BALTIMORE — Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Austin Meadows was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday because of an oblique strain that will keep him sidelined into the postseason.
The injury occurred while Meadows took a swing in the opener of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Orioles. The Rays won both games to earn a berth in the AL playoffs, and they’ll need a deep run to get Meadows back in the lineup.
“We’re going to have to play really, really well to see him at any point the rest of the season,” Manager Kevin Cash said.
Meadows is batting .205 with four homers and 13 RBI. Last year he hit .291 with 33 home runs and 89 RBI.
“I don’t need to talk about how important Austin is,” Cash said.
BREWERS: Bench coach Pat Murphy rejoined the team just over six weeks after having a heart attack at Miller Park.
Murphy said he was feeling “pretty good” while talking to reporters before the Brewers’ game Friday night against with the Kansas City Royals. Murphy said he had hoped throughout his recovery he would be back before the end of the season.
“The part you take for granted sometimes until you don’t have it anymore is the connection, being together,” Murphy said. “That’s what it’s all about. That’s why I do it.”
Brewers Manager Craig Counsell said Murphy wouldn’t be on the bench Friday but would be before the end of the season. Murphy will remain with the Brewers for their seven-game road trip that starts Monday and concludes their regular season.
“I’m glad he’s healthy enough to be back, that’s No. 1,” Counsell said. “Then No. 2, he’s a jolt of energy, and we’re all happy to see him. He looks great. It’s great to see him, more than anything.”
ANGELS: Albert Pujols passed Willie Mays for fifth place on the career home run list, hitting No. 661 against Texas.
Pujols, 40, connected for a solo homer with two outs in the fifth inning. He sent Wes Benjamin’s fastball on a 1-2 count over the wall in left field.
He now trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Alex Rodriguez (696).
FRIDAY’S GAMES
PHILLIES SWEEP BLUE JAYS: Bryce Harper hit a tying, two-run double and scored the go-ahead run on an error following Alec Bohm’s infield single, helping Philadelphia rally for an 8-7 win over visiting Toronto to earn its first doubleheader sweep in eight years.
Zach Eflin struck out nine in a four-hitter and Harper went deep in Philadelphia’s 7-0 win in the opener.
NATIONALS, MARLINS SPLIT: Brian Anderson tied a franchise record with three homers and drove in seven runs to help Miami earn a doubleheader split by beating visiting Washington, 14-3.
Anderson’s third homer was a three-run shot in the sixth inning against infielder-outfielder Brock Holt, pitching in a mop-up role.
The Marlins matched their season-high run total after they were shut out in the opener. Erick Fedde allowed one hit in six innings as Washington beat highly touted rookie Sixto Sanchez, 5-0.
CARDINALS SWEEP PIRATES: Rookie Dylan Carlson’s three-run homer capped a six-run outburst in the sixth inning, helping St. Louis complete a doubleheader sweep at Pittsburgh with a 7-2 victory.
The Cardinals took the opener, 6-5, behind home runs from Kolten Wong and Tyler O’Neill and just enough pitching to overcome four errors.
REDS 7, WHITE SOX 1: Jesse Winker hit a three-run homer – one of four home runs off White Sox starter Jonathan Stiever – and host Cincinnati continued its surge into playoff contention with its sixth victory in a row.
INDIANS 1, TIGERS 0: Zach Plesac pitched impressively into the eighth inning, and Brad Hand worked out of a jam in the ninth as visiting Cleveland shut out Detroit.
RAYS 2, ORIOLES 1: Tyler Glasnow struck out 10 over five innings to help Tampa Bay win at Baltimore.
CUBS 1, TWINS 0: Kyle Hendricks tossed eight innings of three-hit ball to outduel Rich Hill, and host Chicago got its fifth straight win.
Hendricks struck out 10 and walked one before Jeremy Jeffress worked around two walks in the ninth for his eighth save.
BRAVES 15, METS 2: Freddie Freeman added three more hits to his burgeoning MVP campaign, Ozzie Albies hit two of visiting Atlanta’s six homers and the Braves moved closer to a third consecutive NL East title.
Max Fried (7-0) returned from a brief stay on the injured list because of a back spasm and breezed through five innings that only help his credentials for the NL Cy Young Award.
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