Finally, things seem to be going right:
The Yankees are hitting and they are winning. Clearly, this is not a coincidence.
The same bats that were quiet during those dismal days of April and May have come alive in June, a month that now includes the Yankees? most impressive offensive explosion of the season. With Alex Rodriguez and the rejuvenated Bobby Abreu leading the way, the Yankees collected 14 hits and reached their highest run total of the season yesterday to complete a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 13-6 victory.
The Yankees? their sixth straight triumph improved their record in June to 8-2.
Alex Rodriguez hit two home runs ? his 23rd and 24th of the season ? and drove in five runs. With the season he has had, nothing Rodriguez does comes as much of a surprise anymore. But Abreu has been a different story. He entered June hitting .228 and was among the main reasons the Yankees limped into the month below the .500 mark.
But Abreu?s struggles are well behind him. He went 4 for 4 yesterday with a walk and drove in three runs. With the exception of the time he walked, Abreu hit the ball hard every time up, something he has done a lot lately. The Yankees? right fielder is 19 for 38 in June.
The Yankees wasted little time getting to Pirates starter Shawn Chacon, a former teammate. Abreu drove in a run in the first with a triple and Hideki Matsui?s double later in the inning brought in two more runs.
The Yankees took a 5-2 lead into the fourth, but the Pirates scored four times in the inning to go in front. The big blows in the inning were a double by Chris Duffy and a single by Jos? Bautista, with both hits coming off the rookie Tyler Clippard, the Yankees? starter.
But the Yankees went back in front to stay in the fourth when Rodriguez hit a three-run homer to left. In the sixth, Rodriguez hit a two-run home run to right.
Matsui also had a big afternoon, with two hits and two runs batted in.
The Yankees have scored 74 runs in June, averaging 7.4 runs a game.
They were able to overcame a poor outing by Clippard, who lasted three and two-thirds innings, giving up six runs, six hits and three walks. But the Yankee bullpen did its job. The combination of Sean Henn, Luiz Vizcaino, Mike Myers and Scott Proctor did not give up a run.
You see, that’s the thing about baseball. A bad month. Even a bad two months. Not necessarily the end of the world. Yea, they’re still 10 games 9.5 games back in the AL East, and 5 1/2 back in the Wild Card Standings. But the season is still young, and the tide seems to be turning.
Finally.
