Schadenfreude 198 (A Continuing Series)

Kevin Kernan, Post:

Forget about the AL East. Forget about the wild card.

The Yankees' season essentially ended Thursday night with that devastating 7-5 loss, yet another tortured Fenway night as Dellin Betances surrendered a walk-off, three-run home run to Hanley Ramirez to deep center.

Ramirez added icing to that cake with another home run to center Friday night in Boston's 7-4 wipeout of manager Joe Girardi's club.

Playoffs? Forget that — the Yankees are six back of Boston in the division and are four back in the wild card with 15 games to go.

Dan Martin, Post:

Midnight seems to be approaching quickly for the underdog Yankees.

After their most devastating loss of the season Thursday night, the Yankees promised to come off the mat and respond against the Red Sox.

Instead, they lost their third in a row — and for the fifth time in six games — thanks to a 7-4 defeat to the Red Sox on Friday night at Fenway Park.

It dropped them six back of Boston in the AL East race, and they still trail three teams to get the second wild card.

All the math — coupled with the lack of a response to Thursday night's crusher — indicates the Yankees' unlikely entry into the playoff race could be coming to an end. ...

Mark Feinsand, Daily News:

It's not often that a first-place team gets the chance to play the spoiler role, but that's precisely what the Red Sox are doing this weekend.

Boston handed the Yankees a 7-4 loss Friday night, moving one day closer to an American League East title while putting another dent in the Bombers' postseason hopes.

After his two-out, three-run walk-off home run lifted the Red Sox to a dramatic win Thursday night, Hanley Ramirez helped thrash the Yankees again, homering and driving in two runs.

Jackie Bradley Jr. also went deep for Boston, which has all but ended the Yankees' hopes of a division title the past two days. The Yankees now trail their rivals by six games with 15 to play, and while the wild card still technically remains within reach, that deficit is beginning to look larger than ever.

Anthony McCarron, Daily News:

Halfway to a very different kind of Boston Massacre, we have clarity on several issues swirling around the Yankees: They’re not nearly as good as the Red Sox and their rotation beyond Masahiro Tanaka is suspect enough to loom as the potential undoing of their wild-card hopes. ...

The Red Sox lead baseball with 819 runs; the Yankees are 22nd with 615. Boston has 540 extra-base hits and the Yanks have 409.