With two days remaining in Major League Baseball's regular season, the Boston Red Sox have caught the New York Yankees atop the division standings.
The Red Sox beat their archrivals, 5-3, in Boston Friday. That guarantees the American League East title will not be decided until at least Sunday, with a possible one-game playoff on Monday in New York.
Defending World Series champion Boston scored three runs in the sixth inning on a bases-loaded walk, followed by two unearned runs after a throwing error by Yankee first-baseman Jason Giambi.
In another key AL game, the Cleveland Indians lost 3-2 in 13 innings against the visiting Chicago White Sox, who have already clinched the Central division. Cleveland's loss leaves the Indians one game back in the battle for the AL wild-card playoff berth.
Three of the eight playoff spots have yet to be decided, including the National League wild card. The Houston Astros' lead over the Philadelphia Phillies is now just one game, after the Astros lost to the Chicago Cubs, 4-3, and the Phillies beat the Washington Nationals by the same score (4-3). Houston scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Friday to take a one-run lead, only to give up two runs in the ninth.
If the Astros and Phillies are tied at the end of the regular season, they would meet in a one-game playoff Monday in Philadelphia.
In other National League games Friday, the Florida Marlins defeated the East division champion Atlanta Braves, 5-2. The Central division-winning St. Louis Cardinals thumped the Cincinnati Reds, 12-6. The West champion San Diego Padres got by the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1. The Milwaukee Brewers edged the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-5. The New York Mets got by the Colorado Rockies, 3-2. And the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants, 7-3.
Back in the American League, the West division champion Los Angeles Angels downed the Texas Rangers, 7-1. The Toronto Blue Jays crushed the Kansas City Royals, 10-1. The Baltimore Orioles eked out a 7-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Minnesota Twins downed the Detroit Tigers, 7-3. And the Seattle Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics, 4-1.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.