18 Sep 2011

Detroit Tigers win ALC

10:02 am on 18 September 2011

The Detroit Tigers baseball side has clinched the American League Central with a 3-1 win over the Oakland Athletics, capturing their first division title since 1987.

The Tigers (88-63) became the first team to win their division this season and joined the Philadelphia Phillies in the postseason.

In Boston, Mike Aviles hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to lift the Red Sox to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston extended their lead over the Rays in the AL wild card race to four games, while the LA Angels dropped five behind with an 8-3 loss to Baltimore.

The Tigers will make their first post-season appearance since 2006 when they qualified as the wild card team and lost the World Series.

Philadelphia's 'magic number' to clinch the NL East is one following the Atlanta Braves' 12-2 loss to the New York Mets.

St. Louis moved to within 3 games of the Braves in the NL wild card race, and the San Francisco Giants trail Atlanta by five after their 9-1 win over Colorado.