Yankees know they must win ’11 out of 10′

ST. PETERSBURG — When the Yankees came off the field on Thursday, their rookies quickly discovered lockers that had been tampered with. Their clothes had been hidden for the charter flight to Toronto, replaced with true “Baby Bombers” outfits that came complete with fuzzy footie pajamas and bonnets.

So the Yanks had a few laughs as newcomers like Gary Sanchez, Tyler Austin and Luis Cessa curiously eyed the onesies they would be wearing through Canadian customs. Thursday’s 2-0 loss to the Rays removed some of the fun, but a loose attitude can only help in the face of what manager Joe Girardi called “the biggest series of the year.”

“We’ve got, what, 11 games left? Then we need to win 11 games,” Brett Gardner said, before someone informed him that the Yankees actually have one fewer than that. “Ten games? Then we need to win 11 out of 10.”

Maybe that math will fly with the Canadian conversion rate, though it stands as clear evidence that the club recognizes how big of a challenge its climb would be to reach the second American League Wild Card.

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The Yankees enter Friday three games back of the Tigers but also need to jump past the Orioles, Astros and Mariners to extend their season. It is a scenario that made winning two of three games against Tampa Bay …

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