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NY Yankees clinch AL East division

Starting pitcher Randy Johnson of the Yankees delivers against the Red Sox during their game at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, Saturday. Johnson (17-8) won his sixth consecutive decision as New York defeated Boston 8-4 to take the division title. PHOTO: AFP

Not their best season. Not their smoothest. And certainly not the biggest title for a franchise that has 26 World Series championships in its illustrious past.

Yet somewhere in the spray of champagne in the visitors' clubhouse at Fenway Park on Saturday was the satisfaction that these Yankees came farther to win this AL East championship than any New York team since Bucky Dent popped one into the net here in 1978.

"I can't take my glasses off. I'm crying like a baby," manager Joe Torre said on the field after New York beat Boston 8-4 to clinch the division for the eighth consecutive year.

"This was the best of all of them," he added in the clubhouse. "The first is always memorable. But this has to be the most special because of everything that went on this year."

Randy Johnson won his sixth straight decision and the Yankees scorched Tim Wakefield for three homers -- from Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield -- to win for the 16th time in 20 games. Mariano Rivera finished up, gloving Johnny Damon's high-chopper and throwing to first baseman Tino Martinez to set off a restrained on-field celebration.

Once inside the clubhouse, the Yankees sprayed champagne that dripped from the brims of the newest AL East Champion hats in their collection. For stalwarts like Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams, it is No. 9; for Robinson Cano, Aaron Small, Wang Chien-ming and Shawn Chacon, it is a first.

"I have been fortunate to be a part of this three times," Johnson said of his time with the Mariners and Diamondbacks. "But you could see a lot of new kids in here that haven't experienced this."

Mike Mussina taped up plastic in the clubhouse to protect the Yankees' lockers; it's his only responsibility in Boston since he won't be needed in the regular season finale. Instead, he will pitch Game 1 of the playoffs on Tuesday against Cleveland or the Los Angeles Angels.

Through a quirk in baseball's rules, the Yankees (95-66) won the division because of Cleveland's loss to Chicago in the AL Central. The loss by the Indians (93-68) eliminated the possibility of a three-way tie -- and an unprecedented two-game, three-team tiebreaker -- and gave New York the East by virtue of their 10-8 record against Boston (94-67). Small watched in the clubhouse and relayed the Indians' score to the dugout.

"He wins 10 games and gives you the final score, too," Torre joked with one of his coaches. "How much better can it get?"

The Red Sox finished second in the division for the eighth straight year, but it's not all bad news for them.

Their magic number to clinch the AL wild-card berth is one, meaning the defending World Series champions can do no worse than a tie -- news that got a medium-sized cheer when it was announced on the Fenway scoreboard.

If Boston loses on Sunday and Cleveland wins, they will meet at Fenway Park on Monday to decide the AL's last playoff berth. If Cleveland loses on Sunday, the Red Sox get the wild-card berth no matter what they do.

"It's the most unique situation you will see," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "What are the odds of us watching the Yankees celebrate and we're coming into the clubhouse as excited as you can be about playing the game tomorrow."

Curt Schilling (7-8) is scheduled to go against Jaret Wright (5-4) on Sunday at Fenway. If the Red Sox have a one-game playoff against Cleveland, Matt Clement (13-6) would pitch on three days' rest.

Johnson (17-8) allowed three runs, five hits and three walks, striking out eight in 7 1-3 innings. He walked Damon in the first before Manny Ramirez homered -- his first of two homers on the day. The 6-foot-10 left-hander walked a pair in the second, glaring at plate umpire Gary Darling when the calls didn't go his way.

But Johnson retired 16 of his last 18 batters after David Ortiz doubled to start the third. Only Tony Graffanino, who had three hits including a homer, seemed to solve the five-time Cy Young Award winner, acquired during the offseason to anchor their US$67 million rotation.

That staff quickly disintegrated with injuries and ineffectivenes, but Johnson did exactly what he was brought in to do, going 5-0 against Boston. Unexpected contributions from Small (10-0), Chacon (7-3), Wang (8-5) and Al Leiter (4-5) kept the team in the race after an 11-19 start -- the Yankees' worst since 1966 -- that put them nine games off the division lead.

New York trailed Boston by 5 1/2 games on the morning of Aug. 11 before going 35-12 the rest of the way.

"I'm proud of them, and delighted for our fans who stuck with us through this tough, exciting season," owner George Steinbrenner said through spokesman Howard Rubenstein. "But this is only the first step toward our goal, a championship."

Johnson was a big reason for the resurgence, going 6-0 with a 1.93 ERA in eight starts since Aug. 21. With New York down by four games on Sept. 11, he beat Wakefield 1-0 to start the final push.

"Every game out was like a bigger game for him," Jeter said, "and he got better and better."

Wakefield (16-12) started on three days' rest for the first time this year and gave up seven runs on seven hits, striking out one in five innings. He had won eight of his prior 10 decisions while avoiding the clunker of an outing that the knuckleball seems to produce, allowing only three homers in September.

But he quickly matched that on the first day of October.

Sheffield hit a two-run shot as New York took a 3-0 lead in the first. Ramirez's two-run homer in the bottom half cut the deficit to one run. The Yankees scored on a pair of sacrifice flies in the second inning and then made it 5-2 on Matsui's homer in the third.

Rodriguez added a solo shot in the fifth -- his 48th of the year, moving him ahead of Ortiz for the AL lead. Wakefield also allowed one of the more painful homers in Red Sox history when he gave up Aaron Boone's shot that ended Game 7 of the 2003 AL championship series.

The Red Sox recovered the next year, rallying from a 3-0 deficit in the AL championship series to celebrate on the field at Yankee Stadium, then sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals for their first World Series title since 1918.

But they'll have to wait at least one more day to find out if they've got a chance to defend their title.

White Sox 4, Indians 3

In Cleveland, Tadahito Iguchi hit a three-run homer off Jake Westbrook (15-15) in the seventh inning, and Chicago won to leave the Indians uncertain of their playoff fortunes.

Iguchi's shot to center, his 15th, snapped a 1-all tie and helped set up a Sunday in which the Indians, who didn't deliver with the bases loaded in the eighth, will have to win or have their inspirational season end in disappointment.

Cleveland lost by one run for the fifth time in six games.

Angels 7, Rangers 6

At Arlington, Texas, Garret Anderson, Orlando Cabrera and Juan Rivera homered, and Los Angeles held off Texas.

Scot Shields (10-11) pitched 1 1-3 innings of scoreless relief for the AL West champions, who won for the 13th time in 15 games. The Angels (94-67) are a game behind AL East champion New York (95-66) for the league's second-best record.

Los Angeles played without outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, who was given the night off. Manager Mike Scioscia said before the game that the 2004 AL MVP will play Sunday to tune up for the postseason.

National League
AP, HOUSTON, TEXAS

Roger Clemens allowed one run in seven innings while pitching on a still sore left hamstring, and the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 to move to the brink of the playoffs.

Houston (88-73) headed into the final scheduled day of the regular season with a one-game lead in the wild card over Philadelphia (87-74), which won 8-4 at Washington.

Roy Oswalt (19-12) starts Sunday for Houston, which clinched last year's wild-card berth on the final day. If the Astros lose and the Phillies win, Houston would go to Philadelphia for a one-game tiebreaker playoff Monday.

Phillies 8, Nationals 4

In Washington, Chase Utley homered twice, Ryan Howard hit an upper-deck shot and a three-run double, and Philadelphia beat Washington to send the National League wild-card chase down to the regular season's final day.

Brett Myers (13-8) had a career-high 12 strikeouts while limiting Washington to three runs on six hits and a walk over 6 2-3 innings. Ryan Madson, Aaron Fultz, Ugueth Urbina and Billy Wagner got the final seven outs, giving up a run.

Jimmy Rollins slapped a double just inside the bag at first on the game's first pitch to extend his hitting streak to 35 games, tied for the ninth-longest in MLB history.

Mets 3, Rockies 1

In New York, David Wright hit his 27th home run, helping the Mets beat Colorado for their 12th win in 15 games. With 83 wins, the Mets are assured of their best record since going 94-68 and reaching the World Series in 2000.

Wright broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth with his two-run drive off Mike Esposito (0-2), who was making his third major league start after being called up on Sept. 21.

Jae Seo (8-2) allowed six hits in six innings for his first win since Sept. 4. Roberto Hernandez pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
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