MLB: Reds clinch title

With Dusty Baker still in hospital receiving treatment for an irregular heartbeat the Reds delivered his fifth divisional title as a manager, including two in the last three years in Cincinnati.

Bruce had clinched the title for the Reds in 2010 and he led off the fourth inning against the Dodgers with a first-pitch homer off rookie Stephen Fife.

Mat Latos allowed six hits and did not walk a batter in eight innings.

The Atlanta Braves moved closer to securing post-season action with an 8-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies with Freddie Freeman hitting a three-run homer.

The St Louis Cardinals boosted their play-off hopes by stretching their wild-card lead over Milwaukee to two and a half games with a 10 innings 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Jon Jay's RBI double in the 10th secured the win after Carlos Beltran hit a tying solo homer in the ninth.

The Brewers saw their wild card chances take a hit as they lost 10-4 to the Washington Nationals who moved closer to the NL East title.

Gio Gonzalez became the majors' first 20-game winner in 2012, and the first pitcher for a Washington team with 200 strikeouts since Walter Johnson in 1916, taking a shutout into the sixth inning.

History

RA Dickey earned his 19th victory and Jason Bay and Scott Hairston homered for the New York Mets who held on in the ninth to beat the Miami Marlins 4-3.

Houston defeated Pittsburgh 4-1, Arizona edged Colorado 8-7 and San Francisco beat San Diego 8-4.

American League East leaders New York Yankees kept their one game advantage intact with a thrilling 10-9 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Raul Ibanez hit his second home run of the game in the 13th inning and then first baseman Brandon Moss made a two-out error in the 14th.

The Yankees trailed 9-5 in the 13th but fought back to win for just the second time in team history after trailing by at least four runs in extra innings.

Oakland began the day with a three and a half game lead over the Los Angeles Angels for the second AL wild-card spot but lost for the fifth time in six games.

Pinch-runner Melky Mesa missed third base and had to retreat but then Moss let a bases-loaded grounder by Eduardo Nunez skip off his glove and Ichiro Suzuki scored.

The Orioles needed 12 innings to defeat the Boston Red Sox 9-6 with Jim Thome hitting a go-ahead double in the 12th in his first game in nearly two months as Baltimore stretched its extra-inning win streak to 16 games.

The Orioles won their sixth in a row overall and remained one back of the Yankees.

Miguel Cabrera moved into Triple Crown position with a 42nd homer and Doug Fister pitched his first career shutout as the Detroit Tigers won 8-0 against the Minnesota Twins.

Kansas City won 5-3 over Cleveland, Tampa Bay defeated Toronto 11-5, Seattle won 1-0 against Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Chicago White Sox 4-2.