Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez misses a pop fly by Cleveland’s Oscar Mercado in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ 11-3 loss on Saturday in New York. John Minchillo/Associated Press

NEW YORK — Gary Sánchez failed to catch a foul popup that led to a seven-run fifth inning capped by Andrés Giménez’s three-run homer, and the Cleveland Indians routed the Yankees 11-3 on Saturday to slow New York’s playoff run.

Franmil Reyes hit an RBI double off Albert Abreu in the big fifth inning and a two-run homer in the sixth against Andrew Heaney.

Yu Cheng put the Indians ahead with a second-inning homer off Luis Gil (1-1) and added a two-run double in the fifth against Abreu. José Ramírez hit his 34th homer in the eighth against Heaney.

New York has 13 games left and is a half-game ahead behind Toronto for the second AL wild card. The Yankees dropped 1 1/2 games behind wild card-leading Boston.

BLUE JAYS 6, TWINS 2: Marcus Semien became the fifth second baseman to hit 40 home runs in a season, and Toronto moved back into a playoff position by beating Minnesota in Toronto.

Teoscar Hernández hit a three-run homer, and Bo Bichette had three hits and two RBI as the Blue Jays rebounded from a 7-3 loss and improved to a big league-best 14-3 in September.

Advertisement

Toronto (83-65) moved a half-game ahead of the New York Yankees (83-66) for the second AL wild-card berth, one game behind Boston (85-65).

TIGERS 4, RAYS 3: Jeimer Candelario and Dustin Garneau homered to lead Detroit over AL East-leading Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Tampa Bay has a 7½-game lead over second place Boston. Toronto is 8½ games back and the New York Yankees trail by 10.

With the Tigers ahead by a run, Mike Zunino opened the Rays’ ninth by drawing a walk from Michael Fulmer and went to second when Joey Wendle was hit by a pitch. Fulmer got his 10th save in 15 chances by striking out Brett Phillips and Yandy Díaz to ground into a game-ending double play.

ROYALS 8, MARINERS 1: Kris Bubic allowed two hits over 6 1/3 innings in his best start this season, and Kansas City put another dent in visiting Seattle’s slim playoff chances.

Seattle lost for the fifth time in seven games and dropped four games behind Toronto for the AL’s second wild-card berth with 14 games remaining.

Advertisement

RANGERS 2, WHITE SOX 1: DJ Peters’ pinch-hit single drove home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and Texas beat former teammate Lance Lynn and AL Central-leading Chicago at Arlington, Texas.

Chicago’s magic number over Cleveland to clinch the division remained at five.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

DODGERS 5, REDS 1: Max Scherzer pitched seven shutout innings in another dominant performance for Los Angeles, which kept up its push in the NL West with a victory in Cincinnati.

Scherzer (15-4) improved to 7-0 in nine starts since being traded from Washington to the Dodgers on July 30. He allowed just two hits, struck out seven and lowered his MLB-best ERA to 2.08.

It was another tough loss for the Reds, who came in one game behind St. Louis for the second NL wild-card spot. Cincinnati will try Sunday to avoid losing its eighth straight series.

Advertisement

CARDINALS 3, PADRES 2: Tyler O’Neill hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning and St. Louis rallied to beat the visiting Padres after San Diego stars Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. had a dugout dustup.

The Cardinals pulled 2 1/2 games ahead of the Padres for the second and final NL wild card, with Cincinnati two games back and Philadelphia also in the picture.

BREWERS 6, CUBS 4: Manny Piña homered twice, Eduardo Escobar and Jace Peterson also connected, and host Milwaukee clinched its fourth straight postseason berth.

The Brewers won for the seventh time in nine games to ensure themselves at least a wild card. Milwaukee’s magic number to lock up the NL Central title is three.

PHILLIES 5, METS 3: Jean Segura had his first multi-homer game in almost five years and Aaron Nola snapped a nine-start winless streak, leading surging Philadelphia to a win in New York.

Bryce Harper drove in two runs to help Philadelphia win its fourth in a row. The Phillies began the day two games behind Atlanta in the NL East. They stayed 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second NL wild-card spot.

Advertisement

ROCKIES 6, NATIONALS 0: Kyle Freeland struck out seven over six innings, Trevor Story hit a three-run homer and Colorado won in Washington.

Brendan Rodgers had three hits, including his 14th homer three pitches into the game for a 2-0 Colorado lead. Twelve of Rodgers’ 14 homers this season have come away from hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Story hit a high fly that sneaked over the wall in right field in the fourth to put the Rockies in front 6-0. Story has 23 homers with 14 games left after reaching 24 in each of his previous four full seasons.

PIRATES 6, MARLINS 3: Ke’Bryan Hayes doubled twice and survived a ninth-inning tumble on the pitcher’s mound in the game’s second failed attempt to catch a poup, helping Pittsburgh win at Miami.

INTERLEAGUE

DIAMONDBACKS 6, ASTROS 4: Kole Calhoun knocked in the go-ahead run with an RBI single and Daulton Varsho homered as Arizona scored three runs in the 10th inning for a win at Houston.

Advertisement

NOTES

RAYS: The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays placed center fielder Kevin Kiermaier on the COVID-19 related IL because of general illness symptoms and purchased the contract of right-hander Joey Krehbiel from Triple-A Durham.

Kiermaier was pinch-hit for during the sixth inning of Friday night’s 7-4, 10-inning win over the Tigers.

“He’s been dealing with it for a couple days,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “He thought he turned for the better the day before yesterday and then yesterday just was kind of out of sorts. Pretty drained, tired and has had some symptoms, so we sent him home.”

Cash said Kiermaier tested negative while the team was in Toronto earlier in the week.

WHITE SOX: Pitcher Mike Wright was suspended for three games and Manager Tony La Russa for one by Major League Baseball, which concluded Wright intentionally threw at the Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani.

Wright appealed the suspension issued by Michael Hill, the former Marlins general manager who is MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations. The discipline will be held in abeyance until the appeal is decided by MLB special adviser John McHale Jr.

Manager suspensions are served immediately, and La Russa sat out Chicago’s game at Texas on Saturday. Bench coach Miguel Cairo ran the dugout in La Russa’s absence.

Wright was ejected after hitting Ohtani with a fastball with two outs in the ninth inning Thursday at Anaheim during the Angels’ 9-3 win. La Russa then was ejected for the third time this season.

Comments are not available on this story.