Dodgers Wrap Up Division – MLB Roundup

UNDATED (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers are National League West champions for the second straight year.

Clayton Kershaw picked up his major league-leading 21st victory and the Dodgers claimed their division by routing San Francisco 9-1. Kershaw hit an RBI triple and struck out 11 while holding the Giants to a run and eight hits in eight innings to improve to 21-3. He also lowered his ERA to a major league-best 1.77 in what was likely his final appearance of the regular season.

The game was tied 1-1 until Yasiel Puig (YAH'-see-ul pweeg) hit a solo homer to spark the Dodgers' four-run sixth. Carl Crawford added a two-run double and scored on Juan Uribe's (yoo-REE'-bayz) single later in the inning. Uribe added a two-run single in the eighth.

The Giants' eighth loss in 11 games prevented them from clinching a playoff berth. They still own a magic number of one over Milwaukee for the second NL wild-card spot.

On the other coast, Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees were eliminated from postseason contention, losing a three-run lead in a 9-5 loss to the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles. Jeter went 0-for-4 as the designated hitter in his next-to-last home game, ending a seven-game hitting streak and dropping his average to .253. The Yankees missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1992 and '93. The only other time New York missed the playoffs during in the retiring captain's 20-season big league career was in 2008.

Jeter will play his final game at Yankee Stadium Thursday night in what promises to be an emotional evening in the Bronx.

Around the majors:

— Howie Kendrick doubled and drove in three runs, and the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels held off the playoff-hopeful Oakland Athletics 5-4. Los Angeles, at 98-61, maintained its two-and-a-half game lead over Baltimore for the best record in baseball and home-field advantage for the AL playoffs. The A's are tied with Kansas City for the top AL wild card.

— Cleveland beat Kansas City 6-4, dropping the Royals two games back of Detroit in the AL Central. Yan Gomes cracked his 21st homer, a three-run shot, for the Tribe.

— Justin Verlander pitched eight impressive innings to help Detroit clinch a postseason spot with a 6-1 win over the White Sox. Verlander is 15-12. He allowed a run and seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts in eight innings.

— The Tigers clinched a postseason spot when Seattle lost 1-0 at Toronto. Mark Buehrle (BUR'-lee) and Aaron Sanchez combined on a three-hit shutout. The Mariners have lost 13 of 17 to fall on the brink of elimination. The Mariners are three back in the wild card race with four to go.

— After the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrated clinching a playoff berth, their collective hangover showed Wednesday night. They were beaten 6-2 by Atlanta. Andrew McCutcheon's 25th homer, a two-run shot, was all the offense the Bucs could muster.

— Milwaukee blanked Cincinnati 5-0 on a Kyle Lohse (lohsh) two-hitter. The Brewers are four and a-half games out of the final NL wild card.

— The Chicago Cubs finished their home season with a winning record at Wrigley Field by downing arch-rival St. Louis for the second straight night, 3-1. Jake Arrieta (ehr-ee-ET'-uh) outdueled John Lackey to win his 10th game. The Cards' loss means NL East champ Washington will open the playoffs at home.

— Phil Hughes set a single-season major league record for strikeout-to-walk ratio, pitching eight strong innings for the Minnesota Twins in a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 16-10 Hughes had 186 strikeouts to 16 walks. His 11.63 ratio became the all-time best for pitchers with a qualifying amount of innings.

— Boston routed Tampa Bay 11-3. Garin Cecchini hit his first major league home run.

— Texas beat Houston 5-1. Rougned Odor (ROOG'-nehd oh-DOOR') had two hits, including his ninth homer.

— Kyle Kendrick pitched seven innings, had three hits and drove in a run in Philadelphia's 2-1 win over Miami.

— Tommy Medica's (MEH'-dih-kahz) three-run homer powered San Diego past Colorado 4-3.

— The New York Mets were rained out in Washington. They'll play a day-night doubleheader tomorrow in the nation's capital.