Back-to-Back Onslaughts for Yanks vs. Rays

You know what I like? Seeing the Yankees score a lot of runs. Especially against a team they're fighting for Playoff position. They have now done that twice against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Having a batting order that starts with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres looks stupid on paper. Cliché Alert: Baseball games aren't played on paper, they're played on grass. Judge led off the Yankee part of the game with a single. Stanton drew a walk. Torres hit a home run. Just like that, 3-0 Bronx Bombers.

With the pitching situation a problem, Aaron Boone used Domingo Germán, on short rest, as an opener, and he pitched a scoreless inning. Boone brought Lucas Luetge in for the top of the 2nd, and he was shaky, and Greg Weissert had to finish the inning.

The Yankees struck back in the bottom half. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Isiah Kiner-Falefa led off with a walk. Kyle Higashioka drew another walk. Marwin González singled to load the bases with nobody out. Judge hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. And then Stanton and Torres hit back-to-back home runs. Josh Donaldson drew a walk, and Oswaldo Cabrera hit the 3rd home run of the inning, the 1st of his major league career. It was 10-1 Yankees.

Wandy Peralta pitched into the 5th, and was credited as the winning pitcher. Lou Trivino finished the 5th, and started the 6th. He and Ron Marinaccio ended up allowing 2 Rays runs. Clarke Schmidt pitched a scoreless 7th and 8th. Clay Holmes allowed a run in the 9th, but it didn't matter.

Yankees 10, Rays 4. WP: Peralta (3-4). No save. LP: Luis Patiño (1-2). Back-to-back onslaughts, and each a big win for the Pinstripes.

With 21 games to go, the Yankees are 5 1/2 games ahead of the Rays in the American League Eastern Division, and 6 ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. In the all-important loss column, we lead the Rays by 4 and the Jays by 5. The Magic Number to clinch the Division is 18: Any number of Yankee wins combined with Rays losses the rest of the way, adding up to 18, and the Yankees are Division Champions. The number to eliminate the Jays is 17. The Yankees are 5 1/2 games, 6 in the loss column, behind the Houston Astros for home-field advantage throughout the AL Playoffs.

Here's the remaining games, 21 of them: Tonight is a night off; 2 in Boston, starting tomorrow night; a day off; 3 in Milwaukee; a day off; 2 at home against Pittsburgh; 4 at home against Boston; 3 in Toronto; a day off; 3 at home against Baltimore; and we close the regular season with 4 away to Texas.

Here's the injury update:

* Lou Trivino: Day-to-day.

* Zack Britton: Will make a rehab appearance this coming Wednesday. Might be back before the end of the regular season, and be available for the Playoffs.

* DJ LeMahieu: Says he hopes to return in time for the next homestand, which starts on September 20, a week from tomorrow.

* Anthony Rizzo: Eligible to come off the Injured List on September 20.

* Luis Severino: Will make a rehab appearance this coming Thursday. Might be back before the end of the regular season, and be available for the postseason.

* Scott Effross: Could have a bullpen session as soon as this coming Friday. Could return before the end of the regular season. Even so, he might not make the postseason roster.

* Aroldis Chapman: Will make a rehab appearance this coming Sunday. Probably won't return before the end of the regular season. The Yankees will need him to be ready for the postseason.

* Miguel Castro: Will make a rehab appearance this coming Sunday. Probably won't return before the end of the regular season. Even if he does, is unlikely to make the postseason roster.

* Harrison Bader: Could make a rehab appearance this coming Sunday. Probably won't return before the end of the regular season. Even if he does, is unlikely to make the postseason roster.

* Matt Carpenter: Probably won't be back for the rest of the regular season. His postseason status is uncertain, and I wouldn't count on him playing again before Spring Training.

* Andrew Benintendi: Will have wrist surgery tomorrow. Won't be back for the rest of the regular season. His postseason status is uncertain, and I wouldn't count on him playing again before Spring Training.

* Albert Abreu: Supposedly on the 15-day Injured List, but if that were true, he should have come off by now. Regardless, he is not good enough, and should not pitch for the Yankees again, regardless of health.

* Michael King: Underwent Tommy John surgery. Unlikely to return before next season's All-Star Break

* Chad Green: Same as King.

Night off tonight, and then, Beat The Scum!