Mets deal blow to Braves' fading playoff hopes  —  ATLANTA — Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer, Zack Wheeler pitched six scoreless innings and the New York Mets beat the struggling Atlanta Braves 5-0 on Friday night but were eliminated from playoff contention.

Games of the Day  —  Take a late lunch if you'd like to watch Clayton Kershaw pitch against Edwin Jackson as the Dodgers play the Cubs in an afternoon tilt.  If you draw the innings line at 135 IP, Kershaw and Jackson are at opposite ends of the spectrum, Kershaw with the best ERA in the majors, Jackson the worst.

Ortiz homers twice to lead Red Sox over Orioles  —  BALTIMORE — David Ortiz hit two home runs, including a two-run drive in the 10th inning that lifted the Boston Red Sox past the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 Friday night.  —  Although the AL East-champion Orioles are still in the running …

Twins rally in 10th to hand Indians tough loss  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Trevor Plouffe singled in Danny Santana in the 10th inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 5-4, comeback victory over Cleveland on Friday night, further damaging the Indians' already slim playoff hopes.

Ackley, Zunino, Seager all homer to help Mariners beat Astros  —  HOUSTON — Dustin Ackley hit two solo homers, and Mike Zunino and Kyle Seager each hit three-run shots in a seven-run fourth inning as the Seattle Mariners cruised to a 10-5 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night.

Quintana strong as White Sox eliminate Rays with victory  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jose Quintana pitched into the eighth inning and Avisail Garcia had a two-run double to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay on Friday night, eliminating the Rays from playoff contention.

Martin's homer helps Pirates rally past sinking Brewers  —  PITTSBURGH — Russell Martin hit a three-run homer off Jonathan Broxton in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates inched closer to a playoff berth with a 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

Mets' minors not just about the pitchers anymore  —  Kevin Plawecki is one of the Mets' minor league up-and-comers.  —  As the Mets look toward 2015 and beyond, a seismic shift could be occurring within their farm system.  —  After several years of pitchers — specifically right-handed …

Marlins slugger speaks to media one week after sustaining fractures, dental damage  —  9/18/14: The Marlins broadcast discusses the progress of Giancarlo Stanton as he talks to reporters for the first time since his injury  —  MIAMI — Giancarlo Stanton's season may be over …

Mariners boost wild-card bid with ninth-inning win over Angels  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. - Logan Morrison felt no weight on his shoulders from the Seattle Mariners' two-game offensive drought and teetering playoff hopes when he stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning of a scoreless game.

Rosario 2-Run HR in 9th, Rockies Beat D-Backs  —  DENVER — Wilin Rosario hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Colorado Rockies rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6 on Thursday night.  —  Rosario finished with four hits to lift the Rockies into a fourth-place tie with Arizona in the NL West.