The Minnesota Twins ran circles around the wilting Chicago White Sox in a pivotal three-game sweep.
Even White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was impressed.
“They play their heart out, they show up to play against us this week, and the result was what you saw,” Guillen said. “They never quit.”
Alexi Casilla singled in the winning run in the 10th inning Thursday night and the Twins beat Chicago 7-6 to move into first place in the AL Central by a half-game.
Casilla’s soft hit into short center off Bobby Jenks (3-1) scored Nick Punto and led to a wild party on the field at the Metrodome, where the Twins went 8-1 against the White Sox this year.
“We’re going to give you nine tough innings no matter what,” first baseman Justin Morneau said. “You can never count a team out that has heart like we do.”
The AL East also remained undecided. A Tampa Bay win would have clinched the division, but the Rays lost 7-5 to the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 6-1 to pull within two games of the division leaders.
n the other two AL games.
In Minneapolis, the White Sox led 6-1 after a six-run fourth in which Minnesota starter Kevin Slowey was knocked out with a bruised wrist and the Twins made three costly defensive mistakes.
“You think, ‘Oh, boy, there they go.’ But you know what? Not this ballclub,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said.
The Twins host the Kansas City Royals three times this weekend to finish their schedule, while the White Sox head home for a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians. If these teams are still within a half-game of each other after play is completed Sunday, Chicago must make up a rainout against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. Then, if they’re tied, the Twins will have to travel to the South Side for a one-game playoff Tuesday to determine the division champion.
Joe Nathan (1-2) pitched two perfect innings for the victory, part of a Minnesota bullpen that totaled 6 1-3 scoreless innings and surrendered only two hits.
Red Sox 6, Indians 1
Jon Lester flirted with a no-hitter in his final tuneup before the playoffs, allowing two hits over six innings for Boston.
Kevin Youkilis was 2-for-3 with his 28th homer for the Red Sox, who retained a mathematical chance of winning the AL East – if they win their last three games of the season and Tampa Bay loses its last three.
to become the fifth pitcher in history with two in a season when Josh Barfield lined a clean double to left to lead off the sixth. Lester (16-6) also gave up an RBI single to Jamey Carroll.
Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie hit back-to-back singles in the first and back-to-back doubles in the second as the Red Sox opened a 5-0 lead after two innings against Jeremy Sowers (4-9) at Fenway Park.
Tigers 7, Rays 5
Scott Kazmir allowed four homers, two to Ramon Santiago, and the Rays lost at Detroit. Having already secured no worse than a wild-card berth, the Rays would have clinched the division with a victory or with a loss by second-place Boston, but the Red Sox beat Cleveland.
Kazmir (12-8) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings, struck out eight and walked two.
Ben Zobrist homered twice and had four RBIs for the Rays, headed to their first playoff appearance.
Rookie Armando Galarraga (13-6) allowed five runs and six hits in 7 2-3 innings, and Fernando Rodney finished for his 11th save.
Blue Jays 8, Yankees 2
Toronto’s Roy Halladay pitched his major league-leading ninth complete game to become the AL’s second 20-game winner.
Vernon Wells homered and drove in four runs as the host Blue Jays snapped New York’s seven-game winning streak.
The right-hander went 22-7 with nine complete games in 2003, when he won the AL Cy Young Award.
Halladay, who joined Cleveland’s Cliff Lee as a 20-game winner, gave up two runs and six hits. He walked one and struck out five, giving him 206 for the season, a career high.
Wells hit a two-run homer in the third and added a two-run single in the fourth.
Carl Pavano (4-2) allowed five runs and eight hits in 3 2-3 innings, his shortest outing since coming off the disabled list last month.
Angels 6, Mariners 4
At Seattle, Vladimir Guerrero hit two home runs – including a two-run shot in the ninth inning – and Los Angeles moved closer to securing home field throughout the playoffs.
Mark Teixeira had a one-out single off J.J. Putz (6-5) in the ninth. Guerrero then hit the first pitch from Putz into the bullpen in left for his 27th homer and his 36th multihomer game.
With the victory, Los Angeles (99-60) closed in on the best record in the American League. Tampa Bay (96-63) is three games back with three to play.
The Angels matched the franchise record for wins in a season, set by the 2002 team that won the World Series, and extended the franchise record for road wins to 50.
Jose Arredondo (10-2) got the win and Scot Shields got three outs to record his fourth save.
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