The Cincinnati Reds found out right before the game that they'd clinched the NL Central title, then got a two-run double from Bret Boone in the ninth inning to rally past the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Friday night.
Because of the intricacies of the new wild-card playoff setup, the Reds were unaware they had actually won the division late Thursday night when Los Angeles lost to San Diego 5-1.Manager Davey Johnson and his players found out about their first division title since 1990 when it was announced on television minutes before the game began.
Boone, whose third error of the season allowed the Phillies first run to score in the fourth, drove home Ron Gant, who singled to open the ninth, and Reggie Sanders, who followed Gant's single with a walk.
Toby Borland (1-3), who relieved to start the ninth and put Gant and Sanders on base, took the loss. Boone doubled off Ricky Bottalico.
Rockies 6, Giants 1
At San Francisco, Dante Bichette hit his 38th homer and Kevin Ritz combined with two relievers on a two-hitter.
Marlins 3, Mets 0
At Miami, Pat Rapp pitched his second straight shutout and tied a club record with his eighth consecutive victory.
Cardinals 3, Astros 0
At Houston, Allen Watson allowed four hits in eight innings and Ray Lankford hit a two-run homer as St. Louis slowed the Astros' bid for a wild-card spot.
Braves 5, Expos 1
At Atlanta, Tom Glavine allowed four hits seven innings to earn his 16th victory, and four Montreal errors led to three unearned runs.
Cubs 6, Pirates 3
At Chicago, Kevin Foster (11-11) allowed two hits in eight innings, and Scott Servais hit a go-ahead, two-run double. Randy Myers pitched the ninth for his 35th save.
American League
Orioles 10, Brewers 3
At Milwaukee, Cal Ripken homered and drove in a season-high five runs and Harold Baines hit his 300th career homer.
Indians 5, Royals 3
At Kansas City, Mo., Orel Hershiser won his eighth game in his last 10 starts and Cleveland claimed its 94th victory - the highest win total in 20 years.
White Sox 5, Twins 4
At Minneapolis, two Minnesota errors in the 10th inning set up Lance Johnson for the game-winning hit.
Rangers 8, Angels 3
At Arlington, Texas, the California Angels lost their eighth straight game and dropped out of first place in the AL West.
Juan Gonzalez hit a three-run double during a five-run seventh inning that broke a 3-all tie. The Angels have not led in their last 66 innings.
Mariners 10, Athletics 7
At Seattle, the Mariners moved into first place in the AL West, rallying from a six-run deficit to beat Oakland 10-7 Friday night on a grand slam by Vince Coleman and a go-ahead homer by Alex Diaz.
Postponements
Rain forced the postponements of two AL games - Toronto at Boston and Detroit at New York.
Baseball briefs
- Despite the lack of a collective bargaining agreement, baseball players promised Friday to play the World Series this year.
- A fan ran onto the field at Milwaukee's County Stadium on Friday night and shook Cal Ripken's hand before being tackled and led away by security. The man, in his 20s, bolted from the seats along the third-base line and sprinted out to the Baltimore shortstop with two outs and a runner on third in the bottom of the third inning of the Orioles game with Milwaukee.
- St. Louis outfielder Brian Jordan agreed to a three-year contract with the Cardinals on Friday that prohibits the former NFL safety from playing pro football. Jordan, a Pro Bowl alternate in 1992 with the Atlanta Falcons, had been entertaining an offer from the Oakland Raiders.