Yankees Face Tough Challenge Against Rays
This week, what could have turned into an exciting showdown in The Bronx might not be significant enough for the Yankees. Even if they manage to sweep the Rays in a four-game series, they would still need a series of wins and some assistance over the final weekend of the season to take the AL East title.
However, if they falter and lose even once to the Rays at home, that would likely seal the deal, allowing Tampa Bay to celebrate as division champions while the Yankees prepare for a wild-card series against the Red Sox next week.
Of course, as long as there’s still a glimmer of hope in the AL East race, the Yankees will keep pushing to catch the Rays, starting with Carlos Rodón and Max Fried on the mound for Tuesday’s doubleheader. But, given that they are currently six games behind with just seven left to play, the reality of their situation might soon prompt them to refocus on what lies ahead in the upcoming days.
“It’s tough,” said José Caballero as the team packed after dropping their second consecutive close game to the Diamondbacks on Sunday. “We’ve fought for this all season, but at the end of the day, we’re already in the postseason. We just need to be better, learn from our mistakes, and play clean baseball when it counts.”
Even if the Yankees do sweep the Rays, a combination of just two losses for them against the Orioles or two wins for the Rays against the Phillies would still hand the division to Tampa Bay.
It would be wise for the Yankees to gain clarity on the division quickly. This way, they could focus on some logistics, such as resting key relief pitchers, deciding how to structure their rotation for the Red Sox (should it be Cam Schlittler or Gerrit Cole in Game 1?), and addressing positions like second base (Jazz Chisholm Jr. is back), third base, and right field, especially since Aaron Judge might miss the wild-card series due to a right calf strain.
“We have to ensure the guys are ready, but we’re going to show up and try to win the games on Tuesday, and then we’ll go from there,” manager Aaron Boone commented. “We’ve faced a lot already this year, and we’ve risen to the occasion for the most part. I’m looking forward to playing well this week and building some momentum for the postseason.”
The Yankees have had their chances to close in on the Rays. When they last faced off, just before the All-Star break in July, they split a four-game series and left Tropicana Field trailing by four games.
Since then, the Yankees’ performance has been respectable, at 38-24, reflecting the fifth-best winning percentage in the league during this period. But the Rays have been even better, with a 41-23 record, extending their lead over the Yankees by two games.
At their closest, the Yankees were just 1.5 games behind the Rays on July 28.
“They’ve had a fantastic season and are in a strong position,” Boone acknowledged. “I have a lot of respect for what they’ve accomplished thus far. Hopefully, we can meet again beyond Tuesday at some point in the playoffs.”
The Yankees hold a 3-6 record against the Rays this season, meaning they would need to complete a sweep in this upcoming series to win any tiebreaker should both teams end the season with identical records.
“They play their game well,” said Caballero, who spent a season and a half with the Rays before joining the Yankees last summer. “It’s tough playing against them; they’ve been consistent in their pitching all year. That’s what keeps them at the top of the American League. But ultimately, it’s about how we perform in the postseason. These 162 games, they don’t matter as much anymore. The real clock starts in the postseason.”
