Quick Hit: Surviving 27 Innings in 24 Hours

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays are set to play a whopping 27 innings, or more potentially, in less than 24 hours after the game on Thursday night was rained out in the Bronx. This is not going to be an easy feat for either team but it will be especially difficult for the Yankees since they have more to lose. How in the world is manager Joe Girardi going to navigate these three games and not shoot the team in the foot for the remainder of the season or for the foreseeable future?

The good news for the Yankees is that next Thursday they have an off day and face a team they have beat up on all season long in the Tampa Bay Rays Monday through Wednesday. The bad news is this is the last off day for the team until a potential playoff series. New York faces a trio of right-handed starting pitchers this weekend meaning the left-handed bats will be relied upon heavily. Expect Stephen Drew to play in at least two of these games, if not all three, while someone like a Greg Bird may have to play all three contests along with Chase Headley. The pitching is going to be the major concern for both teams though.

Girardi has already stated that he may have to pitch some of his pitchers three games in a row, something he hasn’t done all season, out of necessity. Chris Martin was called up from Triple-A for a fresh arm in the bullpen and he could end up pitching two or three nights if need be along with the trio of Chasen Shreve, Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. Adam Warren may have to be used for multiple innings as well as Chris Capuano just to get the team through and to save somebody, anybody, to pitch against the Rays on Monday.

It’s going to be a grueling grind but if the Yankees can blow out the Jays in one or two of these contests, and trust me the offense is due for a blowout, they may be just fine.