The top three contenders for the final American League wild-card spot won their respective games, meaning the standings are unchanged in the tight race.
The Guardians are one game up on the Blue Jays and 1.5 ahead of the Rangers.
With wins in four of their last six, the Guardians have closed within two games of the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox.
Those teams play a huge series next week in Cleveland. If the Guardians continue to make gains, the White Sox could fall back into the wild-card race.
That would not be great news for the Blue Jays, who have the tiebreaker on the Guardians but not on the White Sox.
The Guardians, meanwhile, clinched a tiebreaker on the Orioles with a win in Baltimore on Tuesday.
The Rangers also are within two of the AL West-leading Houston Astros.
The Blue Jays would lose a tiebreaker to the Rangers while a tie with the Astros would go down to intradivision record after Toronto and Houston split their season series 3-3.
Here’s a look at the wild-card standings after Tuesday’s play:
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES FOR WILD-CARD CONTENDERS (all times ET)
Minnesota: at Detroit, 1:10 p.m.
Toronto: at Athletics, 3:05 p.m., Sportsnet, Sportsnet+
Texas: at Seattle, 4:10 p.m.
Cleveland: at Baltimore, 6:35 p.m., Sportsnet, Sportsnet+
Boston: vs. L.A. Angels, 6:45 p.m.
New York Yankees: vs. Colorado, 7:05 p.m., Sportsnet+
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kazuma Okamoto and Josh Smith hit home runs, José Soriano worked seven innings of two-run ball, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Athletics 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Smith, who was traded from the Texas Rangers on Aug. 3, opened the scoring in the second inning with a 360-foot shot to give Toronto a 1-0 lead. In his 20 games with the Blue Jays, he has five homers.
Okamoto followed in the next at-bat with the 30th home run of his rookie season. He joins White Sox rookie first baseman Munetaka Murakami as the only other Japanese-born player to accomplish the feat in his rookie campaign.
The milestone also marked the first time in major-league history that three rookies have hit 30 or more home runs in the same season. Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart is the other.
Alejandro Kirk hit an RBI single, and Smith capped the scoring by grounding into a one-run double play.
Soriano (12-7), who was traded from the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 3 as well, struck out three and gave up six hits. Spencer Miles worked two hitless innings for his second save of the season.
BALTIMORE — Travis Bazzana hit a three-run homer, Brayan Rocchio drove in two runs, and Cleveland outlasted Baltimore.
Cleveland, which clinched the season series over the Orioles, holds the final AL wild card.
Jo Adell and Patrick Bailey each hit RBI singles before Bazzana extended the lead to 5-0 in the second inning with his 11th home run of the season, giving Cleveland a lead it never surrendered.
Petey Halpin tacked on a one-run single in the third before Baltimore clawed its way back, scoring five runs over the next two innings. José Ramírez scored on a fielder’s choice in the seventh for the Guardians to add an insurance run, and Rocchio capped the scoring with a two-run single.
Tanner Bibee tossed 4 1/3 innings for Cleveland, surrendering five runs on six hits. He retired the first nine Orioles batters in order. Tim Herrin (3-4) earned the win with 1 1/3 hitless and scoreless innings — for a Guardians bullpen that combined for seven strikeouts.
SEATTLE — Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, and former Blue Jay Danny Jansen each hit a home run, Canada’s Cal Quantrill worked six strong innings, and the Texas Rangers got past the Seattle Mariners 10-5 on Tuesday night.
Nicky Lopez finished 3 for 3 and Justin Foscue and Evan Carter each had two hits for the Rangers, who remain 1 1/2 games back of Cleveland for the third AL wild-card berth and two games back of Houston in the AL West.
Quantrill (8-5), from Port Hope, Ont., struck out four and walked one while allowing three runs on five hits. He earned his fifth straight quality start and has allowed three or fewer runs in all but one start since the All-Star break.
Seager sent the first pitch he saw from Bryce Miller (4-9) 418 feet to right field to put the Rangers ahead early. Lopez and Foscue had RBIs in the second and fourth innings to put Texas ahead 4-0.
Lazaro Montes responded by launching a 474-foot three-run homer, the farthest ever hit at T-Mobile Park in the Statcast era. The 21-year-old Montes, who made his big league debut on Sept. 1, joined Fernando Tatis Jr. and Brady House with the longest homers of the year.
The Rangers erupted for five runs in the fifth. Langford hit a 438-foot two-run blast and Jansen added a three-run shot.
Jansen tacked on an RBI single in the seventh to set a new season-high with four RBIs.
DETROIT — Kody Clemens hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning against his former team and Minnesota beat Detroit.
Minnesota had lost four of five, while the Tigers are 6-18 since Aug. 14. Detroit needs a win in Wednesday’s series finale to avoid their eighth straight losing series.
Dean Kremer (3-5) won for the first time since Aug. 10, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk in five innings. Yoendrys Gómez pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 22 chances.
Drew Anderson (4-6) took the loss in his second straight start against the Twins, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.
The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the first when Brooks Lee doubled, took third on a pair of walks and scored on Josh Bell’s sacrifice fly.
Detroit didn’t score until the fifth, when Zach McKinstry singled and scored on Kevin McGonigle’s second home run in as many days. McGonigle needs one run to become the fourth rookie to accumulate 15 homers, 25 doubles, 85 walks and 90 runs, joining Bob Johnson (1933), Ted Williams (1939) and Ben Grieve (1998).
Clemens made it 3-2 with his homer — his fourth this season against the Tigers.
BOSTON — Reid Detmers struck out nine and allowed one hit over six shutout innings, Zach Neto was 4 for 5 with a two-run homer, and Los Angeles beat Boston to end its five-game win streak.
Vaughn Grissom and Jose Siri hit RBI singles and the Angels scored twice on double-play grounders, providing ample offense for Detmers (5-8), who got his first win since a 1-0 decision over Kansas City on Aug. 15.
Detmers struck out at least one in all six innings he pitched and allowed only three runners. He retired the last 10 batters he faced after hitting Jahmai Jones with a pitch in the third, then was pulled before the seventh after throwing a career-high 112 pitches.
The Angels outhit Boston 15-4 and won for the just the third time in their last 15 games. Los Angeles also avoided a potential season sweep, improving to 1-4 against the Red Sox.
Boston went without a hit from Wilyer Abreu’s single in the first until Trevor Story led off the seventh with a double off of José Fermin, who allowed Boston’s run when Nick Sogard drove in Story with a single.
NEW YORK — Aaron Judge went hitless in his return from the injured list but Cam Schlittler struck out 10 in seven sharp innings as the New York Yankees beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Tuesday night to clinch their 34th straight winning season.
In his first appearance since May 31 after missing 84 games with a broken rib, Judge struck out swinging with a runner on in the first inning, flied out in the fourth and took a called third strike in the sixth.
He was replaced in right field in the seventh, as planned.
Facing the Rockies for the first time since Colorado traded him to New York in July 2025, Ryan McMahon hit a tiebreaking double against rookie Gabriel Hughes (0-7) off the bottom of the right-field wall in the fifth for the Yankees (82-62). New York’s streak of winning seasons is the second-longest in the four major sports behind the Yankees’ 39 in a row from 1926-64.
Heliot Ramos added a three-run homer in the eighth, one inning after entering for Judge.
Hunter Goodman hit his 37th homer, a two-run drive off Tim Hill with two outs in the ninth, before David Bednar struck out Mickey Moniak on three pitches for his 32nd save in 35 chances.
New York stayed four games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved three ahead of Boston for the top American League wild card.
Schlittler (13-6) allowed one run and three hits with no walks while reaching double-digit strikeouts for the fourth time this year.
The right-hander lowered his AL-best ERA to 2.01. He’s permitted no more than one run in 20 starts this season, most in the majors and a Yankees record.
MIAMI — Sean Manaea retired his first 15 batters, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto homered early and New York beat Miami.
Brett Baty also went deep for the Mets, who have won three straight games and five of six as they attempt to climb out of last place in the NL East. Lindor connected on Sandy Alcantara’s first pitch and Soto added a three-run shot in the second as New York built a 7-0 lead through five innings before holding on.
Manaea’s bid for his second career no-hitter and the 25th perfect game in major league history ended when Jakob Marsee opened the sixth with a bloop single over third base. The left-hander gave up five consecutive hits to start the inning and never got another out.
Manaea (5-7) allowed consecutive RBI doubles to Jared Serna and Brian Navarreto and a run-scoring single to Otto Lopez that cut New York’s lead to 7-3 before being replaced by Jonathan Pintaro.
After a double play, Javier Sanoja made it 7-4 with an RBI single.
Manaea threw 61 pitches, 45 for strikes. He struck out four and walked none.
PHILADELPHIA — Christian Walker, Cam Smith and former Blue Jay Daulton Varsho homered and led Houston to a win over Philadelphia.
The Astros built a 5-0 lead, but closer Josh Hader had to get three outs with the tying run in scoring position in the ninth, including retiring Kyle Schwarber to end the game.
The Astros began the three-game series with a two-game lead on Texas atop the AL West. The Phillies started play a half-game up on the Chicago Cubs for the first wild-card spot in the National League and four behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Walker hit a three-run home run in the second inning off Phillies starter Andrew Painter (3-9). It was Walker’s 25th of the season, his sixth career 25-homer season and fifth in a row.
Smith hit his 18th homer of the season in the fourth. Varsho tacked on his 11th home run in the seventh. Both were solo shots.
That was enough support for Hayden Wesneski (5-1). He pitched six innings, allowing five hits and three runs. He didn’t give up a run until the sixth, extending a streak of 12 straight scoreless innings.
ATLANTA — Junior Caminero hit his 39th home run, one of four homers by Tampa Bay, and the Rays beat Atlanta.
Freddy Peralta (8-11) allowed just one run in six innings to win his third straight start. He is 3-2 since being traded from the Mets at the trade deadline and has given up just two runs in his last 18 innings.
Caminero was 2 for 3 with a walk, hit by pitch and two runs scored. His first-inning blast off Braves starter A.J. Smith-Shawver went 455 feet into the left field bleachers and gave him the American League lead in home runs. Toronto’s Liam Hicks added a two-run homer in the third to give the Rays a 3-1 lead and Yandy Díaz and Richie Palacios added solo homers in the eighth and ninth.
Victor Mesa Jr. was 2 for 5 with a stolen base and RBI on his 25th birthday for Tampa Bay. Atlanta native Chandler Simpson had a single, a run scored and he stole his 40th base of the season in his first game at Truist Park. According to MLB researcher Sarah Langs, Simpson became the first player since Chad Curtis in 1992-93 to steal at least 40 bases in his first two seasons.
Smith-Shawver (0-2) continued a string of discouraging starts since rejoining the Braves after having Tommy John surgery last June. He gave up four runs in 3 1/3 innings, and has surrendered 18 runs in 21 innings over five starts this season.
CHICAGO — Bubba Chandler pitched six strong innings, Rafael Flores Jr. homered among his three hits and Pittsburgh beat Chicago.
Bryan Reynolds had two of Pittsburgh’s five doubles off starter Sean Burke. Reynolds drove in two runs and scored twice as the Pirates jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings and rolled to their seventh victory in nine games behind an 18-hit outburst.
Oneil Cruz had three hits and two RBIs and Spencer Horwitz drove in three runs to help deal the White Sox a fourth loss in six games that trimmed their AL Central lead over Cleveland to two games. Every starter had at least one hit for Pittsburgh, and seven had two or more.
Chandler (7-9) allowed two runs on four hits, striking out eight and walking none. Staked to an early lead, the 23-year-old rookie right-hander retired the first 12 White Sox batters before Andrew Benintendi lined his first of two doubles to lead off the fifth.
Chicago’s Kyle Teel hit his second homer in two games and singled. Munetaka Murakami struck out four times.
Burke (8-7) gave up seven runs and eight hits to match career worsts and did it while getting only four outs, his shortest outing in three years in the majors. The right-hander leads the White Sox in innings pitched and had thrown 5 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball in his previous start at Houston.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, ROYALS 3, 11 INNINGS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Blue Jay Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit an RBI triple in the 11th inning, Corbin Burnes made his return after a 15-month recovery from Tommy John surgery, and Arizona defeated Kansas City.
Ryan Waldschmidt advanced Ildemaro Vargas to third on a leadoff sacrifice bunt, and Gurriel drove in Vargas after Matthew Lugo missed the catch in right-center field.
The play was scored a triple.
Ketel Marte added an insurance run in the 11th with a sacrifice fly, and Ryan Walston (1-0) earned his first career win and save in two innings of work.
Burnes, who threw three innings and 57 pitches in his first start since June 2025, struck out two and allowed two hits and two walks.
The game was scoreless until the eighth, when Perdomo hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the game’s first run. Tim Tawa added a solo homer in the ninth, his 10th.
John Rave answered for the Royals with a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth, and both teams scored one run in the 10th.
Michael Wacha struck out four in six innings and allowed three hits and four walks, picking up his fourth straight quality start for the Royals. Anthony Gose (1-1) took the loss.
BREWERS 4, CUBS 3, 10 INNINGS
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Luis Lara singled home the winning run in the 10th inning after Jackson Chourio tied the score with a two-out homer in the ninth, and Milwaukee rallied to beat Chicago.
Milwaukee extended its NL Central lead to nine games over Chicago by coming from behind to defeat the Cubs for a second straight day. Chourio has provided the spark both times.
Milwaukee trailed 3-1 with two outs and nobody on in the ninth inning before pinch-hitter Christian Yelich singled.
Chourio then sent an 0-1 pitch from Jacob Webb over the left-field wall for his career-high 22nd homer of the season and his fourth hit of the night. He put Milwaukee ahead for good Monday with a two-run single in the eighth inning of a 4-3 victory.
In the 10th inning, Caleb Thielbar (3-3) intentionally walked William Contreras with one out, then Sal Frelick’s bloop single loaded the bases. Lara lined a single into left field to drive in automatic runner Brice Turang.
Chicago took a 3-1 lead in the top of the ninth when pinch-hitter Carson Kelly hit a bases-loaded double off Trevor Megill to bring home two runs.
In the top of the 10th, automatic runner Seiya Suzuki attempted to advance to third on Alex Bregman’s fly to deep center, but Garrett Mitchell threw him out. After Michael Busch walked, DL Hall (3-0) retired Nico Hoerner on a fly to right.
Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski faced Chicago again six nights after lasting only four innings and allowing a season-high five earned runs in a 9-5 Brewers victory at Wrigley Field.