The New York Yankees clinched a playoff spot after one of the most bizarre endings to a baseball game that you will ever see.
Leading 2-1 in the bottom of the 10th inning, the Bombers nailed Julio Rodriguez out at third base after he inexplicably wandered off the bag.
In fairness to Rodriguez, teammate Randy Arozarena’s bat went flying towards him, causing his instincts to take over. Unfortunately, the instincts he displayed were of the survival kind and not the baseball kind.
After dodging out of the way of the bat, Rodriguez thought the play was dead – but it certainly wasn’t. The Yankees made quick work of his blunder and tagged him out. Game over.
“I just saw a bat flying up to my face and I just ran away from it,” Rodriguez said after the game. “And after that, I was just in a little bit of shock, and I didn’t get back to third base in time … After I saw the bat, I thought it was going to be a dead play.”
Just like that – in one of the craziest game-ending sequences you’ll ever see – the Yankees punched their ticket to the postseason.
The Yankees locker room was festive as the Bombers celebrated clinching yet another playoff berth. However, captain Aaron Judge made sure to point out that there are much bigger goals on the horizon.
“The job’s not finished. We want the division,” Judge said during the postgame celebration, keeping the team’s focus firmly on securing the AL East title.
The Yankees, sitting atop the American League with an 89-63 record, now hold a five-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles with just 10 games left in the regular season. It’s the largest cushion they’ve had all year.
“We definitely know the job’s not finished,” Judge reiterated, emphasizing the team’s larger goals. “But to get an opportunity to punch our ticket back into the postseason after missing out last year means a lot. We’ve got a special group here, and the boys are definitely excited.”
The Yankees’ path to the playoffs was secured when Anthony Rizzo delivered a crucial RBI single in the 10th inning. The Mariners threatened in the bottom half, but Rodriguez’s costly mistake sealed the victory for New York.
With their playoff spot locked in, the Yankees have now made the postseason in seven of the last eight seasons, a testament to their consistency since the wild-card era began in 1995.
Last year’s absence from October baseball was a glaring exception, as they finished 82-80 and fourth in the AL East. But this season has been a return to form, led by the dynamic duo of sluggers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
The Yankees aren’t just battling for a division title. They’re also vying for a top-two seed in the American League, which would guarantee a spot in the AL Division Series and avoid the wild-card round.
Currently, they hold a seven-game lead over the Houston Astros for the second seed and hold the tiebreaker over them.
More importantly, the Yankees currently lead the Cleveland Guardians by 1.5 games for the top overall seed in the American League. (We all know how important home field advantage is in the Bronx.)
This season’s success can be traced back to spring training in Tampa, where the energy around the team was palpable.
The addition of Soto last December, along with better health for star players like Judge, set the tone early for a deep run.
The modern-day bash brothers have become the most lethal duo in baseball, with both belting over 40 home runs this season.
Judge and Soto are only the third pair of Yankees to accomplish such a feat, joining legendary tandems Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.
We all know what the mission statement is in the Bronx.
While some old-school fans roll their eyes at teams who celebrate clinching playoff berths, the Yankees did so while firmly aware that the job is not nearly finished.
2009 was a very long time ago, and the Bombers know anything less than a World Series title will be a failure.
Is this the year the Yankees finally break their long, cold championship drought???