Deivi Garcia, Gleyber Torres give New York Yankees a shot of life

Amidst a brutal freefall, Deivi Garcia and Gleyber Torres give the New York Yankees a much-needed lift against Toronto.

When they needed a win in the worst possible way, rookie starting pitcher Deivi Garcia answered the bell. Gleyber Torres provided enough offense to cover up for the two runs Garcia allowed and the New York Yankees cruised to a 7-2 victory to avoid a sweep from the second-place Toronto Blue Jays.

Although the Yankees have been tough to watch of late, Garcia was magnificent on Wednesday night. The 21-year-old went seven innings and the only damage done was a two-run home run in the second inning. Perhaps most impressively, Garcia struck out six without allowing a single walk. After three starts, his ERA is down to 3.06. And if you’re wondering, yes, he leads all Yankees starters in that category.

Garcia is earning his spot in the rotation and deserves to keep it for the time being. Like most rookies, there will be some growing pains, but Garcia is doing everything the Yankees are asking of him.

Torres, 23, seemed to find his rhythm at the plate, for one night at least. This nightmare season has felt like two long slumps with an injury in between for the two-time All-Star. Wednesday felt…different.

The shortstop launched a solo shot early in the game and followed that up with a two-run double later in the game. He capped off his night with a productive, run-scoring groundout for some insurance later in the game.

Believe it or not, this was only the third time all year that Torres drove in multiple runs in a game and only the sixth time he’s had at least two hits. Is this a turning point for the young superstar or is this just another fleeting moment? Yankee fans can only hope it’s the former.

Yankees “Welcome” The Orioles To The Bronx

The Baltimore Orioles are coming to town for a crucial four-game series and it could be just what the doctor ordered for both the Yankees and Torres. New York holds a 1.5-game lead over Baltimore for the final spot in the American League postseason. Winning three out of four would give the Yankees serious breathing room in the chase for a postseason spot.

As far as Torres goes, there’s no team he likes facing more than the O’s. In 33 career games against Baltimore, he has 16 home runs, 31 RBIs, and a slash line of .342/.429/.825. The only team that Torres has a higher OPS against is the San Francisco Giants, a team he’s faced a grand total of three times.

The Yankees are lined up with Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, Jordan Montgomery, and J.A. Happ this weekend. Three out of four would be tremendous for their postseason hopes, but a sweep is the dream scenario.

Let’s see if they can carry the momentum Garcia and Torres provided back to the Bronx.