The New York Yankees are trying to right the ship after going through a painful slump that saw them lose the lead in the American League East and fall into third place in the division. Manager Aaron Boone is in a fight for survival in the Wild Card race, as the Bronx Bombers are currently holding down the sixth and final position in the American League playoff structure.

As the Yankees get ready to play the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday night, they have a 1 1/2-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians for the sixth and final playoff spot in the American League. That position is anything but secure, and the Yankees will not have their full complement when they play at St. Louis.

Boone was not able to put Cody Bellinger or Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup. Bellinger is not able to start in the game and presumably will not play due to illness. Stanton had played right field for three consecutive games, and he has some lower-body stiffness.

The Yankees were victorious in the first game of the series, building a 4-0 lead and holding on for a 4-3 victory. It would appear that the Yankees will have a difficult time competing without two of their primary stars, but they will still have superstar Aaron Judge anchoring their lineup.

Despite some recent difficulties, Judge is slashing .330/.442/.680 with 38 home runs and 89 runs batted in. Jazz Chisolm homered in the Friday night victory, and he has blasted 21 home runs and driven in 54 runs.

Yankees will depend on ace Max Fried to deliver much-needed road victory

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) looks on from the dugout before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Yankees are trying to stay within reach of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays and right on the heels of the second-place Boston Red Sox. They will send Max Fried, the ace of their staff, to the mound against the Cardinals. He has a 12-5 record along with a solid 2.94 earned run average, but he has struggled in his two most recent starts. He has allowed 8 runs on 16 hits in 10 innings.

Fried came to the Yankees from the Atlanta Braves, and he had great success against the Cardinals while he was in the National League. He has a 5-0 record against the Cardinals with a 1.10 ERA while pitching for Atlanta.

Sonny Gray will take the mound for the Cardinals and he has had a solid year. He has an 11-5 record for St. Louis along with a 4.06 ERA.

The Yankees have managed to win their last two road games, but they have dropped 7 of their last 10 games away from Yankee Stadium.

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