It’s been a bit since our last Bronx Breakdown but I’ve been a bit busy lately, taking care of some stuff around the house. Fortunately for my sanity (and my fiancée’s) the Yankees have turned things around, going 5-1 in six games this week. Now, let’s caveat that by saying they did this against the fire sale Twins and the painfully mediocre Cardinals. But you can only play who is in front of you and winning sure as hell beats losing! Let’s talk about what’s gone right lately, as well as what needs to improve!

The Good

Red Hot Rice: While the Yankee offense has been inconsistent at best, one player has stood out above the rest of late. That man is Ben Rice, who had a big week at the dish, which shouldn’t be all that surprising considering the quality of his at bats the last few weeks. The highlight of his offensive work was his 7 RBI night in the Yankees 12-8 win over the Cardinals. He’s also done really well behind the plate against all expectations, calling a good game and blocking plenty of balls. He’s out playing Austin Wells and Paul Goldschmidt right now, so platoon be damned, ride the hot hand.

Good Going Gil: Friday night the Yankees Luis Gil to the bump against the Cardinals in just his third start of the year. Gil had it going on in this one after pitching well last week in a win over the Astros. Gil worked 5.1 innings of 1 run ball against the Red Birds, with four punch outs in the eventual 4-3 win. Gil’s debut against the Marlins was ugly but now he seems to be on track which is great news for the Yankees, not just this year but going forward, as number 81 is a huge part of this teams core.

The Renegade Closer: The Yankees were very busy at the deadline, and one of their key pickups was closer David Bednar. The burly righty has come over as advertised, and has seized the closers role amongst Devin Williams struggles. In seven games number 53 has picked up 3 saves, and struck out 14 batters in 8.1 innings pitched. It’s a breath of fresh air to watch him work the ninth and I have to commend his taste in music! Hit it Tommy!

The Bad

Mad Max: I wish I was using the moniker in a complimentary fashion today but unfortunately Max Fried is really struggling of late. The big lefty helped carry the Yankees through the first half, but he has just not been himself over the last several weeks. His ERA is north of six since just before the all star break and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down. The struggles coincided with a blister issue resurfacing that he had health with previously. Fried has said that has since resolved itself but the issues on the mound haven’t. Maybe it’s the dog days, maybe it’s fatigue, but regardless, number 54 has to get right for the Yankees to achieve much of anything!

Highlight of the Week

A Clutch Ninth: The Yankees went into the ninth on Sunday tied at four, looking for the sweep. They put together a rally without a ball leaving the infield, to build an 8-4 lead that they would not relinquish. A job well done, capped off by Goldy finally smashing one out of the infield for a double in the corner!

Next Up

The Yankees are off on Monday, and will head to Tampa Bay on Tuesday for two games against the struggling Rays. This brief stop in the spring training home Steinbrenner Field, is yet another opportunity to beat up on a bad team. After the Rays, the bombers come home to host the rival Red Sox for four games over next weekend! Boston is right there in the wild card hunt with the Yanks, so this late August series is an important one, a throwback to the mid 2000’s.

The Yankees picked up ground this weekend, by sweeping St. Louis, they closed the gap on both Boston and Seattle in the Wild Card, while also putting some distance between the Guardians who were not in pursuit of late. They need to keep it rolling and they’ll have a chance to move ahead of the Sox and Mariners to claim home field in the Wild Card round down the stretch. I don’t blame you if you’re not fully believing in this team after it beat up on some bad teams, I’m right there with you. But next weekends series is a chance to actually prove they’re back on track, so let’s see how it plays out.

On twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon.