Yankees Breakdown: A Slow and Steady Race

In an eleven game span that lasted thirteen days, the Yankees abruptly reached a breaking point, as New York managed to lose ten of eleven contests against Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Washington, and Texas. New York struggled mightily at the plate, while surrendering 73 runs to the opponent in 100 total innings. During this rough patch, New York failed to establish a competitive style of play, and to no one's surprise, the opponents successfully revealed the Yankees' vulnerability on the road and at home. Generally, the lengthy and often "perpetual" season slumps gradually subside, but after being swept by the Rangers in the Bronx, New York welcomed in Kansas City, and by the first inning against the Royals, the Yankees turned the switch back on.  New York batted around to score eight runs on three home runs in the bottom half the 1st, and by the final pitch, the Yankees' six-game losing skid was snapped after a 14-1 victory. In the latter two games, New York received stellar outings from Adam Warren and Michael Pineda, as the Bombers claimed their first series sweep at home and first since May 3 (at Boston). From there, the Yankees took on the Athletics in the first west-coast trip of the season, but Oakland earned three wins in four tries, placing New York tied on top the American League East standings with Tampa Bay. At a record of 26-25, the Yankees begin June in Seattle for the trip's second and final series, until returning back home for 13 of 18 games in the Bronx. 

Here's a breakdown of last week's games. 

A-Rod's Consistency

In the beginning of the year, the pot was stirred with endless debate on whether or not Alex Rodriguez would produce after a year-long suspension. Although many analysts expected A-Rod to blend in without a hitch, surely a small sample size expected the overall consistency and reliability that Alex has contributed in the first two months. As the oldest and also longest tenured Yankee on the active roster, Rodriguez' revamped confidence has positively influenced the ball club, and his experience earned on the field has further enhanced a comradery and chemistry in the clubhouse. With his veteran leadership put aside, Rodriguez' production on the field has also been impactful, currently holding second place for the team's highest batting average (.281), on-base percentage (.369), and OPS (.914). Rodriguez thrives off of publicity and recognition, and as of late, he has earned many votes as a potential All-Star Game candidate for the American League. 

Outfield Production

On Friday, rookie outfielder Slade Heathcott was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quad, which forced the front office to call up Triple-A prospect Ramon Flores, who now temporarily stands in the slot of Jacoby Ellsbury, who also remains sidelined after a knee injury two weeks ago. Flores made his Major League debut Saturday, and collected his first hit Sunday, along with two impressive defensive plays in left field. With Ellsbury's workload limited and Heathcott's timetable unknown, Flores will definitely be integrated into the every day lineup. Platoon man Chris Young has shown success for the majority of the season, but has recently struggled at the plate. Despite Young's woes, Carlos Beltran has torn the cover off the ball, posting a .298 batting average in May, along with a solid 15-game hitting streak that ended on Thursday. Brett Gardner has been the constant star in the outfield, and with the role of leadoff man given to him, Gardner has managed to produce in a slot that he has never favored. Until Ellsbury returns to the daily rotation, the production from youngsters will make the difference in tight-knit ballgames. 

Rotation Roller-coaster 

For a rotation that carries an ERA of 3.86 (14th in MLB) and places sixth in innings pitched (459.2), the inconsistent outings from Nathan Eovaldi and CC Sabathia bore the brunt of the Yankees' losses. Despite Eovaldi's 4-1 record, half of his ten outings have resulted in no decisions, as he also leads the team in hits to opponents (76). Eovaldi was traded from Miami to New York last winter for his high velocity fastball, but with little control on the heater and lackluster command to his breaking balls, pitching coach Larry Rothschild will have to figure out an immediate solution to Eovaldi's issues, and hopefully, the arsenal the Yankees traded for will rise up in the later months. There is no reason to give up on the 25-year old right-hander, but there are clear holes in his development. 

CC Sabathia's reliability is slipping, and youngster Adam Warren has shown to be capable of taking on the rotational pressures. Chris Capuano returned to the hill last weekend in Kansas City, and has yet to earn a victory in three starts. Of course, Capuano is not a permanent solution to the aching staff, and with Masahiro Tanaka scheduled to start in Seattle this Wednesday, Capuano will most likely get the bump to the bullpen. Ivan Nova also continues to work his way up to the Bronx, as he will pitch in one more extended spring training game before beginning a rehab assignment in the minor leagues. The Yankee bullpen has eaten a lot of innings, so it will be imperative for the starting pitchers to go the distance, and extend their outings into the later stages of the games. 


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