The good news has finally started flowing from the Land of Pinstripes.
The weekend’s three-game sweep of the Rays, culminating with Sunday’s 5-3 win at Tropicana Field, ended an interlude that indicated the Yanks might not be as in bad a shape as once thought.
With Masahiro Tanaka allowing just two hits while striking out eight and walking none in seven shutout innings Saturday, and Michael Pineda pitching well enough to bring the Yanks to 6-6 the following afternoon, the Yanks showed signs that their big two appear fine physically.
Tanaka, in fact, had all his pitches going and showed no signs of the decreased velocity that gave observers the jitters over his long-range health prospects during his 1-1, 7.