The Yankees finally were put out of their misery Wednesday night.
They lost 8-3 to the Rays, but were officially eliminated from playoff contention before the end of their game when the Indians beat the White Sox in Cleveland.
The details hardly matter, since the Yankees had been on life support since being swept out of Boston on Sept. 15.
“It’s never easy,” manager Joe Girardi said of seeing the team’s playoff hopes officially dashed, causing them to sit out October for the first time since 2008 and second time in 19 years. “When you’re out before the postseason even starts, it’s extremely disappointing.”
And now Mariano Rivera will play his final game in The Bronx on Thursday in a game that largely is irrelevant.
“I’m not used to pitching for something that doesn’t mean anything,” the retiring closer said. “I want to pitch for something that means something. Not that the fans aren’t special, because they are special. But I’m talking about something like the playoffs.”
Many of the reasons for their failure this season were on display Wednesday.
Phil Hughes (4-14) was knocked around then yanked in the third inning. The offense failed to do much with runners in scoring position.
And Alex Rodriguez was booed following his fifth-inning strikeout.
The odds were long for the Yankees to make the playoffs after losing four straight to Boston and Toronto on their recent road trip. These last three losses proved to be too much to overcome.
“You can look back just 10 days ago, when we won three of four in Baltimore, we were right there,” Girardi said. “Today was probably a reality check for me. I knew it was going to be extremely difficult, but I believed that we would get there.”
Before the game, Girardi admitted injuries took their toll on the team and helped sidetrack the season.
“One thing is when you lose a guy like [Mark Teixeira], who’s a 35-[homer] and 110-[RBI] guy,” Girardi said of the first baseman, one of a long list of players who missed much of the season due to injury.
“Those guys aren’t lying around,” Girardi said. “You lose a 40-home run guy [Curtis Granderson]. You lose an everyday shortstop [Derek Jeter], those guys aren’t just lying around. And people aren’t just going to give them to you, either.”
Though the team stayed on the outskirts of the wild-card race until the final week or so of the regular season, there proved to be too many holes to fill. And there was only so much Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells, Kevin Youkilis and other players the Yankees picked up off the scrap heap could do.
“I think our front office and ownership did the best they could,” Girardi said. “I was satisfied. They kept trying to improve our club every day.”
It didn’t work.
“It feels strange,” Robinson Cano said. “We were close. We’re not satisfied, but at least we got this far because we don’t have most of the guys for most of the season.”
The Yankees rallied Wednesday in the eighth. Down 7-2, they scored a run, and Granderson came up with the bases loaded and two out as the potential tying run, but he grounded out.
So the offseason will begin after Sunday’s finale in Houston for a team unfamiliar with not playing into the fall.
“I’ll go home and it’s something that will be on my mind, in my head and in my heart til next season,” Cano said. “Now, all you can do is watch other teams.”
First, they’ll watch Rivera one final time in The Bronx.
“I’ll be there,” Rivera said. “I’ll be there for the fans. They deserve it.”