Last night, the New York Yankees went into Derek Jeter and Don Mattingly’s Little Havana neighborhood to face their Miami Marlins. This after winning a series against the upstate Tampa Bay Rays but a devastating shutout of the last game of that series. The Yankees were hoping to put that behind them and turn their season around by sweeping the Marlins over the weekend and advancing further in the AL East. That they did, winning a game filled with just about everything 3-1.
A game with everything
Last night was a night that featured just about everything and was truly exciting. We saw a lineup unlike any the Yankees have put forth. Gleyber Torres led off the game for the first time this season. The Yankees that have been so right-hand heavy had four lefty batters. There were double plays, caught stealing. Tremendous plays and some not-so-good from a veteran player. For the first time in two years, Giancarlo Stanton played in the outfield in a park he is all too familiar with. It saw players held out of the lineup due to injuries return in the same game to pinch-hit. It saw a Yankee pitcher become a pinch-runner.
A unique thing last night was that both teams had players that had never played for them before. The Marlins had two players making their major league debut, and the Yankees had to veteran trade deadline acquisitions to make their Yankee debut. The game also had a very hometown feel, not only because of the Marlin ower and manager being former Yankees, but the stadium 1,293 miles from Yankee Stadium seemed like the south Bronx with thousands of Yankee fans cheering and donning the pinstripes in the stands of LoanDepot Park.
Taillon becoming the Yankees best pitcher
Jameson Taillon is quickly becoming one of the Yankees’ best pitchers. He pitched a gem last night, going two outs into the sixth inning, giving up five hits while striking out five Marlins. He did not give up a run and raised his record to 7-4.
Taillon has been the Yankees’ winningest pitcher during July. After coming off two Tommy John surgeries and not pitching for nearly two years, Taillon had a slow start to the season, posting a 6.28 ERA in April. He has now lowered that to 4.11. The New York Yankees have now won six of his last seven starts as he picked up four wins in July.
The Yankees new look
In the American League, the New York Yankees were the big trade deadline winners, doing the most to improve their team. The big winner in the National League was the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The New York Yankees garnered a totally new look to their right-hand heavy lineup by adding two proven left-hand veterans to the lineup. They added power hitter Joey Gallo and contact hitter Anthony Rizzo. The Yankees also added three pitchers to their arsenal: Right hand Clay Holmes, lefty Joely Rodriguez, and lefty Andrew Heaney. Rizzo in his Yankee debut got two hits, a home run, and a walk.
But the big news and look are that the Yankees can now put out five lefty hitters in a lineup should it call for it, doubling their left-hand hitting presence. But changes often present new challenges. One of the Yankees’ best and timely hitters now may not play every day. Rougie Odor has been a blessing for the Yankees, but now his everyday job may be sitting on the bench. Many thought Luke Voit would be traded, but in the end, he wasn’t; now the question is what to do with him when he returns from the IL with Rizzo becoming the everyday first baseman. Yankee fan-favorite Brett Gardner may also be spending a lot of time on the bench. However, for the Yankees, these are good problems to have.