Yankees’ struggles at home, in AL East could prove to be downfall
NY Post
The Yankees needed extra innings at home to beat the AL East’s worst team last Sunday. Thus, requiring a decisive game — and then a bit more — to top the Blue Jays 4-3 in 10 innings to clinch the season series 7-6 against perhaps the majors’ most disappointing club.
All of that underscored two issues that have beset the Yankees this season — they have not played particularly well within the AL East, nor in The Bronx. Can they win the division nevertheless? Sure. They were hanging with the Orioles atop the AL East by excelling on the road and outside of the division. But it is a much harder (no pun intended) road.
It would defy their history to be meh in these areas and still wind up earning a first-round playoff bye and getting home-field advantage — if there is an advantage at home — if they cannot reverse what is going on in the 10451 zip code.
Because the Yankees followed their series against the Blue Jays, who had the fourth-worst record in the AL, by losing two of three at home to the atrocious Angels, who had the third-worst mark. It accentuated more and more that in 2024 this is The House That Truth Built — for the facts are the facts: the Yankees simply do not win in their ballpark in a fashion familiar to seasons in which they were elite.
Overall, they entered Saturday with a winning record at Yankee Stadium at 30-26. But that was the 15th-best home record in the majors. More disturbing is that in their last eight series in The Bronx, the Yankees were 1-6-1 and their overall record in that time was 9-18 — their worst home stretch of 27 games since they also went 9-18 in 1992. That was the last year they were below .500 for the season (they were last below .500 at home in 1991).
The Yankees’ .536 winning percentage at home this year through Friday was the third-worst for the franchise in the wild-card era (since 1995). The only worse were the .531 of 2013 and the .519 of last season — two years in which they missed the postseason.
The Jets were quiet on Day 2 of free agency after adding a new quarterback Monday.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Brett Berard has displayed both a fiery passion and an admirable patience in the last six months of his hockey career, which reached the NHL level for the first time at the end of November.
PORT ST. LUCIE — The baseball calendar says the Mets have about two weeks until Opening Day, but Francisco Lindor’s mind is on another timetable as these dog days of spring training pass.
The man with the best nickname on the team is one of the few Knicks who has made it this far relatively unscathed in the court of public opinion.
For a guy who seemingly is always headed out the door, Darius Slayton has a way of never leaving.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Rangers stood by their defensive structure in the immediate aftermath of their Weekend of Missed Opportunities, in which they had two chances to capture the top wild-card spot in the East and failed to do so in such disappointing fashion.
PORT ST. LUCIE — Luis Torrens helped inject life into the Mets’ season last year but now faces even larger responsibilities with the team.
The Jets are having a Fields Day.
SACRAMENTO — P.J. Tucker understands his reputation as a hard-nosed player who is willing to vocalize displeasure.
The Yankees have insurance on Gerrit Cole, which is a positive thing in a very worrisome situation.
Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve, oh, the Rangers might’ve had a weekend if they had only buckled down after taking a 3-1 lead into the final 10 minutes in Ottawa on Saturday.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Dodgers’ last two steps to a championship were eliminating the New York teams last October, and it is hard to miss how much of a better February and March Los Angeles is having as well.
The Jets kicked off free agency by keeping one of their own.