Yankees keep winning despite patchwork lineup
Manager Aaron Boone of the Yankees looks on during a game against the Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 19. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Some version of the Yankees came into Tuesday winners of 12 of their last 16 games. Not a consistent version, mind you. But some version.
The Yankees fielded their 33rd different lineup in 34 games, their high since 2000, marking this team for being not only extremely injury prone, but also extremely adaptable. Their 12-4 surge is the best in the majors during that stretch, and though a lot of those wins came against weak teams, they’ve more than held their own against the Twins and the Mariners.
“I think to varying degrees, everyone has done a really good job of coming in with a focus and with a thought of ‘I’m going to go out and do my job, do my part,’ ” Aaron Boone said. “I don’t think anyone has gone out and tried to do more than they’re capable of or gotten out of their game at all. And as a result, on a different day, we’ve had a lot of different guys step up and deliver and perform and it’s been critical to us being able to continue to win games.”
Britton, Ottavino excel
Boone had nothing but glowing words for his bullpen’s performance against the Mariners Monday – particularly Adam Ottavino and Zack Britton, who proved just how dangerous the Yankees can be with a late-game lead.
Ottavino came in with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth and stranded the runners (with a defensive assist by Thairo Estrada). Each pitched 1 1/3 innings.
“I thought Zack looked incredibly efficient,” Boone said. “I thought that was the exciting thing about both guys last night, in an outing where we had them go more than [an inning]. I thought the crispness of his stuff, the delivery, the intent, [Britton] looked really good. It was really encouraging to see those guys in a game where – we’re not going to do that all the time, obviously – but in a game where getting four outs from two of your really important, high-leverage guys, for them to be so pitch efficient as well, was a really, really encouraging thing.”
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
More Yankees headlines
