New York Yankees: Keys to the 10-game Winning Streak

Pitching rules in September, especially for the surging New York Yankees.

Throughout the month of August, or the “first-half” of this shortened MLB season, the Yankees ranked 14th in the MLB with a 4.36 team ERA. Middle of the road or average. But, the Yankees have had one of the best staffs in baseball over the last two weeks.

In that time frame, including nine-straight wins for New York, the pitching staff ranks sixth in the majors with a 3.19 team ERA. The WHIP is even better at 1.08, ranking third overall.

New York’s pitching performances have come from both the starting staff and the bullpen. In last weekend’s sweep over the Orioles, the Yankees gave up a combined three runs in four games. This included a vintage start from Gerrit Cole, who threw a complete game, two-hit, 7-inning shutout in the first half of a doubleheader.

Cole leads a four-headed monster of a starting pitching staff for New York. In at least seven starts each, both Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ own sub-4.00 ERAs. And, in four starts, the 21-year-old Deivi Garcia is 2-1 with a 3.28 ERA.

Add in one of the deepest bullpens in baseball, with names like Zack Britton, Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green, and Adam Ottavino. As a whole, the bullpen ranks top-10 in allowed hits, runs, earned runs, and walks for the last two weeks of baseball.