New York Yankees Clinch AL East Title
The New York Yankees clinched their first American League East title since 2012 on Thursday night after beating the Los Angeles Angels by a final score of 9-1. They will now turn their sights on winning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and winning the American League pennant.
Injuries
Somehow the Yankees have managed to win the East while dealing with so many critical injuries to their team. Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Dellin Betances, Didi Gregorius, Luis Severino, and many others have all spent time on the injured list this season, but the Bronx Bombers continued to beat their opponents.
AL East Opponents
The Boston Red Sox have been a tremendous disappointment this season and will miss out on the playoffs altogether. They even fired their General Manager Dave Dombrowski earlier this month. The Tampa Bay Rays came out of the gates strong this year, moving out to a 19-9 record, but injuries could not allow the small-market team to keep pace with the mighty Yankees. In the Wild Card race, the Rays are currently two games behind the Oakland Athletics and tied with the Cleveland Indians for the second Wild Card spot. The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles never stood a chance against the Yankees.
Playoffs
The New York Yankees will look to continue winning and claim home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Yankees clinched the East with their 100th win of the season and will more than likely finish the season with over 100 wins. Their biggest competitor is the Houston Astros. Currently, the Astros (100-53) hold a half-game lead over the Yankees (100-54). If the Yankees were to take the top spot from Houston, the American League would go through New York, and the opposition would have to slug their way through the Bronx. The Yankees are looking very strong and could win their record-setting 28th World Series title this fall — their first since 2009.
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