Things seem to have clicked for the New York Yankees, but this upcoming road trip will serve as a real test.
The New York Yankees are on fire right now. Winners of six straight games, the Bronx Bombers have finally found their game. But, this upcoming seven-road trip will tell us if this team has finally arrived.
Everything seemed to just click during the Yankees most recent homestand. They went 8-2 against the Miami Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Minnesota Twins. It was the perfect time to come out of the funk they were in. The Yankees knew the schedule would get a little easier with Miami and Minnesota coming into town. They were able to do what good teams are supposed to do, beat the teams you are supposed to beat.
The homestand saw it all, great pitching, big-time offense, and it was capped off with a come from behind walk-off victory Thursday afternoon. But now the test is whether or not the Yankees can carry that momentum against two of the best teams in baseball, on the road.
El Gary, El walk-off … #pinstripepride pic.twitter.com/mdWFqDmFvE
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) April 26, 2018
The Yankees struggles on the road last year were well documented, especially in the playoffs. New York won only one game in the entire postseason on the road, the Game Five victory over Cleaveland in the ALDS. They failed to win a game in Houston, including the heartbreaking defeat in Game Seven sending Houston to the World Series.
Enter Friday night.
New York will kick off a huge seven-game road trip against the Los Angeles Angels and those Houston Astros.
The Angels are 16-9 after a disappointing season in 2017. Led by Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton, and the rookie Shohei Ohtani, the Angels are a force to be reckoned with. The Yankees won’t have to face Ohtani on the mound, but they will have to try and calm his bat down. He is hitting .333 with three home runs and 11 RBI, taking the baseball world by storm. His teammate, Trout, is also off to a hot start with 10 home runs to lead the majors.
Houston is the defending World Champions and is off to an incredible start. They have the second most wins (17) in all of baseball, tied with the Diamondbacks, and two fewer than the Red Sox. The Yankees had trouble at Minute Maid Park last year. They lost two of the three games in Houston in the regular season and every game in the postseason. It’s up to them to make that change.
These two teams serve as a great challenge for any team, but the fact that the Yankees will be on the road makes it a greater one. The Yanks have only played eight road games this season, having split those games respectively. Last season they were 40-41 on the road, struggling away from the Bronx. Can they change that narrative this year?
The Bombers are hot right now, but they will not be successful if they can’t win on the road. If they come up short of .500 on this road trip, this six-game winning streak will be forgotten.
So where will this team sit when they return home May 4? Only time will tell.
