Yankees manager Aaron Boone reacts to his team clinching a playoff berth and at least a spot in the American League Wild Card Game following a 3-2, 11-inning win over the Orioles at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night, Sept. 22, 2018. 9/22/18 (Video by Brendan Kuty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
NEW YORK — Watch the video above as Yankees manager Aaron Boone reacts to his team clinching a playoff berth and at least a spot in the American League Wild Card Game following a 3-2, 11-inning win over the Orioles at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night, Sept. 22, 2018. 9/22/18.
And read his quote below:
I think (Saturday), when you realized you’ve finished it off and you’ve kind of punched your ticket, I think you just have appreciation. You kind of, along the way, just take in everything over the course of the year, realizing the last week or two where the division was probably not going to be an avenue for us. But we also understand that we all start 0-0 in that postseason and I think everyone in that room understands that we’re capable, we feel just as capable as any other team that’s going to have an opportunity to do something special. We have that opportunity now. We’ll appreciate this tonight and we’ll get back to the task at hand of trying to make sure that we play a home game to start things.
Who is lined up to start the Wild Card Game?
The Yankees won on a “walk-off” double in the 11th inning by Aaron Hicks…marked their eighth “walk-off” win of the season, their first since 8/28 vs. Chicago-AL (Neil Walk solo HR in ninth)…improved to 5-3 on their final regular season homestand…are 4-1 in their last 5G, 20-13 in their last 33G and 27-17 in 44G since 8/6.
Coupled with the Rays’ loss at Toronto, clinched their 54th postseason berth in franchise history (116 seasons, 46.6%)…have qualified for the postseason in 20 of the last 24 seasons since 1995 (missed in 2008, ’13-14, ’16)…have gone to consecutive postseasons for the first time since 2009-12…marks their seventh AL Wild Card berth (1995, ’97, 2007, ’10, ’15, ’17-18) and their third appearance in the AL Wild Card Game (2015, ’17-18).
Are 36G above .500, tying their season-high watermark (sixth time, first since 90-54 at the end of play on 9/10).
Earned their 95th win, matching the 2012 Yankees (95-67) for their highest win total since going 97-65 in 2011.
Are 53-27 (.663) at Yankee Stadium in 2018, the second-best home record in the Majors (Boston, 54-21, .720)…marks their second-most wins in a single season at the current Yankee Stadium (57-24 in 2009)…have won consecutive home series after going 1-4-1 in their previous six.
CF Aaron Hicks (2-for-5, 1R, 1 double, 1HR, 2RBI) recorded his first “walk-off” hit as a Yankee and third of his career (singles on 9/16/14 vs. Detroit and 5/15/14 vs. Boston, both with Minnesota)…hit his 26th HR of the season with a second-inning solo HR…has homered in two straight games…has an extra-base hit in four straight games after going 10 games without an XBH…is batting .375/.464/.792 (9-for-24) with 7R, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2HR, 7RBI, 4BB and 1SB during his six-game hitting streak.
Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.
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