Alfonso Soriano belted a three-run homer with one out in the eighth, and Aramis Ramirez added a solo shot, to power the Cubs to a 6-2 victory on Tuesday over the Padres and help Matt Garza finish the season at .500.

Both Wild Card bids remain in the air, leaving the possibility of a 163rd game in both leagues. Key home-field advantage questions have yet to be answered in both leagues as well.

When the calendar flipped to September, it appeared as if the regular season would close without much fanfare. The standings looked as if contenders would coast to the postseason and remove any drama of a heated chase toward a spot in October. Funny what can change in a few weeks.

On a night when Ian Kinsler went 30-30 for the second time, the Rangers nailed 95 wins on their door for the second time in franchise history with a 10-3 victory over the Angels on Tuesday.

Josh Willingham hit a three-run shot in the first inning and Scott Sizemore belted a two-run
blast in the fifth to back Trevor Cahill, as the A's defeated the Mariners, 7-0, at Safeco Field.

The Sox and Rays have made it through 161 games only to have the same record, tied in the American League Wild Card standings. Taking on the Orioles at Camden Yards on Wednesday while the Yankees play the Rays in St. Petersburg, the Red Sox turn to their Opening Day starter on three days' rest Wednesday, left-hander Jon Lester (15-9, 3.49 ERA).

So much for the victory lap. The Brewers will have to play to win Wednesday if they want to begin the postseason at home. Prince Fielder did his part at Miller Park on Tuesday night with a three-homer game in a 6-4 win over the Pirates.

Following an 8-7 win over the Orioles on Tuesday night, the Red Sox remains tied with the Tampa Bay Rays at the top of the American League Wild Card standings.

The Cardinals' improbable trek toward a postseason berth is suddenly within their own control after Tuesday's 13-6 come-from-behind victory over the Astros. If St. Louis can beat Houston behind Chris Carpenter on Wednesday, it will be assured of at least a one-game playoff with the free-falling Braves for the National League Wild Card berth.

Bronson Arroyo fell one tantalizing inning short of his coveted goal of 200 innings. And though he'll have to settle for 199 frames this season, the Reds came away with a 5-4 win in 13 innings because of a perfect suicide-squeeze play.

Mark Buehrle, pitching in potentially his final game with the White Sox, dealt seven shutout innings as the South Siders earned a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

With Derek Lowe unable to halt his recent woes at Turner Field on Tuesday night, the Braves suffered a 7-1 loss to a Phillies and enter Wednesday tied for the National League Wild Card lead with the Cardinals, who defeated the Astros.

Deadlocked with the Cardinals atop the National League Wild Card standings, the Braves will send Tim Hudson against the Phillies on Wednesday at Turner Field. A win, coupled with a St. Louis loss at Houston, will send Atlanta into the postseason.

Roy Oswalt looks ready. So does the rest of the team. The Phillies clobbered the Braves on Tuesday night at Turner Field, 7-1, to tie the 1976 and '77 Phillies with a franchise-record 101 regular-season victories.

Brandon Phillips stopped by the Greenwich Village playland for about an hour and a half before the Reds-Mets game and taped a video spot that TBS is expected to air at some point during its Friday telecast of the ALDS openers.

MLB.com has confirmed that Minor Leaguers Jhan Marinez and Osvaldo Martinez will be part of the compensation for former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who is expected to agree to a contract with the Marlins sometime this week.

Major League Baseball has set up start times for potential Wild Card tiebreakers in both leagues as the regular season comes to an end. Either or both of those games would be played Thursday, the day before the American League playoffs start.