The Boston Red Sox became the first team in the major leagues to clinch a playoff berth. Brock Holt pinch hit in the seventh inning and hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in a 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night that guaranteed Boston no worse than a wild card berth. With a major league-best 99-46, the Red Sox lead the AL East by nine games with 2½ weeks left. “We’re in great position to win the division and then to accomplish other things,” first-year manager Alex Cora said. “As I told the group, I’m very proud of them.” Boston assured its third straight postseason team, matching the Red Sox teams of 2003-05 and 2007-09.
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