Nick Swisher and Milton Bradley each homered in a four-run second inning on Tuesday to back Rich Harden's five shutout innings and help the Oakland Athletics clinch the American League West title with a 12-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
The win, combined with the Los Angeles Angels' 5-2 loss against Texas, gave Oakland its first division title since 2003 and the 14th in franchise history. The small-budget A's are back in the playoffs after a two-year absence thanks to a sensational second half -- a hallmark for this club in recent years.
Oakland could have wrapped up the championship at home last weekend, but it dropped two straight games to the Angels. Los Angeles then beat Texas on Monday night, while the A's blew a 9-3 lead and lost to Seattle -- keeping their magic number at two for the third day in a row.
PHOTO: AP
But Oakland jumped out to a big lead on Tuesday and celebrated after the final out by jumping up and down in the middle of the infield.
Next up, the A's will try to advance to the AL championship series following four first-round exits from 2000-2003.
Harden (4-0) was staked to an early 5-0 lead. Making just his second start since June because he was on the disabled list with an elbow injury, the right-hander showed he's ready for the postseason, allowing only two singles and striking out five in a dominant performance.
PHOTO: AP
Rangers 5, Angels 2
At Anaheim, California, Robinson Tejeda pitched 6 2-3 strong innings, Mark Teixeira hit a two-run homer and Texas beat Los Angeles.
About 20 minutes after the loss, Oakland beat Seattle 12-3 to clinch the AL West and eliminate the Angels from the playoffs. The Angels had knocked a game off Oakland's lead in the AL West for three consecutive days with a three-game winning streak, but things unraveled quickly against the Rangers.
Tigers 4, Blue Jays 3
At Detroit, Placido Polanco drove in three runs, Jeremy Bonderman pitched six solid innings and Detroit held off Toronto to kept their lead in the AL Central.
Detroit began the day with a one-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the division and the Tigers remained tied with the New York Yankees, who beat Baltimore 5-4, for the AL's best record (95-62). The Tigers have won eight of 11 after a prolonged slump.
Polanco hit a two-run, two-out single in the second inning and his squeeze bunt in the sixth gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead. The Blue Jays pulled within a run in the seventh on Frank Catalanotto's single and when Alex Rios scored on a passed ball.
Yankees 5, Orioles 4
At New York, Cory Lidle pitched neatly into the seventh inning in a playoff audition, Bobby Abreu and Robinson Cano homered and New York held off Baltimore for its 95th victory.
Yankees manager Joe Torre is still trying to pick a fourth starter for the postseason. The choice seems to be between Lidle and Jaret Wright, with the odd man out likely to wind up in long relief.
Lidle (4-3) gave up solo home runs to nemesis Jay Gibbons, Ramon Hernandez and Corey Patterson in 6 2-3 innings. It was Lidle's longest outing since Philadelphia traded him to the Yankees -- he was 8-7 for the Phillies -- with Abreu on July 30.
Scott Proctor pitched the ninth for his first major league save, giving up Jeff Fiorentino's RBI single before stranding two runners.
The Orioles lost their third in a row. Manager Sam Perlozzo was ejected in the sixth when he argued that Miguel Tejada had checked his swing on an inside pitch that sent the Baltimore cleanup man spinning into the dirt.
Ryan Zimmerman went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs on Tuesday, leading the Washington Nationals to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, who are trying to reach the postseason for the first time since 1993.
The Phillies dropped a game behind the Dodgers in the NL wild-card standings. Los Angeles beat Colorado 11-4.
After Chase Utley's RBI-single -- his third hit -- off Nationals closer Chad Cordero drew Philadelphia within a run with two outs in the ninth, Ryan Howard flied out to deep center to end the game. Cordero earned his 29th save.
The Phillies left 10 runners on base.
Zimmerman lifted his RBI total to 107 with a run-scoring groundout in the first and a two-run double in the third, both off Brett Myers (12-7).
Dodgers 11, Rockies 4
In Denver, Nomar Garciaparra homered and drove in three runs, Russell Martin hit a bases-loaded triple and Greg Maddux won the 332nd game of his career as the Dodgers took over the NL wild-card lead.
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