WASHINGTON — Trea Turner’s go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning lifted Washington to a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies for a doubleheader sweep Tuesday that helped the Nationals clinch an NL wild card, capping quite a turnaround for a team that was 19-31 in late May.
“We knew nothing was going to be won or lost in the first five months,” said Turner, who had three hits in the day’s first game, a 4-1 win for the Nationals, “and now we’re in a good spot.”
Washington assured itself of returning to the playoffs for the fifth time in eight years after sitting out October in 2018.
The Nationals entered Tuesday hoping to beat Philadelphia twice plus get a loss by the Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh — and each of those things happened.
Right after center fielder Victor Robles made a running catch for the last out of the second game, the Nationals Park scoreboard showed the game in Pittsburgh, and Washington’s players watched the end of the Cubs’ 9-2 defeat, then started celebrating on their field.
Anthony Rendon delivered two sacrifice flies to raise his majors-leading RBI total to 124 in the opening victory, a result that also eliminated Philadelphia and $330 million outfielder Bryce Harper, the ex-Nationals star, from postseason contention.
In the nightcap, Washington trailed 4-2 entering the sixth.
BREWERS 4, REDS 2: Ryan Braun added to his record total of homers at Great American Ball Park, and Milwaukee moved a step closer to a wild-card berth with its fifth win in a row.
PIRATES 9, CUBS 2: The visiting Cubs committed five errors, including two in a seven-run seventh inning, and moved to the brink of elimination with their seventh straight loss.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ORIOLES 11, BLUE JAYS 4: Trey Mancini had a career-high five hits, DJ Stewart hit a two-run homer and Baltimore won at Toronto.
Dwight Smith Jr. and Austin Wynns each hit solo home runs for the Orioles. Baltimore batters have gone deep at least once in 18 straight games, two shy of the 1998 club record.
TWINS 4, TIGERS 2: Willians Astudillo and Eddie Rosario fueled a four-run seventh inning, and visiting Minnesota overcame an injury to starter Jake Odorizzi to beat Detroit.
Odorizzi (15-7) pitched two-hit ball through six innings but was pulled with a tight left hamstring after warming up for the seventh.
NOTES
METS: Jerry Koosman will become the third New York Mets player to have his number retired by the team.
The popular left-hander will be honored sometime next season, with his No. 36 joining Tom Seaver’s No. 41 and Mike Piazza’s No. 31 on display along the Citi Field roof. Chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon announced the plans on the 50th anniversary of New York winning its first championship, the 1969 NL East title, with a pitching staff led by Seaver and Koosman.
The Mets have also retired the numbers of ex-managers Casey Stengel (No. 37) and Gil Hodges (No. 14). Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 was retired by all major league clubs in 1997.
Current manager Mickey Callaway has been wearing No. 36 but says he’s glad to switch. He changed to No. 26 for Tuesday night’s game against Miami.
Koosman pitched for the Mets from 1967-78 and won twice during the 1969 World Series, throwing a complete game to beat heavily favored Baltimore in the clinching Game 5.
INDIANS: Jose Ramirez returned to Cleveland’s starting lineup, giving the Indians another power bat to help with their push for an AL wild card.
Ramirez was activated from the 10-day injured list. The third baseman, who turned 27 last week, broke a bone in his right hand Aug. 24 against Kansas City. He had surgery two days later.
YANKEES: Sluggers Gary Sanchez and Edwin Encarnacion are both expected to be back in the lineup this weekend at Texas in New York’s final regular-season series.
Sanchez, who strained his left groin during a doubleheader Sept 12 at Detroit, took batting practice, ran the bases and caught Masahiro Tanaka’s 22-pitch bullpen session before Tuesday’s game at Tampa Bay.
“Everything I did, nothing bothered me,” Sanchez said through a translator. “The plan is to get back before the season ends.”
Encarnacion strained his left oblique on Sept. 12. He also took on-field batting practice and ran.
Second baseman Gleyber Torres was back in the starting lineup after missing two games due to lower leg weakness.
Center fielder Aaron Hicks, sidelined by a right flexor strain since Aug. 3, has increased his throwing distance from 90 feet to 120, also hit soft toss and hopes to play in instructional games. Hicks is aiming to avoid Tommy John surgery.
Boone says it is not likely Hicks will return for the playoffs.
“It kind of all depends on how things go here pretty soon,” Hicks said. “You never know what the possibility could be.”
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