Where do the Yankees stand with four games to go

TORONTO – The Yankees were fortunate enough to come close to a wildcard spot on Wednesday night when they faced the Blue Jays. A win would have put them four games ahead of Toronto with four to go.

Instead, the Yankees got off to a bad start from Gerrit Cole and couldn’t complete a comeback win.

The loss ended a seven-game winning streak and put them back in the hot seat, with Corey Kluber struggling – having last pitched on September 22 and with a 5.73 ERA in 22 innings since returning from ‘one outstretched shoulder – on the mound against southpaw Robbie Ray, now considered the favorite for the AL Cy Young award, thanks in part to Cole’s dud on Wednesday.

Here’s where that leaves the Yankees as they head into a series final against Toronto on Thursday night at Rogers Center:

Always in control

As Kyle Higashioka noted after Wednesday’s loss, the Yankees still lead the wild card race, so they don’t have to rely on anyone else. Their magic number for landing a wildcard slot is three. After Thursday’s game against Toronto, the Yankees finished with three games against the Rays in first place in the Bronx.

Tampa Bay has already clinched the AL East title and the AL’s first seed for the playoffs. While they don’t have much to play, the Rays generally don’t take games, especially against the Yankees. The Red Sox, currently second in wild cards, moved closer to a Yankees game by beating Baltimore on Wednesday.

Insomnia in Seattle

With the focus almost entirely on the Yankees, Boston and Toronto heading into the final nine-game streak, the Mariners have returned to contention and are only a game and a half behind the Yankees (three back. in the loss column) – and lead the Red Sox by half a game. They came on Thursday ahead of Toronto by a half-game.

The Mariners took another home win over the As on Wednesday night – sparked by former Mets prospect Jarred Kelenic – for a fourth straight win, along with 10 of their last 11. The late push is not the only surprising aspect of the sailors’ turnaround. Their racing differential is minus-48, which gives them an expected record of 75-84, but they are 89-70. They have a day off Thursday before three home games against the Angels, who have announced that Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in the series.

In time

Perhaps the biggest obstacle before the Yankees’ last three series were the opponents. They faced three games in Boston, followed by three in Toronto before the last three at home against Tampa Bay. Their main competitors, who at the start of the streak were the Red Sox and Blue Jays, had much easier schedules. It’s always like that.

After Toronto is done with the Yankees, they will host last-place Baltimore for three games. And the Red Sox, who play another in Baltimore on Thursday, then have three games in Washington, where the Nationals fight with the Marlins to stay out of the NL East basement. And Seattle has the under 500 angels.