Yanks clinch AL East

Yanks clinch AL East

TORONTO (AP) — Aaron Judge walked four times and stayed at 60 home runs, one shy of Roger Maris’ American League record, as the New York Yankees clinched the AL East title by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 Tuesday night.

The Yankees celebrated their 20th division championship, tied for second-most with the Dodgers behind Atlanta’s 21, but not home run history. New York (95-59) secured a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the Division Series.

Judge lined out in his first at-bat and then drew four straight walks in his seventh straight game without a home run. The Yankees have eight games left in the regular season for Judge to tie or break the AL mark set by Maris in 1961.

Despite the loss, Toronto (87-68) maintained its place atop the AL wild-card standings.

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge celebrates the team’s 5-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)