Athletics Clinch AL West

The Oakland Athletics were all smiles, high-fives and handshakes on the infield grass at Safeco Field. Then it was party time inside the clubhouse.

Miguel Tejada tied the game with a ninth-inning homer and Scott Hatteberg hit a two-out, two-run double in the 10th as visiting Oakland beat the Seattle Mariners, 5-3, Thursday, clinching the American League West championship for the second time in three years.

“This group of guys is so family-like,” Hatteberg said. “It makes it sweeter and it helps us. We are really excited.”

Oakland, which had failed to hold eighth-inning leads against Seattle the previous two days, opens the AL playoffs at home Tuesday against Minnesota. The A’s are a half-game behind the New York Yankees, who play the Angels in the first round, for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

“We can kick back, enjoy it for a while and start to work hard again tomorrow,” said Billy Koch (11-4), who pitched two innings for the victory. “I don’t know about any urgency, but we just wanted to get it done, win, and wrap up the West.”

Chicago 3, Boston 2--Dan Wright (14-12) won his fourth consecutive start, giving up both runs and three hits in 7 1/3 innings. Keith Foulke got three outs for his 11th save, the 100th of his career.

Cleveland 8, Minnesota 4--Brandon Phillips had three hits and a career-high four RBIs and Ryan Drese (10-9) gave up three runs--two earned--and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings to lead the Indians at Minneapolis.

Toronto 5, Baltimore 1--Esteban Loaiza (9-10) pitched a five-hitter at Toronto for his third complete game this season and ninth of his career.

Kansas City 7, Detroit 2--Jeff Suppan (9-16) pitched a five-hitter to win for the first time in 12 starts, and Carlos Beltran had four RBIs at Kansas City, Mo.

Tampa Bay at New York, ppd.--The game between the Devil Rays and Yankees was rained out, forcing a possible makeup the day after the scheduled end of the regular season. The game will only need to be made up if the Yankees fall a half-game behind Oakland in the race for home-field advantage in the AL championship series.