Quick Hit: The New York Yankees WILL Make The Playoffs

The New York Yankees are almost guaranteed a playoff spot at this point in the season and that excites me. The Yankees magic number to at least clinch the second American League Wild Card playoff spot is now under 10 with 13 games left to play. The Yankees have a tough opponent tonight in the Toronto Blue Jays but if you look around the league you can see that New York's chances are great to clinch the postseason as soon as next week.

There are many teams chasing the Yankees and the Houston Astros for the two Wild Card spots in the American League but the good thing for New York is that many of them are playing each other. With the Cleveland Indians playing the Minnesota Twins and the Astros playing host to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim the Yankees are guaranteed at least two losses there. New York also has eight games at home left this season against a 4th place and last place team respectively in the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox.

You have to think that the Yankees will win at least five, if not six or more, of those games against the Sox, plural, while you have to think that none of the teams chasing New York will be able to win out while playing head-to-head against each other. It's a good feeling to have but it doesn't mean it's time to take the foot off the gas. Win the division, avoid the one-game playoff series and win the World Series.

Look Back At My '13 Playoff, World Series Predictions

2013 Predictions : The Playoffs & World Series Winner

Yesterday I shared my predictions on who I think will win their divisions and the wild cards in the coming season and today we will go over how each team will fare. If you missed yesterdays post it can be seen HERE. On to the predictions!

Wild Card Round:

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Detroit Tigers

ALDS:

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees

Cleveland Indians vs. Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim

ALCS:

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim

New York Yankees win the American League Pennant and advance to the World Series

#homeralert

Wild Card Round:

Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies

ALDS:

Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

ALCS:

Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

I fully predict the Atlanta Braves to go to the World Series and try to create the beginning of yet another dynasty.  #UptonBrothers

Now obviously the New York Yankees did not make the playoffs so they will not be winning the American League pennant nor will they be winning the World Series. The Tigers won the division and the Cleveland Indians won the Wild Card and I had that switched, call it dyslexia. I also had Tampa Bay winning the other wild card and they did so go me but I had the Angels winning the division, not the Oakland Athletics, and the Angels finished in third place so I guess you cannot get them all right. 

New prediction has to be that, and this hurts, the American League and the World Series has to go through the Boston Red Sox. 

I had a blatant disrespect for the National League Central division before the season and hyped up the National League East and boy do I have cake on my face right now. The Braves won the division easily and I had them winning a wild card. The Washington Nationals did not win the division and did not even make the playoffs after a late wild card push in September, whoops. The Phillies finished in fourth place behind the New York Mets, no excuse for being this wrong. I did predict the Dodgers would win the National League West along with 6,825,178 other people so there is always that. The Pittsburgh Pirates I had winning the division but will have to settle for a one game wild card with the Cincinnati Reds after both teams seceding to the National League Central champion St. Louis Cardinals. 

New prediction is the same old prediction, the Atlanta Braves will make it to the World Series and will lose but to the Boston Red Sox, not the New York Yankees. Also Craig Kimbrel will be the bets closer in all of baseball next season after Mo retires. 

Game Thread: Rays @ Yankees 9/26

The New York Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays in the final game to be played at Yankees Stadium this season. The Yankees made a hell of a run at a wild card and playoff spot and showed amazing heart until the very last day but it just came up too short. We can throw blame around but honestly that is for another day and another post. Today I would rather talk about how this is going to Mariano Rivera's last home game of his career. There is no doubt in my mind that Mo will be in this game no matter what the score is as a final goodbye to the fans and from the fans. The pitching match up will be Ivan Nova for the Yankees and Alex Cobb for the Rays and the game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network and MLB TV.

Here is the final home game lineup:

Ichiro Suzuki RF
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Alfonso Soriano DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Zoilo Almonte LF
Brendan Ryan SS
J.R. Murphy C

Follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes. This is the final time this season that you can buy Yankees tickets so buy now right here on TGP.

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees 9/26

The New York Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays in the final home game of the 2013 season at Yankees Stadium. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound to face off with Alex Cobb for the Rays. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the YES network and MLB TV. This is Mariano Rivera's final home game of his career since the Yankees are not making the playoffs so this is almost 100% his game to close no matter what the score.

New York Yankees Wild Card Update

The New York Yankees have officially been eliminated from post season play for only the second time in 19 seasons, both of them under Joe Girardi, after a 7-3 loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays last night.  We showed heart till the very end but it just was not in the cards this year.

Game Thread: Rays @ Yankees 9/25

The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays play their second game of their three game set this week as the Yankees say goodbye to Yankees Stadium for the 2013 season. The pitching match up is the combo formerly known as Phil Hughes and David Huff facing off with the Rays David Price and the game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network, ESPN, and of course MLB TV. The Yankees will sorely and surely miss CC Sabathia who was supposed to make this start but was shut down due to a grade II strain of the hamstring. David Price has not won a game since August 24th and has not pitched seven full innings in his last two starts so there is always that. Price is 1-1 against the Yankees this season but has not played us since we had some resemblance of an offense so let's end this on a high note and beat Price tonight.

Here is the Yankees lineup:

Eduardo Nunez 3B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Vernon Wells RF
Mark Reynolds 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Brendan Ryan SS
Chris Stewart C

Follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes. After tonight we only have one more home game this season so get your Yankees tickets here and now!

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees 9/25

The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays play the middle game of their three game set at Yankees Stadium this week in the final home stand of the season for New York. The Yankees will send the Phil Hughes and David Huff combo to the mound to face off with David Price for the Rays. CC Sabathia was originally slated to pitch this game but a grade II hamstring strain ended his season. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network, ESPN, and MLB TV.

Game Thread: Rays @ Yankees 9/24

The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays begin the biggest series of the season for both teams tonight at Yankees Stadium. The Yankees sweep and we still have a shot at this, one loss and the season is basically over, two losses and the season is mathematically over. Much like the last few weeks these are must win victories for the Yankees. The pitching match up is Hiroki Kuroda for the Yankees and Matt Moore for the Rays and the game can be seen at 7:05 pm ET on MY 9 and MLB TV.

Here is the Yankees do or die lineup

Ichiro Suzuki CF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Mark Reynolds 1B
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Vernon Wells RF
Brendan Ryan SS
Chris Stewart C

Follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes. This is the final Yankees home stand this season so get your Yankees tickets now before the 2013 season is over.

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees 9/24

This is it, this is the New York Yankees 2013 season right here. The Yankees trail the Tampa Bay Rays by four losses with six games left and here we are with three games head to head with Tampa. One loss and the season is basically over as we would be five back with five to go and would have to win every game while having Tampa/Cleveland/Baltimore/Texas/Kansas City lose all five games. It's not going to happen so this is it, sweep or go home. Let's do it!

The New York Yankees will host the Tampa Bay Rays in their final home stand of the season which will all but end the 2013 season for us. The Yankees will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound looking for a heroes performance and a season saver right here. The Rays will send 15 game winner Matt Moore to the mound to try and end the Yankees season and put themselves one step closer to the wild card. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the MY9 and MLB TV.

New York Yankees Wild Cards Update

Yankees Will Shake Up Rotation Next Week

The New York Yankees have announced that they will use the off day on Monday to skip the David Huff and Phil Hughes combination and instead start Hiroki Kuroda on regular rest. That means we will see CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova joining Kuroda in the final home series against the Rays in three games that we absolutely have to have. Finally a good decision by Joe Girardi that I can get behind.

New York Yankees Wild Card Update

Game Thread: Giants @ Yankees 9/21

The New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants continue their final Interleague match up this afternoon at Yankees Stadium in the second of three games between the two. I am sure the person/people behind the schedule for the Yankees had this series being a much bigger, and probably more entertaining, series when they scheduled it for late September but both teams have not lived up to expectations in 2013. The pitching match up is Ivan Nova for the Yankees and Ryan Vogelson for the Giants and it will be televised at 1:05 pm ET on FOX. This is one of the last four Yankees home games left this season barring a miracle and a playoff birth so get your Yankees tickets while you still can.

Here is the Yankees lineup:

Ichiro Suzuki RF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Mark Reynolds 1B
Brendan Ryan SS
Chris Stewart C

Follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes. Go Yankees!

San Francisco Giants @ New York Yankees 9/21

The New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants play the second game of their three game set at Yankees Stadium today in the always dreaded afternoon game on FOX. Looks like another muted game on the computer for this guy! The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound to face off with Ryan Vogelsong for the Giants. The game can be seen at 1:05 pm ET on FOX.

Game Thread: Giants @ Yankees 9/20

The New York Yankees host the San Francisco Giants in the final interleague match up this season for both teams. Thankfully this game is being played at Yankees Stadium and the pitcher does not have to hit all weekend long. The pitching match up is CC Sabathia for the Yankees and the freak Tim Lincecum for the Giants and it can be seen at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network and MLB TV. The Giants seem almost demoralized the way they have been playing lately but I guess you could say the same could be said for the Yankees although the games mean so much more to New York.

Here is the Yankees lineup

Ichiro Suzuki RF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Lyle Overbay 1B
Brendan Ryan SS
J.R. Murphy C

Follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes. Go Yankees!

San Francisco Giants @ New York Yankees 9/20

The New York Yankees will play their final three interleague games this season, thankfully at home, this weekend against the San Francisco Giants. The Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound to face off with, if you are asking my friend Bryan Van Dusen, future Yankees reliever Tim Lincecum. The freak vs. CC tonight in one of your final chances to see the Yankees at home this season and by Yankees tickets before a possible playoff series. The game can be seen at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network and MLB TV.

Joe Girardi & The New York Yankees Playoff Chances

This about sums up the Yankees playoff chances thanks to Joe Girardi's infatuation, emphasis on FAT, with using Joba Chamberlain in big spots. The Yankees went down from 3-1 to 6-1 in the matter of three batters with Joba on the mound and I don't get it. Phil Hughes threw ONE bad pitch and was taken out but we continue to let Joba go out there and give up runs and games. I don't get it, I just don't. That's all I've got. I'm done.

Game Thread: Yankees @ Blue Jays 9/19

For the final time this season the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays will play a game at Rogers Centre tonight. The pitching match up is Hiroki Kuroda for the Yankees and Todd Redmond for the Blue Jays and the game can be seen at 7:05 pm ET on the YES network and MLB TV. Hiroki Kuroda has been anything but a hero since August 17th as he has had a 0-4 with a 6.69 ERA since the middle of last month. Hiroki is still keeping us in games but is not the dominating starter that he was just a few months ago and it has come at the exact wrong time for the Yankees.

Here is the Yankees lineup in the #SprintTowardsOctober

Curtis Granderson CF

Alex Rodriguez DH

Robinson Cano 2B

Alfonso Soriano LF

Vernon Wells RF

Lyle Overbay 1B

Mark Reynolds 3B

Brendan Ryan SS

Chris Stewart C

Follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes. Go Yankees!

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 9/19

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays play the final game head to head of the season tonight in Rogers Centre north of the border. The Yankees will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound to face off with Todd Redmond for the Blue Jays. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network and MLBTV.

Game Thread: Yankees @ Blue Jays 9/18

The Sprint Towards October continues tonight in Rogers Centre as the New York Yankees look to continue beating up on their little brothers in the AL East, the Toronto Blue Jays. The pitching match up is the combination of Phil Hughes and David Huff facing off with JA Happ for the Blue Jays and it can be seen at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network and MLB TV. The Yankees are looking to not only win but come out of any game against this psycho Happ healthy and 100%. #SprintTowardsOctober

Here is the Yankees lineup

Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Vernon Wells RF
Mark Reynolds 1B
Eduardo Nunez 3B
J.R. Murphy C
Brendan Ryan SS

Follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes. Go Yankees!