Sabathia (19-7) allowed just one hit in seven innings and combined on a two-hitter.

The Yankees have won eight of nine against their archrival after starting the season 0-8 against Boston. They could wrap up their first division title yesterday when they played the Red Sox for the final time this season.

Robinson Cano hit a tiebreaking, opposite-field homer off the top of the left-field fence in the sixth inning, and Johnny Damon added a two-out, two-run single in the eighth off new Boston reliever Billy Wagner.

Tigers 12, White Sox 5: At Chicago, Miguel Cabrera got four hits and drove in four runs, giving him at least 100 RBIs for the sixth consecutive season, as Detroit rallied from a five-run deficit to beat Chicago.

Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco and Gerald Laird each had three of Detroit's 20 hits, including singles in the decisive seventh inning, to help the Tigers win for the fifth time in six games.

The first-place Tigers, two games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central, host the Twins in a four-game series beginning today night.

White Sox starter Freddy Garcia (2-4) faced the minimum 12 batters over the first four innings before allowing Cabrera's leadoff homer in the fifth. Cabrera singled home two more runs in the sixth.

Twins 11, Royals 6: At Kansas City, Missouri, Denard Span had four hits and a career-high six RBIs to lead surging Minnesota past Kansas City for its 11th victory in 12 games.

The Twins batted around in a five-run fourth inning, highlighted by Span's bases-loaded triple. Four runs were unearned after shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt's wild throw, his fourth error in three games.

Span also had a two-run single in the fifth and an RBI single in the eighth. Matt Tolbert had three hits and scored three runs.

Joe Mauer added a two-run double in the eighth and went 2 for 4 with a walk to hike his major league-leading batting average to .371.

Athletics 15, Angels 10: At Anaheim, California, Jack Cust homered and doubled in the go-ahead run during a six-run eighth inning as Oakland rallied from a seven-run deficit to beat Los Angeles.

The Angels, whose magic number to clinch their third straight AL West title remained at four, lost their season-high fourth straight. They were the only team in the majors that hadn't lost more than three in a row this season.

The Angels lead Texas by five games with eight to play.

Kurt Suzuki and Mark Ellis also homered for the Athletics.

Rangers 15, Rays 3: At Arlington, Texas, Marlon Byrd homered twice, including his sixth career grand slam in an 11-run fifth inning as Texas beat Tampa Bay.

Texas moved within six games of Boston for the AL wild card with eight to play.

The Rangers scored all 11 runs in the fifth with two outs as 10 straight batters reached base. The outburst started with Byrd's slam off starter Matt Garza (8-11) that gave Texas a 5-3 lead. After that, the Rangers strung together four singles, three walks and two doubles.

In other AL games: Indians 9, Orioles 8; "Blue Jays 5, Mariners 4, 10 innings

National League

Jason LaRue homered off Ubaldo Jimenez to break a seventh-inning tie as the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the National League Central crown with a 6-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.

Colorado's lead in the NL wild-card race shrunk to 2 1/2 games over Atlanta.

The Cardinals, the first major league team to win its division, are headed back to the playoffs for the first time since winning the 2006 World Series. They became the third team to secure a playoff spot, joining the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Adam Wainwright (19-8) allowed three runs, two earned, and 10 hits over eight innings while also contributing a pair of two-out doubles. He walked one and struck out 11.

Ryan Ludwick pinch-hit for Wainwright in the ninth and cracked a two-run homer off Matt Daley, giving closer Ryan Franklin a three-run cushion to work with.

Dodgers 8, Pirates 4; At Pittsburgh, the Dodgers locked up their fourth playoff appearance in six years, getting a two-run single from pinch-hitter Jim Thome during a four-run eighth inning in which Pittsburgh relievers walked four.

Manager Joe Torre is headed to the postseason for a record-tying 14th straight time - only the Braves' Bobby Cox has accomplished the feat.

Any combination of Dodgers victories and Rockies losses totaling two will give Los Angeles its first back-to-back division titles since 1977-78.

Braves 11, Nationals 5: At Washington, Tommy Hanson pitched seven innings for his 11th win and Yunel Escobar drove in three runs as Atlanta beat Washington for its fifth consecutive victory.

The Braves remained in the wild card hunt, having won 13 of 15.

Impressive rookie Hanson (11-4) allowed four hits and four runs - three of them on Mike Morse's pinch-hit homer.

The Braves took advantage of Washington's shoddy defense to jump out to a 5-0 lead off Garrett Mock (3-10). Washington matched its total from last year with its 102nd loss.

In other NL games: Cubs 6, Giants 2; Brewers 7, Phillies 5; Marlins 9, Mets 6; Reds 10, Astros 4; Diamondbacks 8, Padres 5