SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Clayton Kershaw pitched the big-money Dodgers to their third straight NL West title, tossing a 1- hitter as Los Angeles beat the San Francisco Giants 8-0 on Tuesday night.

Kershaw allowed just a thirdinning single and struck out 13, and the Dodgers (88-69) advance to face the NL East champion New York Mets in the best-of-five NL Division Series.

Kershaw (16-7) finally got the best of his 2015 nemesis in their fourth matchup of the year, striking out the side in order three times and retiring the final 19 batters as the Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak.

Don Mattingly’s Dodgers earned a third straight playoff berth for the first time in franchise history, and did so by snapping a seven-game losing streak at AT&T Park this year. It’s also their sixth postseason berth in 10 years.

Justin Ruggiano and A.J. Ellis hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth to chase World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner (18-9), denying the Giants their first 19-game winner in 18 years.

ANGELS 8, ATHLETICS 1

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ANAHEIM, Calif (AP) — Albert Pujols had an RBI double among his three hits, Erick Aybar drove in three runs and the Los Angeles Angels took over the lead for the second AL wild-card playoff spot with their seventh consecutive victory.

A few minutes after matching their longest winning streak of the season, the Angels (83-74) moved a half-game ahead of the Astros (83-75) when Houston lost 6-4 at Seattle.

Nick Tropeano (3-2) struck out 11 during 6 2-3 innings of threehit ball for the Angels, who have won 10 of 12 overall during their majors-best 18-8 run through September.

The Angels remained two games behind the AL West-leading Texas Rangers (85-72), who beat Detroit. The Minnesota Twins (81- 75) were rained out in Cleveland, dropping them 1 1-2 games behind Los Angeles in the wild-card race.

With four games in Texas to close the season, the Angels are in control of their playoff destiny no matter the result of the wild-card race. Rebounding splendidly from an awful August, the Angels have chased down the AL leaders with five games to play.

MARINERS 6, ASTROS 4

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SEATTLE (AP) — Shawn O’Malley damaged Houston’s playoff hopes with a two-run, basesloaded single in the eighth inning that gave Seattle a comeback victory.

The Astros, who are still involved in two postseason races, were displaced in the American League wild-card chase by the Los Angeles Angels, an 8-1 winner over Oakland on Tuesday. The New York Yankees, who lost to Boston 10-4, maintains the top wild-card spot with the Angels now second. Houston slips a halfgame behind Los Angeles

As for the AL West race, division leading Texas beat Detroit 7-6, and has a two-game lead over the Angels and 2 1-2 over the Astros.

The victory broke the Mariners’ six-game losing streak.

Robinson Cano hit his 20th home run, a two-run shot in the sixth off Mike Fiers that tied the game at 4-all.

RANGERS 7, TIGERS 6

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cole Hamels won his sixth consecutive decision, overcoming a shaky start to strike out eight in six innings, and AL West-leading Texas snapped a three-game skid.

Texas’ lead in the division stretched to two games, with the Angels leapfrogging Houston for second place – the Astros are 2 1/2 games back. Los Angeles starts a four-game series in Texas Thursday to end the regular season.

Adrian Beltre had three hits and drove in two runs, including Shin- Soo Choo when they had consecutive doubles in the fourth to break a 6-all tie. Choo also had a tworun homer in the first.

Hamels is 6-1 in 11 starts since getting traded from Philadelphia at the end of July, and the Rangers have won his last nine starts after losing the first two. The lefty surpassed 200 innings for the seventh time in his career and 200 strikeouts for the fourth time.

Buck Farmer (0-4), the second of six Detroit pitchers, retired the first six batters he faced.

WHITE SOX 4, ROYALS 2

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CHICAGO (AP) — Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales homered and Johnny Cueto threw six quality innings, but Kansas City lost to Chicago.

The Royals, who have lost four of their last five, fell behind 3-0 after Adam Eaton drove a two-run homer into the bullpen in right field off Cueto (10-13) in the fifth inning.

Cueto lost for the third time in his four September outings and gave up three runs and eight hits over six innings. He struck out two and walked two.

Kansas City got within 3-2 in the sixth when Hosmer and Morales hit back-to-back homers off Chicago starter Jeff Samardzija (11-13), who won for the second straight time after losing nine of his 10 previous outings.

The runs were the first the Royals scored in 17 innings during a three-game stretch that included Kansas City being shut out 1-0 in 11 innings by the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.


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