The New York Yankees secured their fifth consecutive victory on Sunday, with a final of 3-1. They have since swept the Baltimore Orioles over four games and picked up one against the Toronto Blue Jays this past week.
The Yankees will now host the Blue Jays in a three-game series starting on Tuesday with Deivi GarcÃa on the mound. This will be a good statement for the team and their recent positive momentum. They are set to gain back Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton next weekend, which should provide a massive offensive boost.
Good news and bad news for the New York Yankees:
GOOD NEWS:
The good news, the Yankees walked away with another victory, despite waiting until the final moments to take the lead. Scoring just five runs over the past two games wouldn’t indicate an impressive offensive performance, but it got the job done. On the day, two batters earned a minimum of two hits, including Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar. However, it was Gleyber Torres that came to the rescue as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.
Torres doubled to deep right-centerfield, scoring Frazier and Aaron Hicks. His late-game heroics have given the Yankees more momentum heading into an important series against Toronto. In addition, starter JA Happ had another stout outing, lasting 5.0 inning and allowing five hits and one earned run. Over 73 pitches, he was fantastic and kept the Yankees alive for their eventual victory. The bullpen also performed very well, allowing just want to head over the final four innings.
The Yankees are still penciled into the second Wild Card spot, just behind the Cleveland Indians, but they’re putting a nice cushion between themselves and the Orioles. Next week will be important in cementing a spot for the postseason.
BAD NEWS:
The bad news was mainly offensive. Gary Sanchez struck out twice over four at-bats, lowering his average to .127. The bottom of the order continued to struggle, aside from a Tyler Wade solo homer in the third inning. Thairo Estrada has been a serious liability and must be replaced as soon as possible. Gio Urshela is set to return soon, which will move DJ LeMahieu back to his natural second-base position. Estrada currently has a .170 average. Altogether, the Yankees played a solid game, and Luke Voit’s off-game was an anomaly.