AARON ASHBY

Devin Williams blew a ninth-inning lead and the Milwaukee Brewers squandered a great opportunity to pull even in the race for the final National League playoff spot, losing 4-3 to the Miami Marlins.

Andrew Knizner hit a two-run homer, Miles Mikolas pitched six strong innings and the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the NL Central title with a 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Washington star Juan Soto is sure to get asked about his near future during a three-game series at Dodger Stadium that starts Monday night.

P.

Corbin Burnes pitched seven dominant innings, Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers regained sole possession of first place in the NL Central with a 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jazz Chisholm bunted for a single on the first pitch of Stephen Strasburg’s return from a one-year absence, stole second and the Marlins kept on going in a 7-4 win over the Washington Nationals that finished a three-game sweep.

Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Odúbel Herrera homered as interim manager Rob Thomson and the streaking Philadelphia Phillies won their season-high seventh straight game, beating the sagging Milwaukee Brewers 8-3.

Ian Happ had three hits, including a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 on opening day.

The Cardinals’ team-record 17-game winning streak ended when Daniel Vogelbach hit a two-run homer that backed Adrian Houser and led the Milwaukee Brewers over St. Louis 4-0.

Max Scherzer makes his second start for the Los Angeles Dodgers when they visit the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies in a potential playoff preview Tuesday night.

Highly touted Milwaukee prospect Aaron Ashby got roughed up for seven runs in the first inning of his big league debut, but Luis Urias homered twice as the Brewers rallied to rout the Chicago Cubs 15-7 for their eighth straight win.