Valentine's stormy season comes to a close

RED SOX skipper Bobby Valentine's job was safe for at least one final game.

General manager Ben Cherington would not discuss the status of the beleaguered manager before Boston's season finale against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

"I'm not going to talk about it," Cherington said. "We have a game tonight. We've said many times, Bobby's the manager of the team until the end of the year, and we'll talk about it after the season. That's what we'll do."

Valentine has had a trying first year with the Red Sox, 69-93 after Wednesday's loss. He was signed to a 2-year deal to help revive an organization that was eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of the season in 2011 after a September collapse. Instead, because of injuries, a lack of pitching depth and underperformance, Boston has lost its most games since 1965 and finished last in the AL East for the first time since 1992.

On Wednesday, Valentine told Boston radio station WEEI that some of his coaches were not loyal to him and undermined him at times this season, his first as a major league manager since 2002.

He did tell reporters before the game at Yankee Stadium he thought the friction with the coaches had little to do with the team's struggles.

"There's situations during the year I didn't think it was all for one or one for all, whatever it is," Valentine said. "I don't really remember specifically . . . It was just a feeling."

Cherington said he wasn't aware of the problems. Pitching coach Bo McClure was fired in August.

"If he feels that way, I'm sorry he feels that way," Cherington said. "I'm not in his office all the time. I'm not in the clubhouse all the time, so I don't know what he exactly was referring to. He's got a right to his opinion."

While Detroit's Miguel Cabrera stole the headlines by winning baseball's first Triple Crown since 1967, San Francisco's Buster Posey broke an even longer drought: His .336 average made him the first catcher to win a National League batting title since Ernie Lombardi in 1942. Posey's teammate, Melky Cabrera, had a .346 average, but the All-Star Game MVP was disqualified from the batting race at his own request after he was suspended Aug. 15 following a positive test for testosterone.

Among other NL leaders: Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, home runs (41) and runs (107); San Diego's Chase Headley, RBI (113); Washington's Gio Gonzalez, wins (21); the Mets' R.A. Dickey, strikeouts (230). Besides Cabrera in the AL, leaders in other categories were the Angels' Mike Trout, runs (129) and steals (49); Tampa Bay's David Price and the Angels' Jered Weaver, wins (20); Detroit's Justin Verlander, strikeouts (239) and Baltimore's Jim Johnson, saves (51).

* Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp said he'll undergo surgery on his left shoulder Friday. Kemp has a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He could have his shoulder cleaned up in a minor procedure or he could have the labrum repaired, which would sideline him 4 months.

At Los Angeles, Clayton Kershaw (14-9) finished with a major league-leading 2.53 ERA as the Dodgers defeated the Giants, 5-1.

* At Pittsburgh, Jason Heyward singled twice and scored two runs as the playoff-bound Atlanta Braves beat the Pirates, 4-0.

* At Chicago, Bryan LaHair homered and hit a game-winning single in the ninth inning, and the Cubs beat Houston, 5-4, in the Astro's National League finale.

* At Miami, Ike Davis hit his 32nd homer and Scott Hairston got his 20th to help the New York Mets beat the Marlins, 4-2.

* At Phoenix, Jeff Francis earned his first win in more than a month as Colorado beat Arizona, 2-1.

* At Milwaukee, Chase Headley drove in two runs as San Diego beat the Brewers, 7-6.

* At St. Louis, rookie righthander Shelby Miller took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his first career start as the Cardinals beat Cincinnati, 1-0.

At Seattle, Casper Wells tied a career high with five RBI as the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels, 12-0.

* At Cleveland, Dan Johnson hit his first three homers of the season as the White Sox routed the Indians, 9-0.

* At Toronto, Brandon Morrow (10-7) struck out a season-high 11, Omar Vizquel wrapped up his 24-year career and the Blue Jays beat Minnesota, 2-1.