When injuries strike the New York Yankees, manager Aaron Boone often describes the situation by saying, “The season doesn’t wait for anyone,” before talking about the new opportunities for other players.
Two of those fill-ins helped the Yankees on Wednesday, and because of the contributions of Jake Bauers and Billy McKinney, New York will be going for a three-game sweep when it hosts the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.
The Yankees are 6-8 since losing Aaron Judge to a bruised right big toe when the slugger crashed into the right field wall tracking down a flyball on June 3 at Dodger Stadium. They are seeking their first series sweep since May 19-21 at Cincinnati.
New York opened the current series with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday and followed it up with a 4-2 win on Wednesday.
McKinney, who hit a solo homer on Wednesday, has gone deep three times since being called up to replace Judge. He also has reached base in each of his 12 games.
Bauers hit a two-run homer on Wednesday — his sixth this season. Thirteen of his past 18 hits have gone for extra bases (nine doubles, four homers).
“It’s part of it and the season doesn’t wait for anyone,” Boone said of dealing with injuries. “It’s created opportunities for people and opportunities that a number of guys have taken advantage of. So it’s what we prepare ourselves for. You know there’s going to be things that come throughout the season and you got to be ready for it as best as you can.”
While the Yankees hope to get continued production from two unexpected sources, they hope Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu can start heating up after sitting out on Wednesday.
Stanton is batting .196 this season and is 5-for-45 (.111) since returning from a hamstring injury on June 2.
LeMahieu is batting .232 and has been on the bench for four of the Yankees’ past five games.
Seattle hopes to rediscover its offense after totaling three runs and eight hits in the first two games against the Yankees. Jarred Kelenic drove in a run in each of the two games but Julio Rodriguez, Ty France, Teoscar Hernandez and Eugenio Suarez were a combined 1-for-14 on Wednesday.
“It’s just kind of spotty right now,” France said of the Mariners’ struggling attack. “You’ll see good at-bats here and there, some hits here and there, but it’s one of those things where we’re not doing it all at once. So it’s kind of hard to win baseball games that way.”
Seattle likely will be without leadoff man J.P. Crawford for a second straight night. Crawford bruised his right shoulder in the second inning on Tuesday and was replaced by Dylan Moore at shortstop in that contest, then by rookie Jose Caballero on Wednesday.
After getting solid starts from Gerrit Cole and Jhony Brito in the first two games of the series, the Yankees hand the ball to Domingo German (4-4, 4.30 ERA)
German will be making his fifth start since returning from a 10-game suspension for using a foreign substance. The right-hander took a loss Friday when he was tagged for seven runs on seven hits in two-plus innings during a 15-5 setback at Boston. He allowed only one run in each of his previous two outings.
German is 3-0 with a 4.22 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Mariners. He faced them in Seattle on May 29, when he allowed four runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings en route to a 10-4 win.
Seattle rookie Bryan Woo (0-1, 7.30 ERA) will make his fourth career start after producing the best outing of his brief career. Woo struck out nine on Friday against the Chicago White Sox, when he allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings. His 20 strikeouts through his first three career starts were one shy of Felix Hernandez’s team record.
–Field Level Media
