Don't look now, but the Yankees are charging hard down the stretch with another postseason berth on the line. They were three games behind the Red Sox in the American League East at the All-Star break, and faced life without Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield and Robinsin Cano for much of the second half. The games aren't played on paper, of course, and the Yankees have posted an impressive 26-13 record since the break. Not only have the Yankees taken a commanding 6.5-game lead over the Red Sox, aided by a five-game sweep of their division rival at Fenway Park, they are now threatening to post the best record in the American League. Detroit has been well ahead of the pack nearly all season, but the Tigers are in the midst of a 5-10 slide since August 8. That has allowed New York, 10-7 over this same stretch, to move within four games of Detroit for the best record in the AL. Finishing with the best record would guarantee home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Playing at home in Games 6 and 7 of a postseason series has been critical to postseason success over the last 20 years, so a lot is at stake, especially if New York and Detroit were to meet in the playoffs. Will the Tigers reassert their position atop the AL, much as the White Sox did after going 12-16 in August 2005 before winning the World Series? Or will the young Tigers wilt and the Yankees' recent experience in pennant races prove too difficult to overcome?