The Yankees appear to have a new and improved team. Marcus Stroman in their rotation.
The right-hander pitched seven solid innings Friday night, limiting the St. Louis Cardinals to just two runs despite allowing nine hits, but he walked none and struck out five in a 6-3 Yankees victory.
It was the fourth straight start in which Stroman limited his opponent to three runs or fewer, giving him a 2.35 ERA since the Yankees pushed him back into the rotation earlier this month and adjusted his mechanics.
“I feel great,” Stroman said after the game. “I’m looking forward to taking advantage of this opportunity for my next start. Obviously, in the next few weeks and months of the season, when it comes down to it.”
One of Stroman’s most glaring problems this year has been his inability to pitch late in games. Friday marked the first time he pitched into the seventh inning since June 22 and the first time he completed seven innings since May 31.
He had failed to pitch past the fifth inning in four of six starts before the Yankees forced him to work on mechanics after lasting just 2 2/3 innings on Aug. 2. So what’s changed?
“The stuff is a little crispier,” the Yankees manager said. Aaron Boone “I don’t know if it’s a mile per hour down the stretch, but it feels a little more accurate from the side. Mistakes are common when he’s going well. Command-wise, he’s getting better positions.”
Stroman attributed his success Friday night to control of his sinker, especially in the late innings, but attributed multiple different factors to his recent success in the bigger picture.
“For me, it’s an action-oriented process,” Stroman said. “There’s a lot of things going on in the weight room, behind the scenes, a lot of things going on mechanically. I feel pretty healthy, very fluid and in sync.”
