The Oakland Athletics defeated the Texas Rangers comprehensively 12-5 Wednesday to clinch the AL West division title.
The Athletics stunned the defending division champions, the Rangers, with their outstanding performance in the field. They have a very impressive team record of 94-68 in AL West division this season.
A's manager Bob Melvin said: "We knew this is a beast of a team we would have to beat, and to be able to beat them three games in a row and win the division on top of it, really it's a magical-type thing."
A two-run error put the Athletics (94-68) ahead by 7-5 in a six-run fourth inning when Josh Hamilton dropped a rather easy fly ball in center field that would have ended the fourth inning. It only added to the Rangers' troubles as it proved to be crucial in the A's division-clinching 12-5 victory.
"I just missed it, man," Hamilton said. "You guys have a hard time believing we can forget about it and move ahead. But that's what we get paid to do."
This would also be the Athletics' first postseason appearance since 2006.
Texas manager Ron Washington said: "You can have all the experience as you want but when you run into a team that's hot, experience has nothing to do with it."
The Oakland Athletics will face the Detroit Tigers in the playoffs.
Oakland's Jonny Gomes said: "It shows how important Game 162 is. I don't think it took 162 to games to check the character of this ballclub."
When the scoreboard flashed "2012 AL WEST CHAMPIONS" there were celebrations galore both among fans and players. Players signed autographs and took a victory lap.
Owner Lew Wolff said, "I'm glad there's not one tomorrow or Friday. I can relax and go home. I'm running out of underwear."
Norris who hit his seventh homer for his second RBI added, "Ever since Day 1 I've been here, it's been, the A's can't compete with the payroll, can't compete with this team or that team. We're better off if we're down. It just gives us the extra energy."
Beane, who received a celebratory pie in the face, said: "There hasn't been a lot of luck involved. The one thing about baseball, when you play 161 games, you don't get lucky this late in the season. There have been a lot of adjustments on the fly."
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