N.Y. Yankees: Champagne Won't Make Pitching Issues Go Away

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

NEW YORK YANKEES

Clinch A.L. East Division Title With 100th Victory of the Season;

Second Straight 100 Win Season

• 19th A.L. East Title Since 1969 Division Play *including '94 strike
• Tenth A.L. East Title of New Millennium
• First A.L. East Title Since 2012

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Congratulations are in order for a tremendous 40-man effort put forth by the New York Yankees.  They not only set a modern record for incurring the most injuries, but persevere through them en route to their second straight 100 win season.  In the latest example, for every game catcher Gary Sanchez misses Austin Romine steps in and rakes.  Miguel Andujar who?  It's been that kind of season.  Lest we forget only now are Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Severino returning after missing virtually the entire season, respectively.

I know Aaron Boone's naysayers have little to say, if anything at all.  This year's regular season performance douses any lingering suspicion or doubt.  He's proven beyond all question the Yankees are being expertly managed.  In fact, the man is a mental savage both in and out of the dugout.  It's in his blood.  Umpires know to beware.

Unlike the Yankees did last year with Boston there was no team this season capable of similarly trolling them in return.  Boston won the division with 108 victories, and of course went on win the World Series, but the second place Yankees applied sufficient pressure with 100 victories of their own.  Having already clinched, the Yankees presently own an eight game lead over Tampa and a 20 game lead over the third place Red Sox.  This year baseball will crown a new champion.

In the meantime the race for league's best record continues.  The Yankees have 102 victories with five game left, while the Houston Astros have 101 victories with seven games left in their season.  Bronx lost three of seven in their regular season series against the Astros.

Aaron's savages are number one in runs scored; Houston is third.  A 32-run difference is noteworthy.  Look no further than the dreaded solo home run.  The Yankees are third in total bases and slugging but first with 294 home runs.  The Astros are third with 271 home runs, but second in total bases and first in slugging.  The Yankees (.833) are also second to Houston (.849) in OPS.

On the mound Houston (3.71) is third in ERA, while the Yankees (4.31) rank sixth.  The Yankees lead the league with fifty saves; Houston's 43 saves rank fourth.  The Astros lead the league in both strikeouts and average against; the Yankees are fourth in strikeouts and fifth in average against.

Of course this makes no mention of the Twins, Indians, Rays, or Athletics ...

We all know you can never have enough pitching ... unless you're Brian Cashman.  For reasons known to him, he makes no transactions by the trade deadline aimed at bolstering the pitching staff.  Fast-forward: with one week left in the regular season the Yankees are suddenly down a starting pitcher.  Therefore a post-season rotation of Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, and J.A. Happ, is all but confirmed.  Tanaka offers the most length, 5.2 innings per start.  Paxton and Happ average 5.1 innings per start.

• On Saturday James Paxton wins his tenth straight decision.  He strikes out seven through six scoreless innings pitched.  After going 0-3 with two no decisions in July, he has since allowed just 15 earned through 60.1 innings for a 2.24 ERA with 69 strikeouts.  More recently he has allowed just one earned run over his last three starts and 24.2 innings pitched.  His 4.72 ERA back on July 26 has since been shaved down to a 3.73 mark.  In fact, he is presently the only pitcher among the Yankees starters with an ERA below four.

Said another way, the Yankees bullpen begins factoring into the game no later than the sixth.  C.C. Sabathia stands a chance of playing a greater role than originally anticipated.  If the Yankees are in need of left-handed relief in the fifth or sixth innings ... who knows.  But we know short series post-season baseball is made for bullpens to either stand or fall.  And therein lies the Yankees strength.

The rest remains to be determined.