NEW YORK (AP) - Ivan Nova pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning, Curtis Granderson drove in four runs and the New York Yankees moved within one win of a playoff berth by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0 on Tuesday night.
Granderson hit a three-run double and reached base four times, boosting his MVP credentials as the Yankees slowed Tampa Bay's charge at rival Boston in the AL wild-card race. New York can secure its 16th postseason trip in 17 years with one victory in Wednesday's day-night doubleheader against the Rays.
In fact, the AL East leaders are in with a win over Tampa Bay in any of their six remaining matchups this season. And it won't take much more to wrap up the division title, too. The Yankees opened a six-game lead over second-place Boston, their largest of the season.
Tampa Bay remained two games behind the Red Sox for the AL wild card. Boston lost to the Orioles 7-5.
Orioles 7, Red Sox 5
BOSTON (AP) - Robert Andino's three-run double in the eighth inning gave the Orioles a win and ruined a chance for the Red Sox to extend their two-game lead in the AL wild-card race.
Andino's go-ahead hit came off Jonathan Papelbon, who had gone 21 games since last allowing a run on July 16. It was his second blown save of the season and first since May 9, the last time he entered a game before the ninth inning.
The Red Sox seemed headed for a three-game, wild-card lead over Tampa Bay, which lost to the New York Yankees 5-0 on Tuesday. But their struggles continued as they fell to 4-13 since leading the Rays by nine games on Sept. 3. Boston has seven games remaining and Tampa Bay has nine.
Angels 10, Blue Jays 6
TORONTO (AP) - Mark Trumbo hit a three-run homer, Vernon Wells added a solo shot and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-6 on Tuesday night.
Trumbo went 2 for 5 with four RBIs and Erick Aybar stole home as the Angels kept their faint postseason hopes alive. Los Angeles remained five games behind Texas in the AL West, and moved within 3 1/2 games of Boston in the wild card race.
Joel Pineiro (7-7) allowed four runs and nine hits in six-plus innings to win for the second time in three starts. He walked two and struck out three.
Rich Thompson, Bobby Cassevah each worked one inning of relief, Garrett Richards got two outs in the ninth and Scott Downs finished for his first save.
Rangers 7, Athletics 2
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Adrian Beltre hit a three-run homer in the first that held up for 15-game winner Derek Holland, and the AL West-leading Rangers beat the Athletics.
Michael Young hit an RBI single in the third that gave him 200 hits for the sixth season and drove in another run in the eighth, Mike Napoli also singled in a run and Texas won for the seventh time in eight games and eighth in 10.
The first-place Rangers maintained their five-game division lead over Los Angeles after the Angels won 10-6 at Toronto. Reigning AL champion Texas is 12-5 in September. The Rangers magic number to win the AL West is down to four.
Rookie Michael Taylor hit his first major league home run in the fifth - his 18th career at-bat - for Oakland's lone run against Holland (15-5), who won his fourth straight decision.
Indians 4, White Sox 3, 1st Game
White Sox 5, Indians 4, 2nd Game
CLEVELAND (AP) - Alexei Ramirez's seventh-inning single broke the game's final tie and led Chicago to a win over the Indians, giving the White Sox a split of the day-night doubleheader.
Asdrubal Cabrera's solo home run and six strong innings from Fausto Carmona gave Cleveland a victory in the first game.
The teams, who were eliminated from the AL Central race last week when Detroit clinched the division, are battling for second place. The Indians lead the White Sox by 1 1/2 games.
Matt Thornton (2-5) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win in the second game and Chris Sale went the final 1 2-3 innings for his seventh save.
Cleveland took a 4-3 lead into the seventh before Chicago rallied against rookie reliever Zach Putnam (0-1).
Royals 10, Tigers 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Eric Hosmer went 5 for 5 with a three-run homer and Luis Mendoza got his first major league win in more than three years in the Royals' win over the Tigers.
Hosmer's five-hit game was the first by a Royals player since Billy Butler on July 27, 2009.
Mendoza, the Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year after going 12-5 with a league-best 2.18 ERA, held the Tigers to two runs, one unearned, and six hits in seven innings in his first big league appearance since April 19, 2010.
Mendoza (1-0) got his first major league victory since Aug. 3, 2008 while with the Texas Rangers, an 8-4 decision over Toronto.
Mariners 5, Twins 4
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Mike Carp had five hits, Adam Kennedy hit a tiebreaking infield single in the seventh inning and the Mariners beat the Twins, sending Minnesota to its 10th straight loss.
The Twins haven't had a 10 game losing streak since September 1998.
Jason Vargas (9-13) pitched six innings, allowing nine hits and four runs, though only three were earned. Alex Liddi hit his second career homer for Seattle.
The Twins loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth against closer Brandon League, but Brandon League managed to convert his 35th save in 40 chances on a strikeout and pair of groundouts.
Brian Duensing (9-14) gave up one run in relief for Minnesota.