When a Marathon Becomes a Sprint

We have all had it drilled into our heads as young and aggressive baseball fans that the season is a marathon, not a sprint, and to not get too worked up over one game. The best part of the season for the impatient fan is September because it finally becomes a sprint and not a race anymore. The New York Yankees have 20 games left including tonight and if the season ended today would be on the outside looking in at the playoffs.

Looking at the Yankees schedule New York has three games with the Tampa Bay Rays (starting tonight) at home before heading out on the road for three games on the road against the Rays again and four games, including a double header, against the Baltimore Orioles. New York then returns home for their final home stand of the season as they host the Toronto Blue Jays for four games and Baltimore for four more games. The Yankees will finish their season with three games in Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.

With the Yankees recent struggles against teams like the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays the playoffs look less and less likely every single day. New York almost has to sweep every game they have left with Tampa, Toronto, and Boston while playing the Orioles extremely tough. Even with that New York may still need a little help to reach the playoffs.

The biggest thing New York has playing against them right now is the fact that it seems like all the teams they are chasing are playing each other as well. If one team sweeps the other you’re not making up any ground in the long run and if they play .500 against each other you have to sweep to make up any ground. The marathon has become a sprint or a race but I don’t believe it’s going to be a pennant or playoff race for the Yankees unfortunately.