The New York Yankees have advanced to the ALDS after taking down the Boston Red Sox in the American League Wild Card series in three games.
The Yankees will now face off with the Toronto Blue Jays, who they struggled against mightily during the regular season. Their struggles actually made the difference in the AL East, as both teams finished with the same record but Toronto secured the tiebreaker.
Ahead of their playoff matchup with the Blue Jays, the Yankees know they have to right the ship this time around if they wish to continue their run. Many players spoke with nj.com’s Randy Miller after clinching the Wild Card series win.
“We’re familiar with them, so it’s going to be who made the better adjustments and who can perform,” Giancarlo Stanton told Miller. “It doesn’t matter what the season series was. It’s one at a time now. It’s a matter of who makes the least amount of mistakes.”
The Yankees finished the season on a high note, securing a win in 11 of their final 12 games — including an eight-game winning streak to end the season — First baseman Ben Rice believes that run better defines who the Yankees are compared to the middle of the summer.
“We’ve got the group to do it. I think we’ve turned a corner since those times earlier in the year when they had us,” Rice said.
After a day off on Friday, the two teams will square off for Game 1 on Saturday, first pitch is at 4:08 PM EST.