JONATHAN LOAISIGA

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is still at 61 home runs with two games left.

Aaron Judge led off the game with his major league-leading 53rd homer and the New York Yankees stopped the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 to avoid a three-game sweep.

Aaron Judge connected off Max Scherzer for his major league-leading 47th home run, Andrew Benintendi drove in two runs and the New York Yankees withstood a botched popup by rookie Oswaldo Cabrera to beat the Mets 4-2 for their first Subway Series win this season.

Aaron Judge drove a three-run homer in the 10th inning for his second walk-off hit against Houston in four days, and the New York Yankees recovered after nearly being no-hit for the second consecutive game, beating Houston 6-3 to split a four-game series between the AL’s best teams.

Gerrit Cole took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Aaron Hicks hit a tiebreaking triple in the ninth as Manuel Margot slammed into the right-field wall and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 for their 50th win.

Anthony Rizzo homered three times to take over the major league lead, Aaron Judge connected on his birthday and Joey Gallo ended the longest home-run drought of his career as the New York Yankees outslugged the Baltimore Orioles 12-8.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shook off a bloody gash on his right ring finger to hit three home runs against the rival Yankees, including two off ace Gerrit Cole, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat New York 6-4.

Still, not even their ace pitcher, or an appearance by Boston heartbreaker Bucky Dent, could keep their winding season going. Cole won 16 games during the regular season, but including Tuesday’s loss was 1-3 at Fenway this season. Center fielder Aaron Hicks saw his season end in May following wrist injury. The same was true on the bases, where Yankees runners made 22 outs at home plate this season, tied for most in the majors. The defeat set up a big offseason for a franchise that also must work out a new deal for manager Aaron Boone, whose contract ends following the World Series.

Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees took a winding route into the AL wild-card game, squeezing in on the final day of a tumultuous season.

Aaron Judge drove home the winning run with a one-out single in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees clinched a playoff berth on the last day of the regular season by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0.

Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the ninth inning, Giancarlo Stanton homered for the third consecutive game and the New York Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics 7-6 for their 12th straight victory and longest winning streak in nearly 60 years.

Giancarlo Stanton homered and drove in three runs to carry the New York Yankees to their 10th straight victory, cooling off the streaking Atlanta Braves 5-1.

Anthony Rizzo is back in the Yankees’ lineup after a bout with COVID-19, and closer Aroldis Chapman also was activated before New York’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox.

Red Sox Yankees Baseball New York Yankees' Luis Gil delivers a pitch during the first inning of the the second baseball game of the team's doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, in New York. In the opener, Jonathan Loaisiga stranded the bases loaded in Boston’s final at-bat for a gutsy two-inning save after New York capitalized on a wild outing by Red Sox relievers for a 5-3 victory. The Yankees have won five straight and 12 of 15 to narrowly overtake Boston for second in the AL East — New York is 68-52 and the Red Sox 69-53, a difference of .001 percentage points. The Yankees were 10 1/2 games behind first-place Boston on July 5 but have gone 26-11 since. The Red Sox had seemingly snapped out of a 3-11 slump when they swept last-place Baltimore for three games over the weekend.

Red Sox Yankees Baseball New York Yankees Jonathan Loaisiga reacts after the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, in New York. Loaisiga pitched a perfect sixth before Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh on three singles — two of them soft, well-placed grounders. Red Sox relievers Garrett Whitlock (4-2) and Josh Taylor combined to walk the bases loaded with one out in the fifth inning before Luke Voit floated a two-run single to shallow center. The Red Sox got first base coach Tom Goodwin back after he was a close contact to bench coach Will Venable, who tested positive while the team was in Toronto. TRAINER'S ROOMRed Sox: INF Christian Arroyo (left hamstring strain) was set to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester.

Luis Gil posted his third straight scoreless start to begin his career, Luke Voit and Giancarlo Stanton homered, and the New York Yankees beat Boston 2-0 to sweep a doubleheader.

Joey Gallo hit a two-run shot in the 10th inning for his second homer of the game, and the New York Yankees outlasted the Chicago White Sox 7-5 in another back-and-forth thriller.

Newcomer Anthony Rizzo has become the latest Yankees player to test positive for the coronavirus.

Held hitless into the eighth inning by Domingo Germán and looking feeble, Alex Verdugo and the Boston Red Sox suddenly erupted for five runs to shake Fenway Park and storm past the New York Yankees 5-4.

Kiké Hernández hit a two-run double that tied the game with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Boston Red Sox took advantage of a record four wild pitches by Brooks Kriske in the 10th to rally past the rival New York Yankees 5-4 on a rainy night at Fenway Park.

Eduardo Rodriguez shut down the short-handed Yankees into the sixth inning, Christian Arroyo and J.

Red Sox Yankees PPD Baseball Boston Red Sox players take batting practice at Yankee Stadium, Thursday, July 15, 2021, in New York. The Yankees' post-All-Star break opener against the Red Sox on Thursday night was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among New York pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta. “And we expect to go play well.”At least one of Judge, Urshela and Higashioka was not vaccinated, the Yankees said. Boone said he expects each of the COVID-positive players to be out at least 10 days from the time of their positive test. Judge started for the AL team in this week's All-Star game, sparking concern about a potential spread at the midsummer classic.

Red Sox Yankees PPD Baseball Boston Red Sox players take batting practice at Yankee Stadium, Thursday, July 15, 2021, in New York. The Yankees' post-All-Star break opener against the Red Sox on Thursday night was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among New York pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) (Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK — (AP) — The Boston Red Sox and Yankees will play Friday night after a game scheduled for Thursday was postponed following three positive coronavirus tests involving three vaccinated New York pitchers. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Thursday all three were fully vaccinated, as are most of the players on the team. Cashman did not say whether the other New York players in quarantine included any of the team's All-Stars who were in Denver this week: Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Aroldis Chapman.

For the first time in months, COVID-19 is creating chaos around Major League Baseball.

The Yankees’ post-All-Star break opener against the Boston Red Sox has been postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among New York pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole demanded on the mound that manager Aaron Boone let him get the final out, then struck out Yordan Alvarez with a 99 mph fastball on his career-high 129th pitch to cap the New York Yankees’ 1-0 win over the Houston Astros.

Nestor Cortes and three relievers combined for a three-hitter and Brett Gardner and DJ LeMahieu drove in two runs each to lead the New York Yankees to a 4-0 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night.

Gerrit Cole was one pitch better than Shane Bieber in a heavyweight matchup of aces as Rougned Odor and Aaron Hicks homered off Cleveland’s Cy Young winner in the fifth inning, giving the New York Yankees a 2-1 win over the Indians.

New York Yankees' Gio Urshela (29) and Mike Ford celebrate after the Yankees defeated the Cleveland Indians 10-9 in Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball series, early Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)CLEVELAND – It took the New York Yankees nearly five hours on the field, carried them from Wednesday to Thursday and September into October to complete the sweep. "They weren’t going to lose.”At 4 hours, 50 minutes — even without two rain delays totaling another 76 minutes — it was draining. New York went 2-8 during a testy season series with top-seeded Tampa Bay, which won the AL East by seven games over the second-place Yankees. RECORD STOREIndians pitchers walked 12, tied for the most in any postseason game.

Toronto Blue Jays' Jacob Waguespack reacts as New York Yankees' Kyle Higashioka runs the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK – Kyle Higashioka hit a career-high three home runs, DJ LeMahieu connected twice and the resurgent New York Yankees hit a season-best seven homers in another Bronx air show, thumping the Toronto Blue Jays 13-2 on Wednesday night. LeMahieu, Voit and Frazier also connected Tuesday — Voit homered twice — when New York hit six home runs and pummeled Toronto 20-6. Gerrit Cole (6-3) had another overpowering start for New York, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth. Higashioka had never topped three homers in a season but has four in the past six days while emerging as Cole's preferred batterymate.

San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar, right, reacts after scoring on a fielder's choice in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in San Diego. Prized rookie Deivi García (1-1, 3.06 ERA) pitches for the Yankees, who have won five straight following a 5-16 slide. New York expects to get third baseman Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga back from the injured list. WILD WESTThe surging San Diego Padres go for their ninth straight victory and try to close within a half-game of the West-leading Dodgers when the NL's top two teams square off again at Petco Park. Lamb homered and doubled in his Athletics debut Monday, a 9-0 victory at Seattle that gave his new team a doubleheader split.

Prized rookie Deivi García (1-1, 3.06 ERA) pitches for the Yankees, who have won five straight following a 5-16 slide. New York expects to get third baseman Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga back from the injured list. Sportico reported Cohen will own 95% of the team, with the rest staying with the Wilpon and Katz families. Former major league star Alex Rodriguez and fiancee Jennifer Lopez also tried to buy the team but dropped out of the bidding last month. Cohen also entered negotiations to buy the Mets last year, but the deal fell apart in February.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)NEW YORK Injury fill-in Clint Frazier had three hits, including a home run, and scored twice in his season debut as the Yankees beat Atlanta 6-3 Wednesday night, sweeping a two-game set. The Yankees tied it in the bottom of the frame, clubbing back-to-back homers for the first time this season. Yankees: Judge (lower body tightness) did not play, a night after the oft-injured slugger was lifted for a pinch-hitter. Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (3-0, 3.22 ERA) should get his first taste of baseballs longest-running rivalry.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON Gleyber Torres helped the New York Yankees prevent the Washington Nationals from tooting their own horn. Torres had started 2020 by going 0 for 7 before delivering hits in three consecutive at-bats Sunday. But with one out in the seventh, Torres took Corbin deep on a first-pitch fastball to make it 2-1. Honestly, I really dont know what theyre planning on doing with that thing, Martinez said about the trumpet. On Monday, Washington RHP Anbal Snchez faces RHP Trent Thornton.

Washington Nationals' Howie Kendrick (47) is greeted with "air high fives" by Juan Soto (22) after Kendrick scored them both on a two-run home run off Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Alex Cobb during an exhibition baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2020, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)WASHINGTON Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto tested positive for COVID-19 and was put on the injured list Thursday, forcing him to miss the start of the pandemic-delayed season. Soto had missed the first two weeks of the teams summer camp this month after he was exposed to someone with COVID-19. Also Thursday, Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list as New York set its opening day 30-man roster before playing Game 1. "If you told me my dream, making the opening day roster for the yankees, as a young kid in New Jersey would come true, I wouldnt have believed you.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole throws during the first inning of an intrasquad game during baseball practice Tuesday July 7, 2020, in New York. But the team's new $324 million ace learned the hard way about one of baseballs new coronavirus safety protocols Tuesday night during an intrasquad game at Yankee Stadium. I liked that ball, Cole grumbled on the mound. Cole faced a Yankees B team in an intrasquad game that aired locally. ... C Kyle Higashioka was scratched from the intrasquad game with a sore neck.