The Yankees played their second abbreviated week of
the season, going 2-3 with the two wins sandwiched in between the three losses.
They sit in a virtual tie for first in the East with Tampa Bay and now have a
suddenly surging Blue Jays team creeping up the rear. It's going to take a lot
more juice to keep the dogs off as the All Star break nears so a having winning
records in any given week will be highly essential to get the upper hand.
The Good - Tanaka had another strong showing as he
aided the Yankees to a win over the highly profiled Nationals ace Max Scherzer.
Yielding just one run in seven innings, he's looking more and more like the
pitcher whom took the baseball world by storm just a year ago. What's even more
impressive is the efficiency he has showing on the mound since coming off of
the disabled list, adding to his already stellar mound presence.
- Ivan Nova appears to be on his way back after his
good showing in his Triple-A rehab game on Saturday. It'll be nice to get
another arm to fill out the slightly broken rotation and give the bullpen some
much needed help.
- Mason Williams got the chance to live his dream as
the 23 year old made his major league debut in the series opener versus the
Orioles. Williams delivered a two run homer in his second at bat, much to
delight of his family and the Yankees alike, showing what he could bring to the
table once fine-tuned. Though he only managed to get just the one hit, his
fantastic range and speed in the outfield is quite a sight. With Flores,
Heathcott, and Williams all showing some nice valuable traits, the battle for
right field post Beltran is sure to be an intense and entertaining watch.
The Bad - The bullpen had a bit of a misstep this
week as it allowed games to get away or out of hand. This led to the outright
release of Esmil Rogers, whom sported a dismal 6.27 ERA in 18 appearances and
hadn't had much of a significant role since April. The pen however did finish
strong, putting up a solid combined effort in the finale against Baltimore, but
I think it's best they don't put too many shaky performances moving forward.
- Perhaps the worst news of the week was the loss of
Andrew Miller due to tightness in his forearm.
Not only was he having a career year up to this point, Miller had become
a dominant presence in the closer role for the Yankees. The role now shifts to
Dellin Betances, whom judging by his 0.27 ERA thus far should be more than
capable of holding down this spot until Miller can get healthy.
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