KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Is Michael Pineda delivering the ultimate tease or can he be trusted to pitch meaningful games in September? Could the noise coming from the Yankees’ bats the past three games be sustainable?
The way Pineda has pitched since coming back from the disabled list is an indication the big right-hander is ready to lend a hand to the Yankees as they attempt to catch the first-place Orioles in the AL East or secure the second wild-card ticket. The Yankees closed within 2 1/2 games of the Mariners, who were blanked by the Rangers on Monday night, for that second wild card.
The bats? They hit Chris Sale Sunday and James Shields Monday night when the Yankees punished the AL Central-leading Royals, 8-1 in front of 31,758 at Kauffman Stadium. The game was a makeup of a June 9 rainout.
Injury and stupidity provide reason for pause with Pineda and almost five months of futility at the plate can’t be ignored. However, the pitcher and the bats looked very good Monday night when the Yankees won for the fifth straight game to tie a season high.
“When he takes the mound he is as good as it gets,’’ catcher Brian McCann said of Pineda, who worked a season-high 6 ¹/₃ innings, allowed a run, five hits, didn’t issue a walk and fanned five. The 96 pitches were also a season high.
Armed with a fastball that hovered in the 92 to 93 mph neighborhood and reached 97, Pineda gave up a third-inning, leadoff homer to Mike Moustakas that tied the score, 1-1. Then the large right-hander retired the next 10 Royals.
“After the home run, I tried to be a little more aggressive in the count,’’ said Pineda, who started for the third time since coming off the DL on Aug. 13 and is 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA in seven starts this season.
Is he a tease or somebody the Yankees can count on to help them catch the AL East-leading Orioles or grab the second wild-card spot?
Remember, Pineda didn’t pitch in the big leagues the previous two seasons because of serious shoulder surgery and demonstrated stupidity by getting caught with pine tar smeared on his neck in late April, a stunt that got him suspended for 10 games. While suspended and working in a simulated game he suffered a right shoulder injury that put him on the DL in early May.
The victory comes as the Yankees enter Comerica Park Tuesday night to start a three-game series against the Tigers, who are two games up on them in the chase for the second wild-card ticket.
Seattle had a 3 ¹/₂–game lead over the Yankees going into Monday night’s action.
“We know we have to play very good baseball,’’ said Jacoby Ellsbury, whose three-hit night gave him 1,001 career hits. “If we do that it will put us in position at the end in late September to be where we want to be.’’
Because the Orioles broke a three-game slide by beating the Rays the Yankees didn’t gain ground on the division leaders and trail by six games.
The Yankees turned a 2-1 lead into a 6-1 bulge with four runs in the seventh against Shields who fell to 12-7. Martin Prado started the rally with a leadoff homer and Ellsbury, Derek Jeter and McCann added RBIs.
Ellsbury added a two-run homer in the ninth for the final runs.
The crowd gave Jeter a standing ovation when he grounded out in the ninth and he acknowledged it with a one-hand wave to both sides of the stadium. Jeter went 1-for-5 and drove in a run.