TORONTO – The Yankees lost here on Wednesday, breaking a streak of 11 wins. It was a closely contested game, as most of the races between them and the Blue Jays were this season.
Leaving 2-1 in the ninth inning, the Yankees filled the bases with two outs, but remained one step away from equalizing when a short stop by Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit the ball of third baseman Matt Chapman, whose bouncing throw was snatched at first by young Vladimir Gerero. who showed his flexibility by making twines.
“I was very angry with myself,” Chapman, a three-time gold glove winner, said of the throw, “and then very excited.”
The Yankees stayed on the field as they challenged the game, but eventually packed up the visitors’ club and headed home. Even with a defeat, they won the three-game set, maintaining the best baseball record (18-7) and giving the Blue Jays their first loss of the season.
“Winning 11 straight is no small task,” said Josh Donaldson, Yankees’ third baseman. “It doesn’t matter who you play. This is a really good ball club and we came here and played very well. Losing a match with one run on the road and we had the opportunity in the ninth to move on, I like our chances. We failed to cash it in today, but I will expect to do so next time. ”
One month after the start of the season, the Yankees showed that they are different from the Yankee teams from the recent past. Their targeting was their best asset in 2021, when they were 92-70 and lost to Boston in a wild card game in the American League, but were even stronger this season. Their attack is more dynamic; they hit less and hit the ball harder. Their defense has made the biggest improvement, moving from one of the worst in Major League Baseball to one of the best so far.
MLB season 2022
A season that was in doubt is suddenly in full gear.
In every way, manager Aaron Boone said this week, the Yankees 2022 are better. And despite some early fears, they do so with a complete list, even in Toronto, as the entire team is vaccinated.
“We are a better and more diverse attack,” Boone said. “We manage the bases better. There is no doubt that we catch the ball better and we have a chance to be a very good team in defense this year. The presentation was something like our business card last year. And yet, with that said, I have the feeling that this year we have a better team from top to bottom. “
During the winning streak, the Yankees demonstrated that they can win in a variety of ways: by scoring many runs, by winning close races with good passes and play, by relying on more parts of the list. Of course, most opponents have had loss records lately and were not expected to compete for the postseason – the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals – but that’s why games against the Blue Jays are always so revealing.
On Monday, the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays in their own match. By Wednesday, Toronto had 10-3 in one-run games, playing and winning more nail bites than anyone in baseball, and showing that their targeting and play were capable. The Yankees won 3-2, thanks to a solid start by Jordan Montgomery (two outs in five innings) and a strong blow from the bullpen. All their runs were triggered by second baseman Gleiber Torres, who endured the worst season of his career in 2021.
“The swing really didn’t work with my hands, and my lower body was going in the opposite direction,” Torres said of the swing, which last year averaged 0.259, nine home runs and 0.697 on base plus a percentage of drilling, all low career levels for all season. I have more control now.
In Tuesday’s 9-1 victory, Yankees star Jameson Taylon, who was removed from ankle surgery last October, was stable again, allowing just one run for six innings. And the Yankees’ attack was driven by outfielder Aaron Judge, who broke his ninth home run of the year. After making a big bet for himself by refusing a seven-year $ 213.5 million contract extension before the start of the regular season, Judge scored 0.293 with a team-leading 1,009 OPS in 24 games.
“It’s only 11 games, but we still have work to do,” Judge said of the team’s winning streak, later noting that he was happy not to have any unpleasant injuries so far this season. “A lot of good things have happened. We showed what this team is made of, but we showed that we can win matches with our pass and our attack. We can win with a small ball or a big fly. We just have to stay consistent. “
Although the Yankees’ attack broke out on Wednesday against Blue Jace starter Jesse Kikuchi, the team almost came back against the closer Jordan Romano, who leads the major league with 12 saves. Against a powerful Blue Jace squad that could welcome back-hit striker Theoscar Hernandez this weekend, Yankees starter Nestor Cortes Jr. battled the unstable team, passing four and coughing two runs for four innings.
However, the Yankees’ rotation ranked fourth in baseball (with 2.85 average runs won) by Wednesday. When we include the coat, the targeting staff (2.60 ERA) is only behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (2.21) in MLB. There are still five months left from the regular season, but this is already an improvement for the Yankees, who were sixth in the ERA (3.74) last season.
The most noticeable improvements, however, are in attack and defense. Bringing out the stubborn carcasses who were worse defenders, such as first baseman Luke Voight and caterpillary Gary Sanchez, the Yankees exchanged caterpillars for Jose Trevino and Keener-Falefa and re-signed with Anthony Rizzo. Keener-Falefa, who hit a team high of .955, and Rizzo, who has nine home runs, bounced less often.
In combination with Kyle Higashioka, the Yankee duo was able to call out the games and outline the games. Gold Glove’s third baseman in 2020, Keener-Falefa, allowed Torres, who struggled to stop last season, to return to second base. Rizzo, a four-time gold glove winner, saves his players in the field with his dexterity and footwork at first base. Donaldson is safe and all-rounder DJ LeMahieu is healthier than last season.
Based on some advanced indicators, the Yankees’ defense has jumped from among the worst in baseball in the top 10 this season. The effects of running will be evident throughout the year: better performance means fewer extra games, fewer runs and more wins. The Yankees’ 73 allowed unearned runs last year were the eighth highest in baseball. They are in the process of halving that number this season.
Entering this season, the Yankees were expected to fight for the playoffs despite the similar lineup, several acquisitions of big names and questions about whether they have done enough to improve in the off-season. The results portend good.
“My thinking has never changed since the first day of spring training,” said Judge. “I know what this team has and what it is capable of. Honestly, I don’t read what the experts have to say about how this team will perform. We will just go there and work and the results will appear. “
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