UNDATED (AP) — The AL wild-card races just got a bit tighter. The Boston Red Sox are back within a game of the New York Yankees for the first wild card, with the Mariners a half-game behind the Sox and a half-game ahead of Toronto.
The Red Sox’s four-game skid is over after J.D. Martinez smacked a solo homer and a two-run double in a 6-0 shutout of the Orioles. Hunter Renfroe also homered to back Nathan Eovaldi, who allowed four hits over six innings.
Alex Verdugo added a two-run single in the eighth for Boston.
Bo Bichette homered twice for the Blue Jays, including the tiebreaking blast in the eighth inning of their 6-5 victory over the Yankees. Marcus Semien slammed his 44th home run, breaking the single-season record for second basemen.
The Jays lead the majors with 251 home runs, six off the team record.
José Berríos retired the first 14 Yankees in order, striking out seven, before giving up three straight hits in the fifth.
The Yankees had won seven in a row.
Checking out Wednesday’s other major league action:
— The Rays clinched home-field advantage throughout the AL postseason with a 7-0 rout of the Astros. Brandon Lowe and Ji-Man Choi both homered to back Drew Rasmussen, who combined with three relievers on a three-hitter. Wander Franco had three hits in stretching his on-base streak to 43 consecutive games, tying Frank Robinson’s rookie record set with the 1956 Reds. The outcome keeps the Astros’ magic number at one for winning the AL West.
— The Mariners rallied for a 4-2 win over the Athletics, keeping Seattle just a half-game behind the Red Sox for the second AL wild card. Ty France broke a 2-2 tie with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, one inning before Abraham Toro homered for the first time this month. Jarred Kelenic provided a two-run double in the Mariners’ 10th win in 11 games overall, and their 12th straight over the A’s.
— Carlos Rodón for his 13th victory as the White Sox dumped the Reds, 6-1. Tim Anderson and Gavin Sheets homered to help Chicago win its fourth in a row and move a season-high 23 games above .500. Sheets drove in three runs for the AL Central champions.
— The Dodgers wasted an early 5-1 lead and trailed 9-6 before homering four times in the eighth inning to beat the Padres, 11-9. Max Muncy and AJ Pollock ignited the rally with back-to-back homers, Cody Bellinger tied it with a blast and Corey Seager delivered a two-run shot that allowed Los Angeles to stay two games behind the NL West-leading Giants. Pollock homered twice and Mookie Betts hit a solo shot for the Dodgers.
— The Giants have reached 104 wins for the first time since 1905 by completing a 1-0 win over the Diamondbacks. Alex Wood and three relievers combined for a four-hitter, allowing San Francisco to win on a sacrifice fly by Kris Bryant. This year’s Giants are just the second team to win 104 games following a losing season, joining the 1946 Red Sox.
— The Cardinals’ team-record, 17-game winning streak is over following a 4-0 loss to the Brewers. Daniel Vogelbach belted a two-run homer and Adrian Houser scattered three hits over five innings. Manny Piña added a solo homer for the Brewers, who have won four of five.
— The Braves have reduced their magic number to one for clinching their fourth straight NL East title by whipping the second-place Phillies, 7-2. Austin Riley provided a two-run double and three RBIs for Atlanta, which can wrap up the division by winning on Thursday. Max Fried is 7-0 with a 1.46 ERA over his last 11 starts after allowing one earned run over seven innings of his 14th victory.
— Shohei Ohtani sparked a four-run sixth-inning rally as the Angels handed the Rangers their 100th loss, 7-2. Ohtani beat out an infield grounder, stole second and proceeded to third on an error by catcher Jose Trevino before scoring on Jack Mayfield’s single.
— Salvador Perez tied a Royals record with his 48th homer of the season before leaving with a sprained right ankle in the third inning of a 10-5 thrashing of the Indians. Hunter Dozier hit a tiebreaking, two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Nick Wittgren.
— Miguel Rojas’ two-run single capped a three-run eighth that pushed the Marlins past the Mets, 3-2. Taijuan Walker carried a one-hitter and a 2-0 lead into the eighth before Miami ended its seven-game losing streak.
— Willson Contreras drove in all the Cubs’ runs in a 3-2 win at Pittsburgh, ending Chicago’s seven-game losing streak. The Pirates led 2-1 in the seventh until Contreras delivered a two-run double.
— The Twins knocked off the Tigers, 5-2 as Jorge Polanco launched a three-run homer and Michael Pineda allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. Polanco’s 32nd homer of the season gave him 94 RBIs, both team highs.
— Trevor Story had four hits in possibly his final appearance at Coors Field with Colorado, helping the Rockies earn a 10-5 win over the Nationals. Ryan McMahon added a three-run homer in Colorado’s home finale, which was interrupted for two hours by rain.
