It's Now or Never Yankees.. Wake up!

As the clock struck twelve on July 31, 2008, the New York Yankees were looked upon as the team who had the most success at the trade deadline. With steals of Xavier Nady to the acquisition of future hall-of-fame catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, confidence spread throughout the clubhouse, organization, and fanbase. After a hot streak after the All-Star break that lingered around the deadline, the Yankees have arguably hit rock bottom. Coming off an embarassing road trip, the Yankees have dropped to 7.5 games behind in the Wildcard race. Tamba Bay has virtually stolen the AL East division title, making every game count as the end of the season rapidly approaches. The Bronx Bombers have certainly not lived up to their nickname as of late. The offense has been inconsistent, and the fans do not know whether to expect to be shut out or be happy because of the once a month booming offensive performance. The team has only averaged three runs or less in half of their wins. Kudos to the pitching. With a lineup that has Cano batting 8th, it is hard to believe that the offense has been this atrocious. On most other teams, Robinson Cano would easily be batted third. This fact just shows how deep the Yankees lineup truely is. And we've been saying it all year - when Alex Rodriguez hits, the Yankees win. He needs to carry this club offensively for there to be any playoff hopes. The Yankees have been a team of streaks all year. Lose 1, win 2. Win 4, lose 3... and so on and so forth. The Yankees need to compile at least a five-game winning streak before the three-game series with Boston next week. They must win every series from here on out in order to be in contention for a playoff spot. It's now or never. It is risky to think that Tampa and Boston will lose everytime the Yankees win.. in fact, it is almost impossible. The next thirty or so games will determine whether the Yankees have the vigor to make it to October. The Yankees cannot afford to waste pitching performances, such as Darrell Rasner in Toronto on August 19, just because the offense cannot score more than one run. The Blue Jays have some tough pitchers, but that Tuesday night wasn't the first time the Yanks have wasted their fantastic pitching. The offense needs to wake up, and they need to wake up NOW.