Yankees Lose, but Win Division Title

The New York Yankees needed help to clinch their ninth consecutive East Division title Wednesday night. That didn’t stop them from celebrating like first-time winners.

The Yankees won another division championship when the second-place Boston Red Sox lost to the Minnesota Twins, 8-2. They began the day needing one win or a Red Sox loss to win the division -- and their 12th consecutive playoff berth.

New York lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-2, but Boston’s game went final about 30 minutes later, setting off a wild champagne celebration in the Yankees’ clubhouse.

“It doesn’t get old,” Derek Jeter said, just before getting drenched by several teammates. “This is something that’s not easy to do. If it was easy, then everybody would be doing it.”

The Yankees became the second team to qualify for the playoffs, overcoming major injuries to Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield and Robinson Cano. The cross-town Mets won their first National League East Division title since 1988 on Monday night.