September rolls on with a loaded schedule that included 16 games Saturday, with the Cubs and Nationals playing a doubleheader in the nation's capital. Here is everything you need to know about Saturday's MLB action.

Saturday's scores

Pirates 5, Marlins 1 (box score)
Nationals 10, Cubs 3 Game 1 (box score)
Astros 5, Red Sox 3 (box score)
Athletics 8, Rangers 6 (box score)
Indians 9, Blue Jays 5 (box score)
Reds 7, Padres 2 in 7 innings (box score) (completed early due to rain)
Tigers 4, Cardinals 3 (box score)
Rays 10, Orioles 5 (box score)
Nationals 6, Cubs 5 Game 2 (box score)
Angels 12, White Sox 3 (box score)
Brewers 4, Giants 3 (box score)
Royals 4, Twins 1 (box score) 
Mets 10, Phillies 5 (box score)
Rockies 4, Dodgers 2 (box score)
Braves 5, Diamondbacks 4 in 10 innings (box score)
Yankees 4, Mariners 2 (box score)

Rockies even series with Dodgers

Thanks to home runs from Chris Iannetta (solo) and Charlie Blackmon (two-run), the Rockies evened their important three-game weekend series with the Dodgers at one game apiece. Saturday's win gives Colorado a 1 1/2 game in the NL West with 21 games to play.

Lefty Kyle Freeland pitched very well again, holding the Dodgers to one run in six innings. He struck out eight. Freeland is now 14-7 with a 2.91 ERA on the season. He has a chance to join Marvin Freeman (2.80 ERA in 1994) and Ubaldo Jimenez (2.88 ERA in 2010) as the only qualified pitchers to finish with a sub-3.00 ERA in franchise history.

Saturday's win was the sixth in the last seven games for the Rockies, who are looking to win the first division title in team history. For real. The Rockies have never once won an NL West title. Only three times have they finished in second place (1995, 2007, 2009). At 40-21, the Rockies have baseball's best record since June 21.

Brewers increase wild-card lead

Make it 13 wins in the last 18 games for the Brewers. MVP candidate Christian Yelich swatted his 28th home run en route to a 4-3 win over the Giants on Saturday night, which stretched Milwaukee's lead for the top wild-card spot to 2 1/2 games.

The Brewers have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games to go from 1 1/2 games behind the Cardinals for the top wild-card spot to 2 1/2 games up on St. Louis. Milwaukee is three games behind the Cubs in the NL Central pending the outcome of Chicago's game Saturday night.

How important is home-field advantage in the Wild Card Game to the Brewers? Very. They are 44-27 (.620) with a plus-33 run differential at Miller Park this season compared to 37-35 with a plus-9 run differential on the road. 

Lopez flirts with perfect game

Three outs. That's how close Royals righty Jorge Lopez came to throwing the 24th perfect game in baseball history Saturday night. Lopez retired the first 24 batters he faced before walking Twins outfielder Max Kepler to lead off the ninth inning. The next batter, Robbie Grossman, following with a clean single back up the middle to end the no-hit bid.

The Royals acquired Lopez from the Brewers in the Mike Moustakas trade a few weeks ago. Saturday was his seventh career big-league start and fifth with the Royals. He went into Saturday's game having allowed 13 runs and 32 baserunners in 20 2/3 innings with Kansas City.

Felix Hernandez's perfect game against the Rays in 2012 remains the last perfect game. The Royals have never been involved in a perfect game, win or lose. The Twins were on the wrong end of Catfish Hunter's perfect game in 1968 and David Wells' perfect game in 1998.

Astros down Red Sox thanks to Bregman's 30th homer

Fans have been treated to some fun postseason-caliber baseball at Fenway Park this weekend. After coming from behind to beat the Red Sox on Friday night, the Astros took the more traditional route to a win Saturday. They took an early lead and protected it the rest of the way.

The molten hot Alex Bregman strengthened his MVP case with his 30th home run of the season. He took Eduardo Rodriguez deep over the Green Monster.

Going into Saturday's game Bregman was hitting .300/.401/.560 with an MLB-leading 48 doubles and 29 home runs. Furthermore, he was 31 for 68 (.456) with 10 doubles, six homers, 11 walks, and only three strikeouts in his previous 18 games going into Saturday. What a ballplayer.

The Red Sox never seem to go down quietly at Fenway Park, so you will not be surprised to learn they brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth inning. Alas, J.D. Martinez banged into a game-ending double play. Can't say I saw that coming. The Astros have won eight straight games.

Saturday's win means the Astros have clinched the season series over the Red Sox. The Astros, Athletics, and White Sox (White Sox? White Sox!) are the only teams with a winning record against Boston so far this year.

Syndergaard wins despite lots of traffic on the bases

Mets righty Noah Syndergaard picked up a win over the Phillies on Saturday night, but it was not pretty. Not at all. Syndergaard allowed 17 baserunners -- 17 baserunners! -- in 6 2/3 innings, and managed to escape with only four runs allowed.

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Noah Syndergaard
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As you can imagine, it is not often a pitcher gets a win when allowing 17 baserunners. Saturday night Syndergaard became the first guy to do it in more than 20 years. Former Marlins southpaw Chris Hammond put 17 runners on base (12 hits and five walks) in a two-run complete game against the Rockies on June 19, 1995. 

Tellez hits first MLB homer

What a week for Blue Jays prospect Rowdy Tellez. Tellez ripped a pinch-hit double in his MLB debut Wednesday. He then had three doubles Thursday and two more doubles Friday. He's the first player in more than 100 years with six doubles in his first three big league games.

On Saturday, rather than pick up another double or three, Tellez cracked his first career big-league home run. He took Indians righty Adam Plutko deep for a solo shot.

Four games into his big-league career, the 23-year-old Tellez is 8 for 14 (.571) with six doubles and a home run. It wasn't until his 14th at-bat that he recorded his first single as a big-leaguer. Seven extra-base hits came first.

Tellez hit .270/.340/.425 with 22 doubles and 13 home runs in 112 Triple-A games this year, and MLB.com says he "has the hitting ability and power" to stick in the big leagues despite defensive deficiencies at first base.

Pirates win fifth in a row but lose Polanco

The Pirates entered Saturday eight games behind the Cardinals for the second wild card spot in the National League. Nonetheless, they're keeping things as interesting as possible by reeling off their fifth consecutive win -- this time topping the Marlins in a wet one.

Ivan Nova threw six shutout innings, striking out nine and holding the Marlins to three hits and a walk. Meanwhile, Starling Marte, Josh Bell, Kevin Newman, and Jacob Stallings each drove in a run, with Bell's coming on his 10th homer of the season.

Not everything was a positive on Saturday for the Pirates. Gregory Polanco, hurt on an awkward slide Friday night, will miss the rest of the season due to knee and shoulder injuries.

Votto hits 10th homer

As good as he's been overall this year, Joey Votto has not put up big power numbers in 2018. He went into Saturday afternoon's game with a .282/.420/.409 batting line -- Votto is on pace to lead the league in on-base percentage for the third straight year and the seventh time in the last nine years -- and only nine homers. Last season he slugged .578 with 36 homers.

Votto finally reached double-digit homers Saturday and he did it in a big way. He hammered a grand slam against Padres southpaw Robbie Erlin.

Saturday's grand slam snapped a 37-game homer drought that dated back to July 10 (Votto missed two weeks with a leg contusion in late August). That was the second longest home run drought of Votto's career, behind a 51-gamer back in 2012.

Quick hits

  • The Cubs aren't happy playing a doubleheader against the Nationals. Chicago was willing to wait out a lengthy rain delay Friday night. Instead, they'll try to play two Saturday despite another messy forecast.
  • Mets 3B David Wright played in a simulated game at Citi Field on Saturday, reports The Athletic. Wright said he feels good physically and expects to play this year. He's been out in May 2016 due to back and neck injuries.
  • Brewers RHP Jimmy Nelson will not return this season, GM David Stearns confirmed Saturday, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Nelson has not played since suffering a shoulder injury diving into first base late last year.
  • Twins RHP Ervin Santana will not pitch again this season, reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Offseason finger surgery and subsequent complications have limited the veteran righty to five starts this season.
  • Giants 1B Brandon Belt was a late scratch from Saturday's lineup with knee soreness, the team announced. He's been dealing with a knee issue for a few days now. The injury is considered minor and Belt is expected back soon.

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