The New York Yankees have lost one of their eight series’ since the All-Star Break, take a guess to whom. That’s right, everybody’s favorite Sox, the Chicago White Sox. Anyway, enough South Side love, this isn’t about them, it’s about the team the other Sox, just plain hate. The Yankees have exploded out of the All-Star gate winning 20 games out of a possible 26 and outscoring their opponents 139-103. Three losses to the White Sox, and three losses to the rest of their opponents, darn it, I just brought up the White Sox again.

Those opponents: Detroit, Baltimore, Oakland, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Toronto twice, and Boston, with four of those teams fighting for the playoffs. Not only have the Yankees beaten some quality teams, but they have earned wins over the following pitchers: Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson, James Shields, Matt Garza, Mr. Perfect Game Mark Buehrle, and future PGA tour man John Smoltz.

Ok, ok, the Yankees are having a great 2nd half, I get it,  good teams go on hot streaks, so what? Well, the Yankees are putting themselves in the driver’s seat for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That matters because the Yankees are hitting at New Yankee Stadium, as well as any other stadium, as if their games are at Williamsport, PA. (Little League World Series starts in nine days.) Entering Wednesday, the Yankees are 40-18 at home this season. They won 48 games at the Old Yankee Stadium last year.

Possibly the most important aspect of this elite performance was their four-game sweep over Boston. The Yankees hadn’t beaten Boston in any of their nine previous meetings entering last weekend and the Yanks took all four games. The Yankees currently up 5.5 games in the AL East and no lead is safe with Boston and Tampa Bay in the mix.

The Bronx Bombers are living up to their name and if your team sees them in the playoffs, you better hope the Yankees bats get unlucky. If the Yankees play up to their offensive averages this year, it might not matter who pitches against them.