The New York Yankees may have a record above .500, but that doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of the American League playoff race. Every win matters, as they are falling off the wildcard race pace a bit more every single day. And on Sunday night, it seemed like the Yankees were going to claim a hard-fought victory against the Miami Marlins, taking a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. However, the Yankees ended up blowing that lead, with Clay Holmes, the team's closer, acting as the chief culprit behind the team's meltdown.

Holmes had been lights out in his seven previous outings, allowing a grand total of zero runs in seven innings of work. But the 30-year old reliever's hot streak came to a screeching halt, allowing five runs (four earned) to relinquish the Yankees' 58th loss of the season.

In a heartbreaking turn of events for the Yankees, they now stand two games behind the Boston Red Sox for the sixth and final place in the wild card playoffs. Now facing a great sense of urgency made worse by this gut-wrenching loss to the Marlins, Clay Holmes acknowledged just how difficult the road ahead lies in their bid to make the postseason.

“The mountain gets bigger with every loss. We have to put together some wins and string them together and get some momentum going,” Holmes said, per ESPN. “Losses like these, they hurt.”

They hurt indeed, as the Yankees had high hopes of entering the playoffs in more comfortable fashion before the season began. And even though it's tempting to think that it's not too late for them to mount a strong push, they're about to face extremely difficult opposition that could decide the fate of their season. The Yankees will be facing the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays in nine of their next 12 games — three teams that are currently sitting in playoff spots.

“Every game matters right now, every loss matters. Especially one like this. This definitely was a series that we needed to have,” Holmes added.

Clay Holmes better bounce back then, as assuredness in the ninth inning will go a long way towards helping the Yankees achieve their goals this season.