American League Baseball
Yankees clinch eighth straight AL East title BOSTON (AP) – The New York Yankees are going to the playoffs. And the Boston Red Sox still have a couple of chances to join them there.
New York won its eighth consecutive AL East title on Saturday, scorching Tim Wakefield for three homers and riding Randy Johnson to an 8-4 victory over Boston.
Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui homered, and Rodriguez had four hits to help Johnson (17-8) settle down and win his sixth consecutive decision.
The Yankees’ victory clinched a playoff berth, and they took the division because Cleveland lost 4-3 to the Chicago White Sox a few minutes earlier.
The Red Sox finished second in the division for the eighth straight year, but the defending World Series champions can do no worse than a tie for the AL wild card.
If Boston loses on Sunday and Cleveland wins, they will meet at Fenway Park on Monday to decide the AL’s last playoff berth. If Cleveland loses on Sunday, the Red Sox get the wild-card berth no matter what they do.
Tim Wakefield (16-12) started on three days’ rest for the first time this year and gave up seven runs on seven hits, striking out one in five innings.
White Sox 4, Indians 3
CLEVELAND – It comes down to this for Cleveland: Win and hope.
Rookie Tadahito Iguchi hit a three-run homer off Jake Westbrook (15-15) in the seventh inning, and Chicago held on to send the Indians into the regular season’s final day without control of their October fate.
Iguchi’s shot to center, his 15th, snapped a 1-all tie and helped set up a Sunday in which the Indians, who didn’t deliver with the bases loaded in the eighth, will have to win or have their inspirational season end in disappointment.
It could have been so much easier, but Cleveland lost by one run for the fifth time in six games, jeopardizing a postseason that seemed guaranteed a few days ago when it concluded a 17-2 stretch.
Jon Garland (18-10) allowed just four hits in 6 2-3 innings, and Chicago’s bullpen was able to hold off the Indians, who have lost a club record 36 one-run games, including all nine to the White Sox.
Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
Royals 7, Blue Jays 6
TORONTO – Andres Blanco hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, and Kansas City recovered after allowing six unearned runs in the seventh to beat Toronto.
Down 5-0, Toronto scored six times after Kansas City committed two errors on what should have been double-play grounders. Blanco, the second baseman, bobbled a ball for the first one and shortstop Angel Berroa failed to backhand a grounder for the second error.
But Mark Teahan and John Buck led off the eighth with consecutive singles off Pete Walker (6-6) before Justin Huber tied it with a sacrifice fly off Jason Frasor. Blanco gave Kansas City the lead with his single off Frasor.
Ambiorix Burgos (3-5) got the last two outs of the seventh for the victory and Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 24 chances.
Saturday’s loss means the Blue Jays (79-82) will finish below .500.
Athletics 4, Mariners 3
SEATTLE – Jason Kendall hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning to back Joe Blanton (12-12) and lead Oakland over Seattle.
Trailing 2-1, Oakland came back in the seventh after Julio Mateo (3-6) relieved George Sherrill with two outs and none on.
Marco Scutaro doubled and scored on a single by Mark Ellis, who took second on the throw, and Kendall doubled for a 3-2 lead. Scutaro added an RBI single in the ninth against Gil Meche.
Rich Harden, who hasn’t started since Aug. 19 because of a strained muscle below his throwing shoulder, struck out five in two innings, and Huston Street finished for his 23rd save in 27 chances. allowing Yuniesky Betancourt’s sacrifice fly.
Orioles 4, Devil Rays 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tampa Bay left fielder Damon Hollins lost track of the outs in the seventh inning Saturday and threw a live ball into the stands, helping Baltimore beat the Devil Rays.
Hollins made a nice running catch, partially falling over the wall down the left-field line, on Eric Byrnes’ foul ball with one out and David Newhan on second. Newhan tagged up and advanced to third after the catch, then was awarded home to make it 4-2 after Hollins started running toward the dugout and threw the ball into the seats.
Hollins was charged with an error on the play.
Twins 3, Tigers 0
MINNEAPOLIS – Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau each had two hits and an RBI to support rookie Scott Baker, and Minnesota took advantage of a wild pitch on Jacque Jones’ strikeout to beat Detroit.
Baker (3-3) scattered seven hits in six innings and did not walk a batter for the Twins (82-79), assured of finishing above .500 for the fifth straight season. Matt Guerrier pitched two innings of perfect relief and Joe Nathan finished for his 42nd save in 47 chances.
Jason Johnson (8-13) gave up all three runs and six hits in six innings as Detroit lost its fourth straight. Tigets manager Alan Trammell expects to meet with ownership on Monday to find out if he will be back for the final year of his contract.
Johnson gave up a leadoff single to Jason Bartlett in the sixth and intentionally walked Joe Mauer with two outs. Jones struck out, but the ball got past catcher Ivan Rodriguez for a wild pitch, and Jones reached to load the bases.