By Eddie Castro
You can say it’s been a good news/bad news type of week for the New York Yankees as they made their way back to New York to begin a 4-game set with the Los Angeles Angels. Part of the good news is that, at least for the foreseeable future, the team does not have to worry about slugger Rafael Devers causing them havoc in their division.
After the Yankees loss to the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon, Boston traded Devers to the San Francisco Giants for pitcher Jordan Hicks and prospects. Why is this good news for the Yanks? Well, does David Ortiz ring a bell to Yankees fans? Devers has been the 2.0 version of Ortiz. He has 31 career home runs against the Yankees, as he was constantly a thorn in the team’s side for years. The other good news is the return of Yankee slugger Giancarlo Stanton.
Stanton made his season debut for the Yankees on Monday night. Stanton missed the first 70 games of the season due to Tennis Elbow (irritation of the tissue connecting the forearm muscle to the elbow). Stanton’s bat in the lineup not only deepens the lineup but also adds another dangerous element for opposing pitchers. Stanton was arguably the team’s best player in last year’s postseason.
Stanton’s return could not come at a better time, which leads me to the bad news. As we go to press, the Yankees are currently on a 4-game losing streak. They lost all three games to the Red Sox this past weekend in Boston, in which Aaron Judge had only one hit and nine strikeouts in the series.
As a team, the Yankees scored just four runs in the three games, leading to their first series sweep loss of the season. In other words, the team’s offense has been as off as the New York weather in the month of June thus far. Manager Aaron Boone is hoping the Yankees will start to heat up again with Stanton’s return. Their first-place lead in the American League East is now down to 2.5 games.
The Yankees must find a way to get back to winning baseball. The other teams in the AL East appear to be figuring things out. The Rays are on a 4-game winning streak. The Red Sox are on a 6-game winning streak, which is the longest streak currently in the majors.
The past two or three seasons, this Yankee team has always seemed to go through these monthly droughts, which makes Yankee fans question the coaching style of Aaron Boone. The fact of the matter is, the offense needs to get better. Sure, their top pitchers, Max Fried and Carlos Rondon, have had some challenging games in their last two starts, but let’s get real for a second. This team’s bread and butter is its offense.
Judge will be better you would think. If Stanton can find that 2024 playoff magic and add it to this lineup along with a strong supporting cast from the other players, this Yankee team very much so has the capability of holding off the opposing teams in the AL East and capturing another division crown.
Sports Notes: (Basketball) Suns forward Kevin Durant is reportedly interested in joining the Knicks. However, according to reports, the Knicks have NO interest in Kevin Durant. Should the Knicks have an interest in KD? (BASEBALL) The Mets are in Atlanta to play Ronald Acuna and the Braves tonight. The Yankees play the Los Angeles Angels in Game three of a four-game set.
Tune in tonight for another Episode of sports talk with Eddie tonight. We’ll discuss the Knicks’ alleged “disinterest” in Kevin Durant, the Yankees, and I’d tonight, the night the Oklahoma City Thunder capture their first NBA title? Catch and All-new Episode tonight at 5PM EST presented by Our Time Press.