Yankees Clinch Playoff Berth, Sabathia Earns 21st Win

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - CC Sabathia rebounded from a rocky outing to throw into the ninth inning, as the New York Yankees locked up a spot in the playoffs with a 6-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Sabathia (21-7) had given up seven runs in a loss to the Rays last Thursday, but Tuesday limited Toronto to one run, three hits and two walks in 8 1/3 innings, while striking out eight.

The effort helped the reigning World Series champions clinch a playoff berth, as their magic number for that had been one. The Yankees still trail Tampa Bay by half a game in the AL East race because the Rays defeated Baltimore on Tuesday.

Derek Jeter finished with two hits, a walk and scored three times for New York, which dropped the opener of this three-game series on Monday.

Travis Snider homered for Toronto, which had won five in a row. The home run was the Blue Jays' MLB-best 244th of the season, which ties the 2000 Toronto team for most homers in a season in franchise history.

Kyle Drabek (0-3) made his third career start and took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits and a walk in six innings.

The Yankees picked up a run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Alex Rodriguez, and made it a 2-0 game thanks to Mark Teixeira's sac fly in the third.

But the Yankees got the run back in the fifth, after Brett Gardner had tripled with one away. Jeter followed with a ground ball that third baseman Edwin Encarnacion fielded. Encarnacion came home with the throw, but Gardner was called safe after it appeared he touched the plate with his right foot just before catcher John Buck applied the tag.

The Yankees then added two more runs in the eighth, after loading the bases with one out. Rodriguez worked a walk off Josh Roenicke to force in a run, and after David Purcey came in to pitch, Robinson Cano lofted a pitch to left to make it a 5-1 game.

Sabathia worked a perfect eighth, and New York loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth. However, Jeter struck out before Greg Golson grounded out to plate the Yankees' final run. Teixeira walked to load the bases once more, but Rodriguez struck out to end the inning.

Sabathia took the mound in the ninth to try for the complete game, but allowed the first two batters to reach before getting Jose Bautista to fly out. Manager Joe Girardi replaced Sabathia with Mariano Rivera, who retired the next two batters to end the game.