Wednesday’s game against the Diamondbacks was a nine-inning snap shot of what has been ailing the Yankees recently.
A long search for rotation help on a day when former ace Masahiro Tanaka couldn’t get through five innings ended empty as the trade deadline vanished during the game and the Yankees’ roster remained the same.
Closer Aroldis Chapman’s control problems continued in the ninth, when he required six batters to record three outs and post a sloppy save that consisted of two walks, a hit and a run.
Until a rain delay and Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke started heading toward Houston, the Yankees’ lineup had Mike Tauchman’s two-run, opposite-field homer to left in the second and nothing else after five innings.
After the rain stopped, the Yankees added a go-ahead, two-run homer by Austin Romine in the seventh and three more runs in the eighth against the Diamondbacks’ bullpen to snag a 7-5 win that was witnessed by 43,979 soggy Yankee Stadium customers and upped their AL East lead over Tampa Bay to eight games pending the outcome of the Rays-Red Sox game Wednesday evening.
Despite the victory, which gave the Yankees a split of a two-game series with the Diamondbacks, much of the buzz was around the Yankees not acquiring a starter or bullpen help.
Yet, Aaron Boone isn’t paying attention to the howling of outside voices.
“Nothing changes. Was just in there celebrating a win with those guys and looking around the room and knowing we got everything we need to be a championship club,’’ Boone said. “I have total faith in [GM] Brian [Cashman] and his staff that they will always do what is best for this organization.’’
Tanaka was coming off a brutal beating in his last start, when he gave up a dozen runs and a dozen hits in 3¹/₃ innings last Thursday in Fenway Park, so the four-plus innings Wednesday in which he gave up two runs and five hits is progress but a long way from providing confidence he will have enough to match up against Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander or Greinke should the Yankees meet the Astros in the postseason.
After a 37-pitch fourth that he escaped without giving up a run, Tanaka gave up singles to Jarrod Dyson and Wilmer Flores to open the fifth and was replaced by Chad Green, who allowed the inherited runners to score and with the help of Aaron Hicks’ throwing error gave up an unearned run.
“I didn’t feel any tiredness at all,’’ said Tanaka, who changed the grip on his splitter between starts and showed better life after the first inning, when he stranded two runners who had reached on singles. “Obviously I wanted to stay in there, but it is part on me, I haven’t been effective and I understand the decision. I need to keep on performing and getting results.’’
As for the splitter that used to be Tanaka’s signature pitch but has been flat or non-existent this season, he saw progress.
“It is still in the stage of being adjusted, but I feel it is headed in the right direction so it was encouraging,’’ Tanaka said.
Romine and Tauchman pride themselves about being able to contribute from the basement of the order. Tauchman, a late spring training acquisition from the Rockies, went 2-for-4 and hit .423 (22-for-52) with three homers and 12 RBIs in 16 games in July. Presented a chance with an increased work load because Gary Sanchez is on the IL, Romine has driven in seven runs in his last four games.
“We joke that we are the best eight and nine hitters in the league,’’ Romine said.
Tauchman’s playing time went up when Brett Gardner went down, but he doesn’t feel like a player simply filling space in the bottom third of the lineup.
“Everyone who comes into the clubhouse is expected to contribute,’’ said Tauchman, who has played in 54 games this year after combining for 52 in 2017 and 2018. “That is the strength of the team.’’
A team that believes despite standing still and no avenue to do anything else that enough talent remains in the clubhouse and on the IL to overcome whatever the Astros or any other club can throw at them.
That, of course, will be determined at a later date.