Orioles' Manny Machado leaves game on stretcher

Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has been taken off the field on a stretcher after injuring his left leg running out an infield single.

Machado's leg buckled when he reached the first-base bag in the seventh inning of Monday's game at Tampa Bay.

Machado was in obvious pain while being treated on the infield dirt near first by team trainers and stadium medical officials.

Baltimore manager Buck Showalter patted Machado several times near the shoulder before the stretcher was moved from the playing field.

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Is Mariano Rivera the best closer of all time?

He's lived in the dreams of many, and created nightmares in many others. 

But The Sandman, Mariano Rivera, is in reality arguably the greatest relief pitcher of all time. 13 All-Star appearances are just impressive part of his resume. 

But what really sets the New York Yankees closer apart from the rest of his peers? 

The CBC's Shane Foxman explains why he's the best closer the game has ever seen.

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Athletics win 2nd straight AL West title

The Oakland Athletics are AL West champions again.

The A's clinched their 16th division title and 25th post-season appearance when Texas lost 4-0 at Kansas City on Sunday. Oakland was hosting the Minnesota Twins.

With the Twins batting in the third, word started to circulate around the Oakland Coliseum of Justin Maxwell's two-out grand slam that beat the Rangers in the 10th inning to seal the division title for the A's. Some players, noticing the high-fives and hollers in the stands, kept glancing at the manual scoreboard in left field.

The ending of the Royals-Rangers game was shown on the video board between innings. There were no noticeable celebrations in the dugout.

It was quite a different scene than a year ago, when the A's won the AL West on the final day of the regular season by beating Texas. This year's run to the post-season is far less surprising but equally remarkable.

The A's had the fourth-lowest opening day payroll at about $65 million. They have a roster full of mostly anonymous and up-and-coming players. And their home is an old, dual-sport stadium where sewage has leaked in the clubhouses and the dugouts in one sickening scene after another this summer.

The A's still emerged as the team to watch this October in the Bay Area with the San Francisco Giants — winners of two of the last three World Series — far out of the post-season picture. Oakland had won three straight, 11 of 12, and 12 of 15 to move a season-high 29 games over .500 entering play Sunday.

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Braves, Cardinals clinch playoff spot with Nationals' loss

The Atlanta Braves clinched the NL East title on Sunday, and then rode two homers by Andrelton Simmons to a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The game was in the sixth inning when Washington lost 4-2 to Miami, giving the Braves their first division crown in eight years. There were a few high-fives in Atlanta's dugout when the Marlins won, and a couple of Braves fans did the tomahawk chop in the stands.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez high-fived a fan as he made his way to the dugout after a lineup change, and the celebration really picked up when Craig Kimbrel finished for his major league-best 49th save. The Braves poured out of the dugout and bullpen and jumped in a circle near the mound before retreating to the cramped visitors' clubhouse at Wrigley Field to continue the party.

"What a great feeling," Gonzalez said. "It really is a great feeling to realize we've played 150-some games to get to this point. We knew early on that the Nationals had lost but we still wanted to be able to celebrate and come out with a win. And we did."

Simmons hit a solo drive in the fourth and a two-run shot in the eighth, giving him 17 homers on the year.

Simmons' second career multihomer game was more than enough run support for Julio Teheran (13-8), who struck out seven over six innings of one-run ball.

The St. Louis Cardinals have clinched a playoff spot for the third straight year.

Washington's 4-2 loss to Miami in a doubleheader opener Sunday assured the Cardinals of at least an NL wild-card berth.

Not that anyone could tell in the Miller Park clubhouse before the Cardinals played Milwaukee on Sunday night. There was no champagne on ice, no victory cigars being lit up.

There's still an NL Central title at stake.

The Reds beat the Pirates earlier Sunday 11-3, leaving both teams 2 1-2 games back of St. Louis going into the Brewers game.

"We're confident. We know we have a good ballclub. Everything's clicking right now," first baseman Matt Adams said. "We're happy but we want to keep taking things day by day and then win the division and then go from there."

Manager Mike Matheny said he learned of the Nationals loss while in the weight room before. There was some chit-chat, and Matheny said he would have a quick conversation about it with his club after Sunday night's game.

The Cardinals clinched the same day Matheny turned 43.

Neither milestone caused much of a stir.

Don't expect the Cardinals to rest their players the final week just because they're in, too.

"Right now, we're nowhere near that," he said. "We've got a lot of baseball to win these next seven games."

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Jays' Rasmus hit in face with throw, leaves game vs. Red Sox

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus left Friday night's game against the Boston Red Sox after he was hit in the face with a ball while jogging out to the field in the middle of the first inning.

Rasmus was replaced by Kevin Pillar in the lineup.

Rasmus was heading to centre field when a ball came from the direction of right fielder Anthony Gose and hit him in the face. A Blue Jays trainer went out to help Rasmus and then led him off the field.

Rasmus was activated from the disabled list last week after spending 29 games on it with a strained muscle in his left side.

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Jays' Colby Rasmus placed on 15-day DL with eye injury

The Toronto Blue Jays placed outfielder Colby Rasmus on the 15-day disabled list before Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox because of an injured left eye.

Rasmus was hurt Friday before the bottom of the first while the Blue Jays were warming up and right fielder Anthony Gose hit him with a throw.

Ramus finishes the season with a .276 average, 22 homers and 66 RBIs.

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Yankees' Andy Pettitte announces he will retire

Andy Pettitte had no interest in a farewell tour or some big pronouncement regarding his (second) retirement. Anything more than a conference call the day after the season would only feel embarrassing.

"Because I've done this before," said a sheepish Pettitte, who briefly stepped away from baseball two years ago. "I feel awkward doing this right now, to tell you the truth."

Still, the New York Yankees pitcher was having a hard time telling people he wasn't sure if he'd be back next season when he already knew this was it. And he wanted to thank fans for all their support, something he wished he had a chance to do the first time.

So after discussing it with several close friends — including Mariano Rivera over lunch in Toronto — Pettitte chose to formally announce his decision at a Yankee Stadium news conference Friday.

"I'm ready to be home again," Pettitte said. "But the biggest thing is, I'm just done."

In a statement released Friday afternoon, hours before the Yankees began their final homestand, the 41-year-old Pettitte said he has reached the point where he knows he has left everything he has on the field.

The left-hander initially retired after the 2010 season, but sat out only one year before returning to the Yankees.

This time, he means it.

"The time is right. I've exhausted myself, mentally and physically, and that's exactly how I want to leave this game," he said.

In a nice bit of symmetry, Pettitte is scheduled to make two more starts this season — one at Yankee Stadium and the other in his hometown of Houston.

"That is crazy. It really is. It's cool that it's going to work out that way," Pettitte said.

He is set to pitch against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, when the Yankees will honour Rivera in a pregame ceremony. Baseball's career saves leader also is retiring.

Pettitte said one of the things he struggled with in making an announcement was "doing anything to take away from Mariano's day" because of how much Rivera has meant to him and his career.

Saying goodbye

Rivera, however, encouraged Pettitte to say goodbye at Yankee Stadium.

"He thinks it's going to make the day even better," Pettitte said. "I feel like we're connected."

Rivera has saved 72 of Pettitte's 255 career wins, the most for any tandem in major league history.

"It's like brothers. We came up in this organization at the same time. We've been through good times and bad times," Rivera said. "Now we go out together, too."

Asked if he had any regrets, Pettitte mentioned human growth hormone. He has admitted using the banned substance years ago, saying he did it in an effort to recover faster from an injury.

He said he would never want kids to think he tried to cheat.

"I know my heart. I've never tried to cheat this game. Never tried to cheat anything in my life," Pettitte said. "That's the truth."

Pettitte holds MLB records for post-season wins (19) and starts (44), but it would take quite a surge by the Yankees for him to get an opportunity to add to those marks. They began the day 3 ½ games behind Tampa Bay and Texas for the second AL wild card, with three other teams in between.

A three-time All-Star, Pettitte has helped New York to seven AL pennants and five World Series championships during 15 seasons in pinstripes. He was the MVP of the 2001 AL championship series and is the franchise leader in career strikeouts with 2,009.

He joined old buddies Rivera, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada to make up the "Core Four" that has led the Yankees to more than a decade and a half of sustained success.

'My time here is done'

Jeter, limited by injuries to just 17 games this season, will be the only one left next year.

"We've had a great run here," Pettitte said. "I just feel like my time here is done."

Pettitte said the original plan was to come back for just one season, but a broken ankle that sidelined him for almost three months last year changed his mind. He knew coming into 2013 that this would be it, and nothing that's happened since has made him vacillate — including a back injury that wasn't easy to shake.

Pettitte is 10-10 with a 3.93 ERA in 28 starts. After a rough patch, he has pitched particularly well down the stretch with New York desperately chasing a playoff berth.

"Vintage Andy Pettitte. Crunch time, he's always there," manager Joe Girardi said. "It's just who Andy Pettitte is. When the stakes get higher, he gets better."

Asked for his greatest moment, Pettitte mentioned the first championship he won with the Yankees in 1996 — which ended an 18-year drought for the franchise.

His final start is scheduled for next weekend against Houston, the only team for which he has played besides the Yankees. He spent 2004-06 with the Astros, teaming with Roger Clemens to help the club make its only World Series appearance in 2005.

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Jays' Rasmus hit in face with throw, leaves game vs. Red Sox

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus left Friday night's game against the Boston Red Sox after he was hit in the face with a ball while jogging out to the field in the middle of the first inning.

Rasmus was replaced by Kevin Pillar in the lineup.

Rasmus was heading to centre field when a ball came from the direction of right fielder Anthony Gose and hit him in the face. A Blue Jays trainer went out to help Rasmus and then led him off the field.

Rasmus was activated from the disabled list last week after spending 29 games on it with a strained muscle in his left side.

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Dodgers clinch NL West with win over Diamondbacks

The Los Angeles Dodgers soaked everyone in sight with champagne in the clubhouse. Many players raced back out for a celebratory dip in Arizona's Chase Field swimming pool.

From last place to an NL West title in less than three months, they sure let loose.

Burdened by high expectations and a horrible start, the Dodgers relieved their pent-up pressure with a joyful celebration after becoming the first team this year to clinch a playoff spot. Hanley Ramirez homered twice as they rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6 on Thursday. 

'We're a veteran ballclub. We understand it's not how you start, it's how you finish.'- Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez

"I want to keep going," Ramirez said. "I think that we've got a couple of more steps to do. We've got to keep working and stay together all the way through to the end."

Ramirez was back in the lineup after being sidelined five of six games with an irritated nerve in his lower back. He's played 1,090 regular-season games but will be making his first trip to the post-season. Only three active players have played more games without making the playoffs.

Despite an NL-high payroll of $214 million-plus on opening day, the Dodgers got off to an 30-42 start and were last in the division, 9 1/2 games behind the first-place Diamondbacks, before play on June 22. Los Angeles has gone 58-23 since, including an unreal 42-8 run that coincided mostly with dynamic Cuban defector Yasiel Puig's callup to the major leagues.

"I'm a guy that doesn't show a lot of emotion," manager Don Mattingly said. "I really try to keep it kind of even. But this is a great accomplishment for these guys. We put a great team together and a big payroll with huge expectations. A lot of time that falls apart and it had a chance to fall apart during the season, I thought.

"But the coaching staff stuck together. These guys were loyal to me. There was no backbiting or somebody trying to leap over me. They stuck together. ... The players came together, we got healthy, and then we just rolled."

The Dodgers trailed 6-3 in the sixth and A.J. Ellis hit a tiebreaking homer off Josh Collmenter (4-4) leading off the eighth.

J.P. Howell (2-1) got two outs for the victory. Kenley Jansen struck two in the ninth for his 26th save.

Celebration away from home

Clinching on the home field of their nearest, but not very near, rival, the Dodgers charged the mound after Aaron Hill flew out to left field for the final out. They mobbed Jansen and the throng bounced out toward second base in continued celebration. A few Diamondbacks watched from the dugout. Most made their way to the clubhouse.

"That was pretty awesome, man," Jansen said. "It showed that we never quit. We kept playing hard. Even today, they scored six runs, we never quit. That's pretty awesome."

Ramirez, hit a three-run homer in the third inning and a tying solo shot in the seventh. It was his 14th career multihomer game and first since Aug. 18 of last year.

It was fitting he was the star of the clinching win.

"We're a veteran ballclub," Adrian Gonzalez said. "We understand it's not how you start, it's how you finish."

In the ninth, with a sizeable contingent of Dodger fans roaring its approval, Jansen fanned Paul Goldschmidt and Martin Prado before Hill's fly all ended it.

Arizona manager Kirk Gibson, whose team won the division two years ago, appreciated what the Dodgers had accomplished, even if it was difficult to watch them celebrate on the Diamondbacks' turf.

"You just take it in and reflect on some things," Gibson said. "We still have to play hard the rest of the way out. It is disappointing. We fought hard and the guys played good today. We were unable to secure the lead."

Remarkable 2nd half

With a new ownership taking over from Frank McCourt on May 1 last year, the Dodgers stumbled this spring and Mattingly's job appeared to be in jeopardy.

But Los Angeles won 17 of 20 leading into the All-Star break and was 22 games above .500 after a three-game sweep of the Mets on Aug. 17.

Lately, the banged-up team had struggled, losing nine of 12 and five of six entering Thursday's games.

Los Angeles started strong in this one, though.

Arizona starter Wade Miley's troubles in the third began when he walked Dodgers starter Ricky Nolasco to lead off the inning. Puig was forced out at second on a throw from right fielder Gerardo Parra after the base runner held up on Jerry Hairston Jr.'s blooper. That brought up Ramirez and he homered to left to make it 3-0.

Nolasco couldn't hold it.

Arizona started the third with four consecutive hits, including an RBI double from Paul Goldschmidt and two-run triple by Prado to tie it at 3. Miguel Montero singled Prado home with the go-ahead run. After Parra's two-out single, Miley's double to deep left-centre brought the runners in to make it 6-3.

Los Angeles came back.

Consecutive doubles by Juan Uribe and Scott Van Slyke, followed by Ellis' RBI single cut the lead to 6-5 in the sixth, then Ramirez led off the seventh with his 20th home run of the season, on an 0-2 pitch from Chaz Roe, and it was tied 6-all.

Collmenter came on to get Arizona out of trouble in the seventh, but Ellis, the No. 9 hitter in the Dodgers batting order, sent the first pitch of the eighth just over the fence in left and Los Angeles led 7-6.

Miley went five innings, allowing three runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Nolasco went five innings, giving up six runs on nine hits.

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Adam Lind, Anthony Gose power Blue Jays past Yankees

Todd Redmond threw a season-high seven innings and allowed four hits and one earned run as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees 6-2 on Thursday night. Anthony Gose hit a solo shot and Adam Lind belted a three-run homer as the Blue Jays (70-82) won the rubber game of the three-game series in front of 32,003 fans at Rogers Centre.

The Yankees (80-73) fell 3 1/2 games behind Texas and Tampa Bay in the race for the two American League wild-card spots.

Redmond (4-2) threw 69 of his 100 pitches for strikes and kept the ball down in the zone throughout the game. A solo shot by Curtis Granderson was his lone hiccup on the evening.

Redmond, 28, has won three straight decisions and has done a solid job since moving from the bullpen in early July to help a rotation that had been plagued by injuries and inconsistency.

"Things just worked out perfectly here for him," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "You know what, with everything we've been through, we've been looking for guys.

Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees is honoured before the game against the Blue Jays on September 19, 2013 at Rogers Centre in Toronto. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

"That's how careers and great stories are made."

After spending parts of eight seasons in the minors, Redmond made his first major-league start last August for the Cincinnati Reds. It was his only appearance for the team and Toronto later claimed him off waivers last March.

He spent some time at triple-A Buffalo and has been a steady presence since being called up by the Blue Jays. Redmond has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his last nine starts.

"He doesn't give in, nothing rattles him," Gibbons said. "He's a lot like [Mark] Buehrle from the right side. They've got the same mental approach. They just compete, good, bad or ugly. They don't back down from anything. They take the ball.

"You need more of those guys in this game if you're going to win anything."

Redmond said he's always been confident, he was just waiting for his shot.

"I just know my ability, I knew I was capable of doing it," he said. "I've gone through the minors and I got the chance and now I'm just trying to go with it and run with it."

His statistics are improving with every outing. Redmond has struck out 16 batters over his last three starts while issuing just one walk and his earned-run average is down to 3.89.

"They claimed me off waivers for a reason," he said. "I guess they saw something in me to actually claim me. After getting claimed by the Orioles [in February 2012] and then claimed here, they saw something and I'm glad they did."

Sergio Santos relieved Redmond and worked a perfect eighth inning. The Yankees loaded the bases in the ninth before Casey Janssen came on for the final two outs to pick up his 32nd save.

The Blue Jays gave Mariano Rivera something to remember Canada by in his final trip north of the border with the New York Yankees.

Rivera was presented with a carving by Inuit sculptor David Ruben Piqtoukun before the game. The carving depicts Kiviuq, a popular hero figure in Inuit legends and stories.

The Blue Jays improved to 5-3 at home against the Yankees this season but were a dismal 0-10 in New York.

"The way the year has gone here, we're looking for some satisfaction and two out of three against them is nice," Gibbons said. "Especially the way they've been beating us like a drum all year long. So we like to inflict our own version of pain somehow."

Hiroki Kuroda (11-12) allowed eight hits and three earned runs over six innings for the Yankees, who are seeing their post-season hopes fade with each defeat.

"There's only so many 'Get 'em tomorrows' left," said third baseman Mark Reynolds. "We're going to keep fighting and see where we are."

Gose, who had three of Toronto's 10 hits, restored the Blue Jays' two-run lead in the sixth inning with his second homer of the year. Lind followed an inning later with a rainbow shot, his 22nd homer of the season, off Joba Chamberlain.

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