NEW YORK _ For the first time all season, the Yankees took the field as division champions.
Some of the pressure was taken off on Friday night when New York suffered a 4-3 loss to Toronto in front of 45,270 fans in the Bronx.
This game came less than 24 hours after the Yankees popped champagne and locked up their first American League East title since 2012.
Of course, there is still more work to do in the final home series of the regular season as the Yankees get ready for the playoffs.
"Our guys are ready to go," manager Aaron Boone said. "I feel like we have a lot to play for now as we head into October. It's nice to officially say that."
Aaron Judge went deep for the second straight night and Tyler Wade added another homer for the Yankees, who passed the Minnesota Twins for the most in a season.
Tommy Kahnle served up a go-ahead, two-run shot to Justin Smoak that went over the Yankee bullpen in right. Boone then turned to three relievers in the eighth with Ben Heller, Tyler Lyons and Cory Gearrin combining to retire the side.
The focus is now on Houston, and on winning home-field advantage in the American League. Neither team won a road game in the 2017 ALCS when the Astros punched their ticket to the World Series. Both teams came into the night with 100 victories.
J.A. Happ made his case for a spot in the postseason rotation by allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings. His playoff spot looked tenuous just weeks ago, but Happ has turned the corner with four straight promising starts.
He gave up an RBI single in the fourth and a Danny Jansen home run an inning later, but not much more. The 36-year-old lefty held the Blue Jays to only four hits over 82 pitches.
Happ could slot in as the Yankees' Game 4 starter in the American League Division Series with Domingo German expected to be out and CC Sabathia being groomed for a bullpen role.
German is being investigated under the league's domestic violence policy and will not pitch again this season, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
Judge went 2 for 3 with a walk, and smacked a solo shot that tied the game. He brought the Yankee Stadium crowd to life in the bottom of the eighth inning with a two-out double down the left-field line. Didi Gregorius kept that rally alive by working a walk to represent the potential go-ahead run.
That set up Gio Urshela in a spot he has thrived in, with two on and two out. But Toronto reliever Derek Law won the battle as he induced a soft ground ball to escape the jam.
"We want to win," Boone said. "It certainly gives us a lot to play for in these final weeks as we punched our ticket. These games are important. The guys know that. And I'm confident that we'll come ready to go and with that urgency each and every day from here until the end."
New York then took the lead in the fifth when Gardner reached on an infield single, which set up Wade's 400-foot shot to right. Wade took advantage of a rare start with Giancarlo Stanton getting some rest and Judge taking over at DH.
"We're picking spots, whether it's trying to take the advantage of the upcoming off-days, being mindful of that, but also know that we're trying to win ballgames," Boone said.
The Yankees are still on pace to get 105 wins for the sixth time in franchise history. Each Yankee team that reached the mark went on to win the World Series, including four by sweep.
