New York Yankees: A look ahead at the schedules for New York and the Red Sox

With just 2 weeks left to play in the regular season, the New York Yankees hope to take one last crack at dethroning the Red Sox from atop the AL East.

Sonny Gray could not have possibly chosen a worse day than yesterday to throw his first sub par outing as a Yankee. Despite a push for some late game heroics down the stretch, the New York Yankees failed to climb out of Gray’s 5-run hole, missing an opportunity they likely will never get back:

The Red Sox lost.

Had Gary Sanchez not struck out to end the game, the Yankees could have been eyeing first place right now from only two games back. Instead, they ended the afternoon in the same position they started: three games out of first place.

With time clearly running out, both teams have yet to ease their foot off the gas even a bit. The Yankees appear to be making a final push after going 7-3 in their last 10, resembling the galvanized round twelve Canelo Alvarez we saw this past weekend.  Except, Boston has matched that total.

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In other words, ten games passed and zero ground was gained.

Preview Of Upcoming Schedules

The Yankees will welcome any and every advantage that could help them rapidly chisel away at Boston’s lead, including the little boost they have received from the league’s schedule creators.

New York is set to play three against Minnesota, followed by three in Toronto and seven games at home: one against Kansas City, three against Tampa Bay, and three more against Toronto.

Overall, that equates to a .495 opponent winning percentage.

Meanwhile, Boston will head to Baltimore for a three game set and then travel to Cincinnati for three, ultimately returning home to play three against Toronto and four against the Astros.

Red Sox opponents combine for a .515 winning percentage, and while that is only marginally higher than the Yankees’s figure, it still offers a slight upper hand to New York.

Next: Time to appreciate the work of Jacoby Ellsbury

At a time when the Yankees will have to do more than just play perfect baseball for the duration of the regular season, any minute edge they can pick up along the way has the potential to serve as a deciding factor in this tight divisional race.