Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander reacts after pitching a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019. (Fred Thornhill/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched his third career no-hitter, punctuating a dominant season with an overpowering performance to lead the Houston Astros past the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Sunday.

Verlander struck out 14 and allowed just one runner, walking Cavan Biggio with one out in the first inning.

Verlander also became the first pitcher to throw two no-hitters as a visitor in the same park — he also threw one at Rogers Centre in 2011 with Detroit. His other no-no was in 2007 for the Tigers against Milwaukee.

The 36-year-old Verlander joined Nolan Ryan (seven), Sandy Koufax (four) and Bob Feller, Cy Young and Larry Corcoran (three) in rarefied air on the no-hitter list.

Verlander threw a season-high 120 pitches, mixing a fastball that reached the upper 90s mph with a sharp curve.

Verlander (17-5) is tied for the big league lead in wins. He tops the majors in strikeouts (257) and innings (193) and leads the AL with a 2.56 ERA.

Verlander retired the last 26 hitters in a row. But the game was scoreless going into the last inning — according to baseball rules, Verlander needed to pitch a complete game to get credit for a no-hitter.

That’s when Canadian-born rookie Abraham Toro stepped up for the AL West leaders. The Astros newcomer hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning off Ken Giles (2-3) that cleared the way for Verlander to complete the no-hitter.

PHILLIES 5, METS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Scott Kingery snapped an eighth-inning tie with a three-run double and Philadelphia beat New York to avoid a three-game sweep.

Brad Miller hit a solo homer and a double for the Phillies, who pulled within 2¢ games of the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild card.

YANKEES 5, ATHLETICS 4

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Gardner and pinch-hitter Mike Ford hit back-to-back homers off A’s closer Liam Hendriks, and New York rallied from four runs down and walked off for the second straight game.

Gardner led off the ninth with a shot to right off Hendriks (4-2) and Ford followed with his 10th homer into the Yankees bullpen in right-center.

TWINS 8, TIGERS 3

DETROIT (AP) — Jake Cave and Nelson Cruz each drove in two runs and Minnesota beat Detroit.

The Twins increased their lead in the AL Central to 5 ¢ games over Cleveland.

Detroit has lost seven of eight and still needs four wins at Comerica Park to avoid becoming the first big league team to lose 60 games at home in a season.

Cave’s two-run single highlighted a five-run second inning.

Michael Pineda (11-5) got the win, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out nine.

Spencer Turnbull (3-14) took the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings.

RAYS 8, INDIANS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Carlos Carrasco made his return to the mound from leukemia Sunday and the Cleveland pitcher was applauded by both teams in a touching scene Tampa Bay victory.

The right-hander entered in the seventh inning for his first major league appearance since being diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia in June.

Charlie Morton earned his 14th win and Travis d’Arnaud had two RBIs off the bench as Tampa Bay swept a critical series between postseason contenders.

Morton (14-6) allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out eight, walked three and threw a season-high 108 pitches.

Nate Lowe hit a two-run homer for the Rays, who moved a half-game ahead of Cleveland for the top AL wild card. Indians starter Adam Plutko (6-4) allowed four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

NATIONALS 9, MARLINS 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ryan Zimmerman celebrated his return from the injured list with one of Washington’s four home runs and the Nationals completed a series sweep of Miami.

Zimmerman, who was reinstated Sunday after missing 36 games with Plantar Fasciitis in his right foot, connected for a two-run shot. Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon each homered for the second consecutive game for Washington, while Yan Gomes also had a home run.

CARDINALS 4

REDS 3, 1ST GAME

REDS 5

CARDINALS 3, 2ND GAME

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nick Senzel and Phillip Ervin hit solo home runs, Luis Castillo pitched six effective innings and Cincinnati Reds beat St. Louis in the nightcap to split a doubleheader and end a four-game losing streak.

With the 4-3 win in the first game and the Chicago Cubs’ 4-0 loss to Milwaukee, the Cardinals gained a half game in the NL Central to increase their division lead to three games. St. Louis has only lost two of its past 11 games and is 12-3 in its past 15.

Castillo (14-5) lasted six innings, giving up three runs and five hits with three walks. He struck out eight as the Reds’ pitchers had 11 in the game.

In the first game, Harrison Bader continued his hit parade with a game-ending single to lift the Cardinals to the win.

ROYALS 6, ORIOLES 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Adalberto Mondesi matched a career high with four hits and stole three bases in his return from the injured list, leading Kansas City past Baltimore.

Meibrys Viloria drove in the go-ahead run for the Royals with a two-out single in the seventh inning. Kansas City took two of three in a series.

BREWERS 4, CUBS 0

CHICAGO (AP) — Christian Yelich hit a three-run homer off Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning, and Milwaukee shut out Chicago for the second straight game.

Milwaukee took two of three in the weekend series to pull within three games of Chicago for the second NL wild card.

After Gio Gonzalez walked four in three hitless innings, Jay Jackson (1-0) got six outs for his first major league win. Drew Pomeranz got two big outs in the eighth before Josh Hader finished the four-hitter.

MARINERS 11, RANGERS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kyle Seager, Tom Murphy and Daniel Vogelbach hit home runs and Seattle beat Texas.

Seager sealed the victory with a three-run homer in the eighth inning.

PADRES 8, GIANTS 4

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ty France homered twice, Greg Garcia hit a leadoff drive and San Diego beat San Francisco as Giants fans gave one more cheer for Pablo Sandoval.

RED SOX 4, ANGELS 3

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Xander Bogaerts had three hits, including a homer, and three RBIs as the Boston beat Los Angeles.

J.D. Martinez also went deep for the Red Sox, who went 6-2 on the trip and have won 11 of their last 15 to get within five games of the second AL wild card.

Albert Pujols had an RBI double in the third inning for his 3,185th career hit, passing Cal Ripken Jr. for 14th place. Justin Upton homered in the eighth.

Bogaerts and Martinez went back-to-back in the third.

Ryan Weber (2-2), the third of six Boston pitchers, gave up one hit and a walk in two innings to get the win.

Andrew Heaney (3-4) went five innings and permitted four runs on seven hits.

DODGERS 4

D-DBACKS 3, 11 INNINGS

PHOENIX (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a tying homer in the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Joc Pederson went deep in the 11th and Los Angeles prevented a four-game sweep with a win over Arizona.

In a frightening scene, Dodgers reliever Dustin May was hit in the head by a line drive and stayed down for a few anxious moments in the middle of a hushed ballpark. But the pitcher ultimately stood up, was checked by a trainer and walked off the field without help.

BRAVES 5, WHITE SOX 3

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered twice off All-Star Lucas Giolito and drove in five runs, providing all the offense for Atlanta against Chicago.

The Braves have won four straight are 12-2 since Aug. 16, moving 30 games over .500 for the first time since 2013. They have won a season-best nine straight home games to stay 5¢ games ahead in the NL East.

The White Sox have lost six in a row.

Giolito (14-8) allowed four runs and four hits.

Julio Teheran (9-8) gave up two runs and three hits in six innings.