NEW YORK, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Bernie Williams hit a two-run homer in the ninth Thursday night as the New York Yankees clinched their division title by downing Minnesota, 6-4.
It is the seventh straight year the Yankees have captured the American League East.
Williams went three for four in helping New York reach 100 victories for the third consecutive season, something the Yankees had never done before.
After a walk to Hideki Matsui in the ninth, Williams hit a 1-0 pitch from Aaron Fultz over wall in left-center.
The homer was the 241st of the season for the Yankees, their most in history.
A byproduct of the outcome was that Minnesota fell into a tie with Oakland and Anaheim for the second-best division leading record in the American League.
The team that finishes with the best record among those three will meet Boston in the AL Division Series. The other division winner will take on New York.
