SEATTLE (AP) — Aaron Judge drove in four runs in his first two at-bats, Juan Soto hit his 40th homer of the season and 200th of his career, and the New York Yankees moved to the cusp of clinching a playoff berth with an 11-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

New York Yankees 11, Seattle Mariners 2: Box score | Standings

The Yankees can clinch at worst a wild-card spot in the American League with a victory over Seattle on Wednesday. The win in the opener of New York’s six-game road trip pushed the Yankees lead in the AL East to four games over Baltimore, their largest lead since holding a 4 1/2-game lead when play started on June 7.

“We know we’re facing another tough pitcher and hopefully we can go out and get it done and cross off that first goal,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But it hasn’t been done yet. We just got to kind of keep going.”

With the loss, the Mariners (77-74) fell to three games back of a wild card and five games back in the AL West race with just 11 games to go.

Judge laced a two-run double three batters into the game and added a two-out, two-run single the next time he was up an inning later. Judge now has a league-leading 136 RBIs.

Soto joined the offensive outburst in the third inning with a two-out, two-run opposite field blast off Seattle starter Bryan Woo. It’s the first time in his career Soto has reached the 40-homer mark and he’s now homered in all 30 parks in baseball.

HR No. 40 for Juan Soto! 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/4rSMZR3TCy

— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2024

“To get to another goal in my career is just a great feeling. All the work that I’ve been putting in and get the results is really cool,” Soto said.

Soto and Judge are the third set of Yankee teammates to each hit 40 home runs in a season, joining Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (1927, 1930, 1931), and Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris (1961).

“It’s an honor. It’s tough to really put into words. Those are baseball legends you’re talking about,” Judge said.

The top three hitters in New York’s order — Judge, Soto and Gleyber Torres — were a combined 7-for-8 with four extra-base hits and six RBIs against Woo.

In two previous career starts against the Yankees, Woo had not given up a run. This time, he was tagged for a season-high seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings and was knocked out after giving up Jasson Dominguez’s first homer since undergoing Tommy John surgery last September.

Woo (8-3) struck out seven and walked one. Austin Wells added a bases clearing double in the sixth inning as New York reached double figures in runs for the 14th time. Seattle had gone 107 consecutive home games without allowing 10 or more runs — the longest active streak in the majors.

“Not very good. Just made some mistakes,” Woo said.

Yankees starter Luis Gil struggled badly with his control early, but escaped trouble in the first inning thanks to a questionable decision by Victor Robles to try stealing home with the bases loaded, two outs and Justin Turner with a 3-0 count at the plate.

Story + video: Mariners’ Robles makes puzzling call trying to steal home

“Vic is an aggressive player, no doubt. That’s part of his game. That’s a situation you have got to know you’re going to make it,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said.

Robles was out and Gil (14-6) ended up working five innings, giving up one run and striking out five. Jorge Polanco and Luke Raley hit solo homers and Julio Rodriguez — wearing crystal-embellished shoes — had four hits for Seattle.

The Mariners lost for just the second time this season in their “City Connect” uniforms, dropping to 15-2.

Marcus Stroman worked three innings of relief for the Yankees as part of his move to the bullpen for this road trip. It was the ninth relief appearance of his career. He gave up five hits including Raley’s homer.

UP NEXT

New York Yankees: LHP Nester Cores (9-10, 3.90 ERA) threw five innings and allowed one run with nine strikeouts against Boston in his last start.

Seattle Mariners: RHP Bryce Miller (11-8, 3.12) has allowed one earned run and struck out 11 in his last two starts combined.

Passan interested in future of Seattle Mariners’ ‘enigmatic’ Randy Arozarena

SEATTLE — Tuesday was a night that the Seattle Mariners would probably do best to forget.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge enhanced his American League MVP case at the expense of Mariners starter Bryan Woo and had two hits with four RBIs en route to an 11-2 New York win on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park.

The loss dropped Seattle to 77-74 on the season. The team fell to 5.0 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West and got bumped down to 3.0 games behind the Minnesota Twins (1.5 behind the Detroit Tigers) for the final AL Wild Card spot.

“Tough one tonight,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview Tuesday. “They got some good hitters in that lineup and they were able to get on top of us early. We had some chances offensively early, just weren’t able to get enough runs across the plate to get back in that game. And they were able to open it up later on. So, a tough one tonight. One to move on from and come back tomorrow ready to play.”

By the end of the game, infielder Leo Rivas was pitching the ninth after seldom-used left-handed reliever Jhonathan Diaz went 2.1 innings before him. It was indicative of the kind of night Seattle had, which started at the very beginning of the game.

Woo, fresh off a start where he was 2.2 innings away from the second perfect game in franchise history, allowed three-straight hits to start the game to Gloyber Torres, Juan Soto and Judge.

Judge’s hit was a two-RBI double that put the Yankees up 2-0 in the first. And it didn’t get better from there for Woo or the Mariners.

Judge had another two-RBI hit one inning later, this time a single, to bolster New York’s lead to 4-0.

Jorge Polanco got one back for Seattle with a solo home run in the bottom of the third. But that did little, if anything, to discourage the Yankees.

Soto had two-run home run in the top of the fourth — his 40th of the season — and Jasson Dominguez had his first long ball of the year one inning later — a solo shot. Woo was pulled after Dominguez’s hit.

The Mariners’ second-year starter went 4.2 innings and allowed seven runs (all earned) off nine hits (two home runs), walked one batter and struck out seven. The Yankees led 7-1 when he was pulled.

“Not very good,” Woo said regarding his performance in a postgame interview Tuesday. “Just made some mistakes. Two-strike counts, I got a couple of kind of weaker hits and then (they) cashed in. Just got to be better, I think, with two strikes. … Just got to be better.”

New York catcher Austin Wells cleared the bases with a two-out, three-RBI double in the top of the sixth to give the Yankees double-digits on the scoreboard.

Luke Raley gave Seattle its last run of the game with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the eighth.

New York gave one last kick to the down Mariners after Oswaldo Cabrera hit an RBI single in the top of the ninth for the eventual final of 11-2.

Tuesday was a gut-punch. No question about it. The final score was disastrous, Seattle’s lead-off man Victor Robles exited the game with a right-hand contusion, it left 11 runners stranded and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. And Robles could be out for at least Wednesday’s game, too.

“We’re kind of assessing (Robles’ health) right now,” Wilson said. “But I think it was hard for him to grip (the bat) coming out of (the hit by pitch). So we got him out of there and we’ll just kind of see how he is tomorrow.”

Even the Mariners’ good luck charm, the blue and yellow City Connect jerseys, didn’t seem to matter. The loss dropped Seattle to 15-2 while wearing them this season. And everyone the Mariners needed to lose (Astros, Twins, Tigers) all won. Detroit and Houston took the respective ‘Ws’ in extra innings.

This is a game where you put it in the back of your mind and move on. There’s 11 games left in the season — and Seattle still needs to clear at least one team (probably two) to make its postseason dreams a reality.

That starts with bouncing back during Game 2 of the series against New York at 6:40 p.m. PT on Wednesday.

Bryce Miller will get the start for the Mariners against Nestor Cortes for the Yankees.

MARINERS MANAGER SPEAKS ON STARTING ROTATION DECISION: Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson spoke before a game against the New York Yankees on Tuesday about the decision to switch up the starting pitching rotation with 12 games left in the season. CLICK HERE

MARINERS MANAGER DISCUSSES OUTFIELDER’S HEALTH: Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson clarified the injury status of outfielder Victor Robles before a game against the New York Yankees on Tuesday. CLICK HERE

MARINERS PITCHING MATCHUPS AGAINST YANKEES: The Seattle Mariners will close out their nine-game homestead with an important series against the New York Yankees. CLICK HERE

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady

SEATTLE – Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is facing a potential wave of school closures, as the district seeks to address a $104 million budget shortfall. Among the 21 schools on the chopping block is North Beach Elementary, where concerned parent Lauren Jensen has a personal connection. As a former teacher in the Bellevue School District, Jensen witnessed firsthand the impacts of school closures on students, staff, and the community. Now, she fears the same fate for Seattle’s students and families.

“It was traumatic in that I had just gone through this in Bellevue,” Jensen shared. 

Jensen was a teacher at Wilburton Elementary, a school that closed just a year before, forcing her to transfer. 

“It was so hard on the school community, it was so hard for the teachers, students, staff,” Jensen recalled. “We learned through that that it didn’t help the budget cuts that devastated a community and students, and it didn’t really need to happen.”

Jensen’s experience has left her deeply skeptical of the proposed SPS closures, which are being considered under two options — both of which would see schools like Graham Hill shut down. She points to Bellevue’s own miscalculated budget predictions, which led to unnecessary closures. 

“The budget predictions were off. The enrollment went up the next year,” she said, noting that Bellevue eventually reversed course on closing middle schools after realizing it wouldn’t solve the budget crisis. “I just don’t want that to happen here in Seattle. There’s a statewide budgeting issue that we need to be looking at, and it needs to be solved top-down, not bottom-up.” 

For Jensen, the stakes are high, as her six-year-old daughter is currently a first grader at North Beach, and she wants her four-year-old daughter to have the same positive kindergarten experience her older daughter had.

Beyond the immediate disruption of moving students, Jensen warns that the closures could have long-term effects on the quality of education in Seattle. 

“When you’re having to consolidate classrooms and then schools to save a budget, you are inherently consolidating the staff that could support students in a way that at least serves them,” she said.

Jensen also fears for the ripple effect on schools that will be absorbing the displaced students, such as Viewlands Elementary. 

“Not only is it impacting all of these students and families and staff who are going to have to move and redistribute, it also impacts the families, staff, and communities who are taking in these students,” she said. “I think it does impact kids the most, which is what we have to think about.”

As a former teacher, Jensen is also concerned about the toll the closures will take on staff morale. 

“The morale is pretty low across the country with teachers,” Jensen said. “To say to teachers, we’re going to pull your school, move you… it’s the least motivating thing that can happen as an educator.”

Jensen’s frustration with the district’s handling of the situation is palpable.

“For me, it’s losing faith in public schools, which breaks my heart because I have loved Seattle Public Schools up until this point,” she said. “We are really happy at our school. I love this staff. I just fear that if we have to move, and we are targeted to move to a huge school building, that is not in the best interest of the kids.”

The SPS board has yet to hold a public meeting to discuss the closures, leaving many parents feeling blindsided by the email announcement of the proposed cuts. In response, grassroots groups like *All Together for Seattle Schools* are mobilizing, with a rally planned for Wednesday outside the district headquarters, urging the board to reconsider the decision.

For Jensen, the stakes are personal and profound. 

“We already have students who are facing issues of housing, food, divorce… what does it do to those kids who are most at risk to then take away a whole school community where maybe that’s the only stable thing they have in their life right now?”

With enrollment trends not as dire as initially predicted and past lessons from Bellevue fresh in her mind, Jensen hopes Seattle Public Schools can avoid making the same costly mistake. 

“I feel like it’s ironic, because in school, we learn history repeats itself, and that’s what’s been happening.”

The district is expected to address the community next Tuesday, September 24. Until then, families like Jensen’s will continue fighting for the future of their children’s education.

MORE NEWS FROM FOX SEATTLE

Security guard flashed gun at Boeing workers on strike, authorities say

Biden administration allows WA’s Alaska Airlines merger with Hawaiian Air

Suspected DUI driver crashes into WA State Patrol’s ‘Drive Sober’ sign

Semi driver in custody for suspected impairment after SR 18 crash in WA

Seattle police arrest 12 year old in West Seattle attempted carjacking

‘R Day’ in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood returns Saturday

This beloved coastal community in WA is in a race against nature

Kroger, Albertsons prepare to make final federal court argument for merger

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle newsletter.