Miguel Cabrera had three hits, including two doubles, but the Cleveland Indians spoiled the first day of his valedictory weekend with a 7-5 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night. Cabrera, playing the last three games of his career, doubled in his first two at-bats to raise his total to 626, breaking a tie for 13th place and moving two ahead of Hank Aaron. Cabrera singled in the seventh for his 3,173rd hit.
Mauricio Dubón hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the fourth inning, and the Houston Astros boosted their lead over the Seattle Mariners for the last AL wild card with a contentious 8-3 win on Wednesday night. Benches cleared in the sixth with Houston ahead 4-3 after Hector Neris struck out Julio Rodríguez for the inning's final out. Neris pounded his chest, shouted and walked toward Rodríguez as the Seattle star was returning to the dugout.
George Kirby embraced the situation facing the Seattle Mariners. Kirby escaped an early bases loaded jam to throw six shutout innings, Seattle took advantage of three Houston errors, and the Mariners snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Astros on Tuesday night.
In a season where he said nothing has come easy, Justin Verlander picked the right moment to once again look like the ace he's been for most of his career. Verlander took a shutout into the ninth inning, allowing just three hits and worked out of the one jam he faced, and the Astros created some cushion in the AL playoff chase with a 5-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night. Verlander put together a vintage performance befitting his status as one of the top right-handers in the game for most of his career.
Cole Ragans gave up three hits and two runs over six strong innings and the Kansas City Royals used two big innings to defeat Houston 7-5 on Friday night, knocking the Astros out of first place in the AL West. Houston, which has lost seven of its last 10 games, dropped a half-game back of the Texas Rangers in the division. Houston, 39-40 at home this season, holds a half-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot over the Mariners with eight games remaining.