OAKLAND, Calif. — The Texas Rangers clinched the AL West title Saturday and their first playoff berth in 11 years, beating the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Jorge Cantu’s tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning.
Players streamed from the Texas dugout after closer Neftali Feliz retired Cliff Pennington on a fly ball to left field for the final out with the potential tying run on second base.
Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton, who has been sidelined with broken ribs for three weeks, hugged teammates and jumped up and down near third base as a mob of players celebrated.
The Rangers became the second big league club to lock up a postseason spot this season, joining theAL Central champion Minnesota Twins.
Texas is the only current major league franchise never to win a playoff series. The Rangers won three AL West crowns from 1996-1999, their only postseason appearances, but lost in the first round to the New York Yankees each time.
Cantu hit his shot in the eighth, his first home run since being traded from Florida to Texas on July 29, and the Rangers hung on. Darren O’Day (5-2) pitched a scoreless inning and Feliz got four outs for his 38th save - breaking the previous rookie record of 37 set by Seattle’s Kazuhiro Sasaki in 2000.
RED SOX 7, YANKEES 3
Jon Lester took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and became the first Boston left-hander in 57 years to win 19 games, leading the Red Sox over host New York. Lester (19-8) was overpowering before Francisco Cervelli singled off the glove of diving rookie Daniel Navain left field with one out in the sixth. Lester allowed 2 hits in seven shutout innings, struck out 8 and walked 3.
RAYS 9, MARINERS 1
Matt Garza allowed one run over seven innings and AL East-leading Tampa Bay beat Seattle. Matt Joyce and B.J. Upton homered for the Rays, who moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the New York Yankees. Garza (15-9) allowed eight hits, struck out five and walked none. He was 0-2 with a 10.93 ERA in his previous three starts.
TIGERS 11, TWINS 10
Brandon Inge singled home the winning run in the 13th inning and host Detroit beat Minnesota, damaging the Twins’ chances of earning home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. Johnny Damon and Miguel Cabrera opened the 13th with singles off Pat Neshak (0-1). Jhonny Peralta followed with a grounder to third that was misplayed by Danny Valencia for an error, loading the bases.
National League BRAVES 5, NATIONALS 0
Braves Manager Bobby Cox earned his 2,500th victory, getting five crisp innings from Derek Lowe and a three-run home run from Alex Gonzalez in Atlanta’s crucial 5-0 victory over host Washington. The 69-yearold Cox, set to retire at the end of the season, became the fourth major league manager to reach the milestone. He is seeking his 16th postseason appearance.
CUBS 7, CARDINALS 3
Sam Fuld hit a goahead two-run single off Chris Carpenter, Casey Coleman pitched seven effective innings and host Chicago beat St. Louis. Blake DeWitt and Aramis Ramirez had two hits and two RBI apiece for Chicago, which trailed 3-0 early. Coleman allowed two earned runs and five hits.
PADRES 4, REDS 3
Chris Denorfia doubled in the winning run off hard-throwing rookie Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning, giving host San Diego a victory over Cincinnati. Denorfia’s shot off Chapman (1-2) went down the line, skipping past the glove of third baseman Scott Rolen and scoring Chase Headley from first.
ROCKIES 10, GIANTS 9
Troy Tulowitzki capped a four-hit night with an RBI double in the 10th inning and host Colorado gave their faint playoff hopes a boost with a victory over San Francisco. Tulowitzki homered, doubled and had five RBI to help the Rockies snap a five-game slide.
METS 5, PHILLIES 2
Lucas Duda hit a threerun double in the Mets’ five-run seventh inning, and visiting New York snapped Philadelphia’s 11-game winning streak.
Saturday’s games NATIONAL LEAGUE Atlanta 5, Washington 0 Chicago Cubs 7, St. Louis 3 San Diego 4, Cincinnati 3 Houston at Pittsburgh, (n) NY Mets at Philadelphia, (n) Florida at Milwaukee, (n) LA Dodgers at Arizona, (n) San Francisco at Colorado, (n) AMERICAN LEAGUE Toronto 5, Baltimore 4, 11 innings Texas 4, Oakland 3 Boston 7, NY Yankees 3 Cleveland 7, Kansas City 1 Detroit 11, Minnesota 10, 13 innings Tampa Bay 9, Seattle 1 Chicago White Sox 6, LA Angels 2
Sports, Pages 36 on 09/26/2010