Jensen Lewis and the Cleveland Indians watched the Boston Red Sox celebrate after winning the AL championship series last year. They aren’t interested in repeating that scene.
Lewis struck out Jed Lowrie with runners on second and third in the ninth inning, preserving Cleveland’s 4-3 win Monday night in their first game in Boston since the Red Sox beat them in the ALCS last season.
Lewis’ solid relief work, rookie Zach Jackson’s six effective innings and a bizarre play involving the third base umpire forced the Red Sox to wait at least one more day to clinch their fifth postseason trip in six years.
“It was just kind of reminiscent of last year,” Lewis said. “Our feelings are still pretty fresh.”
In other AL games, it was: Tampa Bay 4, Baltimore 2; Los Angeles Angels 2, Seattle 1; Oakland 4, Texas 3 in 11 innings; and Kansas City 6, Detroit 2.
The Indians blew a 3-1 lead in the ALCS last season and lost the seventh game 11-2.
“For most of us, this is probably an emotional series because of what happened last year,” Lewis said.
sday night against Tim Wakefield (9-11).
Boston, with six games left, fell 2 1/2 games behind AL East leader Tampa Bay, which beat Baltimore 4-2. The Red Sox needed a win to eliminate the New York Yankees and lock up a postseason berth in pursuit of their second straight World Series title and third in five years.
Jackson (1-3) allowed two runs and six hits. Josh Beckett (12-10) hit a career-high three batters, threw a wild pitch, walked one and said he wasn’t worried about clinching a playoff spot.
“We’re just trying to win games,” he said.
The Red Sox wasted chances in three of the last four innings, losing a run when a ball hit an umpire, missing a three-run homer when Kevin Youkilis’ drive hit the left-field wall a few feet from the top and stranding two runners in the ninth when Lewis earned his 12th save in 13 chances.
With Cleveland ahead 4-2, Boston had runners at first and second with two outs in the sixth.
Jeff Bailey then lined the ball inside third base. Umpire Gerry Davis signaled it was fair, but the ball hit him and stopped just beyond the infield dirt. Third baseman Jamey Carroll picked it up, and Bay, who had rounded third, was caught in a rundown and tagged out.
“When I hit the ball I thought it would kick off the side wall and I thought we’d get at least one run,” Bailey said. “When I saw Carroll getting the ball, I was wondering what happened.”
4, Orioles 2
At Baltimore, Jason Bartlett doubled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning, and Tampa Bay took another step toward its first AL East title.
The victory reduced the Rays’ magic number for winning the division crown to four after the Red Sox lost to the Indians.
Tampa Bay has already clinched a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history.
Akinori Iwamura singled in two runs in the fifth, and Bartlett’s pivotal double off Rocky Cherry (0-3) followed an error by second baseman Brian Roberts and a walk to Eric Hinske.
Grant Balfour (6-2) pitched 1 2-3 innings, J.P. Powell got four outs and Dan Wheeler retired two batters for his 12th save.
Angels 2, Mariners 1
Ervin Santana and Francisco Rodriguez combined for a five-hitter, Vladimir Guerrero homered and Los Angeles beat skidding Seattle to set a franchise record for road wins.
Seattle has lost 12 straight games and is two away from tying the franchise record set in 1992.
Santana (16-6) allowed one run and five hits to match his career high for victories. He struck out nine, walked none and improved to 3-0 with a 2.19 ERA against Seattle this season.
Rodriguez got three outs to extend his major league record for saves to 61 and earn his 10th against the Mariners this year.
Ryan Rowland-Smith (4-3) allowed two runs, one earned, and eight hits in seven innings for Seattle.
thletics 4, Rangers 3, 11 innings
At Arlington, Texas, Travis Buck hit an RBI single in the 11th inning and Oakland moved into second in the AL West.
The Rangers (75-82), who lost their fifth straight game, forced extra innings when Hank Blalock led off the ninth with a homer.
Oakland’s victory ensures both teams will finish with losing records. The A’s (75-81), who will play 161 games because a rainout at Baltimore will not be made up, took over second for the first time since July 25 after winning their fourth straight game and eighth of nine.
Cliff Pennington led off the Oakland 11th with a double off Luis Mendoza (3-8) and scored on Buck’s one-out single, beating the throw home by right fielder Nelson Cruz.
Alan Embree (2-4) got the win and Santiago Casilla worked the 11th for his second save.
Royals 6, Tigers 2
David DeJesus went 4-for-4 and Mike Aviles drove in two runs to lead visiting Kansas City to the win.
The Tigers were minus suspended slugger Gary Sheffield, then lost star Miguel Cabrera in the third inning because of a tight back. Cabrera was listed as day to day.
Detroit has lost 10 of 11, and is only one game ahead of last-place Kansas City in the AL Central. Sheffield was suspended four games earlier in the day for brawling with Cleveland pitcher Fausto Carmona last week.
ns and four hits in six innings. Zach Miner (8-5) took the loss, giving up four runs in six-plus innings.
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