Kemp, Dodgers handle Cubs 8-5

CHICAGO (AP) ― The Los Angeles Dodgers were looking ahead to a matchup with the division-rival Giants when they pushed Dan Haren back a day.

The bullpen came through on Sunday against the last-place Cubs.

Matt Kemp homered and had four RBIs, Yasiel Puig scored a career-high four times and the NL West-leading Dodgers used six pitchers to beat Chicago 8-5.

“It’s a good feeling in this clubhouse right now finishing up with Chicago because it’s a scrappy team and they gave us all we could handle for four games,” said Jamey Wright, who made a spot start. “They fought and those are scary teams to play this time of year, teams playing spoiler.”

Wright made his first start since Sept. 1, 2013, with the Rays, allowing a run and three hits in two innings. He said he hoped to last five or six innings, but the Dodgers told him he was done after throwing 46 pitches.

“Anytime you come out with a ‘W’ on a bullpen day that’s a great day,” Wright said.

Kemp had four hits for the Los Angeles, which clinched a playoff berth on Friday and have a 4 1-2 game lead over the Giants heading into a three-game series at Dodgers Stadium that begins Monday.

Chris Perez (1-3) struck out two in 1 1/3 innings for his first victory since Aug. 14, 2013. And Kenley Jansen earned his 43rd save in 48 chances.

Welington Castillo homered for the last-place Cubs, who pulled within a run in the fifth. The Dodgers had 16 hits, and the teams combined for 59 runs during the four-game series.

“I thought we kind of went toe to toe with them a little bit here,” Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. “Even as young as we are, I thought we held our own.”

The Cubs avoided a sweep by overcoming two five-run deficits to win 8-7 on Saturday. 


Royals avoid sweep, sink Tigers

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) ― Each win moves the Royals one step closer to the end of their long playoff drought, and Sunday was a big one.

Nori Aoki hit a two-run triple, and Kansas City beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 to avoid a sweep in the weekend series between the AL Central’s top teams.

“Today’s game shows that we’re not going away,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “They have that feeling. They had that feeling this morning that they knew this was going to be a big game. They had a lot of confidence in themselves when they hit the field.”

Kansas City pulled within 1 1/2 games of Detroit for the top spot in the division. The Royals, looking for their first playoff appearance since they won the World Series in 1985, also stayed in position for a wild card.

The Tigers finish the season at home with seven games against Chicago and Minnesota.

“Hopefully we’ll come home and it’ll get loud,” Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter said. “It’s going to be fun. It shouldn’t be hard to get pumped up. If you don’t have that adrenaline now you’re not human. You should check your pulse.”

Aoki’s tiebreaking triple in the fourth scored Omar Infante and Mike Moustakas, making it 4-2 and chasing Rick Porcello from the game.

“It would have been nice to get two or three wins (against Detroit), but one win means we’re still in good position,” Aoki said. “We’re going to play our best and leave it all out on the road.”

Porcello (15-12) is 0-4 in his past five starts. He yielded nine hits and walked two in 3 1/3 innings. 


Tanaka returns to lead Yankees

NEW YORK (AP) ― Masahiro Tanaka started Jose Reyes with a 92 mph fastball, his first major league pitch since July 8. He threw 70 pitches in all and didn’t feel any pain in the right elbow that had sidelined him for 2 1/2 months.

“Obviously, I’m very relieved,” Tanaka said through a translator after leading the Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 Sunday before a boisterous sellout crowd of 48,144 on a gray, overcast afternoon.

Tanaka was only part of the attraction: It was Derek Jeter’s last weekend game at Yankee Stadium. The retiring Yankees captain received standing ovations during every at-bat, went 2 for 4 and finished his next-to-last home series 8 for 15 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs. Jeter became the first Yankee with four straight mulithit games at age 40, and he saluted the crowd after sharing postgame handshakes and high-fives with teammates.

“Hopefully he keeps getting two hits and decides he wants to play again next year,” said Brett Gardner, who put the Yankees ahead 2-1 in the fifth with the Yankees’ 15,000th home run since the franchise started play in New York in 1903.

While Jeter is going, Tanaka is coming back. He started sensationally at 11-1 with a 1.99 ERA in his first 14 appearances. But he slumped in his next four and hadn’t pitched since scans discovered a slight tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow.

Washington 2, Miami 1

Boston 3, Baltimore 2

NY Mets 10, Atlanta 2

Pittsburgh 1, Milwaukee 0

Chicago White Sox 10, Tampa Bay 5

Cleveland 7, Minnesota 2

Houston 8, Seattle 3

Texas 2, LA Angels 1

Oakland 8, Philadelphia 6

San Diego 8, San Francisco 2

Colorado 8, Arizona 3

Cincinnati 7, St. Louis 2