New York Yankees: What This Series Loss Means for Playoff Hopes?

Sep 7, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner (11) slides into home plate of New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports.

This past weekend’s series against the Boston Red Sox was a pivotal series for the New York Yankees, who are attempting to kick start a run in September to get a spot in the playoffs, whether it be via one of the American League Wild Card spots or a try at capturing the division crown.  Well after four games, over the course of the two nights and two days at Yankee Stadium, they lost more ground in the American League East and made no gains in the wild card race.

At the start of the series, the Yankees were in third place and eight games back of Boston, by the end of the third game in the series, they were ten back of Boston, with that final glimmer of hope of surging up in the AL East dying out.  In terms of the wild card, at the start of the series the Yankees were two and a half back of Texas and Tampa Bay. By the end of the series, no change in games back happened. The only thing that did change, was that the wild card has become even more contested now, with Cleveland, Baltimore, and Kansas City still in the mix.

But what is to be made of the Yankees chances going forward? Well, according MLB.com’s playoff probabilities, the New York Yankees, have around a five percent chance of making the postseason, whereas the Orioles a seventeen percent chance and the Rays a fifty-seven percent chance at the postseason. According to these numbers, Boston has already secured their postseason spot, as they have a 100 percent probability, which at this point in the season is most likely correct, barring a massive collapse in their remain games in the month of September.

So division-wise, the Yankees have really next to no shot at capturing a division crown. They are in the mix for the wild card, which could be the path that the team takes into the postseason, granted they have to fend off the likes of Baltimore, Cleveland, Tampa, Texas and the shocking Kansas City Royals to get one of the wild card spots, so that may not be a given, but is more likely.

One final thought, though, for the Yankees to make a push into the postseason, the next three weeks are pivotal for the team. Every single one of these games is important, especially after this weekend, where the Yankees failed to seize on momentum and take at least two from Boston, in order to make strides towards the playoffs.  These four games, may have been the defining series for the Yankees, only course of the remaining schedule will tell.