THAT'S the Robbie CANO we all KNOW!
A great win to start of this four-game series at Cleveland.
No power this season, huh? 10 homeruns in the first six games (not counting Opening Day) of the season. :Rex Ryan's voice: "That's pretty fucking good".
This is a Yankee offense that's suppose to struggle with no power this season; clearly, still very early in the season, but it's a good start to have this type of power. I don't think people were expecting 10 homers in the first six games of the season. Especially in a 3 - 4 start to the season.
When you see Travis Hafner, Vernon Well, Kevin Youkilis go deep, and see Robinson Cano hit two homers in today's game -- then you start to think how this lineup will look with Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira, this lineup could look a lot better than last year.
Not to forget Brennan Boesch.
Hiroki Kuroda: Got in trouble in the first inning, when giving up 3 runs in 3 hits and walking 2; you're thinking: oh boy, that middle finger is still bothering him. Though, after that troubling first inning, the Indians couldn't touch him -- Kuroda went 5.1 innings, with 6 strikeouts and allowing 0 runs, since the three-run outburst.
With Kuroda looking good, having C.C Sabathia pitch great on a Sunday and Andy Pettitte pitching great against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, the Yankee team in general is starting to look good. This team is not as "horrible" as other advocates claim it to be. It's all about pitching. In 2008 when the Yankees missed the postseason, they didn't have Sabathia, Pettitte, Kuroda and Michael Pineda waiting in the wings.
New Yankee Lineup: This offense, in the first couple of games, look to have no identity, which is understandable due to the injuries. Now the Yankee lineup is starting to gain it's own look; with Wells, Youkilis and Hafner. I may be going overboard on two wins in a row, but I see an offense that can potentially be dominant and find their own identity.
The power we lost this off-season has been replaced, in my view. I think the subtraction was the defense -- not the power bats. We lose Eric Chavez's glove in third base and Russell Martin's defense in catching.
The only bat that will be missed is Raul Ibanez. Because his swing was so dangerous for opposing pitchers at Yankee Stadium. Hafner could be the Yankees' Ibanez of 2013 -- but the difference is Ibanez was so smooth with his power, and Hafner has to muscle his swing more. Also, Hafner -- if you notice -- hits his homers over the centerfield wall. While Ibanez pulls the ball to right-field. Boesch is a guy who pulls to right-field more, than Hafner.
If you wanna compare losing Andruw Jones and gaining Vernon Wells -- Wells is an upgrade over Jones. Wells can hit for average and spray the ball and hit for power, while Jones was a feast to famine hitter -- he'd homer or strikeout. And Wells can steal bases from time to time.
Yankees need to find something in Boesch. He's only 27-years old and has potential to hit 25-30 homers. Boesch can pull a lot balls over that short porch in right.
