James Shields

Jonny Gomes smacked a solo home run and Oakland beat Texas 3-1, leaving the playoff-bound clubs deadlocked for a division lead entering the last day of the Major League Baseball season.

Raul Ibanez hit a game-tying two-run homer and knocked in the winning run with a single in the 12th inning to give the New York Yankees a crucial 4-3 Major League Baseball victory over Boston.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers won the American League Cy Young Award as the top pitcher on Tuesday, capping a brilliant season in which he led the league in wins, earned run average and strikeouts.

Detroit ace Justin Verlander won the American League Cy Young Award on Tuesday, a unanimous selection after he achieved pitching's version of the triple crown.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers won the American League Cy Young Award as the top pitcher on Tuesday, capping a brilliant season in which he led the league in wins, earned run average and strikeouts.

ARLINGTON, Texas (Reuters) - The Texas Rangers rallied from an early deficit then survived a late scare to edge the Tampa Bay Rays 8-6 on Saturday and level their best-of-five American League divisional series at 1-1.

Tampa Bay, who seized a Major League playoff berth in the most unlikely fashion, kept the momentum going with a 9-0 victory over the Texas Rangers in their post-season opener.

Tampa Bay, who seized a Major League playoff berth in the most unlikely fashion, kept the momentum going with a 9-0 victory over the Texas Rangers in their post-season opener.

Tampa Bay, who seized a Major League playoff berth in the most unlikely fashion, kept the momentum going with a 9-0 victory over the Texas Rangers in their post-season opener.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two powerhouse top seeds in the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees, and a pair of wild card Cinderellas make for intriguing match-ups in the first round of Major League Baseball playoffs starting Friday.

The New York Yankees have become the third Major League Baseball team to clinch a playoff berth, defeating Tampa Bay 4-2 while Boston lost to claim the American League East division crown.

The New York Yankees became the third Major League Baseball team to clinch a playoff berth by defeating Tampa Bay 4-2 on Wednesday, moving them closer to an American League East division title.

Major League Baseball's 2011 all-star game has been hit with a mass exodus of players as two more players pulled out bringing the total of no shows to 16 so far.

TAMPA BAY (Reuters) - The Cleveland Indians capitalized on a Tampa Bay error to snap a three-game losing streak with a 7-3 win at Tropicana Field Saturday.

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Reuters) - Alex Rodriguez launched two home runs to lift the New York Yankees out of their funk with a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

Postseason replay: Playoffs marked by more disputed calls from umpires. A few years ago, four umpires gathered in the middle of the diamond to sort out a home-run-or-not call that none of them clearly saw. As arguments raged around them and a crazed crowd looked at TV monitors and howled, one of the umps simply said to his crewmates: "It's a shame that there are 50,000 people here tonight and we're the only people who don't know what happened."

Wilson gives up 2 hits in 6 2-3, Rangers top Rays 6-0 to close in on first playoff series win. Following Cliff Lee in the postseason is a tough act, yet C.J. Wilson made it look easy.

Playoff Capsules. Andy Pettitte gave the New York Yankees yet another clutch performance in the postseason, pitching seven smooth innings in a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday evening for a 2-0 lead in their AL division series.

Texas slugger Michael Young smacked a three-run home run to help power the Rangers past Tampa Bay 6-0 on Thursday and put the team on the brink of its first playoff series triumph.

Rays manager Joe Maddon ejected from Game 2 in ALDS by plate umpire Jim Wolf. Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected from Game 2 of the AL division series for arguing a checked swing by Texas' Michael Young.