Red Sox Clinch Division; Browbeat Blue Jays, 12-3

The Boston Red Sox clinched their first divisional title in 11 years yesterday with a 12-3 pounding of the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

As 32,929 screaming fans looked on, Boston starter and winner Dennis Boyd got Blue Jay Kelly Gruber to pop out to first base to end the game. Boyd lept into catcher Rich Gedman's arms in celebration as Bill Buckner put away the final out.

It was the Red Sox first American League East crown since 1975, when Boston eventually lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series in seven games.

Hundreds of security guards and dozens of mounted policemen ringed the field immediately after Boston's victory in an effort to protect the players and the playing field.

With fears of a repeat of the scene at Shea Stadium last week (when victory-crazed Mets fans caused $250,000damage to the field), the Fenway crowd remainedgenerally well-behaved. Only about a dozenspectators raced onto the field, and they were allquickly apprehended by the security force.

The Red Sox will now face the California Angelsin the American League playoffs, which begin aweek from tomorrow. The A.L. champion will facethe winner of the Mets-Houston Astros NationalLeague match-up in the World Series.

Boston's victory yesterday--whichmathematically eliminated the second-place anddefending division champion Blue Jays fromcompetition--was spear-headed by Marty Barrett(three-for-four, two walks, four RBI) and WadeBoggs (three RBI). Both players scored runs in theRed Sox' decisive five-run second inning.

Boggs had one hit on the day, a fourth inningsingle, giving him 200 hits for the fourthconsecutive year and making him the first Red Soxever to accomplish that feat. Boggs also becamethe first player since Stan Musial in 1953 togather 200 hits and 100 walks in the same season.

Tony Armas opened Boston's second-inning rallywith a single to centerfield. Armas moved tosecond on a wild pitch by Blue Jay starter andloser Duane Ward, and scored on a double toright-center by Rich Gedman.

Spike Owen reached on a fielder's choice andBoggs walked to load the bases and chase Ward.Reliever Joe Johnson walked Barrett to force inBoston's second run, and Buckner reached on anerror to bring home another.

After a Jim Rice fly out, Don Baylor knocked abroken-bat single to center to drive home two moreruns and effectively seal the Red Sox victory.

Boyd (now 16-10) gave up two runs in the fourthon a Lloyd Moseby home run and another in thefifth on a Moseby single, but then settled down topitch an effective game. The Red Sox pitcher, whostruck out nine in the game, retired the final 11Blue Jays that faced him.

Meanwhile, Boston added a run in the thirdinning, four in the fourth (all unearned due to aTony Fernandez error), and two in the eighth.

Former Harvard hurler Jeff Musselman '85 addedsome local color when he became Toronto's fourthpitcher in the fourth inning. Musselman gave up noruns in two-and-a-third innings of work