CLEVELAND - After completing a three-game sweep of Kansas City, the Indians promised to maintain a calm demeanor when they start a key series tonight in Chicago.
"Why change anything now?" outfielder Coco Crisp said after getting three hits in Sunday's 11-0 rout of the Royals. "We want to win every game, not just three in Chicago. But we're not going to get all worried about it."
Jhonny Peralta, Travis Hafner and Ben Broussard homered, and C.C. Sabathia allowed five singles over eight innings.
The Indians head to Chicago with a 11/2-game lead over New York in the wild-card race. They are 31/2 back of the White Sox in the Central.
Aaron Boone, who had two hits and made two stellar plays at third base, said the Indians are determined despite a laid-back appearance.
"We realize there is more at stake, but I promise you we'll go there with the same attitude," Boone said. "That's just the way this team is."
Cleveland has won five straight and 12 of 13 and is a major-league best 33-11 since July 31. Chicago held a 15-game lead Aug.1.
"This is fun," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "I love to watch these guys play, how they go out and compete day after day. They've earned the right to be where they are."
Sabathia struck out eight and walked none, improving to 8-1 with a 1.99 ERA since Aug.5. Fernando Cabrera struck out two in a perfect ninth.
"This is exciting," Sabathia said. "But the pressure is on the other guys. We have no sense of urgency. We don't have to do anything except go out and keep playing like we have been."
A'S 12, RED SOX 3: Eric Chavez had two homers with five RBIs, and visiting Oakland broke out of its hitting slump.
The Athletics scored four in the first off Matt Clement and three in the second, then added five in the fifth off former Devil Ray Jeremi Gonzalez to take a 12-0 lead. The A's had scored three and totaled 12 hits in their previous two games, losing both. Oakland had 15 hits in this one.
Chavez, in a 4-for-31 slide, singled and scored in the first, hit a two-run homer in the second and added a three-run homer in the fifth, his 25th.
BLUE JAYS 6, YANKEES 5: New York starter Jaret Wright left in the third after being hit on the right elbow by a broken bat, and host Toronto ended the Yankees' six-game winning streak. Wright's next start is in question.
Alex Rodriguez hit his league-leading 44th home run and Derek Jeter also connected for the Yankees. Jeter struck out looking against Miguel Batista with a runner on second to end it, making the final out of a game with the tying run on base for the eighth time.
WHITE SOX 2, TWINS 1: Jose Contreras gave struggling Chicago eight strong innings to help it maintain a 31/2-game Central lead going into a critical series with Cleveland. The visiting White Sox still have the league's best record (90-58) despite a 22-23 mark since Aug.1.
ANGELS 5, TIGERS 3: Juan Rivera and Darin Erstad each drove in two, Vladimir Guerrero hit a run-scoring double and host Los Angeles maintained its two-game lead in the West.
RANGERS 8, MARINERS 6: Mark Teixeira homered twice and three teammates also connected as host Texas finished a four-game sweep.
