The New York Yankees are running out of time to turn their season around. With fewer than 100 games left on the schedule in the 2021 MLB season, the Bronx Bombers continue to perform like a team that isn’t going to the playoffs.

The Yankees were the victims of yet another weekend sweep, this time losing a pair of games against the Philadelphia Phillies. The back-to-back losses dropped New York to 8.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees are in fourth place in the AL East.

It appeared that New York’s offense might finally be getting back on track when the team won two straight games in Minnesota on the strength of 17 total runs. The Yankees blew a chance to sweep the Twins when Aroldis Chapman gave up four runs and couldn’t hold a two-run ninth-inning lead. New York is on a three-game losing streak and has lost 13 of its last 18 games.

“We’re going to find out what character we're made of,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after his team was shut out 7-0 in Philadelphia Sunday. “We’re clearly in the midst of incredibly tough times. We’ve faced it throughout this season. And we’re going to find out what we’re made of and if we’re the team we think we are. It gets no easier as we have to go to Buffalo and play an outstanding offensive club in Toronto [on Tuesday]. And we need to step it up. Period.”

Next on the schedule for the Yankees are the Blue Jays, who sit a game ahead of New York in the standings. Toronto is one of four teams in front of the Yankees in the wild-card race.

The Boston Red Sox are currently the top wild-card team. The Houston Astros hold the second wild-card spot with a four-game lead over New York and the Los Angeles Angels, who share the same record. The Cleveland Indians and Blue Jays are sandwiched in between the Astros and Yankees.

After getting swept at home by Boston a week ago, New York is 14-21 against the AL East. Six of those wins have come against the Baltimore Orioles, who are the only team in the division with a losing record.

The Detroit Tigers are the only American League team that has scored fewer runs than the Yankees. New York has grounded into more double plays than any team while committing the most outs on the bases. The Yankees’ 3.58 ERA is third in the AL and rising as its starting staff comes back to earth.

The Yankees have made the playoffs in four straight seasons. New York had a .550 winning percentage in the truncated 2020 season, putting them on pace for 89 wins over a 162-game schedule.

The Yankees have to win 58.7% of their games the rest of the way to finish with a 90-win season. It will take a .639 winning percentage for New York to hit the 95-win mark.

Fangraphs projects the Yankees with a 44.2% chance to make the playoffs. Baseball Reference only gives New York a 19.3% chance to make the postseason.

New York Yankees
Clint Frazier #77, DJ LeMahieu #26 and Kyle Higashioka #66 of the New York Yankees and teammates Brett Gardner (2nd R) #11 and Aaron Judge (R) #99 look on from the bench during Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays at PETCO Park on October 06, 2020 in San Diego, California. Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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