Orioles, Yankees Fight to the Last Day for AL East Title

A solo homer by Chris Davis was all the Orioles needed against the Rays

The wacky American League East title race will be decided on the final day of the season.

After a ninth inning rally and a walk-off victory by the New York Yankees over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, the Bronx Bombers maintained their one-game lead over Baltimore, which blanked the Tampa Bay Rays, 1-0.

The Orioles mustered only two hits off James Shields, but one was a solo home run by Chris Davis. Miguel Gonzalez and  three relievers kept the Rays scoreless. Baltimore closer Jim Johnson notched his 51st save of the season.

At Yankee Stadium, it appeared that the Red Sox would spoil the Yankees’ AL East lead when they took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. Boston closer Andrew Bailey served up two runs, though, forcing extra innings. An RBI single by Raul Ibanez off Andrew Miller in the bottom of the 12th gave the Yankees a come-from-behind victory.

On Wednesday, Chris Tillman (9-2, 2.78 ERA) will oppose Jeremy Hellickson (9-11, 3.20 ERA) as the Orioles will try to force a tiebreaker game for the AL East title. If the Yankees lose to Boston, and the Orioles beat Tampa Bay, Baltimore will host the tiebreaker on Thursday.

Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-6, 7.68 ERA) will oppose New York’s Hiroki Kuroda (15-11, 3.34 ERA) in an interesting matchup of Japanese pitchers clashing in a game with a lot at stake.