It has been seven years since the Bronx Bombers could call themselves Kings of the American League East, which is a normal wait with a team with a normal history but an eternity for the New York Yankees.
That drought came to an end Thursday, when the Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-1 and clinched the division title.
I’ll be there for you, when the champagne starts to pour. pic.twitter.com/B6dnwq6fdB
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 20, 2019
A typical power display
The Yankees actually could have clinched the division on Wednesday night, had the Tampa Bay Rays lost their late West Coast game at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But the Rays rallied to win in extra innings, and so the Yankees, who stayed in their champagne-ready clubhouse until 1 a.m. watching, had to wait a night. They wasted no time in jumping all over the Angels.
D.J. LeMahieu got the party started with a three-run home run in the second inning, the first of four four home runs the Bombers hit on the night.
The Yankees now have 292 home runs on the season. That smashes their record total of 267 from last year — but it’s still one shy of the Minnesota Twins, who have the record at 293 with a 10-game race to the finish coming.
DJ LeMahieu’s 25th home run of the year lol pic.twitter.com/fARM7e6EWc
— David Mendelsohn (@BigBabyDavid_) September 19, 2019
Still goals to chase
The victory also was the Yankees’ 100th of the season. They trail the Houston Astros by a half-game for the best record in the big leagues and are 1.5 games ahead of the Dodgers for home-field advantage in the World Series, should they make it.
And for this franchise, that’s what it’s all about. The Yankees didn’t do a celebratory dog-pile, too afraid they’d add more injuries to their already riddled roster but also more worried about bigger celebrations next month.
“We got a lot bigger fish to fry, but this is the first step along the way,” manager Aaron Boone said, according to the Associated Press. “Nothing has got in their way. Whatever has come adversity-wise, they faced it and powered right through it.”
The Yankees had 30 PLAYERS on the injured list (IL) in 2019. Some more than once.
DIDN’T MATTER. AL EAST DIVISION CHAMPS.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#NextManUp pic.twitter.com/zsyQ4bWwkg
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 20, 2019
