NEW YORK — The resilient New York Yankees powered their way to the club’s first AL East title since 2012, routing the Los Angeles Angels 9-1 on Thursday night behind three RBI each from old mainstay Brett Gardner and newcomer DJ LeMahieu.
A day after wasting a chance to clinch first place, the homer-happy Yankees went ahead when LeMahieu hit a three-run drive in the second inning and breezed to their 100th win.
Gardner, among just two holdovers from their last World Series championship team in 2009, added a solo shot in the fourth and then hit a two-run double in the sixth. Cameron Maybin and Clint Frazier homered for good measure in the eighth, and Aroldis Chapman struck out Albert Pujols to end it as fans’ cellphones flashed to record the moment.
Players lined up for handshakes and hugs, more exuberantly than usual, but there was no wild celebration on the field.
“We’ve got a lot bigger fish to fry, but this is the first step along the way,” Manager Aaron Boone said. “Nothing has got in their way. Whatever has come adversity-wise, they faced it and powered right through it.”
BLUE JAYS 8, ORIOLES 4: Cavan Biggio homered and had three RBI to offset a spectacular, homer-robbing catch by Austin Hays, and Toronto used a six-run seventh inning to win at Baltimore for a three-game sweep.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also went deep for the Blue Jays, who scored 27 runs in their first sweep at Camden Yards since July 2010.
Hays’ catch – and his enthusiasm in making it – belied the unimportance of a matchup between two teams that long ago dropped out of contention in the AL East.
INDIANS 7, TIGERS 0: Mike Clevinger pitched six shutdown innings, Franmil Reyes homered in his return to the lineup and Cleveland won at home to move into a tie for the second AL wild card.
The Indians defeated the Tigers for the 17th straight time this season to match a franchise record set against Baltimore in 1954. Cleveland won 18 of 19 in the season series and outscored Detroit, 116-38.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
BRAVES 5, PHILLIES 4: Ronald Acuna Jr. became the second-youngest player in baseball history to hit 40 homers in a season, Freddie Freeman also drove in two runs and Atlanta won at home to clinch at least a tie for first place in the NL East.
With eight games left in the regular season, a second straight division title seems a formality for the Braves. They hold a 91/2-game lead over the Washington Nationals, who have played three fewer games and were off.
The Braves officially can celebrate as soon as Friday with either a victory over San Francisco or if Washington loses at Miami.
BREWERS 5, PADRES 1: Lorenzo Cain homered before exiting with a sore ankle, Milwaukee pitchers combined to strike out 16 and the Brewers improved their playoff position by beating visiting San Diego.
The Brewers are 7-2 since reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich broke his right kneecap on a foul ball.
Ryan Braun, who struck out with a runner on second to end a 2-1 loss to the Padres on Wednesday night, put Milwaukee ahead with an RBI double in the first inning off Joey Lucchesi (10-9). The Brewers added a run in the third.
INTERLEAGUE
MARINERS 6, PIRATES 5: Shed Long had three hits and scored the go-ahead run in the 11th on an unusual inning-ending double play as Seattle won at Pittsburgh.
The Mariners swept the three-game series between last-place teams and sent the Pirates to their sixth straight loss.
NOTES
YANKEES: Pitcher Domingo German was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball because of domestic violence.
MLB didn’t give details but said the leave “may last up to seven days, barring an extension.” MLB is investigating and said it will have no further comment.
n Yankees reliever Dellin Betances was told surgery is not recommended for the partially torn Achilles tendon that ended his season after eight pitches.
INDIANS: Third baseman Jose Ramirez took batting practice for the first time since breaking his right hand last month and is hoping to return before the end of the regular season.
Ramirez had surgery for a broken hamate bone Aug. 26, and the expected recovery window had him slated for game action in early October. The last day of the regular season is Sept. 29.
CUBS: Chicago activated closer Craig Kimbrel from the injured list.
Kimbrel has been out since Sept. 1 due to inflammation in his right elbow.
MARLINS: A person familiar with the negotiations said Manager Don Mattingly has agreed to a contract extension and will return for a fifth season in 2020.
Mattingly’s contract was to expire after this season. He became the Marlins’ manager in 2016 and has guided the team during a rebuilding project aftere trading away Christian Yelich, Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, Dee Gordon and J.T. Realmuto.
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