Yankees down Blue Jays for first 3-game sweep of season

The New York Yankees are climbing the standings, and fast.

After taking three out of three from the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, New York earned its first three-game series sweep of the season on Wednesday and launched themselves right into the heart of the AL wild-card race.

It's also the first time the Bronx Bombers have completed a three-game sweep of their division rivals since June 17-19, 2014.

The Yankees are now only 2 1/2 games back of the Baltimore Orioles for the second wild-card spot, with only the Detroit Tigers (1 GB) and Houston Astros (2 GB) standing between them.

Toronto's loss also drops the Blue Jays to a game back of the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the San Diego Padres Wednesday to take control of first place in the AL East.