White Sox, Angels beaten; resurgent Rays score

CHICAGO: The playoff hopes of the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels took significant hits as both suffered defeats on Thursday, while the resurgent Tampa Bay Rays edged back into the postseason picture.
In a vital game in Chicago, the Rays beat the White Sox 3-2, thanks to Even Longoria’s ninth-inning home run. Tampa Bay had looked to be out of playoff contention last week but has won eight straight games to vault back into contention, sitting only two games off the second wild-card spot with six games to go.
By contrast, the White Sox have lost eight of nine, and Thursday’s loss, combined with the Detroit Tigers’ 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals, meant Chicago dropped two games out of the Central division lead, with no hope of a wild-card consolation.
Detroit’s win was thanks chiefly to pitcher Doug Fister, who set an American League record by striking out nine consecutive batters. The overall majors record is 10, set by Tom Seaver. Still, the Tigers had to sweat, as the Royals came from 4-0 down to tie it in the top of the ninth inning. Alex Avila got the winner in the bottom of the frame, with his grounder wide enough of first baseman Bryan Pena to prevent him throwing out the runner dashing to home plate.
The Los Angeles Angels were beaten 9-4 by the Seattle Mariners, and though they are level with the Rays, the momentum of their own five-game winning streak was lost. The Angels bullpen gave up six runs in 3 2-3 innings.
The Texas Rangers all but sealed their playoff spot with a 9-7 win over Oakland, moving four games clear atop the American League West division. Ian Kinsler got Texas going with a leadoff homer, and Matt Harrison pitched six scoreless innings to become the first Ranger in eight years to notch 18 wins in a season. Texas and Oakland meet for three more games next week.
In the East division, the New York Yankees suffered a disappointing 6-0 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays, cutting their lead over the idle Baltimore Orioles to just one game. Ivan Nova returned from injury to start for the Yankees, but gave up four runs in 4 2-3 innings and got no help from the batting order.
Still no playoff spots are decided in the American League, while the National League already has four spots assigned.
The only spot up for grabs in the second wild-card, with the Los Angeles Dodgers edging within three games of the idle St. Louis Cardinals by defeating the San Diego Padres 8-4. Dodgers starter Chris Capuano won for the first time in eight starts.
In the National League East division, both the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves won, keeping the D.C. team’s lead at four games, with the runner-up guaranteed the top wild-card.
Washington beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3, with Gio Gonzalez becoming the first pitcher in the majors to reach 21 wins this season.
The Braves downed the Miami Marlins 6-2, having trailed 2-0 before scoring four runs in the fourth, two arising from a dropped catch in the outfield.
In other NL games, the Central Division-winning Cincinnati Reds beat Milwaukee 2-1 to all but end the Brewers’ faint wild-card hopes, the West-winning San Francisco Giants downed the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-3, the New York Mets edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5, and the Colorado Rockies were 7-5 winners over the Chicago Cubs.