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A22 SPORTS
Thursday 27 sepTember 2018
Astros clinch 2nd straight AL West title, win 100th

By The Associated Press Chris Herrmann's two-run
TORONTO (AP) — The Hous- homer in the 11th inning
ton Astros clinched another gave Seattle a 10-8 win
AL West title and reached over Oakland and clinched
100 wins for the second the AL West for Houston,
straight season, beating leaving the Athletics with a
the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 wild-card matchup against
Tuesday night behind Alex the New York Yankees.
Bregman's two-run homer. Seattle overcame an 8-5
Houston improved to 100- eighth-inning deficit and
57 and was assured of first dropped the A's 2½ games
place hours later when sec- behind the Yankees for
ond-place Oakland (95-63) home-field advantage in
lost at Seattle. The Astros the Oct. 3 winner-take-all
will open the Division Series matchup. Oakland had
at home against Cleveland been 68-0 when leading
on Oct. 5. after seven innings.
The Astros need three wins Denard Span hit a two-run
in their final five games to double off Fernando Rod-
break the franchise record ney in the eighth.
for victories in a season, set Blake Treinen was one
in 1998. strike from closing out his
Houston is 18-4 in Septem- 38th save in the ninth, but
ber and 54-22 on the road, Nelson Cruz punched a
both best in the major two-out single, Ryon Healy
leagues. reached when third base-
Roberto Osuna needed just Houston Astros relief pitcher Roberto Osuna (54) celebrates with catcher Martin Maldonado (15) man Matt Chapman bob-
six pitches in the ninth for after the Astros defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018, in bled his grounder for an
his 20th save in 21 chanc- Toronto. error and Kyle Seager hit
es. Earlier Tuesday, assault Associated Press an RBI single. Treinen had
charges against Osuna allowed just one hit in his
were dropped because league start. off Sam Gaviglio. Billy McK- fly off Danny Barnes. previous 13 appearances.
the complainant, who lives Bregman went 2 for 5 and inney's sixth homer cut the Gaviglio (3-9) allowed four Ben Gamel walked with
in Mexico, made clear she extended his club-record gap in half in the third, but runs — three earned — and one out in the 11th against
would not travel to Toronto streak of reaching base Houston widened its lead in six hits in five-plus innings, his Emilio Pagan (3-1), and
to testify. safely on the road to 53 the sixth when Tyler White fifth straight winless outing. Herrmann batted for An-
Josh James (2-0) allowed games. chased Gaviglio with an MARINERS 10, ATHLETICS 8, drew Romine and sent an
one run and four hits in Bregman hit his 31st homer, RBI single and pinch-hitter 11 INNINGS 0-1 fastball out to deep
five innings in his third big a two-run drive in the first Evan Gattis had a sacrifice SEATTLE (AP) — Pinch-hitter right-center field.q

Angels' Shohei Ohtani to have

Tommy John surgery in October

pitch for the Angels in 2019, pitch (next season), there is With just 347 plate appear-
but he is likely to hit at a little bit of a void. But he'll ances, he is leading all AL
some point early next sea- be able to hit and focus on rookies in on-base percent-
son. When asked whether that." age (.361), slugging per-
Ohtani is likely to be ready Ohtani went 4-2 with a 3.31 centage (.564) and OPS
for opening day as a hitter, ERA and 63 strikeouts in 10 (.925), while his 21 homers
Scioscia said there are "too mostly outstanding starts are fourth among AL rook-
many variables" to make a for the Angels, but he has ies.
confident prediction. pitched just once since He is the first player in ma-
Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, rounds the bases
after his home run against the Texas Rangers during the first in- Ohtani wasn't available to early June after develop- jor league history to hit at
ning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Sept. 24, reporters before the game, ing a strained right elbow. least 15 homers and strike
2018. but Scioscia confirmed He returned to the mound out at least 50 batters in
general manager Billy Ep- Sept. 2 but incurred more a single season, and he
By GREG BEACHAM perform the surgery in Los pler's earlier statements damage to his elbow liga- joined Babe Ruth as the
AP Sports Writer Angeles. that the Angels are com- ment. only players ever to hit 15
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los "I think it was the proper de- mitted to Ohtani's deter- The 24-year-old Ohtani has homers and pitch 50 in-
Angeles Angels two-way cision Shohei made to have mination to be a two-way continued as the Angels' nings. Ohtani and Ruth are
rookie Shohei Ohtani will surgery, and the sooner the player in the majors. designated hitter. He is bat- the only players since 1900
have Tommy John surgery better," Angels manager "It obviously puts him out of ting .280 with 56 RBIs after to hit 10 homers while win-
next week. Mike Scioscia said before pitching in 2019, but he'll hitting his 21st homer Mon- ning at least four games.
The Angels confirmed his club faced the Texas be able to hit, and I think day. Ohtani also has set the big
Ohtani's long-expected Rangers, with Ohtani bat- he's at peace with that," Ohtani is a top contender league record for homers
decision on elbow liga- ting cleanup as the desig- Scioscia said. "He wants to for the AL Rookie of the by a Japanese-born rookie,
ment replacement Tues- nated hitter. excel at both phases of the Year award despite his surpassing Kenji Johjima's
day. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will Ohtani won't be able to game. The fact he can't truncated pitching season. 18 homers in 2006.q