A lot of folks might disagree with Aaron Judge believing the Yankees are the best team in baseball.
The Blue Jays pitchers can’t be among the non-believers. Not after leaving Yankee Stadium in neck braces to keep their heads stabilized from the whiplash they suffered tracking all the home runs the Yankees hit in a three-game sweep.
Talking about the expectations rising with Giancarlo Stanton, Gio Urshela and Judge coming off the injured list the past few days, Judge didn’t believe they were any higher than in March or July.
“I think they are the same as when the season started,’’ Judge said of the Yankees’ expectations. “I feel we have the best team out there. We had a lot of key guys miss some time. We are getting back to full strength at the right time, right at the stretch. This is the best time to be hot.’’
Try nuclear hot.
Fueled by six more home runs — three on three consecutive pitches by Brett Gardner, DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit in the seven-run fourth off Chase Anderson — the Yankees punished the pitching-poor visitors, 10-7.
Stanton (4-for-5) and Gleyber Torres also hit back-to-back homers off Anderson in the fourth. Voit upped his homer total to an MLB-best 20.
The win was the 29-21 Yankees’ season-high eighth straight and moved them to within a game of the Twins for the best record among second-place finishers, which not only guarantees a postseason invite but hosting every game in the best-of-three first round.
How big is playing in The Bronx?
The Yankees are 21-7 at the Stadium compared to 8-14 on the road.
“Huge, we are keeping the foot on the gas, that’s the plan,’’ said Stanton, who was a triple shy of the cycle. “We are in a good spot for it but we have to keep working.’’
Gary Sanchez hit the sixth and the game’s final homer in the eighth and contributed a sizzling double to the seventh-run fourth.
The five homers in the fourth set a franchise record and tied the major league mark. The 19 homers in three games set a major league record.
“That’s an impressive series right there,’’ Aaron Boone said of his club assaulting Blue Jays pitchers for 43 runs in three games. “Guys are in a good place swinging the bats but we have to move on from what was a really good homestand for us and start an important trip and go do it on the road.’’
The only flaw was the Blue Jays pulling to within 10-5 with one out in the ninth. That forced Boone to replace Jonathan Holder with closer Aroldis Chapman.
He gave up a two-run single to Bo Bichette that reduced the Yankees’ lead to 10-7 with runners on first and second. Chapman blew away Randal Grichuk with a 100 mph fastball for the second out and ended it by striking out Teoscar Hernandez with another triple-digit heater.
Masahiro Tanaka (3-2) continued to handle the Blue Jays. In seven innings he allowed three runs, seven hits, didn’t issue a walk and whiffed five. He is 14-5 against the Blue Jays in 22 career starts.
Stanton saw a lot of smiles in a clubhouse as the Yankees packed for a trip to Boston, where they will open a three-game series against the rancid Red Sox Friday night at Fenway Park. That will be followed by four games against the Blue Jays in Buffalo.
“They call these days happy-flight days, so lot of high energy, lot of smiles, so we have to keep it going,’’ Stanton said.
Judge will get arguments from the A’s, the White Sox and Rays about the Yankees having the best team heading into October, when the Yankees are always accused of relying too much on the long ball.
But watching them hit and pitch during the past eight games supplies a lot of merit to Judge’s belief they should be the favorite in the second season.
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September 18, 2020 at 09:53AM
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Yankees pound out six more homers for eighth straight win - New York Post
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