Max Scherzer came close to throwing the 24th perfect game in MLB history on Sunday but had to settle for a milestone even more difficult to achieve. 

Los Angeles Dodgers star Scherzer became the 19th pitcher to reach 3,000 career strikeouts, hitting the magic number in the fifth inning of the World Series champions' 8-0 rout of the San Diego Padres. 

The man he struck out to reach that mark, Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer, was the only San Diego player to reach base. His one-out double to right field in the eighth ended Scherzer's bid to join the legendary Sandy Koufax as the only Dodgers to throw a perfect game. 

Scherzer was making just his eighth start for the storied franchise after arriving from the Washington Nationals in a trade at the end of July.

It is fair to say his new team is even more impressed than they were when they had to face him in previous years. 

"Obviously you see him from afar, dominating," Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts told reporters. "You face him a couple of times, he goes seven, eight innings every single time. But just to be playing behind him is so much more fun. I mean it’s just kind of amazing to watch greatness."

Though Scherzer has now allowed just a lone unearned run over his last four starts, he has rarely been as dominant as he was against the Padres.

Knowing he needed six strikeouts to reach 3,000, the right-handed ace fanned two batters in the first before producing an "immaculate inning" in the second – striking out all three men he faced on the minimum nine pitches. 

That put him one away from the mark and he finally got it in the fifth when Hosmer swung through a 3-2 changeup. 

"It's hard to describe the emotions of it," Scherzer said. "It’s an awesome achievement, awesome milestone. Not that many people have reached this milestone. ...

"I love strikeouts and to me this is a testament to durability to me going out there every single time, making my 30-plus starts a year, year in, year out.

"Everybody can have the ability to do this. But few have the durability to do this."

And only one player has reached 3,000 in fewer innings than Scherzer's 2,516: Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, who did it in 2,470.2 innings. 

Scherzer started at least 30 games every year from 2009-2018 for the Nationals and Detroit Tigers, winning three Cy Young Awards in the process. 

His performance since moving to Los Angeles may well earn him a fourth this season, particularly if he keeps it up in the closing weeks as the Dodgers try to chase down the San Francisco Giants in the National League (NL) West. 

"I just can't imagine anyone being any better than this, especially with where we're at in the season," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader teamed up for the Milwaukee Brewers' first no-hitter since 1987 in a 3-0 win over the Cleveland Indians in MLB on Saturday.

The no-hitter was only the second in Brewers' franchise history, led by Burnes with 14 strikeouts across eight innings, before Hader closed it out.

It was also the ninth no-no of the 2021 majors season, topping the previous mark for most in a year in MLB history dating back to 1884.

Burnes, who took a perfect game into the seventh inning, tossed down a career-high 115 pitches before handing the reins over the Hader to finish the job.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell was full of praise for 26-year-old Burnes who looms as a top candidate for the National League (NL) Cy Young Award.

"He’s having a season that’s bigger than just Brewer records," Counsell said. "He’s having a season that’s historical in Major League Baseball."

Burnes has an MLB-best 2.25 ERA, 1.49 FIP, 35.4% strikeout rate (tied with Dodger Max Scherzer) and a NL best 4.9% walk rate.

Judge hits two HRs in New York

Aaron Judge homered twice to help the New York Yankees snap their seven-game skid with an 8-7 victory over the New York Mets in an emotional night in the Big Apple.

With the Yankees leading 4-0 in the second inning, Judge crushed a solo home run taking his season tally to 31 HRs.

But the Mets rallied to lead 7-5 in the eighth inning when Judge tied it up a two-run homer to left-field and his 32nd of the season.

Andrew Velazquez scored the go-ahead run before Judge made a diving catch in the ninth on a night where a stirring pre-game ceremony marked the 20-year anniversary of 9/11.

In the Wild Card race, Mookie Betts delivered a three-run homer in the Los Angeles Dodgers' hard-fought 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres.

Nolan Arenado two-run blast in the eighth inning lifted the St Louis Cardinals to a crucial 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Seattle Mariners' Wild Card hopes copped a blow in a shock 7-3 loss to the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks as Daulton Varsho turned on the power hitting.

A's Wild Card blow as Rangers pile on five

The Oakland Athletics are chasing a Wild Card spot and appeared destined for another win, leading 6-2 heading into the eighth inning before allowing a five-run Texas Rangers rally. The Rangers won 8-6, with DJ Peters crushing a two-run home run and Yohel Pozo hitting in an RBI double from Sergio Romo before Jonah Heim hammered Andrew Chafin for a two-run go-ahead homer.

Blue Jays launch all 11 runs in 7th

The Toronto Blue Jays were hitless after six innings before piling on 11 runs in the seventh inning of their 11-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of their double-header. The in-form Jays hit four homers in the seventh, while their 11 runs and 11 hits for the inning tied two franchise records for a single inning.

Saturday's results 

San Francisco Giants 15-4 Chicago Cubs
Texas Rangers 8-6 Oakland Athletics
Toronto Blue Jays 11-10 Baltimore Orioles
Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 Colorado Rockies
Tampa Bay Rays 7-2 Detroit Tigers
Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 Cleveland Indians
Pittsburgh Pirates 10-7 Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox 9-8 Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins 9-2 Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Angels 4-2 Houston Astros
St Louis Cardinals 6-4 Cincinnati Reds
Miami Marlins 6-4 Atlanta Braves
New York Yankees 8-7 New York Mets
Toronto Blue Jays 11-2 Baltimore Orioles
Arizona Diamondbacks 7-3 Seattle Mariners
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 San Diego Padres

Padres at Dodgers

All eyes will be on the Los Angeles Dodgers' meeting with the San Diego Padres with Max Scherzer six strikeouts away from becoming only the 19th pitcher to reach 3,000 career Ks.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash is hopeful emerging star Wander Franco can recover in time for the postseason after suffering a hamstring injury in Friday's 10-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.

The 20-year-old shortstop has been a revelation in his first season in the majors, extending his on-base streak to 39 games on Friday.

But Franco was withdrawn in the first inning after experiencing right hamstring tightness running between bases which has the Rays sweating on his fitness ahead of the postseason next month.

"It's still really early," Cash told reporters on Saturday about Franco who has been placed on the 10-day injury list.

"We’ve got to wait and see the next three to four days of how he responds to treatment and how he’s feeling. But I hope that it’s before the end of the season.

"He's frustrated, disappointed, but I think also understanding of the situation and how important he is."

Franco said he felt the hamstring pull after pushing off second base, reaching third before the Rays opted to pull him out of the game.

"We're not going to let him turn whatever grade [the strain is] rated at into a higher grade, or pull the thing where he misses a substantial amount of time," Cash said.

The Rays are 89-53 and currently top in the American League East as they look to go one better than last season when they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

The New York Mets opened the Subway Series with a 10-3 defeat of the Yankees at Citi Field on Friday. 

Though an Aaron Judge RBI groundout in the first inning gave the visitors their first lead of any kind since Sunday, the Yankees soon fell apart on the way their their seventh loss in a row and 11th in their last 13 games. 

Tylor Megill was dominant for the Mets, allowing four hits and two runs in seven innings while striking out 10.

His opposite number, Jordan Montgomery, had a miserable outing, walking in the tying run in the third inning on the way to allowing seven hits and as many runs (five earned) in 3.1 innings of work. 

Francisco Lindor homered for the Mets, while Javier Baez had three hits and drove in two. 

Urias, Dodgers shut out Padres

Julio Urias allowed three hits and walked one in seven innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the San Diego Padres 3-0. Max Muncy's two-run homer off Joe Musgrove in the third inning provided all the offence Urias needed as the pitcher improved to 17-3. 

The Dodgers could not gain any ground on San Francisco, though, as the Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-1 for their fifth win in a row. After Kyle Hendricks held the Giants to one run through six innings, Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt each smashed two-run homers off the Chicago bullpen in the seventh to put the game away. 

The Atlanta Braves extended their division lead over the Philadelphia Phillies to 4.5 games with a 6-2 victory over the Miami Marlins as Ian Anderson allowed only a two-run first-inning homer to Jesus Sanchez. Anderson and four Braves relievers combined to strike out 17 batters. 

Jose Abreu hit a three-run homer for the Chicago White Sox as Carlos Rodon and six relievers held the Boston Red Sox in check on the way to a 4-3 victory. 

Lorenzo Cain's grand slam capped a six-run fifth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers rolled past the Cleveland Indians 10-3. The win moved the Brewers to a franchise-record 32 games over .500 at 87-55. 

Strong start, ugly finish for Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani the hitter did his job Friday, smashing his MLB-leading 44th home run in the first inning. Shohei Ohtani the pitcher had a tougher night, allowing nine hits and six runs in 3.1 innings in his second-worst start of the season as the Los Angeles Angels fell to the Houston Astros 10-5. According to Stats Perform, he is the first player in the modern era to hit a homer in the first inning and be the losing pitcher in the same game. 

Schoop, Tigers blast past Rays

The Detroit Tigers trailed the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh before Jonathan Schoop put the home team on top with a grand slam. Victor Reyes would follow with a three-run homer in the eighth to put the game out of reach as the Tigers won 10-4. 

Friday's results 

San Francisco Giants 6-1 Chicago Cubs
Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 Washington Nationals
Detroit Tigers 10-4 Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles 6-3 Toronto Blue Jays
Colorado Rockies 11-2 Philadelphia Phillies
New York Mets 10-3 New York Yankees
Milwaukee Brewers 10-3 Cleveland Indians
Atlanta Braves 6-2 Miami Marlins
Houston Astros 10-5 Los Angeles Angels
Kansas City Royals 6-4 Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox 4-3 Boston Red Sox
Cincinnati Reds 4-2 St Louis Cardinals
Oakland Athletics 10-5 Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0 San Diego Padres
Seattle Mariners 5-4 Arizona Diamondbacks

Yankees at Mets

Expect an emotional scene at Citi Field as the Mets (71-71) host the Yankees (78-63) on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 

The Toronto Blue Jays continued their red-hot form with an eighth consecutive win after taking down the slumping New York Yankees 6-4 in MLB.

The Blue Jays (77-62) boosted their Wild Card chances with another victory, sweeping American League (AL) East rivals the Yankees (78-62) on Thursday.

Toronto are now within a half-game of the Yankees – who have lost six straight games – for the final AL Wild Card spot.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. landed a solo home run in the ninth inning, bringing up his 100th RBI for the season.

The Blue Jays All-Star finished the four-game series with three homers, marking the eighth time this year he has hit three or more homers in a series. According to Stats Perform, it is the most by any player in a season in AL history and second most in MLB history, behind Giancarlo Stanton (nine times in 2017).

Guerrero Jr.'s run of homers has seen him close within one of two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who tops the list for most home runs this season.

Toronto's Bo Bichette starred with three hits including two RBI, while he homered from the ninth pitch of the game when leading off.

Blue Jays ace Jose Berrios had eight strikeouts, with his game only blemished by Anthony Rizzo's moon shot.

Pederson walks it off for Braves

Joc Pederson's single completed a 7-6 walk-off win for the Atlanta Braves over the Washington Nationals. With bases loaded, Pederson hit a single to left field to get Ozzie Albies home in a game where five homers were scored.

Nicky Lopez starred for the Kansas City Royals as they won 6-0 against the Baltimore Orioles, hitting an early home run and driving in Hunter Dozier in the eighth, going three-for-five.

The St Louis Cardinals made up ground in the Wild Card race with a 2-1 win over World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers, where Tyler O'Neill hit a tie-breaking home run.

Phillies let it slip late

The Philadelphia Phillies led 2-1 heading into the ninth inning but allowed three Colorado Rockies runs to lose 4-3, denting their Wild Card aspirations. With two out, closer Ian Kennedy's breaking ball was clubbed for a two-run homer by Ryan McMahon. Sam Hilliard backed that up with a towering moon shot off Kennedy and the Phillies could not reel that in.

Manaea fans nine for A's

Oakland Athletics left-handed Sean Manaea struck out nine over seven innings of one-run ball as the A's beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1. Manaea may be deputy to Frankie Montas but he looms as a capable co-anchor. The A's are now 76-64 and second in the AL West.

Thursday's results 

St Louis Cardinals 2-1 Los Angeles Dodgers
Oakland Athletics 3-1 Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians 4-1 Minnesota Twins
Miami Marlins 3-2 New York Mets
Colorado Rockies 4-3 Philadelphia Phillies
Kansas City Royals 6-0 Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 New York Yankees
Atlanta Braves 7-6 Washington Nationals

Yankees at Mets

A crucial Subway Series between the Yankees and New York Mets (70-71) gets underway on Friday. Jordan Montgomery starts for the Yankees, while city rivals the Mets send Tylor Megill to the mound.

The playoff-chasing Toronto Blue Jays recorded their seventh consecutive win after beating American League (AL) East rivals the New York Yankees 6-3.

Toronto – enjoying their best winning streak since 2016 – are the hottest team in MLB with 10 victories in their last 11 games as they try to secure a Wild Card berth.

The streaking Blue Jays are only one and a half games behind the slumping Yankees in the AL Wild Card race after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 41st home run of the season.

Guerrero Jr. is now just three homers shy of Hall of Fame father Vladimir Sr.'s career high set in 2000 for the Montreal Expos.

As for the Yankees, they have lost five straight games and nine of 11 since winning 13 consecutive games.

Win number 90 for San Fran

The San Francisco Giants became the first team to 90 wins this season with a 7-4 triumph over the Colorado Rockies and series sweep. At 90-50, the Giants moved to a season-high 40 games over .500 for the first time since 1993.

The Baltimore Orioles scored nine runs in the eighth inning to trump the Kansas City Royals 9-8. The Orioles became the first team in the modern era to have a reliever earn the win in his MLB debut in back-to-back games after Mike Baumann on Tuesday and Manny Barreda on Wednesday, according to Stats Perform.

The San Diego Padres outlasted the Los Angeles Angels 8-5 after scoring all their runs in the second inning. With Baltimore's result, it is the first time in the modern era that two MLB teams had an eight-plus run inning that accounted for all their runs on the same day, per Stats Perform.

Keuchel struggles… again

The Oakland Athletics got to out-of-form Chicago White Sox ace Dallas Keuchel in their 5-1 win. Keuchel allowed five runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings with three strikeouts and a walk.

Don't run on Renfroe

Hunter Renfroe was the hero in the Boston Red Sox's 2-1 win over the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. After hitting a two-run homer in the eighth inning, the Red Sox star produced a stunning throw from deep centerfield to thwart Joey Wendle's attempt for a triple for the final out of the ninth.

Wednesday's results 

Seattle Mariners 8-5 Houston Astros
San Francisco Giants 7-4 Colorado Rockies
Texas Rangers 8-5 Arizona Diamondbacks
Minnesota Twins 3-0 Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tiger 5-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
Miami Marlins 2-1 New York Mets
Baltimore Orioles 9-8 Kansas City Royals
Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox 2-1 Tampa Bay Rays
Washington Nationals 4-2 Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs 4-1 Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 Philadelphia Phillies
St Louis Cardinals 5-4 Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres 8-5 Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics 5-1 Chicago White Sox

Dodgers at Cardinals

The Dodgers (88-52) will look to bounce back against the Cardinals (70-68) in St Louis on Thursday. Tony Gonsolin starts for the Dodgers as the Cardinals send Jake Woodford to the mound.

Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing were in attendance for New York Yankees great Derek Jeter's Hall of Fame induction.

Jeter entered the baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, alongside MLB trio Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller in front of basketball royalty.

NBA Hall of Famer Jordan – a six-time champion, and Ewing were in Cooperstown, New York to celebrate Jeter's illustrious career.

Jeter won five World Series titles with the Yankees, where the 47-year-old spent his entire career from 1995 to 2014.

HE finished with 3,465 hits, 1,923 runs, 260 homers and 1,311 RBIs, with a .310 average, .377 OBP and .817 OPS in 11,195 at-bats.

The 14-time All-Star also earned World Series MVP honours to go with five Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

"It's been a hell of a ride," Jeter said midweek.

Over the Yankees' 13-year playoff streak from 1995 to 2007, shortstop Jeter led the team in games (1,835), runs (1,379) and hits (2,356).

The Yankees claimed four World Series during that run before adding a fifth in 2009.

"For so many years, I represented New York and the Yankee organisation in the best light possible," he said. "Now I represent you. Know that I'm here to support you, guide you, protect you.

"Most importantly, I'm here to love you. I want you to find someone that inspires you, and when the time is right, I want you to inspire others."

The Tampa Bay Rays added to their season-long list of eye-popping statistics as they rolled past the Boston Red Sox 12-7 at Fenway Park on Tuesday. 

Nelson Cruz and Mike Zunino combined to go seven-for-nine with a double, a triple, four home runs and eight runs batted in as the first-place Rays built a 12-1 lead before Boston tacked on six runs in the final two innings. 

Cruz homered in the third and fith innings to reach 30 for the season, making the 41-year-old the oldest MLB player to reach that mark. Zunino is close behind Cruz on the season, hitting his 28th in the fourth inning and 29th in the sixth. 

According to Stats Perform, they are the second visiting duo to each have at least two home runs and at least four RBIs in the same game at Fenway Park since Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris of the New York Yankees on May 30, 1961.

While those two were going deep, Wander Franco was getting on base once again. The rookie walked in the seventh to extend his on-base streak to 37 games, breaking a tie with Mantle to put him behind only Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (43) in consecutive games reaching base for a player 20 years old or younger. 

The Tampa Bay win and another Yankees loss extended the Rays' American League (AL) East lead to nine and a half games. 

Astros storm back to beat Mariners, Angels spoil Snell's brilliant outing

The Houston Astros trailed the Seattle Mariners 4-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth inning, but Alex Bregman's two-run homer tied the game and Carlos Correa won it 5-4 for Houston with a walk-off ground-rule double in the 10th. 

San Diego Padres starter Blake Snell was perfect through six innings but ended up taking the loss when Jo Adell hit a two-run single with two outs in the seventh on the way to a 4-0 Los Angeles Angels win. Snell has held opposing hitters to a .071 batting average over his last four starts, which Stats Perform says is the lowest since Johnny Vander Meer held batters to a .063 average over four games – including his back-to-back no-hitters – in 1938. 

Avisail Garcia hit his 25th home run while Eric Lauer and two Milwaukee Brewers relievers held the Philadelphia Phillies to five hits in a 10-0 victory. The Brewers lead the National League (NL) Central by 11 games over the Cincinnati Reds.

Ozzie Albies homered for the fourth successive game, his two-run shot in the seventh giving the Atlanta Braves the lead for good on the way to an 8-5 victory over the Washington Nationals. Albies also drove in runs with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly and an eighth-inning single. 

Cole leaves injured as Yankees lose again

Gerrit Cole left in the fourth inning with hamstring tightness and the New York Yankees lost 5-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays, their eighth defeat in 10 games in a skid that began immediately after a 13-game winning streak. With their sixth straight win, the Blue Jays are now two games back of the Red Sox in the American League wild card race. 

Pujols hits another homer in St Louis

Albert Pujols got a standing ovation from the fans in St Louis, where he starred for 11 seasons, before hitting his 206th home run in the city and the 679th of his career.

Hitting a homer directly after getting a standing ovation is so awesome. pic.twitter.com/EdJGzkmOdS

— MLB (@MLB) September 8, 2021

Tuesday's results 

Minnesota Twins 3-0 Cleveland Indians
Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 Detroit Tigers
Baltimore Orioles 7-3 Kansas City Royals
Tampa Bay Rays 12-7 Boston Red Sox
Atlanta Braves 8-5 Washington Nationals
Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 New York Yankees
New York Mets 9-4 Miami Marlins
Milwaukee Brewers 10-0 Philadelphia Phillies
Cincinnati Reds 4-3 Chicago Cubs
San Francisco Giants 12-3 Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 St Louis Cardinals
Houston Astros 5-4 Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers 3-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Angels 4-0 San Diego Padres
Chicago White Sox 6-3 Oakland Athletics

Blue Jays at Yankees

Luis Gil has yet to surrender a run in three career MLB starts and the Yankees (78-60) will hope for more of the same as they try to stop Alek Manoah and the streaking Blue Jays (75-62). 

Gerrit Cole does not sound too worried about the hamstring injury that compelled him to leave Tuesday's start early, and the New York Yankees hope his instincts are right. 

Cole signalled for the physio with two outs in the fourth inning of a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays and departed the game with what the team officially called left hamstring tightness. 

Manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees' eighth defeat in 10 games that the team has not scheduled an MRI on Cole's leg. 

"I know in talking to Gerrit, he feels pretty optimistic about it, something that’s popped up with him before," Boone told reporters. "Hopefully, it’s something he got out in front of enough and we’ll see where we’re at in the coming days."

Cole said he began to feel discomfort earlier in the fourth inning, which began with two Toronto singles, a sacrifice fly, a walk and another sacrifice fly that put the Yankees in a 3-1 hole. 

"I was out there for a few pitches trying to weigh the pros and cons, and I just wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get through the inning," Cole said. "You’re only one pitch away from making it worse." 

Cole was pitching on extra rest after dominating the Los Angeles Angels in his previous start on September 1. He allowed four hits and a run with no walks and 15 strikeouts in seven innings of that game, his fourth strong start in a row after spending two weeks on the COVID-19 injured list. 

It was not immediately clear on Tuesday whether Cole would miss his next scheduled start. 

"It’s tough to say right now," he told reporters. "I’m obviously disappointed about the outcome of today. I just want to reserve judgment and see how this thing reacts the next 24-36 hours.

"I guess maybe for my own mentality I just want to make sure I’m good or if I need a few extra days. 

"I’m gonna definitely be as smart about it as I can, and trust my instincts... Hopefully I’ll be able to make the next one. We’ll see how it shakes out."

Jacob deGrom's return to the majors remains up in the air despite New York Mets team president Sandy Alderson declaring the pitcher's elbow sprain has "resolved".

DeGrom, who has an ERA of 1.08 with 146 strikeouts in 92 innings across 15 starts this MLB season, was placed on the Mets injury list in July with forearm tightness.

The 33-year-old right-hander was shut down on July 30 after a setback and has not pitched in the majors since July 7 due to the elbow issue.

The Mets previously described the issue as "right elbow inflammation" but Alderson revealed it was a "sprain" of the ulnar collateral ligament while also trying to downplay the severity.

"A sprain is the lowest grade partial tear and at this point the sprain has resolved itself," Alderson said.

"The elbow is perfectly intact, based on the MRIs and our clinical evaluations through our doctors.

"[Sprain] is a technical term… another term for a very mild ligament condition."

DeGrom was cleared to resume throwing on August 25 but still remains unavailable to play, with no immediate likelihood of a return.

The pitcher had been in contention for a third Cy Young Award and a possible MVP push but his injury issues have thwarted that.

The Mets are 69-69 and still plausibly in contention for a National League wild card spot which may impact the franchise's thinking on a deGrom return this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays rallied from six runs down to beat American League (AL) East rivals the Boston Red Sox 11-10.

In a wild showdown on Monday, Austin Meadows hit a game-tying inside-the-park homer in the ninth inning before Nelson Cruz's go-ahead single in the 10th completed the comeback.

Despite Chris Sale starting for the Red Sox, AL East leaders the Rays recorded their MLB-leading 43rd come-from-behind victory of the season, having trailed 7-1.

The highest scoring team in the majors in 2021, Tampa Bay had been 0-70 all-time when trailing by six runs or more against the Red Sox.

"That's the biggest win of the year, for sure," Meadows said afterwards. "All year we just find a way."

Tampa Bay's Wander Franco finished with four hits as the 20-year-old rookie extended his historic on-base streak to 36 games, tying Mickey Mantle's AL record set in 1951-52 for the most consecutive times by a player under 21. Frank Robinson set the MLB-league mark of 43 in 1956.

The Rays (87-51) are eight and a half games clear of the New York Yankees (78-59) atop the AL East, while the Red Sox (79-61) are nine games behind following consecutive defeats.

Scherzer stars, Guerrero and Semien make history as Jays stay hot

Max Scherzer struck out 13 batters to lead World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers past the St Louis Cardinals 5-1. In a dominant eight-inning start, Dodgers ace Scherzer allowed one unearned run with no walks. The Cy Young candidate is 5-0 with a 1.05 ERA and 63 strikeouts in seven starts since his trade to the Dodgers.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 40th home run of the season as the in-form Toronto Blue Jays routed the Yankees 8-0. The 22-year-old All-Star became the youngest Blue Jays hitter to reach 40 homers in a season and one of just 10 in franchise history, while he and his Hall of Fame father Vladimir Guerrero are one of only two father-son duos to hit 40 home runs, along with Price Fielder and Cecil Fielder. Meanwhile, Marcus Semien delivered a grand slam in the ninth inning as he set the franchise record for most home runs (37) by a middle infielder in a single season.

The Texas Rangers blanked the Los Angeles Angels 4-0 behind A.J. Alexy. He pitched six innings and allowed one hit after going five innings, while allowing one hit in his first career start. According to Stats Perform, Alexy is the first rookie in the modern era to go five-plus innings and allow one or fewer hits in each of his first two career starts.

Astros get on top of Kikuchi

Yusei Kikuchi had a rough outing in the Seattle Mariners' 11-2 demolition at the hands of the Houston Astros. He allowed 3 three hits, six runs – four earned, four walks and a homer in just 1.2 innings of work.

The Blue Jays roughed up Yankees starter Jameson Taillon, who finished with three hits, three runs, two walks and a pair of homers in 7.0 innings pitched.

Segura hits memorable slam

Jean Segura launched the first grand slam of his career as the Philadelphia Phillies trounced the Milwaukee Brewers 12-0. Bryce Harper also homered as part of a six-homer display by the Phillies.

Monday's results 

Tampa Bay Rays 11-10 Boston Red Sox
Kansas City Royals 3-2 Baltimore Orioles
Washington Nationals 4-3 New York Mets
Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 New York Yankees
Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 Detroit Tigers
Philadelphia Phillies 12-0 Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs 4-3 Cincinnati Reds
San Francisco Giants 10-5 Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 St Louis Cardinals
Minnesota Twins 5-2 Cleveland Indians
Houston Astros 11-2 Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers 4-0 Los Angeles Angels

Rays at Red Sox

The Rays (87-51) will look to claim back-to-back wins when they visit the Red Sox (79-61) on Tuesday. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen will take to the mound, while Eduardo Rodriguez starts for the Red Sox.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made history with the Toronto Blue Jays after homering in an 8-0 demolition of MLB rivals the New York Yankees.

Guerrero Jr. hit his 40th home run of the season as the in-form Blue Jays routed the Yankees on Monday to further boost their Wild Card chances.

The 22-year-old All-Star became the youngest Blue Jays hitter to reach 40 homers in a season and one of just 10 in franchise history, while he and his Hall of Fame father Vladimir Guerrero are one of only two father-son duos to hit 40 home runs, along with Price Fielder and Cecil Fielder.

"I have front-row seats to watch this whole season," said Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo, who was a team-mate of Vladimir Guerrero Sr. with double-A Harrisburg in 1996.

"What he's done, that's not easy to do. This guy he's going to be one of the best players in baseball. Actually, he already is and it's been fun to watch somebody that young be that good at the plate."

Guerrero Jr. is also on a career-high 14-game hit streak with the Blue Jays, who have won five straight games to be three games adrift in the American League (AL) Wild Card race.

The 2021 All-Star boasts a .414 batting average, 1.090 OPS, four homers and nine RBIs during that run.

Guerrero Jr. became the 10th player in MLB history with 40 homers in his age-22 season, and first since Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2019.

"That's amazing," Blue Jays team-mate Marcus Semien said. "I knew when we took BP, it was a good day to hit to right field. He didn't hit on the field but I mentioned that to him. He's so good he did it in his first at-bat. It's something special."

It was also a special outing for Semien against the slumping Yankees in New York, where he launched his 36th and 37th home runs of the season.

Semien delivered a grand slam in the ninth inning as he set the franchise record for most home runs by a middle infielder in a single season.

"For me, when my mechanics and timing are sound, I think I see the ball better and I'm more confident," Semien said. "I'm seeing that with everybody in the cage when they work. This time of year, you really get a good feel for what you're doing. You see the results."

Atlanta Braves star Charlie Morton signed a new contract with the MLB franchise, it was announced on Monday.

Braves ace and two-time All-Star Morton penned a one-year, $20million extension in Atlanta, where the starting pitcher has a $20m option for 2023.

Morton returned to the Braves this season following his exploits during the Tampa Bay Rays' run to the 2020 World Series, having been drafted by Atlanta in 2002.

The 37-year-old – a World Series winner with the Houston Astros in 2017 – debuted for the Braves in 2008 before leaving the following year.

Morton has starred in his second stint with the Braves, going 13-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 28 starts this season.

He has 185 strikeouts in 2021 – tied for eighth, while he is fifth for winning percentage (.722).

The Braves (72-64) top the National League (NL) East.

The San Francisco Giants got the better of Walker Buehler and the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 6-4 victory as they reclaimed top spot in MLB's National League (NL) West.

It was a tough outing for Dodgers ace and Cy Young contender Buehler, who was tagged for a season-high six runs on seven hits over three innings at Oracle Park on Sunday.

Giants star Steven Duggar hit a tie-breaking two-run triple, while Brandon Belt also homered at home to the Dodgers in San Francisco.

Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols hit his 678th career home run but it was not enough for the Dodgers as the Giants wrapped up the series.

Ray fuels streaking Jays with historic display

Robbie Ray struck out 10 batters as the Toronto Blue Jays swept the Oakland Athletics in an 8-0 rout. The Blue Jays starter became the first pitcher in team history with 10-plus strikeouts in four consecutive starts. Ray now boasts an American League (AL)-leading 2.60 ERA.

The Cleveland Indians homered for a franchise-record 19th consecutive game after taking down the Boston Red Sox 11-5. Franmil Reyes homered for the Indians.

The New York Mets topped the Washington Nationals 13-6 behind Javier Baez and Kevin Pillar. Baez went four for four with a home run, while Pillar hit a grand slam in a six-run ninth inning.

On Sunday, the Mets scored six runs in the ninth, Indians hit five runs in the ninth, Milwaukee Brewers clubbed five runs in the ninth and the Seattle Mariners tallied seven runs in the 11th. According to Stats Perform, it is the first time four teams had a five-run inning in the ninth or later on the same day since 1940.

Salvador Perez hit another home run in the Kansas City Royals' 6-0 shutout of the Chicago White Sox. Perez (41) is second for home runs this season behind two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani after hitting eight homers from his last 11 outings.

Yankees blow lead

The New York Yankees are in a rut following their 8-7 defeat at home to the Baltimore Orioles. Gary Sanchez hit a grand slam and a two-run homer but the Yankees still lost, blowing leads of 4-1, 5-2 and 7-4. The Yankees have now lost sixth of their last eight games, having enjoyed their first 13-game winning streak since 1961.

Vogelbach delivers stunning walk-off slam

Daniel Vogelbach was the hero in the Brewers' 6-5 walk-off victory against the St Louis Cardinals. He hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning.

Sunday's results 

San Francisco Giants 6-4 Los Angeles Dodgers
Baltimore Orioles 8-7 New York Yankees
New York Mets 13-6 Washington Nationals
Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 Oakland Athletics
Cleveland Indians 11-5 Boston Red Sox
Detroit Tigers 4-1 Cincinnati Reds
Minnesota Twins 6-5 Tampa Bay Rays
Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 Miami Marlins
Kansas City Royals 6-0 Chicago White Sox
Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 St Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs 11-8 Pittsburgh Pirates
Atlanta Braves 9-2 Colorado Rockies
Texas Rangers 7-3 Los Angeles Angels
San Diego Padres 4-3 Houston Astros
Seattle Mariners 10-4 Arizona Diamondbacks

Blue Jays at Yankees

The high-flying Blue Jays (73-62) will continue their Wild Card push away to slumping AL East rivals the Yankees (78-58) on Monday. Blue Jays ace Ryu Hyun-jin starts as the Yankees go with Jameson Taillon.

Shohei Ohtani hammered his 43rd home run of the 2021 MLB season to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday.

The Japanese two-way star delivered the homer with the Angels leading 1-0 and runners on first and second at the bottom of the sixth inning.

Ohtani skied his three-run shot over center field from his first Kolby Allard pitch to set up with the win.

The homer was crushed with 107.2 mph exit velocity and travelled a projected 426 feet, per Statcast.

Ohtani now leads the MLB for home runs with 43, three ahead of in-form Kansas City Royals slugger Salvador Perez, with Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr third on 39.

The 27-year-old is homing in on history, with no Angels player ever ending a season top of the HR charts, while he may eclipse Troy Glaus' franchise record of 47 from 2000.

The win improves the Angels record to 67-68 but they are well back in fourth in the American League (AL) West and Wild Card race.

Perez hits homers 39 and 40

Ohtani may have padded his MLB home run lead, but Perez moved into second spot with his 39th and 40th blasts in the Royals' 10-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Perez produced the home-run double despite a neck contusion which prevented him from catching.

Alex Verdugo walked it off for the depleted Boston Red Sox with a hit to deep right-field as they won 4-3 over the Cleveland Indians, with Rafael Devers homering earlier. The Red Sox are 79-59 and second in the AL Wild Card race.

Adrian Houser sent down the Milwaukee Brewers' first shut-out in seven years as they defeated the St Louis Cardinals 4-0. Houser had seven strikeouts and allowing only three hits.

Trea Turner and Corey Seager hit homers as the Los Angeles Dodgers won 6-1 over the San Francisco Giants to improve their Wild Card hopes, while Kyle Seager blasted the Seattle Mariners to a 8-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks to stay in the hunt.

The Toronto Blue Jays survived a late scare as the Oakland Athletics piled on five ninth-inning run to win 10-8 and boost their Wild Card aspirations.

Yankees almost held hitless

The New York Yankees had not been held hitless in a game since June 11 2003 but they appeared destined to end that run near the end of the seventh inning against the lowly Baltimore Orioles on Saturday. Gleyber Torres delivered a seventh-inning RBI single after 25 Yankees were held hitless. Joey Gallo then had an eighth-inning two-run homer but the Orioles won on Pedro Severino's sacrifice fly in a blow to the Yankees' Wild Card hopes.

Rays' rookie Wander keeps streak going

It seems like there is no stopping Tampa Bay Rays' rookie Wander Franco, after he extended his historic on-base streak to 34 games with an RBI single in his side's 11-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. Franco, who was absent on Friday due to a headache, had two runs with an RBI double on Saturday.

Saturday's results 

New York Mets 11-9 Washington Nationals
Baltimore Orioles 4-3 New York Yankees
Chicago Cubs 7-6 Pittsburgh Pirates
Toronto Blue Jays 10-8 Oakland Athletics
Tampa Bay Rays 11-4 Minnesota Twins
Boston Red Sox 4-3 Cleveland Indians
Washington Nationals 4-3 New York Mets
Miami Marlins 3-2 Philadelphia Phillies
Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 St Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds 7-4 Detroit Tigers
Chicago White Sox 10-7 Kansas City Royals
Seattle Mariners 8-5 Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies 7-6 Atlanta Braves
San Diego Padres 10-2 Houston Astros
Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 San Francisco Giants
Los Angeles Angels 4-1 Texas Rangers

Dodgers at Giants

It is hard to look past the Giants and Dodgers meeting again in the third and final game of their series.