The Yankees are starting to look more like the Bronx Bombers, the feared gauntlet of power hitters that manager Aaron Boone has relentlessly declared they will eventually become this season.
Thursday afternoon was the latest example, as the Yanks blasted three home runs in an 8-1 rout of the Royals, the first time the team has scored at least eight runs at home since April 30 against the Tigers.
“It continues to uptick,” Aaron Boone said. “Any time you score eight runs, it’s a big offensive output and a lot of guys having a hand in that, but it’s another one of those games where it could have been even more…it’s good to see these guys really starting to get a little bit of that swagger, and we’ve gotta continue it.”
Aaron Judge broke out of his slump in a big way, reaching base in all five plate appearances and setting the tone with a solo home run in the first inning. Gary Sanchez continued his torrid stretch with a three-run blast to break the game open, and Luke Voit continued swinging a red-hot bat, smashing a home run the opposite way for his third extra-base hit in as many games since coming off the IL. Giancarlo Stanton picked up three hits of his own, as the sluggers that were expected to dish out extensive damage all season finally looked like a cohesive unit of destruction.
“You see a couple guys doing it, you know you can spit on that pitch too,” Stanton said. “You see a couple fastballs being squared up, you can alter your approach or do something to mirror that. I think it’s just feeding off of each other.”
Part of the Yankees’ problems early in the season was the lack of contagious production. When Stanton and Judge were heating up, DJ LeMahieu and Gary Sanchez were ice cold. Voit battled multiple injuries. But now, the top half of the order is healthy, and making pitchers work much more than they did over the first two-plus months of the season, and it showed with a third straight series win.
“We’re starting to see more results after going through a tough stretch, but it’s a confident group that expects a lot,” Boone said. “We’ll keep fighting to the point where we’re the team we want to be, and hopefully that’s not until the very end.”
The Yankees could certainly use a peak now when it comes to their offense, as the Red Sox are up next with a chance to take a big chunk off their divisional deficit. Fortunately, the Yanks appear to be getting Boston at a much better time than they did earlier this month, and the offense is looking a lot more confident after scoring at least five runs in four of its last five games.
“We’re getting closer, but I think we expect a lot in that room, and those guys expect to be a great team, and we’re not there yet,” Boone said. “But there’s no doubt that they’re getting closer and closer to that and working really hard behind the scenes to get to that point.”
The Yanks have been used to being one of the most feared lineups in baseball in recent years, but most of 2021 has been spent trying to rediscover that power. Some wondered if it had passed them by, but Thursday was a reminder of what the offense is capable of.
“We think it’s a really high ceiling,” Boone said. “The guys in that lineup have set a really high bar. I certainly think they’re capable of being one of, if not the best offense in the game. That’s what we’re working towards and that will continue to be our expectation.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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