YANKEES WIN AL EAST CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT!
YES YANKEES CLINCH AL EAST!!
Yankees' Mariano Rivera pours champagne on Jorge Posada after clinching the AL East.
The Yankees' clubhouse was filled with players celebrating the AL East championship Wednesday night, some of them pouring champagne for the first time in their young careers.
Yet it was a 40-year-old veteran toasting to his 12th division title who may have had the most to celebrate.
Jorge Posada has endured the toughest season of his memorable career, but that was an afterthought as he delivered the division-clinching hit in the eighth .inning, propelling the Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Rays that got the party started at the Stadium.
"It's been a tough year, but this is what you look forward to," Posada said, wiping champagne from his teary eyes. "Days like today are what keep me going."
The Yankees' clubhouse was filled with players celebrating the AL East championship Wednesday night, some of them pouring champagne for the first time in their young careers.
Yet it was a 40-year-old veteran toasting to his 12th division title who may have had the most to celebrate.
Jorge Posada has endured the toughest season of his memorable career, but that was an afterthought as he delivered the division-clinching hit in the eighth .inning, propelling the Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Rays that got the party started at the Stadium.
"It's been a tough year, but this is what you look forward to," Posada said, wiping champagne from his teary eyes. "Days like today are what keep me going."
BOX SCORE: YANKEES 4, RAYS 2Posada's game-winner completed a day that saw the Yankees sweep their doubleheader, giving them their second AL East crown in three years thanks to another gut-wrenching loss by the Red Sox.
"It could not have been more fitting that Jorge wrapped up the AL East for us," Nick Swisher said. "Derek had 3,000, Mo had 602 and now Jorge has his moment, too."
Posada, who has had plenty of great moments during his 15 years in pinstripes, kept this one in perspective.
"I wouldn't say it was an all-time moment," he said. "But it was a pretty good moment for me."
Jorge Posada pinch hits in the 8th and gets the hit that brings the Yankees a division title. "It's only fitting," Derek Jeter said. "He's worked extremely hard, he has a lot of pride, and he hasn't played as much as he's used to playing, but he's contributed a lot and I couldn't be happier for him. He deserves it."
"It could not have been more fitting that Jorge wrapped up the AL East for us," Nick Swisher said. "Derek had 3,000, Mo had 602 and now Jorge has his moment, too."
Posada, who has had plenty of great moments during his 15 years in pinstripes, kept this one in perspective.
"I wouldn't say it was an all-time moment," he said. "But it was a pretty good moment for me."
Jorge Posada pinch hits in the 8th and gets the hit that brings the Yankees a division title. "It's only fitting," Derek Jeter said. "He's worked extremely hard, he has a lot of pride, and he hasn't played as much as he's used to playing, but he's contributed a lot and I couldn't be happier for him. He deserves it."
CC Sabathia failed to record his 20th win, giving up a 2-0 lead on solo home runs by Kelly Shoppach in the fifth and Sean Rodriguez in the seventh.
Dave Robertson (4-0), who needed only one pitch to get out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth, picked up the win. Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth for the save after Mariano Rivera had done the same in the first game, another 4-2 victory.
"It's just wonderful to see," Joe Girardi said. "You think about the two games we won today, with Mo closing the first one and Jorge getting the big hit in the second one, it's awesome."
The final year of Posada's contract has been a challenging one for the five-time All-Star, one that started with him losing his catching job. He took himself out of the lineup in mid-May after a very public spat with Girardi and GM Brian Cashman, the result of a humiliating drop in the lineup before a nationally televised game, then saw his DH job reduced to a bench role and faced the possibility of being left off the postseason roster.
Dave Robertson (4-0), who needed only one pitch to get out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth, picked up the win. Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth for the save after Mariano Rivera had done the same in the first game, another 4-2 victory.
"It's just wonderful to see," Joe Girardi said. "You think about the two games we won today, with Mo closing the first one and Jorge getting the big hit in the second one, it's awesome."
The final year of Posada's contract has been a challenging one for the five-time All-Star, one that started with him losing his catching job. He took himself out of the lineup in mid-May after a very public spat with Girardi and GM Brian Cashman, the result of a humiliating drop in the lineup before a nationally televised game, then saw his DH job reduced to a bench role and faced the possibility of being left off the postseason roster.
LETS GO YANKEES ALL THE WAY!!!
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