As the New York Yankees wait in anticipation for third baseman DJ Lemahieu and starting ace pitcher Gerrit Cole, the team has found its identity behind the production from right fielder Juan Soto and left fielder Alex Verdugo. Soto, who now possesses a .316 batting average, 43 hits, eight home runs, 26 walks, and four stolen bases has been a dream come true for Yankee fans. As for Verdugo, the left fielder is carrying a .261 batting average with four home runs, 18 walks, a stolen base, and 30 hits. A production that wasn’t fully expected, but is beyond appreciated.
Game 1
In game one, the Yankees found themselves in the middle of a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel. Behind 5.1 good innings pitched by Marcus Stroman, who only gave up one run off of three hits and five walks, the Yankees showed just how gritty they can be. Ian Hamilton relieved Stroman in the fifth, produced a scoreless inning in the sixth, and a 1/3rd of the 7th. Victor Gonzalez finished up the seventh inning and went on to hold Detroit for a scoreless eighth. Dennis Santana did his part by covering the ninth without suffering any runs. The stage was set for an offense that was held stagnant for the entirety of the game. A trend that was soon to change. On a 1-1 count, the captain Aaron Judge finds his way on base with a single to center field. With a man on first, Alex Verdugo lays down a masterclass of a bunt to not only move the runner to second but also found himself on first. With two men on and one in scoring position, Giancarlo Stanton doubles a 97 mph sinker into the corner plating Judge and moving Verdugo to third. Rizzo, coming off of a rough series in Baltimore, finds a gap through the infield to bring home Verdugo and walk off a long game one.
Game 2
Following a hard-fought win, the Yankees turned their attention to game two. Which, unlike its predecessor, was filled with scoring. Three pitches into the game, Detroit’s center fielder Riley Greene takes Clarke Schmidt deep to right field. A great matchup awaited the Yankees lineup in right-handed pitcher Casey Mize. Mize carried a 3.08 ERA through the month of April. However, the lead was short-lived when Stanton added his second RBI of the series by taking a low and away fastball to right-center. The scoring ceased until the third inning with runners on the corners. Aaron Judge sentenced a ball down the left field line scoring Volpe and moving Soto to third. The Yankees were not done yet. With two outs and runners still on the corners, game one’s hero Anthony Rizzo blasts a high and inside fastball to extend the lead to 5-1. Up until the fourth Schmidt was dealing, aside from the solo shot home run in the first. The fourth inning was slightly problematic leading to two more runs regarding a leadoff single by Wenceel Perez, followed by a triple off the bat of Matt Vierling two batters later, and finally capped off by a RBI sac fly off the bat of Colt Keith. Caleb Fergusson relieved Schmidt in the 6th, but after getting into trouble Luke Weaver was strategically called in to strand the runners on first and second. Weaver pitched masterfully for 0.2 until it was time to bring in the closer Clay Holmes. Holmes, whose line is a jaw-dropping 0.00 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, with 18 strikeouts, and 11 saves closed the door on the Tigers giving the Yankees a 2-0 series lead. The highlight of the game was Aaron Judge getting his first career ejection.
Game 3
Perhaps the greatest of matchup feats awaited the rolling Yankees in game three. Tarik Skubal, a lefty carrying a 1.90 ERA over seven games pitched with 53 strikeouts had a great day striking out 12 batters while giving up two runs. The Judge showed no mercy on the lefty though, blasting a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. The second inning was just as troublesome after a ground-rule double off the bat of Oswaldo Cabrera. Cortes, who has been a coin toss since the start of the season production-wise, managed a good day with 9 strikeouts over 6 and a third innings pitched. The only downside came right before he was pulled. He allowed two singles before Ian Hamilton came in to relieve. Hamilton was not met gracefully as the first batter he faced Spencer Torkelson doubled to left, scoring a run and leaving runners on second and third. After allowing a walk to his second batter, Javier Baez grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring the only other run the Yankees would allow. However, the Yankees were not done on the offensive side of the ball. With the bases loaded and one out, Juan Soto rips a double to right, clearing the bases and breaking the 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 7th. The game was ended due to rain in the bottom of the 8th handing the Yankees a broom to sweep the Tigers out of the Bronx.
Next Up
The Yankees will begin their next series on April 7th at home hosting the Houston Astros. After handling a team like the Tigers in a variety of ways which they did, there’s a lot to love about this Yankee team. Furthermore, when a rival like the Astros are in town, there’s no doubt the Bronx will be alive.
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