The bullpen for the Yankees rose to the occasion against their arch-rival Boston Red Sox.
Baseball is back after an abbreviated spring training, thanks to another work stoppage.
With starting pitchers throughout Major League Baseball needing more time to build up their throwing arms, there’s an added emphasis on the bullpen stepping up.
For the Yankees, their bullpen answered the call.
Yankees relievers posted an 0.96 ERA and allowed just 1 hit in their last 12.2 innings.
Taking two out of three from the Red Sox to open the season is solid, but how it went down with the bullpen set the tone for what’s ahead.
The Yankees will next matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays for four games in the Bronx. A weekend series in Baltimore will follow as the Yankees will play their next seven games without a day off.
For an even wider perspective, the Yankees will play their next 13 games in 14 days. You don’t believe it? Take a look at their 2022 schedule.
As Yankees reporter Lindsey Adler points out — against Boston, starting pitchers Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, and Jordan Montgomery combined to average 3 1/3 innings per game start. The bullpen, however, covered 18 2/3 innings. The unit allowed only two earned runs while striking out 19 batters.
It’s going to take awhile for the starters to get their arms stretched out. The challenge for the Yankees, meanwhile, will be keeping their bullpen fresh, rested, and ready to go.
““This is the reason why we’re carrying so many pitchers,” reliever Clarke Schmidt said Sunday night. “The starters have to get built up, and for the time being, we know what we’re getting ourselves into. I think we’re all feeling good and ready to continue to put up zeros and keep our team in the game.”
MLB rosters expanded to 28 players for April. The Yankees are currently carrying 16 pitchers.
Look for manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake to continue leaning on the bullpen depth as this team’s main strength.
Image: Aroldis Chapman | Charles Wenzelberg
