The Boston Red Sox’s season has not gone as planned but their fanbase can still take solace in the New York Yankees potentially blowing a gargantuan lead that at one point stood at 15 1/2 games.
MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince predicted nine outcomes to close out the season, one of which is that the Yankees will be dethroned in the American League East by either the Tampa Bay Rays or the Toronto Blue Jays.
“The Rays still have six games left against the Yanks, beginning this weekend in St. Petersburg, while the Jays have only three left,” Castrovince wrote Thursday. “So if the Bronx Bombers were to completely blow up what was once a 15 1/2-game advantage, the Rays are the more likely team to take them down.
“The continued absence of (shortstop) Wander Franco hurts the chances of this actually happening, as does a brutal September schedule for Tampa Bay. But you know how the Rays roll, and lately they have indeed been rolling, with the lineup boosted by the in-season trades for (outfielders) David Peralta and Jose Siri and the returns from injury for (outfielder) Manuel Margot, (catcher) Francisco MejÃa and (designated hitter) Harold RamÃrez.”
The Yankees have a six-game lead in the division over the Rays with the aforementioned crucial games against both Tampa Bay and Toronto on the calendar and 31 games left to play. Another rough month in the Bronx could lead to a historic downfall.
The Yankees’ best shot at holding on might be another incredible stretch by star outfielder Aaron Judge, who is on his quest to break the AL home run record.
