ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - The Texas Rangers are AL West champions again.
Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre hit long home runs and Craig Gentry had an inside-the-park homer in a 5-3 victory over Seattle on Friday night. About two hours later, the Rangers had their second consecutive division title after the Los Angeles Angels lost to Oakland.
The regular Friday night fireworks show went on as usual after the Rangers (91-66) finished their game.
Fans were then invited to stick around and watch the Angels on the stadium's large video screen. Several thousand fans stayed in the stands and many of the Rangers players sat on the field with their families.
Matt Harrison (14-9) worked six innings for the Rangers.
Rookie Anthony Vasquez (1-5) gave up three homers and seven hits over 3 1-3 innings.
Athletics 3, Angels 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Gio Gonzalez outdueled Jered Weaver and the Oakland Athletics scored the go-ahead run on an eighth-inning error, beating Los Angeles and eliminating the Angels from the AL West race.
The loss dropped Los Angeles 3½ games behind Boston in the AL wild-card race.
Los Angeles lost for the fifth time in eight games, blunting its charge toward a playoff spot. The Angels have only five games left to catch the Red Sox.
Gonzalez (15-12) matched his win total of last season, allowing a run and three hits in 7 1-3 innings.
It was 1-all in the eighth when Kurt Suzuki led off with a single against Weaver (18-8). Suzuki moved up on a sacrifice by Scott Sizemore, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielding error by third baseman Maicer Izturis on Weeks' grounder.
Blue Jays 5, Rays 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Brandon Morrow pitched seven scoreless innings and the Toronto Blue Jays further dampened Tampa Bay's playoff hopes, beating David Price and the Rays.
The Rays have lost four of five and dropped 2½ games behind Boston in the AL wild-card race. The Red Sox were rained out at New York.
A night after pounding out 17 hits in a 15-8 road romp at Yankee Stadium, the Rays were limited to Matt Joyce's second-inning infield single until Casey Kotchman singled with one out in the seventh off Morrow (11-11).
Morrow allowed two hits, walked four and struck out nine.
Kelly Johnson had a RBI single in the third and a solo homer in the sixth, both off Price (12-13).
Indians 6, Twins 5
CLEVELAND (AP) - Jim Thome gave Cleveland fans one more memory, and so did Carlos Santana, whose pinch-hit homer leading off the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Indians over the Minnesota Twins.
Thome went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, including a two-run homer, the 604th of his career, on a night he was honored in pregame ceremonies.
Santana, batting for Lou Marson, drove the first pitch from Matt Capps (4-7) over the wall in right center for his 26th homer.
Chris Perez (4-7) pitched one perfect inning as Cleveland pulled out a dramatic win for Thome, who has said he will wait until the offseason to announce whether or not he wants to return for a 22nd season in 2012.
Tigers 4, Orioles 3, 11 innings
DETROIT (AP) - Victor Martinez's run-scoring double in the 11th inning sent the Detroit Tigers past the Baltimore Orioles.
Brandon Inge drew a leadoff walk from Willie Eyre (2-2) and Miguel Cabrera, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning, hit a one-out single. Rookie Zach Phillips came on to face Martinez and gave up the game-ending double on his third pitch.
Alfredo Simon pitched the first eight innings for Baltimore, allowing three runs and six hits.
Rick Porcello allowed three runs, nine hits and a walk in seven innings. Ryan Perry (1-0) got the win with a scoreless 11th.
Royals 11, White Sox 1
CHICAGO (AP) - Bruce Chen allowed two hits in eight innings and the Kansas Royals backed him with four home runs in a romp over the Chicago White Sox.
Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, Alcides Escobar and Jeff Francoeur connected for the Royals. Kansas City has won nine of 11 overall in a late-season surge.
Chen (12-8) finished 3-1 this season against the White Sox, with all three of the wins at U.S. Cellular Field.
With manager Ozzie Guillen's future unclear, Chicago has lost 10 of 13. All of the Royals' homers came off Zach Stewart (2-6), who gave up 12 hits and nine runs and also committed two errors in four-plus innings.