NEW YORK -- "Ballgame over, the Yankees win. Thu-uuuuuuugh Yankees win!"

It had been nine days and seven games since longtime play-by-play man John Sterling had put his unique exclamation point on a New York Yankees victory. At the end of Wednesday's 8-4 triumph over the Los Angeles Angels, Sterling could have amended his call and belted out, "Thu-uuuuuuugh Yankees finally win!"

The Yankees had lost seven games in a row, so they were due for a little success. They got it, and with the Boston Red Sox's meltdown in Kansas City, the Yankees, even after winning just their first game since June 12 in Anaheim, are atop the AL East.

"It is nice," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's been a frustrating week."

It appears as if it will be a dogfight in the East, because just five games separate first from last, meaning that winning the division will be difficult, but it also might result in the clubs knocking each other around so much that their wild-card spots are put in jeopardy.

The Tampa Bay Rays are playing above .500 ball. The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, who have alternated between hot and cold, sit around that mark. The Yankees had been so good that they were able to have winning amnesia for a week's worth of games and still maintain their perch just a half-game above the Red Sox, who probably have the most ready-to-win roster.

Girardi revealed his hand about the importance of Wednesday’s game when he had Dellin Betances warming up for what would have been a two-inning outing. The Yankees, though, scored three runs in the sixth to break open the game, allowing Girardi to save Betances for just the eighth.

The Yankees still have issues that need to be resolved. The bullpen, save for Betances and Aroldis Chapman, is a mess. Tyler Clippard is supposed to be the team's seventh-inning man, but he couldn't even mop up Wednesday.

Girardi was just trying to get a clean inning from Clippard in the ninth to restore his confidence, but instead Clippard faced two batters, allowing a double and a homer, before Girardi summoned Chapman for the final three outs in a non-save situation.

First base is also an issue. Matt Holliday played it Wednesday and hit the go-ahead homer in the fifth. However, Girardi is hesitant to play him there consistently, because Holliday, 37, stiffens up if he stands on the infield all day.

During the pregame, Girardi all but declared that he has zero confidence in Chris Carter anymore. Carter, batting .201, is the regular first baseman as the Yankees wait for Greg Bird to finally heal. Bird had a cortisone shot in his bruised ankle, which the Yankees hope will allow him to resume rehab in hopes he can be the answer at first. The Yankees do not see reason to bring up prospect Tyler Austin in the interim.

Wednesday was not a night to dwell on all the issues, though. Rookie Jordan Montgomery pitched well enough to hand the lead to the bullpen. The offense, which received a two-run home run from Didi Gregorius in the second and an Austin Romine two-run double in the sixth, did enough to allow the Yankees to feel good about themselves again.

The Yankees won. They finally won!