Stretch of Tough Games Could Be Telling For Yankees

by Frank Campagnola on May 28, 2011 4:00 PM EDT in New York Yankees Analysis

Will Cano step up during this stretch of difficult games?

The Yankees got off to a not so stellar start to one of the toughest stretches of their schedule last night. Giving up leads on this stretch of games cannot happen. Outside of the obvious, why is it important the Yankees hold onto their leads during this stretch?

Over their next 18 games, the Yanks will play the Mariners twice, the A's three times, the Angels three times, the Red Sox three times, the Indians four times, and the Rangers three times. Of these teams, only the A's have a losing record, but that in no way reflects how difficult it will be to break through against their outstanding pitching staff.

All of these teams can pitch, and the Yankees will be getting the best each team has to offer on this road trip. Easily seen, this stretch of games could tell us what kind of team the Yankees really are.

Andrew Marchand of ESPN also took a look at this in his article, "Six Burning Questions Facing Yankees."

The Bombers are just 17-13 at home. That's a .567 winning percentage, which, if the pace continues, would be their worst mark since 2000. That year, the Yankees went 44-36 (.550) at home and won just 87 games overall, though they did win the World Series.

The Yankees play their next [eight] games out west against Seattle, Oakland and the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran Yankees have the second-best road record (10-9) in the American League.

When the Yankees return home they face the Red Sox, the red-hot Indians and the AL champion Rangers. So this is an intriguing stretch.

Winning the series against the Mariners became a lot tougher after last night's loss, given Felix Hernandez will take the ball tonight. In their next series, the Yankees are currently slated to face Oakland's top three pitchers: Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, and Gio Gonzalez.

After completing a three game set in the North Bay, the Yankees will travel to Southern California to face the Angels' top three pitchers: Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana.

This will be a very tough road trip, and a 10 game homestand following this stretch of games will not make life easier for the Yankees. The Red Sox are always difficult to beat, the Indians have the best record in the American League, and the Rangers are the reigning AL Champs.

How the Yankees play during this stretch of games could give us an idea of what kind of team they are right now. If they come out with a winning record over these next 18 games, I'll be happy. If not, well, there will still be a lot of season left.

What are your expectations for the rest of the road trip? Expectations for the homestand? Overall, expectations for the next 18 games?

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10-8 sound great right about now

The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. ~ a fortune cookie.

by Cup Noodles on May 28, 2011 4:05 PM EDT reply actions

Ugly schedule, at least our September schedule is easier.

11-8 or 9-9 would be good.

"I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can."—Babe Ruth

FREE EL CHATO AND BABY JESUS

by Xavier10 on May 28, 2011 4:36 PM EDT reply actions

*11-7

"I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can."—Babe Ruth

FREE EL CHATO AND BABY JESUS

by Xavier10 on May 28, 2011 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I will accept nothing worse than 18-0.

Follow me on twitter @nyybrandonc

"Blame is just a lazy person's way of making sense of chaos."

"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."

by Brandon C. on May 28, 2011 4:42 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

17-1*

"I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can."—Babe Ruth

FREE EL CHATO AND BABY JESUS

by Xavier10 on May 28, 2011 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions

In other words, he already can’t accept it.

"Nature never intended for you to survive here. But this fall, nature isn't the only thing to fear." September 10, 2011. Alabama vs. Penn State. White House.

by Chris McKeown on May 28, 2011 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly.

Follow me on twitter @nyybrandonc

"Blame is just a lazy person's way of making sense of chaos."

"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."

by Brandon C. on May 28, 2011 5:15 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

You guys and your silly “details!”

Follow me on twitter @nyybrandonc

"Blame is just a lazy person's way of making sense of chaos."

"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."

by Brandon C. on May 28, 2011 5:16 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

That's our function in this blog.

"I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can."—Babe Ruth

FREE EL CHATO AND BABY JESUS

by Xavier10 on May 28, 2011 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Guess you weren't a Pats fan in '08 then, right?

by ultimate913 on May 28, 2011 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

If the Yankees want to be considered as a serious contender, they can’t afford anything less than 9-9.

"Nature never intended for you to survive here. But this fall, nature isn't the only thing to fear." September 10, 2011. Alabama vs. Penn State. White House.

by Chris McKeown on May 28, 2011 5:12 PM EDT reply actions

9-9 is about what I'm expecting.

I’m not sure it makes me happy.

Incidentally, the Indians just beat the Rays, but not without the usual Chris Perez drama.

Usqueadbaugham! Anam muck an dhoul ! Did ye drink me doornail?

by Q-TDSK on May 28, 2011 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

With the team they have, .500 over an eighteen game stretch doesn’t exactly jive well with me.

"Nature never intended for you to survive here. But this fall, nature isn't the only thing to fear." September 10, 2011. Alabama vs. Penn State. White House.

by Chris McKeown on May 28, 2011 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions

We're f*cked

I will not walk so that a child may live!
"Sometimes I feel like home runs aren’t hits," he said afterward. "But they are hits." -The genius who is in charge of our team.

by Briceratops on May 28, 2011 6:36 PM EDT reply actions

I agree. I feel that this 18 game strech will show what the Yanks really are.

Pretenders or contenders.

They’re off to a 0 – 1 start, but, still have a chance to make up for it.

by ultimate913 on May 28, 2011 7:59 PM EDT reply actions

As I mentioned a few days ago on another thread, we’ve basically been a .500 team since August 1 of last year (not long after Andy Pettitte was sidelined with his groin injury). What Marchand points to in his column threatens to keep us at that level… as he notes, we’ve got a (by Yankee standards) relatively mediocre home W-L record so far, and 87 wins is indeed what this team might end up with. Pulling off a 10-8 or better record in this next, very challenging stretch would be a good sign that we’re not truly descending into ongoing .500-level performance.

Farewell and thanks to #46.

by Yankee Frankee on May 28, 2011 11:30 PM EDT reply actions

we’re definitly just a mediocre team and it could be that way for the next couple of years because of some of these contracts. the Arod contract is looking like the worst in sports history right now.

by Jon8010 on May 28, 2011 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions

7-12

The yanks will go 3-6 on this road trip, than 4-6 on the home stand. The hitting has been inconsistent and the pitching has been just good enough to lose by one or two runs. I think after this stretch the team will fall to around .500 then some changes will be made, like posoda getting released. Unfortunately I don’t see any big trades since right now it seems like there are no elite starting pitchers on the market, and really the starting pitching hasn’t been a big problem anyway, its been the inconsistent hitting and the team is pretty much stuck with what they have now.

by Jon8010 on May 28, 2011 11:30 PM EDT reply actions