News

MLB Scores and Game Recaps: Rays and Brewers Clinch Playoff Berths

Junior Caminero sent Tampa Bay to the postseason with a walk-off homer, Milwaukee scored 20 runs and Atlanta won an 11-inning thriller.

Major League Baseball’s full 15-game schedule on Friday, September 11, 2026, produced two postseason celebrations, several dramatic late rallies and significant movement in the American League Central race.

Junior Caminero hit his American League-leading 40th home run to send Tampa Bay into the playoffs. Milwaukee became the National League’s first postseason qualifier with a 20-0 demolition of Cincinnati, while Atlanta expanded its NL East lead with an 11-inning victory over Philadelphia.

Here is an original capsule recap of every MLB game played Friday.

Chicago Cubs 12, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Alex Bregman homered and Michael Busch drove in three runs as Chicago ended Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak.

Carson Kelly’s two-run double highlighted a three-run second inning. Bregman added a two-run homer in the third, and the Cubs scored four times in the fourth to build a commanding 9-1 advantage.

Seiya Suzuki collected three hits and scored three times. Shota Imanaga allowed two runs over six innings and remained unbeaten in seven career starts against Pittsburgh. Reuters game recap

Final: Cubs 12, Pirates 2
Winning pitcher: Shota Imanaga (10-10)
Losing pitcher: Wilber Dotel (1-5)

Detroit Tigers 6, Colorado Rockies 2

Riley Greene drove in three runs, and Framber Valdez delivered six effective innings as Detroit handed Colorado its fifth consecutive loss.

Dillon Dingler hit a two-run homer, Max Clark added a solo shot and Greene finished a home run shy of the cycle. Detroit broke a 1-1 tie with a four-run, two-out rally in the sixth inning.

Valdez permitted one unearned run and struck out six. Kenley Jansen stopped a ninth-inning threat for his 19th save. Reuters game recap

Final: Tigers 6, Rockies 2
Winning pitcher: Framber Valdez (10-10)
Losing pitcher: Mark Manfredi (1-2)
Save: Kenley Jansen (19)

Washington Nationals 4, Los Angeles Angels 3

Washington scored three runs in the eighth inning to end its seven-game losing streak.

The Nationals trailed 2-1 before CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews helped load the bases. A sacrifice fly tied the game, and Jorbit Vivas followed with a two-run double.

Mike Trout hit his 425th career home run, ending a 27-game homerless drought. Christian Moore pulled the Angels within one in the ninth, but Luis Tolman recorded the final out. Reuters game recap

Final: Nationals 4, Angels 3
Winning pitcher: Clayton Beeter (6-5)
Losing pitcher: Ryan Natera Jr. (1-2)
Save: Luis Tolman (2)

New York Yankees 6, New York Mets 4

Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer as the Yankees won the Subway Series opener on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Ben Rice added his 37th home run, while Spencer Jones and Ryan McMahon contributed RBI singles. Carlos Rodón allowed two runs—one earned—and struck out eight over 6⅓ innings.

The Mets scored twice during the late innings, but David Bednar stopped the comeback. The Yankees won for the ninth time in 12 games. Reuters game recap

Final: Yankees 6, Mets 4
Winning pitcher: Carlos Rodón (6-3)
Losing pitcher: Nolan McLean (11-9)
Save: David Bednar (33)

Baltimore Orioles 7, Toronto Blue Jays 4

Dylan Beavers homered and drove in three runs as Baltimore gained ground in the crowded American League wild-card race.

The Orioles scored five times in the second inning against Max Scherzer. Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand also contributed to an attack that produced 11 hits.

Chris Bassitt held his former team to two runs over five-plus innings. Kazuma Okamoto and Brett Bateman homered for Toronto, but Rico Garcia closed Baltimore’s second consecutive victory. Reuters game recap

Final: Orioles 7, Blue Jays 4
Winning pitcher: Chris Bassitt (7-5)
Losing pitcher: Max Scherzer (2-8)
Save: Rico Garcia (8)

Kansas City Royals 3, Boston Red Sox 2

Kansas City scored three early runs and held off Boston in the series opener at Fenway Park.

Carter Jensen doubled twice and drove in a run, while Salvador Perez finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Seth Lugo allowed two runs and struck out seven over five innings.

Mickey Gasper homered for Boston, and Wilyer Abreu added an RBI double. The Red Sox managed only one hit over the final four innings and suffered their third consecutive loss. Reuters game recap

Final: Royals 3, Red Sox 2
Winning pitcher: Seth Lugo (7-8)
Losing pitcher: Sonny Gray (17-5)
Save: Steven Cruz (7)

Tampa Bay Rays 3, Houston Astros 1

Junior Caminero hit a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning to clinch Tampa Bay’s first playoff berth since 2023.

Jonathan Aranda doubled against Bryan Abreu before Caminero launched a 417-foot drive for his AL-leading 40th homer. Victor Mesa Jr. supplied Tampa Bay’s other run with a solo shot.

Drew Rasmussen limited Houston to one run over seven innings. The Astros finished with nine hits but stranded eight runners as the Rays became the first American League club to secure a 2026 postseason place. Reuters game recap

Final: Rays 3, Astros 1
Winning pitcher: Bryan Baker (2-2)
Losing pitcher: Bryan Abreu (6-4)

Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Miami Marlins 2

Kyle Tucker hit a grand slam and drove in a season-high five runs as Los Angeles extended its winning streak to eight games.

Tucker finished 3-for-3 with a triple, homer and walk, falling a double short of the cycle. His seventh-inning grand slam transformed a 2-1 game into a five-run Dodgers advantage.

Blake Snell struck out eight and allowed one run over 5⅔ innings. Los Angeles won despite playing without injured stars Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. Reuters game recap

Final: Dodgers 6, Marlins 2
Winning pitcher: Blake Snell (4-1)
Losing pitcher: Ryan Gusto (1-5)

Atlanta Braves 6, Philadelphia Phillies 5 — 11 Innings

Drake Baldwin delivered a two-out walk-off double as Atlanta outlasted Philadelphia and expanded its NL East lead to five games.

Philadelphia moved ahead in the 11th on Luis Arraez’s RBI single. Ha-Seong Kim tied the game in the bottom half before Baldwin brought him home with the winning hit.

The Braves also erased deficits in the ninth and 10th innings. Matt Olson hit his 38th homer, while Derek Hill’s three-run double supplied Philadelphia’s early advantage. Reuters game recap

Final: Braves 6, Phillies 5 (11 innings)
Winning pitcher: Didier Fuentes (7-2)
Losing pitcher: Brooks Raley (5-6)

Milwaukee Brewers 20, Cincinnati Reds 0

Milwaukee produced a season-high 23 hits and clinched its eighth playoff appearance in nine years with an historic rout.

Garrett Mitchell hit his first career grand slam during an eight-run fifth inning. William Contreras homered, collected six RBIs and scored three times, while Brice Turang and Jake Bauers also went deep.

Dustin May pitched six innings of two-hit baseball, and Milwaukee’s bullpen completed the shutout. The Brewers maintained the best record in MLB and increased their NL Central lead to 10 games. Reuters game recap

Final: Brewers 20, Reds 0
Winning pitcher: Dustin May (7-9)
Losing pitcher: Andrew Abbott (6-11)
Save: Garrett Stallings (1)

Cleveland Guardians 5, Minnesota Twins 2

Cleveland scored three times in the ninth inning to strengthen its position in the AL Central and wild-card races.

Travis Bazzana walked and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch before Brayan Rocchio supplied a two-run double. Angel Martínez earlier hit a two-run homer, his 15th of the season.

Minnesota starter Taj Bradley pitched six scoreless innings, but the Twins’ bullpen could not hold the lead. Cade Smith protected Cleveland’s advantage for his 36th save. Reuters game recap

Final: Guardians 5, Twins 2
Winning pitcher: Hunter Gaddis (4-3)
Losing pitcher: Yoendrys Gómez (2-3)
Save: Cade Smith (36)

St. Louis Cardinals 7, Chicago White Sox 3

Rookies Joshua Baez and Leo Bernal each collected three hits and two RBIs as St. Louis ended a three-game losing streak.

Alec Burleson also drove in two runs, and Jordan Walker contributed two hits and scored twice. The Cardinals established an early advantage before scoring three times in the fifth.

Chase Meidroth hit two home runs for Chicago. The White Sox lost their fourth straight, shrinking their AL Central lead over Cleveland to one-half game. Reuters game recap

Final: Cardinals 7, White Sox 3
Winning pitcher: Gordon Graceffo (8-1)
Losing pitcher: Anthony Kay (9-9)

Athletics 6, Seattle Mariners 5 — 10 Innings

The Athletics scored twice in the 10th inning to defeat Seattle and record their seventh victory in nine games.

Seattle moved ahead with a run in the top half, but the Athletics answered with two runs while finishing with 14 hits. They had previously rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 4-2.

Chris Roycroft earned the victory after Eduard Bazardo could not protect Seattle’s extra-inning lead.

Final: Athletics 6, Mariners 5 (10 innings)
Winning pitcher: Chris Roycroft (2-0)
Losing pitcher: Eduard Bazardo (3-4)

Arizona Diamondbacks 9, Texas Rangers 1

Corbin Carroll and Nolan Arenado hit consecutive home runs during Arizona’s five-run sixth inning.

Carroll returned after missing two games with back discomfort and hit his 20th homer. Arenado followed with his 24th, while Ketel Marte contributed two doubles and three RBIs.

Merrill Kelly held Texas to one run over 4⅓ innings before Arizona’s bullpen supplied 4⅔ scoreless frames. The Diamondbacks remained one-half game behind San Diego for the final NL wild-card berth. Reuters game recap

Final: Diamondbacks 9, Rangers 1
Winning pitcher: Kevin Ginkel (6-4)
Losing pitcher: MacKenzie Gore (8-11)

San Diego Padres 7, San Francisco Giants 5

San Diego scored five times in the third inning and survived Rafael Devers’ grand slam to win its fifth consecutive game.

Xander Bogaerts delivered a two-run double during the decisive rally. Dustin Harris and Freddy Fermin, hitting eighth and ninth, combined for four hits and four RBIs, while Jackson Merrill collected three hits.

Devers’ 36th homer brought San Francisco within two runs. Mason Miller escaped a bases-loaded threat in the ninth to preserve San Diego’s narrow lead in the NL wild-card race. Reuters game recap

Final: Padres 7, Giants 5
Winning pitcher: Robbie Ray (12-8)
Losing pitcher: Anthony Molina (3-1)
Save: Mason Miller (35)

September 11 MLB Scores at a Glance

• Chicago Cubs 12, Pittsburgh Pirates 2
• Detroit Tigers 6, Colorado Rockies 2
• Washington Nationals 4, Los Angeles Angels 3
• New York Yankees 6, New York Mets 4
• Baltimore Orioles 7, Toronto Blue Jays 4
• Kansas City Royals 3, Boston Red Sox 2
• Tampa Bay Rays 3, Houston Astros 1
• Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Miami Marlins 2
• Atlanta Braves 6, Philadelphia Phillies 5 (11 innings)
• Milwaukee Brewers 20, Cincinnati Reds 0
• Cleveland Guardians 5, Minnesota Twins 2
• St. Louis Cardinals 7, Chicago White Sox 3
• Athletics 6, Seattle Mariners 5 (10 innings)
• Arizona Diamondbacks 9, Texas Rangers 1
• San Diego Padres 7, San Francisco Giants 5

Scores and pitching decisions were verified using the official MLB scoreboard for September 11, 2026.

MLB Standings Through September 11, 2026

American League

East

• Tampa Bay Rays: 88-59
• New York Yankees: 85-62
• Boston Red Sox: 80-68
• Toronto Blue Jays: 73-75
• Baltimore Orioles: 72-76

Central

• Chicago White Sox: 75-72
• Cleveland Guardians: 75-73
• Minnesota Twins: 69-78
• Detroit Tigers: 68-79
• Kansas City Royals: 66-82

West

• Houston Astros: 75-73
• Texas Rangers: 72-76
• Seattle Mariners: 69-79
• Athletics: 60-88
• Los Angeles Angels: 56-91

National League

East

• Atlanta Braves: 87-61
• Philadelphia Phillies: 82-66
• Miami Marlins: 72-76
• New York Mets: 68-79
• Washington Nationals: 68-81

Central

• Milwaukee Brewers: 92-56
• Chicago Cubs: 82-66
• Pittsburgh Pirates: 74-74
• St. Louis Cardinals: 73-75
• Cincinnati Reds: 69-78

West

• Los Angeles Dodgers: 90-57
• San Diego Padres: 79-68
• Arizona Diamondbacks: 79-69
• San Francisco Giants: 62-86
• Colorado Rockies: 55-92

Standings reflect every game completed through September 11 and were verified using the official MLB standings. Tampa Bay and Milwaukee have clinched playoff berths.

More MLB: https://natalkradio.us/category/mlb/

North American Talk Radio may earn a commission if you make a purchase through links in this article, at no additional cost to you.