The Yankees have almost no chance of making the playoffs, but they weren’t eliminated Saturday, because their game against the Diamondbacks was postponed due to inclement weather.
It is scheduled to be made up Monday at 1:05 p.m., after a scheduled game Sunday.
The Yankees could have been eliminated with a loss Friday, coupled with either a win by the Blue Jays or the Astros.
Instead, Aaron Judge hit three homers and now the Yankees’ season has been extended at least until Sunday.
Since the Yankees are 78-76 and both the Blue Jays and Astros can still finish with 76 losses, the Yankees still need to lose another game in order to be knocked out.
With more bad weather in the forecast for Sunday, it remains to be seen when their playoff hopes will officially end.
MLB moved the Diamondbacks’ scheduled game against the White Sox in Chicago from Monday to Thursday to allow for the makeup game at Yankee Stadium on Monday.
If there’s another rainout Sunday, a doubleheader Monday isn’t out of the question.
All teams’ regular seasons will end next Sunday on Oct. 1, and the wild-card series are scheduled to begin Tuesday, Oct. 3.
The Yankees will finish the regular season with a six-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Toronto and ends in Kansas City.
Fans with tickets to the postponed game may use them for the rescheduled game Monday or exchange them for tickets to a “similar” regular-season game next year at the Stadium, subject to availability, as described in the team’s rain check policy.
Jhony Brito made his seventh straight appearance out of the bullpen on Friday and excelled in the role again.
In those seven games, Brito has a 1.31 ERA in 20 ²/₃ innings.
They followed his last start, which was a rough outing versus the Red Sox, when Brito allowed seven runs (six earned) in just 2 ¹/₃ innings.
That continued a pattern for the 25-year-old, who has a 6.32 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 13 starts this season, compared to a 1.38 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 10 relief appearances.
“Jhony’s a starter and he’s made a lot of starts and has that capability,’’ manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s done a good job in the [bullpen], especially going one time through the [batting] order.’’
With plenty of questions about both the rotation and the bullpen heading into 2024, the Yankees have yet to determine the best path for the right-hander.
“He’s interesting,’’ Boone said. “I think he could fill a lot of different roles.”
Carlos Rodon was scheduled to start Saturday, which would have been his final game in The Bronx this season.
The 30-year-old has been worse at home this season than on the road, but Rodon has pitched poorly wherever he has been in his first year with the Yankees.
He has a 6.59 ERA at the Stadium and 5.28 away from home.
He also has pitched fairly well in each of his past three starts on the road — and had a brutal start in his most recent outing at home, when he allowed seven runs in 3 ²/₃ innings to the Tigers on Sept. 7.
It’s just one of the many aspects of his game Rodon and the Yankees will have to sort out after an alarming first season of a six-year, $162 million deal that has been marred by injuries and ugly performances on the mound.
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