The New York Yankees celebrated their American League East division title on Thursday night after a commanding 10-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. The win secured their second division crown in three years.
Unlike the celebration on September 18, when the Yankees clinched a playoff spot while on the road, this time the festivities took place at home in the Bronx. The familiar surroundings added to the atmosphere as the team celebrated with enthusiasm.
Inside the clubhouse, players popped bottles of champagne and beer, filling the air with a festive buzz. Empty containers quickly piled up, signaling the unrestrained joy of a team that had battled hard for its division title.
One standout moment featured Juan Soto, in his first division-winning season with the Yankees, joining Gleyber Torres in a self-champagne shower. Manager Aaron Boone, seemingly giving the nod to start the celebration, was also caught on camera as players donned protective goggles and sprayed each other with champagne.
Yankees captain: ‘We’re gonna party hard’
Aaron Judge, who hit his 58th home run in the win, quipped to MLB Network that he might need a day off to recover from the celebration. The team later gathered on the field for a group photo, wearing shirts emblazoned with “We own the East” as the scoreboard confirmed their 28th AL East title.
This triumph was especially sweet for the Yankees, who missed the playoffs last year after narrowly edging out the Tampa Bay Rays for the division title in 2022. The team’s steady performance throughout this season helped them rebound from a mid-year slump and positioned them as contenders for the top seed in the American League.
Now heading into a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Yankees need just two more wins to clinch the AL’s best record, further cementing a successful 2024 campaign.
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