Yanks clinch playoff spot as Sabathia wins 21st

TORONTO - After a week of unexpected drama, they're in.

Just as expected.

CC Sabathia, coming off one of his worst outings of the season, turned in one of his best last night at Rogers Centre, pitching the Yankees past the Blue Jays, 6-1, and into the postseason for the 49th time.

"It just feels good to get in,'' Alex Rodriguez said. "It's an important step for us.''

As champagne and beer splashed on and around them in the clubhouse, players enjoyed the achievement but also looked ahead to next Wednesday, when the ALDS begins.

"It's just a first step,'' Mark Teixeira said. "No one in here is satisfied with the season. Everyone knows it's World Series championship or bust.''

The Yankees stayed within a half-game of the Rays, who beat the Orioles, in the AL East. But Joe Girardi repeated afterward what he's said for much of the last two weeks: He isn't willing to go all out to win the division at the expense of not being healthy for the postseason.

"I have to make sure our guys are strong,'' said Girardi, who was congratulated in his office by team president Randy Levine and vice president of amateur scouting Damon Oppenheimer. "That's the first thing. I still want our division and I still want home-field advantage, but I can see there's some tired bodies out there. There really is. It's something I have to think about tonight, how I'm going to do it.''

Girardi said Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Rodriguez are among those likely to receive rest. Teixeira, battling a bone bruise on his right thumb and a broken right pinky toe, is also a candidate for a day or two off.

Not surprisingly, no player said he wanted to take a break.

"I always want to play,'' Jeter said. "I don't know what the plans are, but regardless of who's playing, you still want to win the game."

Said Teixeira: "I want to play, I want to win this division. Some of it's not in our hands. Joe's going to make the decisions he needs to make. At the same time, we go out there every single night to try and win.''

The Yankees did that behind Sabathia (21-7, 3.18). The lefthander, still very much in contention for the AL Cy Young, was coming off an outing against Tampa when he allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 51/3 innings. Last night, he allowed one run and two hits in 81/3 innings, striking out eight and walking two.

"He's tremendous,'' Girardi said.

Sabathia will start Game 1 of the ALDS.

"I feel like I need to go out and keep the other team at bay every time out,'' Sabathia said. "I was able to do that tonight, these guys played good 'D' and scored some runs early.''

After allowing Travis Snider's two-out homer in the third that cut the lead to 2-1, Sabathia retired 11 straight before Vernon Wells singled with one out in the seventh.

The Yankees got two hits and an RBI from Jeter and two RBIs from Rodriguez.

"This is quite an accomplishment,'' Girardi said. "We talked about that this was going to be an extremely tough division and it wasn't going to be easy. And it wasn't.''