CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Rose Jersey , and this one was particularly painful.Slugger Kris Bryant exited with a bruised left wrist, Mike Montgomery got hit hard over four-plus innings and the Cubs stumbled to a 6-0 defeat against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.For the second time in as many nights, the Cubs missed a chance to clinch a franchise-record fourth straight trip to the postseason. And their lead in the NL Central over Milwaukee shrunk to a half-game, with the Brewers beating St. Louis 12-4.Chicago needed a win plus a loss by Colorado to Philadelphia to secure a playoff spot and extend a run that includes a drought-ending World Series championship in 2016. But the Cubs lost for the fourth time in sixth games while the Rockies won 10-3 to move a half-game ahead of St. Louis for the second wild-card.Bryant got struck by a pitch from Chris Archer (3-3) in the fourth inning and was replaced at third base in the sixth by Ian Happ, who had pinch hit in the fifth. Manager Joe Maddon expects the 2016 National League MVP to miss at least one game, though X-rays showed no fractures.“It was sore. I knew it was going to bother him. He was hit pretty good,” Maddon said.The last thing the Cubs need is to be without Bryant even if it’s only a game or two. He’s still trying to round into form after being on the disabled list from July 26 to Sept. 1 with left shoulder inflammation. He missed time earlier in the season with the same issue, and if the Cubs are going to advance in the playoffs, they obviously need him.Montgomery (5-6) gave up five runs and seven hits, and the Cubs got shut out for the 11th time this season.“Every game matters from this point on,” he said. “Eventually, our goal is the playoffs. I think our guys are equipped for that. Mentally, this kind of gives us a chance to really come together as a group.”Archer struck out nine and walked two while pitching four-hit ball over six innings . He has won his past two starts and has a 2.70 ERA in five outings in September.“Everything started to shift when I stopped shaking (catcher Francisco Cervelli),” he said. “It’s him knowing the hitters, knowing the league http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-dave-hollins-jersey , and it allows me not to think too much, go with what he puts down. I’ve been pitching much more like myself.”Rookie Pablo Reyes homered for the second straight game, a three-run drive in the second. Cervelli drove in two runs, and Pittsburgh won for the eighth time in 10 games.The Cubs managed just five hits and went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position while stranding seven runners.Chicago got shut down this time after managing just one run — all on homers — in each of their previous five meetings with the Pirates. That was a first for Major League Baseball, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.“I think that what this club has done a really good job of is to kind of wash … off a poor performance, which is unfortunately what we’ve had these past two nights,” said Daniel Murphy, acquired from Washington on Aug. 21.TRAINER’S ROOMPirates: CF Starling Marte (left calf) was back in the lineup after sitting out Monday’s game.Cubs: Maddon said RHP Pedro Strop (strained left hamstring) is “trending in the right direction,” though he wasn’t sure what the next step would be after the reliever played catch on Monday. “He keeps telling me how great he feels,” Maddon said. Strop has been sidelined since Sept. 13, when he was hurt running to first on a double-play grounder at Washington.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Ivan Nova (9-9, 4.01 ERA) has allowed two runs in 16 1/3 innings over his past three startsCubs: LHP José Quintana (13-11, 4.11) tries to shake off a loss to the Chicago White Sox. He got tagged for five runs in five innings by his former team after giving up two runs or less in six straight starts. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Oakland Athletics broke out a little bit of everything Friday night to snap their two-game skid: efficient starting pitching, sharp singles, sacrifice flies and even their first bunt-single of the year.And oh yes John Kruk Jersey , home runs.Sean Manaea (12-9) stifled Minnesota’s batters into the sixth inning, and Matt Chapman broke things open with a three-run homer and the A’s beat the Twins 7-1 on Friday night to maintain their hold on the AL’s final wild-card spot.Stephen Piscotty and Ramon Laureano added a ninth-inning shot each as the A’s did just enough against Twins starter Jake Odorizzi (5-8) before pouncing on the bullpen.“We’ve been playing so well and all of a sudden we have two losses in a row, which we haven’t had in a while now,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “So now it’s time to respond and they did.”After giving up some early runs in their last two losses, the A’s got back to the winning formula that helped them ramp up their pursuit of Houston in the AL West.Manaea recovered nicely from a rough outing against Houston last weekend. He yielded an unearned run, five hits and a walk with one strikeout. He threw 50 of his 67 pitches for strikes before manager Melvin pulled him for Lou Trivino after Eddie Rosario’s leadoff single in the sixth.“We have a full ‘pen today, and based on the last couple of starts I didn’t want to get him into a jam where he had a chance to take a loss,” Melvin said.Up to that point, Odorizzi had pitched well himself, also allowing only one earned run off five hits and one walk. But Oliver Drake relieved Odorizzi in the eighth and found himself in trouble quickly, allowing a single and a walk before Chapman’s 18th homer, a shot to right that made it 5-1.“Good teams can beat you in many different ways, whether it’s bunting to beat the shift, or it’s home runs or flare singles into right center, whatever http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-greg-luzinski-jersey ,” said Jonathan Lucroy, whose RBI single in the fifth made it 2-1. “You’ve got to have a lot of weapons. You can just be one-sided with homers. We’ve got to beat you a lot of different ways.”Eddie Rosario scored Minnesota’s lone run in the fourth on Miguel Sano’s sac-fly to center.THAT’S A FIRSTJed Lowrie’s bunt single in the first inning against the shift extended his hitting streak to four games.“I thought they’d mistaken me for Joey Gallo,” Lowrie quipped of the Texas Rangers infielder. “I’ve never had four outfielders before. But I like hits.”ODORIZZI’S STREAKOdorizzi pitched seven innings for the first time this season after opening the year with 26 consecutive starts without an out in the seventh — the longest such streak in major league history. The Twins right-hander allowed one earned run, five hits and a walk.“I wouldn’t say it’s a breakthrough,” Odorizzi said. “It’s nice to get the results when you feel like you’re feeling good and throwing the ball well.”His lone fifth-inning walk proved costly when Odorizzi’s bad throw to second off a grounder allowed Lowrie to reach third and later score on Matt Olson’s sacrifice fly.MAUER’S MILESTONEThe crowd gave Joe Mauer a standing ovation after he singled off Manaea in the fifth for his 2,086th career hit, moving him past Rod Carew for second-most hits in club history behind Kirby Puckett’s 2,304.“It was pretty special to see the guys at the top step, and the fans on their feet. That really means a lot,” Mauer said.Manaea ended the two-on, two-out threat by inducing Logan Forsythe into a pop-fly to center.TRAINER’S ROOMTwins: Placed C Bobby Wilson on the 10-day DL with a sprained right ankle he injured Thursday night. The Twins called up Willians Astudillo from Triple-A Rochester. … Manager Paul Molitor said there’s enough lack of extension in RHP Ervin Santana’s injured finger to shut down all throwing activities.PLAYERS WEEKENDThe teams rolled out their players’ weekend jerseys, complete with nicknames across their shoulders. Among the highlights:“Manaelator” (Manaea)“Jedi” (Lowrie, although his nickname was officially listed “Capt. Barrel”)“Sauce” (Marcus Semien)“Logie Bear” (Logan Forsythe)“Garv Sauce” (Mitch Garver)And reserved hometown favorite Mauer? “Mauer”UP NEXT:Athletics: RHP Mike Fiers (9-6) takes the mound for his fourth start since joining the A’s from Detroit on Aug. 6. He’s 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA in three starts with Oakland.Twins: Rookie RHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-1) makes his second career start. The touted prospect allowed four runs, six hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings Monday against the Chicago White Sox.