By Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times –
The New York Yankees rallied from a four-run fifth-inning deficit for a 9-6 victory Sunday over Toronto that kept them tied with Baltimore atop the American League East with three games to go.
New York pulled away on Curtis Granderson’s two-run single in the ninth inning.
But it wasn’t until later, when Texas beat the Los Angeles Angels, 8-7, in the second game of a doubleheader that the Yankees could breathe easier. The Angels’ loss clinched playoff spots for the Yankees, Rangers and Baltimore Orioles, who are in the postseason for the first time since 1997.
“Tonight was a season-defining game for us,” Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher said.
The Yankees close with three home games against Boston. The Orioles, who completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox with a 6-3 win, close with three games at Tampa Bay, which kept its flickering wild-card hopes alive with a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Detroit took a huge step toward the AL Central title, as Prince Fielder hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to give the Tigers a 2-1 win over Minnesota and a three-game lead over the White Sox.
In the National League, St. Louis continued to prolong Washington’s wait to win the East with a 10-4 victory over the Nationals that kept the Cardinals’ lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second wild-card spot at two games.
