The Yankees’ long (two-day) national (tri-state area) nightmare is over.
After whiffing in their first two chances to secure the division, they have finally won the American League East.
The road back to the top of the division took much longer, following last year’s abysmal fourth-place finish, but the Yankees have officially climbed all the way back to the top of the AL East with a 10-1 win over the Orioles on Thursday night in The Bronx.
In Game 159, with a party-like atmosphere from the 42,022 in attendance, the Yankees (93-66) nailed down the division by extending their lead over the Orioles (88-71) to five games.
Doing so ensured their playoff run will begin in the ALDS next Saturday at the Stadium against the winner of a wild-card round series.
The next box to check off during their final regular-season series against the Pirates this weekend is wrapping up the top seed in the AL for home-field advantage through the ALCS, which they can do with a combination of two wins or Guardians losses.
