THE YANKEES ARE COOKING!

Well, would you look at that.

The Yankees went into Baltimore and actually handled their business, beating the Orioles 6-1, finishing off the sweep and extending their winning streak to four games. No drama. No bullpen circus. Just a good, clean Yankee win.

Gerrit Cole led the way, and when your ace pitches like an ace, baseball suddenly becomes a lot easier. Cole gave the Yankees six strong innings, allowing one run while striking out eight. He also passed Roger Clemens on the Yankees' all-time strikeout list. Not bad company.

But maybe the best part was that the offense wasn't simply waiting around for Aaron Judge to save everybody.

Luis García Jr. had three hits and blasted his 25th homer. Spencer Jones had three hits and a homer of his own. Heliot Ramos picked up his first RBI as a Yankee, while Ben Rice, José Caballero and Jazz Chisholm Jr. all chipped in. Alittle long ball, alittle small ball. Imagine that—a lineup where everybody participates. What a concept.

And then Ryan Yarbrough came in and slammed the door with three perfect innings. Nine hitters up. Nine hitters down. Thank you very much. Drive safely.

We've beaten this team up plenty when they've deserved it, so they deserve credit when they play like this.

Four straight wins. A sweep. Cole dealing. New Yankees contributing. Young guys producing.

This is what we've been waiting for.

Now don't get cute.

Keep winning.

MAYBE AUSTIN WELLS JUST ISN'T GOOD

At some point, you have to stop calling it a slump.

Austin Wells is hitting .175. He hit .219 last year and .229 the year before that. His career average sits around .213.

Folks, maybe this isn't a season-long slump. Maybe Austin Wells just isn't that good. I know. The framing. The defense. The underlying metrics. The expected numbers. I've heard it all.

Wonderful. Maybe the Yankees can hang a TRYING banner in Monument Park.

Eventually your starting catcher has to hit the baseball. Wells has struggled making consistent contact, his power has disappeared for long stretches, and left-handed pitching has made him look completely overmatched. But my bigger problem isn't Wells.

It's the Yankees scouts. What the hell are these people evaluating? Seriously. Because we're watching the Anthony Volpe disaster unfold at the same time. Another highly touted Yankee prospect. Another player we were told was going to be a cornerstone. Another organization-favorite whose actual major-league production never matched the hype.

At what point does somebody investigate the people making these evaluations?

Because Wells and Volpe aren't 17-year-old lottery tickets anymore. We've seen them against major-league pitching. The results matter. Yet the Yankees continually seem more interested in scouting what a player might become than acknowledging what he's actually become.

That's dangerous. And it's becoming a pattern. Potential. Projections. Exit velocity. Athleticism. Makeup. Upside.

How about hits? Wells has shown occasional stretches where the bat comes alive. Great. But a few hot weeks don't erase years of mediocre offensive production. And apparently Wells does have one elite evaluation skill.

Burritos.  The guy became a social-media hit reviewing breakfast burritos and grading them on a 100-point scale. Maybe the Yankees should put him in the scouting department.

At least Wells appears capable of identifying the difference between an 87-point burrito and a 73-point burrito. I'm increasingly unconvinced Yankee scouts can identify the difference between a legitimate everyday major leaguer and another prospect they're desperately hoping becomes one.

That's the problem. We heard the hype with Volpe. We're hearing the excuses with Wells.

Meanwhile, Yankee fans are supposed to wait patiently while the organization tells us their internal numbers see something our eyes apparently don't.

Enough. Sometimes a slump is a slump.

And sometimes the scouts simply got the player wrong.

Maybe that's Austin Wells. Maybe that's Anthony Volpe. And maybe the Yankees need to stop grading their prospects and start taking a very serious look at the people doing the grading.

YANKS ARE ROLLING. SHOULD WE TRUST IT?

I have to give the Yankees credit. They’re winning. They’re working through the kinks, finding different ways to win baseball games and, dare I say it, actually starting to look like a team instead of nine guys waiting around for somebody to hit a three-run homer.

As I mentioned this morning on BYB, Wednesday night's 5–3 win over Baltimore made it three straight wins, and eight of the nine Yankee starters had a hit. The bullpen picked up Will Warren after he lasted only four innings, and the Yankees found a way to break a 3–3 tie in the eighth.

That's impressive. That's baseball.

And right in the middle of it again was George Lombard Jr.

The kid has elevated this team. I'm not suggesting Lombard suddenly turned the Yankees into the 1998 club. I'm saying his presence has changed the feel of this team. There's energy. There's speed. There's urgency. There's a young player out there who appears to understand that sometimes winning baseball isn't about launching a ball 450 feet.

Sometimes you just have to make something happen. That's exactly what Lombard did Wednesday. With the game tied in the eighth, he chopped a ball and used his speed to beat it out for the go-ahead RBI single. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't majestic.

It was winning baseball. And that's what I love about this kid. Lombard doesn't appear intimidated by the moment. Remember, this is a 21-year-old who was called up barely two weeks ago and homered in his major-league debut. Now we're watching him contribute in meaningful August games.

There's something else happening, too. The Yankees seem to be feeding off that youthful energy. That's important.

Now, naturally, when the Yankees start winning, Aaron Boone looks pretty good. Funny how that works.

When everybody hits, the bullpen gets outs, the kids make plays and the Yankees string together victories, the manager suddenly looks like he's pushing all the right buttons. But I've always believed something about managers:

You don't learn much about them when everything is working. You learn about them when everything stops working. When the lineup goes cold. When the bullpen gets shaky. When you've lost three straight and tomorrow night's game suddenly feels enormous.

That's when managing matters. That's when you need somebody capable of changing the temperature in the room, making the difficult decision, sitting the wrong player, riding the right one and recognizing trouble before it becomes a five-game losing streak.

That's where my concern with Boone remains. Because September is coming. The pressure is going to increase. Every game gets heavier. Every mistake gets magnified. And eventually this team is going to hit another rough patch. Every team does.

So, I say it clearly... enjoy this. I certainly am.

Give the Yankees credit for grinding through the problems and starting to play better baseball. And give George Lombard Jr. a huge amount of credit, because the kid has brought something this team desperately needed.

Energy.

Instinct.

Fearlessness.

But here's the question I can't shake:

What happens when the Yankees stop making Aaron Boone look good? Because eventually Boone may have to make the Yankees look good. And are you as frightened as I am that we're going to find out sometime in September?

GEORGE LOMBARD JUST MAKES THINGS HAPPEN

The Yankees won again Wednesday night, and this one had something we've been begging to see more of: energy, speed and smart baseball.

New York beat Baltimore 5–3 for its third straight win, and George Lombard Jr. was right in the middle of it.

With the game tied 3–3 in the eighth and the bases loaded, Lombard didn't need to launch one into the seats. He put the ball on the ground and busted it down the line, beating the play for an infield single and bringing home the go-ahead run. Speed created pressure. Pressure created a mistake. That's baseball.

Then Jazz Chisholm Jr. added another run by aggressively reading a wild pitch and racing home, giving the Yankees some breathing room at 5–3. Aaron Boone specifically praised Chisholm's instincts on the bases.

And that's what I liked about this win.

It wasn't simply waiting around for somebody to hit a three-run homer. The Yankees made things happen.

And Lombard continues to show something that can't always be measured on a spreadsheet: awareness, hustle and the ability to impact a baseball game.

The kid looks like he belongs.

Keep playing him. This was the best move the Yankees made all season.

WHY IS THE ATHLETIC HINTING BLAME AT THE YANKS FOR A BROKEN DOWN MACOMBS DAM PARK?

I saw The Athletic's story about the disgraceful condition of Macombs Dam Park and immediately had two reactions.

The first one was simple: This is terrible.

The second?

Wait a minute. Why does it feel like they're blaming the Yankees for it? Because if we're going to start pointing fingers—and believe me, I'm always willing to point one at the Yankees when they deserve it—we should probably make sure we're pointing in the right direction.

And in this case, I'm not convinced we are.  The Athletic paints a powerful picture. Macombs Dam Park, including Heritage Field on the footprint of the original Yankee Stadium, has deteriorated. There are complaints about holes, uneven playing surfaces, weeds and fields becoming difficult to use.

Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres called the park's condition a symbol of "broken promises." He's right. But whose broken promise is it?

That's the important part. Start with the owner. Here's the fact that should probably be printed in giant letters:

THE NEW YORK YANKEES DO NOT OWN MACOMBS DAM PARK. New York City does. And NYC Parks operates it. That's not my interpretation. That's the history of the entire Yankee Stadium redevelopment. When the new Yankee Stadium project displaced recreational facilities on roughly 22 acres of existing parkland, the city developed replacement recreational facilities and new parkland. NYC Parks' own environmental documents described the replacement plan and the department's intention to develop those recreational facilities for the community.

Today, NYC Parks itself describes Macombs Dam Park as a 17-acre public facility containing the track, soccer/football field, basketball and handball courts and the portion constructed largely on the footprint of the old Yankee Stadium.

So if the grass is bad, if a field needs reconstruction, if the lighting needs replacing, if holes aren't being repaired properly, how does that become the Yankees' responsibility? Reading the Athletic article, I feel like this Sam Blum dude is trying to subliminally place blame on the New York Yankees.  I don't like it. 

FOLLOW THE PAPERWORK!  That is where the story becomes much clearer. Bronx Community Board 4 has specifically requested reconstruction of the Macombs Dam Park synthetic-turf field and additional lighting. And guess which organization NYC's own budget documents list as the "Responsible Agency."

Not Yankee Global Enterprises. Not Hal Steinbrenner. Not Brian Cashman. Department of Parks and Recreation.

Even better, the city's FY2026 preliminary budget response says the agency supports the Macombs Dam Park project but that funding is needed. The later executive-budget response says the agency recommends funding it, but "the availability of funds is uncertain."

There it is. That's the story.

New York City has a park that New York City is responsible for maintaining, and New York City knows it needs major work. Yet somehow the money isn't completely there. And now apparently they need $54 million. That's right, according to reporting surrounding The Athletic's investigation, a complete renovation is projected at approximately $54 million, with roughly $48 million designated.

Meaning we're about $6 million short. And apparently that is enough to keep the larger project from moving forward. But here's where this story goes from frustrating to ridiculous.

Torres' office tried to provide federal funding. The city didn't take it.

According to NYC Parks, the proposed federal money came with Build America, Buy America requirements, and the city didn't have enough time to evaluate and comply with those requirements before the deadline.

I'm sorry... what? We have a deteriorating public park. We need money. A congressman's office tries to find federal money. And government bureaucracy helps prevent the government from taking government money to fix the government-owned park.

But we're looking across the street at Yankee Stadium? Come on. Now... you're asking, where do the Yankees fit into this?   This is where I think The Athletic's framing deserves some pushback.

I'm not suggesting the Yankees should wash their hands of the place. Far from it. This park has a unique connection to the organization. Part of it sits on the footprint of the original Yankee Stadium. The construction of the current Yankee Stadium was part of the redevelopment that displaced existing park facilities in the first place.

The Yankees should care deeply about this place. And apparently they have. The Yankees say it has contributed nearly $2 million to Macombs Dam Park over the years, provided groundskeeping assistance and training and supported community programs. The Yankees have also requested estimates for immediate repairs and are considering additional assistance.

Could the Yankees do more? Absolutely. They're the New York Yankees. They have the resources. This is their backyard. Their history is literally underneath part of this park. If Hal Steinbrenner wants to help close a funding gap or finance repairs, wonderful. I'd applaud him for it. But there's a huge difference between saying:

"The Yankees should help."

and

"The Yankees are responsible."

They aren't the same thing. Let's point blame at where the blame should go.

No. 1 — NEW YORK CITY / NYC PARKS. This isn't complicated. They own and operate the park. NYC's own budget paperwork identifies the Parks Department as the responsible agency for the reconstruction project. If a public park deteriorates for years, the government agency charged with caring for that park owns the biggest piece of this mess.

No. 2 — THE CITY'S CAPITAL-BUDGET PROCESS. Community Board 4 asked for reconstruction. Parks agreed it was needed. Then came the magic words every New Yorker loves hearing: Funding needed. Funding uncertain.  A $54 million reconstruction sitting roughly $6 million short while the facility continues deteriorating is a government problem, not a baseball problem.

No. 3 — THE BUREAUCRACY SURROUNDING THE FEDERAL MONEY. Torres tried to bring federal money into the equation. The city says compliance and timing issues prevented it from accepting that funding. Whatever the bureaucratic explanation, residents are still staring at the same lousy fields. That's a failure.

No. 4 — LOCAL ELECTED LEADERSHIP. Elected officials don't personally mow the grass, but this is exactly why capital budgets and constituent pressure exist. When a major neighborhood recreational facility deteriorates for years, everybody representing that neighborhood should be screaming until the money is secured and the work is done. Torres deserves credit for raising the issue and attempting to find federal funding. Others need to finish the job.

No. 5 — THE YANKEES. Yes, I'm putting them on the list. But they're fifth, not first. Their responsibility is different. It's a community responsibility, not the primary governmental responsibility for maintaining a city park. The Yankees benefited tremendously from the redevelopment surrounding the new stadium. Macombs Dam Park is their neighbor. Heritage Field preserves the footprint and memory of their former home. They should help. They should probably help significantly. But asking the Yankees to contribute toward fixing NYC's park is very different from suggesting the Yankees somehow allowed their park to deteriorate. It's not their park.

And so, that is our problem with the Athletic story. Bleeding Yankee Blue broke it down for you much better than Sam Blum ever could. By the way, Sam Blum is a reporter for the Dallas Morning News. Did he even make a phonecall to the city? Did he actually investigate or did he just see the shiny Yankee stadium in the background of the gross Macombs Dam Park and say "Oh, I know how to be provocative, angle the story so it blames the Yankees!" Could the Yankees do more? Sure. Do they have to? Nope. get over it.

Yes, The photographs are powerful. Paul O'Neill's connection to the place is powerful. The history is powerful. And putting Yankee Stadium in the background makes for one hell of an image. But it can also leave readers with a very convenient impression: Look at the beautiful Yankee Stadium while the Yankees let the park across the street fall apart.

Except that's not really what happened. I'm perfectly willing to blast the Yankees. But I'm not going to blame the Yankees for something simply because their stadium happens to make a great backdrop for the photograph.

If The Athletic wants to investigate why Macombs Dam Park has deteriorated, great. Investigate it, but investigate it right. Follow the responsibility all the way through City Hall. Ask NYC Parks why routine maintenance wasn't enough. Ask why the reconstruction wasn't funded earlier. Ask why a project everybody apparently agrees is necessary still doesn't have all its money. Ask how federal funding was allowed to slip away. Ask every elected official involved what happens next. And yes, ask the Yankees what they're willing to contribute.

Just don't confuse being the rich neighbor who could help fix the problem with being the government agency responsible for the property. Those are two very different things. Macombs Dam Park absolutely represents broken promises.

The Bronx deserves better. The kids playing there deserve better. And the old Yankee Stadium site sure as hell deserves better. But if we're going to assign blame, assign it accurately.

This is a New York City park. Maybe we should start by asking New York City why it allowed it to get this bad.

Our take over here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

--Alvin Izzo

BYB Yankee History Contributor

NESTOR'S NEXT SHOT & CASHMAN’S MESS LIVES ON

Nestor Cortes is getting another shot, and good for him.

The former Yankee lefty has agreed to a major-league deal with the Phillies as he works his way back from surgery for a torn biceps tendon. Cortes hasn't pitched in the majors in 2026, but Philadelphia apparently believes there might still be something left in that funky delivery.

I always liked Nestor. He was a good Yankee. He competed, embraced New York and became an All-Star in 2022. He wasn't Gerrit Cole, but he gave the Yankees some damn good baseball.

And every time I hear his name, I think about that trade.

On December 13, 2024, the Yankees shipped Cortes, Caleb Durbin and cash considerations to Milwaukee for Devin Williams. Williams sucked and was headed for free agency after the 2025 season, meaning the Yankees essentially surrendered all of that for one year of him.

And what a year it was.

Meanwhile, Durbin played great with the Brewers and eventually wound up with the Red Sox, where he's hitting around .258 with 12 homers, 62 RBIs and 16 stolen bases this season. Just last week, he had a three-hit, five-RBI game that included a grand slam.

So, here's my question: could Caleb Durbin have been our second baseman instead of the drama with Torres and then getting Jazz? Um Yes. It have been nice to find out.

Instead, the Yankees gave away a useful young infielder and a pitcher we actually liked for one disappointing season of Devin Williams. Williams is now across town with the Mets, Durbin is helping the Red Sox, and the Yankees are still searching for answers while struggling to score runs.

And yes, instead we get the Jazz Chisholm show. Talented? Absolutely. But the showboating annoys the crap out of me, especially when this offense can't consistently push runs across the plate.

I'm happy for Nestor. I hope he gets healthy and does well in Philadelphia.

But that trade? It was just annoying.

THE YANKEES $1 MILLION GUESS

The Yankees are apparently placing another bet on the future.

And when I say future, I mean way into the future.

The Yankees have reportedly reached a pre-agreement with 15-year-old Dominican outfielder Wilson Gómez for a $1 million signing bonus. Gómez, represented by Wilin Rosario, is from Monte Plata, Dominican Republic, and is part of the 2028 international class.

Fifteen.

Years.

Old.

What are we doing here? Look, maybe Gómez turns into a superstar. I hope he does. Apparently, he runs a 6.5-second 60-yard dash, has power and "has hit at every level."

Great. But what exactly is "every level" when you're 15? Little League? Travel ball? Sophomore gym class? I'm kidding, but you understand my point.

This is what drives me crazy about evaluating baseball players this young. You're essentially looking at a kid and trying to predict what his body, swing, approach, competition level and baseball instincts are going to look like years from now.

That's not player evaluation. That's a lottery ticket with a scouting report attached. Empire Sports Media actually put the situation into perspective pretty well:

"This report gives fans a name to keep in the back of their minds, nothing more. Gómez will have to turn his current athletic profile into a much more complete game before he gets near affiliated baseball.

But the Yankees clearly see enough to make a seven-figure commitment this early. The 2028 class is still a long way out, and this is a reported pre-agreement rather than a completed signing, but the club may have found one of its first major investments in that group."

Exactly. Nothing more. That's the part Yankee fans need to remember. Maybe Wilson Gómez becomes the next great Yankee outfielder. Maybe the scouts absolutely nailed this one. Maybe in six or seven years we're laughing about how brilliant this $1 million investment was.

I genuinely hope so. But he's 15 years old. There are so many question marks here you could fill Yankee Stadium with them. Will he keep developing? Will the power translate? Will he hit better pitching? Will his body change? Will the speed remain? Will he adjust mentally? Will he even become the player the Yankees currently project him to become?

Who knows?

And that's my problem with getting excited about these kinds of Yankee "investments." We've heard about tools. We've heard about upside. We've heard about projections. We've heard about kids who are supposedly years ahead of everybody else.

Then reality shows up. So welcome to the Yankee organization, Wilson Gómez. I hope you're terrific. I hope the Yankees found something special. But forgive me if I'm not ordering the jersey yet.

A million bucks on a 15-year-old isn't a plan. It's a bet.

Let's just hope this time the Yankees guessed right.

THE GREAT VOLPE MISREAD

There comes a point when we have to stop talking about Anthony Volpe as if the breakout is always right around the corner.

Maybe this is simply who he is. And maybe the bigger question isn't Anthony Volpe anymore. Maybe it's how the Yankees evaluated him in the first place. Let's get the current numbers straight, because Volpe deserves that much.

Since being demoted again in August, Volpe hasn't been completely helpless at Scranton. In fact, he put together a seven-game hitting streak through August 14, including a 408-foot home run. Then he went 0-for-5 with a strikeout on August 15.

Fine. But can we please stop acting like getting some hits against Triple-A pitching is proof that the Anthony Volpe experiment is suddenly working? He's 25 years old. He's been a major leaguer since 2023. This isn't some 20-year-old prospect getting his first taste of Triple-A. Volpe is down there because after years of being handed the Yankees shortstop job, he still hasn't established himself as a quality Major League hitter.

In 2026 with the Yankees, Volpe hit .240 with one home run in 56 games. His slugging percentage was just .322. After the All-Star break, things became even uglier: .212/.250/.303. Eventually the Yankees finally did what they seemingly refused to do for years. They stopped protecting the idea of Anthony Volpe and started evaluating the actual baseball player. And that brings me back to something Bleeding Yankee Blue raised months ago.

In May, BYB published HOW YANKEE SCOUTS LOST THEIR WAY IN THE VOLPE RECRUITMENT questioning whether people inside the Yankees scouting operation became so invested in Volpe and his family that objective evaluation may have been compromised. My opinion based on my research by the way. That's not a proven allegation of wrongdoing. But after watching this play out, I think it's absolutely fair to question the process.

Because the Yankees didn't merely like Anthony Volpe. They seemed determined to make Anthony Volpe happen. Remember how this started. Before becoming the Yankees' Opening Day shortstop in 2023, Volpe had played just 22 games at Triple-A.

Twenty-two. Then suddenly he wasn't developing in Scranton anymore. He was the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. He hit .209 with a .283 OBP his rookie season.

Instead of wondering whether they rushed him, the Yankees doubled down. Then they doubled down again. In 2024, the OPS was .657. In 2025, he hit .212 with a .272 OBP. And in 2026, after returning from shoulder surgery, we got another .240 average, one home run and a .646 OPS before the Yankees finally sent him back down. At what point does "development" become organizational stubbornness?

That's why the Yankee scouting and development operation deserves scrutiny. Not because Anthony Volpe was some ridiculous prospect nobody else liked. That's revisionist history. He was legitimately highly regarded and had tremendous minor-league seasons.

The failure was something different. The Yankees appear to have confused potential with readiness. Good scouting isn't simply saying, This kid has talent. Good player development is knowing when that talent is ready for Yankee Stadium. And apparently it wasn't. Worse, once the Yankees committed to Volpe, they seemingly spent years trying to prove their original decision correct.

Bad offensive season? Be patient. Another bad offensive season? He's developing. Defensive problems? He's working through them. Another prolonged slump? Trust the process.

Meanwhile, other players get a bus ticket to Scranton before their laundry is finished. That is why the favoritism question isn't crazy. I can't tell you what happened behind closed doors. Neither can anyone else who wasn't in those rooms. But I can look at the extraordinary runway Anthony Volpe received and ask a very simple question:

Would another Yankee prospect have received the same treatment with the same production?

That's the question the Yankees should have to answer. And now look where we've ended up. The shortstop the Yankees were so convinced was ready in 2023 is back in Triple-A in 2026, learning second base, while George Lombard Jr. has been promoted to play shortstop in the Bronx.

That's not development going according to plan. That's the plan changing because the original one failed. And yes, Volpe getting hits in Scranton is better than him going 0-for-30. Wonderful.

He's supposed to hit Triple-A pitching. He's supposed to look more comfortable there. The standard can't suddenly become, Anthony made a nice play at second base today.

What are we doing here?

This isn't personal against Volpe. He didn't promote himself in 2023. He didn't write the scouting reports. He didn't put himself in the lineup year after year. The Yankees did. They made him believe he was major league ready. That's why, if this experiment ultimately fails, the Yankees shouldn't simply toss Volpe into the pile of prospects who "didn't work out" and move along.

They should examine the entire process. Who decided 22 Triple-A games were enough? Who was pounding the table that he was Major League ready? Why did his leash remain so long despite years of below-average offensive production? And did organizational attachment to the player make it harder for the Yankees to objectively admit they had made a mistake?

Those are legitimate questions.

Because maybe Anthony Volpe wasn't the biggest failure in the Anthony Volpe experiment. Maybe the failure belongs to the people who were so determined to prove they were right about him that it took four years to consider they might have been wrong. And if that's the case, don't just investigate Anthony Volpe's swing. Investigate the Yankees' evaluation process.

And for my personal opinion? I don't want this guy back in pinstripes. All you have to do is look at how graceful George Lombard Jr. is at short and recognize that we were missing an actual baseball player in the middle infield for 3 years.  It's over.  

It's time to turn the page.  That's it.

GRISHAM, RODÓN & LOMBARD GIVE ME SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

Well, look at that.

The Yankees won a baseball game Tuesday night, 3–1 over the Orioles, and for once I don't feel the need to immediately locate the nearest wall and bang my head against it.

I'm calling that progress.

And while this wasn't exactly Murderers' Row reincarnated—the Yankees managed only five hits—there were actually several things to like about this one. So yes, I'm going to enjoy it. I don't get to do this nearly enough.

Let's start with Trent Grisham, because apparently he decided the rest of the offense could take the night off. Grisham drove in all three Yankee runs, blasting his 17th homer in the third inning and then delivering the biggest hit of the night, a two-run single in the seventh that broke a 1–1 tie. Even better, that single came after Grisham fell behind 0–2 against left-hander Josh Walker.

That's called a professional at-bat. Remember those?

Then there was Carlos Rodón, back from the injured list and looking pretty damn good considering he hadn't pitched in the majors since June 28. Rodón went four innings, allowed one run on 2 hits and gave the Yankees exactly what they needed in his first game back. The lone damage was a Coby Mayo solo homer.

Was it vintage Cy Young stuff? No. Did I need it to be? Absolutely not. Get Rodón healthy. Get him comfortable. Get him stretched out. If the Yankees are going anywhere meaningful over the next two months, they're going to need this guy.

And then there's George Lombard Jr.

I don't want to get carried away with a young player after a couple of weeks, because we've seen how dangerous that can be around this organization. But the kid keeps giving us reasons to watch.

Lombard went 2-for-4 with a run scored, but the play everyone will remember came with the glove. He ranged deep to his right, planted himself however the hell he could and fired across the diamond to rob Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Rodón's reaction on the YES broadcast pretty much said it all.

Grunt Baseball here. These Yankee pitchers are WOW'd with what it's like to have an ACTUAL shortstop behind them.  That should tell the Yankees front office everything they need to know.

The interesting part is that Lombard isn't just surviving at shortstop. He's looking comfortable there. Since his August 4 call-up, he's provided athleticism, defense and some life to a lineup desperately needing it.

That's refreshing.

And finally, give the bullpen some credit.

After Rodón departed, Yankee relievers covered five scoreless innings. Yerry De Los Santos earned the win, Fernando Cruz helped escape trouble in the seventh, and David Bednar closed it out for save No. 28. Baltimore finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners.

That's how you win when the offense isn't exactly setting off fireworks.

Pitch. Play defense. Get the big hit. Go home. It doesn't have to be complicated.

The Yankees are now 70–55, they've won two straight, and Tampa Bay lost Tuesday, pulling New York to five games back in the AL East.

Am I planning the parade? Relax. This team still has problems. Five hits isn't exactly something you frame and hang over the fireplace. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton are still out, and there are plenty of questions surrounding this roster.

But Tuesday night wasn't about complaining. It was about Grisham coming through when they needed him. Rodón returning and looking healthy. Lombard continuing to show us something. And a bullpen protecting a lead instead of lighting it on fire.

That's a good Yankee win. I'll take it. Hell, I'll even smile about it. Just don't make me regret saying that Wednesday night.

CASHMAN PROTECTED LOMBARD. WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU DONE FOR THIS TEAM?

I keep seeing these ridiculous takes about the Yankees’ trade deadline:

“One of Brian Cashman’s best moves was not trading George Lombard Jr.”

Seriously?

Protecting your best young player isn't some brilliant front-office achievement. That’s Cashman’s job. You know what else is his job? Finding another way to make the Yankees better.

If a team demands Lombard, say no. Then call somebody else. Offer different prospects. Take on money. Get creative. 

Cashman has an entire organization at his disposal. The choices aren't trade Lombard or go home.

This Yankees’ deadline leaves us in a familiar place: Cashman made moves, including Heliot Ramos and Luis Garcia Jr., but did he actually do enough to turn this team into a championship favorite?

That’s the problem. He did not. Cashman always seems to go through the motions. Make the calls, make better calls. Ask about the big names. Tell everyone the prices were too high. Protect a prospect. Make a few secondary moves. Do something meaningful.

Deadline over. And we did this last year too.

In 2025, Cashman brought in Ryan McMahon, David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, José Caballero, Amed Rosario and Austin Slater. There was plenty of deadline excitement then, too.

And where did it get us? Doval, Bird and Slater are already off the team. We didn't move the needle. That’s why I don't want to hear about Cashman “winning” another deadline because he didn't make a stupid trade.

Not making a bad trade isn't the same thing as making a great one. Keep Lombard. Absolutely. But then GO GET SOMEBODY ELSE. Someone meaningful.

We are the New York Yankees. Cashman has prospects, major-league players and enormous financial resources to work with. Eventually the standard has to become championships again—not congratulating Brian Cashman because he managed to protect one of his own best prospects.

But that’s not genius. That's just part of the job.

CASHMAN’S CASINO: WEATHERS IS THE LATEST 'HOPE' DICE ROLL

Call me a hater. I’ll survive.

Ryan Weathers is pitching out of his shoes right now. Good for him. He changed his pitch mix, dramatically cut back on the four-seamer that got hammered in the past, leaned more on his sinker and secondary stuff, and suddenly looks like a different pitcher.

Fantastic.

But Ryan Weathers is also the perfect poster child for how Brian Cashman builds the Yankees these days. Roll the dice and hope. That's it. That's the strategy.

Instead of aggressively building a roster designed to overpower the competition, Cashman seems obsessed with finding the next reclamation project, the next injured player, the next underachiever with "upside" who the Yankees believe they can fix.

And when one of those lottery tickets hits? Suddenly we're supposed to applaud the genius. Weathers came to the Yankees with a career ERA around 5.00, a losing record and an injury history that included finger, flexor and lat problems. That's not me being a hater. That's the résumé.

Now he's pitching great. His 7 1/3 innings of one-run baseball against Toronto were outstanding. He's changed his approach and deserves credit for it.

But let's not rewrite history because the roulette ball landed on black a few times. Cashman rolled the dice. Weathers is currently paying off.

There's a difference. And that's what bothers me about these Yankees. Too often it feels like Cashman would rather prove he can outsmart baseball than simply go get the best players available and build the strongest roster possible.

Maybe Weathers becomes something. Maybe the injured guy stays healthy. Maybe the struggling veteran rebounds. Maybe Matt Blake fixes another pitcher. Maybe the bargain-bin acquisition turns into a postseason hero.

Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

At some point, "hope" stopped being the backup plan and became the Yankees' actual business model. That's not how the New York Yankees should operate. This is supposed to be an organization with enormous resources trying to win championships, not Brian Cashman standing at a craps table shaking the dice yelling, Come on, baby, daddy needs a No. 3 starter!

And yes, sometimes it works. Right now, Ryan Weathers is working.

Am I happy for the kid? Sure. Am I a fan? Nope. Would I buy a ticket specifically because Ryan Weathers is pitching? Absolutely not. Not that exciting.

Because I've seen hot stretches before, and Weathers' career tells us this level of dominance is anything but normal. Maybe the pitch-mix adjustment changed everything. Maybe he really has figured it out.

Or maybe we're watching a guy on one hell of a heater. Keep dealing, Ryan. Prove me wrong. But don't use Ryan Weathers' sudden success as proof that Cashman had some brilliant master plan. He rolled the dice.

This time, maybe he hit his number. The problem is the New York Yankees shouldn't have to keep visiting the casino to build a championship team.

FRIED AGAIN? YANKS CAN’T KEEP ANYBODY HEALTHY

Just when you thought the Yankees were finally getting their rotation together, Max Fried is back on the injured list. Again.

Fried was placed on the 15-day IL just a short time ago with a left elbow bone bruise — the same injury that cost him nearly two months earlier this season. Seriously, why the hell can’t the Yankees stay healthy?

We literally just got finished talking about how exciting it would be to finally see Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón healthy and pitching in the same rotation. That's the kind of three-headed monster that can carry you through October.

And right on cue, Rodón is ready to return Tuesday after dealing with his own elbow inflammation and Fried goes down. You can't make this stuff up.

At some point, I think it's fair to start asking questions beyond simple bad luck. Should the Yankees be taking a serious look at their medical staff, training staff, strength and conditioning programs and the way they manage player health?

I'm not accusing anyone of causing injuries. Pitchers get hurt. That's baseball. But when you're constantly waiting for Judge, Stanton, Bellinger, Rodón, Fried and others to get healthy, eventually somebody needs to examine the bigger picture. The Yankees' current injury list includes several major pieces, and Fried's latest setback only adds to it.

Because this is getting ridiculous.

The Yankees have spent a fortune assembling a championship-caliber roster. It would be nice if we could actually see the damn roster on the field at the same time.