MINNEAPOLIS — The path wasn’t always smooth, and some of the credit goes to their rivals, but the Yankees have officially booked their place in October.
Now, the team will aim to ensure that Monday night’s champagne toast is merely the opening salvo of a deep postseason run.
Despite an otherwise lackluster regular season punctuated by stretches without their star, the Yankees finalized their playoff ticket Monday with an 8-3 comeback victory over the Twins at the chilly, rain-soaked Target Field.
Judge perfectly capped off a thrilling six-run eighth inning by launching a towering three-run homer — his first blast in six games since returning from a three-month absence with a broken right rib — deep into the left-field stands.
The shot served as a resounding message to the rest of the American League: if Judge is fully healthy and in peak form, opponents should be very concerned.
Shortly after, the Blue Jays fell to the Tigers in Toronto, officially clinching the Yankees’ postseason fate before New York completed their own dominant win over Minnesota (70-80).
With Judge’s rhythm restored, the Yankees (87-63) will now focus on closing the gap on the Rays, whom they trail by 3½ games for the AL lead, in a pivotal four-game series set for the Bronx next week.
The squad also widened its cushion over the Red Sox to five games, securing the top American League wild card spot.
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