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The Yankees were up against the second-best starter and the best closer in the American League in Game 1 of their wild-card series, so we’ll grade their offense on a curve.

It still wasn’t nearly good enough.

As we all know, to be the best you need to beat the best (or second best), and they couldn’t beat either Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet or star closer Aroldis Chapman, the ex-Yankee who’s never a help to the Yankees, whether he was with them or against them.

The Yankees’ 3-1 Game 1 wild-card loss to their reviled rival at The Stadium dropped them to 30-36 against teams that are still playing. That’s their October problem. If they are going to reach their World Series goal, these are the very teams they’ve got to beat.