Anthony Rizzo doubled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning as the New York Yankees clinched an American League playoff berth with a 2-1 victory against the host Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.
The Yankees (89-63) won for the sixth time in their past seven games to earn at least a wild-card berth. They have a five-game lead over Baltimore in the AL East.
The Mariners (77-75), who remained five games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West and 4 1/2 back in the wild-card race, had their chances. They went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 on base.
In the 10th, with Jasson Dominguez as the automatic runner, Rizzo lined the first pitch of the inning from Mariners reliever Collin Snider (3-4) into the right field corner.
Yankees reliever Luke Weaver (6-3) got the victory and Ian Hamilton pitched a scoreless 10th for his first save of the season.
In the bottom of the 10th, Cal Raleigh led off with a single to left, sending automatic runner Julio Rodriguez to third. Hamilton then struck out Randy Arozarena, with Arozarena losing his grip on his final swing and the bat heading down the third base line toward Rodriguez. The Mariners’ star went into foul territory to avoid the bat, but then seemed to forget it wasn’t a dead ball. Yankees catcher Austin Wells threw to third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to tag out Rodriguez as he tried to scramble back to the bag. Hamilton struck out Justin Turner to end the game.
The Yankees opened the scoring in the second inning. With one out, Dominguez walked and then stole second, with Raleigh’s throw from behind the plate sailing into center field for an error, allowing Dominguez to advance to third. Rizzo then lined a single to right to plate Dominguez.
The Mariners tied it on Turner’s solo homer off New York reliever Clay Holmes with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning that snuck just inside the left field foul pole.
Both starters pitched well, though neither factored into the decision.
Nestor Cortes pitched six scoreless innings for the Yankees. The left-hander allowed four hits, walked three and struck out six.
Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller also went six innings and gave up one run on two hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.