At least before Tuesday’s seventh-inning nightmare against the Tigers, it looked as if maybe the Yankees could turn off the fire alarms.

Through the first two series of a two-week schedule gauntlet, the Bombers had taken two of three from both the Astros and Blue Jays. They dropped their first game at home against Detroit , 12-2, following a bullpen meltdown, and with the Blue Jays rallying to beat the Astros, now sit three games back of Toronto in the AL East.

So there remains a real chance to win the division — and with it a likely first-round playoff bye.

Since we are no longer fretting about the outside chance the Yankees blow their playoff chances entirely, it feels like as good a time as ever to examine some of the choices that will be in front of Aaron Boone a few weeks from

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