Wednesday's Results
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Major League Baseball
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American League
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It  took  all 162 games, but  the Oakland Athletics overcame a monumental mid-
season  deficit to clinch the AL West title for the first time since 2006 with
a  12-5 victory  over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Oakland trailed Texas by
13  games on  June 30, but the  A's have gone a Major League-best 57-26 since,
including a three-game sweep of the Rangers to finish the season and claim the
15th AL West crown in franchise history.

Elsewhere in the AL:
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Seattle Mariners 12, LA Angels of Anaheim 0
New York Yankees 14, Boston Red Sox 2
Chicago White Sox 9, Cleveland Indians 0
Toronto Blue Jays 2, Minnesota Twins 1
Tampa Bay Rays 4, Baltimore Orioles 1
Detroit Tigers 1, Kansas City Royals 0

National League
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Michael  Morse, Tyler  Moore  and  Ryan Zimmerman  homered  as the  Washington
Nationals  secured the  NL's top seed with a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia
Phillies.  The  NL  East-champion  Nationals  (98-64)  came  into  Wednesday's
regular-season  finale needing  a win or a  loss by the Reds to get home-field
advantage  throughout the  playoffs. The  Nationals  will play  Sunday at  the
winner of Friday's wild-card game between Atlanta and St. Louis.

Elsewhere in the NL:
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Atlanta Braves 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Chicago Cubs 5, Houston Astros 4
New York Mets 4, Miami Marlins 2
Colorado Rockies 2, Arizona Diamondbacks 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 5, San Francisco Giants 1
San Diego Padres 7, Milwaukee Brewers 6
St. Louis Cardinals 1, Cincinnati Reds 0

=== As of 3:15 a.m. (et) ===

=== BASEBALL ===

There  was still  plenty to  be  decided heading  into  the final  day of  the
Major League  Baseball  regular season.

===

It  took  all 162 games, but  the Oakland Athletics overcame a monumental mid-
season  deficit to clinch the AL West title for the first time since 2006 with
a  12-5 victory  over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Oakland trailed Texas by
13  games on  June 30, but the  A's have gone a Major League-best 57-26 since,
including a three-game sweep of the Rangers to finish the season and claim the
15th AL West crown in franchise history.

===

The  New York Yankees wrapped up the AL East and the Junior Circuit's top spot
with  a  14-2 thrashing  of the  Boston Red  Sox. In  the National League, the
Washington    Nationals    secured   home-field   advantage   throughout   the
playoffs  with  a  win  over the Philadelphia Phillies.

===

With  the Yankees' win, the Baltimore Orioles will have to settle for the AL's
second  wild card  spot. They  will head  to Arlington  to take  on the  Texas
Rangers on Friday.

===

Detroit  Tigers  third baseman  Miguel Cabrera capped  an incredible season on
Wednesday, as he became baseball's first Triple Crown winner in 45 years. With
a  batting  average of .330  along with 44  home runs and  139 RBI, he led the
American  League in  all three categories and finished tops in both leagues in
homers  and RBI. It's  the 14th time in major league history that a player has
accomplished the feat. Cabrera became the first player to take home the Triple
Crown since Carl Yastrzemski turned the trick in 1967 with the Boston Red Sox.
The  Hall of Famer hit .326 with 44 homers and 121 RBI that season and won his
first and only AL MVP.

=== NBA ===

Rasheed  Wallace  has officially come  out of retirement  to join the New York
Knicks.  The Knicks  announced the  signing of  the veteran  forward/center on
Wednesday.  Wallace last  played for  the  Boston Celtics  during the  2009-10
season,  averaging  9.0 points, 4.1  rebounds and 1.0  assists in 79 games (13
starts).  The 38-year-old  holds career averages of 14.6 points, 6.7 rebounds,
1.8  assists and  1.3 blocks in 1,088  games (956 starts) over 15 seasons with
Washington,  Portland, Atlanta,  Detroit and Boston. A four-time NBA All Star,
Wallace won an NBA Championship with Detroit in 2004, alongside then-assistant
coach Mike Woodson.

===

The  National  Basketball Association announced  Wednesday a new rule aimed at
eliminating  flopping. Any  player guilty  of flopping  will be  subject to  a
warning,  followed by  a $5,000  fine for  a second  violation. The  fine will
increase  $5,000  for a  third and  fourth violation, while  a fifth flop will
cost  a player $30,000.  Six or more violations will lead to an increased fine
and/or suspension.

=== NFL ===

The  Arizona  Cardinals will try to  continue the franchise's best start in 38
years  when  they travel  to St.  Louis to take  on the  Rams on Thursday. The
Cardinals,  along  with the Houston Texans  and Atlanta Falcons, are the NFL's
lone unbeaten teams.

===

The  New  York Jets  placed wide  receiver Santonio  Holmes on injured reserve
Wednesday  with a Lisfranc injury in his left foot. Holmes suffered the injury
during  the  fourth quarter of  Sunday's 34-0 loss  to the San Francisco 49ers
after  making  a catch.  He  immediately  fell  to  the ground  without  being
contacted  and let  go  of  the ball,  which  49ers  cornerback Carlos  Rogers
promptly  returned for  a 51-yard touchdown. The seven-year veteran was unable
to  put any  weight on  his left  leg  and was  carted off  the field.  Holmes
finishes  the season with 20 receptions for 272 yards and a touchdown. This is
the  second  significant injury for  the Jets this  season as the team already
lost superstar cornerback Darrelle Revis due to an ACL injury. To fill Holmes'
roster spot, the Jets signed wideout Jason Hill.

===

Tennessee  Titans coach  Mike Munchak announced Wednesday that Matt Hasselbeck
will  start  at quarterback in  place of the  injured Jake Locker for Sunday's
game  against  the Minnesota  Vikings. Locker suffered  a left shoulder injury
during  last Sunday's  38-14 loss  to  the Houston  Texans. He  will not  need
surgery.   Hasselbeck  has  completed  23-of-36  passes  for  236  yards,  two
touchdowns  and  two interceptions  in two relief  appearances for Locker this
season. Rusty Smith will back up Hasselbeck this week.

===

Pittsburgh  Steelers  linebacker  James  Harrison, safety  Troy  Polamalu  and
running  back Rashard  Mendenhall were  all full  participants in  Wednesday's
practice.  It  looks like  the Steelers  will have all  three players back for
Sunday's  game  against the  Philadelphia Eagles.  Harrison hasn't played this
season  as  he recovers from arthroscopic  surgery on his knee, while Polamalu
has  missed two straight games with a strained right calf. Mendenhall tore the
anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Pittsburgh's final game of
the 2011 regular season.

=== COLLEGE FOOTBALL ===

Georgia  wide receiver Michael Bennett is out for the season after tearing the
ACL  in  his right knee during  Tuesday's practice. The sophomore will undergo
reconstructive surgery at an undetermined date. Bennett leads the fifth-ranked
Bulldogs with 24 catches for 345 yards and four touchdowns.