BOSTON (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela sent a line drive deep to center field, and Romy Gonzalez hesitated between first and second to make sure it wasn’t caught.

The rest of the Boston Red Sox didn’t bother waiting.

Streaming out of the dugout to greet Gonzalez when he circled around to home plate with the winning run, the Red Sox celebrated their return to the postseason on Friday night after a 4-3, walk-off victory over the skidding Detroit Tigers. Another cluster gathered around Rafaela at third.

Boston (88-72) moved two games ahead of Detroit and 2 1/2 games ahead of Houston (85-74) in the race for the last two American League wild-card spots. The Astros played the Los Angeles Angels later Friday night.

Boston will play the best-of-three first round on the road, at either New York, To

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