Yankees: The April “Gang of 25” is back. Bombers win the opener

The Yankees, looking more like the Gang of 25 they were in April, took the opener of a day-night doubleheader from the Red Sox by a score of 3-0.

The Yankees got off to a torrid start in April, at one point reaching to twelve games over .500 with the now storied record of 21-9.

It was all new back then. Aaron Judge was still the guy the Yankees took a chance on over Aaron Hicks, and there was the little guy playing shortstop. And Masahiro Tanaka was in the midst of only a hiccup and the cause of little or no concern.

The team was scoring runs at a record pace and their vaunted starting pitching, led by CC Sabathia, who pitched a masterpiece today to earn the win, was not only holding its own but was at the top of the American League leaderboard.

But the one thing that stood out about the team the Yankees fielded during that run was the story the box scores told day in and day out. Contributions came from everywhere and more often than not it was the guys you would call role players who provided the spark for the team.

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They were the Chase Headley‘s, who collected two more hits today, and Ronald Torreyes, filling in for Starlin Castro, whose base hit today drove in a run. And out of the bullpen, it was Tyler Clippard; the team’s now demoted set-up man, who got the call from Joe Girardi today, answering it with a shutdown inning of work, recording three outs only 11 pitches.

The list of those in the MIA category was Aaron Judge, who delivered his first base hit since play resumed after the break, and Gary Sanchez, who was held back by Girardi to play the nightcap. As in April, they weren’t needed because the rest of the team came to play too.

Setting the tone

Let’s not get crazy, though. The Yankees are a good team, but they are not one of the best teams in the majors this year. Next year, probably, but not now. But the best teams don’t always win. Just ask these same Yankees who had a World Series taken from them on a bleeder just over the mound off the best closer ever, Mariano Rivera.

What matter is how the team plays and gelling as a team. When they play as they have in these last two games, the wins will come. And that includes the almost perfect game they played Friday night they didn’t win because their closer couldn’t shut the door.

Make a note, though. It was that same Aroldis Chapman who came on in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the Yankees victory today.

Girardi would never say it publicly, but in a moment of candor, he most likely would describe the team he saw over the last month or so as listless. They were there, but they weren’t “present.” And when the injuries began to pile up, the holes in the dike couldn’t be plugged fast enough by the front office, adding more malaise to the team and Yankees fans.

Two games do not make a season. But as my colleague, Mike Calendrillo, pointed out earlier today, this is just what the Yankees needed to put a different face on the second half lying ahead.

Too much to ask?

Now, the team takes a four-hour break doing God knows what between games, stuck in an ancient clubhouse the size of a tree fort.

Next: Why staying the course makes sense

Nevertheless, a fitting response would be to take the nightcap and three of four from the first-place Red Sox – in Boston!

If nothing else, this would send a cold reminder to the rest of the league that our 25-man Gang is back.