CINCINNATI (AP) — Orlando Arcia doubled with the bases loaded, and the Milwaukee Brewers shook off the fizz from their playoffs-clinching celebration to close on the NL Central lead Thursday, beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 for their seventh straight victory.
The Brewers earned at least a wild card with a 9-2 win on Wednesday night, dousing each other with champagne and beer in the clubhouse afterward.
Milwauee moved within one game of the idle Cardinals for the NL Central lead heading into the final weekend, the same status as a year ago when they also were a game out with three to play.
Milwaukee concludes with three games in Colorado against the team it swept in the playoffs before losing to the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. The Cardinals host the Cubs.
The Reds’ focus was on broadcaster Marty Brennaman’s final game after 46 seasons.
TWINS 10, TIGERS 4
DETROIT (AP) — Jonathan Schoop hit Minnesota’s record 300th home run, Willians Astudillo also went deep and the AL Central champion Twins rallied past Detroit, moving within one victory of giving the major leagues four 100-win teams for the first time.
Minnesota was tied with the New York Yankees for the big league lead with 299 homers coming in. With the Twins ahead 6-4 in the seventh, Schoop lofted Jose Cisnero’s slider to deep left. Astudillo connected off Zac Reininger in the eighth.
Detroit (46-112), already assured of the big leagues’ worst record and next year’s top draft pick, finished 22-59 at Comerica Park and tied the major league record for home losses set by the 1939 St. Louis Browns.
WHITE SOX 8,
INDIANS 0
CHICAGO (AP) —Rookie Aaron Civale gave up home runs on consecutive pitches in the fourth inning and Cleveland fell into perilous position in the playoff race, losing to Chicago.
The Indians dropped two games behind idle Tampa Bay for the second AL wild-card spot. Both teams have three games left — Cleveland visits playoff-bound Washington while the Rays are at Toronto, which is 29 games below .500.
Cleveland managed just four hits and lost for just the third time in its last 10 games.
NATIONALS 6,
PHILLIES 3
WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg was dominant in his final regular-season start and Washington held its lead in the NL wild-card chase, sweeping a five-game series against Philadelphia.
The Nationals remained one game ahead of Milwaukee, which topped Cincinnati 5-3, atop the wild-card race.
Strasburg (18-6) allowed one run on four hits in six innings while striking out 10. He fanned Bryce Harper three times on his way to a career-best 251 strikeouts this season.
DODGERS 1,
PADRES 0
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Clayton Kershaw shut down San Diego for six innings and Chris Taylor scored from first base on Max Muncy’s single in the sixth to lead Los Angeles to a three-game sweep.
The Dodgers have won four straight and nine of 12 heading into their final regular-season series at San Francisco.
Kenta Maeda picked up his third save.  The Dodgers had five hits and the Padres only three.
RANGERS 7,
RED SOX 5
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike Minor reached 200 strikeouts in a season for the first time after the Rangers purposely let a foul pop drop, Danny Santana hit a grand slam and Texas beat Boston to avoid a three-game sweep.
Willie Calhoun led off the Rangers seventh with his 21st homer to break a 5-5 tie. Rougned Odor added his 29th homer later in the inning.
Minor (14-10) started the day needing nine strikeouts to reach 200, and he struck out six of his first 11 batters. He got another in the fifth but didn’t get his eighth until Sam Travis ending the seventh on his 117th pitch, which matched his career high.
PIRATES 9, CUBS 5
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joe Musgrove pitched three-hit ball through six innings as Pittsburgh beat Chicago and extended the Cubs’ losing streak to nine games.
Musgrove (11-12) was charged with three runs, two earned, while striking eight and walking two as the Pirates recorded a three-game sweep. Musgrove won his final three outings.
The Cubs are in the midst of their longest losing streak since dropping 12 straight in 2012.
MARLINS 4, METS 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Curtis Granderson, Tyler Heineman and Austin Dean hit late home runs and Miami rallied against Zack Wheeler to beat New York.
Wheeler (11-8), who helped himself with an RBI single, had allowed only two hits until Harold Ramirez led off the eighth with a double and Heineman connected with one out for his first major league home run, tying it at 2. Granderson followed with his fourth pinch-hit homer of the season.
ANGELS 4, ASTROS 3, 12 INNINGS
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Kaleb Cowart scored when Kyle Tucker made an error on Andrelton Simmons’ two-out grounder in the 12th inning, and Los Angeles prevented Houston from clinching homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs.
Cowart drew a walk from Joe Biagini (3-2) leading off the 12th for Los Angeles. He stole second without sliding and advanced on a groundout before Tucker failed to handle Simmons’ hot grounder to first, ending the Angels’ fourth walkoff win of the season.
Josh Reddick tied his career high with his fifth hit in the 12th for the Astros, who loaded the bases three times in the final five innings without scoring. Jake Marisnick struck out in the 12th against Trevor Cahill (4-9).