[ad_1]
NEW YORK – This week, the New York Yankees program could be the biggest. Do not hesitate to consider this hyperbole. But that's not it.
If, at the end of September, the American League of the East and / or the pursuit with a wild card end up returning to the last seven days of the regular season and that the Yankees are at the heart of the game. action, remember this story and this week. And if the Yankees go in a tear this week and ride the rest of the year to a comfortable head of AL East, remember this story and this week.
(And, of course, if none of this happens, continue and burn that piece of your memory.)
Due to the Tampa Bay Rays series win this weekend, punctuated by the 13 Yankees beaten by the Yankees on Sunday, the Bronx Bombers are now in first place in East LA. They are also in a privileged position to stay there long enough, largely because of what awaits them on the horizon.
Here is the Bombers program: they go to Baltimore, then to Kansas City, then go home to face San Diego. That's seven games against teams that already have a total of 60 losses, finishing with three at home against a club that finished Sunday less than .500.
What time to be dressed in thin stripes.
2 related
"We are playing against a team against which we should win, and our team is currently in a good position," said the center player. Aaron Hicks said, referring to the four-game play that the Yankees have in Baltimore from Monday. "It's where we want to be."
The Yankees are already 5-0 against the Orioles, a team that was a real bugaboo last year. Despite being the worst baseball team, the 2018 Orioles have nevertheless won seven of the 19 games of the 2018 Yankees. Five of these seven victories took place before the break of the stars. And as in the case of the Orioles, this year's Yankees also won early in the season against Kansas City. The Yankees took three of four among the Royals in the Bronx last month.
"We have already played in Baltimore, we have already played in Kansas City, we know where we are going," said goalkeeper Brett Gardner. "It feels like it will be a good match for us, we will take things one day at a time and we will continue to play good baseball."
A good baseball is precisely what the Yankees have been playing for a month. Since April 19, they are 20-7, which earned them the best record of the major leagues of this period. As has been often mentioned since then, the Yankees have recorded this record while many key players have died on the list of injured. In all, 17 Yankees have landed on the IL this season.
"It just proves the fight our team has been fighting and we are really preparing the next man," said Hicks. "The guys play and do what they can to help this team win."
Virtually all of these victories last month featured a different hero – one of six players among half a dozen players that no one could have expected to contribute to the spring training.
Third base player Gio Urshela played his doubles role in Sunday's win. It was after escaping a bullet from the plate and penetrated into a sensitive area of his body that Urshela came out of the match in the sixth inning, replaced by the batting clutch's Thairo Estrada. Urshela should be OK.
Estrada, 23, who overcame a gunshot wound last year as a result of an attempted armed robbery in his native Venezuela, was one of the most improbable weapons of the formation of the Yankees at the beginning of the season. And with the bases loaded and the two outs, Estrada hammered a 2-1 turntable, lighting the pace of 94 mph and sending it along the third base line. By the end of the double, the Yankees had taken their lead to 10-5, putting the game out of range of Tampa Bay.
"Thairo, for me, is one of the faces of what we are doing right now," manager Aaron Boone said. "Lacking a lot of last year, this guy is a prospect, in many ways, we've kind of rushed him here and thrown him into the fire, and he perfectly managed all the situations.
"Whenever we are in a mid-game situation or thinking about a possible move, he thinks about the game, he is prepared, he goes out and plays with calm and balance."
It's almost like he's playing like he knew he was going to succeed.
According to Gardner – who had a three-on-five afternoon that included a circuit, two points and three runs produced while placing eighth in place of his usual lead – Estrada is not the only one to play this way.
"We show up here every day and hope to win," said Gardner. "It does not matter who strikes first, who strikes in third or fifth, whoever throws in. It does not matter who we play, we expect to win every day.
"Of course, that may not be quite realistic, and we have our ups and downs, but when we come to work every day, our expectations do not change, no matter what you did the rest of the day, or In recent days, everyone has done a great job this year knowing what their role is, getting up and doing their job, and we played very well. "
The Estrada double was one of two balls hit in the seventh of seven innings of the Yankees, which allowed him to overtake the infield. Other Yankees have reached the base of this inning through a pair of single floor and five walks, including an intentional one. It was an exhibition in patience and winning with the little grinding ball.
"It's a great example of, you control the hitting area, you can have a run like that," Boone said. "And if you play against a team like Tampa Bay, you'll have better control over the end zone, otherwise they'll make you look bad, and that's a classic example of how difficult it really was, especially when they have [relievers Diego] Castillo and [Ryne] Stanek in this game. These are really tough customers. "
While the Yankees can help themselves and extend their lead over AL East by defeating some of MLB's worst teams this week, they could also get some help from the teams playing the Rays and their rival. Boston Red Sox.
In the case of Boston, trips to Toronto and Houston are on the agenda. As the Astros proved that they were taking two of three trips this weekend to Fenway Park, it would not be easy to overtake them in another series.
As for the Rays, the days ahead include a two-game series at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Western leaders of the National League, and a visit to Cleveland.
What time to wear fine stripes, indeed.
With so many factors in their favor this May, the Yankees are starting to look at the most important week of their calendar. Will they benefit?
[ad_2]
Source link