EUGENIO SUAREZ

Eugenio Suárez and Anthony Santander had two hits each as Venezuela beat Nicaragua 4-1 and improved to 3-0 in the World Baseball Classic.

Yordan Alvarez and his mighty bat did it yet again, launching a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning off Seattle ace Luis Castillo that lifted the Houston Astros over the Mariners 4-2 for a 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series.

Yordan Alvarez smashed a game-ending, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Robbie Ray, wrecking Seattle’s strategy of using a Cy Young Award winner in a rare relief role and vaulting the Houston Astros over the Mariners 8-7 in their playoff opener.

The Seattle Mariners brought in Luis Castillo to be an anchor in October, and he lived up to that billing in Seattle's first postseason game since 2001.

There’s a whole lot riding on Alek Manoah’s first career playoff start, but the Toronto Blue Jays All-Star right-hander isn’t the least bit fazed about facing the Seattle Mariners in Friday’s wild-card opener.

Abraham Toro homered and drove in four runs, Cal Raleigh hit his 27th long ball of the season and the Seattle Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers 9-6 to complete a sweep of their doubleheader.

Atlanta finally passed the New York Mets this past week.

Cal Raleigh homered twice, Eugenio Suárez and Jesse Winker each hit a two-run shot, and the Seattle Mariners overcame Shohei Ohtani’s four-hit performance to complete a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with an 11-7 victory.

Carlos Santana snapped an 0-for-17 slump with a go-ahead two-run homer during Seattle’s three-run seventh inning, and the Mariners rallied to beat the slumping New York Yankees 4-3.

Ty France hit a two-run homer in the third inning, George Kirby pitched six solid innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 to open a doubleheader.

Astros pitcher Héctor Neris was suspended four games and Houston manager Dusty Baker was banned one game by Major League Baseball after both were ejected from a game against Seattle in which Neris plunked one hitter and nearly hit another in the head.

Adam Frazier and the Seattle Mariners argued the first of this year’s delayed salary arbitration cases, with the second baseman/outfielder asking for a raise from $4.3 million to $8 million and the team arguing for $6.7 million.

Many familiar faces with impressive resumes are in new places following one of major league baseball’s wildest free agent frenzies.

Joey Votto and Nick Castellanos combined to drive in nine runs to propel the Cincinnati Reds to a 13-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the make up of Wednesday’s rain out with fading hopes of a playoff entry.

Rookie Max Schrock went 5 for 5 with a home run while giving All-Star Joey Votto a break, leading fellow newcomer Vladimir Gutierrez and the Cincinnati Reds over the New York Mets 7-1.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)ATLANTA – The Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves are playing the longest scoreless game in postseason history. Wednesday's opening game of the NL wild-card series was the first in postseason history to be scoreless through 11 innings. The scoreless streak was extended through 12 innings. The teams combined for a postseason record 35 strikeouts through 12 innings, and every batter that has come to the plate has struck out at least once after the Reds' Nick Castellanos became strikeout victim No. For the postseason, baseball has set aside the new extra-innings rule it instituted for the pandemic-delayed regular season.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 28: Aristides Aquino #44 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Marlins Park on August 28, 2019 in Miami, Florida. MIAMI - Aristides Aquino tied a National League rookie mark with his 13th home run this month, powering Anthony DeSclafani and the Cincinnati Reds over the Miami Marlins 5-0 Wednesday night. The major league rookie record for homers in a month is 18 by Rudy York of Detroit in August 1937. After winning his first four major league decisions, Yamamoto has lost five straight. Marlins: RHP Robert Dugger (0-1, 10.80) will make his second major league start in the series finale.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 27: Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates after Curt Casali #12 (not pictured) hit a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 27, 2019 in Miami, Florida. MIAMI - Curt Casali homered and drove in three runs, helping Luis Castillo and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Miami Marlins 8-5 on Tuesday night. Casali hit a tying solo drive off Caleb Smith (8-8) in the fourth inning. He batted again in the fifth and hit a two-run single off Tyler Kinley, giving the Reds a 5-3 lead. Cincinnati also got a big game from Eugenio Suarez, who went deep for the third straight day and finished with three hits.