MLB Standings 2014: New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles Make Playoff Run
With just one month left to play in the 2014 Major League Baseball season, the New York Yankees are running out of time.
The Bronx Bombers haven't missed the postseason in back-to-back seasons since the 1993 and 1994 seasons (the latter season being cancelled due to the strike). The Yankees are currently 70-66, and find themselves falling out of a wild card spot. The Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers all have a better record than the Yankees. The Cleveland Indians are now tied with the Yankees with 70 victories.
Still, with less than 30 games left to play, the Yankees have a chance to make the postseason. Jacoby Ellsbury has proven to be a good pickup, as he leads the team with 145 hits and a .288 batting average. Brett Gardner leads the Yankees with 81 runs scored and Mark Teixeira leads the club with 20 home runs.
Despite the offensive balance, the Yankees rank a mediocre 22nd overall in runs scored and 18th in team batting average. The Yankees haven't been able to get on a big win streak at all this entire season, so there's no time like the present to get started.
The Baltimore Orioles are taking advantage of the AL East, and find themselves in first place in the division. Their impressive 80-57 record is the second best in all of baseball, only behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Orioles lead the league in home runs hit, and their offense ranks seventh in total runs scored. This could be the second consecutive season the Orioles make the postseason, something the Orioles haven't done since the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
Nelson Cruz and Adam Jones have been powering this team with a combined 60 home runs between the two of them. The Orioles do strike out quite a bit, but they make up for it with home runs. Wei-Yin Chen leads the Orioles with 14 victories, and Chris Tillman leads Baltimore with 122 strikeouts.
Other teams in the AL East appear to be checking out early. The Boston Red Sox are having a terrible season after winning the World Series last year, and the Tampa Bay Rays haven't been the same since they traded away pitcher David Price. Unfortunately for Blue Jays fans, it doesn't look like they will be watching their team in October, as the team is four spots out of a wild card slot.
With so little time remaining, the Yankees need to have their best month of the season. But the Pinstripes don't control their own destiny. The Yankees will need the Mariners and Tigers to lose in the process. Even though the Red Sox are out of the playoffs, they would love nothing more than to attempt to end the Yankees season.
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