Sunday American League Capsules.
CHI WHITE SOX 5, CLEVELAND 1
CHICAGO The Chicago White Sox finally found a way to win a game, keeping their season alive for another day.
Mark Buehrle tossed seven strong innings as the White Sox ended a five-game losing streak by defeating the Cleveland Indians, 5-1.
The victory forces Chicago to play the Detroit Tigers in a make-up of a rainout at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday afternoon.
A loss on Sunday coupled with a win by Minnesota (87-74) would have eliminated Chicago (87-74) from postseason contention and given the Twins the American League Central Division championship. Minnesota was in action Sunday afternoon at home against Kansas City.
The Twins and the White Sox could still play on Tuesday in Chicago for the right to advance to the postseason, if the teams are tied after Mondays make-up.
Cleveland jumped out to an 1-0 lead in the second inning, when Jhonny Peralta hit a homer off Buehrle – his 23rd of the season.
Chicago responded in the bottom half to take a 3-1 lead.
Paul Konerko hit his fourth home run of the series and his 22nd of season – a solo shot to tie the game at 1-1.
The White Sox then added two more runs off of Indians starter Bryan Bullington (0-2), who replaced Cy Young Award candidate Cliff Lee due to a stiff neck.
After loading the bases, Chicago took a 2-1 lead when Juan Uribes grounder handcuffed Cleveland third baseman Jamey Carroll. The error scored Ken Griffey Jr. and Orlando Cabrera followed with a sacrifice fly.
Chicago built its lead to 5-1 in the seventh inning, when Jermaine Dyes two-out single drove in two runs.
Buehrle (15-12), who started for the third time this season on three days rest, went seven innings, allowing nine hits while striking out six and walking one. Buehrle scattered nine hits and was aided by four double plays.
Matt Thornton put Cleveland down in order in the eighth inning before closer Bobby Jenks finished up the ninth in relief of Buehrle.
MINNESOTA 6, KANSAS CITY 0
MINNEAPOLIS Scott Baker tossed seven strong innings and Joe Mauer drove in a pair as the Minnesota Twins topped he Kansas City Royals, 6-0.
The Twins (88-74) hold a one-half game lead over the Chicago White Sox (87-74) in the American League Central Division. The White Sox will host the Detroit Tigers in a make-up game Monday. If Minnesota and Chicago are tied after the make-up game, then a one-game playoff will be held Tuesday to determine the AL Central winner.
Baker (11-4) allowed four hits and walked one while striking out seven. He has not lost since August 26.
The Twins jumped on top in the second on Denard Spans RBI double and added a run in the third on Brendan Harris fielders choice. Delmon Young had a two-run single in the seventh and Mauer capped the scoring with a two-run triple in the eighth.
LA ANGELS 7, TEXAS 0
ANAHEIM, California Mike Napoli homered and drove in four runs as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim capped off the regular season with a 6-0 triumph over the Texas Rangers.
Napoli hit his 20th homer of the season and added a pair of run-scoring doubles for the Angels, who open their American League Divisional series against the Boston Red Sox on Monday.
Saunders (17-7) allowed just two hits over six innings while striking out nine batters and three relievers combined for three innings of one-hit relief.
Gary Matthews Jr. recorded one of his three singles with two outs in the second and came around to score on a double by Napoli. It was one of three runs on the afternoon for Matthews Jr.
The Angels catcher then lifted a home run to left-center in the fifth inning off Kevin Millwood (9-10).
Los Angeles tallied three more runs off Millwood in the sixth. Juan Rivera and Howie Kendrick each hit two-out singles and Matthews Jr. drove in Rivera with a single to right. Napoli then drove in Kendrick and Matthews Jr. to increase the lead to 5-0.
Millwood allowed five runs – four earned – and nine hits and a walk in six innings.
The Angels added two more runs in the eighth off reliever Josh Rupe. Reggie Willits hit a sacrifice fly and Kendry Morales drew a bases-loaded walk.
NY YANKEES 6, BOSTON 2 (FIRST GAME)
BOSTON Mike Mussina tossed six shutout innings and Xavier Nady hit a three-run homer to help the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox, 6-2.
Mussina (20-9) had to wait out an hour-long rain delay before he could begin his quest for his first 20-win season. Ironically, it was 12 years ago to the day when he had that same opportunity, when he pitched eight innings of one-run ball but settled for a no-decision.
With the victory, Mussina joined Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and Jamie Moyer as the only pitchers aged 39 or older to win 20 games in a season since 2000. Mussina blanked the Red Sox in six frames, surrendering just three hits, walking two and striking out two en route to his ninth road win of the season.
In the fourth inning, Nady snapped a scoreless tie with a three-run blast that hit the top of the wall and bounced into the seats. It was Nadys 25th home run of the season and 12th as a member of the Yankees.
The Nady three-run blast was set up by a pair of walks by Boston righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka, who entered the contest having issued 92 free passes. Matsuzaka (18-3) tossed 73 pitches over four innings, giving up three runs and four hits while striking out five and walking two. It was his first loss since July 28.
Boston was able to score a pair of runs in the eighth inning, but Mariano Rivera struck out Dustin Pedroia with a runner on to end the rally. Pedroia collected a pair of hits to bring his season total to 213, tying him with Jim Rice for fourth-most in club history.
The Yankees were able to add three insurance runs in the ninth off of Jonathan Papelbon.
Rivera collected his 39th save for New York, which has won nine of its last 10 games to improve to 9-8 against Boston this season.
BOSTON 4, NY YANKEES 3 (10 INNINGS; 2ND GAME)
BOSTON Jonathan Van Every delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning Sunday, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees in the second game of a doubleheader and the season finale for both teams.
The Red Sox will face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the opening round of the playoffs Wednesday, while the Yankees will miss the postseason for the first time since 1993. New York posted a 6-2 victory over Boston in Sundays first game.
Alex Cora led off the 10th with a triple to right field and then, after two intentional walks, Van Every ripped a single to right field off Jose Veras (5-3), which ignited a wild celebration.
Trailing by two runs entering the ninth inning, New York rallied by loading the bases with no outs and got one run in on a sacrifice fly, and then with two outs, Robinson Cano came through with a game-tying single to left field to plate Johnny Damon.
In the eighth, Sean Casey came to bat with one out and the bases loaded thanks to three walks by Darrell Rasner and smacked a single past Cano to score Coco Crisp and Cora.
The Red Sox did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard with Crisp leading off the bottom of the first with a double down the left-field line and later scoring on a ground out by Chris Carter.
Starter Tim Wakefield pitched an efficient five innings for Boston, allowing two hits and striking out three in just 56 pitches.
The Yankees scratched across a run in the sixth inning when Cano and Jason Giambi started off the inning with back-to-back singles. Cano came home to score on a fielders choice.
New York starter Sidney Ponson, who is 3-13 in his career against Boston, allowed just one run over six innings while surrendering four hits and striking out five.
TAMPA BAY 8, DETROIT 7 (11 INNINGS)
DETROIT The Tampa Bay Rays didnt want to finish up the best regular season in franchise history with a four-game sweep at the hands of a last-place club. It may have taken extra innings, but they managed to avoid that fate.
Ben Zobrists solo home run in the 11th inning lifted the Rays to an 8-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers, as the newly minted American League East Division champions finished the year with a team-record 97 wins.
The Rays, who clinched the division on Friday courtesy of a loss from the Boston Red Sox, blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning but recovered in the 11th as Zobrists recent power surge continued. The 26-year-old shortstop led off by taking Chris Lamberts offering deep to right for his fourth home run in his last four games. He finished the season with 12 homers.
Edwin Jackson (14-11) blew a save in his first relief appearance of the season but earned the victory anyway. He gave up two runs and four hits over two innings, striking out one and walking one. Jason Hammel worked a perfect 11th inning for his second save.
Zobrist was also at the center of a late rally that put the Rays out in front. Down 5-3 through seven thanks to an early surge by the Tigers, the Rays erased the deficit with a four-run eighth inning. Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Carl Crawford and delivered a drive to center field that one-hopped the wall for a two-run, ground-rule double to tie the game.
Zobrist followed with a go-ahead RBI single three batters later and Eric Hinske capped the surge with a bases-loaded walk.
But Magglio Ordonez answered in the bottom of the ninth, driving a deep blast over the left-field fence to send the game into extra innings. After winning a batting title last year, Ordonez finished 2008 with a .318 average, 21 homers and 103 RBI.
Lambert (1-2) went two innings, allowing one run and three hits to take the loss. Curtis Granderson homered and drove in four runs for the Tigers.
TORONTO 10, BALTIMORE 1
BALTIMORE Vernon Wells went 4-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI and Jesse Litsch tossed seven strong innings as the Toronto Blue Jays recorded a 10-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Wells belted a solo homer in the second to open the scoring and smacked an RBI single in the following frame to give Litsch all the support he would need.
A run-scoring double by Melvin Mora was the only blemish against Litsch (13-9), who yielded three hits and struck out five.
The Blue Jays (86-76) finished the regular season in fourth place in the American League East Division, but finished 10 games over the .500 mark for the third time in seven years.
A major reason for their second-half surge was the impact interim manager Cito Gaston made on a deteriorating clubhouse morale. General manager J.P. Ricciardi fired John Gibbons on June 20, when the team was mired with a pedestrian 35-39 record.
Under Gastons reign, the Blue Jays went 51-36 despite suffering season-ending injuries to key starting pitchers Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan.
Lyle Overbay hit a solo shot in the fourth off Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie (10-12), who exited the game after four innings. Alfredo Simon came on in relief in the fifth, but Wells greeted him rudely with a three-run homer to extend the Blue Jays lead to 6-0.
Toronto added three runs in the eighth, sending the Orioles to their 11th loss in 12 games.
SEATTLE 4, OAKLAND 3
SEATTLE Yuniesky Betancourt doubled in two runs in the fifth inning to help the Seattle Mariners rally to defeat the Oakland Athletics, 4-3, and end their disappointing season Sunday with a three-game winning streak.
Seattle ended its campaign with a 61-101 record, the second worst in the major leagues behind the Washington Nationals (59-102), who lost earlier in the day.
Ichiro Suzuki, who began the day tied with Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox for the major league lead with 211 hits, had a double and an infield single to finish the season with 213.
Buck, from nearby Richland, Washington, hit the first leadoff homer of his career and seventh of the season, and Chris Denorfia doubled in two more runs to help the As take a 3-0 first-inning lead.
But the Mariners climbed back into the game with single runs in the first on Raul Ibanezs ground out to drive in Suzuki and Matt Tuiasosopos grounder to plate Kenji Johjima in the second.
Seattle went ahead 4-3 in the fifth when Betancourt belted a triple to center after Luis Valbuena reached on a bunt single and was safe at second when pitcher Josh Outman threw away Suzukis comebacker trying to get Valbuena at second for an error.
R.A. Dickey (5-8) started for the Mariners and pitched effectively after his rocky first inning. He held the As scoreless after that, giving up only three more hits before leaving with two outs in the sixth.
J.J. Putz worked the ninth inning for his 15th save for Seattle.
Outman (1-2) took the loss for the Athletics, allowing eight hits, four runs – three earned – walking one and striking out five in six innings.
Travis Buck homered, doubled, singled and drove in a run, while Donorfia contributed a pair of hits and drove in two runs to pace a 10-hit attack for Oakland, which lost its fifth straight to complete the season with a 75-86 mark, its worst showing since going 74-88 in 1998.
