"Stop f***ing around and let’s get back to the evil empire mode" “Yankees always crumble this time of year” - New York Yankees fans enraged as the team ends August with yet another meltdown

The New York Yankees ended the month of August with a crushing loss to the Los Angeles Angels 3-2. The team finished the month with an abysmal 10-18 record, their worst month since September 1991. After once taking a double-digit lead in the American League East, the team's lead in the division is down to just six games.

"The Yankees finish August 10-18. Evil Empire down tremendous." - Barstool Sports

This second-half collapse has many fans enraged, and understandably so. One fan wants the team to stop messing around and get back to being the "evil empire." If the team fails to make the World Series for a 13th straight year, fans want a change in management.

Since the All-Star break, the Yankees’ record is 15-24. In this time, the division lead has dropped from 12 games to six. With a month left in the season, what was once an almost certain division title may now be in question.

A playoff berth is a given, but the way in which the team has played gives little hope of success in the postseason.

Yankees fans are trying not to panic, though the team's once great record is diminishing.

If the Yankees want to embrace being the bully on the block, they need to be aggressive in free agency next season, one fan stated.

Other New York Yankees fans are not concerned with the team's play as they still hold a six-game lead in the AL East.

Overall, the month of August proved to be an utter disaster for the Yankees as they clung on to a slim division lead. The team that is chasing them, the Tampa Bay Rays, is next on the schedule for the Bronx Bombers.

New York Yankees play critical series against rival Tampa Bay Rays

Gerrit Cole pitches during a New York Yankees v Tampa Bay Rays game at Tropicana Fied in St. Petersburg, Florida.

After losing two of three to the Los Angeles Angels, the Yankees will travel back east to face the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. This is a critical series for both teams as the Yankees division lead has been cut in half over the past month.

Here are the start times and probable pitchers for each of the three games.

Date & Time	Yankees Probable Pitcher	Rays Probable Pitcher
Friday, September 2 @7:10 p.m. EDT	Domingo German - 2-2, 3.19 ERA	TBD
Saturday, September 3 @6:10 p.m. EDT	Clarke Schmidt - 5-3, 2.89 ERA	TBD
Sunday, September 4 @1:40 p.m. EDT	Frankie Montas - 4-11, 3.94 ERA	TBD

The next three games may very well decide the winner of the AL East crown. The New York Yankees have a chance to separate themselves from the rest of the division or continue their downward fall.

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