Lester, A's stifle Phils to regain top WC spot  —  Recap  —  Box Score  —  Play-By-Play  —  Photos  —  Conversation  —  Jon Lester holds Phillies to 5 hits as A's move ahead in wild-card race  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Coco Crisp had two hits and drove in a run, supporting another strong outing …

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.

Kinsler homers, Verlander sharp as Tigers beat up Royals  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Detroit Tigers insisted that they weren't trying to make a statement.  —  They accomplished it anyway.  —  Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer, everyone in the Detroit starting lineup had a hit by the fourth inning …

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 …