MLB Playoff Wrap: Yankees Come From Behind, Add to Wild Card Drama

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Sep 6, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner (11) catches a fly ball by Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak (not pictured) to end the game during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The MLB postseason races are set to hit a full sprint over the next four weeks, and yesterday we started a new daily column updating each team that is still in either a division race, or in a wild card race. We also update each team’s elimination number, as well as the contender’s chances of making the postseason according to FanGraphs.

If you’re a fan of prospects, the New York Yankees continuing to stay in the MLB postseason picture has been quite enjoyable, even if you root for most of the teams outside of the Bronx. After trading away two-thirds of their three-headed bullpen monster for younger talent, the Yankees then promoted Gary Sanchez, who won the American League Player of the Month crown for August, as well as the month’s top rookie honors.

While Sanchez has been the headliner, Tyler Austin, on his 25th birthday, that was the top rookie performer for the club on Tuesday night. With the Yanks down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, fellow rookie Aaron Judge singled before Austin hit a two-run shot to give New York a brief 3-2 lead. Toronto would re-take the lead in the top of the eighth, but the Yankees, no strangers to come-from-behind wins this season with 40, rode a Didi Gregorius RBI triple, a Starlin Castro sac-fly, and a two-run shot from Chase Headley out to a 7-4 lead.

Toronto responded yet again with two in the top of the ninth, and had the bases loaded with two away. With Justin Smoak at the dish and August waiver claim Blake Parker on the bump, Smoak took the first offering to deep left field. Brett Gardner got on his horse and made a snow cone catch with his back against the wall to preserve the win for the Bronx Bombers, knock the Blue Jays down to a tie for first in the AL East, and keep the hopes of Yankees fans very much alive.

With most of their remaining schedule against divisional foes, and most of those foes being ahead of them in the playoff hunt, each game has enormous significance for New York. A win likely means a game knocked off of their deficit, while a loss means two games take off of their elimination number.

The Yankees winning ways see them up their playoff chances from yesterday from 3.9 percent to 4.6. Those are still slim chances, but four games at home against the Rays beginning on Thursday could help improve those odds.

Next: AL Playoff Races

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