MLB Playoff Picture: 3 things to know from Thursday

Every night we look around the league and identify three things you need to know about the playoff races. Here's what happened Thursday:

Yankees gain on idle Blue Jays

On a night where Yogi Berra was remembered at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees rebounded from a devastating series loss to the Toronto Blue Jays with a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. Carlos Beltran's three-run shot in the third inning was the difference, and moved the Yankees to three back of the idle Blue Jays in the American League East. New York plays eight of its final 11 games at the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium, where it is 42-32 this year.

Royals clinch AL Central

Ned Yost's crew is heading back to the postseason for a second consecutive season after clinching their first AL Central title. The Minnesota Twins fell 6-3 to the Cleveland Indians earlier in the evening to drop Kansas City's magic number to one, setting up the Royals to clinch the division with a 10-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Kansas City also expanded its lead to two games over the Blue Jays for top seed in the AL and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Rangers can't lose with Hamels

Cole Hamels tossed six solid innings to earn his fifth consecutive win as the Texas Rangers thumped the Oakland Athletics 8-1 to complete a three-game sweep, and expand their lead to 3 1/2 games over the Houston Astros in the AL West. The Rangers moved a season-high 14 games over .500 with the win and have pulled out victories in each of Hamels' last eight starts. Texas has an excellent opportunity to put Houston away this weekend when the rivals clash for three games at Minute Maid Park.

If the playoffs started today:

x=clinched playoff spot
y=clinched division

The race to clinch the division: