A’s Wrap Up Playoff Berth

The Oakland Athletics clinched the American League wild-card spot Sunday, capping a comeback from an abysmal April as Mark Mulder earned his 20th victory in a 7-4 defeat of the Seattle Mariners.

Jermaine Dye, a key midseason acquisition, hit a three-run homer as the Athletics joined Seattle as the only teams in the majors to earn playoff berths.

The A’s handed Seattle--which has already clinched the West Division--its season-high fourth straight loss and first series sweep of the year.

It was the first time the Mariners had lost a series on the road this season--and it snapped their streak of 29 non-losing series away from Safeco Field.

Mulder (20-7) became the A’s first left-handed 20-game winner since Vida Blue won 22 in 1975. He gave up one run and six hits over seven innings.

Mariner starter Freddy Garcia (17-5) had won his last three decisions. He remained one win short of matching Erik Hanson’s 1990 record for most wins by a Mariner right-hander.

Oakland won its 12th consecutive home game, an ongoing record for the team since moving from Kansas City in 1968. The victory, coupled with Minnesota’s 4-2 loss to Cleveland, put the A’s in the playoffs for the second straight year.

Last season, Oakland won the West and Seattle earned the wild-card spot.

This season, the A’s were 8-18 on May 1. They became the sixth team in major league history to make the postseason after falling 10 games under .500, and the first since Toronto rebounded from a 12-24 start in 1989.

Oakland (92-58) has the second-best record in the major leagues behind the Mariners (106-44). .

*

New York 5, Baltimore 4--Bernie Williams drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning to force in the tiebreaking run as New York inched closer to another East Division title with a comeback victory at Baltimore.

The Yankees snapped a three-game skid and reduced to two their magic number to win a fourth straight division crown.

Cleveland 4, Minnesota 2--Roberto Alomar and Ellis Burks hit two-run homers and Chuck Finley continued his September success as the Indians opened a seven-game lead in the Central Division.

The Indians won two of three from the Twins at Minneapolis and are 12-4 against them this season. The second-place Twins have 12 games left.

Finley (8-6) won his third straight start this month.

Chicago 10, Kansas City 2--Magglio Ordonez hit a grand slam to reach 30 home runs for the third straight season and Mark Buehrle (14-8) pitched eight strong innings to help the White Sox complete a three-game sweep at Comiskey Park.

Detroit 12, Boston 6--Rookie Eric Munson, a former USC star, drove in four runs to lead the Tigers at Fenway Park.

*

Tampa Bay 1, Toronto 0--Rookie Joe Kennedy limited the Blue Jays to four hits over seven innings and Steve Cox homered at Toronto as the Devil Rays won their first series since Aug. 21-23.