OK, SU must admit it: the Yankees have exceeded expectations by sweeping the Red Sox. I would have been happy with winning 1 out of 3 games. The team is playing with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Both have been lacking for most of the season until the acquisitions of Rizzo and Gallo.
Now, given all of that success – and they are on quite a roll – the Yankees have to know that they need to continue playing at a high level the rest of the way. The goal needs to be winning the Division and catching Tampa Bay. SU does not feel like they are cut out to win a Wild Card game. No doubt, they will need to pitch Cole down the stretch and he most likely won’t be available for that game. The bullpen is too terrifying to watch in a 1-game playoff. Half of Boston’s games are against sub-.500 teams and the Yankees probably have a tougher schedule including 4 games with Oakland next weekend on the road.
SU must admit I was surprised by Luke Voit’s comments to the media that he was equally deserving of playing time as Rizzo. He cited his numbers from last season and his votes in the MVP voting. Now, the reality is that the only reason Rizzo is here is that Voit can’t stay healthy. Rizzo needs to play every day – period. Boone will most likely rotate every player down the stretch for the occasional day off – see LeMahieu sitting today. SU says watch out for the Oakland series though with a big outfield to cover. Gardner will start all of those games and that means you will see Voit sitting most of that series. For me, Rizzo is clearly the better player and has to play every day at 1st base for his glove. Time will tell if Voit takes his benching quietly. His comments were very, very un-Yankee-like.
The one player that no one is missing right now is Gleyber Torres. He just hasn’t done enough the last 2 seasons to really make you wonder/care about when he will return. Velazquez is a great story and a much better fielder. No way Gleyber makes that play in the 9th inning last night. Britton looked like Britton last night for the first time in weeks. He can be a key guy – especially if Chapman can’t regain his form. But time will tell – that was just one game.
Bottom line: job well done vs. Boston. But there cannot be any let-up as this team cruised to mediocrity for so long that every game down the stretch will be important. Be prepared to buckle up in the 9th inning with this bullpen.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
Tampa finally done playing Baltimore for a while- they are 15-1 against them this year- half of their remaining games are against Yankees, Boston, Toronto, Houston and Chicago. Gallo hitting .150 for the Yankees and striking out 40% of the time and Rizzo has been out the last two weeks so give the other players credit for turning things around too. Gil is a revelation but something has to give with the six man rotation and Kluber maybe coming back (think Severino is probably through for the year). Note that the Yankees made a point of revealing that Boone talked to Voit the day after his outburst.
The unspoken thing with the comeback is the fielding. They saved 4 runs minimum in the Sox series which is why the pitchers also have unbelievable ERA’s.
Judge saved a run with a throw. DJ Le Mahieu made a couple of great plays at second, Odor, a second basemen playing third saved a run in the last game and whoever closed ( I think Peralta) made a great play to close the Sox out.
They don’t score a lot of runs but fielding and pitching keeps them in games.I’ll take it where I get it.
I actually have no problem with Voit’s comments. He’s loved in the locker room and wants to play. He has the fire that is rarely seen from a Yankee player- he connects with the fan base and is a spark plug when he gets in the lineup. I’d qualify him as a guy who isn’t just playing for the paycheck.
Competition within colleagues can be a great thing- it builds character and serves as a foundation for success. Love Boone’s “Joe Maddon” approach to the lineup tonight putting Voit at leadoff the way Maddon used to, ironically enough, with Rizzo in Chicago.
The unsung hero this year is Odor. He’s a leader on the field. When he goes and speaks to a pitcher to calm him down, the results show in the subsequent pitches and at-bats.
Will certainly be interesting when Urshela comes back. Velasquez has been our 2021 version of next man up.
Regarding Torres- I think similarly to many of the slumping Yankees who are now excelling (see Judge, Stanton, DJ, and even Torres right before his IL stint)- he was pressing because everyone around him was slumping and the stress mounts to carry the load. The post-July 6 Yankees are doing it together (and even stealing bases in the process- leading the league since the All Star break) and no one single player has to carry the burden of hitting one out every at bat. This version of the Yankees will be highly beneficial and play to Torres’ strengths (see 2018 Yankees when Torres thrived and was just ‘one of the guys’).
Curious of SU’s thoughts and the rest of the SUBase….
No problem with Voit’s comments. Feistiness is what we were lacking the first half of the season.
Stanton will start in right field. Judge will start in center field. Gardner will come in for defensive purposes, if required or if Stanton gets on base late in the game and we need a run… or maybe the other speedster for that sole purpose.
Kluber and Germain are coming back. That pitching injection will help whether as a Starter or coming out of the bullpen.
I’m hoping that LeMahieu gets hot. he is way, way overdue.
It’s all about winning as a team now. No egos allowed. If you notice how the dugout really rejoices now when good things happen on the base paths. THE BALANCE IS BACK AND SO ARE THE YANKEES !!!