Yankees Breakdown: A Red Hot July

After a hectic week of blockbuster trades scattered around the league, the Yankees chose to hold their ground, and managed to secure six wins during a ten-game road trip that concluded in Chicago on Sunday. Behind those six victories were not only strong outings from starting pitchers, but offensive explosions from the Yankee bats. While in Minnesota, the Yankees collected 16 runs in three games with a little help from Alex Rodriguez, who hit three home runs that Saturday night. The second destination was Arlington for a four-game set with the Rangers, and in the second game of the series, New York's offense brought home 21 runs, the most runs scored in a game this year, and the most for the Yankees since reaching 22 against Oakland during the 2011 season. New York concluded a ten-day trip on the southside of Chicago, and claimed two of three from the White Sox behind exceptional pitching performances from Nathan Eovaldi and Ivan Nova. In ten games, the Bronx Bombers tallied 64 total runs, keeping a steady lead in the American League East standings with a 59-45 record. New York opens a brief six-game homestand with Boston on Tuesday and Toronto on Friday, and come Monday, only 24 road games remain on the Yankees' schedule, including three games at Citi Field against the Mets next month. To the Yankees' advantage, all 58 remaining games take place on the Eastern time zone, as the longest flight left will be en route to Tampa's Tropicana Field in mid-September. While the concerns of the team are focused around an ailing pitching staff, the offense has yet to show signs of regression, and a feast or famine style of play has grown to become the norm for the Yankees. 

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

Tex vs. Didi: Players of the Week

Mark Teixeira's renaissance season continued throughout the road trip, as the All-Star slugger earned a .389 batting average, including five homers and nine runs batted in. The numbers Teixeira has posted have been nothing short of spectacular, and in the month of July, he tallied an extra four long balls, making himself a sure candidate for the American League MVP. Teixeira has been in the spotlight all season, but even he was not the hottest Yankee last week. The Player of the Week award rightfully belongs to shortstop Didi Gregorious, who hit .520 in his last seven games, along with seven runs and 11 RBI.  Didi's recent hot streak has been a relief to the coaching staff, as Gregorious finished July with a .317 average, compared to a measly .258 in June. Steady progress on both offense and defense has been evident from the 25-year-old, as Gregorious has only committed a single error in his last 34 games. Time would only tell if Gregorious was up to the challenge at baseball's most difficult position, but it appears that he has finally grown comfortable, which is a positive sign for the Yankee brass, as they do not necessarily need to negotiate with any free agent infielders this upcoming winter. 

Pitching Woes Can Be Fixed

The loss of Michael Pineda due to elbow inflammation has left the Yankees' executives scurrying for temporary starting pitching, and a move made on Friday was successfully completed internally, as phenom Luis Severino was promoted to pitch Wednesday evening against Boston. General Manager Brian Cashman revealed that Severino will not have any pitching restrictions, and is expected to be on the 25-man active roster for the remainder of the season, contingent on a postseason berth. Severino will fill the void of Pineda's absence, but an extra arm is still a necessity, and the solution may be found on baseball's bear market. The San Diego Padres refused to fold their cards this past Friday during the non-waiver trade deadline, but with San Diego clearly on the outside looking in for a postseason invitation, changes to the roster could be made within the month in regard to their All-Stars. One name that stands out among the rest is starter James Shields, who has earned an 8-4 record with a 3.74 ERA in his fist year in the National League. Shields remains under contract for three more seasons, and is due nearly $56 million before becoming a free agent in 2019. If San Diego is looking to dump salary, and if Shields is a potential candidate that clears waivers, he may be a realistic solution for the Yankees, as Shields would remain in pinstripes for an extended period of time. Picking up Shields' contract would not be an issue for New York, as this winter's free agents David Price and Johnny Cueto will be requesting a deal worth two or three times the amount of money that Shields is making. With a lower salary next season, Shields' contract would be flexible around the roster, allowing the Yankees to add an ace, while also releasing any overpriced burdens. 

The Divisional Race 

While Baltimore and Toronto traded for power and depth on the offensive ends, both division rivals sit six games behind the Yankees, tied for second place in the AL East. The Yankees coasted through their final long road trip of the year, but both Baltimore and Toronto's remaining schedules are by no means a cakewalk. The Orioles begin a ten-game trip of their own Monday night in Oakland, which also includes visits to Anaheim and Seattle. Baltimore will also travel for ten straight days in mid-September, as they square off against Tampa Bay, Washington, and Boston.  For the Blue Jays, they take on an eight-game trip starting on Aug, 17 between Philadelphia, Anaheim, and Texas, while also facing 17 road games on the September calendar, the most in the division. Of the Yankees' final 18 series, only nine are against teams with a record over .500, leaving New York in the driver's seat in terms of a potential division crown. 

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