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• MLB: Yankees advance to ALCS; Guardians force Game 5

  Gerrit Cole pitched like a postseason ace Thursday night, holding the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings and sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back in the American League Championship Series.

  The six-time All-Star scattered six hits and struck out four before handing the ball to the New York bullpen, which dominated a tense AL Division Series. Clay Holmes tossed a perfect eighth inning and Luke Weaver breezed through the ninth, extending the scoreless streak by Yankees relievers to 15 2/3 innings this postseason.

  New York will play Cleveland or Detroit of the ALCS starting Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

  Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres and Game 3 star Giancarlo Stanton drove in runs for the Yankees, who fittingly clinched a spot in their fourth ALCS in eight years on the road. They won 50 games away from home in the regular season, their most in 21 years.

  Michael Wacha failed to get through five innings for Kansas City, allowing two runs, six hits and a walk. He didn't get much help from a long-scuffling offence that managed just five runs total over the final three games of the series.

  New York set the tone from the start, pouncing on Wacha like it did in the series opener. Torres hit the veteran right-hander's first pitch of the game for a double, and Soto followed with an RBI single on just the third pitch of the night.

  Anthony Volpe kept on the pressure with his single in the fifth. And after Alex Verdugo grounded into a forceout and Jon Berti singled to put runners on the corners, Torres lined a two-out single to make it 2-0 and put an end to Wacha's night.

  Stanton, who hit the go-ahead homer in the eighth inning in Game 3, extended the lead to 3-0 with his single in the sixth.

   

  Guardians edge Tigers to stay alive

  Pinch-hitter David Fry hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, then bunted home an insurance run in the ninth to help the Cleveland Guardians force a decisive Game 5 against the Detroit Tigers in their AL Division Series with a 5-4 victory.

  Cleveland ended a streak of 11 losses in postseason elimination games dating to Game 6 of the 1997 World Series.

  Game 5 is Saturday in Cleveland, with ace Tarik Skubal set to start for the Tigers. The winner advances to the ALCS against the New York Yankees starting Monday.

  On the verge of reaching the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2013, the Tigers overcame a 2-1 deficit when Zach McKinstry homered in the fifth and Wenceel Pérez hit a run-scoring single in the sixth.

  Beau Brieske had pitched scoreless ball for 5 1/3 innings over four postseason appearances before Fry, batting for Kyle Manzardo, drove a fastball off an advertising sign between the two bullpens in left for the second pinch-homer in Cleveland postseason history after Hank Majeski in Game 4 of the 1954 World Series.

  Emmanuel Clase retired five batters, preserving a 4-3 lead in the eighth when he escaped a second-and-third jam by striking out Trey Sweeney.

  Fry’s bunt brought home Brayan Rocchio in the ninth to boost the lead, which proved important. Detroit pulled within a run in the bottom half when pinch-hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy doubled, advanced on a groundout and scored on Jace Jung’s groundout.

  Sweeney hit a sacrifice fly in the second and José Ramírez put Cleveland ahead with a fifth-inning homer off Tyler Holton.

• MLB: Mets advance to NLCS, Yankees, Tigers go up 2-1, Dodgers force Game 5

  Francisco Lindor’s latest huge hit was a sixth-inning grand slam that sent the New York Mets to the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

  Edwin Díaz struck out Kyle Schwarber with two runners aboard to end it as New York finished off the rival Phillies in Game 4 of their best-of-five Division Series, winning 3-1 to wrap up a postseason series at home for the first time in 24 years.

  New York will open the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday against either the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers.

  For the NL East champion Phillies, who won 95 games and finished six ahead of the wild-card Mets during the regular season, it was a bitter exit early in the playoffs and a disappointing step backward after they advanced to the 2022 World Series and then lost Games 6 and 7 of the 2023 NLCS at home to Arizona.

  Perhaps overanxious at the plate with so much on the table, the Mets left the bases loaded in the first and second and stranded eight runners overall through the first five innings.

  They put three runners on again in the sixth, this time with nobody out, before No. 9 batter Francisco Alvarez grounded into a force at the plate against All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman.

  With the season on the line, Phillies manager Rob Thomson then summoned closer Carlos Estévez to face Lindor, who drove a 2-1 fastball clocked at 99 mph into Philadelphia’s bullpen in right-center, sending the sold-out crowd of 44,103 into a delirious, bouncing, throbbing frenzy.

  With his first homer of these playoffs, Lindor joined Shane Victorino and Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thome as the only major leaguers with two postseason grand slams. The star shortstop also connected for Cleveland at Yankee Stadium in Game 2 of a 2017 AL Division Series.

   

  Dodgers rout Padres to force Game 5

  Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Gavin Lux homered to back an eight-pitcher shutout as the Los Angeles Dodgers staved off elimination with an 8-0 rout of the San Diego Padres in their NL Division Series.

  The Dodgers snapped a two-game losing streak and now return home for a deciding Game 5 between the NL West rivals on Friday night.

  The winner will have home-field advantage in the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, who eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in their NLDS.

  The Dodgers got a superb effort by opener Ryan Brasier and seven fellow relievers in a bullpen game, holding the Padres to seven hits and extending their scoreless streak to 15 innings. Evan Phillips, who got the win, retired Jurickson Profar, Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill on five pitches in the sixth.

  With All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman sidelined by a troublesome right ankle sprain, Betts and Shohei Ohtani needed to produce to keep LA's season alive. They did just that, with Betts driving in two runs on two hits and Ohtani bringing in one run and reaching three times.

  The Padres started Dylan Cease on short rest and gave up Betts’ home run in the first inning and put two runners on with one out in the second and was chased by Ohtani’s RBI single to right. 

  Smith followed Max Muncy’s leadoff double in the third with a home run to extend the lead to 5-0.

  Lux’s two-run shot off Wandy Peralta in the seventh capped a three-run inning for the Dodgers.

   

  Stanton’s home run gives Yankees 2-1 lead

  Giancarlo Stanton snapped a tie in the eighth inning with a solo home run and New York’s bullpen pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings as the Yankees edged the Kansas City Royals 3-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their AL Division Series.

  Stanton finished with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees, who will turn to six-time All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole on Thursday night with a chance to reach the American League Championship Series.

  The Royals used four relievers before Kris Bubic took over for the eighth. The left-hander struck out Austin Wells before Stanton hit his 3-1 pitch nearly 420 feet to left to give New York the lead.

  The Royals tried to answer off Luke Weaver in the bottom half, getting Bobby Witt Jr.'s first hit of the series and a two-out single by Salvador Perez. Weaver recovered to get Yuli Gurriel to fly out to end the threat, and he also handled the ninth to earn the save and cap a stellar performance by the New York bullpen.

  The Yankees won despite another frustrating night in the postseason for MVP front-runner Aaron Judge. He went 0 for 4 with a walk and is now 1 for 11 with only an infield single through three games against the Royals.

  It helped that the powerful Yankees drew nine walks Wednesday night, giving them 22 for the series.

   

  Tigers get second straight shutout

  Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson each drove in a run, and the Detroit Tigers used six pitchers in a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians for a 2-1 lead in their AL Division Series.

  The Tigers will have a chance to advance to their first ALCS since 2013 on Thursday night in Game 4 at Comerica Park.

  Cleveland has gone 20 straight innings without scoring since opening the series with a five-run first and a two-run sixth in its 7-0 win.

  After AL Cy Young Award favourite Tarik Skubal helped Detroit shut out Cleveland in Game 2, manager A.J. Hinch put a stream of pitchers on the mound and kept the Guardians quiet at the plate.

  Detroit reliever Will Vest entered with two on and two outs in the seventh and got David Fry to line out to Matt Vierling at third.

  Keider Montero retired the side in order in the first, and the previously slumping Greene hit a two-out RBI single in the home half.

  Brant Hurter gave up five hits in 3 1/3 innings, Beau Brieske pitched two innings, and Sean Guenther got one out before Vest threw 1 1/3 innings. Tyler Holton handled the ninth for the save.

  It's the first time Detroit has recorded two shutouts in a postseason series. It's also the first time since the 1905 World Series that the first three games of a postseason series were all shutouts.

  The Guardians had a chance to score in the third. Steven Kwan reached on a one-out infield single and advanced on shortstop Tyler Sweeney's throwing error. José Ramírez was intentionally walked with two outs, but Josh Naylor hit an inning-ending groundout.

   

• Padres, Mets take 2-1 lead in NL division series

  Fernando Tatis Jr.'s two-run home run capped a six-run second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on for a 6-5 victory over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in a tense NL Division Series.

  The Padres moved within one victory of eliminating the Dodgers in the NLDS for the second time in three seasons. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Petco Park, which was packed with a rally towel-waving record crowd of 47,744.

  Tatis' impressive homer gave the Padres a 6-1 lead, but Teoscar Hernández hit a grand slam with one out in the third off Michael King to bring the Dodgers within a run.

  Mookie Betts also homered for the Dodgers to break an 0-for-22 playoff slump, but apparently thought left fielder Jurickson Profar had robbed him like he did in Sunday night's 10-2 Padres win at Dodger Stadium, when tempers flared on the field and in the stands. Betts rounded first and headed toward the dugout before teammates and even King motioned that it was a homer.

  Tatis' shot into the left-field seats was his third of the series, leaving him one shy of the NLDS record held by Carlos Beltran (2004, Houston) and Nick Castellanos (2023, Philadelphia). Tatis had two of San Diego's six homers Sunday night. The flamboyant Tatis stood for a few seconds and watched the ball sail out of the yard, flipped his bat and gestured toward the dugout before beginning his trot.

  King got his second win in as many playoff starts after allowing five runs and five hits in five innings, with three strikeouts and one walk.

  Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Tanner Scott pitched one-hit ball over the next 2 2/3 innings and Robert Suarez got the final four outs for his first save.

  David Peralta delivered a two-run double during San Diego’s big second inning and Kyle Higashioka lofted a sacrifice fly before Tatis homered off Walker Buehler with two outs.

   

  Manaea stifles Phillies to put Mets up

  Pete Alonso homered again off Aaron Nola, and Sean Manaea pitched brilliantly into the eighth inning as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 in Game 3 of their NL Division Series.

  Jesse Winker also went deep and Starling Marte added a pivotal two-run single to help the wild-card Mets, playing their first home game in 16 days, grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

  Game 4 is Wednesday at Citi Field, with All-Star Ranger Suárez scheduled to start for Philadelphia against fellow lefty Jose Quintana.

  A win would send New York to the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres.

  Manaea was lifted after allowing a leadoff single to start the eighth. The left-hander received hearty pats on the chest from teammates and a standing ovation from the towel-waving sellout crowd of 44,093 as he strolled off the mound.

  Manaea allowed just two hits, struck out six and walked two for his first playoff win after entering 0-3 with a 10.66 ERA in his postseason career.

  Clinging to a 2-0 lead, Manaea escaped major trouble in the sixth. After issuing consecutive walks to start the inning, he received a mound visit from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and struck out star slugger Bryce Harper on three off-speed pitches.

  Nick Castellanos then lined into an inning-ending double play, as the Mets' middle infield doubled off Kyle Schwarber at second base.

  Alonso led off the bottom of the second by sending Nola's first pitch deep to right field. He flipped his bat high in the air on his way to first base when the ball reached the front row of the second deck.

  It was Alonso's second home run of the series and third in New York's past four playoff games.

  Nola and Alonso have been squaring off since their college days in the Southeastern Conference, but the matchup has been one-sided in the majors. It was Alonso's sixth career homer off the right-hander, after entering with a .320 batting average and 1.050 OPS in 54 career plate appearances against him.