Braves Eliminate Reds
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ATLANTA (AP) -- Ian Anderson dazzled in another shutout performance for Atlanta, and the Braves won a playoff series for the first time in almost two decades by sweeping the light-hitting Cincinnati Reds with a 5-0 victory Thursday.
Ronald Acuna Jr. had three hits for the NL East champions, including a run-scoring double in the fifth. After winning Wednesday's series opener 1-0 in 13 innings, Atlanta broke open Game 2 on two-run homers by Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall off Raisel Iglesias in the eighth.
Anderson struck out nine in six innings as the Braves snapped their record-tying string of losses in 10 consecutive postseason rounds since their last playoff series win in 2001. Atlanta will face Miami or the Chicago Cubs in the NL Division Series in Houston.
The 22-year-old Anderson allowed two hits and walked two in his playoff debut after six regular-season starts. Will Smith, Chris Martin and Mark Melancon each threw one perfect inning.
ATHLETICS 6, WHITE SOX 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Oakland ended 14 years of postseason futility, riding Chad Pinder's go-ahead, two-run single in the fifth inning and repeated costly walks by Chicago's relievers to rally in the decisive third game of the AL wild-card series.
The AL West champions lost the opener, then won on consecutive days and advanced to a Division Series against the rival Houston Astros starting Monday in Los Angeles. The winner of that matchup faces the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay for a spot in the World Series.
PADRES 11, CARDINALS 9
SAN DIEGO -- Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning to help the Padres defeat the Cardinals and force a Game 3 in the Wild Card Series.
WILD CARD SERIES
(Best-of-3)
American League
Tampa Bay 2, Toronto 0
Tuesday, Sept. 29: Tampa Bay 3, Toronto 1
Wednesday, Sept. 30: Tampa Bay 8, Toronto 2
Oakland 2, Chicago White Sox 1
Tuesday, Sept. 29: Chicago White Sox 4, Oakland 1
Wednesday, Sept. 30: Oakland 5, Chicago White Sox 3
Thursday, Oct. 1: Oakland 6, Chicago White Sox 4
Houston 2, Minnesota 0
Tuesday, Sept. 29: Houston 4, Minnesota 1
Wednesday, Sept. 30: Houston 3, Minnesota 1
New York Yankees 2, Cleveland 0
Tuesday, Sept. 29: New York Yankees 12, Cleveland 3
Wednesday, Sept. 30: New York Yankees 10, Cleveland 9
National League
Los Angeles Dodgers 1, Milwaukee 0
Wednesday, Sept. 30: Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Milwaukee 2
Thursday, Oct. 1: Milwaukee (Woodruff 3-5) at Los Angeles Dodgers (Kershaw 6-2), late
x-Friday, Oct. 2: Milwaukee at Los Angeles Dodgers, 6:38 p.m. (ESPN)
Atlanta 2, Cincinnati 0
Wednesday, Sept. 30: Atlanta 1, Cincinnati 0, 13 innings
Thursday, Oct. 1: Atlanta 5, Cincinnati 0
Miami 1, Chicago Cubs 0
Wednesday, Sept. 30: Miami 5, Chicago Cubs 1
Thursday, Oct. 1: Miami at Chicago Cubs, ppd., rain forecast
Tonight: Miami (Sanchez 3-2) at Chicago Cubs (Darvish 8-3), 2:08 p.m. (ABC)
x-Saturday, Oct. 3: Miami (Lopez 6-4) at Chicago Cubs (Lester 3-3), 3:38 p.m. (ESPN2)
St. Louis 1, San Diego 1
Wednesday, Sept. 30: St. Louis 7, San Diego 4
Thursday, Oct. 1: San Diego 11, St. Louis 9
Tonight: St. Louis (Flaherty 4-3) at San Diego, 10:08 p.m. (ESPN)