NEW YORK — Masahiro Tanaka struck out 15 over seven innings, his highest total since coming to the major leagues, and the playoff-bound New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 on Friday to remain on the edge of contention in the AL East.
Tanaka (13-12) retired his first 14 batters before Ezequiel Carerra reached on an infield single up the middle just past Tanaka’s glove. Second baseman Starlin Castro made a backhand stop with a dive and threw off-balance from his knees, but Carerra easily beat a one-hop throw.
Pitching on six days’ rest, Tanaka had a sharp slider and splitter, dominating a team that battered him for eight runs and three homers at Toronto on Sept. 22. He allowed three hits and walked none.
INDIANS 10, WHITE SOX 1: Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run double, and Jay Bruce and Jose Ramirez drove in two runs apiece, leading the AL Central champion Indians to a win at Cleveland.
Cleveland maintained its one-game lead over Houston for the best record in the AL with two games remaining.
The Indians’ 101 victories are the second-most in franchise history.
RAYS 7, ORIOLES 0: Evan Longoria and Logan Morrison homered, and Tampa Bay clinched third place in the AL East with a victory at home.
Longoria led off the fifth with a homer off Baltimore starter Wade Miley, giving Longoria 20 homers for the fifth straight season and the ninth of his 10-year career.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CUBS 5, REDS 4: Ian Happ hit a three-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning, and host Chicago won for the 14th time in 17 games.
The NL Central-winning Cubs held sluggers Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant out of the lineup. They also watched as Jose Quintana got knocked out in a four-run fifth. But they still found a way to pull it out.
BRAVES 6, MARLINS 5: Giancarlo Stanton went 2 for 4 with a single and a double, and the Miami slugger remained at 59 home runs as his team won at home.
Marcell Ozuna drove in three runs to lead Miami, which rallied from a 5-0 deficit and took the lead with a four-run seventh. Justin Bour’s two-run single gave the Marlins a 6-5 lead. The Marlins also got run-scoring singles from Ozuna and Stanton off Braves reliever Dan Winkler (0-1).
NATIONALS 6, PIRATES 1: Stephen Strasburg pitched 72/3 shutout innings and Ryan Zimmerman homered twice to help host Washington beat Pittsburgh.
Strasburg (15-4) gave up two hits and two walks while striking out eight. He retired the first 14 batters before Gregory Polanco’s hard smash bounced off a diving Zimmerman at first base for the Pirates’ first hit.
BREWERS 5, CARDINALS 3: Stephen Vogt homered and drove in three runs, Chase Anderson allowed one run over seven innings, and Milwaukee kept its playoff hopes alive with a win at St. Louis.
Anderson (12-4) allowed three hits to earn his fourth win in his last five starts.
PHILLIES 6, METS 2: Maikel Franco, Jorge Alfaro and Cesar Hernandez all homered to support six strong innings from starter Ben Lively as Philadelphia won at home.
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