The Rangers, in their first game in September, scored seven runs in the fourth inning and opened their three-game series against the Astros by holding on for a 10-8 victory on Friday night at Globe Life Park. The Rangers have won six straight to open a 9 1/2-game lead over the Astros in the American League West with 27 left to play.

Jon Lester held the Giants hitless until Hunter Pence’s solo home run with two outs in the seventh en route to a 2-1 Cubs victory on Friday afternoon in front of 40,818 at Wrigley Field. Lester went the distance, getting a boost from two runs in the third inning.

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts made several impressive defensive plays in Friday night’s 16-2 win over the A’s, two of which came at the expense of Oakland’s Jake Smolinski.

The Rays will look to play spoiler over the final month of the season, and they certainly lived up to that billing in their series opener vs. Toronto. Tampa Bay quickly reminded the Blue Jays that they have never fared too well in the Sunshine State, and even a last-place team should not be overlooked. Logan Morrison, Luke Maile and Brad Miller each homered as the Rays came out on top, 8-3, Friday night at Tropicana Field.

In a showdown of National League contenders, two of the best pitchers in baseball take the mound this afternoon at Wrigley Field as Madison Bumgarner starts for the Giants opposite Jake Arrieta and the Cubs.

With a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth, the Reds played spoiler on Friday night at Great American Ball Park, coming back from a two-run deficit to prevent the Cardinals from padding their lead for the second National League Wild Card spot.

Welcome to DraftKings fantasy baseball, the Official Daily Fantasy Game of Major League Baseball. The players listed below are in position to provide difference-making stats for DraftKings participants on Saturday.

Scooter Gennett’s RBI double in the sixth accounted for the game’s only run and Milwaukee’s bullpen tossed 5 2/3 innings in a 1-0 win over the Pirates on Friday night at PNC Park.

It was almost exactly one year ago, beginning on Labor Day, when the Mets marched into Nationals Park, sweeping the Nats in three games to all but seal the National League East title. Perhaps the Nationals had a note of revenge on their minds Friday when, despite a strong effort by Noah Syndergaard, they grabbed a 4-1 win over the Mets to extend their division lead to 10 1/2 games.

The Orioles’ home run-happy lineup showed up in a big way Friday night, mashing four homers en route to an 8-0 series-opening romp over the Yankees.

Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp came up big Friday night in an 8-4 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. They went a combined 5-for-8 with five RBIs, which included Kemp’s three-run home run in the fifth inning to tie the game and a couple of clutch hits in the ninth against Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez to give the Braves the lead for good.

Foul balls are for the people.

Twice on Friday, Mets manager Terry Collins grabbed his cell phone, punched in the numbers for the Mets’ trainer who accompanied Jacob deGrom to the hospital, then waited. He fretted. He fussed. This isn’t typical behavior for Collins, who tends to let the news come to him.

Team USA jumped out to a big early lead and never looked back, defeating Hong Kong, 9-1, on Friday night in the opening round of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup in Gijang, South Korea.

Dodgers No. 7 prospect Walker Buehler starts for Class A Great Lakes against West Michigan at 5:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV.

The Indians’ offense struck early to back Carlos Carrasco’s 11-strikeout gem in a 6-2 win over the Marlins in Friday night’s series opener at Progressive Field. The Tribe maintained its 4 1/2-game lead in the American League Central, while Miami, which has lost six of its last seven games, remained three games back of the second National League Wild Card spot.

Chris Stewart was one of eight Pittsburgh players and coaches to participate in a head-shaving event at PNC Park, a small part of Major League Baseball’s recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Day.