RYAN BORUCKI

Cardinals Cubs Baseball St. Louis Cardinals' Harrison Bader celebrates his home run off Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adam Morgan in front of the Chicago Cubs bench during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Chicago. St. Louis swept a doubleheader from Chicago on Friday, equaling a 14-game run by the team in July 1935. The winning streak has rocketed the Cardinals into control of the second NL wild card, leading Philadelphia by five games. Left-hander Jon Lester (7-6, 4.59 ERA) is slated to pitch for St. Louis against Chicago right-hander Adrian Sampson (3-3, 2.84). Semien equaled Minnesota’s Brian Dozier (2016) and St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby (1922).

The surging Cardinals will try for a franchise-record 15th consecutive win in a game at Wrigley Field.

Cardinals Cubs Baseball St. Louis Cardinals' Harrison Bader celebrates his home run off Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adam Morgan in front of the Chicago Cubs bench during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Chicago. The winning streak has rocketed the Cardinals into control of the second NL wild card, leading Philadelphia by five games. WILD CHASEThe Yankees and Red Sox continue a three-game set at Fenway Park with huge postseason implications. New York beat Boston 8-3 on Friday night to pull within a game of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has allowed two runs and struck out 13 over 9 1/3 innings since missing more than two months with inflammation in his left elbow.

Rangers Yankees Baseball New York Yankees' Nestor Cortes Jr. delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, in New York. Boston holds the top AL wild card with eight games left, with AL East foes New York and Toronto not far behind. Left-hander Nestor Cortes (2-2, 2.79) has been on a bat-missing roll this month for the Yankees, striking out 30 and walking six over 22 1/3 innings spanning four starts. He’ll oppose Red Sox righty Nick Pivetta, who is winless in his past five starts and allowed four runs in 1 2/3 innings against the Yankees on Aug. 18. The lefty had the lowest ERA in the AL entering Friday and also led the league with 238 strikeouts.

The surging Cardinals will try for a franchise-record 15th consecutive win in a game at Wrigley Field.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole starts the opener of a crucial three-game series at Fenway Park with the Red Sox two games ahead of New York for the top AL wild card.

Blue Jays Rays Baseball Tampa Bay Rays' Kevin Kiermaier, right, is held back by home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman and Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen after Kiermaier was hit with a pitch by starting pitcher Ryan Borucki, right, during the eighth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara)MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays reliever Ryan Borucki has been suspended for three games by Major League Baseball for intentionally hitting Tampa Bay's Kevin Kiermaier with a pitch in the latest salvo in a spat between the two AL East competitors. MLB announced the punishment, which includes an undisclosed fine, on Thursday before the Blue Jays began a four-game series at Minnesota. Manager Charlie Montoyo was also suspended for one game and handed an undisclosed fine. That came two days after Kiermaier scooped up a Toronto scouting report that had fallen off catcher Alejandro Kirk's wristband during a play at the plate and refused to hand it back. “They can think want they want over there in their locker room, but it is what it is.”___More AP MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Ryan Borucki has been suspended for three games by Major League Baseball for intentionally hitting Tampa Bay’s Kevin Kiermaier with a pitch.

“Oh yeah, it was intentional,” Kiermaier said after reliever Ryan Borucki hit him on the back with his first pitch in the eighth inning Wednesday. When asked why he wants to face Toronto again, Kiermaier replied: “The motivation is there. Montoyo said Kiermaier was not hit intentionally, maintaining he didn't want to use another pitcher in the one-sided game. The Blue Jays lost two of three to Tampa Bay and are 16-5 in September. SCHEDULE BREAKDOWNThe Blue Jays close out the road portion of their regular season with four games at Minnesota, last in the AL Central, starting Thursday night.

Blue Jays Rays Baseball Tampa Bay Rays' Kevin Kiermaier talks to reporters before a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Kiermaier was answering questions about picking up the Blue Jays pitch data card after being tagged out at home plate by catcher Alejandro Kirk during Monday's game. Reliever Ryan Borucki hit Kiermaier on the back with his first pitch of the eighth inning, when the Rays led 7-1. The Blue Jays lost two of three to Tampa Bay and are 16-5 in September. Six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a four-hitter. Guerrero got the Blue Jays’ second hit with a sixth-inning double off Adam Conley and scored when Teoscar Hernández picked up his 109th RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch after scooping up a Toronto scouting report two days earlier, and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a postseason berth with a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays.

The Toronto Blue Jays were given approval from the Canadian government on Friday for an exemption on border restrictions that would allow them to play in Canada later this month. The Blue Jays had asked the federal government to allow them to play at Rogers Centre starting July 30 and wanted a response by Friday. The Blue Jays played home games during the shortened 2020 season in Buffalo, New York, and started this season in Dunedin, Florida, before moving to Buffalo.

Austin Meadows, Manuel Margot and Mike Brosseau drew consecutive bases-loaded walks with two outs in the ninth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied for their 10th straight win, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4.

Aaron Judge’s health is once again a concern for the New York Yankees.

Aaron Judge’s health is once again a concern for the New York Yankees.

David Fletcher had a two-run single in the 11th inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat Toronto 7-5 in the first regular-season game played at the Blue Jays’ spring training ballpark.