In the four game sweep out at Oakland, the 39-year-old looked more like he was 29, going 9-for-18 with a home run, eight RBI and five doubles; over his last seven games, he’s hitting.
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“We’ve got all phases of the game going now”, observed McCann, whose Yankees were swept by the A’s in a three-game series in NY last month. “From that standpoint I thought I did pretty well”.
This time, the left-hander’s inability to keep his focus during a four-run fourth inning proved costly.
“For me, it’s getting back to.500”.
He rightly pointed to some odd inconsistencies in the Yankees’ team pitching statistics. He also had 106 victories with Cleveland to join an illustrious list of players that includes Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Greg Maddux to win 100 or more with two teams. We were able to put all of those things together.
Apparently that tomorrow, which is Saturday (the time of this writing), was good enough for NY to pencil in the long ball hitter for a return on Tuesday.
Carlos Beltran, who had three RBIs in each of the previous two games, lined an RBI single off the glove of shortstop Marcus Semien and Aaron Hicks’ sacrifice fly to left made it 2-0.
Castro followed with a sharp single, scoring Beltran with the go-ahead run. Tanaka pitched out of two bases-loaded jams.
Brett Gardner, meanwhile, took off from second on the play and did not stop until he crossed the plate with the tying run.
Miller allowed an unearned run in the eighth after Didi Gregorius and Castro committed errors, but Chapman slammed the door on Oakland with a 1-2-3 ninth, sending the Yankees home on a happy note.
Gray (3-5) continued to have command problems and was knocked out of the game after retiring 10 batters. But he came to the mound at O.co Coliseum on Sunday after working on standing more erect, which would help him throw sliders to the bottom of the strike zone.
Pineda (2-5, 6.34 ERA) delivered a quality start, striking out six and walking just one.
“It doesn’t feel good”, A’s manager Bob Melvin told The Associated Press. “They just made him work a little bit. got his pitch count up”.
But Beltran, instead of focusing on what he’s been doing well, had his focuses on other parts of the Yankees, who have won five straight and took five of seven on their West coast trip this week: the starting pitching and how they can’t wear out the Yankees star-studded bullpen that’s been dominating in 2016. Throw in the fact that the Yankees’ staff produces a high rate of groundballs and “none of it makes any sense to me”, Rothschild said of why the overall stats aren’t reflective of that success.
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Yankees: LHP James Pazos was optioned to Triple-A Scranton to make room for Sabathia. Jake Smolinski, who was called up Friday after Josh Reddick fractured his left thumb Thursday, entered the game to sub for Davis. OF Sam Fuld is in Florida recovering from rotator cuff surgery….
