State of the Race: Yankees Have an Edge as Season Winds Down The Yankees have been in first place in the American League East for 112 straight days and are tied with the Texas Rangers for the best record in the A.L. You would think that with two days left on the regular-season calendar the Yankees would be resting their star players and setting up their rotation for their five-game division series. But as we all know, that it not the case as the Yankees cling to a one-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees certainly looked like a playoff-bound powerhouse Monday night after the staff ace, C.C. Sabathia, dominated once again and the offense exploded in the second inning with four home runs on the way to a 10-2 victory over the last-place Boston Red Sox. Coinciding with this was an event more rare than a solar eclipse: the Orioles actually lost on the same day the Yankees were victorious. It has happened only twice since the two teams met for a series in early September. A Yankees victory Tuesday night coupled with another Orioles loss would finally end a tense division race, leaving Baltimore to prepare for a risky one-game playoff. The Yankees, meanwhile, are rooting for the Oakland Athletics to beat the Rangers, who, as mentioned, are tied with the Yankees for the league's best record. At stake is home-field advantage in the A.L. playoffs. The National League has the advantage in the World Series by virtue of winning the All-Star Game. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's look at Tuesday night's games. The Yankees decided that Ivan Nova is not the kind of pitcher one wants on the mound with a division possibly on the line. Instead, young David Phelps gets the call. In 10 starts this season, Phelps is 2-2 with a 3.81 earned run average. He's 1-1 with a 2.92 E.R.A. in two starts against the Red Sox. But one could assume that the Yankees would not hesitate to go to their rested bullpen early if Phelps finds himself in trouble. Boston, which has lost 9 of its last 10 games, counters with Jon Lester, who is 1-1 with a 4.76 E.R.A. in his four starts against the Yankees this season. Lester has had a disappointing season over all and now has to contend with some surging bats in the Yankees lineup, including that of Robinson Cano, who is 15 for 24 in his last six games. Mark Teixeira, who homered in his return to the lineup Monday night, makes the Yankees' lineup that much deeper. The Orioles are up against the hottest team in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays, who have won 10 of 11 but are no longer in the playoff hunt. The Baltimore rookie Miguel Gonzalez had a rough game his first time playing the Rays, but in his last two starts against Tampa Bay, he has a 1.38 E.R.A. The Rays' James Shields has been consistently strong of late, but is 1-1 with a 6.57 E.R.A. in two starts against the Orioles.