One More Game

The Yankees went into yesterday's game with 2 games left in the regular season. To win the American League Eastern Division title, they had to do better than the Toronto Blue Jays over those games. In other words: The Jays had to match the Yanks. So if the Yanks won both, and the Jays won both, the Jays take the Division.

Cam Schlittler started against the Baltimore Orioles. He won't be the AL Rookie of the Year (Nick Kurtz of the Sacramento Athletics has that wrapped up), but if what Schlittler is doing for the Yankees he were doing for the Mets, their fans would be losing their twisted minds over him. He went 7 innings, allowing just 2 hits and a walk.

I'm a little surprised that Aaron Boone left him in for the 7th inning. He didn't leave him in for the 8th, and, on his very 1st pitch, Paul Blackburn allowed a home run to Coby Mayo. That would be the only blemish on the record. Giancarlo Stanton hit his 451st career home run, Aaron Judge hit his 368th, and Ryan McMahon hit his 144th. Yankees 6, Orioles 1.

But the Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-1. So it all comes down to today. Both teams have (roughly) 3:00 starts. In fact, every game today starts shortly after 3:00, perhaps something picked up from England's Premier League as a way to throw off gamblers. For the Yankees, Luis Gil starts against Kyle Bradish.

If the Yankees win and the Jays lose, the Yankees get the 1st seed and a 1st round by, awaiting the lowest remaining seed. Any other scenario, and the Yankees get the 4th seed, and face the despised Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series, though the Yankees will have the home-field advantage.

Meanwhile, the Mets are in a bind: To win the National League's last Wild Card berth, they have to beat the Miami Marlins, and the Cincinnati Reds have to lose to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have the best record in baseball, but the Reds have beaten them the last 2 days. And, in both 2007 and 2008 (not with any current players on either team, but not that long ago), the Mets needed to win on the last day of the season to make the Playoffs, and lost at home to the Marlins -- and they're in Miami today.

One more game. Come on you Pinstripes -- and come on you Rays! We gave you a place to play this season, now properly reward us!