Yankees clinch playoff berth, Sabathia wins #21

The "Ace" has struck again.

CC Sabathia led the Yankees to Clinch and Conquer over the Toronto Blue Jays tonight in a 6-1 win, resulting in a captured playoff berth, as well as his 21st win of the season.

The win ensures that the Yankees will make the playoffs as either the division champions or wild card champions, am ultimatum fans must be happy to hear after a tough stretch over the final few weeks of September. Tonight's win was just the eighth in the last 22 games.

But even better news to Yankee fans?

It eliminates the Boston Red Sox.

Tonight being his last start of the regular season, Sabathia, who is making a case to be the Cy Young award winner in the American League, pitched 8 1/3 innings of one run baseball, striking out eight as he sent the Yankees to the playoffs for the 15th time in 16 years. His season line finishes at 21-7 with a 3.18 ERA. Thought of to be the front runner for the Cy Young, Sabathia has been pitching like the eventual winner all season, with his biggest starts coming in September with the Yankees struggling down the stretch.

"CC has been our ace all year long," Girardi said before the game. "He's pitched extremely well, so we expect him to go out and do it every time." (Mark Feinsand)

However while all is good in "Yankee Land," two other teams captured playoff berths tonight.

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched a berth with a win over the Baltimore Orioles. The Rays are battling with the Yankees for the division in the AL East, but the playoff berth guarantees they will either be the wild card or division winner.

In dramatic walk-off fashion, Jay Bruce sent the Cincinnati Reds to the playoffs for the first time since 1995 with a walk-off home run in a win over the Houston Astros. The Reds' win eliminates the St. Louis Cardinals and makes them the NL Central Division Champions.

The Yankees, Rays and Reds join the AL Central Division Champion Minnesota Twins, AL West Division Champion Texas Rangers and NL East Division Champion Philadelphia Phillies as the teams who have made the postseason. Two spots remain: The NL West and NL Wild Card.

The West and the Wildcard has been a back and forth dog-fight between the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves the last few weeks. It'll be interesting to see who wins both berths. I'm sticking with my belief that the Giants will win the West, but I do think (and would love to see) a one-game playoff between Atlanta and San Diego. I'd pay to see that.

Well, that's all for tonight. If you haven't heard, the Carmelo-Anthony-to-the-Nets-trade got called off, other than that it's been a quiet night.

It's good to be back and I'm sorry I've been absent. I've been busy like nobody's business with apps, homework, essays and my job. Hopefully this is just the start to getting back on track.