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Yankees win division title for eighth straight year
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-02 10:13
BOSTON (AP) _ The New York Yankees won their eighth consecutive division title on Saturday, hitting three home runs off Tim Wakefield and beating the Boston Red Sox 8-4.
Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui homered, and Rodriguez had four hits to help Randy Johnson (17-8) win his sixth consecutive decision.
The Red Sox finished second in the American League East Division for the eighth straight year, but the defending Major League Baseball champions can do no worse than a tie for the AL wild card berth.
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. White Sox 4, Indians 3=
In Cleveland, Tadahito Iguchi hit a three-run homer off Jake Westbrook (15-15) in the seventh inning, and Chicago won to leave the Indians uncertain of their playoff fortunes.
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.
Cleveland lost by one run for the fifth time in six games. Royals 7, Blue Jays 6=
In 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.
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. Athletics 4, Mariners 3=
In 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 rallied with with two outs and none on when Marco Scutaro doubled and scored on a single by Mark Ellis. Kendall doubled for a 3-2 lead and Scutaro added an RBI single in the ninth. Orioles 4, Devil Rays 3=
In St. Petersburg, Florida, 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.
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