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Should the Yankees handle the next two items on their to-do list, securing entry to the American League Wild Card Game and then winning that contest, their reward will be a best-of-five showdown against the Rays in the American League Division Series.
Friday’s performance served as a reminder of how challenging that task will be. Their bats cold after the first inning, Joey Gallo and Brett Gardner delivered run-scoring hits in the ninth, but the rally fell short as the Yankees opened their final regular-season homestand with a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium.