低迷ing Yankees 直面する challenge from 勇敢な O's
If this season 広げるd with 162 games, the 半端物s that the New York Yankees would be fending off the Baltimore Orioles for eighth place and an American League プレーオフ 位置／汚点／見つけ出す would be considered a long 発射.
Instead this season features an 拡大するd postseason field that is 証明するing anything can happen, and the Yankees find themselves 試みる／企てるing to 持つ／拘留する off the Orioles in the プレーオフ race Thursday when the AL East 競争相手s begin a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Even いっそう少なく then a month ago, the idea of the Yankees struggling to 持つ／拘留する の上に eighth place would have been considered 高度に ありそうもない. After a 6-3 勝利，勝つ over the Boston Red Sox 完全にするd a four-game sweep on Aug. 17, the Yankees were 16-6 and held a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL East.
Instead of 拡大するing the 分割 lead, the Yankees (22-21) are 6-15 in their last 21 games, six games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays, and just 1 1/2 games ahead of Baltimore, which went a 連合させるd 101-223 in the previous two seasons.
The Yankees ended their five-game skid Wednesday with a 7-2 victory at Toronto when Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu ホームランd while New York went 3-for-8 with 走者s in 得点する／非難する／２０ing position after going only 2-for-32 in those 位置／汚点／見つけ出すs during the losing streak.
"We've gotten beaten up here for a couple of weeks, 特に this last week, and have lost some 堅い games," Yankees 経営者／支配人 Aaron Boone said. "To finally get 支援する in the 勝利，勝つ column, I think gives guys a chance to exhale as we 長，率いる home."
The 勝利，勝つ occurred a day after general 経営者／支配人 Brian Cashman made a rare 外見 at a road game in a team 会合 to say he still believes in the roster.
Three of New York's losses during the five-game skid were to the Orioles last 週末 in Baltimore. Those games ended the Orioles' 19-game skid to the Yankees and were part of Baltimore's four-game winning streak that was 停止（させる）d with Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the New York Mets.
にもかかわらず blowing a 5-1 lead, t he Orioles (20-22) are 6-3 in their last nine games and getting standout 業績／成果s from 新人 Ryan Mountcastle and D.J. Stewart.
"It definitely is feeling like the postseason," Baltimore starting 投手 Jorge Lopez said through an interpreter. "I think we have a pretty good team. We look 今後 to playing every 選び出す／独身 day."
Mountcastle had four 攻撃する，衝突するs Wednesday to raise his 打率 to .383 and has driven in a run in five straight games. Stewart 攻撃する，衝突する three ホームランs last 週末 against the Yankees and has ホームランd in a career-high four straight games after connecting again Wednesday.
Rio Ruiz 攻撃する，衝突する a three-run ホームラン Tuesday, drove in two runs Wednesday and is hitting .353 (12-for-34) during a 10-game hitting streak.
One of Baltimore's 勝利，勝つs last 週末 （機の）カム off Gerrit Cole, who will pitch the series opener. Cole (4-3, 3.63 ERA) has lost three straight starts and has a 5.63 ERA in those starts.
Cole has lost three straight starts for the first time since July 30-Aug. 10, 2018 and is trying to 回避する dropping four straight starts for the first time in his career.
Cole has 許すd six ホームランs during his skid and his 13 ホームランs 許すd are tied with Detroit's Matthew Boyd for the most in the majors. He 許すd a ホームラン to Stewart in Saturday's 6-1 loss when he 許すd five runs (one earned) on four 攻撃する，衝突するs in five innings.
Cole is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA in four career starts against Baltimore and will be …に反対するd by 新人 left-hander Keegan Akin, who pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings while 直面するing Cole.
Akin (0-0, 2.08) is 持つ／拘留するing hitters to a .174 普通の／平均（する） (8-for-46) in his first four 外見s and has 許すd two unearned runs with 14 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings over his first two starts.
--Field Level マスコミ
