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New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira (25) and teammates high five after they beat the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3. (Kim Klement | USA TODAY Sports)

NEW YORK -- The Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday but their playoff hopes remain thin with a Wild Card elimination number of now nine and three for the AL East.

New York has 11 games left in the season and can't afford to lose more than a couple if it wants to stay alive.

Check out where things stand as play opens Thursday:

AL EAST

.........................W-L ...PCT GB

Boston ............87-64 .576 --

Toronto ...........83-69 .550 4

Baltimore ........82-68 .543 5

Yankees ...........78-72 .520 8.5

Tampa Bay ......64-86 .427 22.5

AL WILD CARD

........................W-L ...PCT GB

Toronto ...........83-69 .547 +1

Baltimore ........82-68 .543 --

Detroit .............80-70 .533 1.5

Houston ...........80-71 .527 2

Seattle .............79-72 .527 3

Yankees ...........78-72 .520 3.5

Kansas City.......77-74 .510 5

Here's the remaining schedule for the AL East and wild card contenders:

YANKEES

12 remaining games

Home (6): Sept. 27-29 vs. Boston; Sept. 30-Oct. 2 vs. Baltimore.

Road (6): Sept. 21-22 at Tampa Bay; Sept. 23-26 at Toronto.

BOSTON RED SOX

11 remaining games

Home (3): Sept. 30-Oct. 2 vs. Toronto.

Road (8): Sept. 21-22 at Baltimore; Sept. 23-25 at Tampa Bay; Sept. 27-29 at Yankees.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

11 remaining games

Home (5): Sept. 21-22 vs. Boston; Sept. 23-25 vs. Arizona.

Road (6): Sept. 27-29 at Toronto; Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Yankees.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

11 remaining games

Home (7): Sept. 23-26 vs. Yankees; Sept. 27-29 vs. Baltimore.

Road (4): Sept. 21 at Seattle; Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Boston.

DETROIT TIGERS

12 remaining games

Home (7): Sept. 23-25 vs. Kansas City; Sept. 26-29 vs. Cleveland.

Road (5): Sept. 21-22 at Minnesota; Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Atlanta.

SEATTLE MARINERS

11 remaining games

Home (5): Sept. 21 vs. Toronto; Sept. 29-Oct. 2 vs. Oakland.

Road (6): Sept. 23-25 at Minnesota; Sept. 26-28 at Houston.

HOUSTON ASTROS

11 remaining games

Home (7): Sept. 22-25 vs. LA Angels; Sept. 26-28 vs. Seattle.

Road (4): Sept. 21 at Oakland; Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at LA Angels.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

11 remaining games

Home (6): Sept. 27-29 vs. Minnesota; Sept. 30-Oct. 2 vs. Cleveland.

Road (5): Sept. 21-22 at Cleveland; Sept. 23-25 at Detroit.

Ryan Hatch may be reached at rhatch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanhatch. Find NJ.com on Facebook.