Yanks Hopes Starting To Get Wild

I was going to post during the Toronto series but the rain out and god awful play of the Yankees delayed that until I had a better understanding of where they stood in terms of the playoff picture. I wanted to post yesterday after Monday night's amazing comeback but it seems after last night's loss, the Yankees are destined for the Wild Card.

Last night was a missed opportunity to gain ground on the Toronto Blue Jays when they lost to the Atlanta Braves in the bottom of the 9th inning. The Braves are one of the worst teams in baseball and for them to beat one of the best teams in baseball was a gift. A gift they might get again. So the Yankees blew a 3-2 lead and lost 6-3 and stayed 3 games out of first.
“It’s tough,” Joe Girardi said after watching his team blow a 3-2 lead in the sixth. “It’s tough that we’re not able to hold them down.”


The reasoning for the Wild Card over the Divsion is simple. Last night was the prime example of why the Yankees are in trouble. The Yankees that played like one of the best in baseball in June and July would've had Nathan Eovaldi on the hill and his 14-2 record. In the 5th when the Yanks went to the bullpen, Joe Girardi would've summoned Adam Warren to bridge the gap to Justin Wilson and Dellin Betances but with the injury to Eovaldi, that wasn't possible. We got Warren going 4 innings then went to young inexperienced relievers to hold a one run lead. That didn't go too well as Nick Rumbelow gave up a two run homerun to Nick Franklin who's batting .133 (!!) on the season.

“They’ve come up all year and done a pretty good job,” Girardi said. “It’s a lot to ask of them, but we think they’re capable of doing the job and we need it.”


Now with the opportunity missed, the Yankees don't gain ground and are just as close to losing that top Wild Card spot as they are overtaking Toronto. By this time next week we will have a better idea where the Bombers stand but I don't think it'll be good news. This team relies too much on the long ball. Their top two hitters Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner are the spark plugs, but they don't steal bases like they're supposed to. Ellsbury is batting .250 on the season and in the middle of an 0 for 28,29, 30 slump. That's very alarming. The offense goes into spurts of knocking the cover off the ball but it hasn't happened much since the beginning of August. This team is talented and have the tools to win it all but I feel with the injuries to Eovaldi and Mark Texieria, it may be too much to overcome. You lose your best pitcher and most productive hitter in the lineup. That kind of loss will eventually catch up to you.

I certainly can see the Yankees turning it around within the blink of an eye. I thought that was the case after Monday night's comeback but after what I saw last night, it's back to the same old story we saw this weekend against the Blue Jays. The Yanks aren't ready and they're just not as good as the Jays. It may be too late for the Yanks to turn it around, but then again..who says the Wild Card is a bad thing. It may be the best thing that happens to the Yankees.
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Yanks Stink Up The Joint Before Showdown With The Jays

This was a TERRIBLE series for the Yankees. They dropped 2 of 3 to the Baltimore Orioles, who came in losers in 15 of their last 18 games. What made it worst was the two losses came on 8th and 9th inning home runs in tied games!

Dellin Betances is the 8th inning guy in a tie game but manager Joe Girardi decided not to use him or closer Andrew Miller because they pitched two days in a row. Ok, I get it but maybe just maybe ONE of those two guys could've pitched three days in a row? Both losses were very very winnable games but they lost because there was NOOO offense whatsoever!

Tuesday night the Yankees lost because they scored just ONE run. Tonight they lost because Stephen Drew's glove had some cement in it and couldn't receive the ball. It's very troubling that the offense has had its spurts where it goes completely awol and other times they hit everything in site. You can't have this kind of inconsistency in October, especially in a one game wild card playoff.

The Yankees have time to right the ship as the Blue Jays come in for a HUGE four game series at the Stadium. This will be the biggest series in the past three seasons and I expect Yankee Stadium to be rockin'. The battle for first place is on the line and the Jays just wont go away. Playoff atmosphere in the Bronx, I cant wait..but if they play like they have the last two nights say goodbye to those October hopes.
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Book Signing: Fritz Peterson

Meet former Yankee Fritz Peterson! Visit Stans Sports World, 850 River Ave before the game and pick up your copy and meet the former Yankee!! 
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Sevy and Alex Lead The Charge

The Yankees season may come down to how they get through this 10-game homestand that started Friday night. In order to make it to October, they have to get through the A.L. East and that's what the next 10 games will be all about.

The Yankees got off to a stellar start by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 at Yankee Stadium. In the process they gained a game on the Toronto Blue Jays. Something they haven't been able to do lately. 

Luis Severino pitched into the 7th inning and recorded his 3rd victory of the year. He lowered his ERA to 2.04. Showing poise on the mound and possibly auditioning for a spot in the playoff rotation, he gave the Yankees just what they needed. He threw a gem giving up just one run in his longest outing of the year. 

Alex Rodriguez, Greg Bird and Brian McCann all homered in the win. A-Rod was the first one to go deep in Friday night and the Yankees will need more of that down the stretch in order to regain control of the division. Alex has slowed down a bit here in the 2nd half but a couple off days seemed to do the trick.

The 10-game homestand ends with a 4-game set with the Jays so every game counts at this point. Day 1 is in the books and the Yanks show they mean business and are coming to claim the division crown. 

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