Cubs lose to Brewers, but claim NL Central

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs became the first team this season to clinch a Major League Baseball division title even though they lost 5-4 to the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday night. Because of the loss, the Cubs needed some help to capture their first NL Central crown since the 2008 season. And they got it later that night from the San Francisco Giants who dusted off the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 in San Francisco. The Cubs did not stick around the stadium and instead will celebrate after playing the second game of their four-game series Friday. “It would have been wonderful to do so for the fans (Thursday), but that’s part of the uncontrollable nature of our game,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “We had a really good way about us today. We just made a couple of mistakes that we normally don’t make. That’s going to happen.” Brewers pinch hitter Scooter Gennett broke a tie in the seventh inning as he doubled home Domingo Santana and Martin Maldonado with one out for go-ahead runs and a 5-3 lead. Milwaukee starter Jimmy Nelson threw six innings of three-run ball to get the victory, the first of his career in 12 appearances against Chicago. Reliever Tyler Thornburg faced the top of the Cubs’ order and got the final four outs for his 10th save. Red Sox 7, Yankees 5: Hanley Ramirez hit a monstrous two-out, three-run homer to center field to cap a wild five-run, ninth-inning rally that gave Boston a victory over New York. Ramirez connected off Dellin Betances, who had just surrendered run-scoring singles to David Ortiz and Mookie Betts. With Boston down 5-1, David Ortiz hit a solo shot off Adam Warren in the eighth for the 537th home run of his career. He snapped a tie with Yankees great Mickey Mantle for 17th place on the all-time homer list. Ortiz was also in the middle of the ninth-inning rally, collecting his 114th RBI. Blue Jays 7, Angels 2: Russell Martin hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs to lead Toronto past Los Angeles. Josh Donaldson returned to the Blue Jays’ starting lineup as the designated hitter after missing the past three games because of a jammed right hip. The 2015 American League Most Valuable Player went 3-for-3, hit two doubles, walked twice and scored twice. J.A. Happ earned his 13th victory in 14 decisions. Happ (19-4) conceded two runs (one earned) and just three hits in six-plus innings, walked three and struck out three. Athletics 14, Royals 5: Joey Wendle had a career-best four-hit game and scored three runs, while Daniel Mengden pitched seven scoreless innings as Oakland crushed Kansas City to complete a four-game sweep. White Sox 2, Indians 1: Carlos Sanchez drove in the winning run on a one-out single in the ninth inning to give Chicago a victory over Cleveland. Twins 5, Tigers 1: Brian Dozier’s two-run single capped a four-run second inning and Hector Santiago stymied Detroit for 5-2/3 innings to help the Twins gain a split of their four-game series. Pirates 15, Phillies 2: Pittsburgh crushed five home runs and put up an eight-run rally in the ninth inning as it picked up a win over Philadelphia, salvaging a split in a four-game series. — Agencies