Scout reveals Yankees answered every question but 1 in dominant Red Sox series

The New York Yankees looked pretty flawless in their two-game Wild Card series sweep of the AL East rival Boston Red Sox the last two nights. The Yankees outscored the Red Sox 18-2 in back-to-back routes of their hated rivals. But one National League scout believes there was a box that the Yankees didn't check in an otherwise perfect series.

Why a scout is still questioning the Yankees' bullpen

"Yankees look formidable," the scout said. "The left handed weakness question appeared answered. This is a team built for the bright lights offensively. However, one telling sign was their fear of going to the bullpen.

"Despite good results this year, they let Cam Schlittler go 117 pitches (in Game 1). Really wonder their confidence in the 'pen if they are willing to stretch their ace out that far in the first game of what needs to be a championship or bust season for their front office/coaching staff."

To the scout's point, Schlittler was already over 100 pitches after the sixth inning in Game 1, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone let him come back out for the seventh. In a 2-0 game at the time, Schlittler got one out before allowing a single to Wilyer Abreu, which ended his night. The Yankees' ace was replaced by Paul Blackburn, one of New York's top high-leverage options. Blackburn recorded the next two outs and pitched a scoreless eighth inning as well. The Yankees broke open the game, scoring five runs in the bottom of the eighth, leaving John Schreiber to take the ninth with a 9-0 lead.

In Game 2, left-hander Max Fried went six innings on 98 pitches, while giving up one run on a home run, allowing three hits, striking out six and walking one. Fried exited the game with a 2-1 lead, but the Yankees' offense exploded for six runs in the bottom of the sixth, capped off by Cody Bellinger's three-run homer. The Yankees used Will Warren, Brent Headrick and closer David Bednar to get the final nine outs of the game. However, the contest had already turned into another laugher by then for the second straight night.

The Yankees didn't really have an opportunity to use their bullpen in a big spot in the second game, but in Game 1 it seemed telling that Boone stuck with Schlittler for so long. At least one scout thinks the Yankees are scared to go to their bullpen in the postseason. Time will tell based on how the ALDS goes against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Yankees will be relying on Bednar, Headrick, Blackburn, Warren and possibly Ryan Weathers to get big outs for them in relief the rest of the way. New York had the second-best bullpen in baseball during the regular season with a 3.13 ERA, but they used their top three options a lot in Bednar, Headrick and Blackburn. Beyond this trio, there aren't many options they can count on in high-leverage situations.

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