PHOENIX — There was no music. Just a smattering of idle clubhouse chatter. The New York Yankees weren’t even in the mood to turn on the big-screen TV on Sunday to check on their fantasy football teams.
The Yankees, who lost 8-4 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, came to grips with reality after their latest loss, and now are faced with the inevitable.
They’re going to have no choice but to watch the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate the AL East title on their home field this week.
The Rays (95-90), who have a six-game lead with six games remaining, need to win just one of the next four scheduled games at Yankee Stadium, including a doubleheader on Tuesday, to celebrate their first AL East title since 2021.
The way the Rays have played all season, they just might
be celebrating their first World Series title in October, too.
“You know, it’s tough,’’ Yankees infielder/outfielder Jose Caballero said. “We fight for the whole season, but at the end of the day, we’re already in the postseason. So that’s what we look forward to, and just be better and learn from little mistakes.’’
The Yankees (89-66) have been looking up at the Rays in the standings since June 28, so it’s hardly stunning they didn’t win the division. Yet, they always circled this week on the calendar believing that they could use the four-game series to finally vault ahead of the Rays.
Realistically, it will be nothing more than tune-up games for their best-of-three wild-card series beginning Sept. 29 against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, with the winner playing the powerful Rays in a best-of-five series.
“You got to make sure guys are in a good spot going in, you know …’’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But first things first is we’re going to show up Tuesday and try and kick their butts. I mean, simple as that. And then I’ll do what I think is best for the club and for the guys trying to get ready.
“We’ve been through a lot as a team already, and we’ve answered the bell, mostly all of the turns, and looking forward to playing a good week of baseball and building some momentum going into the postseason.’’
If it means limiting Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler and other pitchers in their next starts, they’ll do it. Why pitch their high-leverage relievers in consecutive games? If position players need a day off, they’ll get it. There’s no reason to take any unnecessary risk at this juncture.
The Yankees even shut down reliever Clarke Schmidt when he was warming up in the bullpen to enter the game in the sixth inning on Sunday. He felt tightness in his biceps, so they stopped his warmups, and immediately had him checked out. Everything was fine, but they still will have him see their own doctors on Monday.
“You know, he checked out pretty well afterwards and all of the strength tests,’’ Boone said. “So, I’m hoping it’s not a big deal, but enough to not have him go into the game, so we’ll see what we have there.’’
Schmidt, who just returned Wednesday for the first time in 14 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery, called it “precautionary’’ considering his lengthy absence.
“Obviously, given the circumstance coming back from the surgery,’’ Schmidt said, “I don’t want to push through anything. But all of the testing was fine. Nothing with the shoulder. Nothing with the elbow. It was more like a cramping-type feeling. …
“In the previous days, I’ve been feeling very strong, so just kind of very, very minor.’’
The Yankees, who are expected to have infielder Jazz Chisholm (sprained thumb) back Tuesday, and perhaps center fielder Trent Grisham (hamstring strain) before the playoffs, certainly have a bigger concern: the health of Aaron Judge. The Yankees have no idea whether he’ll be able to rejoin the team, but he’ll continue to undergo treatment in hopes he can be back sometime during the postseason.
“The first thing we’re focused on is getting Aaron healthy,’’ Boone said, “and hopefully we can get him back in the mix, in some way, shape or form.’’
In the meantime, the Yankees have a wild-card series to win against Boston, and then, a division series matchup against the Rays.
“Now, it’s a race to the title,’’ Cabrera said. “They [the Rays] play their game and it’s kind of tough to play them playing the way they play. They did a good job during the whole year, and pitching wise as well, so that’s why they lead the American League.
“But at the end of the day, it’s about what we do in the postseason. The 162 first games doesn’t matter. Now, it starts in the postseason.’’
The Yankees have to get past the Red Sox first, of course, but they’d love to take their chances and take down what has been the best team in the American League.
“They’ve put together a great season to this point,’’ Boone said, “and they’ve put themselves in great position. You’ve got to respect the season they had so far.
“Hopefully, we’ll cross paths beyond Tuesday at some point.’’
Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees will have to watch Rays celebrate AL East title on home field
