The Yankees, with roughly two weeks to go in the season, are looking like they're going to clinch a wild card spot. Yes, the A's are right behind, and they have the momentum, but...the Yankees are still finding some sneaky ways to win. They've been unlucky lately, and have lost a few too many games due to some suspect pitching choices, but they seem to know what they're doing as the playoffs approach.
Part of the strategy seems to be using Miguel Andujar more, and seeing as his rookie season has been phenomenal on multiple levels, it's a noble plan. He and Torres have been a perfectly fine infield duo, both chasing Ohtani for the ROY award, though Andujar deserves a few extra points for not getting injured at all this year, which definitely helps.
It's also been nice having Luke Voit and Andrew McCutchen on the team, as both have been fantastic lineup presences. The former is a welcome replacement for the listless Greg Bird, while the latter has been filling in admirably for Aaron Judge, who still isn't able to hit. It's also been great to have Ronald Torreyes back on the bench, while the additions of JA Happ and Lance Lynn have, for the most part, been pretty smart, and have worked well. Justus Sheffield may be starting a game for us soon, which...might be interesting, but seeing what happened to Chance Adams on his first start, I'm not making an assumption quite yet.
The goal here is to retain the upward momentum of this current stretch while also shaving off the elements that made them so prone to losses, especially to losing teams. This is a strong Yankees team, one that could be dangerous if given a major playoff position, but this year they need to earn the right to be there, and it is going to taken playing better than Oakland...something I'm not sure if they can do.
Coming Tonight: Another guy with 'Slam' in his nickname, this one night quite as lucky statistically.
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