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Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo plays hero in decisive game, then sets bar high for postseason
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Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo plays hero in decisive game, then sets bar high for postseason

SEATTLE — Anthony Rizzo has been uncomfortable at bat for two weeks, with the Yankees first baseman hitting .128 with no RBI in the 12 games through Tuesday.

Before Wednesday night’s game, Rizzo made a few changes and voila, his slump was over… at least for one night.

Great timing.

Rizzo was the star of the Yankees’ playoff series-clinching battle, driving in both runs in a 2-1 victory over the Mariners, including the tiebreaker with a 10th-inning double.

“I felt like I made some good adjustments in the cage and I felt like I was in a good position, so that’s just how it is,” said Rizzo, who has a .219 batting average with eight homers, 33 RBI and a .615 OPS in 85 games this season.

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RESTORING THE GLORY

If Rizzo were to regain a significant role throughout the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, it would make their top-heavy Juan Soto/Aaron Judge lineup even better.

His expectations for October are high.

Very high.

Rizzo believes the Yankees have what it takes to win the World Series. He also knows what it takes, having played on the 2016 Cubs championship team.

“We do,” Rizzo said. “I truly believe that. I think every team in the postseason will believe that, but we have offense, defense and pitching.

“I think it’s shown in the last couple of years in the playoffs, the team gets hot. And I feel like we’ve boiled some water and gotten hot and we feel really good about what we have.”

Rizzo sees some similarities between this Yankees club and the 2016 Cubs.

“It’s easy for me to say yes, but this is step one,” he said. “If you pop champagne, hopefully there’s another one before the end of the season and then three more in the postseason. It’s just a way for you to come together as a group and come together. This is all you want.”

Rizzo enjoyed securing a playoff spot as much as any Yankee. He hated missing his nightmare 2023 season, which was blighted by a concussion that he tried to play through for a few months, with little success.

This season has been more miserable, with 62 games missed due to a forearm fracture, but Rizzo contributed early as the Yankees got off to a hot start and helped them cross the playoff line on Wednesday after a slow start after returning from the IL on Sept. 1.

“My year has definitely been an unusual year, but I’m learning and growing and the team has been really good, battle-tested,” Rizzo said. “We were really good early on, not so good at some points. I just feel like now, for a while now, we feel like we’re coming together and building a lot of momentum.”

The Yankees entered Thursday’s regular season with six wins in their last seven games, an 89-63 record (best in the AL) and a five-game lead over the Orioles in the AL East with 10 games remaining.

He thinks the Yankees are at their peak at the right time.

“We’re healthy, we’ve got our starters rolling, which is always the most important thing for us, and our bullpen looks really good,” Rizzo said. “The formula is there, that’s for sure.”

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Randy Miller can be reached at [email protected].