Things seem to be looking up for the New York Yankees. Yes, they're still several games behind the Red Sox, and will probably have to contend for the Wild Card spot...yet again...but this is still a great team. Their wins during the middle of August stretch have illuminated this.
For instance, the pitching acquisitions from July? They've worked wonders. JA Happ has won his first four starts as a Yankee, and Lance Lynn has a low era with a ton of strikeouts. His Minnesota woes are all-but-subsided, and he's back to just letting loose and throwing strikes like he did in St. Louis. Plus, Severino's numbers have improved, Tanaka's still throwing well, and Chapman's still one of the best closers in the AL.
The lineup without Judge and Sanchez (and possibly Didi) is different, but not dire. Aaron Hicks is still having an incredible season, Andujar and Torres are still major ROY candidates, with Andujar having a slight edge this month, Gardy is still doing what he does best, and Giancarlo Stanton has hit his stride in the Bronx. This team is imperfect, but it's incredibly strong, and has notched some nice wins in the past week.
What worries me is the eventual Wild Card matchup, because it might be against the A's. The Yankees are the better team of the two, but the A's can catch fire like no one else. I saw the Yankees play the A's live back in May, and it went several innings, with both bullpens keeping the lineups silent. The A's may be able to stop us, and they're certainly able to walk off. And I can't with good certainty say the same thing about the Yankees, even with Zach Britton.
The Yankees, as good as they've been lately, need to get into some major momentum if they want to beat the A's, or possibly Mariners, for the Wild Card spot. And then, they'll have to outlast the Boston Red Sox. I don't know if this season can be done for them...but I'm certainly not counting them out.
Coming Tonight: The Marlins don't have a ton left, but this guy's kinda good, I guess.
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