"We have the people to correct that" - Aaron Boone speaks on Yankees' struggles against lefties as New York team splits doubleheader
The New York Yankees have struggled against left-handed pitching, but manager Aaron Boone feels his team has the personnel to rectify the situation. The Yankees thrashed the Texas Rangers 8-0 at home in the first game of the doubleheader between the two teams on Saturday before the visitors picked up a 9-4 victory in the second encounter.
On Saturday evening, the Rangers had 26-year-old southpaw starting pitcher Cody Bradford on the mound. The Yankees hitters failed to dominate the rookie pitcher, even though Gerrit Cole had an excellent outing with 10 strikeouts and just one earned run in 5.1 innings. Bradford also restricted the opposition to just one run and struck out seven batters over the five innings that he pitched in the game.
In the post-match press conference, the Yankees manager remained optimistic about the subpar performance of his team against left-handed pitchers. Aaron Boone responded to a question on the issue:
“I feel like we have the people to correct that a little bit."
Boone also discussed the return of Giancarlo Stanton to the lineup after a month on the IL.
"He is getting the right swings on, for the most part. He is recognizing pitches, laying off pitches outside the zone. He has been getting a little traction each day, whether it is a hit or there. I mean, he smoked three balls today," Boone said.
So, I feel like he has been close to that really since the first day back in Philadelphia against [Zack] Wheeler. Obviously, for him to continue to build, for us it's huge."
Giancarlo Stanton had a slow start since his comeback at the end of last month, having a .192/.222/.269 slash line with only two extra-base hits and no home runs heading into the doubleheader. Aaron Boone did not use Stanton in the first clash on Saturday, but the Yankees slugger went 2-4 in the second game, with two RBIs and one home run.
Aaron Boone has to fix Yankees' home form as well as struggles against lefties
Prior to the doubleheader on Saturday, the New York Yankees had batted .230/.329/.377 while facing left-handed pitching this season. They had only managed 72 extra-base hits in over 1000 at-bats against the Southpaws with a .705 OPS, which ranked 13th among all MLB teams. In contrast, the Yankees lead the league with a .795 OPS when they are facing a rightie on the mound.
Home form is another issue that Aaron Boone needs to address quickly. The Yankees have an outstanding .633 win rate on the road with their 38-22 away record. However, their winning percentage dips almost a hundred points at home, as they only have a 31-27 record at Yankee Stadium.