Ken Davidoff

Ken Davidoff

MLB

A few additions, a hot streak and the Yankees can dream

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The August Infusion has kept the Yankees breathing in the season’s cruelest month.

Can it hang around to become a September Surge?

A one-night visit to this underrated city proved worthwhile for Joe Girardi’s crew, which bounced the American League Central-leading Royals at Kauffman Stadium by an 8-1 score — their largest margin of victory since a 7-0 blanking of the A’s June 13 in Oakland — and therefore matched both their season high-water mark at 68-61 (they were 61-54 on Aug. 8) and their season-best, five-game winning streak (previously April 12-17).

That they did so largely on the shoulders of players who either joined or rejoined them in August did not go unnoticed, as it has been a recurring theme in this recent upswing.

“We feel good. We feel good about where we’re at,” said Brian McCann, who contributed a walk, a single and a sacrifice fly. “We feel good about our rotation, our bullpen, our lineup. It’ll just be a matter of continuing to do it for the month of September.”

With a hot wind blowing, Michael Pineda, the Yankees’ Pine Tar King, easily outpitched his counterpart “Big Game James” Shields of the Royals. By going a season-long 6 ¹/₃ innings and allowing just one run and five hits, walking none and striking out five, he picked up his first win since April 12 — yes, the kickoff to the Yankees’ initial five-game run — and lowered his ERA since his Aug. 13 return to 2.08 in three starts.

The right-hander received run support, finally, from all over the lineup, but most of all from a pair of July 31 pickups who made their Yankees debuts on Aug. 1. Stephen Drew’s fourth-inning solo homer to right field broke a 1-1 tie and swayed the momentum back in the Yankees’ direction after Mike Moustakas’ solo shot knotted the score in the bottom of the third. And Martin Prado led off the seventh with a homer to right, his fourth in 22 games as a Yankee, which gave his club a 3-1 cushion and set in motion a four-run inning.

The Yankees now own a 13-9 record for August, and that .591 winning percentage ranks as the best of any month of their plod through 2014. Of course, they still have six games left before the calendar turns, and it would surprise no one if they began a multi-game losing streak Tuesday night at Comerica Park against the Tigers, especially with Rick Porcello, David Price and Justin Verlander set to go for Detroit in the three-game series. This club has yet to earn the benefit of the doubt.

Then again, this club has yet to fall to pieces, which ranks as at least a minor upset given its suspect construction, massive casualty rate and interesting reconstruction. In July, you’ll recall, the Yankees finally acknowledged what most of us recognized in February: Their infield stunk.

In came Chase Headley to patrol third base (and to play first base during Mark Teixeira’s injury absences, another of which occurred Monday). Then came Drew, who was asked to move from his natural shortstop position to second base, and Prado, who has played second base, third base, right field and left field (Monday’s spot) during his brief time under Yankees employ.

The results haven’t overwhelmed — not as much as another trade import, starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy — but they have provided upgrades all over the diamond and poured more professionals into the clubhouse. Prado has proven especially popular, matching his reputation.

Instead of discussing his .824 OPS as a Yankee, Prado instead turned the conversation more global.

“From this point to the end of the season, players’ numbers aren’t going to change much,” he said. “What we can change is as a team. Do something special.”

It’s quite possible — it’s the chalk bet, really — this group ultimately could underwhelm.

Pineda’s injury history has to make the Yankees more grateful for each successful outing than optimistic of what’s to come. While McCarthy possesses some track record of success, we’re hardly talking about an established ace. Masahiro Tanaka, set to throw a simulated game Thursday in Detroit, could still experience a setback in his efforts to return from a tear in the UCL of his pitching elbow.

Nevertheless, as Girardi said before Monday’s game, “I think for us, it’s playoff time, in a sense, because we have to catch people.” As they packed for their next destination, they could at least still think about doing something special. Thanks to the August Infusion.