CHICAGO • The Chicago White Sox clinched their first AL Central title since 2008 with a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Indians in a doubleheader opener Thursday behind two home runs by Tim Anderson.

Chicago, in its first season under 76-year-old Hall of Famer manager Tony La Russa, is going to the postseason in consecutive years for the first time.

Anderson hit his fifth leadoff home run of the season and added a threerun drive in the second for his sixth career multi-homer game. Luis Robert and Eloy Jiménez hit consecutive homers in the second for a 7-0 lead off Aaron Civale (11-5).

Aaron Bummer (4-5) retired all three batters in the fifth.

Cleveland won the second game 5-3 when Oscar Mercado hit a two-run homer in the seventh off José Ruiz (1-3), making a winner of Emmanuel Clase (4-5).

Phillies 12, Pirates 6

PHILADELPHIA • J.T. Realmuto homered and drove in four, Ronald Torreyes hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the sixth inning and Philadelphia erased a six-run deficit to pull within two games of NL East-leading Atlanta.

It’s the fourth time this season and third time this month Philadelphia won after trailing by at least six runs. The Phillies are the first team in the modern era to win by at least six runs after trailing by at least six runs twice in the same season, according to STATS. The other was last week, when they rallied from down 7-0 in the fourth inning to defeat the Chicago Cubs 17-8 on Sept. 16.

Twins 7, Blue Jays 2

MINNEAPOLIS • Nick Gordon drove in four runs and Michael Pineda (8-8) won his third straight start as Minnesota bumped Toronto back in the AL wild-card race.

The loss was especially costly for Toronto, which fell a full game behind New York for the second spot and three games behind wild-card leader Boston. Left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. exited in the fifth inning after teammate Randal Grichuk accidentally stepped on his right hand in the outfield.

Padres 7, Giants 6

SAN DIEGO • Jurickson Profar raced home on Victor Caratini’s infield single off Dominic Leone (3-5) with one out in the 10th, denying San Francisco its 100th win. San Diego stopped a fivegame losing streak, and remained six games behind St. Louis for the second NL wild card.

Cardinals 8, Brewers 5

MILWAUKEE • Paul Goldschmidt homered twice, and St. Louis overcame a 5-0 deficit to extend its longest winning streak since 1982 to 12 games.

On a day Adam Wainwright faltered early, St. Louis rallied with one run in the fifth, four in the seventh, two in the eighth and one in the ninth. The Cardinals moved five games ahead of Cincinnati and Philadelphia, who played later Thursday, for the second NL wild card.

Mariners 6, Athletics 5

OAKLAND, CALIF. • Chris Bassitt pitched three scoreless innings less than a month after surgery to repair three facial fractures, but Seattle rallied against Oakland’s bullpen for a four-game sweep.

Seattle matched its season high with its fifth straight win and moved within two games of the idle Yankees for the second AL wild-card spot. Oakland fell four games back of New York.

Nationals 3, Reds 2

CINCINNATI • National League batting leader Juan Soto homered in consecutive innings, and Washington pushed Cincinnati further from playoff contention.

Seeking his second straight NL batting title, Soto raised his average to .325 with a three-hit night and is four points ahead of the Los Angeles’ Dodgers Trea Turner.

Diamondbacks 6, Braves 4

PHOENIX • Carson Kelly hit a tying three-run homer off Jacob Webb (5-4) in a five-run seventh,and Daulton Varsho followed with a go-ahead double for last-place Arizona against the NL East-leading Braves.

Seeking its fourth straight division title, Atlanta saw its lead cut to 2 1/2 games over Philadelphia.

Orioles 3, Rangers 0

BALTIMORE • Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays homered, rookie Zac Lowther (1-2) pitched five sparkling innings to earn his first major league victory and Baltimore beat Texas.

Tyler Wells worked the ninth to complete the five-hitter and earn his fourth save.

Angels 3, Astros 2

ANAHEIM, CALIF. • Shohei Ohtani scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Angels snapped a six-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday night.