AL Capsules

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Hang on to those Homer Hankies: The Metrodome isn’t ready to close for baseball just yet.

Jason Kubel(notes) got those familiar white towels waving with a pair of three-run homers and Minnesota beat Kansas City 13-4 Sunday, putting the Twins into a one-game playoff with the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central title.

The Twins and Tigers, who beat the White Sox 5-3, will meet at 4 p.m. CDT Tuesday with the winner earning a postseason date with the New York Yankees.

Scott Baker(notes) will start the tiebreaker for the Twins against Detroit rookie Rick Porcello(notes). The teams get a day off because the Minnesota Vikings host Green Bay on Monday night.

Delmon Young(notes) added two solo home runs and Michael Cuddyer(notes) also homered for the Twins, who overcame a three-game deficit by winning their final four games. Minnesota won 16 of 20 to reach the playoff.

Carl Pavano(notes) (14-12) pitched on three days’ rest, giving up four runs and striking out seven in 5 2-3 innings in what was supposed to be the final regular-season baseball game in the Metrodome. The Twins move outside to Target Field next year.

Alex Gordon(notes) homered for the Royals, who fell behind 8-1 but rallied to bring the tying run to the plate. Luke Hochevar(notes) (7-13) was hit hard.

Tigers 5, White Sox 3

DETROIT (AP)—Justin Verlander(notes) earned his 19th win, Ryan Raburn(notes) homered twice and the slumping Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox, forcing a one-game tiebreaker with Minnesota for the AL Central title.

Magglio Ordonez(notes) also homered as the Tigers won for only the third time in eight games.

Verlander (19-9) was handed a 5-0 lead, then left in the eighth as it got tense at Comerica Park. Down 5-3, the White Sox had two on and two outs when center fielder Curtis Granderson(notes) made a running, diving catch on Carlos Quentin’s(notes) shallow fly.

Fernando Rodney(notes) got the final four outs for his 37th save.

John Danks(notes) (13-11) took the loss. Last year, he beat Minnesota 1-0 in a one-game tiebreaker for the division crown.

Yankees 10, Rays 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Alex Rodriguez(notes) homered twice and drove in an AL-record seven runs in an inning, keying a 10-run burst that sent the playoff-bound New York Yankees over Tampa Bay.

Rodriguez hit a three-run homer off Wade Davis(notes) (2-2) in the sixth. He added his 18th career grand slam later in the inning. The major league record is eight, set by Fernando Tatis(notes) when he hit two grand slams in an inning for St. Louis in 1999.

A-Rod tied Mark McGwire for eighth on the career list with 583 homers. It also gave him at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the 12th straight season despite missing the first month with a hip injury.

New York, preparing to open the playoffs at home against Detroit or Minnesota on Wednesday or Thursday, finished with a 103-59 record, its best since 103-58 in 2002. A.J. Burnett(notes) (13-9) pitched five innings for the victory.

Tampa Bay dropped to 84-78 after going 97-65 last year and reaching the World Series for the first time.

Reds Sox 12, Indians 7

BOSTON (AP)—J.D. Drew(notes) homered twice and Jed Lowrie(notes) hit his first career grand slam as the Boston Red Sox headed into the playoffs with a victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Dustin Pedroia(notes) and Alex Gonzalez also homered for Boston, which will begin the playoffs on the road against the Los Angeles Angels on either Wednesday or Thursday. Michael Bowden(notes) (1-1) got the win.

The defeat was the last in Cleveland for manager Eric Wedge, fired on Wednesday with six games left in the season. The Indians went 1-5 to finish out his tenure, ending with a club-record 15 consecutive road losses. Tomo Ohka(notes) (1-5) took the loss.

Angels 5, Athletics 3

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)—Mike Napoli(notes) homered, Joe Saunders(notes) pitched five strong innings and the Los Angeles Angels closed out an impressive regular season by beating the Oakland Athletics.

Saunders (16-7) and the AL West champions (97-65) swept the three-game set and will host Boston in Game 1 of the playoffs Wednesday or Thursday.

Oakland lost its last seven games. Jeff Gray(notes) (0-1) took the loss.

Mariners 4, Rangers 3

SEATTLE (AP)—Felix Hernandez(notes) finished tied for the major league lead with 19 wins and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers in a season finale that doubled as a daylong tribute to Ken Griffey Jr.(notes)

The 39-year-old Seattle icon finished his one-year contract with the Mariners by going 1 for 4. Griffey has said he would be interested in playing another season if the team wants him.

Griffey wiped away tears when he came back onto the field for postgame handshakes and hugs. Four of his teammates carried him on their shoulders from left field to the Mariners dugout on the first-base side.

Hernandez (19-5) helped the Mariners finish 85-77 under rookie manager Don Wakamatsu. Seattle became the 13th team since 1901 to finish with a winning record the season after losing 100 games.

Orioles 5, Blue Jays 4, 11 innings

BALTIMORE (AP)—Michael Aubrey(notes) scored the winning run on Brandon League’s(notes) second throwing error in the 11th inning, giving the Baltimore Orioles a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Aubrey led off the 11th with a single and took second when League (3-6) threw wildly to first on a bunt by Lou Montanez(notes). Jeff Fiorentino(notes) then laid down a bunt, and League’s low throw to first base skipped into the outfield.

Matt Albers(notes) (3-6) pitched a perfect 11th for the Orioles, who finished the season with a four-game winning streak.