NEW YORK -- Starlin Castro was at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday night when Baltimore finished a 4-0 win at Toronto, eliminating the Yankees from postseason contention.Knowing New York had failed to reach the playoffs for the third time in four years, the mind of Yankees manager Joe Girardi immediately shifted attention to 2017. He removed CC Sabathia after one more batter and pinch ran for Brett Gardner in the eighth when Girardi didnt like the way the speedy outfielder was running.Its kind of how Im wired, and you start thinking about, OK, what do we need to do? Girardi said.Sabathia (9-12) allowed one run and four hits over a season-high 7 1/3 innings for his first win in a month and finished with a 3.91 ERA, his lowest since 2012. Playing his final game at Yankee Stadium, Bostons David Ortiz was honored in a pregame ceremony, struck out, walked and ended the series 0 for 10 with four strikeouts.But the Yankees thoughts were on another subpar season. They have not won a postseason game since Derek Jeter broke an ankle in the 2012 AL Championship Series opener.After a 9-17 start, the Yankees did not get back above .500 until June 10. They were 53-53 when they brought up rookie catcher Gary Sanchez on Aug. 3 following the trades of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Carlos Beltran and Ivan Nova.Most Yankees fans looked to the future.Everybody gave up on us, shortstop Didi Gregorius said. I think we scared everybody, actually, to be honest, because nobody expected us to be all the way here.Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin were promoted 10 days later on the morning Alex Rodriguez was released, and they homered back to back in their first big league at-bats. The Baby Bombers began to climb the standings, pulling within one game of a wild-card spot on Sept. 10.But even with Sanchez hitting 20 home runs in his first 51 big league games, they faded from contention with a 3-11 skid that included a four-game sweep at Fenway Park.New York (83-76) trails Baltimore and Toronto by four games for the ALs wild cards with three games to play. A final three-game series against the Orioles wont have much significance for the Yankees.Its pretty quiet in there, probably the quietest Ive ever seen after a win, Girardi said. There were some good things that happened, but in the end we fell short and we didnt have a successful season.Sabathia, who struggled to reinvent himself at age 36, left to a loud ovation, ending a six-start winless streak and improving to 2-2 despite a 2.37 ERA in his final eight starts. He compensated for a drop in fastball velocity by developing a cutter this season and pitched with better location using a brace on his surgically repaired right knee.That cutter is a game-changer for him, catcher Brian McCann said. When youre changing identities and who youve always been as a pitcher and to have the success he had was great.Coming back from a 2015 season that ended with a trip to an alcohol rehabilitation center, Sabathia made 30 starts and stayed healthy except for a short disabled list stint caused by a groin strain. His $25 million option for 2017 becomes guaranteed if he is not on the DL Sunday because of a left shoulder injury.The way I was able to pitch and use all my pitches and make this new style work for me is definitely encouraging, Sabathia said. We used it a lot, had some weak contact, a lot of double plays.Playing against his former team, Jacoby Ellsbury hit an RBI double in the fifth off Henry Owens (0-2) for a 2-1 lead. The Yankees padded the margin in the sixth on a blustery night when Robby Scott walked Austin with the bases loaded, then threw a wild pitch that scored Chase Headley. Aaron Hicks added an RBI double in the eighth.Xander Bogaerts hit his 21st homer for Boston (92-67), which is competing with Cleveland (91-67) and Texas (94-65) for the ALs best record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. A day after clinching the AL East, the Red Sox rested second baseman Dustin Pedroia, first baseman Hanley Ramirez, right fielder Mookie Betts, catcher Sandy Leon and third baseman Brock Holt from their starting lineup.New York hopes its young players can spark a rebound similar to Bostons.Coming into spring training next year, were expecting to win. Were not expecting to rebuild, McCann said. These guys are going to play big roles and theyre ready for it.A-ROD WATCHAlex Rodriguez is expected to start work as a Yankees instructor at the teams minor league complex, where Orlando Hernandez arrived Thursday.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (forearm) threw a bullpen session and said he could start Saturday against Baltimore. Manager Joe Girardi said he had not made a decision. ... 1B Greg Bird (right labrum surgery) had an RBI double and struck out twice in four at-bats against Philadelphia prospects in his first Instructional League game in Tampa, Florida. He went 0 for 2 in an intrasquad game Monday. ... RHP James Kaprielian, selected in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft, is scheduled to pitch in the instructional league against Toronto on Friday, his first outing since he went on Class A Tampas DL in late April with an elbow flexor strain.UP NEXTYankees: Michael Pineda (6-11) is to start Friday against Baltimore. Rain is possible. Travis Shaw Brewers Jersey . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Teddy Higuera Brewers Jersey . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/429y-greg-vaughn-jersey-brewers.html . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. Robin Yount Brewers Jersey . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. Trent Grisham Jersey . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Charles Cooper and Warren Jones scored 17 points apiece and Green Bay beat UMKC 95-77 on Monday at the Bill Frack Challenge.Khalil Small added 16 points, Turner Botz 15 and Trevor Anderson 12 for the Phoenix (3-2), who were 32 of 60 from the floor for 53.3 percent and posted a season high for points.LaVell Boyd made four 3-pointers and scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Kangaroos (3-2) with Broderick Newbill adding 12 points. Boyd posted his ninnth career game of 20-plus points.ddddddddddddBotz scored 11 points and Jones 10 in the first half which ended with Green Bay leading 43-34.Boyd hit a 3-pointer in the games first minute and the Kangaroos were ahead by 11 at one point before Green Bay grabbed a 29-27 lead on a bucket by Jones.The Phoenix led by as many 23 points in the second half. ' ' '