The Yankees are coming! The Yankees are coming!
Yankees manager Aaron Boone looks on from the field during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 16. Boone never gave up on catching the Red Sox, and his Yankees are getting closer to the AL East leaders. Credit: Jim McIsaac
BALTIMORE
Looks as if Bucky Dent could be riding shotgun on this Yankees season after all.
It doesn’t take much for us to stir up the pinstriped ghosts of ’78, and the once-unbeatable Red Sox suddenly looking as vulnerable as a Mike Torrez fastball is more than enough to accomplish that. Same goes for our Boston media colleagues, who no doubt are sounding the sirens to warn of the Yankees’ impending charge.
These last few weeks were supposed to be a victory lap for the Sox on the way to 115 wins. A chance for Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez to polish up their MVP resumes and Chris Sale to gun for the Cy Young Award.
Meanwhile, the banged-up Yankees were being harassed with questions about their wild-card chances being in jeopardy. The division was considered a lost cause.
But no longer. The AL East race is back on. The Red Sox were swept in a series for the first time all season by the pesky Rays at Tropicana Field -- giving them six losses in their last eight games -- while the Yankees finally took advantage of the pitiful Orioles at Camden Yards.
Bottom line, the Yankees made up four games in the standings in the span of only eight days, pulling to within 6 1/2 (five in the loss column) before Sunday night’s series finale against the O’s. They had a chance to pick up 3 1/2 games in a span of three days with a victory.
Unlike the 10 1/2-game deficit they faced earlier this month, that’s totally do-able for Aaron Boone & Co. The way the schedule shakes out the rest of the way, the Yankees even control their own destiny.
Stay on this same course, sweep the six games left with the Red Sox -- three in the Bronx, three at Fenway Park to end the regular season -- and the Yankees could finish in a place we’d given up on as recently as a week ago: Atop the AL East.
“I’ve never stopped believing that was possible,” Boone said Sunday afternoon. “But we’re in the here-and-now. Let’s go out and handle our business.”
And the possibility of winning the division? “I think that’s for you guys to project,” Boone said. “If we play well, we’re capable of ripping off a lot of wins and we’ll see where we are at the end.”
First, let’s take a glance at where they’ve been. Entering Sunday, the Yankees were 17-11 since Aaron Judge (fractured wrist) went on the disabled list on July 27 -- helped immeasurably by a soft schedule -- and picked up ground on Boston despite also missing Gary Sanchez (hamstring strain), Didi Gregorius (bruised heel), Aroldis Chapman (knee tendinitis) and CC Sabathia (knee inflammation).
The trades for J.A. Happ and Lance Lynn, designed to be upgrades on Sonny Gray for the rotation, have worked out better than even Brian Cashman could have hoped for. The Yankees are 8-1 in their starts, and the two have combined to go 6-1 with a 3.04 ERA. That bodes well for the stretch run ahead.
As for the Red Sox, losing Sale to the DL for the second time in a month because of shoulder inflammation is an ominous sign -- especially after their efforts to protect him this season. The resurgent David Price (5-0, 1.50 ERA in his last seven starts) has temporarily lessened the sting of Sale’s absence. but entering Sunday night, the Yankees’ rotation was tied with their Boston counterpart with a 4.31 ERA for the month of August.
Sale’s prognosis ultimately could determine how far the Red Sox are able to go this season, and the longer he remains on the shelf, the more the anxiety levels will spike up in Boston.
Looking ahead, the Sox have a slightly tougher schedule. Overall, their opponents’ winning percentage is .484, as compared to .472 for the Yankees. Boston also will face four playoff contenders, including three current division leaders -- the Astros, Indians and Braves. The Yankees will face two wild-card combatants next week when they travel to Oakland and Seattle -- presumably with Sanchez and Gregorius back on board -- but their only division leader will be the Red Sox in those two home-and-home series.
And how about this ironic twist: The Mets could do a major solid for their Bronx buddies by playing spoiler up at Fenway Park for their Sept. 14-16 series. Imagine that. Todd Frazier and perhaps Jacob deGrom having a hand in the Yankees’ improbable AL East crown. Hal Steinbrenner penning a thank-you note to Jeff Wilpon. Too fun.
So buckle up. This September could be one we never saw coming, and neither did the Red Sox.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
