New York Yankees: Good news and bad news following third straight victory over Boston

New York Yankees, J.A. Happ

The New York Yankees claimed their third consecutive victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday evening by a score of 4-2. Starting pitcher JA Happ took the mound after two tumultuous starts. Despite his rough beginning to the 2020 season, Happ had a solid outing against Boston.

He lasted 5.2 innings, recording three strikeouts and giving up just one run. While most would have assumed Happ wouldn’t have made it past four innings, this was an exceptional start for him and proved he still has some gas left in the tank.

The Yankees have one more contest against the Red Sox on Monday, and if they manage to walk away with a victory, they will have won six games in a row. Proceeding without sluggers Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge for at least the next week, the Yankees will have a tough time competing against the Tampa Bay Rays, who are also playing exceptional baseball up to this point.

Here is the good and bad news for the New York Yankees following the victory over Boston:

GOOD NEWS:

The good news boils down to starting pitching. Happ putting out a convincing performance should instill some more confidence in the starting rotation. Aside from ace Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka, relying on a questionable unit has been a reality for the Yankees. If Happ gains some momentum and earns another good outing, it will help the Yankees and their desire to lay off the bullpen early in games.

Offensively, three New York Yankees recorded two hits, including Mike Tauchman, Gleyber Torres, and Mike Ford. Ford is the big hero of the night, hitting a two-run home run in the third inning, slamming the first ball he saw from Mazza to drive in Gio Urshela. With the Yankees lacking their usual power in the batting order, Ford is a nice supplement and reserve piece to plug-in.

BAD NEWS:

The bad news once again revolves around injuries. Stanton is still at least three weeks away from returning, but Aaron Judge, who was placed on the ten-day injured list with a calf strain, said he is 100% healthy and ready to play. Nonetheless, the team felt it was best for him to rest and ensure he was at full speed. Once he is reinstated from the IL, Yankees will have a healthy Judge to utilize once more.

Of course, DJ LeMahieu as a whole different story, as he sprained his thumb overextending on a swing in the fifth inning on Saturday evening.

LeMahieu had a similar injury back in 2018, in which he missed more than a week of baseball. He is one of their Yankees’ best players, hitting .411 before going down with the injury. He will be receiving a second opinion on Monday to determine whether or not he will need surgery and how long the rehabilitation process will take. Initial opinions indicate that he will avoid surgery. However, the Yankees are taking every precaution necessary.

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