LOS ANGELES (AP) — Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres wrote their own Hollywood ending on the home field of their biggest rivals Tuesday night. San Diego stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers with a game-ending triple play to preserve a 4-2 victory over the NL West leaders that clinched a playoff spot for the Padres. The party was on in the Padres’ darkened clubhouse, with music pumping and lights flashing as players drenched each other in alcohol. With the Padres leading by three runs in the ninth inning, Kiké Hernández hit an RBI single that cut it to 4-2 and put runners at first and second. Miguel Rojas hit a sharp grounder to Machado at third base, and he stepped on the bag before going around the horn for the triple play. The Dodgers challenged the out call at second base, but the ruling was upheld after a video review.
HOUSTON (AP) — Trailing the Seattle Mariners by 10 games in mid-June, the Houston Astros were undoubtedly down. But first-year manager Joe Espada worked every day to remind his team it was far from out. The Astros clinched their fourth straight AL West title with a 4-3 win over the Mariners on Tuesday night, overcoming a terrible start to reach the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year. The Astros are the first team to win the AL West in four straight seasons since Oakland won five times in a row from 1971-75. It’s the first time they’ve won four consecutive division titles, after winning three in a row on two previous occasions (1997-99 and 2017-19).
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers will be without wide receiver Adam Thielen for at least four weeks after the veteran was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a hamstring injury. Thielen was injured while extending to make a diving touchdown catch near the end of the second quarter of Carolina’s 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The 34-year-old did not return in the second half. Jonathan Mingo, a second-round pick in 2023, or rookie first-round pick Xavier Legette will likely replace Thielen in the starting lineup on Sunday when the Panthers host the Cincinnati Bengals.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kelsey Plum scored 29 points, A’ja Wilson had 24 points and 13 rebounds, and the Las Vegas Aces closed out the Seattle Storm 83-76 on Tuesday night to advance to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Las Vegas, which has won 11 straight home games in the playoffs, swept the best-of-three series to set up a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals against top-seeded New York starting Sunday. The Aces are trying to become the first team to win three titles in a row since Houston won four straight from 1997-2000 in the league’s first four seasons. Wilson set a WNBA record by recording 20-plus points and at least 10 rebounds in 13 career playoff games, passing Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker. The WNBA MVP, who missed her first six shots in Game 1, went 5 of 7 from the field in the first quarter and finished 9 of 17.
TUESDAY'S SCORES
Major League Baseball
(Kansas City and Detroit are tied for the final two Wild Card spots, both two games ahead of Minnesota)
American League
Kansas City 1, Washington 0 (10 inns)
Detroit 2, Tampa Bay 1
Boston 6, Toronto 5
Baltimore 5, NY Yankees 3
Houston 4, Seattle 3
Oakland 5, Texas 4
Chicago White Sox 3, LA Angels 2
National League
Chicago Cubs 10, Philadelphia 4
Milwaukee 7, Pittsburgh 2
Atlanta 5, NY Mets 1
St. Louis 7, Colorado 3
San Diego 4, LA Dodgers 2
San Francisco 11, Arizona 0
Interleague
Cleveland 6, Cincinnati 1
Miami 4, Minnesota 1