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• MLB: Harper's homer lifts Phillies over Brewers in matchup of division leaders

  Bryce Harper hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning to back up the strong pitching of Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 on Tuesday night in a matchup of division leaders.

  Nick Castellanos added a solo shot and Trea Turner added three hits to help the Phillies move closer to wrapping up the NL East title while delaying the Brewers’ NL Central championship celebration.

  The Phillies lowered their magic number for clinching the NL East to four. The Brewers’ magic number dropped to one with the Chicago Cubs’ 4-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

  Wheeler (16-6) boosted his Cy Young Award credentials by allowing only four hits and one run in seven innings while striking out six and walking none. Wheeler, who lowered his ERA to 2.56, has given up no more than two runs in each of his last nine starts.

  The score was tied at 1-all until Harper sent a 1-1 pitch from Frankie Montas over the wall in left-center for his 29th homer. Harper’s two-run shot also scored Kyle Schwarber, who led off with an infield single.

  Philadelphia extended the lead to 4-1 in the seventh as Schwarber hit a ball that went off a leg of pitcher Aaron Ashby and headed into shallow right field for an RBI single after Edmundo Sosa's leadoff double.

  Turner added a two-out RBI single off Enoli Paredes in the ninth.

   

  Judge, Soto power Yankees to rout

  Aaron Judge drove in four runs in his first two at-bats, Juan Soto hit his 40th homer of the season and 200th of his career, and the New York Yankees moved to the cusp of clinching a playoff berth with an 11-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

  The Yankees can clinch at worst a wild-card spot in the American League with a victory over Seattle on Wednesday. The win in the opener of New York’s six-game road trip pushed the Yankees' lead in the AL East to four games over Baltimore - their largest lead since holding a 4 1/2-game lead when play started on June 7.

  Judge laced a two-run double three batters into the game and added a two-out, two-run single the next time he was up an inning later. Judge now has a league-leading 136 RBIs.

  Soto joined the offensive outburst in the third inning with a two-out, two-run opposite field blast off Seattle starter Bryan Woo. It’s the first time in his career Soto has reached the 40-homer mark, and he’s now homered in all 30 parks in baseball.

  Soto and Judge are the third set of Yankee teammates to each hit 40 home runs in a season, joining Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (1927, 1930, 1931), and Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris (1961).

   

  Tigers get past Royals in extras

  Parker Meadows and Riley Greene delivered RBI singles in the 10th inning and the surging Detroit Tigers continued their postseason push with a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

  Tyler Holton retired all six Royals he faced, striking out a pair in the ninth to force extra innings. Jason Foley took care of the Royals in the 10th, earning the save for the second straight night and 25th time this season.

  Detroit remained 1 1/2 games back of Minnesota for the final AL wild-card spot. The Royals stayed 2 1/2 games behind Baltimore for the first wild-card spot and are 1 1/2 ahead of the Twins.

  Cole Ragans allowed one run on four hits and four walks with six strikeouts over seven innings for Kansas City, and Casey Mize allowed one run on six hits and four walks while pitching into the fifth for Detroit.

• AC Milan 1-3 Liverpool: Reds recover from early scare for winning start

  Liverpool celebrated their return to the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over AC Milan at San Siro on Tuesday, overcoming a shaky start for a comfortable triumph.

  The Reds got off to an awful start when Christian Pulisic finished Milan's deadly counter-attack in the third minute, aided by Liverpool's disorganised defending on their return to the competition after a year's absence.

  Arne Slot's side turned things around, however, as Ibrahima Konate equalised in the 23rd minute when he leapt high above a crowd of defenders to head in Trent Alexander-Arnold's free kick.

  Virgil van Dijk put Liverpool ahead after nodding home Kostas Tsimikas' corner prior to the break before Dominik Szoboszlai sealed victory in the 67th minute, slotting into the far corner from Cody Gakpo's cross after Milan gave up possession.

  Slot's first Champions League game at the helm of Liverpool ended in deserved victory, and it was a terrific response from his team after their shock 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.

  Data Debrief: Defensive delight for Reds

  With Konate and Van Dijk both on target, Liverpool had two defenders score in the same Champions League game for the first time.

  It marked a fitting way for Van Dijk to celebrate a landmark appearance, becoming just the third Dutch player to score on his 50th outing in the competition, after Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Makaay (both in 2005).

  Alexander-Arnold's assist for Liverpool's equaliser was also his 80th for the Reds. Since his debut in October 2016, only Kevin De Bruyne (146) and team-mate Mohamed Salah (90) have provided more in all competitions among Premier League players.

  Those defensive performances at the other end of the pitch helped Liverpool to a fifth win in their last six away games against Italian sides in all competitions (L1), having won just three of their first 14 such visits (D3 L8).

• Slot delighted by birthday treat after Liverpool's Champions League recovery

  Arne Slot hailed Liverpool's recovery powers as the Reds marked their manager's birthday with a battling Champions League victory over AC Milan.

  Liverpool's return to the competition after a one-year absence got off to a terrible start as Christian Pulisic fired home just three minutes into Tuesday's clash at San Siro.

  Ibrahima Konate swiftly restored parity with a header from Trent Alexander-Arnold's free-kick before Virgil van Dijk marked his 50th appearance in the Champions League with a first-half finish.

  Dominik Szoboszlai made sure of the opening-game win after the break as Milan capitulated to a 3-1 defeat in front of their disappointed home supporters.

  Victory ensured Slot celebrated his 46th birthday in style, overseeing three points in his first European game in charge of his new club.

  "A great way to spend my birthday," the Dutchman said on Amazon Prime.

  "We have more than 11 players and the ones that came in did well. You wouldn't have said this after five minutes, but after we did well."

  Liverpool were rocked by an early-season Premier League blow on Saturday, falling down 1-0 to Nottingham Forest at Anfield in a shock result.

  Former Feyenoord boss Slot was delighted with the reaction as Liverpool made it five wins in their last six away games in Italy in the Champions League.

  "Losing Saturday was a blow and to be 1-0 down early here, you are wondering how we react," Slot added.

  "But if you can play so good it is – I won't say a disgrace – unbelievable you lose to Forest at home if you can play like this [at Milan]."

  Van Dijk became just the third Dutch player to score on his 50th appearance in the competition, after Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Makaay (both in 2005).

  The Liverpool captain lauded his side's ability to bounce back in what was billed as a battle between two European heavyweights, having shared memorable Champions League finals in 2005 and 2007.

  "Obviously I am very pleased with the win and I am pleased with the way we bounced back after a difficult start," Van Dijk told Sky Italy.

  "When there is a set-piece we try to be important. The delivery was outstanding in my opinion. I am very pleased that we won and we limited them to only two big chances.

  "We have been very successful over the years and I am always grateful for that. Things have moved on, the new manager is here and he has principles that are different.

  "We are working on things and there are still things to improve."