ST. LOUIS - Yadier Molina hit a disputed double that drove in the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning Thursday night, sending the St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds 4-3.

The Cardinals are one game behind San Francisco for the second NL wild-card spot.

Matt Carpenter drew a one-out walk from Blake Wood (6-5). With two outs, Molina's one-hop hit clearly bounced off a sign above the left-field wall and caromed back into play.

Carpenter kept running and scored from first. Reds manager Bryan Price ran after the umpires, who left when Carpenter touched the plate.

Price said he was told by the umpire that he didn't make his appeal for a replay review fast enough on what should've been a ground-rule double.

Seung Hwan Oh (6-3) wound up with the win.

GIANTS 7, ROCKIES 2

SAN FRANCISCO - Johnny Cueto struck out 11 and San Francisco set up a wild race to the finish for the NL wild-card spots.

With three games left, the Giants are one game behind the New York Mets and one game ahead of St. Louis.

San Francisco hosts the Dodgers beginning Friday, the Cardinals play Pittsburgh at home and the Mets close out the regular season in Philadelphia.

Cueto (18-5) overcame a shaky start in his first appearance since being sidelined more than a week with a groin strain.

Colorado starter Jon Gray (10-10) allowed five runs over 5 1-3 innings.

MARINERS 3, ATHLETICS 2

SEATTLE - Struggling Mike Zunino delivered the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning and Seattle stayed on the edge of the AL wild card chase.

The Mariners are two games behind Baltimore and Toronto with three to play.

Zunino, hitting .139 over his last 25 games, opened the seventh with his 12th home run, sending a 2-2 pitch from Liam Hendriks (0-4) deep over the wall in left.

Steve Cishek (4-6) won and rookie Edwin Diaz notched his 18th save.

DODGERS 9, PADRES 4

SAN DIEGO - Joc Pederson doubled twice and drove in three runs, and NL West champion Los Angeles avoided a three-game sweep in San Diego.

The Dodgers remained two games behind Washington with three to play in the race for home-field advantage in their upcoming Division Series matchup.

Rookie left-hander Julio Urias went three scoreless innings in his first start since Sept. 13. Brett Anderson (1-2) pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings for the victory.

Christian Friedrich (5-12) allowed five runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings.

CUBS 1, PIRATES 1, TIE, 6 INNINGS

PITTSBURGH - The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh played to the first tie game in the major leagues since 2005 when rain forced them to stop in the sixth inning.

The Cubs and Pirates aren't scheduled to play again this season, and the game won't be made up because it doesn't affect post-season positioning. So instead of becoming a suspended game, the stats count and it was declared a tie - the first since Houston and Cincinnati on June 30, 2005.

Willson Contreras had two hits and scored for the NL Central champion Cubs, who have already clinched the best record in the majors.

The game was called after a delay of 1 hour, 23 minutes.

ORIOLES 4, BLUE JAYS 0

TORONTO - Ubaldo Jimenez and two relievers combined on a three-hitter and Baltimore beat Toronto, leaving the teams tied in the AL wild-card race.

Detroit is 1 1/2 games behind the Orioles and Blue Jays.

Jimenez (8-12) allowed one hit in 6 2/3 innings, improving to 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA in five September starts.

Marcus Stroman (9-10) gave up nine hits and four runs in seven-plus innings. He is winless in eight starts.

BRAVES 5, PHILLIES 2

ATLANTA - Freddie Freeman's 30-game hitting streak ended when he struck out in the eighth inning, but Atlanta later scored four runs off Philadelphia closer Jeanmar Gomez.

Mauricio Cabrera (5-1) got one out.

Gomez (3-5) took the loss as the Phillies fell to the Braves for the seventh straight time.

YANKEES 5, RED SOX 1

NEW YORK - The Yankees were eliminated from playoff contention despite finishing off a three-game sweep of AL East champion Boston.

CC Sabathia (9-12) allowed one run and four hits over a season-high 7 1/3 innings for his first win in a month.

Playing his final game at Yankee Stadium, Boston's David Ortiz was honoured in a pregame ceremony, then struck out and walked. He was 0 for 10 with four strikeouts in the series.

Henry Owens (0-2) went 4 2/3 innings.

NATIONALS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 3

WASHINGTON - Wilmer Difo hit his first major league homer, and Pedro Severino his second, helping injury-depleted NL East champion Washington move closer to clinching home-field advantage in the Division Series.

Second baseman Difo and catcher Severino, both rookies, were in the lineup instead of Daniel Murphy (last started 12 days ago) and Wilson Ramos (out for the season), respectively.

Last in the NL West, Arizona has nothing at stake the rest of the way. The Nationals, while already assured of winning their division and of facing the Los Angeles Dodgers to open their post-season, still are trying to lock up a higher seeding for that series.

Reliever Reynaldo Lopez (5-3) pitched 3 2/3 innings. Mark Melancon got two outs for his 45th save.

Arizona starter Robbie Ray (8-15) allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings.

TWINS 7, ROYALS 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Byron Buxton tripled, doubled, drove in two runs and scored twice as Minnesota defeated Kansas City.

Salvador Perez's pinch-hit RBI single with two outs in the ninth pulled the Royals within a run, and Terrance Gore ran for him. Paulo Orlando was up next, and already had four hits when Brandon Kintzler picked off Gore at first base.

Gore was initially called safe, but was ruled out on a replay review.

Michael Tonkin (3-2) won and Kintzler got his 16th save. Kelvin Herrera (2-6) took the loss.

RAYS 5, WHITE SOX 3

CHICAGO - Chris Archer overcame a shaky seventh inning to avoid becoming the majors' first 20-game loser since 2003 and lead Tampa Bay.

Archer (9-19) allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings to help the Rays snap a six-game skid. Mike Maroth of Detroit was the last pitcher to lose 20 times in a season.

Alex Colome got his 36th save.

Mikie Mahtook hit a solo homer in the fourth off Jose Quintana (13-12) and doubled and scored in a three-run seventh off Chicago's shaky bullpen.