BOSTON — David Price came on in relief of Drew Pomeranz and squelched a dangerous seventh-inning rally to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Houston Astros 6-3 on Saturday, clinching the first back-to-back AL East titles in franchise history.
The Red Sox avoided the possibility of a one-game tiebreaker with the rival Yankees, and instead left New York with a wild-card spot. Boston also set up an immediate rematch with the Astros in the playoffs.
Boston leads New York by two games with one to play. The lead had been five games when the Red Sox returned to Fenway Park for a season-ending homestand; a loss Saturday — coupled with the Yankees' 2-1 win over Toronto — would have forced Boston to use Chris Sale on the final day of the season to avoid a tiebreaker on Monday.