NEW YORK -- September reinforcements are on the horizon for the Yankees, and with rosters expanding for the postseason push, the club¡¯s decision-makers will huddle late on Saturday to discuss adding a pitcher and a hitter. There are expected to be more than just those two moves in store.

After rookie right-hander Will Warren struggled to navigate four innings, Giancarlo Stanton came off the bench to deliver a big three-run double. But a ninth-inning rally fizzled as the Yankees fell to the Cardinals, 6-5, Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

¡°It¡¯s definitely been a grind for us, but like I¡¯ve said, it¡¯s right there for the taking,¡± manager Aaron Boone said. ¡°I¡¯m excited for this final push, and hopefully, we¡¯ll set ourselves up to get to play in October.¡±

Oswaldo Cabrera was rung up on a pitch clock violation for the first out of the ninth inning, as home-plate umpire Ben May determined Cabrera was not in the box and alert to pitcher Ryan Helsley by the eight-second mark on a 3-2 pitch. Though Cabrera initially protested, he acknowledged that he was in the wrong.

¡°It¡¯s completely my fault,¡± Cabrera said. ¡°I have to get better at that, because that happened [to Cabrera] twice this year. ¡­ It was a really bad situation to take my time.¡±

Juan Soto kept the game alive with a two-out double, but after the Cardinals intentionally walked Aaron Judge, Austin Wells waved at a Helsley slider to end the contest.

¡°I felt pretty good in the box,¡± Wells said. ¡°He made a good pitch there on 3-2, with a low-percentage pitch for him. I was looking for a heater, but he made a good pitch.¡±

The Cardinals had been the only remaining Major League team not to register a victory at the current Yankee Stadium (2009-present). Their most recent win in the Bronx came in Game 5 of the 1964 World Series, when Bob Gibson hurled a 10-inning complete game.

Coincidentally, Saturday¡¯s winning pitcher was another Gibson -- right-hander Kyle Gibson, who limited the Yanks to one run over seven sharp frames.

¡°Those guys are tough over there,¡± Gibson said. ¡°It was a good one for me today; it was fun. I was able to execute, and we were on the same page all day.¡±

The Yankees concluded August with a 14-12 record, an underwhelming showing considering they played numerous teams at or below the .500 mark. Still, Boone said that the team is ¡°in a great position¡± heading to September, owning the American League¡¯s best record at 79-57. Much of that cushion was built early; New York is 39-38 since June 1.

¡°We¡¯re sitting atop the division,¡± Boone said. ¡°We have a chance to win a series tomorrow, though you can¡¯t get too far ahead of yourself, either.¡±

In that effort, they figure to have some new faces at their disposal. Rated as the Yankees¡¯ No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Warren has not looked ready for prime time through five spot starts, allowing 24 runs (23 earned) and 31 hits in 21 1/3 innings (9.55 ERA). Warren was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the game.

Brendan Donovan lifted a three-run homer in the third inning, landing in the short right-field porch. Donovan¡¯s drive would not have been a homer in any other MLB park.

¡°You¡¯ve got to know where you can miss, in the zone and out of the zone,¡± Warren said. ¡°These guys are good at what they do, [so you have to] minimize mistakes and minimize damage as much as possible.¡±

Saturday marked Warren¡¯s final assignment for now, as right-hander Clarke Schmidt could be days away from rejoining the rotation after missing three months with a right lat strain. Boone said Schmidt is tentatively scheduled for a Minor League rehab start on Monday.

Another option is right-hander Cody Poteet, who has pitched to a 0.96 ERA through three rehab starts for Double-A Somerset, including a strong outing on Friday. Right-hander Luis Gil is also scheduled to make a Minor League rehab start on Sunday, and Boone has said he expects Gil to return as a starting pitcher.

Boone said that first baseman Anthony Rizzo is ¡°likely¡± to be activated on Sunday. Rizzo has missed more than two months after sustaining a right forearm fracture in a June 16 game against the Red Sox. Though Ben Rice enjoyed early success, including a three-homer game on July 6, the rookie has batted just .176 overall (26-for-149). Rice was also optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the game and is expected to be replaced by Rizzo on the roster.

Another consideration for promotion is outfielder Jasson Dom¨ªnguez, the organization¡¯s top prospect, who homered for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday and is slashing .313/.370/.500 with nine homers and 28 RBIs in 51 Minor League games this season. Relief choices include right-handers Scott Effross and Lou Trivino, who are both at Triple-A.

¡°We¡¯ll sit down now and see what we want to do for [Sunday],¡± Boone said. ¡°We¡¯ll go through everything and see how we want to go.¡±