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Benoit likely to miss rest of regular season with torn calf

They entered yesterday's game with a 1 game lead over the Orioles for the top Wild Card spot but managed to win game one of the series 5-1.

Ezequiel Carrera also homered as the Blue Jays won for the sixth time in eight games. So he could call in audible, perhaps even start R.A. Dickey in one of the games in Boston if the Jays lock up a wild card spot early.

Gibbons is also thinking about possible matchups, as in who might be the best guy to start against certain teams in the wild card game - whether it's Baltimore, Detroit or Seattle.

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis was ejected after exchanging words with home plate umpire Will Little following a strikeout in the seventh.

As Donaldson demonstratively fell backwards out of the box and stumbled nearly all the way back to his dugout, cameras panned to Orioles manager Buck Showalter - never one to hide his feelings - who was shaking his head in disapproving fashion. Yankees starter Luis Severino hit Josh Donaldson in the first inning, Toronto's J.A. Happ led off the second by hitting Chase Headley and Severino responded in the bottom of the frame by hitting Justin Smoak. That game, which snapped a string of six straight contests with the Toronto staff allowing three or fewer earned runs, featured a pair of benches-clearing brawls. Clippard got his second save.

CARDINALS 12, REDS 5: Aledmys Diaz hit his first career grand slam and St. Louis finished with five home runs.

Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes each hit his 31st homer for the Mets.

The Yankees offensive slump reached near-historic proportions with another demoralizing loss on Saturday - their third scoreless game in a row dating back to the series finale in Tampa.

The game was the Marlins' second since the death of ace Jose Fernandez in a boating accident. "With the two teams left that we have to play (Toronto and New York), we're definitely up against the wall". Right-hander Daniel Mengden (2-9) was charged with eight runs in three-plus innings.

Meanwhile, Sanchez started the game rolling.

NY scored five runs in a bat-around ninth, matching their total from the 35 previous innings in the series. Detroit took full advantage, beating Cleveland for only the third time all year and pulling within a game of Baltimore for the AL's second wild card. And with seven strikeouts, the 27-year-old right-hander surpassed the 200-strikeout mark this season, becoming the youngest Yankee to strike out at least 200 batters since a 26-year-old Melido Perez in 1992.

Adam Warren (7-4) worked two innings for the win. His six innings against the Orioles pushed him to 185.0 on the season, but his velocity and effectiveness are still right where they need to be. In 72 innings with Toronto's affiliate in New Hampshire, Dragmire logged a 4.38 ERA with 5.1 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9.

Felix Pena recorded the final two outs for his first career save.

Things turned ugly quickly Monday night as the Blue Jays and Yankees emptied the benches twice and went at it in the second inning after a string of hit batsmen.

The Texas Rangers regained the best record in the American League by rallying past the Milwaukee Brewers.

Lucroy's hit made a victor of reliever Tony Barnette (7-3).

And then Zeke casually homered to left field, his 6th of the season.

Raul Mondesi scored on Billy Burns' sacrifice fly in the 11th inning as the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins. Gibbons won't concede which of the five pitchers in his rotation is his No.1 guy necessarily, but it seems prudent that he would want either Sanchez or Happ starting the wild card game.

Rookie Brooks Pounders (2-1) picked up the victory.

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Benoit likely to miss rest of regular season with torn calf