Canseco Lifts Boston To East Division Crown

American League

Mo Vaughn stood on second, pumping his fist toward Jose Canseco, who had just delivered the decisive run - and the A.L. East title - with a broken-bat single, not a trademark homer.

Canseco did what the Red Sox hoped he would do when they traded with Texas for him in the off-season. His seventh-inning hit Wednesday night gave Boston a 3-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers and its first division championship since 1990.

“That’s why we got him,” Vaughn said. “He set out to do a job and he did it and that’s why we are right here.”

The usually serious Vaughn smiled in the champagne-soaked clubhouse after he and several teammates had taken celebratory rides on horses of mounted policemen who rode onto the field after the victory.

Canseco has been a key to Boston’s season, hitting .306 with 24 homers and 77 RBIs, including two RBIs Wednesday.

“I really didn’t think about it,” Canseco said of filling the hero’s role the Red Sox hoped he would fill. “I just thought about getting that base hit, putting us ahead.”

And he didn’t mind that he did it with a single through the infield instead of a homer far over the left-field wall.

“I would have rather had the single than hit a line drive to the shortstop,” he said. “That ball was surgically placed.”

Athletics 9, Angels 6

Oakland, Calif.

The 1995 California Angels are being mentioned in the same vein as the 1978 Boston Red Sox, 1969 Chicago Cubs, 1964 Philadelphia Phillies and 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers, and if you are aware of baseball history, you know that’s no compliment.

The Angels lost to Oakland before a paid crowd of 11,854, making the game semi-interesting with a six-run ninth inning before losing for the seventh consecutive time. The nose-diving Angels have lost 25 of 33 games and all of an A.L. West lead that was at 11 games on Aug. 9.

In the first inning Wednesday, Angels starter Shawn Boskie gave up a three-run shot to Mark McGwire, a 465-foot blast that caromed off the last row of the left-field bleachers. It was the 15th time in the last 29 games that the Angels have allowed a first-inning homer.

Twins 5, Royals 4 (12)

Kansas City, Mo.

Rich Becker singled home the go-ahead run in the 12th inning and Minnesota beat Kansas City, further derailing the Royals’ wild card hopes.

About 500 fans from the announced crowd of 12,372 were left in the stands when Wally Joyner struck out with a runner on first base to end the game.

Yankees 2, Blue Jays 1

New York

Sterling Hitchcock pitched a six-hitter in his final scheduled start of the season, keeping New York near the top of the wild card standings.

Orioles 6, Tigers 3

Detroit

Rafael Palmeiro tied a career high with his 37th home run, and Scott Erickson pitched his sixth complete game of the season for Baltimore.

Brady Anderson and Harold Baines also homered in support of Erickson (12-10), who earned his third win without a loss in September.

White Sox 4, Indians 3

Chicago

Chris Snopek had three hits, including his first major-league home run, and Chicago beat Cleveland.

Around the bases

Jimmy Key, out with a career-threatening shoulder injury, will rejoin the Yankees on Friday. He had his arm examined Wednesday by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. … Cal Ripken, who spent almost an hour hitting balls off a tee after Tuesday’s game, went hitless again Wednesday. Ripken is 3 for 44 in the two weeks since breaking Lou Gehrig’s iron man record.