Party time: Yanks kings of AL East  —  Pettitte's solid start, clutch hit by Matsui secure title  —  NEW YORK — The expectation was always that the Yankees would bring championship baseball back to the Bronx, and though they had to know this celebration was coming for some time, it tasted just as sweet.

Early lead gets away from Red Sox  —  Saito allows game-winning hit to countryman Matsui  —  NEW YORK — After winning their first eight head-to-head encounters with the Yankees this season for the first time since 1912, it seemed hard to imagine that the Red Sox wouldn't take the season series between the rivals.

Game 156: Red Sox at Yankees  —  YANKEES (99-56)  —  Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (13-7, 4.15).  —  RED SOX (91-63)  —  Ellsbury CF  —  Pedroia 2B  —  Bay LF  —  Youkilis 1B  —  Ortiz DH  —  Lowell 3B  —  Drew RF  —  Varitek C  —  Gonzalez SS  —  Pitching: RHP Paul Byrd (1-2, 6.04).

On the Beat  —  Weekend Update  —  When Joe Torre began his managerial career 33 years ago, he did not believe in the old baseball adages about good pitching always beating good hitting, pitching winning championships, and pitching being 80 percent of the game.  Torre believed hitting was equally as important as pitching.