Gerrit Cole masterful in win over division rival Cardinals

Take a look around the league with Big League Stew’s daily wrap up. We’ll hit on all of the biggest moments from the day that you may have missed, while providing highlights, photos and interesting stats.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are likely to make the playoffs as a wild card team this season, but they still remain on the fringes of the division race. Gerrit Cole got them one step closer to that dream Sunday in a 7-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

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As expected, Cole was masterful against St. Louis. The 24-year-old ace tossed seven scoreless frames, giving up just two hits. He walked three and struck out seven during the performance.

Cole wasn’t just a force on the mound, though, he managed to make a big impact at the plate as well. With a one-run lead, Cole helped his own cause. In the seventh inning, he hit an RBI single to center, giving himself a 2-0 lead.

While he didn’t come around to score, Cole showed great awareness on the bases, going first to third on a single during the inning.

With the win, the Pirates improved to 81-54. The team currently holds the top wild card spot in the National League. They trail the Cardinals by 5.5 games in the NL Central.

NATIONALS MAKE PROGRESS

The Washington Nationals are determined to get back into the NL East race. The team gained a game in the standings Sunday, beating the Atlanta Braves 8-4.

It didn’t take long for Washington to strike. In the second inning, the team erupted for five runs. Michael Taylor kicked things off with a two-RBI double. Jayson Werth later followed that up with a three-run homer.

While starter Joe Ross didn’t pitch particularly well, the Nationals scored enough to put the game away early. Ross was pulled after giving up four runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Nationals bullpen made sure to stop any chance of a Braves comeback. Washington used five different relievers over the final 4 2/3 innings. They combined to allow just two hits and one walk. They notched eight strikeouts.

With the win, the Nationals improved to 71-65 on the season. The team is now four games behind the New York Mets in the NL East.

BLUE JAYS SCORE 10 RUNS AGAIN

The Toronto Blue Jays lineup continues to terrorize pitchers. Sunday was no exception, as the team picked up a 10-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Chris Tillman became the latest victim of Toronto’s lineup. The Blue Jays got to work against Tillman immediately.

Ben Revere singled to open the contest, and was immediately driven in on a Josh Donaldson double. Jose Bautista followed that up with a solo home run, making the game 3-0.

The team wouldn’t let up against Tillman. Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run homer in the third inning, and Kevin Pillar belted a solo shot in the fourth. Tillman was pulled after giving up six runs in just three innings.

Toronto would add four more runs against the Orioles, eventually scoring 10 runs. With the win, the Blue Jays improved to 78-58 on the season. The team currently holds a 1.5 game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East.

KEUCHEL WINS ONE AGAIN

The Houston Astros have been led by pitcher Dallas Keuchel all season. So, it should come as no surprise that Keuchel was excellent again in an 8-5 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

[Elsewhere: 10 important MLB storylines for September.]

Keuchel showed some signs of vulnerability during the start, giving up three home runs. All three were solo shots, however, so he managed to limit the damage. In the end, Keuchel allowed three runs over eight innings. He walked two and struck out 12 during the contest.

With the win, Keuchel improved to 17-6 on the season. A number of those wins have come at home.

Dallas Keuchel is 4th pitcher in modern era to start 13-0 at home, 1st since Boo Ferris, 1946 Red Sox (via @EliasSports)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 7, 2015