Back in playoffs, Yanks try to dim M’s postseason hopes

The Mariners can only hope the New York Yankees are nursing a hangover on Thursday afternoon as Seattle looks to avoid a three-game home sweep.

The Yankees (89-63) clinched an American League playoff berth on Wednesday night with a 2-1 victory in 10 innings. Anthony Rizzo drove in both New York runs, the second on a double down the right field line to score automatic runner Jasson Dominguez.

New York is back in the postseason after missing out last year.

“A lot of things have come together,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Probably better health overall. Definitely an added focus for guys that were coming off tough years and simply put, we’re better. We weren’t a great team last year, and this team has a chance to do something special.”

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who leads the majors in home runs (53) and RBIs (136), agreed.

“(It’ll) definitely be exciting, especially after the season we had last year missing out on the postseason,” said Judge, who ranks second to Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. with a .321 batting average. “That’s what we came into the season to do, get into the postseason and give ourselves an opportunity to go out there and win a World Series.”

The Yankees clinched at least a wild-card berth, but they have their sights set on the AL East title. They have a five-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles with 10 games remaining.

“Our goal is to win the division. That’s what we want to do,” Yankees right fielder Juan Soto said. “We’re going to focus on that and try to finish the season strong.”

The Mariners (77-75), who are five games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West and three games back of the final wild-card spot, had a chance to tie the Wednesday game in the bottom of the 10th before falling victim to what manager Dan Wilson called a “freak scenario.”

Cal Raleigh led off with a single to left, sending automatic runner Julio Rodriguez to third.

Randy Arozarena lost his grip on the bat when he swung and missed at strike three, with the bat pinwheeling down the third base line straight at Rodriguez, who ducked out of the way into foul territory. Yankees catcher Austin Wells alertly threw the ball to third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who applied the tag to Rodriguez just before he could dive back to the bag.

“It was a great ballgame on all counts and a tough one to lose,” Wilson said.

Rodriguez sat at his locker after the game, watching the replay over and over on his phone.

“I just saw a bat flying toward my face and I ran away from it. I didn’t get back to the bag in time,” Rodriguez said. “At that moment, I wasn’t really thinking about the game, I was just trying to get out of the way of the bat coming at me. That’s how it is. Just a weird situation.”

In the series finale, Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (5-3, 2.41 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Mariners righty Logan Gilbert (7-11, 3.24).

This will be Schmidt’s third start since missing more than three months with a right lat strain. In outings against the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox, he allowed a total of two runs in 10 1/3 innings.

Schmidt lost to the Mariners 6-3 on May 21 at Yankee Stadium despite giving up just two runs on four hits over five innings. He is 0-1 with a 1.69 ERA in two career starts against Seattle.

Gilbert, who has lost his past three decisions, got a no-decision in a 5-4 Mariners victory at New York on May 20, when he allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings. Gilbert is 1-2 with a 7.18 ERA in five career starts against the Yankees.

–Field Level Media