Yankees turn focus toward October as Aaron Judge sits in loss to Pirates

A day after the Yankees clinched the AL East title, they turned their focus to the postseason.Aaron Judge wasn’t in the lineup Friday despite having homered in five straight games and having 58 on the season.Aaron Boone said Judge would play during the last regular-season series against Pittsburgh in The Bronx but added the outfielder wasn’t focused on getting back to 60 homers.“He’s not playing for any of that,” Boone said.The manager said he was “tempted” to pinch-hit Judge or Giancarlo Stanton in the bottom of the ninth trailing by two runs, but they didn’t get the tying run to the plate against ex-Yankee Aroldis Chapman in the 4-2 loss.Judge also still is in the running for the AL Triple Crown with the 58 homers, plus 144 RBIs, while hitting .325, his average falling behind just Kansas City’s Bobby Witt (.332) and just percentage points behind Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr (.325).With the ALDS not set to begin until Oct.5, the Yankees have plenty of time to rest and set up their roster.Boone said those discussions began in earnest Friday.Besides Gerrit Cole starting Game 1, Boone said Friday’s starter, Carlos Rodon, likely would start either in Game 2 or 3, perhaps depending on who the Yankees end up playing.Rodon allowed two runs in 5 ¹/₃ innings in the loss.As for the third starter, Boone said the team hadn’t made any decisions, though Luis Gil, who takes the mound Saturday, and Clarke Schmidt, who goes Sunday in the regular-season finale, will be in the mix for the spot.“We’ll talk through these things and feel we have [to make] a tough decision, but a good decision,” Boone said.

“We have a lot of confidence in whoever pitches that third game, or Game 2.”Boone said the team would be off Monday, then have different workouts Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before a final workout Friday.DJ LeMahieu hasn’t given up hope of playing in the postseason after receiving a cortisone shot for his right hip impingement.“I’m def...