Brett Gardner and Starlin Castro each had three hits, and C. C. Sabathia turned in a solid start as the Yankees kept pace with the Boston Red Sox in the American League East with a perfunctory 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.
But was it really worth celebrating?
The Yankees at the moment are faced with a perplexing riddle, because each time they beat the Twins in this series they increase the odds that they will not get to play them in the American League wild-card playoff.
The Twins entered Tuesday nursing a one-and-a-half-game lead for the second wild-card spot over the Los Angeles Angels, who may not be any more formidable than the Twins.