the most victories by a Yankee since Ron Guidry went 22-6 in 1985.
The left-hander, who walked two and struck out eight, is 9-3 in 12 career starts against Toronto, including 5-1 with a 2.39 ERA in six starts at Rogers Centre.
Mariano Rivera got the final two outs for the Yankees.
Making his third career start, Kyle Drabek (0-3) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Rays 5, Orioles 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay clinched its second playoff berth in three years, beating Baltimore behind another strong pitching performance by 19-game winner David Price.
Price (19-6) scattered six hits over eight innings and allowed only one runner past second base. He struck out eight and walked none in what likely will be his final start of the regular season.
The Rays remained one-half game in front of the New York Yankees atop the AL East. The Yankees beat Toronto 5-0 on Tuesday to also clinch a playoff berth.
Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena hit solo homers to support the 25-year-old left-hander before a crowd of 17,891 that joined in the celebration at Tropicana Field.
Dan Johnson and Ben Zobrist also drove in runs off Orioles starter Brad Bergensen (8-11).

Royals 10, Twins 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kila Ka’aihue hit two home runs and drove in a career-high four runs to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 10-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins Tuesday night.
The Twins have dropped a season-high five straight since clinching the AL Central title on Sept. 21.
Ka’aihue hit a three-run homer in the first off Nick Blackburn (10-11), then led off the second with his seventh home run of the season. It was his first career multihomer game.
He almost had a third homer in the seventh, sending a drive off the right-field bullpen fence for his first big league triple.
Sean O’Sullivan (4-6) held the Twins to one run on five hits and six walks in six-plus innings.
Blackburn gave up eight runs on eight hits and two walks in 4 1-3 innings. He also balked home Mike Aviles, who led off the fifth with a triple for his third hit.
The Twins have allowed 46 runs in the five-game skid, the most in any five-game stretch since they gave up 52 June 14-18, 2003.
Ka’aihue also scored four runs, matching David DeJesus for the Royals’ season high.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Red 3, Astros 2
CINCINNATI — Jay Bruce homered on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth to lift Cincinnati over Houston, sending the Reds to the postseason for the first time in 15 years.
The Reds, who won in their last at-bat for the 22nd time this season, won the NL Central title.
Aroldis Chapman (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth.
Bruce’s line-drive homer off Tim Byrdak (2-2) sent his teammates sprinting to home plate to pummel him while fireworks went off overhead.
Dusty Baker joined Bill McKechnie as the only managers to lead three different NL teams to the playoffs. Baker has made it with the Giants and Cubs.
Cincinnati finished fourth last season, its second under Baker, but the franchise thought it had the makings of something and kept the roster intact.
The Reds have struggled against other top teams. They have gone 58-28 against losing teams, only 30-41 against those with .500 or better records.
Braves 3, Marlins 2
ATLANTA — Eric Hinske hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the seventh inning and Atlanta improved its wild card chances.
The Braves held a half-game lead over San Diego for the wild card entering Tuesday. The Chicago Cubs played at the Padres later Tuesday.
Trailing 1-0, the Braves rallied for three runs in the seventh off Anibal Sanchez (12-12), who had held Atlanta to three hits in six innings.
Brooks Conrad knocked in the first run with a triple. Hinske hit his 11th home run to give Atlanta a 3-1 lead.
Dan Uggla hit a solo homer off Peter Moylan in the eighth to get the Marlins within 3-2. It was his 32nd of the season and his 100th RBI.
Craig Kimbrel (4-0) got the win with a hitless seventh, and Billy Wagner earned his 36th save with a scoreless ninth.
Nationals 2, Phillies 1
WASHINGTON — Adam Dunn led off the bottom of the ninth with his 38th homer, this one off Jose Contreras (6-4), to give Washington the win.
Jimmy Rollins went 1 for 3 in his first start in nearly three weeks, Roy Oswalt didn’t allow an earned run in five innings, and NL East champion Philadelphia began preparing for the playoffs.
The Phillies clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason a night earlier.
Oswalt allowed two hits and two walks and left after only 66 pitches.
Nationals starter Jason Marquis left with the scored tied 1-1, having allowed Raul Ibanez’s 16th homer leading off the fourth. Marquis gave up seven hits in six innings in his last start of 2010.
Drew Storen (4-4) earned the win by pitching the ninth.
Mets 4, Brewers 3
NEW YORK — Light-hitting New York rookie Ruben Tejada laced a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth off Milwaukee closer John Axford.
David Wright had a two-run homer and the Mets opened their final homestand of the season with their third consecutive win.
Corey Hart homered for Milwaukee and Randy Wolf pitched seven strong innings. Lorenzo Cain hit an RBI double.
Axford (8-2) struck out Wright to escape an eighth-inning jam, but Ike Davis opened the ninth with a double. Josh Thole blooped a one-out single that put runners at the corners and Tejada drove the next pitch up the left-center alley for his third hit, and second double, of the game.
Tejada raised his batting average from .199 to .210.
Elmer Dessens (4-2) worked a perfect ninth inning for the win.