Anthony Rizzo doubled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning, leading the New York Yankees to a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners and securing an American League playoff berth on Wednesday night.
With this win, the Yankees (89-63) notched their sixth victory in seven games, holding a five-game lead over Baltimore in the AL East and clinching at least a wild-card spot. The Mariners (77-75) remained five games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West and 4.5 games back in the wild-card race, struggling with runners in scoring position by going 2-for-9 and stranding 10 on base.
In the 10th inning, with Jasson Dominguez as the automatic runner, Rizzo hit the first pitch from Mariners reliever Collin Snider into the right field corner for a double. Yankees reliever Luke Weaver (6-3) earned the win, while Ian Hamilton pitched a scoreless 10th for his first save of the season.
The game took a dramatic turn in the bottom of the 10th when Cal Raleigh led off with a single, putting automatic runner Julio Rodriguez at third. After Randy Arozarena struck out, he inadvertently threw his bat down the third baseline, causing Rodriguez to stray off third base. Yankees catcher Austin Wells tagged out Rodriguez as he tried to return, and Hamilton struck out Justin Turner to seal the game.
The Yankees opened the scoring in the second inning, with Dominguez walking, stealing second, and advancing to third on an error by Raleigh. Rizzo then drove him in with a single. The Mariners tied it in the eighth with a solo homer from Turner that just cleared the left field foul pole.
Both starting pitchers excelled but did not factor into the decision. Nestor Cortes threw six scoreless innings for the Yankees, allowing four hits and striking out six, while Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller gave up one run on two hits with eight strikeouts over six innings.
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