Yankees clinch postseason berth with win over Mariners

SEATTLE — Soaked head to toe in various alcoholic beverages, Juan Soto squinted and grinned in the eye of an indoor hurricane, boasting about the enjoyment and camaraderie he has found with the Yankees. The superstar put on pinstripes expecting to carry the sport’s most storied franchise back to the postseason, and now they have arrived.

The Yankees will be ready for October, securing a playoff berth with a 2-1, 10-inning victory over the Mariners on Wednesday evening at T-Mobile Park. The gleeful outfielder doused teammates with bubbly and beer, found himself on the receiving end of several showers, and even paused for a brief dance break when a favorite track blasted through the clubhouse speakers.

“We believe in each other,” Soto said. “That’s what makes me think that we can go all the way, because we believe in each other. We don’t try to be the hero out there. We just try to do our job and try to win games.”

Soto’s arrival represented a pivotal moment for this Yankees club, which toasted its return to the postseason after a one-year absence, then forecast more celebrations ahead. It has been 15 years since the Yankees appeared in a World Series, and this drenched traveling party believes that its journey has only just begun.

“We definitely know the job’s not finished. We’re hunting this division,” said captain Aaron Judge. “But to get an opportunity to punch our ticket back into the postseason after last year, missing out, it means a lot. We’ve got a special group here. The boys are definitely excited, but they know the mission is ahead of them.”

“We’ve been through a lot already this year,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We understand it’s just the first step, but it’s an important one. We’re in the dance.”

The first hints that building blocks for a winning season were in place could be glimpsed through chain-link fences on February mornings in Tampa, Fla., where recognizable players arrived weeks ahead of their mandated report dates. The blockbuster trade to import Soto, consummated during the Winter Meetings, had everyone dreaming big.

While the powerful tandem of Soto and Judge delivered on their promise all summer, other contributors stepped in to secure the last win needed to turn the lights on at Yankee Stadium this October.

On Wednesday, Nestor Cortes fired six scoreless innings and Anthony Rizzo doubled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning to overcome Clay Holmes’ 13th blown save as the Yankees secured the franchise’s 59th postseason appearance.

“We’ve played really good baseball the last week or two,” Cortes said. “We’ve put a really good team together, and there’s more to come.”

Assured of at least a Wild Card spot while continuing to target the AL East title, this marks the Bombers’ seventh playoff appearance in eight seasons since 2017.

“They’re the best fans in the game, the best fans in the world, so having that stadium back up for the playoffs is going to be really special,” said catcher Austin Wells.

Soto and Judge have more than pulled their weight, becoming the third Yankees duo to each hit at least 40 homers in a season, joining Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (1927, ’30, ’31) and Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle (1961). Boone described his players’ impact as “historical.”

“All that was in my mind was just trying to help the team, and I think that’s the biggest thing for me,” Soto said. “Since Day 1, all we talked about was trying to be together and push together as a team.”

In addition to the December trade for Soto, the club has benefited from better health — the Yankees’ 2023 chances never recovered from seeing Judge crash into a low-lying concrete wall at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium. This year, Boone said, his club has proven much more equipped to handle those challenges.

Another important ingredient, according to several players, has been the hunger that resulted from watching other teams play in the season’s most meaningful games.

Boone admitted that the ’23 Yankees “weren’t a great team,” barely keeping the club’s streak of winning records alive with an 82-win campaign, and believes that this year’s edition “has the chance to do something special.”

What they do with that opportunity will ultimately determine how the roster is remembered. For now, it was a night to toast what could be.

“Throughout the year, there were a lot of ups and downs,” Judge said. “This group never wavered. They just stayed the course.”