Behind the Yankees’ very necessary hitting renaissance

DJ LeMahieu Paul J. BereswillST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — How much by design, and how much by accident?

We’ll need the Yankees season to play out some more in order to determine that. But there’s no denying a major reason why this team has proven able to overcome so many injuries:

They’re hitting better with runners in scoring position than they have in the past several seasons.

“That’s how you win games,” hitting coach Marcus Thames said Saturday, before the Yankees continued their series with the Rays at Tropicana Field. “If you get guys out there, you’ve got to find a way to get them in. Pass the baton to the next guy if they don’t get their pitch to hit, see what we have to do. Guys have been…