A proud team doesn't lay down and die against an AL East rival, even with nothing to play for - unless, of course, that "proud team" can screw the New York Yankees by laying down and dying. In that case, they'll receive cheers for surrendering.
The Yankees' AL East hopes, even with the race tied entering the weekend, remained slim. In order to secure the division title, they'd probably have to sweep the Baltimore Orioles while hoping for one slimy little Toronto Blue Jays loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. This was the fault of their own malfeasance.