<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - Watch longtime minor leaguer Wynton Bernard tearfully tell his mom he made it to the MLB"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The New York Yankees have gone 16-26 since the All-Star break, allowing their division rivals back into the American League East race and the Houston Astros to take a commanding lead for home-field advantage.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">New York was once on pace to break the club's 114-win record but now will have to finish 20-14 just to end up with 100 wins. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>THE FUTURE IS NOW</strong>: <a target="_blank" href="/story/sports/mlb/2022/09/04/adley-rutschman-baltimore-orioles-rookie-al-wild-card/7987743001/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Rookie Adley Rutschman is the best player on surprise Orioles</a></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>NEWLETTER: </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/sports/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Get the latest sports news straight to your inbox</a></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The Yankees lost two of three against the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend and enter Monday with a five-game cushion. The two teams will face off again this weekend at Yankee Stadium, their final meeting of the season.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><em>Here's how the USA TODAY Sports panel voted this week:</em></p><figure class="gnt_em gnt_em_img"><img class="gnt_em_img_i" style="height:447px" data-g-r="lazy" src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/09/05/USAT/0307d3ac-16fb-4465-93ed-dbdacac4b143-USATSI_18954775.jpg?width=660&height=447&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp" srcset="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/09/05/USAT/0307d3ac-16fb-4465-93ed-dbdacac4b143-USATSI_18954775.jpg?width=1320&height=894&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp 2x" decoding="async" alt="Houston's Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman celebrate a home run against the Rangers."/></figure><h2 class="gnt_ar_b_mt">Rank (movement from last week)</h2><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>1. Los Angeles Dodgers (–) </strong></p><ul class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">NL ERA leader Julio Urias is 8-1 with a 1.13 mark in his past nine starts.</li></ul><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>2. Houston Astros (+1)</strong></p><ul class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Lance McCullers Jr. threw a season-high 97 pitches in his fourth start of 2022.</li></ul><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>3. New York Mets (-1)</strong></p><ul class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Seven of the Mets' next 13 games are against the Pirates.</li></ul><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>4. Atlanta Braves (–)</strong></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>5. St. Louis Cardinals (+1)</strong></p><ul class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Albert Pujols hit career home run No. 695 on Sunday.</li></ul><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>6. New York Yankees (-1)</strong></p><ul class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Had their AL East lead cut to four games for the first time in nearly four months.</li></ul><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>7. Tampa Bay Rays (+1)</strong></p><ul class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Corey Kluber has a 1.07 ERA in four starts against the Yankees this season.</li></ul><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>8. Seattle Mariners (+1)</strong></p><ul class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Starter George Kirby was named AL Rookie of the Month for August.</li></ul><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>9. Toronto Blue Jays (+2)</strong></p><ul class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Tough four-game...</li></ul></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2022/09/05/mlb-power-rankings-astros-al-favorites-yankees-fade-standings/7995048001/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
