Yankees clinch third consecutive playoff berth, September 15

The New York Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins 8-3 on September 15 at Target Field to clinch a playoff berth for the third consecutive season, according to MLB.com. The game was played in constant drizzle. Aaron Judge hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning for his first blast since returning from the injured list, per the source. Judge crushed an A.J. Minter pitch deep into the second deck in left field to put the Yankees on top 7-2 at that point. Judge had been sidelined for three months with a right rib fracture. José Caballero homered and doubled in the game, according to MLB.com. The Yankees overcame a 2-1 deficit with a six-run eighth inning. This is the eighth time in manager Aaron Boone's nine years in charge that the Yankees have reached the postseason, per the source. However, the current standing leaves the team chasing rather than leading the division. The Tampa Bay Rays (90-59) hold a 3½-game lead over the Yankees (87-63) with less than two weeks remaining, according to MLB.com. The Yankees and Rays will meet for four games at Yankee Stadium starting on September 22, a series that could decide the AL East. Spencer Jones, a rookie center fielder, and George Lombard Jr., a 21-year-old shortstop called up to play the position, both figure in the Yankees' roster composition heading into the stretch, per the source. Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged the team has dealt with significant injuries and adversity this season, per MLB.com.