Red Sox Clinch Wild Card, Will Face Yankees

The Boston Red Sox clinched a postseason berth with a 4–3 walk-off win at Fenway Park when Ceddanne Rafaela ripped a ninth-inning triple that scored Romy Gonzalez, ending a three-year playoff drought. Boston secured the second AL wild-card and will be the No. 5 seed, traveling to Yankee Stadium to face the No. 4 New York Yankees in a best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 30. The Toronto Blue Jays clinched the AL East and the No. 1 seed via a tiebreaker over the Yankees, while the Seattle Mariners earned the No. 2 seed and an ALDS bye. The other AL wild-card matchup will pit No. 3 Cleveland against No. 6 Detroit. In the National League, Milwaukee and Philadelphia secured top seeds and byes, and Cincinnati clinched the final wild-card to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wild-card play begins Tuesday, and analysts say short series will put a premium on starting pitching depth and bullpen health.