LEADING OFF: Greinke back, Vladdy & daddy, Brewers pitch in

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

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ZACK IS BACK

Houston Astros right-hander Zack Greinke makes his first start since testing positive for COVID-19 last month.

Greinke (11-5, 2.66 ERA) is scheduled to pitch at Texas, the same team he lost to on the road in his last start 16 days earlier.

The 37-year-old Greinke gave up nine hits and six runs in four innings at Texas on Aug. 29, two days before he was put on the COVID-19 injured list while the Astros were in Seattle.

Greinke had also lost his previous start against Kansas City, marking the only time in his 27 starts this season he has dropped consecutive games. AL West-leading Houston has lost five of his past six starts overall.

BIG BIRDS

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the power-packed Blue Jays are averaging 13 runs per game while winning four straight over the past three days. They’ll take on AL East-leading Tampa Bay again after outhitting the Rays 17-2 in an 8-1 rout Monday night that gave Toronto a 12-1 record in September.

Guerrero socked his major league-leading 45th home run, moving one ahead of Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani. Guerrero also surpassed the season high set by his Hall of Fame father with Montreal in 2000.

Toronto sits atop a tightly contested AL wild-card race and leads the majors with 232 home runs.

PLAYOFF TICKETS

Kenley Jansen and the Los Angeles Dodgers can clinch their ninth consecutive playoff appearance with a win at home over last-place Arizona and losses by two of the following teams: Cincinnati, St. Louis, San Diego.

The defending World Series champions are 2 1/2 games behind first-place San Francisco in the NL West. The rival Giants (94-50) became the first team to secure a 2021 postseason berth by beating San Diego...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/LEADING-OFF-Greinke-back-Vladdy-daddy-16456991.php