Yanks continue to roll with 'clean,' 'aggressive' ball, yet feel more is in store

ANAHEIM -- This portion of the baseball calendar serves as a pulse check, as clubs historically use the Memorial Day milepost to take stock of performance. The standings generally show more contenders than pretenders, yet it’s not too early for the strongest rosters to separate themselves from the pack. That’s exactly what the Yankees are doing.

Scanning the pregame work ahead of Monday’s series opener, Aaron Boone was provided an opportunity to evaluate his team’s progress. The manager declined to throw any parades for the defending American League champions, calling their results “incomplete,” but Boone acknowledged: “We’ve got a lot of reasons to believe we have a chance to be a really good team.”

We’d argue they already are. Anthony Volpe delivered a bases-clearing double and unexpected rotation find Ryan Yarbrough provided another six strong innings, helping lead the Yankees to a 5-1 victory over the Angels. The Yankees are wrapping the month on a strong note, having won 14 of their last 18 games.

“I think every night, we’re just going out with confidence in each other,” Volpe said. “We just feel really good about the brand of baseball we’re playing. It’s clean, and we want to be aggressive -- take advantage of every inning, every opportunity.”

Just a few months back, curveballs framed this scenario as less likely. Not only had the Yanks pivoted to a Plan B in their post-Juan Soto era, uncertain what they might get from veteran imports like Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, but they were headed north without crucial rotation pieces in Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil.

Both were in the clubhouse on Monday, Cole’s boys dirtying miniature uniforms on the warning track while Dad recovers from Tommy John surgery, Gil feeling no ill effects from a right lat strain as he eyes a bullpen session that should take place at Dodger Stadium this weekend.

Neither is ready to help on the mound, but that’s where Yarbrough has stepped in.

A kitchen-sink left-hander whom Boone likes to describe as a “knees and elbows” throwback to decades gone by, Yarbrough has provided stability, improving to 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts since replacing Carlos Carrasco in the rotation. Overall, Yanks starters lead the Majors with a 2.37 ERA in May; it was 4.25 through the end of April.

Yarbrough’s sixth pitch of the night left the ballpark, clubbed over the center-field wall by Zach Neto, but the Angels seemed baffled the rest of the way. Living on the edges with his cutter, sweeper, sinker and changeup, Yarbrough permitted two hits and a walk, striking out seven.

“I’ve never been the guy to really blow up a radar gun,” Yarbrough said. “I’ve really had to understand how to get guys out. Hearing feedback, it’s just a different look and a little unorthodox. It’s not something they’re used to seeing every day. It’s good to have that.”

Calling Yarbrough “a treat” to play with, Volpe understands better than most what makes him so tough to square up. He recalled facing Yarbrough with the Rays, when teammates would shake their heads at underwhelming velocity readouts, offering pregame counsel about funky arm angles and approaches.

“It’s not a fun at-bat from the other side,” Volpe said.

Jack Kochanowicz retired the first nine Yankees, who made up for that by batting around in a four-run fourth. Ben Rice (104.3 mph), Trent Grisham (107.4 mph) and Aaron Judge (103.6 mph) scorched singles off the righty to load the bases, setting up Bellinger’s four-pitch walk, which forced in a game-tying run.

After an out, Volpe crushed a three-run double to deep center field. Boone was impressed by the timely swing, of course, but zoomed in on a moment most would overlook -- the called strike Kochanowicz dotted on the inside corner to Volpe, beginning the at-bat.

“That’s a pitch that if he fires at, good chance he pounds that in the ground to third base,” Boone said. “So the patience there let the at-bat evolve a little bit.”

Volpe confirmed Kochanowicz’s offering wasn’t in his favor, noting: “That’s his pitch.”

Explaining his approach as “keep it simple: get the ball up,” Volpe fouled off the next pitch, then barreled a four-seam fastball that carried over Chris Taylor’s head, rattling against a casino advertisement to chase home a trio of Yankees.

Perhaps it’s not a stretch to think of that outfield sign as more than just an invitation to wager a few bucks: Kochanowicz’s first pitch carried a heavy house edge, and Volpe waited until the odds were more in his favor. Like any good run at the tables, this Yankees’ hot streak may not last forever, but it’s sure fun to watch while it does.

No wonder Volpe sounded so certain when he said: “It’s been everyone, up and down the lineup, the whole season. And tomorrow, it’ll be someone else.”