MLB Playoffs 2014

Alcides Escobar doubled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, Mike Moustakas extended his home run-binge and Kansas City remained perfect in the playoffs, beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 Saturday for a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series.

The Kansas City Royals won their fourth extra-inning game of this postseason by outlasting Baltimore 8-6 in 10 innings to win the opener of the AL Championship Series. Alex Gordon's leadoff homer in the 10th snapped a tie and Mike Moustakas also homered in the 10th, a two-run shot.

The Washington Nationals made several crucial mistakes Tuesday night that cost them a chance to send the NL Division Series back home. Now, they're headed into the offseason much sooner than rookie manager Matt Williams and his players expected after a 3-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

Kolten Wong hit a two-run homer to snap a seventh-inning tie, Matt Carpenter went deep for the third straight game and John Lackey lived up to his big-game reputation as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five NL Division Series.

Doug Fister pitched seven shutout innings and the Washington Nationals took advantage of Madison Bumgarner's one off-target throw, staving off elimination in the NL Division Series with a 4-1 win against the San Francisco Giants on Monday.

Alex Gordon hit a bases-clearing double in the first inning, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas each homered and the wild-card Royals finished off a three-game sweep of the mighty Los Angeles Angels with an emphatic 8-3 victory Sunday night in the AL Division Series.

Nelson Cruz sliced a two-run homer for his latest big postseason hit, and the Orioles held off the Tigers 2-1 Sunday to reach the AL Championship Series for the first time since 1997.

Brandon Belt's homer off Tanner Roark leading off the 18th lifted San Francisco to its 10th consecutive postseason victory, edging Washington 2-1 for a 2-0 lead in their NL Division Series.

Matt Kemp hit a go-ahead home run leading off the eighth inning, lifting the Dodgers to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night and evening their NL Division Series at a game apiece.

Matt Carpenter hit a go-ahead, three-run double off Clayton Kershaw in an eight-run seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for a 10-9 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a fiery NL Division Series opener Friday.