Ha! Alex Rodriguez came back from a broken hand today after missing every game since July 24—didn't matter, Yankees still lost to the Rays after Dave Robertson gave up a run on a grounder that just barely—ah! so close!—made it to the outfield. The Yankees have lost six of their last ten.
Meanwhile, the Orioles have won eight of ten, and are only a game behind the Yankees in the AL East, including today's 4-0 victory over the Blue Jays, and everybody likes them, because they're surprising and fun and their payroll is a shade under $81 million, 18th in the league.
Oh, and the Rays? The team that beat the Yankees this afternoon to pull within two and a half games? 25th in the payroll, and showing the Yankees how it's done this afternoon against the Yankees' ace.
Granted, all three play each other a bunch more in the remaining 28-odd games, and there are about 12 wildcard spots, so everyone gets some sort of participation trophy if I understand the rules correctly, but let's just enjoy this as the Labor Day miracle it is. Yankees fans are nervous. Can you smell their fear?