Written by Mike Fitzpatrick at Boston.com
Even though they let a win get away Wednesday night, the Boston Red Sox locked up something more important. And as far as they were concerned, an AL East title was certainly worth celebrating.
Boston clinched the division championship despite wasting a three-run lead in the ninth inning of a 5-3 loss to the Yankees. David Ortiz and the Red Sox, who last weekend secured at least a wild-card spot in the playoffs, were assured the crown when Baltimore rallied for a 3-2 win at second-place Toronto nearly 30 minutes before New York completed its comeback against Craig Kimbrel (2-5) and Joe Kelly.
‘‘In the end, the one inning, it doesn’t take away from 158 games played to date. They should be extremely proud for winning a very, very difficult division,’’ manager John Farrell said.
Though the final score in Toronto was posted on the out-of-town scoreboard for all to see, the Red Sox hardly seemed to notice as players draped their arms over the dugout railing and rooted for Kimbrel in the ninth.
Farrell and other Red Sox said they knew the Blue Jays had lost and what that meant, but they were focused on closing out their own game at the time.
Red Sox executives, however, jumped out of their front-row seats next to the Boston dugout and rejoiced when the Blue Jays’ game ended.
‘‘This is one stop. We’ve got a lot of work ahead,’’ Farrell said. ‘‘We’re not done by any means.’’
After winning their eighth AL East title, the Red Sox will open their postseason schedule Oct. 6 seeking a second World Series championship in four years. The team’s first opponent has not been determined yet.
‘‘It’s only the beginning. We have to keep pushing,’’ first baseman Hanley Ramirez said.
Mark Teixeira’s two-out grand slam off Kelly won it for the Yankees, costing Clay Buchholz a win after he allowed just an infield single in six shutout innings.
That only stunned the Red Sox for a short time, though. Once they returned to their clubhouse, they regrouped and let loose, dousing each other with beer and bubbly in a typical celebration.
So even if they didn’t get to pile onto each other on the field, the Red Sox did get to party in the Bronx — the site of so much Boston heartache throughout its storied rivalry with the Yankees.
Of course, there was one glorious moment across the street, when Big Papi and his 2004 teammates overcame a 3-0 deficit to win the AL Championship Series at the old Yankee Stadium. Boston rejoiced and went on that year to capture its first World Series crown since 1918.
With Ortiz nearing retirement after the season, this title tasted sweet as well — especially after the Red Sox completed a worst-to-first turnaround for the second time in five seasons. After winning the 2013 World Series, Boston finished last twice in a row.
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