Through the first 10 games of the season, the Yankees were looking like their predecessor, a team struggling to score and capitalize with runners on base, yielding to seemingly inferior teams while constantly fielding questions about the concerning disappearance of their ability to hang crooked numbers on the scoreboard.
Fast forward a week, and the Yanks are hitting the road with a six-game winning streak after another 10-run day and another series sweep.
Through the first four innings of Thursday’s series finale, it looked like the Yanks might have been on their way to another frustrating loss to the Orioles thanks to a lack of offense. But after four scoreless innings, New York erupted, solving a previously effective Bruce Zimmerman and sending four runs across. An opposite field single by the red-hot Anthony Rizzo brought in a run, and four innings later, the Yanks flexed their much-needed power in the form of a three-run blast by Aaron Judge to break the game open.
“It’s nice,” Rizzo said of the team’s recent streak. “We had a walk-off, sweeping the Guardians and the Orioles who played us well in Baltimore, coming back [Thursday]. It’s nice. Everyone is really settling into their routines, and it’s starting to come together a lot more.”
Thursday was the third time in the last four games that the Yanks have pushed across 10 runs. In their first 13 games of the season, they were shut out three times and produced their lowest scoring output in 50 years. But the Bombers have broken out of that funk, and Boone says it’s due to an increased discipline at the plate.
“Controlling the strike zone, I think that’s what we’ve done a better job at over the last week or so,” Boone said. “I feel like the swing decisions have started to really strengthen, and that gives you a chance to make the kind of contact you want to. There’s no question there were some really good situational at-bats [Thursday], and really over the last week. That’s really been an area of improvement.”
The Yanks have another chance to beat up on an inferior team this weekend when they take on the Royals, before their hot stretch can really be put to the test when they face the Blue Jays five times in the span of one week.
“It’s a really focused group,” Boone said. To see them start to play well and get results, and play well in the collective…feel like everything has contributed and everyone on the roster has contributed. That’s really nice.
“We just have to keep working on it and start a good road trip.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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