Sorry Yankees, For You The Race For The AL East Is Over

After just watching the Yankees get outhit, outscored and swept by the Los Angeles Angels, I have one simple message for New York Yankees fans: You'd better concentrate on the Wild Card.

While Tampa Bay and Boston -- who lost one and two games over the weekend series -- both didn't cover themselves in glory on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Yankees were comprehensively outplayed in the latter halves of the game.

And the biggest problem? The once great, now shakey bullpen.

Marte and Ramirez have fallen apart and Mariano Rivera can't seem to pitch well when he's not in a saving situation. We both saw evidence of that against the Angels.

And one more thing: miss Kyle Farnsworth now? After being initially pleased about the arrivals of Ivan Rodriguez and Richie Sexson, I'm now going out on a limb to say: I do. Farnsworth had a great season going, but there's no loyalty where Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenners are sitting. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and the now the desperate measures are backfiring worse than a car with a blocked up exhaust.

I agree, some things simply haven't gone the Yankees way this season. A litany of high-profile injuries to three starters and a number of hitters has hammered any consitency that so-called Bronx Bombers could have relied on this year. Their replacements simply haven't lived up to the hype. Oh, and the fact that the entire Yankees team is hitting a smidgeon over the Mendoza Line when it comes to runners in scoring position sucks too.

The good news? Things aren't terrible in the Wild Card. Minnesota and Boston both lost on Sunday. If the Yanks can win two out of three at the Metrodome and Boston collapse at home to Texas, then the Yanks are in the hunt in THAT poker game.

But if the Yankees' aces continue to be wild, then the last scheduled game at Yankee Stadium will be just that - the last.