As of writing this Monday afternoon, the Yankees go into play against the White Sox sitting only six games behind the Red Sox for the AL East lead, and only five back in the all-important loss column. A win Monday night and an off-night for Boston could see them gain even more ground.
Six games back is still a substantial amount, but it’s a lot more promising than when they were ten games back not long ago. After the four-game sweep in Fenway, the division seemed lost. The Yankees were treading water as their star players fell one-by-one, and the Red Sox refused to lose.