Cubs survive one of the strangest elimination games ever played

Miguel Andujar (Papa) continued to build upon his impressive candidacy in the American League Rookie of the Year chase and J.A. Happ (Happer) won his fifth consecutive start since a uniform change, leading the Yankees to a 10-3 victory over the Orioles on Saturday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Camden Yards. Renato Nunez (Tato) drove in a pair for Baltimore and Cedric Mullins (The Entertainer) robbed Giancarlo Stanton (G) of his would-be 300th home run.

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Brian Bannister doesn’t want to pitch for a last-place club. His sights are set on fourth place. For the Kansas City Royals, baby steps are necessary. Billy Butler homered and drove in three runs to back Bannister’s strong outing, and Kansas City held off the Chicago White Sox 7-6 on Wednesday. The clubs are tied at the bottom of the five-team AL Central at 56-70.

Javier Baez drove in the go-ahead run on a bunt, one of three hits and three RBIs to help the Cubs to a 10-inning victory over the Nationals. Baez also blasted his 31st homer and doubled in a run for the first-place Cubs, who moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Brewers in the National League Central. Victor Caratini added an RBI single for Chicago, while starter Mike Montgomery went four-plus innings and eight relievers combined to hold Washington to one run over six frames. Nats starter Joe Ross made his first full start since undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he yielded two runs in five innings. The Nats’ offense was fueled by Spencer Kieboom’s second career homer, Victor Robles’ sac fly and Trea Turner’s seventh-inning RBI double that tied it in the seventh.

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