The last time the Yankees passed through the corridors of Petco Park in July 2016, their starting pitchers were Nathan Eovaldi, Ivan Nova and rookie Chad Green, who pitched six innings to record his first Major League victory in a game that featured Mark Teixeira’s 400th homer.
As such, Saturday presented a welcome opportunity to refamiliarize themselves, working out in the shadows of the Western Metal Supply Building. Pitchers tossed, position players took batting practice and fielded grounders, while manager Aaron Boone counted the hours until Monday’s American League Division Series opener against the Rays.
“We’re going through the ballpark we’re playing in; the different nooks and crannies, and how balls bounce,” Boone said. “It’s important to get our outfielders out there and see the different angles on the wall, how the ball bounces off the backstop. The infielders are taking ground balls on what looks like a really nice, quick infield. These are all things you try and get yourself more comfortable with.”
Boone said that the Yankees had some of their hitters face live pitching on Saturday, and the hurlers also executed fielding practice on a sunny afternoon during which temperatures resided in the mid-80s.
“It’s pretty warm out on the field,” Boone said. “It’s unique, but everything about this year is unique. We’ve had months now to adjust to all the weirdness and protocols that are 2020. We’re super excited to still be playing baseball and being one of the final teams to compete for a championship. In a lot of ways, it’s great being out here -- great ballpark, great city.”
All together now
The Yankees played 11 games this season in which their lineup was missing both DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge. They lost nine, including three straight to the Rays from Aug. 18-20.
Brett Gardner said that the stars’ impact at the top of the batting order cannot be underestimated, pointing to their Game 1 performance against the Indians’ Shane Bieber in the AL Wild Card Series -- four pitches in, LeMahieu had stroked a single and Judge parked a ball over the wall, setting the tone for a 12-3 win.
“For me, those are two of the best players in the game,” Gardner said. “We’ve got a lot of depth up and down the lineup. But DJ is one of the most impressive players I’ve ever been around. I’ve had quite a few teammates that I’ve been impressed by, but … what he means to our team, it just can’t be measured.
“And obviously A.J. [Judge] has the ability to impact the baseball and make a difference, not only just on the offensive side, but to be as good as he is out there in the grass in right field. It’s good to have him back at full speed. They’re capable of getting hot and carrying a team.”
Up to the task
The ALDS has the potential for a few great starting pitching performances, especially with Gerrit Cole coming off a 13-strikeout, no-walk gem against the Indians and the Rays preparing to deploy Blake Snell. Yet Zack Britton expects the bullpens could prove to be the deciding factor between these division rivals.
“Most postseasons that I've been in, the bullpen decides the outcome of the game,” Britton said. “Our guys are willing to embrace it. The series that we've played against the Rays are always pretty tight, and it seems that the bullpen does determine the outcome of the game. We know for the most part that they’re pretty low-scoring, so we’ve got to match their bullpen.”
An added challenge for the managers will be the lack of off-days in the series, but Britton believes that the Yanks’ usual rules of protecting relievers from pitching three straight games will not apply. In fact, he wouldn’t be opposed to appearing in all five games if necessary.
“I’ve thrown four days in a row quite a bit in my career,” Britton said. “It’s all hands on deck in the postseason. Five days in a row would be interesting; you’d have to be really efficient the first four days for that to happen. But if it’s a winner-take-all game, you’re going to do it.”
Bombers bits
Boone said that the Yankees have not decided on their rotation beyond Cole in Game 1. Boone said that the team is planning on having Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, Deivi García and Jordan Montgomery start in some order, adding that an opener was unlikely.
The Yanks held their first ALDS roster meeting on Friday evening, according to Boone, which involved members of the front office, analysts, coaches and scouts. He said that they’ll have another meeting on Saturday or Sunday to finalize their choices.
This date in Yankees history
Oct. 3, 1947: The Yankees’ Bill Bevens came within one out of pitching the first no-hitter in World Series history, losing his claim to fame when the Dodgers’ Cookie Lavagetto came off the bench to stroke a ninth-inning double. Don Larsen’s World Series perfect game would come against the Dodgers in 1956.