BELTRAN'S RINGING BELLS IN AUGUST

 I wrote a piece earlier in the year regarding how the Yanks like to go streaking. Read WE'RE GOING STREAKING! No, not that kind of streaking, but how they, as well as most other ball clubs, get hot, then cold and the cycle continues.

The Yanks have recently continued that trend. After losing five straight to Toronto and Cleveland, the Yanks have ripped off five in a row, including two out of three in Toronto, to get their August record back to an .558 as of this moment.

A huge part of the success the Yankees have had can be contributed to the often criticized and 'over the hill' Carlos Beltran. Sure, he is pushing 40, but he can still produce (Remember the pinch hit home run against Toronto?). Beltran has hit five of his 13 home runs and has nine of his 42 RBI on the year in the month of August. If it weren't for him, the Yankees record could be worse.

And he's not only doing it with his bat. While in Toronto he also made a couple nice plays in right field. We all know the caliber outfielder he used to be, but at 38 years old, he appears to be revitalized patrolling out there. For those of you who feel he shouldn't be out there, I don't think that's fair. He is not what he used to be, but who of us can say we are at 38? Plus the Yankees took a chance, and right now things are paying off.

This kind of story where one guy picks up for another is what makes a team a good team. ARod was in the midst of a 1-for-27 slump before his #ABomb on Tuesday night. While Tex has still hit three home runs in August, he is only batting .185 for the month. Didi Gregorius, who was on fire at the dish, is batting just .154 over the last seven days.

Besides Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury has picked it up over the last week batting .429 with five multi-hit games after struggling mightily for the first week and half of the month. Brett Gardner also has also been more effective and has hit safely in seven of eight games. Brian McCann has hit three home runs over the last week and has driven in nine runs. And how do you like Greg Bird? Nice, right?

It's great to see Carlos, who struggled last year, be productive and continue to be a leader in the clubhouse. While I've often said the Yankees as a whole look more like a beer league softball team, there is a lot to be said about a great veteran presence in the clubhouse. That is one thing the Yanks sure don't lack, and right now,it's helping them. Let's hope it sticks!

  
Dan Lucia
BYB Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia

 


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