Eye-opening Yankees nugget could be key to playoff success
“It can’t all be for nothing!”
–Walter White, “Breaking Bad”
OAKLAND, Calif. — The surging Yankees won their 12th straight game Thursday night, edging the Athletics, 7-6, at Oakland Coliseum, when Aaron Judge singled home Tyler Wade from third base, negating the reality that the Yankees had blown a 6-0 lead to put themselves in such a jam. At 75-52 and owners of their longest winning streak since 1961, the Yankees now stand closer to the Rays (79-48) atop the American League East than to the A’s (70-58), the best AL team not in the playoffs.
Their prime position speaks more than anything to their success in close contests, as they have outperformed their Pythagorean record (69-58) by six games. As per the YES Network’s James Smyth, the Yankees are tied with the Mets for the most games decided by one or two runs, 71. Their 48-23 record in those games, a .676 winning percentage, gives them the best such mark in the entire industry, regardless of the number of games played.
Will this all be for nothing? Or can the Yankees convert these survival skills into October excellence?
“We are used to playing in these … no question,” said manager Aaron Boone, who watched most of the game on television after getting tossed by home-plate umpire Todd Tichenor in the second inning for arguing some questionable called third strikes on Judge and Joey Gallo. “The guys are definitely comfortable in these situations. There’s never any panic with these guys. I think they play with a lot of confidence when the game is on the line and is in the balance. It doesn’t mean you’re always going to come through, but I know they’re not going to be rattled or overwhelmed by any situation.”
The Yankees prevailed Thursday despite the mid-game cratering, and despite playing in their personal house of horrors, where they had won just one of their previous 10 games. And after building their lead with a trio of homers — solo blasts by Giancarlo Stanton and Brett Gardner and a three-run shot by Gallo — they won it with some small ball: Anthony Rizzo drew a two-out walk off A’s reliever Lou Trivino, his pinch-runner, Wade, stole second and advanced to third when Oakland catcher Sean Murphy airmailed his throw into center field and Judge knocked his 74.2-mph base hit to center for the go-ahead run.
“Once I saw we were pinch running, my job is to give [Wade] a couple of pitches to get in scoring position,” said Judge, who stroked his game-winner on a 1-and-2 cut fastball. “Based on set times and whatnot, I knew that Tyler had a good shot at stealing the base. It’s my job to, if I get a cookie, do some damage on it, but if he’s stealing, let him do his job. I don’t mind hitting with two strikes. … He did his job, so it was time for me to step up and do mine.”
Then Aroldis Chapman did his job to pick up his 300th career save and become the sixth Yankees reliever to register a save during this streak. The Yankees correctly gave him another chance after he couldn’t finish the ninth in two of his three prior outings, and he responded by pitching more aggressively. Opponents have outscored the Yankees, 50-32, in the ninth inning, yet their difficulties in finishing victories also has brought out a toughness when, as Judge put it back on Tuesday night, stuff starts hitting the fan.
A look at recent history shows … no real trend, unsurprisingly. The 2020 Rays and Dodgers reached the World Series by going 14-5 and 7-5, respectively, in one-run games, and the Rays won the one one-run game in the Fall Classic … only to lose the series. The 2019 Nationals experienced severe bullpen turbulence, going 17-21 in one-run games, only to win all five of their October contests decided by one or two runs thanks to the ability to use their starters as relievers on throw days.
“They play with a lot of confidence in those games,” Boone said of his players.
There’s a lot of competence, too. Whether that means something is to be determined. Surely, though, the Yankees would rather possess this optimism, born of some serious winning, than not.