By The Associated Press
Boston – Bronson Arroyo hurt Boston’s playoff chances – and his hopes of being in the postseason rotation if the Red Sox get that far.
Arroyo gave up three homers and seven runs as the Red Sox lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 on Wednesday night and dropped one game behind the New York Yankees in the East with four games remaining.
Frank Catalanotto doubled, tripled and homered for the Blue Jays, who won their second in a row over the Red Sox.
Boston (92-66) remained tied in the wild-card race with Cleveland Indians, who lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1-0. The Red Sox play Toronto tonight, then close with three games at Fenway Park against the Yankees (93-65).
Vernon Wells and Eric Hinske also homered, and Ted Lilly (10-11) allowed two runs, six hits and five walks in 6 2/3 innings to improve to 3-0 against the Red Sox this season.
Boston was just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and has been shut out for 9 2/3 innings by Toronto relievers.
Arroyo (14-10) hadn’t allowed a homer while winning four consecutive decisions with a 3.71 ERA in September, and had been 7-0 in the month for his career. But he gave up three homers – a season high – in the first three innings.
Edgar Renteria homered for Boston, and David Ortiz had his major league-leading 144th RBI. But Ortiz squandered another chance in the seventh when he tried to bunt to the vacant left side of the shifted infield and instead hit into a forceout.
Devil Rays 1, Indians 0
Cleveland – Seth McClung pitched eight shutout innings as Tampa Bay dropped Cleveland three games behind first-place Chicago in the Central with four to play.
McClung (7-11) allowed just four hits and only two runners to reach second base while outpitching Cliff Lee (18-5) and handing the Indians their third consecutive defeat – the club’s first three-game slide since being swept by the Devil Rays on Aug. 12-14.
The second-place Indians, who trailed the White Sox by 15 games Aug. 1, host Chicago for three games to end the regular season. But by Friday, it might not matter who they play or where.
Lee, who had gone 9-0 with four no-decisions since his last loss July 8, took a five-hit shutout into the eighth when Toby Hall led off with a double and was lifted for pinch-runner Joey Gathright. Damon Hollins sacrificed and Julio Lugo’s sacrifice fly made it 1-0.
White Sox 8, Tigers 2
Detroit – Jose Contreras won his eighth consecutive start, and Scott Podsednik had four hits as Chicago increased its playoff chances.
The White Sox would clinch no worse than a wild-card berth in the playoffs with another victory, lowering their magic number to two for clinching their first division title since 2000. After today’s series finale in Detroit, the White Sox finish the regular season with three games at Cleveland.
Carl Everett’s two-run triple broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth, and Juan Uribe and Aaron Rowand homered for the White Sox, who had 15 hits.
Carlos Peña homered for Detroit.
Contreras (15-7) gave up two runs and seven hits in eight innings, walked none and struck out nine, one short of his career high. Bobby Jenks finished with a three-hit ninth.
Sean Douglass (5-5) allowed four runs – three earned – and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Tigers had won four straight after losing eight in a row.
