Believe it, baseball fans: The Tampa Bay Rays are one win from a stunning playoff berth – and they want more than that.
Carlos Pena homered and drove in four runs, with help from the majors’ first replay reversal, and the AL East leaders routed the visiting Minnesota Twins 11-1 on Friday night to close in on clinching their initial trip to the postseason.
This time of year Tampa Bay is used to making vacation plans, not setting up its pitching rotation for October. But here they are, the unlikely Rays, ready to make a run at the World Series.
“It’s very exciting to be in this position, and to move on to the postseason would be great. But that’s just one of the goals. It’s also to win the division and to get the best record in the league,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We want home court advantage throughout the playoffs. I don’t want anyone to be satisfied with where we’re at.”
in 1998.
They can earn a postseason spot by winning one of two remaining games in this series against Minnesota, which fell 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
Tampa Bay also can wrap up a spot if the White Sox and New York Yankees lose at least once this weekend.
In other AL games, it was: Boston 4, Toronto 3; Chicago 9, Kansas City 4; Los Angeles 15, Texas 13; New York 3, Baltimore 2; Cleveland 6, Detroit 5; and Oakland 2, Seattle 0.
Edwin Jackson (12-11) allowed one run and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings. Evan Longoria drove in three runs for Tampa Bay.
Pena’s drive to right field off Boof Bonser appeared to be touched by a fan before bouncing off the top of the fence. First base umpire Mike DiMuro signaled fan interference, and Pena stopped at second base for a two-run double.
The umpires huddled immediately and decided to look at the video for the third test of the replay system since Aug. 28, when baseball allowed umpires to begin using it to determine boundary calls.
“I’ve always been in favor of replay,” Pena said. “I was really calm at second base because I knew that whatever the call was going to be, it was going to be the right one because of this new tool.”
three-run shot that made it 9-0.
“We saw two angles,” Davis said. “The first one was inconclusive. The second one was the one that showed it.”
The first use of the system came at Tropicana Field on Sept. 3, when replays confirmed a long home run by Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees against the Rays. An on-field call also was upheld on Sept. 9, when Hunter Pence’s drive off the top of the right-field wall was confirmed as a double during a game between Houston and Pittsburgh.
“The whole thing is getting it right,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. “They got it right. That’s all we care about.”
Twins starter Nick Blackburn (10-10) was tagged for six runs and six hits in 1 1-3 innings.
Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 3
At Toronto, Jason Varitek drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Boston moved one step closer to a playoff berth.
The Red Sox opened a 7 1/2-game lead in the wild-card race over Minnesota and the Yankees. A win by Boston on Saturday combined with losses by the Twins and Yankees would wrap up at least the wild card for the Red Sox.
The loss ended Toronto’s chances of winning the AL East and put the Blue Jays on the brink of playoff elimination. Manny Delcarmen (1-2) got the win and Jonathan Papelbon worked around his own error in the ninth to earn his 39th save in 44 opportunities.
White Sox 9, Royals 4
z hit a grand slam, Dewayne Wise homered twice and Mark Buehrle (14-11) pitched six effective innings on three days’ rest.
Jim Thome also connected for Chicago. The loss snapped the Royals’ seven-game winning streak, their longest since starting the 2003 season 9-0.
Ramirez tied an AL rookie record with his third grand slam. Shane Spencer hit three for the Yankees in 1998. It was Chicago’s 11th grand slam this season, tying the club mark set in 2006.
Yankees 3, Orioles 2
At New York, Brett Gardner made his bid for the last great catch at Yankee Stadium.
The rookie center fielder robbed Luke Scott with a terrific grab and doubled in a run, sparking New York in the opener of the final series at the 85-year-old ballpark.
Robinson Cano hit a solo homer for the Yankees, who have won six of seven. Carl Pavano (4-1) went five innings to win his second consecutive start. Joba Chamberlain struck out the side in the eighth and Mariano Rivera got his 37th save in 38 chances.
Indians 6, Tigers 5
At Cleveland, Jamey Carroll hit an RBI single in the ninth to end a fight-filled game. Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera had a pair of two-run homers to tie Chicago’s Carlos Quentin for the AL lead with 36.
st on a pickoff attempt, Sheffield motioned and yelled at him. Carmona took a step toward first, yelled, and Sheffield charged at him and both threw punches.
Carmona got Sheffield in a headlock and landed more punches as players and coaches from both dugouts and bullpens ran onto the field. No other punches appeared to be thrown – though Indians catcher Victor Martinez and Detroit second baseman Placido Polanco also were ejected.
Cleveland’s Shin-Soo Choo hit two homers, including a three-run shot in the eighth that tied it at 5. Grady Sizemore also connected for the Indians.
Angels 15, Rangers 13
At Arlington, Texas, Torii Hunter homered and drove in four runs, Kendry Morales and Mike Napoli hit back-to-back homers and the AL West champions set seasons highs for runs and hits (22).
Garret Anderson and Josh Hamilton each had four hits. The 41 combined hits were the most in an AL game this season. Los Angeles starter Jon Garland allowed nine runs, eight earned, and 10 hits in 2 1-3 innings.
Athletics 2, Mariners 0
At Oakland, Calif., Travis Buck homered and Dana Eveland (9-8) pitched seven strong innings to hand Seattle its ninth straight loss in a game that lasted 2 hours, 5 minutes.
rall.
A’s designated hitter Jack Cust struck out for the 186th and 187th time this season, breaking the AL record. The Mariners have lost 11 consecutive road games.
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