(Reuters) ? The Tampa Bay Rays snatched the American League wild card playoff berth from the clutches of the Boston Red Sox with a stunning 12-inning home victory over the New York Yankees on the last day of the regular season on Wednesday.
The Rays looked down and out but wiped out a 7-0 deficit with six runs in the eighth and Dan Johnson's two-out homer in the ninth, before Evan Longoria's walk-off home run in the 12th sealed an unlikely 8-7 victory.
The stunning triumph combined with Boston's heart-breaking loss in Baltimore enabled the Rays (91-71) to clinch the postseason berth and avoid a playoff against the Red Sox (90-72) had the teams ended the regular season with identical records.
Tampa Bay's triumph came just moments after the Red Sox had squandered a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth, when closer Jonathan Papelbon failed to secure victory after striking out the first two batters in the 4-3 defeat to the Orioles.
The Rays and Red Sox entered the final day of the 162-game season with 90-71 records. Had they both won or lost, they would have met in Florida on Thursday for a one-game playoff, with the winner advancing to the divisional playoffs.
(Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by John O'Brien)
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