Wild Card Hole Gets Deeper for #Yankees

Wild Card Hole Gets Deeper for #Yankees

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

Yanks Lose to White Sox, 5-2. Where Will Yanks be in October?

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK (SPORTS)- As only single digits of games remain for the Yankees in the 2015 regular season, if and where will they participate in the post-season? The answer has not been definitively decided. Yet, whether it brings disappointment or joy, their place 10 days from now is being made clearer each day. 

The 5-2 loss to the White Sox on Friday night and the Toronto win over Tampa Bay dropped the Yanks 4 games behind the first place Blue Jays. Four games arealso what separate the Yanks from the Astros, who trail, for the first Wild Card spot. New York has a 5.5 game advantage to qualify for the second Wild Card position. The magic number or the Jays to clinch the American League east title is six and the number for the Yanks to obtain a Wild Card spot is five. 

Thus, a fair guess would be that the blue Jays will win the A.L. East title and the Yanks will host the wild card game at Yankee Stadium. After Thursday night’s contest, Yankees manager Joe Girardi remarked, “I think it’s really important [where we will finish].” Many planning decisions can begin for him and his staff once that has become known. Girardi wishes to start deciding on who needs days of rest now, the roster, the starting rotation, and the starting lineup when facing a righty or lefty opposing starter. 

If s one and done Wild Card game is what the first play, Girardi’s most important decision will be is who will be his starting pitcher. Each of his starter’s upcoming starts will affect that choice. On Friday, CC Sabathia made his second start since returning from the disabled list on September 8. During the first six frames he gave up two hits and single run in the second and third. In his final inning, the seventh, he surrendered two solo home runs, one by Mike Olt and one by Gordon Beckham. 

The two four baggers were the difference in the result as the game had been tied at 2 going into the seventh inning. Sabathia pitched well and without pain through six. He commented on the improvement since wearing a knee brace, “I can go through my delivery and not feel any pain.”

The pain Sabathia and the Yankees felt in the seventh was not physical. Although he had only given up two home runs in his last seven starts, home runs have been quite damaging to the veteran starter this year. He is tied for second highest in the A.L. with 28 homers. Although he is generally more effective against left-handed batters, both home runs were hit by righties. Sabathia’s record fell to 5-10. 

Adam Warren will start on Saturday and rookie Luis Severino will start on Sunday.

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