Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays battle for late-season playoff positioning

The Red Sox remain 2.5 games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card race as the 2026 Major League Baseball season enters its final month. Because the Yankees hold the tie-breaker and maintain a three-game lead in the loss column, Boston faces a significant deficit in the postseason hunt. Meanwhile, the first-place Rays hold a four-game lead over the Yankees but face a difficult closing schedule that includes games against the Braves, Astros, Athletics, Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies. Gerrit Cole continues to lead the Yankees rotation despite allowing three consecutive home runs in a recent outing against the Padres, becoming the first pitcher in baseball history to record that feat twice. Both the Yankees and Red Sox remain focused on closing the gap with the division-leading Rays during the remaining regular-season schedule.

• 1:30 PMYahoo Sports — Red Sox, Yankees, Rays jockeying for playoff position