Red Sox beat Yankees to knot AL East again

BOSTON — It's all tied up in the AL East.

The defending World Series champions and the sport's most decorated franchise. Rivals from the playoffs for the past two years, and from the regular season for a 100 years before that. Big Papi and his baggy pants against clean-cut A-Rod in pinstripes.

Boston and New York.

Two games to play.

Jason Varitek homered, David Ortiz drove in another big run and David Wells pitched seven strong innings on Friday night to give the Red Sox a 5-3 victory and a first-place tie with the Yankees heading into the season's final weekend.

"You never want to sigh too hard," Red Sox closer Mike Timlin said. "It's going to be a tough two games.

Boston's win left both teams at 94-66 and guarantees that the AL East title won't be decided until Sunday — the last day on the regular-season schedule.

"It was inevitable," New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez said. "You knew in spring training when you saw these three games it was going to come down to this."

The Red Sox and Yankees lead Cleveland by one game in the AL wild-card race after the Indians lost 3-2 in 13 innings to the Chicago White Sox.

If Boston and New York split the last two games and Cleveland beats Chicago twice, there would be a one-game playoff Monday at Yankee Stadium for the AL East title, with the loser playing the Indians on Tuesday for the wild-card berth.

If Boston and New York are tied and Cleveland can't match them, the Yankees would win the East and the Red Sox the wild card because New York will have won the season series against Boston.

For now, the schedule has Tim Wakefield (16-11) facing Randy Johnson (16-8) today, with Curt Schilling (7-8) going against Mike Mussina (13-8) on Sunday.

"It's not like we can live it up and pound our chest," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "We've got to come back and beat maybe the best pitcher in the league."

Wells (15-7) won for the sixth time in seven decisions, the only loss coming on Sept. 9 at Yankee Stadium. But returning to Fenway Park — a ballpark he once offered to blow up — served the former Yankee well; he allowed three runs, six hits and two walks, striking out five and improved to 8-1 this year at home.

"I like the ball in a big game. I'm not afraid to take it," he said. "At age 23 or 42, I still have the same intensity. I just want to go out and pitch, and win."