The playoff race is heating up in the AL East and the Yankees are right in the thick of the action. The team has found a way to win consistently and that is great. The problem for them now is the other teams in their division that keep winning as well.
The effort the Yankees are playing with right now seems to be going to waste game by game. The Yankees have closed the gap they had between Baltimore and Toronto, but as small as it is now they will need some help from the teams that are playing their rivals.
The Yankees will have one more series against Baltimore that will end the regular season. That series can be big for both teams if they keep close to each other in the wildcard race. They will also have another shot at Toronto for their final four-game series of the year.
All of these games are important for the Yankees and they realize the opportunity they have in front of them will not come easy. The Yankees will be playing 18 games in 18 days to close out the regular season, and they will need everyone to be playing at their best without a break in between.
17 of those games will be played against the AL East and that will be the ultimate test for the Yankees. On their final road trip the will head to Boston for a four-game series. After that they will head off to Tampa Bay for a three-game set.
And finally they will head off to Toronto for the final four-game set of the road trip and the season. The Yankees will finish their season with a 6 game home stand facing off against Boston and Baltimore. That looks like a tough schedule, but the Yankees are playing like they can handle it with ease.
In their last 10 games the Yankees are 8-2 which is why they were able to close the wildcard gap and the gap in their division. In the 8 games they did win they have not been blowing these teams out they have been winning close games.
That is important at this point of the season because teams are going to give everything they have to win games. The Yankees have been using all available arms in their bullpen in order to win games because there are not many games left. The Yankees still have plenty of time, but losses will cause that time to run out.
Last night the Yankees played a close game against the LA Dodgers and came out with a 3-0 win. Late homeruns by the Yankees are what helped them break the 0-0 tie in the 7th inning. Great pitching by CC Sabathia and others held the Dodgers scoreless throughout the game.
These final games that they are going into are going to have to be played the same way. Each game is important to the Yankees and they cannot afford to make any mistakes. They probably will not win all of these games, but winning most of them still gives them a chance at an AL wildcard spot.