As they try to tread water without Aaron Judge, the Yankees have shown one way they can win without him.
While they’ve been a key factor in the bullpen all season, that was especially the case on Thursday, when both Yankees’ 2-1 runs over the Guardians were halted by steals.
While they won’t just turn into a minor league team no matter how long Judge is around — which could be at least two months after he was diagnosed with a fractured right first rib Thursday night — the Yankees have the ability to make things happen on the bases more than they have in other years when Judge has missed time.
“The running game is what allowed us to win this game,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That’s been part of our game anyway. Today was a big part because they were in a critical spot in a low-scoring game. There’s someone in the lineup instead of Aaron that maybe has a different set to take advantage of. But I don’t think it changes the way we play. Ultimately it comes down to dribbling and catching in a lot of ways and you can do that.
“We have to find it with the staff we have around the clock. This is a game and that’s the challenge.”
With three steals on Thursday, the Yankees have swiped 10 bags in their last four games (three of which Judge missed).
Their 61 steals are the most in their first 62 games of a season in the last 25 years (as they had 68 steals in 62 games in 2001).
Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger had two steals with no outs in the fourth inning, allowing Goldschmidt to score from third on Jazz Chisholm Jr.
In the seventh, Chisholm swiped second and took third on a wild pitch, putting him in position to score the winning run on Ryan McMahon’s single.
“I feel like it meant a lot,” Chisholm, who is tied with José Caballero for the team lead with 15 steals, said of the run game. “We have players who are all able to run, up to Cap [Judge]. It feels like we’re doing a good job in that part of our game. … We worked really hard in spring training on baserunning, so I feel like it’s going to work.”
Jason Domínguez (AC joint sprain) is scheduled to begin rehab on Friday.
The plan is for him to play again on Sunday and then a few more games next week before he is ready to return.
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Giancarlo Stanton, on the other hand, is not expected to join the Yankees during their upcoming road trip (which begins Monday in Cleveland and ends Sunday in Toronto) as he continues to increase his run from the right calf type.
“I talked a lot with G about it [Wednesday]he seems happy about it,” Boone said. I think we just want to squeeze in as many travel dates as possible.”
Trent Grisham, who had hits, has reached base multiple times in his last eight games and nine of his last 13, hitting .362 with a .955 OPS over those 13 games.
