Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Make Statement With Biggest Offensive Outburst of Season

The New York Yankees made a statement, blowing out the Los Angeles Angels in a huge win as Aaron Judge, Gary Sánchez and Miguel Andújar each hit a home run

Max Goodman

NEW YORK — Hours before his club took on the Angels on Tuesday night, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was brutally honest about the way New York has been performing this season.

"We are playing as bad as we could possibly be playing," Cashman said. "We suck right now."

He's got a point. The Yankees were coming off four uninspiring losses in a row, washing away any momentum that had been established during a previous burst earlier in the month.

With the distance between New York and first place in the American League East growing at a rapid pace, the Yankees responded to Cashman's comments by making a statement. 

New York's offense erupted under the lights at Yankee Stadium, setting a new season-high with 11 runs scored in a blowout victory over Los Angeles. 

Aaron Judge, Gary Sánchez and Miguel Andújar each homered in the win, a game in which the Yankees racked up 11 hits and nine walks.

"When you're going through a tough time, shaking hands is a good cure for that," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said postgame. "It's just really good to see multiple guys up and down the order really contribute and add on and continue to make it real tough for the opposition."

Right-hander Jameson Taillon got the win—his third of the year—but was tagged for five runs on nine hits over 5.1 frames. Even if the pitching wasn't perfect, it was clear early on that it wouldn't factor into the equation.

Sánchez's solo shot in the first inning set the tone, soaring to the second deck in right field. The following frame, Brett Gardner's sacrifice fly set up an RBI single from DJ LeMahieu. Then, Judge clobbered his team-leading 18th home run of the year, a towering blast to straightaway center.

Over the weekend in Boston, Judge spoke about how falling behind in the first couple innings put the offense at a disadvantage. The key on Tuesday night, in the slugger's eyes, was the outburst in the first few frames. 

In the fourth, the Yankees put this game out of reach with a five-spot. Andújar homered, Sánchez and Voit added RBI doubles before Gleyber Torres drove in his first runs since June 6, slapping a much-needed two-run single through the right side. 

The home runs are certainly nice, but arguably the most important takeaway on Tuesday night was how those in pinstripes performed with runners in scoring position. The Yankees were 4-for-6, improving in a statistical category where this club has struggled mightily all year long. 

One win won't fix this team's inconsistencies. In fact, you can make a case that this club was due for an explosion on the offensive end. No matter where this team finds itself, though, they believe they're able to string a few wins together and right the ship.

"This team doesn't lose confidence," Judge said. "No matter the record, no matter the situation, if we're down the game, it's early, whatever's happening, we got some mentally strong, mentally tough guys in this room. And that's what it's gonna take for us to rebound and get back to where we want to be."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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