DETROIT - Chicago got its clinch, not a collapse.\nPaul Konerko homered to back Freddy Garcia and lead the White Sox over the Detroit Tigers 4-2 Thursday for Chicago's first AL Central title since 2000.\nChicago built a 15-game lead in the division on Aug. 1, then saw it dwindle to 1 1/2 games as Cleveland closed. The White Sox survived a shaky ninth inning to win their AL-best 96th game and will start the playoffs at home next week.\nChicago clinched because Cleveland can at best tie the White Sox, and no team can finish second in another division with 96 wins or more. If the AL Central is decided by a tiebreaker, it would go to the White Sox, who beat the Indians 11-5 in the season series, and Cleveland would be the wild card.\nCarl Everett's two-run triple in the first helped the White Sox win their second straight and fifth in seven games.\nGarcia (14-8) allowed two runs and eight hits in seven-plus innings.\nAfter Placido Polanco's leadoff single in the eighth, Garcia was replaced by Cliff Politte, who gave up an RBI double to Magglio Ordonez that made it 4-2. Neal Cotts then struck out Carlos Pena and Bobby Jenks got Craig Monroe to ground out, ending the inning.\nThe White Sox had a chance to add to their lead in the ninth, but Monroe threw out A.J. Pierzysnki at the plate and Pablo Ozuna hit an inning-ending groundout.\nFittingly, the White Sox made it tough on themselves in the bottom of the ninth. Brandon Inge hit a leadoff single and third baseman Joe Crede bobbled Vance Wilson's grounder before Jenks got the next three outs.\n
Ortiz strikes again in Boston win
\nDavid Ortiz tied the game in the eighth inning with his 47th homer, then singled home the winning run in the ninth to give the Boston Red Sox a critical 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday night.\nBoston trailed 4-1, and a loss would have dropped the Red Sox two games back of New York in the AL East and one game behind Cleveland in the wild-card race.\nInstead, the Red Sox (93-66) enter their season-ending three-game series with the Yankees (94-65) at Fenway Park trailing New York by one game. Boston would tie its rival by taking two of three, forcing a one-game playoff Monday in New York, and would win the division with a sweep.\nRookie Jonathan Papelbon (3-1) pitched 2 2-3 scoreless innings for the win, and Manny Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Jason Frasor that cut the deficit to 4-3.\nOrtiz homered off Vinnie Chulk leading of the eighth, and Miguel Batista (5-8) allowed a one-out single in the ninth to Johnny Damon, who stole second.\nEdgar Renteria walked, and Ortiz lined a 3-2 pitch into the shortstop hole as Damon easily scored.\nAs he rounded first, Ortiz raised both arms to the sky and was mobbed by teammates. The crowd chanted "MVP! MVP!"\nThe Yankees beat Baltimore 8-4 Friday night for their 15th win in 18 games, while the Indians beat Tampa Bay 6-0.\n"The Yankees won. Cleveland won. So we've got to pull this one out," Ortiz said moments after his winning hit.\nOrtiz's homer was his 20th of the season that tied a game or put Boston ahead, and it was his 11th in September. Ramirez walked and Jason Varitek singled to give the Red Sox runners at the corners with no out later in the inning, but John Olerud hit a shallow flyout, Bill Mueller struck out and Trot Nixon hit a liner to right-center that Vernon Wells grabbed with an outstanding sliding catch.
