Yankees finish July with winning record, but need to be better in August

The Yankees earn a 15-10 record in July while battling injuries, reaching trade agreements, and trying to climb to first in the division.

As the calendar changes to August, the Yankees look ahead to a busy month. They will play every single day through the first 19 days of the month, a 20-day playing streak. Undoubtedly, the most important series will be the four-game set against rival Red Sox beginning on August 2.

In the upcoming weeks, the Yankees will have the luxury of playing some of the poorer teams, including the White Sox, Rangers, and Orioles, to name a few. As time progresses and the race to first place tightens, the Yankees must ensure they can win against these teams and earn the strongest recorded possibly.

The month of July yielded many changes for the Yankees, some good, some bad. The Yanks played seven series. They won three, lost one, and split three. Despite not playing outstanding baseball, the team finished with a winning record on the month.

Some of the team’s weak points have been magnified this month, but Yankees fans can be optimistic that these issues will improve in due time.

Prior to the All-Star Break, the Yankees suffered some tough blows to their lineup when two key players endured injuries. Gleyber Torres went to the 10-day DL, out from July 5 through July 25, but made a healthy return to the team. The Yankees placed Gary Sanchez on the DL from June 25 through July 19. He returned to the team, but after starting several games, he returned to the DL on July 26 and is expected to be out until late August or early September.

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Perhaps the biggest blow occurred when Aaron Judge headed the DL on July 27 after a HBP caused a right wrist fracture. The Yankees expect he will be out approximately three weeks. A Judge-less lineup is not ideal for the team, but other players have stepped it up as of late.

Neil Walker has quietly been a significant impact in July. He slashed .345/.429/.466, gathering 20 H and 11 RBI. Miguel Andújar continued to impress, slashing .330/.379/.443 with 29 H and 7 doubles.

Dellin Betances, Jonathan Holder, A.J. Cole have been dominant forces in the ‘pen, while Chad Green and David Robertson have had their share of poor outings.

Surprisingly, one of the biggest issues in the starting rotation has been Luis Severino. In July, he’s 2-2 with a 6.58 ERA. He’s allowed 19 ER and 7 HR in five games started. The Yanks are in big trouble if these difficulties continue much longer. Hopefully, he can turn things around this month.

Sonny Gray, however, had a strong month. He went 3-1 with a 3.44 ERA allowing 7 ER. If Gray can continue this consistency, the rotation would be in better order. Masahiro Tanaka went 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA. His starts against the Rays and Orioles were particularly impressive.

At the end of the month, Brian Cashman pieced together several trades in time for the deadline. The Yankees acquired players Zach Britton, J.A. Happ, Lance Lynn and Luke Voit, as well as international signing trade pool money. They gave up Adam Warren, Chasen Shreve, Giovanny Gallegos, Tyler Austin, Caleb Frare, Dillon Tate, Josh Rogers, Cody Carroll, Brandon Drury, Billy McKinney, and Luis Rijo.

New York Post’s Robert Sabo reports Cashman’s press conference and his comments about the trades:

"“We did a lot of different things for a lot of different reasons,’’ Cashman said. “I don’t need something splashy sometimes. Ultimately, all we want to do is win and win as many games as we possibly can between now and when it’s over. It doesn’t have to be splashy, it just has to work. That’s all that matters. We’ll see.”"

Although the Yankees did not receive any star pitchers, the bullpen somehow got even better, and the starting rotation is much more solid. The new acquisitions may not make the Yankees frontrunners, but they’ll certainly be positive additions to the team.

This slightly-altered Yankees team looks to improve its record against losing teams and catch up to the Red Sox in the month of August. As the final two months of baseball begin to play out, the Yanks hope to prove themselves as a first-place team and get a nice winning streak going.