AMERICAN LEAGUE
Coco Crisp hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning as the Oakland Athletics beat the first-place Texas Rangers 4-3 on Thursday to avoid a series sweep.
Reigning AL champions the Rangers had their magic number for winning the AL West Division reduced to two when the Angels lost to Toronto later on Thursday night.
Photo: Reuters
Texas, who started the day with a five-game lead over the Angels, head home for three games against the Mariners, before ending the regular season at Anaheim.
Grant Balfour (5-2) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the win, then Andrew Bailey finished for his 21st save in 23 chances as the A’s snapped Texas’ four-game winning streak.
Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba left in the eighth after experiencing a headache following a foul tip.
TWINS 3, MARINERS 2
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Rene Tosoni hit an RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning as Minnesota ended an 11-game losing streak by beating Seattle.
The Twins avoided another sweep and won for just the second time in 17 games. It was the third-longest losing streak in Minnesota’s 51-season history, behind a 14-game slide in 1982 and a 13-game drought in 1961, the first year the franchise moved from Washington.
Trevor Plouffe drew a two-out walk from Steve Delabar (1-1) and Tosoni followed with a drive that hopped off the right-field wall. Plouffe slid home, easily beating the relay.
RAYS 15, YANKEES 8
In New York, Matt Moore struck out 11 batters in five innings of his first major league start as Tampa Bay unloaded on the watered-down Yankees a night after New York clinched the AL East title.
The Rays avoided a four-game sweep and pulled within two games of idle Boston in the AL wild-card race. Both teams have six games left.
Before this game, New York catcher Russell Martin said how much he hated the Red Sox and would like to see them miss the playoffs. Tampa Bay took advantage of four Yankees errors and romped.
B.J. Upton was a double shy of the cycle in four at-bats, Ben Zobrist homered among his three hits and Johnny Damon also connected for Tampa Bay. Facing a lineup of backups and rookies, the Rays roughed up Bartolo Colon and led 13-0 in the fifth inning.
In other AL games, it was:
‧ Indians 11, White Sox 2
‧ Blue Jays 4, Angels 3
‧ Orioles 6, Tigers 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, ST LOUIS, MISSOURI
The St Louis Cardinals blew a four-run lead in the ninth inning and hurt their wild-card hopes when shortstop Rafael Furcal misplayed a potential double-play grounder, allowing the New York Mets to rally for an 8-6 win on Thursday.
Ahead 6-2, the Cardinals walked three batters in helping the Mets take the lead with a six-run burst. Willie Harris drew a walk to begin the inning and capped it with a tiebreaking, two-run single with two outs.
The loss dropped St Louis two games behind idle Atlanta for the wild card. Each team have six games left. The Cardinals lost for only the third time in 16 games.
The Mets, who had lost nine of their previous 11, came back against three St Louis relievers.
NATIONALS 6, PHILLIES 1
In Philadelphia, Brad Peacock, making just his second major league start, pitched 5-2/3 scoreless innings and Michael Morse hit a three-run homer as Washington downed Philadelphia.
Roger Bernadina drove in two runs for the Nationals (76-79), who handed the division champions their sixth straight loss. Washington have won five straight overall and eight in a row on the road, and need to win five of their final six for the organization’s first season over .500 since 2003.
Carlos Ruiz had three hits and an RBI for the Phillies (98-58), who clinched their fifth straight NL East title last Saturday night, but have not won since. The season-high six-game skid is Philadelphia’s longest since May last year.
DODGERS 8, GIANTS 2
In Los Angeles, Matt Kemp went four-for-five with a two-run homer and a career-high three doubles in his final home game of the season, while Juan Rivera homered and drove in three runs as Los Angeles pushed San Francisco to the brink of elimination in the NL West playoff race.
The Giants were to open a three-game series at first-place Arizona yesterday and a victory by the Diamondbacks, who were idle on Thursday, would eliminate the defending World Series champions.
In the other NL game, it was:
‧ Astros 9, Rockies 6
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