Facing All Of The Criticism New York Has To Offer, The Yankees Decided To Pitch AND Hit Tonight, Winning Themselves An Actual Baseball Game

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Yankees 6 Indians 3

Who the hell were those guys? Six runs on 11 hits? A 6 inning, quality start outing from a starting pitcher? You put that all together with a lock down bullpen and the Yankees won themselves a fucking baseball game tonight. Better yet, they did it in a fairly watchable fashion. 

There were four key players in tonight's victory. All of them played the kind of baseball we need moving forward. 

First guy off the bat is no one other than Kyle Higashioka. The home run stroka has quickly played his way into more at bats over the last year+. After tonight's performance there is starting to be real case made for this guy to become the starting catcher moving forward. You know he's going to handle himself well behind the plate and control the pitching staff with a certain calmness you beg for from a catcher. The hitting has really started to come around too, making him a viable candidate for the lineup every time out there. With the team trailing by 3 early on, Higgy got things going in the 3rd leading off with a 7 pitch double to right. He adjusted to a 3-2 cutter up in the zone and took it the other way. It was an at bat that this team has been searching for really since the season got going. Higgy came around to score later in the inning on a DJ LeMahieu base hit to left. 

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Later in the game, Higashioka extended the lead to three runs, jumping on this 2-0 fastball down the heart of the plate. 

Lately it seems like everyone on the team is staring at this kind of pitch and hunting off speed. Clint especially (swing the bat pal). Let's change that approach. Follow Higgy's lead and we might fucking get somewhere. Is he your everyday catcher? I'm not sure, but he needs to be in the lineup more no question. Does that mean trying Gary at 1st where he's been taking reps? Does that mean DHing Higgy when Stanton needs a blow or just fucking sucks in general? Yup. I need more Higashioka at bats, period. It's becoming more difficult by the day to keep him out of the lineup. 

Domingo German

Domingo made his first start in 12 days and despite getting off to a rocky start, settled down and turned in a quality start. 6 innings, two earned, six strikeouts, and just one walk. Man did he need an outing like that after two below average performances to begin the season. Some shotty defense and an error by himself made his first frame a circus. Three runners came across and things looked doom and gloom. Luckily Domingo settled down and turned in a good start for this team. That's three straight acceptable outings from Yankees starting pitching not named Gerrit Cole. I'll take it. 

Gleyber Torres

Gleyber entered tonight probably the most under-fire he's ever been in pinstripes so far. Last night he failed to run out a dribbler in front of home plate which aggravated many including myself. When you're not hitting or fielding well, and the team isn't winning, a lack of hustle will not play in the Bronx. Well tonight he collected three base hits and fielded his position as good as you could have asked for. He even saved Odor with a late error on a ball that was tailing into left field. Gleyber Torres is a guy that needs to get going. Boone reportedly spoke to him last night and maybe that with a parlay of the fans getting on him finally wakes him up. 

Rougned Odor

Lastly I need to praise Rougie Odor for a massive two out bases loaded knock up the middle that gave the Yankees the lead in the 7th.

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 It's a hit this team has failed to get time and time again in 2021. Odor hasn't been overly good in his time with the Yankees, but two hits tonight were much needed and appreciated. God forbid we get some situational hitting from someone not named DJ LeMahieu. 

Those four guys, along with the reliable bullpen, led the Yankees to a nice road victory to start this four game set in Cleveland. I'll take any win I can get, especially off of Civale who is a very underrated pitcher right now. Boone said this is the team they need to be and he's right. Gleyber said he was just happy to give this team something. Need to show you can replicate this on Friday. How about another good start Montgomery?