Judge hits first homer since May 24 as Yankees clinch record 61st postseason berth, 9th in 10 years

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his first home run since May 24, and the New York Yankees clinched their record 61st postseason berth and ninth in 10 years on Monday night.

Spencer Jones was batting with two outs in the eighth inning of an 8-3 win against Minnesota when Toronto lost to Detroit, assuring the Yankees of at least an AL wild card berth

Judge, who returned last week after missing more than three months because of a fractured rib, hit a three-run homer off A.J. Minter earlier in the six-run eighth to give the Yankees a 7-2 lead. Before the homer, the Yankees captain had been 3 for 20 with 11 strikeouts since returning.

“I’ve actually been pleased,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday afternoon. “Even right away, I felt like this looked better than I anticipated. I feel like he just missed a handful of pitches, but I feel like for the most part, like swinging at the right pitches, taking pitches that he should, not chasing a lot. I think it’s just a matter of that last level of fine tuning, that we know he’ll get to.”

New York (87-63) closed within 3 1/2 games of AL East leader Tampa Bay (90-59), which clinched a postseason berth on Friday.

The Yankees are seeking their first World Series title since 2009.

“You work very hard to get that opportunity to go to postseason,” Boone said.

Eighteen Yankees have landed on the injured list, including second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. last week with a sprained right thumb. Judge, a three-time AL MVP, missed 84 games due to a right rib stress fracture.

New York entered Monday 40-24 in games with Judge, averaging 5.17 runs per game, and hitting .243 with 86 home runs. Without him they were 46-39, averaging 3.93 runs per game while hitting .228 with 107 home runs.

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New York Yankees' Aaron Judge watches his three-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates while running the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge watches his three-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates while running the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tristan Peters fouled off 12 pitches in an 18-pitch plate appearance that keyed Chicago's six-run outburst in the sixth inning and the White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Monday night to stay atop the AL Central.

Kyle Teel hit a two-run double and Miguel Vargas connected for a two-run homer following Peters' lengthy plate appearance — the longest in MLB this season, and tied for the third longest since 2000.

“I felt like I was fighting for my life up there,” Peters said.

The White Sox, who lost 102 games and finished last in 2025, won the opener of the showdown series to push their lead over the Guardians to 1 1/2 games. Chicago has led the division since July 4.

Sean Burke (9-7) didn't allow an earned run in five innings and Chicago's bullpen kept the Guardians in check as the White Sox improved to 7-4 against Cleveland to clinch the season series and tiebreaker.

The Guardians altered their rotation so Gavin Williams (13-8) could start the opener, and the right-hander gave them five solid innings. They needed six.

Chicago chased Williams and scored six in the sixth, helped by Peters' scrappiness in the batter's box and an error.

Andrew Benintendi singled and went to second on a wild pitch before Peters stayed alive by fouling off 12 pitches with two strikes and walking. Tim Herrin got Colson Montgomery to ground to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, but his throw to second struck Peters' helmet, allowing Benintendi to score.

Chase Meidroth followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0, and the White Sox got the big hits they've been craving as Teel doubled and Vargas hit his 31st homer.

Prior to Teel's double, the White Sox were 1 for 15 with the bases loaded in the past 15 games.

White Sox RHP Davis Martin (9-7, 4.05 ERA) starts against Foster Griffin (15-5, 3.65), who beat Chicago earlier this season while with Washington.

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Cleveland Guardians' Gavin Williams pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi (23) is congratulated by Chase Meidroth, left, after scoring in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox's Tristan Peters, right, and Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey, left, watch a foul ball hit by Peters in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox's Colson Montgomery (12), Randal Grichuk (34) and Chase Meidroth (10) walk back to the dugout after Montgomery and Meidroth scored and Gricjhuk was tagged out at home on a double hit by Kyle Teel in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)