Red Sox keep finding magic at Fenway

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BOSTON — Alex Gonzalez hit a bases-loaded blooper down the left-field line with two outs in the ninth inning on Wednesday night to give the Boston Red Sox a 9-8 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Boston trailed 3-0 and 7-5 before tying the game in the bottom of the eighth. The Angels took the lead in the top of the ninth on three straight two-out singles against Daniel Bard (2-1). But closer Brian Fuentes (1-5) coughed up the lead in the bottom half.

The Red Sox have won seven straight, and 10 in a row at Fenway Park.

Gonzalez, who hit a two-run, bases-loaded bloop to right to give Boston the lead in a five-run sixth inning, looped one down the left-field line that fell in front of Juan Rivera when he decided not to dive for it. That set off a familiar celebration in Fenway, where the Red Sox have the best home record in the major leagues. It was familiar, too, for Los Angeles, Boston's likely first-round playoff opponent.

The Angels have lost 12 of their last 13 playoff games against the Red Sox since 1986 and are 0-4 all-time in postseason series against the Red Sox. If the standings hold, the teams will meet again in the first round this year.

YANKEES 5, BLUE JAYS 4: At New York, Hideki Matsui hit a tying, two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Francisco Cervelli hit a game-winning single in the ninth as the Yankees rallied past Toronto. New York was held to four hits through seven innings, then tied it on Matsui's 25th homer off Scott Downs. Brett Gardner singled off Jason Frasor (6-3) leading off the ninth, stole second, took third on Derek Jeter's grounder and scored on Cervelli's sharp single to left. Mariano Rivera (3-2) pitched a one-hit ninth for the win.

TIGERS 4, ROYALS 3: At Detroit, Placido Polanco hit a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning to lift Detroit. Zach Miner (7-5) and three other relievers kept the Royals scoreless over the final five innings to help the Tigers stay 41/2 games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central. Detroit lowered its magic number to 13 for winning its first division title since 1987.

ATHLETICS 4, RANGERS 0: At Arlington, Texas, Trevor Cahill combined with two relievers on a one-hitter and last-place Oakland completed a three-game series sweep, their first in more than three months. Cahill (9-12) had a career-best seven strikeouts and walked two in seven innings.