3 Things We Learned From Yankees-Guardians Series
The New York Yankees are coming off of another impressive series win, this time on the road against the Cleveland Guardians. It wasn't easy, but New York somehow found a way to take control of this series. Here's what we learned from the victory:
1. Defensive Issues Need More Work
It was clear the Yankees have struggled to make easy plays, which have cost them in closing out games. For example, Sunday afternoon, after the team was leading in the 10th, Gleyber Torres bobbled a grounder which had resulted a run to score on his late throw.
That play would ultimately lead to a tie and would later be ended on a game-winning sac-fly by Andrés Gimenez. But then, you also have Anthony Rizzo who also committed two errors earlier in the game. The Yankees cannot continue to allow this happen especially when it comes to closing out games. They have to better than this moving forward as they head on to play their next opponent.
2. Anthony Volpe's Hot Hitting Continues
It sure feels like Anthony Volpe may have already become a MVP candidate this early into the season. After all, he has been doing everything that the Yankees have asked him for. During this series, he delivered a clutch two-out RBI double sunday afternoon to tie the game. He finished the day with a 3-for-4 performance along with a walk.
Unfortunately, his defensive miscues did play a part in the Yankees' extra innings loss on Sunday. He bobbled a double-play routine that would help the Guardians continue their inning in extras. Other than that, it was a good series for Volpe.
3. The Starting Rotation Continues To Look Sharp
During this series, the current rotation of the Yankees showed some promising signs of what's to come. Take Clarke Schmidt for an example. During Saturday's doubleheader Schmidt continued to impress with his spot in the rotation. In the first game of the doubleheader, he tossed five strong innings while allowing just two hits and allowing two runs (one earned),giving him the win in a 3-2 victory. That just shows how impressive the rotation has been without their Gerrit Cole in crucial games.
In other Yankees news: