The Yankees donned AL East Champion hats and T-thirts and grabbed champagne and beer bottles Wednesday night as they watched the Rays-Dodgers game, hoping for a Los Angeles win that would clinch the AL East title and ignite a clubhouse celebration.
When the Rays prevailed, the hats and shirts went into the closet and the champagne and beer disappeared into the refrigerators.
Thanks to a 9-1 victory over the Angels on Thursday evening that was witnessed by 42,056 at Yankee Stadium and powered by Masahiro Tanaka, DJ LeMahieu and Brett Gardner, the Yankees copped their first division title since 2012 and the hats and shirts absorbed champagne and beer showers.
The victory came after MLB placed 18-game winner Domingo German on administrative leave while he is investigated for a domestic violence situation.
Tanaka gave up a run and four hits in seven innings. LeMahieu slugged a three-run homer and Gardner went 2-for-3 with a homer and drove in three runs.
The clincher sent the Yankees to the postseason for the 21st time in the past 25 years and for the third straight season.
It also allowed the 100-54 Yankees to pull one-half game behind the idle Astros in the race for home-field advantage in the AL postseason.
Having won 100 games a year ago, the Yankees reached the century mark for the second straight year. Since 1979, it is the second time the Yankees have won 100 or more games in two straight seasons. The Yankees did it in 2002, 2003 and 2004. They have an MLB-record 21 seasons with 100 or more wins.
Aaron Boone became the first man in MLB history to win at least 100 games in his first two years as a manager.
Since Tanaka dominated a limp Angels lineup that is without Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, the skeptics might not be impressed. Tanaka, however, was 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA in his previous five outings, so the Yankees will take Thursday night as progress. Tanaka’s first victory since Aug. 27 improved his record to 11-8.
Didi Gregorius contributed three sparkling defensive plays, a single and a stolen base. Cameron Maybin added a solo homer in the eighth that stretched the lead to 7-1 and Clint Frazier homered with Gardner on in the same inning to push the advantage to 9-1. Aroldis Chapman, who hadn’t pitched since last Thursday in Detroit, recorded the final three outs.
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