The Yankees are currently five and a half games back of the second AL Wild Card spot. Essentially they need to win almost every game to have a chance for the playoffs and to give Derek Jeter one last ride in October. In their last two games the Yankees have come from behind when down 4 runs during both games. One thing the Yankees have struggled with all season is run production. They only average 3.97 runs per game which is ranked 17^th overall throughout the MLB. Going against a   70-77 Rays team, the Yanks lost the first game of the series 4-3. Fans like myself were doubting the team after the first inning of the second game where the rays scored 4 runs. The season looked like it might have been ending a little sooner than expected.

Then the Yanks showed a sign of life after a solo home run by Brian McCann in the first inning. McCann drove in 2 more runs in the 3^rd, making the score 4-3. The ex-Met Chris Young hit a solo shot to tie the game in the fourth. The Yankees would go on to win that game 8-5, and keep themselves in the Wild card hunt.

The next day things looked even worse for the Yankees, down 4-0 in the seventh as the team couldn’t get a hit until the 8^th inning. Chris Young once again stepped up as he hit a double to end the no-hit bid. Girardi pinch hit for Brendan Ryan and sent up Martin Prado who hit a 2-run shot to pull the Yankees within 2 runs. The bottom of the ninth came with the Yanks still down 2 runs. With Austin Romine and Ichiro on second and third with one out, Chris Young came up to the plate. On a 0-1 pitch Young slammed a home run 2 rows into left field, which concluded the Yanks comeback! This is exactly what the Yanks needed for a late playoff push.

The Yankees will continue their playoff push against the division leading Orioles at Camden Yards. Having a 4-game set including a double header on Thursday, the Yanks will need to take at least 3 of 4 to still be in this playoff hunt. The rest of the Yankees schedule is against divisional opponents, so every game is going to count. If the Yankees can keep hitting, there is no doubt they can make the playoffs.