Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay outlasted the Baltimore Orioles in an epic encounter that finally ended at 2.08a.m. local time when the Rays scored in the bottom of the 18th inning to register a 5-4 victory.
David DeJesus led off the game and nearly seven hours later ended it, knocking in the winning run with one out to delight the home fans - at least those that were still awake.
It was the longest game in Rays and Orioles history by time (6 hours, 54 minutes) and for Tampa Bay in innings.
The 21 pitchers used collectively set a major league record. The 11 used by the Rays tied the major league mark.
The game was crucial for both teams, who are seeking wild-card berths in the American League.
The win takes Tampa to the top of the wild-card race, half a game ahead of Cleveland, while the cruel loss drops Baltimore 2 behind Cleveland.
The Tampa players won’t have much time to celebrate, as the teams will be back in action again less than 11 hours after finishing their marathon encounter.
The Boston Red Sox completed their amazing turnaround from worst to first when they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 at Fenway Park yesterday.
Jon Lester threw seven strong innings for his 100th career victory as the Red Sox clinched just their second American League East title since 1995.
Boston’s last AL East crown came in 2007, when it went on to win the World Series. One year ago, the Red Sox were at the tail end of a dismal 69-win season, the franchise’s worst since 1966 (72-90).
Elsewhere, Max Scherzer became the first 20-game winner of the MLB season and Torii Hunter drove in three runs with four hits to help the Detroit Tigers clinch a decisive victory over the Chicago White Sox 12-5 in near-constant rain. REUTERS
