Baseball notebook: Red Sox take A.L. wild card
The Boston Red Sox are back in the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years.
The Red Sox clinched the A.L. wild-card berth when the Los Angeles Angels beat the Rangers 5-2 on Tuesday night and eliminated Texas from the race. That gave Boston its seventh wild-card berth – more than any other team in the majors.
The Red Sox had long since lost to Toronto – their fifth consecutive loss – and most of the players left Fenway Park to find someplace else to wait for the West Coast game to end.
Doubt surrounds Barmes’ catch
Clint Barmes’ tumbling catch Sunday of Ryan Ludwick’s one-out flare to shallow right field, followed by his strike to first base to double up Albert Pujols and seal the N.L. wild-card leading Colorado Rockies’ 4-3 win was immediately termed “the defensive play of the year” by manager Jim Tracy.
However, a fan, Craig Welling, posted images on his photo blog from his vantage point in right field, and one of the shots clearly showed the ball on the grass for a split second as Barmes rolled over.
Yankees salute leaders Jeter, Rivera
With their playoff position secured, the New York Yankees took a few moments to salute Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera for milestone achievements this season.
Jeter and Rivera were presented with a bounty of special gifts during a ceremony behind home plate before the Yankees played the Kansas City Royals. Jeter broke Lou Gehrig’s franchise record for hits with No. 2,722 on Sept. 11. Rivera reached 500 saves on June 28.
Knoblauch accused of choking wife
Former major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch has been charged with assaulting his common-law wife.
A judge set Knoblauch’s bond at $10,000. According to a criminal complaint, Knoblauch’s wife told police he hit her in the face and then choked her at their Houston home on Friday.
Clearing the bases
The Rangers have shut down outfielder Josh Hamilton for the remainder of the season to rest the pinched nerve in his back. … The agent for Dominican shortstop Miguel Sano said the Minnesota Twins have agreed to sign his client for a bonus of $3.15 million.