Slim Playoff Odds Haunt Yankees

The Yankees have gotten themselves into a this needs to happen, that needs to happen situation. They have buried themselves and only have their heads above ground. They stand at 73-68, positioning them five games back in the race for the second Wild-Card spot. Cleveland, Seattle and Detroit are in front of them, with 20 games remaining.

It’s just about impossible for them to sneak into the playoffs. They need the teams ahead of them to finish the season with around .500 records, while winning the majority of their games. The part that hurts the Yankees is their latest offensive slumps. Brett Gardner was on top of the world for a month, crushing the ball. He was hitting home runs, stealing bases and using his speed to grab the extra base. Now, he’s cooled off and looks like a completely different baseball player.

Derek Jeter’s offense this season has in a way been ignored. Many people are trying to ignore his .260 batting average and focusing on his last season. He’s another Yankee who has shown signs of life, but those signs only seem to last a few games.

It’s evident that the Yankees’ problems stem from their injuries, but no one has stepped up to fill the roles.

The Yankees had their last off day on Monday, and started a three-game series against the Rays last night, followed by a four game match-up with the Orioles.

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