MLB wrap: Red Sox clinch AL East with win over Yankees

Alec Brzezinski

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MLB wrap: Red Sox clinch AL East with win over Yankees image

For the third straight season, the Red Sox have been crowned American League East champions.

Boston earned the title Thursday with an 11-6 win over the Yankees. It was their 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.

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 wasn't enough to topple the Red Sox.

Stud of the Night

The Athletics: How does one follow a 10-0 shutout win against a division rival? Go out and score 21 runs, at least that's what the Athletics did Thursday in a 21-3 win over the 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.

Dud of the Night

Rays bullpen: Protecting a comfy 8-2 lead entering the ninth inning, the combination of Jaime Schultz and Sergio Romo allowed seven earned runs to see the Blue Jays storm from behind with seven ninth-inning runs and win, 9-8.

Highlight

There's no stopping Anthony Rendon:

What's Next

Rockies (82-70) at Diamondbacks (79-74) 9:40 p.m. ET — Both teams are trying to chase down the Dodgers in the National League West. German Marquez (12-10, 3.96 ERA) will start for Colorado, while Arizona 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.

 

Alec Brzezinski