"I knew our guys weren't going to melt," Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia said moments before getting soaked in champagne by several players. "We have a lot of very, very talented players."
The Angels will face either the New York Yankees or Boston in the first round of the playoffs.
The Athletics dropped to 12-18 in September -- a shocking development for a team that's been the best in baseball in the final month the past four years.
"This is a sour note for us," center fielder Mark Kotsay said. "We just gave it to them. (Barry) Zito did an unbelievable job. He gave us the lead, and that's all you can ask. I have no answers for what happened."
After seven strong innings by Zito, A's relievers Jim Mecir, Ricardo Rincon (1-1) and Octavio Dotel couldn't hold a 4-2 lead.
Brendan Donnelly (5-2) pitched 1 2-3 innings for the win and Troy Percival finished for his 33rd save in 38 chances.
Red Sox 7, Orioles 5, 1st Game
Red Sox 7, Orioles 5, 2nd Game
In Baltimore, Doug Mientkiewicz hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh inning as Boston rallied to beat Baltimore for a doubleheader sweep.
In the opener, Bronson Arroyo threw three shutout innings in his final tuneup before the playoffs, and Johnny Damon drove in three runs to lead Boston to victory.
The Red Sox, who long ago clinched the AL wild-card slot, used two lineups littered with backups. Manny Ramirez did not play in either game, David Ortiz and Kevin Millar sat out the opener, and Damon and Bill Mueller were among those who spent the nightcap on the bench.
But Boston pulled off a sweep anyway. The Red Sox have won seven of eight, and are assured of going 11-1-2 in their final 14 series of the regular season.
Boston (98-63) moved 35 games over .500 for the first time since finishing the 1978 season 99-64.
In the first game, the Red Sox scored six runs in the second inning against Daniel Cabrera (12-8) before making an out and led 7-0 in the third.
Javy Lopez and Orlando Cabrera hit three-run homers in the second game.
Terry Adams (6-4) and Byung-Hyun Kim (2-1) won for Boston. Jason Grimsley (5-7) lost the nightcap.
Royals 10, White Sox 2
In Kansas City, Missouri, Ruben Gotay drove in four runs with his first major league homer and a triple, helping Brian Anderson and Kansas City snap a seven-game losing streak with a win over Chicago.
Calvin Pickering and Angel Berroa also homered for Kansas City. The Royals already have a franchise-record 103 defeats with one game left.
Anderson (6-12) pitched his second complete game of the year, giving up seven hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Rangers 10, Mariners 4
In Seattle, Michael Young had a two-run homer and got three hits as Texas spoiled Edgar Martinez Day in Seattle.
The sellout crowd of 45,817 got a special treat when Martinez, Seattle's retiring designated hitter, started the ninth inning at third base, his first appearance at third since July 2, 1997. He stayed in for one pitch, leaving to a standing ovation and scattered boos when Willie Bloomquist took the field.
Martinez didn't have a good day at the plate, going hitless with a walk in three at-bats.
Kenny Rogers (18-9) pitched into the sixth, allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
Suzuki boosted his season hit total to 260 with a fifth-inning single, going 1-for-5. He leads the majors with a .371 average.
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