Yankees Fall to Second Place in AL East

After a four-game sweep by the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees have officially fallen to second place in the American League East, giving up a position they had held since April 14.

The Blue Jays are now 49-38, and the Yankees are 48-39, tied at second with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Third baseman Jazz Chisholm shared Yankees manager Aaron Boone's postgame pep talk. Boone appears to be keeping a stiff upper lip despite the recent downturn.

"That we’re the best team in the league,” Jazz said, when asked about Boone's message. “We knew we were going to hit a speed bump. Just block out the noise and go out there when we get back home in New York and do what we do.”

Critics of Boone's leadership strategy were not impressed.

The Yankees went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position in this game, an issue that has plagued them throughout their recent slump. They have now lost 14 of their last 20 games, and are being urged to make some major changes. Shortstop Anthony Volpe, who currently leads the league in runners left on base at 152, has been floated as a candidate for replacement. Fans and Chisholm alike would prefer to see him at second base, and the Yankees could consider shopping for pitching depth given Will Warren's poor performance against Toronto and Clarke Schmidt's potential injury.

The Blue Jays have not been alone at the top of the AL East since 2016, leading the division from August through early September before being overtaken by the Boston Red Sox. Thursday's game saw Blue Jays outfielder George Springer hit two home runs, his 14th and 15th this season. This was Springer's second multiple-home-run game this season.

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