Yankees veterans ready to ‘click’ to save the ‘incomplete’ team

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While Aaron Judge makes progress in his return to the Yankees, veterans, who were expected to be important contributors in the lineup, are starting to show signs of improvement. Buoyed by the series win, they now want to anchor the team and save it from further decline.

On Saturday, DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton hit crucial home runs, and on Sunday, Anthony Rizzo broke his homeless two-month streak and had four hits as the Yankees finished a three-game sweep of the Royals.

“It doesn’t matter who they have going, we have a job to do and we gotta be ourselves and do what we have to do,” Stanton said on Sunday. “Good at-bats, tough outs, that’s what builds four-, five, six-run games. … The plan now is for all of us to click at the right time.”

The Kansas City team has the third-worst team ERA in baseball at 5.25, and the Yankees scored a total of 18 runs during the weekend sweep against them.

The Yankees are hoping to carry the momentum from the weekend’s success into a Subway Series sweep against the Mets. To achieve that, they will rely on players like Rizzo, LeMahieu, and Stanton, who have been hitting well in recent days and weeks. The team believes in their abilities and track records as former All-Stars and manager Boone have expressed confidence in them.

On Tuesday night, the Yankees will have a tough challenge ahead as they face three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, who has been in excellent form with a 1.74 ERA in his last five starts for the Mets.

Stanton mentioned that it doesn’t matter who they will be facing, as their team has a job to do. He emphasized the importance of having good at-bats and being tough outs to build successful games with four, five, or six runs. The plan is for all of them to come together and perform well at the right moment.

Over the weekend, Giancarlo Stanton achieved a milestone by getting multiple hits in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Throughout his career, the Yankees hitter has been known for hitting home runs in quick succession, and he recently hit six home runs in his last 11 games, bringing his total for the season to 13.

In the last two games against the Royals, he managed to get two hits out of four at-bats in each game, making it the second time this season that the five-time All-Star has recorded multiple hits in consecutive games.

Stanton mentioned that he felt he was getting his timing right, which was helping him make better contact with the ball. He observed that not only were his hits falling, but even his outs were more productive than before. The Yankees hardest hitter believed that having more productive outs could contribute to his overall success.

Just like Stanton, there is another seasoned veteran in the Yankees’ lineup with an All-Star track record who has been heating up in recent games. Giancarlo Stanton is one of those players who has started to find his form again.

Even though the slugger’s batting average is.222 in the second half, he has hit six home runs and had 13 runs batted in (RBI) in the last 11 games. Since the break ended, he had four RBI and 10 home runs in nine games.

Stanton’s overall season stats are a.207 batting average, a.281 on-base percentage, and a.457 slugging percentage. He has hit 13 home runs and had 33 RBI in 50 games so far.

Lemahieu is optimistic about the Yankees’ rebound

DJ LeMahieu acknowledged that it had been a bit challenging both for the team and himself. However, he expressed his belief that going through this struggle would ultimately make them stronger in the long run, both individually and as a team. The Yankees third baseman firmly believed that these experiences would benefit them in the future.

LeMahieu has gotten a hit in 11 of his last 12 games, and he’s batting.318 (14-for-44) during that time.

In his last 11 games with the Yankees, LeMahieu has been doing well, going 13-for-40, which is a.325 batting average. He’s also getting on base a lot with a.372 on-base percentage and hitting with power at a.500 slugging percentage. During this time, he has had four extra-base hits, including a home run on Saturday, which is his first one since June 13.

Before his recent good stretch of games, LeMahieu was struggling at the plate, hitting only.158 with a.235 on-base percentage and a.237 slugging percentage in his last 22 games. Throughout this year, his overall batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage have been.233/.297, and.375, respectively.

Even before the Yankees made changes to their hitting coach, Dillon Lawson, and brought in Sean Casey, they believed that DJ LeMahieu’s struggles at the plate were due to his batting stance and approach. According to Aaron Boone, LeMahieu made a “little adjustment,” which has helped him become more “explosive” and “dynamic” in his recent performances. The recent improvement in his hitting supports that idea.

LeMahieu mentioned that he was “just trying to simplify, but also staying loose and aggressive.” He explained that he had been working on some adjustments right before the break and continued to apply them during the break. Upon returning, he was eager to implement those changes and now feels that he is on the right track with his hitting.

Anthony Rizzo looks to carry his momentum

Rizzo’s much-awaited breakout game on Sunday brought a sense of reassurance to the entire clubhouse.

When Anthony Rizzo hit a home run on Sunday and returned to the Yankees’ dugout, his teammates playfully ignored him at first, giving him the silent treatment. This was a fitting reaction since Rizzo’s bat had been silent for over two months without hitting a home run.

In a victory against Kansas City, the Yankees first baseman hit a solo home run in the third inning, marking his first home run since May 20. It was a much-needed boost, and it was the standout moment in Rizzo’s first four-hit game of the season. Along with the home run, he scored three runs, drove in two, and also hit a double.

Rizzo explained that it was easy to see his struggles and feel like he was drowning, but he told himself that he was on a boat, waiting for things to improve. He mentioned hitting .182/.274/.218 in the 45 games between home runs. The Yankees first baseman emphasized the importance of having fun with the game, and he believed that the positive reactions from his teammates in the dugout showed the need to find highs even during difficult times and to keep working hard.

The Yankees are optimistic that Rizzo’s impressive performance on Sunday, which led to a sweep of the Royals, is a sign of a hot streak to come. Currently, Rizzo has a batting average of.253, an on-base percentage of .338, and a slugging percentage of .398 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI. If he continues this momentum, he would join the list of veteran hitters on the team who have shown signs of improvement after a period of struggle.

Yankees down the line

Center fielder Harrison Bader emphasized the importance of having everyone on the team contribute in the long run. He mentioned how Rizzo’s performance on Sunday was significant for the team and that they all support and encourage each other, hoping for success from every player, from top to bottom.

The Yankees hero mentioned that moving forward, they would rely on everyone in the team, from top to bottom. He expressed the significance of Rizzo’s performance on Sunday and how it brought a lot of encouragement to the team. Bader added that they all support and root for each other, and they are thrilled about Rizzo’s progress. 

He emphasized that beyond the actual results, they value Rizzo’s resilience, positive mindset, and dedication to being a productive player for the team, regardless of the offensive outcomes. The Yankees are genuinely excited for him.

The team is equally thrilled about Judge’s upcoming return. On Sunday, he participated in live batting practice for the first time since hurting his right big toe on June 3 in Los Angeles.

The recent performances of players like Rizzo, Stanton, and LeMahieu have been impressive, but we should remember that they are based on a limited number of games and against weaker pitching teams. Nevertheless, the Yankees’ lineup is grateful for any positive contributions while Aaron Judge is recovering from his injury. Since he got injured on June 3, the team’s offensive stats have been among the worst in the league.

Stanton agreed, saying that when Judge is ready to return, he would greatly help the team. The Yankees hitter expressed confidence that the team can be very successful when everyone is playing well together. He believed that the current struggles were temporary and that better days were ahead.

Throughout much of the season, Stanton and many other players seemed to be struggling at the plate. This led to a Yankees’ decision to replace the hitting coach, Dillon Lawson, with former All-Star Sean Casey earlier this month.

After Sunday’s win, Rizzo expressed his admiration for Casey’s approach, noting that Casey brings an “old-school baseball mind” that harmoniously integrates with the new school of baseball.

At the 100-game mark of the season, the Yankees hold a 53-47 record. They are currently tied with the Red Sox for last place in the AL East, but they are only two games behind the final wild-card spot as of Monday’s action.

After the Mets series, Aaron Boone’s team will have its next six games against the top two teams in the division, the Orioles and the Rays.

Boone remarked that they were incomplete and that there was still a long way to go. He mentioned that it was good to correct their course with a good weekend after Sunday’s game. Boone also pointed out that they had plenty of baseball ahead of them, emphasizing that they were in control of their destiny and the story. The Yankees manager expressed confidence that they could write their own story and that it was all right there in front of them.

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