The New York Yankees successfully completed their series sweep of the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday afternoon 11-3. Having won three consecutive games before a four-game series in the Bronx against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Bombers urgently needed to boost their offensive confidence, which they achieved. The Yankees scored a total of 28 runs against Oakland, a feat that took them nine games to accomplish previously.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Bombers recorded 10 hits with six walks and three home runs, courtesy of Anthony Volpe, DJ LeMahieu, and Harrison Bader. Volpe hit his first career Grand Slam at the bottom of the 5th inning, driving in Gleyber Torres, Kyle Higashioka, and Oswaldo Cabrera.
The Yankees had two hitters with at least two knocks and three players with a minimum of two RBIs. Volpe’s Grand Slam arrived at an ideal moment, as he had struggled from the lead-off spot in recent weeks. The team’s top prospect is currently hitting .205 with a .300 OBP, but he will look to capitalize on this confidence boost against the Rays, a far more formidable opponent.
Aaron Judge collected three hits in his second game back from the injured list, and Anthony Rizzo continued his hot streak to start the year. Rizzo is currently batting .302 with a .388 OBP and a .468 slugging percentage. LeMahieu is hitting .277 with a .346 OBP, contributing a two-run homer and scoring two runs during the afternoon.
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- Yankees are seeing top outfield prospect get off to an excellent start
The Yankees are getting an insane version of Harrison Bader:
Once again, Harrison Bader made a significant impact, launching a three-run blast in the first inning to give the Yankees a substantial lead. He has been hitting .429 with a .448 OBP and .893 slugging percentage since returning from the IL. Bader’s influence cannot be underestimated, as he has been driving the outfield’s offensive production before Judge’s return.
Regarding the team’s pitching, Jhony Brito lasted 4.1 innings, allowing two earned runs due to two solo shots. He threw 77 pitches with 51 strikes, resulting in his ERA rising to 5.81. Jimmy Cordero had a positive 1.2 innings of action, permitting one hit and striking out a batter.
Former Yankees top pitching prospect Deivi Garcia experienced 3.0 innings of work, yielding an earned run and striking out two batters. He threw 55 pitches, including 31 strikes, and walked one batter. Garcia has had an inconsistent minor-league career thus far, struggling with throwing strikes. However, his change-up appears lethal, and the Yankees must have appreciated what they saw in this small sample size.