AL Roundup: Let's Play "Pounce on the Punto"

• Twins 7, White Sox, 6. : Coming into this series, the Minnesota Twins were 2.5 games back of the Chicago White Sox, but now sit atop the AL Central with a half game lead after storming back from a 6-1 deficit to defeat the spiraling White Sox 7-6 in a dramatic 10th inning. The Twins sturdy closer Joe Nathan summed it up this way: "This was probably the best game that I've been a part of in my career." Alexi Casilla singled home Nick Punto in the 10th inning to give the Twins the ridiculous sweep. Meanwhile, Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams needs therapy: "Williams wondered how many days the Sox had spent in first place since 2002. He said he couldn't believe they had been there so often and won only the one title, in 2005. He almost looked like he wanted to cry." Remaining schedule(s): Twins: Three games versus the Kansas City Royals White Sox: Three games with Cleveland. (Possible makeup game with the Tigers scheduled for Monday if necessary.) • Tigers 7, Rays 5: The cooler of Lindbauer champagne (fancy!) in St. Petersburg remains on ice. The Rays quest for an improbable division title has to wait another day as the lowly, last place Detroit Tigers (remember when they were favored by everybody at the beginning of the year?) bashed four home runs off Scott Kazmir and kept Tampa's strippers and old people sitting on their hands. Remaining schedule: Three more versus the Tigers. Need one victory or a Red Sox loss for AL East crown. • Red Sox 6, Indians 1: The Red Sox seem content to just cruise into the playoffs and deal with whomever they have to play.(That playoff anxiety in Boston seems long gone.) "We've got to win out and they've got to lose out," Jason Varitek said last night of Tampa Bay. "We just focus on playing good baseball, and let things happen. We can't control what they do." But they still want to make things as difficult as possible for the Rays, apparently, as Jon Lester plowed through the weakling Indians line-up with ease. Remaining schedule: Weekend series at Fenway with the Yankees. Need to win out, Rays to lose out for AL East crown.