NEW YORK _ What seemed all but inevitable when Hanley Ramirez took Dellin Betances deep into the Fenway night for a shocking walk-off three-run homer on Sept. 15 became official exactly two weeks later.
Though the Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox on Thursday night at the Stadium with a 5-1 victory behind a brilliant outing from CC Sabathia, they were officially eliminated from the playoff race before the end of the game when the Orioles beat the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
"It's not what we wanted," Joe Girardi said. "It's pretty quiet in there, probably the quietest I've ever seen it after a win."
This will be the third time in four years that the Yankees (83-76) will miss the postseason. They lost to the Astros in the American League wild-card game last season and have not played in a Division Series since 2012. Their final three games will be important, though: They will host the Orioles while the Red Sox host the Blue Jays, who are tied with Baltimore atop the wild-card standings.
All things being equal, this was not necessarily expected to be the year the Yankees advanced to the ALDS, or even into the wild-card game. And that especially became the case after Aug. 1, when general manager Brian Cashman completed a sell-off of some of his club's top assets.
But the Yankees, spurred in large part by rookie catcher Gary Sanchez, went 17-11 in August and entered September not only in the thick of the wild-card race but also the battle for first place in the AL East. On Sept. 10, they were 76-65 _ one game out of the second wild-card spot, two games out of the first wild-card spot and three games out of first place.
Much of that, however, came unraveled Sept. 15 in Boston when the Red Sox, who clinched the division title Wednesday night despite losing to the Yankees, rallied for five runs in the ninth for a 7-5 victory. That helped spiral the Yankees to a 3-8 road trip _ they were swept in a four-game series in Boston, won two of three against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., and lost three of four in Toronto _ that all but ended any hopes of a postseason bid. The Yankees earned their fourth straight victory Thursday night, but it was too late. A 3-11 stretch that had dropped them to 79-76 took care of that.
Sabathia was terrific in his final start of the season. The 36-year-old left-hander, who entered the game with a 2.57 ERA in his previous seven starts, turned in one of his finest performances of the season. Sabathia allowed one run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings to finish the year 9-12 but with a 3.91 ERA, his lowest in a season since 2012 (3.38). He walked two and struck out eight.
Sabathia, whose Yankees future was very much in doubt at the end of spring training when he barely held off Ivan Nova for the fifth starter job, is all but assured of returning next year. His contract vests at $25 million for 2017 should he not end this season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury.
The Yankees scored their first four runs with two outs. Starlin Castro had an RBI double in the first inning and Jacoby Ellsbury's RBI double in the fifth snapped a 1-1 tie. They scored two more in the sixth and another in the eighth on Aaron Hicks' RBI double _ with Brian McCann chugging all the way from first to home _ to make it 5-1.
Red Sox lefty Henry Owens (0-2) allowed two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Sabathia had an impressive first inning, striking out the side on 17 pitches.
Ellsbury walked with one out in the first and stole second as Gary Sanchez struck out (he fanned four times in five at-bats). It was Ellsbury's team-best 19th stolen base of the season but his first since Aug. 21 and his second since July 19. Castro then lined an RBI double to left-center.
Sabathia, who struck out the first four batters he faced _ the fourth being the soon-to-be-retiring David Ortiz, who was cheered during a pregame ceremony _ held that lead until the fourth.
With one out, Xander Bogaerts jumped on a 1-and-1 fastball and sent it deep into the seats in left for his 21st homer, tying it at 1. It was the 22nd home run allowed by Sabathia in 30 starts. He allowed 28 homers in 29 starts last season.
