Via the Times -

With 38 games to play, 10 games to make up on Tampa Bay in the division race and five and a half games to make up on Boston in the wild-card race, the Yankees face a difficult, but not insurmountable, task in trying to assure themselves a postseason berth.

The 2004 Houston Astros are the only team to come from seven games back through 122 games or later to earn a wild-card berth, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Yankees trailed the Red Sox by seven through 122 games, before cutting two games off Boston’s lead by beating Kansas City on Saturday and Sunday.

The Yankees can also draw hope from last year’s Philadelphia Phillies, who overtook the collapsing Mets for the National League East title after being seven games back with just 17 to play.

But the Yankees are also entering a stretch in which they will play 16 of their next 22 games on the road, including the makeup of a May 11 rainout at Detroit that begins a 10-day trip to Tampa Bay, Seattle and Anaheim. That could be troublesome for a team that is 28-31 outside the Bronx and dropped 7 of 10 games on its most recent trip.

It’s hard to believe that just one month ago the Yankees were sitting pretty in the Wildcard chase – just two games back of the lead. And, now, New York is five games back of Boston in the Wildcard standings.

With 38 games to go, the Yankees are not totally dead in this chase – but, it’s getting close…very close. And, by September 11th, when the Yankees complete that run of 16 road games in their next 22 contests, we’ll know for sure if they have any hope for this season…or if they will be 100% dead in the water.

The Yankees went though something like this back in August of 2006 and doggy-paddled their way through it. Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to cut it this time.