Will Smith drove in three runs and AJ Pollock and Chris Taylor hit solo homers Wednesday afternoon as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 7-5 in the rubber match of a three-game series, in the process becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season.
The win increased the 35-15 Dodgers’ edge on the Padres (32-19) to 3 1/2 games in the National League West and gave Los Angeles a 6-4 edge in the season series.
The Dodgers scored runs against five of the nine pitchers deployed by the Padres.
Adam Kolarek (3-0) earned the win by recording two outs.
Dustin May entered the game in the third and held the Padres to three runs (one earned) on three hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Pollock gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead with his 11th homer of the season in the second off San Diego starter Adrian Morejon (2-1).The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the inning before the Dodgers took the lead for good in the third as Max Muncy hit an RBI double off Joey Lucchesi and Smith followed with a RBI infield single to make it 3-1.


Yankees 13, Blue Jays 2
Kyle Higashioka hit three homers and DJ LeMahieu homered twice as New York belted at least six homers in consecutive games for the first time in team history en route to a lopsided win over visiting Toronto.
The Yankees matched a season high with their seventh straight win and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Toronto for the fifth seed in the American League. New York also moved to within three games of the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East.
Aaron Judge returned from missing all but one game since Aug. 12 due to a right calf strain.
Judge finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, but his teammates displayed plenty of firepower, collecting seven homers one day after they hit six.

Cardinals 4, Brewers 2 (Game 1)
Tyler O’Neill and Brad Miller each hit solo homers and Adam Wainwright tossed his second complete game of 2020, albeit over seven innings, as St.
Louis took the opener of a doubleheader at Milwaukee.
Miller finished with two hits and Tommy Edman drove home the tiebreaking run with a double in the fifth inning as the Cardinals overcame an early 2-0 deficit. Wainwright (5-1) held the Brewers scoreless after yielding Keston Hiura’s two-run homer in the first inning.
He gave up four hits and a walk while fanning nine. Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff also went the distance, yielding four runs (three earned) on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts.

Brewers 6, Cardinals 0 (Game 2)
Ryan Braun hit his 350th career homer, a three-run blast in the first inning, and four pitchers held visiting St. Louis to two hits as Milwaukee earned a doubleheader split.
After sitting out the doubleheader opener, Braun had two hits, highlighted by his milestone homer, as the hosts scored four times in the first inning.
Braun has hit 29 of those home runs against the Cardinals during his career. Brent Suter allowed both of St. Louis’ hits, both singles, over three innings, and Freddy Peralta (3-1) followed by striking out three in two innings. St. Louis rookie Johan Oviedo (0-3) allowed six runs, five earned, and seven hits while striking out five, walking two and hitting three batters over 5 1/3 innings.

Cubs 3, Indians 2 (10 innings)
Javier Baez had an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift host Chicago to its second straight walk-off win over reeling Cleveland.
With a runner already on second to begin the 10th inning, Kris Bryant singled to left-center field before Phil Maton (2-2) intentionally walked Anthony Rizzo to load the bases.
Maton struck out the next two batters and got ahead in the count before Baez slapped an 0-2 curveball into left field for the win.
The late offense allowed Jason Adam (2-1) to pick up the victory.
Jason Heyward and Cameron Maybin each had an RBI single for the Cubs, who have won four in a row overall and all four encounters with Cleveland this season.