Back in the playoffs, the Yankees try to dampen M's postseason hopes

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

The Yankees (89-63) secured a spot in the American League playoffs with a 2-1 win in 10 innings on Wednesday night. Anthony Rizzo scored both runs for New York, the second with a double down the right field line that brought home 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 some extra focus for the guys who have had 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 hitter Aaron Judge, who has the most home runs (53) and RBIs (136) in the major leagues, agreed.

“It's definitely going to be exciting, especially after last year's season where we missed the postseason,” said Judge, whose .321 batting average ranks second to Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. “That's what we wanted to do this season: get to the postseason and give ourselves a chance to go out and win a World Series.”

The Yankees have at least secured a wild-card spot, but have their sights set on the AL East title. They hold 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 out of the final wild-card spot, had a chance to tie the game Wednesday in the bottom of the 10th inning but fell 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 base.

Randy Arozarena lost his grip on the bat as he swung and missed on the third strike, and the bat spun down the third base line directly at Rodriguez, who dodged into foul territory. Yankees catcher Austin Wells alertly threw the ball to third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who hit Rodriguez just before he could jump back to the base.

“It was a great ball game in every way and it was hard to lose,” Wilson said.

After the game, Rodriguez sat at his locker and watched the replay over and over on his phone.

“I just saw a bat flying at my face and I ran away. 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 avoid the bat coming at me. That's how it is. Just a weird situation.”

In the finale of the series, Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (5-3, 2.41 ERA) will face Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert (7-11, 3.24).

This will be Schmidt's third start since missing more than three months with a right latissimus dorsi injury. He allowed two runs in 10 1/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox.

Schmidt lost 6-3 to the Mariners at Yankee Stadium on May 21 despite allowing just two runs on four hits in five innings. In his two career starts against Seattle, he is 0-1 with a 1.69 ERA.

Gilbert, who has lost his last three games, received a no-decision in a 5-4 Mariners win at New York on May 20, when he allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings. Gilbert has a 1-2 record with a 7.18 ERA in five career games against the Yankees.

–Field level media