The regular season has been such a rousing success for the Yankees that even fourth-string backups and little-known minor leaguers are getting in on the fun. That's just fine with A.J. Burnett, who has plenty of whipped cream for all of them. Burnett pitched well in an encouraging playoff tuneup and New York rallied for two runs in the ninth inning Tuesday night, beating the Kansas City Royals…
Manager Bobby Cox wasn't terribly concerned after the Atlanta Braves lost a tight game in a close playoff race. "We almost pulled it off," Cox said. "We had the bases loaded. We had a couple chances. Anything can happen." Jorge Cantu hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh and the Florida Marlins damaged Atlanta's playoff hopes, winning 5-4 Tuesday night to snap the…
The Detroit Tigers were down after absorbing a difficult loss in the opener of their critical day-night doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins. Their ace took over from there. Justin Verlander kept the Tigers on top in the AL Central, pitching eight innings in a 6-5 victory Tuesday night that restored their two-game lead over the scrappy Twins.
A pregame pep talk from their manager helped the Philadelphia Phillies get back on track. Pedro Feliz hit a grand slam, J.A. Happ pitched effectively into the sixth inning and the Phillies moved closer toward clinching their third straight NL East title with a 7-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
The Baltimore Orioles reached another low point in a lost season. Rookie Wade Davis allowed one run over seven innings, Carl Crawford got his career-high 60th steal and the Tampa Bay Rays handed the Orioles their 12th straight loss with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night. "I talked to the ballclub and I said everybody is doing the very best they can.
Ryan Dempster pitched a five-hitter for his third career shutout, Jeff Baker had a two-run double and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 on Tuesday night. Derrek Lee added a two-run single for the Cubs, who have won seven of nine games. The Cubs (82-74) guaranteed a winning record for the third straight season.
Scott Kazmir has been scratched from his scheduled start for the Los Angeles Angels, who want to give their new left-hander a little extra rest for the postseason. Sean O'Sullivan replaced Kazmir about two hours before the Angels faced the Rangers on Tuesday night. Los Angeles clinched its sixth playoff berth in eight seasons Monday with an 11-0 win over Texas.
The AL Central race got even wilder. Orlando Cabrera hit a go-ahead single in the 10th inning after a pair of wild pitches and the Minnesota Twins closed within one game of first-place Detroit, beating the Tigers 3-2 Tuesday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader. "This is playoff baseball — we just got started a little early this year," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said.
Former major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch has been charged with assaulting his common-law wife. A judge set Knoblauch's bond at $10,000 after he appeared in court Tuesday. According to a criminal complaint, Knoblauch's wife told police he hit her in the face and then choked her at their Houston home on Friday.
Mike Scioscia stalked the clubhouse with a soaked T-shirt and a bottle of champagne, looking for somebody to hug. Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno was an easy target. The Angels' two bosses reveled in another division title and another playoff berth Monday night, celebrating another year of success for a franchise with regular postseason reservations — and a few reservations about how…
