Red Sox clinch AL East with win over Yankees
For the third successive MLB season, the Boston Red Sox have been crowned American League East champions.
Boston earned the title with an 11-6 win over rivals the New York Yankees on Thursday.
It was the Red Sox's 104th win of the season, which marked the second-highest total for a team behind a rookie manager. The 1961 Yankees won 109 games under Ralph Houk.
Mookie Betts led the Red Sox with four hits, three runs scored, a home run and five RBIs. He is now batting .339 with 30 home runs this season.
CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/JUOQEni9bY
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) September 21, 2018
Jackie Bradley Jr. and Brock Holt also hit home runs, while Rafael Devers collected two hits and two runs scored. Boston touched up Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka to the tune of five earned runs in four innings.
Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton hit a fourth-inning grand slam, but it was not enough to topple the Red Sox.
ATHLETICS FLEX MUSCLES IN CRUSHING VICTORY
How does one follow a 10-0 shut-out win against a division rival? Go out and score 21 runs, at least that is what the Oakland Athletics did in a 21-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Marcus Semien led the way with three hits and five RBIs, but almost everyone on the team had multiple hits. Eight players scored at least two runs.
RAYS CRUMBLE AS JAYS STAGE STUNNING COMEBACK
Protecting a comfy 8-2 lead entering the ninth inning, the Tampa Bay Rays' combination of Jaime Schultz and Sergio Romo allowed seven earned runs to see the Toronto Blue Jays storm from behind with seven ninth-inning runs and win 9-8.
RENDON POSTS MILESTONE
There is no stopping Anthony Rendon after the Washington Nationals star hit his 100th career homer, meaning he has safely reached base in 28 successive outings.
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— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 21, 2018
With his 100th career HR, Anthony Rendon has now reached base safely in 28 straight games. pic.twitter.com/YkkFDOrGBX
THURSDAY'S RESULTS
Oakland Athletics 21-3 Los Angeles Angels
New York Mets 5-4 Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox 11-6 New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays 9-8 Tampa Bay Rays
Chicago White Sox 5-4 Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers 11-8 Kansas City Royals
Cincinnati Reds 4-2 Miami Marlins
Atlanta Braves 8-3 Philadelphia Phillies
ROCKIES AT DIAMONDBACKS
Both teams are trying to chase down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. German Marquez (12-10, 3.96 ERA) will start for the Colorado Rockies, while the Arizona Diamondbacks will counter with Zack Godley (14-10, 4.79 ERA). Both teams are still technically in the postseason picture, but only the Rockies have a real chance of sneaking in at this point.
