What’s stoking hopes of Yankees surge at crucial moment

After getting some important aspects of their skidding team straightened out in St. Louis, the Yankees suddenly enter an important week against AL East rivals with a chance to look ahead and not behind them in the playoff standings.

A three-game sweep of the Cardinals featured some encouraging signs for Aaron Boone and the Yankees, helping extend their breathing room in the AL wild-card race to 3 ½ games after Cleveland was swept over the weekend by the Braves. That cushion is now three games after the Guardians won Monday night in Arizona.

After the renewed oddity of using the visiting clubhouse and dugout at their Tampa spring-training facility (Steinbrenner Field) in two games with the Rays — as they did in the first road series of the year between the teams in April — the Yankees will get the chance to overtake the Red Sox in the postseason pecking order with a massive four-game set at the Stadium beginning Thursday night.

Then the rivals only will square off again in a three-game stop at Fenway Park in mid-September to complete the 13-game season series.