Yankees Season On the Brink Heading into Final Day

RAYS 12 - YANKEES 2 

Needing to win just one game and get a little help around the league, the Yankees have been waiting for two days for both. Neither has happened. And now, after losing two straight to the Tampa Bay Rays, who clearly are taking pleasure in the idea of knocking the Yankees out of the playoffs via the regular season, the Yankees must win tomorrow just to get into the playoffs. 

How the playoff will look in 24 hours is still anyone's guess. 

What we do know is that either the Yankees (91-70) or the Red Sox (91-70) will host the wild card game on Tuesday night. Who the visiting team will be is anyone's guess. The Blue Jays (90-71) and Mariners (90-71) are still very much in the mix. There is even the chance of a four-way tie for the wild card, meaning the Yankees, Red Sox, Jays and Mariners will all have to play an elimination round on Monday just to settle the Wild Card match-up for Tuesday. 

What else would one expect from a Yankees team that has given their fans so much heartache and joy in one season.  For a team that has rode the roller coaster all year, this is the perfect ending: the final day of the season with everything at stake. 

"We've got to win, it's as simple as that," veteran outfielder Brett Gardner said on Saturday night about Sunday's game against Tampa. 

The Yankees turn to Jameson Tallion to get them to the postseason the sure way. However Tallion is coming off an outing in Toronto where he left the game after aggravating an ankle injury. He will go up against Michael Wacha, who has a five ERA this year, but has pitched well against the Yankees. (Of course he has!) 

The Yankees had no answer for Tampa's deep and powerful lineup on Saturday. Brandon Lowe led the Rays with seven RBI, and three homer runs. In fact he had two - separate - three-run homers in the game that helped build a 6-1 lead for Tampa. 

Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco and Mike Zunino also had three hits a piece on Saturday, as Jordan Montgomery was lit up for the Yankees. Montgomery was charged with seven runs in 2.2 innings for the Bronx Bombers before being lifted for Lucas Luetge. 

Don't expect the 100-win Rays to go quietly tomorrow. They would love nothing more than to make life very difficult for the Yankees, and their other rivals in the division by forcing a play-in-wild card game for Monday.