Cliché Alert: Early in the season, the pitchers are ahead of the hitters.
Cliché Alert: A saying doesn't become a cliché unless it contains some truth. But the Yankee hitters finally seem to have caught up with everybody else's hitters. Check out these numbers:
* Giancarlo Stanton: 16 for his last 36 (.444), 3 home runs.
* Aaron Judge: 10 for last 25 (.400), 3 HR, 10 RBI.
* DJ LeMahieu: 8 for last 20 (.400), 7 runs scored.
* Gleyber Torres: 8 for last 21 (.381), 5 RBI.
* Gio Urshela: 8 for last 24 (.333), 9 RBI.
The thing is, though, the Yankees, whom general manager Brian Cashman designed to bomb opposing teams out of the yard, won't score 7 or more runs every game. They're going to have to win games when they score only 2 runs. So the pitching will have to give the Yankees the chance to do that.
Yesterday, in the finale of a 3-game home series with the Detroit Tigers, Corey Kluber gave the Yankees the chance to do that. The injury comebacker was phenomenal, going 8 innings, being allowed to throw 103 pitches, allowing just 2 hits, and 1 walk. The 10 strikeouts were incidental to a superbly efficient performance. Only in the 3rd inning, with a leadoff walk, a single and a wild pitch, was he even seriously threatened. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. This time, he worked out of it.
Gio Urshela led off the bottom of the 2nd inning by beating out a grounder to 3rd base. Aaron Hicks drew a walk. Mike Ford lined out to center, and the runners couldn't advance. But Kyle Higashioka doubled Urshela home.
Part of the point of Hicks is that he can run. But he couldn't score on the play, and had to stop at 3rd. But Brett Gardner hit a sacrifice fly to get him home, and make it 2-0.
That was it for the scoring in the game. In fact, that was it for the Yankees' baserunners in the game. Had Tiger starter Jose Urena done this against any other team, I would say he deserved a better fate. You might say, he got deGrommed.
Once again, the Yankees didn't make the most of their chances. Fortunately, Kluber made the most of his. In so doing, he gave he bullpen a break, essentially giving them back-to-back days off, since the Yankees are off today.
Aroldis Chapman pitched the 9th inning, and went through the Tigers 1-2-3. A typical Chapman inning features some what-the-hell pitches, often including a walk, which, all too often, leads to a home run mistake. But he hasn't allowed a run yet this season. He's been worthy of the mantle of Mariano Rivera's (eventual) successor.
Yankees 2, Tigers 0. WP: Kluber (2-2, the 100th victory of his major league career). SV: Chapman (6). LP: Urena (1-4).
So the Yankees are back to .500, at 14-14. They are 2 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League Eastern Division, 2 in the all-important loss column. They were 6-11, but now, they're in decent shape.
The bats are working more often than not. The starting pitching is coming around. Luke Voit is coming close to returning, probably this month. Luis Severino might be back after the All-Star Break.
Today is a day off. Tomorrow night, the Houston Astros will come to town, and face live Yankee Fans for the 1st time since their cheating scandal was exposed after the 2019 season. The bats will be ready. The starting pitching will be primed. The bullpen will be fully rested.
Come on you Pinstripes!