New York Yankees Editorial: Surge Must Continue On Road

Prior to lasts nights loss, the first place New York Yankees headed on the road for a 10-game trip. They carried an 11-4 July record going into Minnesota for a three game series. Almost everything is going right for the team right now, but it is just July. This is no time for the team to get ahead of themselves, as they have seen how quickly things can change in the division. After going 18-6 to end April off, it was then followed a week later by going 1-10 and giving up half of those 18 wins they worked so hard for. The season overall has been streaky, and though not as bad as last year, hindered by injuries as well.

The return of Jacoby Ellsbury has seemed to get the Yanks’ back to where they were in late April, pairing with Brett Gardner for a lethal one two lead-off duo. This also with the bottom half of the lineup finally contributing on more than an average rate. With the lineup mostly back to full health, it’s coming at a very important time of the season. As they head into August there’d be nothing better than to have another month like July so no one is playing a game of catch-up like last season to try and get a Wild Card spot. Instead, the Yankees can continue to build on a widening lead in the AL East on an upcoming road trip, that could be considered another trap stretch that the Yankees have fell into far too many times this year.

“Obviously, we’re happy to be in first place after the break. But there’s a lot of baseball to be played”. That was Chase Headley talking on the situation, and he happens to know about it all too well. In 2010, his Padres posted a league best 76-49 record, but then followed it by going 14-23 and missing the playoffs.

Carlos Beltran also followed up on the Minnesota series specifically with this- “Basically, Minnesota’s a good team. They’re playing well in their division. Last time Texas was here, they were coming with a bad record and we were good”. That series ended with the Rangers sweeping the Yankees while scoring 30 runs in a three game span.

Like both of the wise veterans implied, there is still a long way to go. The team looks complete and like they are fully enjoying the game of baseball right now, but they must continue it while they can, because Yankees fans know all too well over recent years how just one injury can turn a season upside down. The lineup is still generally old, they’re banking on Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez keeping up the slugging up, which has been the icing on a cake, a cake rested upon the ‘Gardsbury’ table top.

The Yanks’ have a three game set in Minnesota, followed by four games in Texas, and three games against David Robertson and the Chicago White Sox. If you’re looking at the schedule after that, they get a day off before facing AL East rivals in the Red Sox and Blue Jays at home. The team would want nothing more than to continue the July hot streak into August, and find themselves at home where they’ve been so dominant this season.

Last night they started the road trip off with a loss. Hopefully they can get back on track today behind veteran C.C. Sabathia.

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