WHAT IT MEANS: The Yankees and Orioles split this exciting four-game series, after the Yanks' 13-3 victory on Sunday, which means New York remains one game up in the standings. The teams finished their season series at 9-9. This means if they were to be tied at the end of the regular season, the tiebreaker for home-field advantage in a one-game playoff would be divisional record. The Rays won Sunday, so they remain two games back.

GRANDY SIGHTING: After not starting for the second consecutive game against a lefty, Curtis Granderson pinch-hit against righty reliever Jake Arrieta and went deep to left-center in the sixth. It was Granderson's team-leading 35th homer and 82nd RBI. And he wasn't close to done.

In the seventh, Granderson blew the game open with an opposite-field two-run single off lefty Zach Phillips. Finally in the eighth, Granderson nailed a two-run double. So he had five RBIs, and he he didn't even play the first five innings. Granderson entered the game hitting .155 in his last 18 games.

PLAYING WITH A LEAD: The Yankees put up a run right away. Derek Jeter hit one of his patented soft infield hits, which ended up being thrown away by Manny Machado. Eventually with two outs, Robinson Cano drove Jeter home with a two-out opposite-field single.

KILLING THEM SOFTLY: You could say the Yankees scored four runs in the fourth, but it would be more accurate to describe it as Zach Britton allowing runs. Alex Rodriguez did start it off with a near-homer to right. It ended up only being a single. Then Britton took over. He walked the next three batters (Cano, Russell Martin and Steve Pearce) to force in a run. After an out, Jayson Nix and Ichrio Suzuki hit RBI singles before Britton walked Jeter to force in another run. Buck Showalter finally took Britton out at that point.

JOBA RULES: Joba Chamberlain came in during the fourth in relief and had an impressive showing, retiring five batters and allowing no runs. He struck out four, and even had a fist pump after he left a runner on in the fifth.

IT WAS NICE KNOWING YOU, FREDDY: The Yankees thought about starting Ivan Nova on Sunday, but stuck with Freddy Garcia. Garcia looked good in the first three innings. But up 5-0 in the fourth, he allowed three runs and Joe Girardi had seen enough.

COOL SWISHER: With another 0-for-4, Nick Swisher is 0-for-his-last-28.

CAPTAIN LONG BALL: In the eighth, Jeter added his 15th homer of the year, a two-run shot that made it 10-3. Jeter is approaching the 18 homer total he hit in 2009.

WHAT IS NEXT: The Yankees are off on Monday. The pitching matchups in Boston are scheduled to be: Hiroki Kuroda (13-10, 3.14) vs. Jon Lester (9-11, 4.99) on Tuesday; David Phelps (3-4, 3.55) vs. Aaron Cook (3-9, 5.17) on Wednesday; Phil Hughes (14-12, 4.13) vs. Felix Doubront (10-8, 5.21) on Thursday. Girardi could insert Nova for Phelps on Wednesday. It seems obvious Nova is going to replace either Phelps or Garcia.

COMING ATTRACTIONS: I will be writing a column saying the Yankees did what they needed to do and left here with a victory. I'm presuming the clubhouse will be less chaotic than Saturday night.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Are you satisfied with how this weekend finished up for the Yankees?