Regular Season Ends With Loss In Texas

The Yankees ended the regular season yesterday, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, against the Texas Rangers. There was nothing remarkable about the game, typical of season-enders between a team in the Playoffs and a team out of them: With neither having anything to play for, the team on the outside got by. In spite of being played on a sunny day in a stadium with its retractable roof open, it was what English soccer fans would call "a damp squib."

Domingo Germán started for the Yankees, and was not encouraging, going 4 1/3rd innings and allowing 4 runs. The bullpen was scoreless after that, although Lucas Luetge allowed 3 hits in the 9th inning.

Nor was there much to talk about with the office. Aaron Judge, Gianarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres were all given the day off, spite of the long layoff to come. Jose Trevino got 2 hits, including a home run, but the rest of the team combined only got 3 hits. Rangers 4, Yankees 2. WP: Glenn Otto (7-10). SV: Matt Moore (5). LP: Germán (2-5). 

The Yankees finish the season 99-63, Champions of the American League Eastern Division, by 7 games over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Tampa Bay Rays, so long in the race, failed off near the end, and finished 13 games out. The Baltimore Orioles, so bad these last few years, finished with a winning record, 16 games back. In last place, 21 games back, with a losing record, are the Boston Red Sox.

In the immortal words of Bono, "Well, tonight, thank God it's them, instead of you!"

However, the Yankees finished seven games behind the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League. This locks the Yankees to the 2nd seed of the American League Playoffs.

Here are the Playoff matchups, with the higher seed having the home-field advantage:

Starting tomorrow: Wild Card Series

American League: 3. Cleveland Guardians vs. 6. Tampa Bay Rays; 4. Toronto Blue Jays vs. 5. Seattle Mariners.

National League: 3. St. Louis Cardinals vs. 6. Philadelphia Phillies; 4. New York Mets vs. 5. San Diego Padres.

Starting Tuesday, October 11: Division Series

American League: 1. Houston Astros vs. Jays-M's winner; 2. New York Yankees vs. Guardians-Rays winner.

National League: 1. Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Mets-Padres winner; 2. Atlanta Braves vs. Cards-Phils winner.

The National League Championship Series starts on Tuesday, October 18. The American League Championship Series starts on Wednesday, October 19. The World Series starts on Friday, October 28.

Judge Does Not Get Closer, But Cole & Yanks Do In Win Over Sox

First, the bad news: Aaron Judge remains stuck on 60 home runs; and, because the game was on Apple+, most Yankee fans couldn't watch this game.

Now, the good news: Since Judge didn't hit his 61st home run of the season last night, Yankee Fans can now see it when it actually happens. And, more importantly, the Yankees won, beating the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, and got closer to clinching the American League Eastern Division title.

Alleged ace Gerrit Cole started last night. It was a typical game for him, as he gave up a solo home run in the 1st inning and a 3-run home run in the 6th, and was brilliant in between. The Yankees got a home run from Aaron Hicks in the 3rd, and an RBI single by Hicks and an RBI double by Gleyber Torres in the 5th. But the Alex Verdugo homer in the 6th tied the game at 4-4.

Cole struck out 8 batters. He now has 244 on the season, 4 short of Ron Guidry's single-season Yankee record. Barring injury, he will get 2 more starts. He will break the record. I almost don't want him to, because he's no Guidry.

Nothing like a 2-out rally. With 2 out in the bottom of the 8th, Harrison Bader drew a walk. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you. Bader stole 2nd, and was singled home by Jose Trevino. Jonathan Loáisiga allowed 2 singles in the 9th, but got out of it to end the game. 

Yankees 5, Red Sox 4. WP: Loáisiga (5-4). No save. LP: Matt Strahm (3-4). It was the Yankees' 5th win in a row. The Tampa Bays beat the Toronto Blue Jays. They are now tied for 2nd in the AL East. The Yankees' Magic Number to eliminate each of them, and clinch the Division, is now 4.

The series continues this afternoon. Domingo Germán starts against Nick Pivetta.

Also, last night, my alma mater, East Brunswick High School in Central New jersey, lost to hated Old Bridge, 24-7. I guess it was too much to ask for two teams that I love to beat their arch-rivals in one night.