Francisco Lindor, Mets win wild game vs. Braves to make playoffs

 ATLANTA--Francisco Lindor slammed a two-run home run in the ninth inning to help the visiting New York Mets come from behind twice to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-7 on Monday in the first game of a doubleheader and clinch a spot in the National League wild-card round. If New York (89-72) wins the nightcap, it will open the playoffs at No. 4 seed San Diego. If Atlanta (88-73) wins, the Braves will make the playoffs and open at San Diego and the Mets will open at No. 3 seed Milwaukee.

If the Braves lose, the Diamondbacks will be the final wild card and the Braves will be eliminated. The dramatic game saw the Mets erase a 3-0 lead by scoring six times in the eighth inning, only to have the Braves score four times in the bottom half of the eighth to take a 7-6 lead. New York's Starling Marte reached on a one-out single in the ninth against reliever Pierce Johnson (6-6) and Lindor, who has been dealing with a bad back for the last two weeks, hit a first-pitch curve ball 413 feet to center field for his 33rd home run.

The winning pitcher was Edwin Diaz (6-4), who blew the save for the Mets in the eighth before pitching around a single and stolen base in the ninth. Atlanta had gone ahead on a two-run homer by Ozzie Albies in the third inning and a solo shot by Ramon Laureano in the sixth. New York's rally began after Tyrone Taylor doubled on the 11th pitch of his at-bat, which chased starter Spencer Schwellenbach. Francisco Alvarez greeted setup man Joe Jimenez with an RBI double and went to third on Starling Marte's single.

Alvarez scored on Lindor's single to cut the lead to 3-2 and caused Atlanta to call on closer Raisel Iglesias for a six-out save. Jose Iglesias extended his hitting streak to 21 games with an RBI single and Mark Vientos gave New York a 4-3 lead with a sacrifice fly. Brandon Nimmo followed with a 405-foot, two-run homer to chase Iglesias. Undaunted, Atlanta regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth on a four-run rally that included an RBI single by Jarred Kelenic and a bases-loaded double by Albies against Diaz.

Atletico grab last-gasp equaliser against Real Madrid in interrupted Madrid derby

 MADRID--Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa bundled home an equaliser deep into added time against Real Madrid to snatch a 1-1 draw on Sunday in a nervy LaLiga derby that was suspended for just over 20 minutes after the home fans hurled objects onto the pitch.

Brilliant Brook leads England to ODI win over Austral

  CHESTER-LE-STREET, England - A superb maiden ODI century by new captain Harry Brook led England to a dominant, rain-shortened DLS victory over Australia on Tuesday to keep the five-match series alive with two to play. Australia, seeking a 15th successive ODI win, overcame difficult early conditions to post 304, with Steve Smith hitting a patient 60 and Aaron Hardie (44) and Alex Carey (77 not out) cutting loose in the final 10 overs. After losing both openers early, Brook and Will Jacks then built an excellent partnership of 156 to swing the game England's way. After Jacks went for 84, Liam Livingstone smashed a quick unbeaten 33 as Brook moved serenely on to 110 but, on 254-4 with 51 needed from 74 balls, the rain began and England were eventually awarded a 46-run victory under a DLS calculation that had produced a revised target of 209 after their 37.4 overs.

It was a day of ebb and flow under changing conditions in the air and on the pitch. In the absence of the in-form but unfit opener Travis Head and on a damp afternoon and a sticky pitch, Australia took a relatively cautious approach to their innings. Smith started particularly patiently but was just starting to accelerate when he was brilliantly caught in the deep by a running, diving Brydon Carse off Jofra Archer for 60 to leave his team on 172-5 after 35 overs Cameron Green hit 42 and the ever-dangerous Glenn Maxwell fell for a rapid 30 just as he was warming up, after Marnus Labuschagne was out for a duck trying to ramp spinner Jacks off his third ball

. The tourists were 200-5 after 40 overs but Carey batted nicely and then put on a rapid 68 with Hardie in 7.1 overs before the latter was run out for 44 off 26 balls. Carey finished unbeaten on 77 - three more than his top-score innings in last week's second match. It looked a challenging total for an England team whose batting has been patchy to say the least and all the more so when they lost both openers cheaply in the same Mitchell Starc over to slip to 11 for two. Brook, however, played a true captain's innings, ably supported by Jacks, steadying the ship but also keeping the rate high with boundaries all over the pitch as Australia badly missed the control of ill absentee spinner Adam Zampa. Livingstone's fireworks made sure England were well ahead of the DLS rate and they now head to Lord's on Friday in a far more positive state of mind after two previous limp defeats. "Myself and Will just tried to build a partnership and create that platform," Brook said. I thought the pitch got better towards the end of Australia's innings. It was then a simple message of go out there and play your own game."

"We just have to keep doing what we said we are going to do (at Lord's) and keep being positive, take the game to them and put them under pressure. That should stand us in good stead." Australia captain Mitch Marsh said: "After our start I thought 250 would be awesome so I thought we did extremely well to get the 300 with the conditions early on - it was hard work. "They got a really partnership going, and in one-day cricket with a big partnership you can set the game up for yourself, so fair play to them."

Mariners clobber Astros to pick up key 8-1 win

TEXAS--George Kirby pitched six strong innings, Julio Rodriguez joined the 20-20 club and the Seattle Mariners kept pace in the playoff race with an 8-1 win at the Houston Astros on Wednesday in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Yankees out to finish off Orioles for AL East title

NEW YORK--One year ago Tuesday, the New York Yankees were eliminated from the postseason on a dreary day in front of their home fans. Following a one-year absence, the Yankees are returning to the playoffs and get their first chance at clinching a second American League East title in three seasons Tuesday night when they host the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles can clinch the AL's top wild-card spot with a win and a loss by either the Kansas City Royals or Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.

The Yankees (92-64) enter their final homestand with a magic number of one and a season-high six-game lead over the Orioles (86-70), who won the division last season with a 101-61 record while New York finished 82-80. New York has held the division lead since Sept. 7 and for all but four days since Aug. 20. The Yankees are returning home with 12 wins in 16 games since dropping two of three at Texas from Sept. 2-4. "We're focused," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "I think everyone in that room knows what's at stake and what the mission is, where we're at in the calendar and the opportunity in front of us.

I think guys are just ready to do what we've got to do to win ballgames and give ourselves a chance come October." New York is attempting to clinch after going 5-1 on a six-game trip against the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics. The Yankees clinched a playoff spot for the seventh time in eight seasons on Wednesday and scored 17 runs in their last two games of a three-game sweep at Oakland. Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 55th homer in Sunday's 7-4 win and is hitting .349 (15-for-43) over his past 13 games. Jasson Dominguez and Gleyber Torres also homered for the Yankees, who hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians for the AL's top record. "It's going to be rocking," Judge said. "It's been rocking all summer long, and I don't expect that to change, especially with what we have coming down to the wire here." On the verge of a playoff berth, the O's certainly had higher aspirations earlier this season. Baltimore held or was tied for the AL East lead from June 27-Aug. 12 and held the lead earlier this month, including after a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 6.

Since then, the Orioles are 4-10 and have been held to three runs or fewer nine times, including Sunday when they were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and struck out 10 times in a 4-3 loss to the visiting Detroit Tigers. While Gunnar Henderson is hitting .308 in his past six games, Anthony Santander is hitting .173 in his past 14 games and Adley Rutschman is hitting .190 in his past six contests. "We just have to focus on what is going on in here, in this clubhouse," said Baltimore All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg after returning from a fractured right hand on Sunday. "And nothing about what is going outside, what people are saying. What could or couldn't happen. We just have to stay tight in here."

Clarke Schmidt (5-4, 2.37 ERA) will make his fourth start since missing over three months with a lat strain. He took the loss Thursday in Seattle when he allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits in five innings. Schmidt is 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 10 career outings (five starts) against the Orioles and held them to one run in 5 2/3 innings April 29 at Baltimore. Dean Kremer (7-10, 4.19) starts for the Orioles after allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits in six innings of a 5-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. Kremer is 3-3 with a 4.63 ERA in 11 career starts against the Yankees.

The Daily Herald

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