Yankees To Welcome Twins To Stadium Next Week; Try To Stave Off Blue Jays For Division Lead

Things are starting to get very interesting at the top of the AL East. As terrific as the first-place New York Yankees have been this season with their shiny 61-49 record, the new-look Toronto Blue Jays are suddenly very much nipping at their heels, being just 1.5 games back after winning eight in a row, including a sweep of the Yankees this past weekend. An upcoming series with the Jays from August 14-16 could prove to be huge, but not to be overlooked is the series immediately following that one against the Minnesota Twins.

The Yanks simply can’t afford to flat-line now, as their spot in the 2015 MLB playoffs hangs in the balance. Playing well against Toronto in their upcoming series will naturally be key, but taking care of business when the Twins enter Yankee Stadium on August 17 could prove to be just as important. As key as this series with the Twins is, New York fans are slated to enjoy considerable value with Yankees tickets starting at $20 for each game on Yankees.com, and under $83 on average for all three games according to the secondary market. Game one opens up at $79.54 on average, while game two is the max for the series, being $82.76 on average. The true value could come in game three, as New York looks to put the finishing touches on a nice home series win, while fans also get to enjoy a coloring book giveaway. Wednesday’s series finale is also a MasterCard half-price game, where fans can purchase tickets in select areas of the Terrace Level, Grandstand Level or Bleachers for 50 percent off the advance ticket price, when using their MasterCard, with tickets starting at just $10.

Taking down the Twins won’t exactly be easy. Minnesota is in a fight of their own, as they’re trying to crawl back into one of the two AL Wild Card spots, which they previously had ahold of not too long ago before their recent slump. Since they’re highly unlikely to catch up to the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central, the Twins’ only potential road to the postseason would require a Wild Card berth, making this series that much more important. Should New York slip up and lose their footing atop the AL East, dispatching Minnesota could be extremely crucial to their odds of locking up a playoff spot as a Wild Card team.

Even better news than the value of Yankees and Twins tickets in this series, is the way this matchup favors the Bronx Bombers. New York already took two out of three in an earlier series between the clubs, and clearly, the Yankees have the more loaded roster. At the same time, Minnesota boasts some decent mashers like Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer, and Trevor Plouffe within their lineup, making it possible they out-slug the Yanks. In any event, it may come down to pitching, and with Minnesota’s starting staff struggling as of late, New York will have a nice opportunity to capitalize with their potent offense. They certainly would like that in order to stave off Toronto and further solidify their standing at the top of the AL East.