Braves clinch 1st NL East crown since 2013, top Phillies 5-3  —  ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves capped a most surprising season by clinching their first NL East crown since 2013, with Mike Foltynewicz taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

What were Victor Martinez's best games and seasons?  —  Victor Martinez, the 39-year-old designated hitter, is retiring after the 2018 season.  Free Press sports writer Ryan Ford takes a look at his career.  Wochit  —  CONNECT  —  Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez is set …

Rested Cubs relievers trying to avoid rust  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Despite pitching in a career-high and team-leading 73 games, reliever Steve Cishek felt the need to get in some pregame work Friday before the opener of the Cubs-White Sox series at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Astros clinch playoff berth with win over Angels  —  HOUSTON - Yuli Gurriel hit a grand slam and a two-run homer on his way to a career-high seven RBIs, and the Houston Astros clinched a postseason berth by routing the Los Angeles Angels 11-3 on Friday night.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Michael Lorenzen will be limited to 60-70 pitches in his 2nd start  —  Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer  —  MIAMI - As Michael Lorenzen prepares to make his second start of the season Sunday against the Miami Marlins, he will throw again with another pitch count.

Mark Melancon gives up walk-off home run, Aramís García records four hits in loss  —  ST. LOUIS-As the season winds down, the book on the 2018 Giants is almost ready for publication.  —  Some of the chapters focus heavily on injuries and others on the team's offensive failures …

Ohtani, ‘openers’ and Moneyball 2.0: My 10 favorite MLB stories of 2018  —  It feels like we're trudging a bit to the end of the regular season.  The American League playoff teams are essentially set, with the only real question whether the Yankees or A's will host the wild-card game.

Put it on the board, Hawk Harrelson's career unlike any other  —  On an overcast Sunday earlier this season, Ken Harrelson sat behind the wheel of his white Hyundai Genesis and began the 90-minute commute from his home in Granger, Indiana, to the ballpark on Chicago's South Side.

Reaching 200 innings will be a meaningful achievement for Phillies ace Aaron Nola  —  ATLANTA — Aaron Nola won't start a playoff game this season.  He probably won't win the Cy Young Award either.  But the Phillies ace is poised to achieve the best measure of his rise to the level of baseball's elite pitchers.

Could Clayton Kershaw have pitched his final regular-season home game for the Dodgers?  —  There is no finality in Clayton Kershaw's future.  There is uncertainty, which is why he took the mound at Dodger Stadium last Tuesday with thoughts beyond that night's game.

Wakamatsu-led Rangers look to beat Mariners again  —  The Texas Rangers won their first game with interim manager Don Wakamatsu at the helm, and did so emphatically, trouncing the Seattle Mariners 8-3 on Friday in the opening game of Rangers' final three-game home series.

Last-place Padres beat NL West-leading Dodgers 5-3  —  Freddy Galvis added a solo shot and the last-place  —  Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 on Friday night.  —  The Dodgers' NL West lead was trimmed to 1 1/2 games over Colorado, which won 6-2 at Arizona.  —  San Diego had dropped five in a row against Los Angeles.

Three up, three down: Old rotation has propelled A's to verge of playoffs  —  A look at who's hot and who's not in MLB this week:  —  THREE UP  —  Winning brew: In an era where teams are more than happy to ride a bullpen to October success, the Milwaukee Brewers could enjoy a long postseason ride.

Yankees continue to bet on potential over production with slumping Gary Sanchez  —  There was never a doubt given the way Gary Sanchez has been coddled and propped up by Brian Cashman.  But Aaron Boone made it official Saturday when asked if Sanchez is definitely the starting catcher in the wild card game.

Adams beats the odds with winning hit off lefty  —  ‘Big City’ fisted a two-run double past third baseman Evan Longoria to drive in Harrison Bader and Yairo Munoz as the Cardinals remained on the right path to the wild