ANAHEIM, Calif. — Derek Jeter got enough extra free time last fall to realize he hated it.

With the New York Yankees’ return to the top of the AL standings after one unfamiliar year in the middle, their captain is grateful to know he’ll be busy into October yet again.

Jeter had never missed the playoffs until last fall, when New York’s 13-year streak of postseason appearances ended in an expensive flop. A third-place finish was no way to close the final season at old Yankee Stadium, and Jeter is grateful the new stadium will host playoff baseball in its debut year.

“It’s almost like you’re a kid and your parents don’t let you go outside to play,” Jeter said. “You watch everybody outside the window because you’re in trouble. That’s what it felt like. Now we’re off punishment, and you can go back out there.”

New York became the first major league team this year to clinch a playoff appearance Tuesday night, yet the Yankees didn’t exactly celebrate their 14th postseason trip in 15 years. The Texas Rangers ensured the Yankees’ postseason appearance with a loss at Oakland, and New York followed about 55 minutes later with a 6-5 win over Los Angeles, blowing a five-run lead before rallying in the ninth.

“Let’s keep going,” manager Joe Girardi said. “There’s still a lot of baseball to be played. There’s obviously excitement about being in the playoffs. It’s your first goal, but there’s other goals.”

New York stayed home last fall in Girardi’s debut campaign, surpassed by the Red Sox and the surprising AL champion Tampa Bay Rays. Even after a typically profligate offseason spending spree brought CC Sabathia, A. J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira to the Bronx, the Yankees’ prospects for a playoff return weren’t exactly rosy this May when they sat 6z games out of first place at 15-17.

Yet they took over the AL East lead more than two months ago, and haven’t let up.

“That’s the expectation here every year, and that’s obviously very pleasing,” said Girardi, the former Yankees catcher. “We’re going to be playing in October, but there are still some things we want to accomplish before the season ends.”

The Yankees won 17 playoff series and four World Series titles in that 13- year span after 1994, but Jeter and his teammates are well aware of the club’s recent failures to do more. New York hasn’t won a championship since 2000 or even a playoff series since the 2004 division series, losing four straight series while archrival Boston won two titles.

With a weekend home series looming against the Red Sox, the Yanks reduced their magic number for clinching the AL East to five with a 3-2 victory over the Angels on Wednesday, pending the night game between the Red Sox and Royals. A. J. Burnett struck out 11 in just his second win since July for the Yanks. Robinson Cano had a two-run single.

While the Yankees didn’t celebrate their playoff berth, a few crates of bubbly may come if the division title is secured.

“Winning the division would definitely make us a little bit happier, but unfortunately that doesn’t seal the deal for us until we win the World Series,” Johnny Damon said.