Christian Vazquez, right, celebrates with Twins teammate Donovan Solano after scoring a run Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. Minnesota won, 5-3. Joshua A. Bickel/Associated Press
CINCINNATI — Jorge Polanco capped a three-run ninth inning with a go-ahead single, helping the Minnesota Twins overcome Hunter Greene’s 14 strikeouts to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Wednesday.
The Twins (81-72) trimmed their magic number to clinch the AL Central to one game.
With Minnesota trailing 3-2, Willi Castro singled leading off the ninth against Reds closer Alexis Díaz (9-5), then stole second and took third on catcher Luke Maile’s throwing error. Kyle Farmer followed with a tying single.
Polanco hit a bases-loaded, two-out single off Sam Moll a few batters later, driving home Farmer and Christian Vázquez.
Griffin Jax pitched the bottom of the inning for his third save.
Greene allowed one run – a seventh-inning home run by Castro – and three hits with one walk over seven innings.
Cincinnati (79-75) began the day fifth in the NL wild-card race with nine games to play, a half-game behind fourth-place Miami and one game behind the Cubs for the third and final wild-card slot.
ASTROS 2, ORIOLES 1: Mauricio Dubon’s RBI single with one out in the ninth inning lifted Houston to a win at home.
The victory allowed the Astros to avoid a sweep and stay a half-game ahead of Texas and Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Yainer Diaz doubled to right field off Danny Coulombe (5-2) to start the bottom of the ninth, and he moved to third on a groundout by Chas McCormick. Dubon then smacked a single into the gap in right field.
The Astros had just two hits before Jeremy Peña’s RBI double tied it with one out in the eighth.
Ryan Pressly (4-5) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.
Anthony Santander doubled and drove in Baltimore’s only run with a single in the first inning.
MARINERS 6, ATHLETICS 3: Dominic Canzone homered and drove in four runs as Seattle completed a three-game sweep at Oakland.
Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh added back-to-back homers to give Seattle 200 home runs in a season for the seventh time in franchise history.
Seattle (84-68) kept pace in the AL West with Texas (84-68) and division-leading Houston (85-68). The Rangers and Mariners are also tied for the third and final AL wild-card berth. Seattle heads to Texas for a three-game series starting Friday.
DIAMONDBACKS 7, GIANTS 1: Merrill Kelly threw 6 2/3 strong innings, Corbin Carroll hit his 25th homer and stole his 50th base of the season, and host Arizona won its fifth straight game.
The Diamondbacks are one game in front of the Chicago Cubs for the second of three National League wild-card berths. The Giants have lost five of six and are 3 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot.
PHILLIES 6, BRAVES 5: Nick Castellanos hit two home runs and saved the game with a brilliant throw as visiting Philadelphia handed the NL East champions their fifth loss in six games.
The Braves rallied from a four-run deficit and had a chance to walk off with the win in the ninth after pinch-runner Luke Williams stole second and third. Orlando Arcia hit a fly ball down the right-field line that appeared deep enough to drive home Williams. But Castellanos made the catch in foul territory, spun around and threw home in time for catcher Garrett Stubbs to tag the runner on the right shoulder before his foot touched the plate.
In the 10th, Bryson Stott came through with two outs, lining an opposite-field double down the third-base line that brought home two runs off A.J. Minter (3-6).
NATIONALS 13, WHITE SOX 3: Lane Thomas hit a grand slam and Washington routed visiting Chicago.
Joey Meneses and Dominic Smith also homered for Washington, which won back-to-back games for the first time since taking three in a row from Aug. 24-26.
ROYALS 6, GUARDIANS 2: Nelson Velázquez continued a late-season tear for Kansas City with a three-run homer, Angel Zerpa shut down Cleveland in relief of Zack Greinke and the Royals completed a three-game sweep at home.
PADRES 3, ROCKIES 2: Luis Campusano tied the game with a bases-loaded single with one out in the seventh and Ji Man Choi followed with a sacrifice fly for his first RBI with San Diego, which beat visiting Colorado to extend its season-best winning streak to seven.
NOTES
RAYS: Tampa Bay is making its postseason plans without shortstop Wander Franco on the roster.
Franco was placed on administrative leave indefinitely by Major League Baseball last month while authorities in the Dominican Republic investigate the All-Star for an alleged relationship with a minor.
When asked before Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels if the team has to plan for the playoffs without Franco being available, Rays Manager Kevin Cash said “yeah.”
The 22-year-old will be paid and receive service time while on administrative leave under an agreement with the players’ association that did not set a timetable for a decision on whether he will be disciplined by MLB.
TWINS: Minnesota placed shortstop Carlos Correa on the 10-day injured list because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
Rookie third baseman Royce Lewis was also scheduled for more testing on the left hamstring that tightened up on him Tuesday, with an MRI scheduled on Thursday after the team returns home.
ORIOLES: Baltimore placed first baseman Ryan Mountcastle on the 10-day injured list because of inflammation in his left shoulder .
Mountcastle has missed the last six games. The move is retroactive to Sunday.
YANKEES: Rookie center fielder Jasson Domínguez had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister performed a procedure in Arlington, Texas, that included internal bracing, according to the Yankees. The team said Domínguez’s anticipated recovery time is nine-to-10 months.
ROYALS: The Kansas City Royals are pushing back their self-imposed deadline of the end of September for deciding on a location for their new ballpark, though they remain confident that their final proposal will be put before voters on an April ballot.
The Royals are trying to decide between a downtown location that would keep the replacement for aging Kauffman Stadium in Jackson County and a competing location across the Missouri River in neighboring Clay County.
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