Yankees early April sorrows bring glorious May joys

Remember back to the start of the season when the Yankees were playing .500 ball, and many fans were ready to hit the panic button despite forgetting there are 162 games to be played over the course of six months?

Of course, you remember. Since the Yankees were last .500 on April 20th, the team has won 10 of its last 11 games.

They’ve come against teams that are expected to compete for a playoff spot this fall, and the run isn’t quite over despite a close loss on Monday and a thrilling victory on Tuesday night to the defending World Series champion, Houston Astros.

It has been everything the fans had been expecting out of a potent lineup (outscoring opponents 65-20), a steady starting rotation and lethal bullpen.

Despite the early struggles for the Bombers, this is a quick and refreshing rebound for a squad out to prove last season’s success of falling one win short of appearing in the franchise’s 41st World Series was no fluke.

The Yanke should remain competitive with the Astros, with Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka expected to close out the series on the bump.

As highlighted by Yaakov Grunsfeld here on Yanks Go Yard, health and pitching will be the most significant need to prove the team has turned the tide and are ready to play with the big boys in the schoolyard.

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It’s a good thing the Yankees have C.C. Sabathia starting the series against Cleveland before leading into the two biggest question marks in the rotation with Sonny Gray and Jordan Montgomery. Monty was forced from Tuesday night’s contest with left elbow stiffness and is now questionable for his next start.

It will also help when the likes of Giancarlo Stanton and Brett Gardener can get on course to help Didi Gregorius, Aaron Judge and now Gary Sanchez — to make the lineup live up to its offseason praise of Murderers Row 2.0.

The biggest hurdle, though, will be the Red Sox, a team that previously started the season 18-2 and had taken two-of-three against New York in the first April series. The Sox have since cooled off and allowed the AL East race to close dramatically.

It’s tough to say there’s a must-win series so early in the new campaign, but this is the closest it will get to this point of the season. It’s one thing to be good against great teams in the league, but to display it against a great team within the division and have a chance to gain traction in the standings is vital. 

If there’s a chance for a shot at first place in the division, it’s as close to a crucial series as one will see in May.

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Not to fear, though, the Yankees have been playing well as of late, and this is the time to do it. It’s a good sign to see the team warm up as the weather does. And if that’s the case, it’s safe to say the fans are ready to see what the team has in store for July and August.